Guitar Choice

[GtrvVampyre]

Didnt know where to put this so i put it in the most read forum. I recently got in a band and i have been told by alot of people now i need a "good" guitar. My guitars i have now are slammers and are about 200$, nothing really good and of course i have all sorts of problems with them. I have been recommended many guitars but i realized alot of people around here in NC carry limited guitars for alot of people around here have limited tastes. Im torn between 3 guitars currently (and i want feedback from you guys, which is a good guitar within the 3 or others you know of)

One is the G&L George Fulleraton Sig model (only one the store has) and its around 1,400$ i can get it for. I'v been told (by the owner of the store) that these guitars are higher quality than Fender cause after fender went to japan that the guy who made fender working with so-and-so (sorry, in a rush) to make these new guitars and that they are hand crafted. Anyone know alot about these guitars? i couldnt find any on musicians friend or other retailers?

Next guitar of choice of course is some kind of Fender Strat, (american), Theres so many styles and i was wondering what type is great, i looked at the Eric Clapton model with the S1 button and i loved Hendrix's but its left handed even tho its switched so a rightie can play it. Any specific Strats that are really awesome?

The one guitar im in love with which noone around here carries is the Ibanez JEM7VWH. Magnificent looks, and im so in love with it. I have yet heard the tone or how it plays but i'v read nothing but good reviews. Any of you guys own one? Is it worth the money? I heard Ibanez doesnt hold its value well but the guitar i get i'm gonna be playing alot so over the years its gonna get a little scratched and the usual wear and tear so does the value REALLY matter as long as the guitar itself still works and sounds great?

I really need some input on these guitars cause im torn between then and to make an investment of 1,000-1,800$ is somthing not to be thrown around. Just so you know the style of music i play, im interested in just about everything so somthing versatile would be nice. I love Hendrix and Zeppelin stuff but i also love Shred and Vai/Yngwie music. Not to mention i play ALOT of blues and jazz. So i really want somthing that can cover a wide variety of sounds. Any help on any subject is appreciated. Thanks a bunch for reading this long post :).

Ps: Main reason i love the Ibanez Jem is cause its nothing like you see around here in NC were theres Strats everywhere and im a sucker for Ivy inlays, my acoustic has ivy inlays and the 2 guitars match perfectly :). I just wish i knew what the thing sounded like! Oh, and just so theres no mixup, the Ibanez JEM i reffer to is the white one of course :)

[DemonSorcerer]

Hello, Kiddo...

Remember that this furum does not support GEAR QUESTIONS or anything like that...be this the last time, ok??

Well...I've read that you like Strats and Jems...if you have the money, go and buy the jem...the one you like, be it the white model or the Vibrant Blue model...I'd go for the blue one, but that's just a matter of tastes...Putting the Strat and the Jem side by side and comparing them with each other??? well...Both have an alder body, which is great for vintage tone and sweet chords and for those claptonesque tone...both have bolt-on maple necks so no big difference there...Electronics...to tell you the truth, the Strat pickups are Fender stock single coils...*sighs* Single coils don't have the power i want on my guitars...they are kinda weak on the distortion side, ya know...they're more suited for clean tones and stuff...in the case of the Jem, it sports tow really great pickups....the Evolutions...2 Buckers and a Jem single coil...the Evo is one of the hottest pickups that Dimarzio has....Great punch and distortion, lots of power, many harmonic overtones...so go figure...

Standard Strats come equipped with a six-screw style tremolo bridge...ok, no dive-bombing here, no warbles, no nothing, or your girl's gonna be out of tune!!! the Jem comes equipped with the lowest-profile bridge i've ever seen...the Edge Pro...Ibanez's newest double locking system, it has some imrpovements from its older versions...you can do everything with it, be it divebombinng, warbles, horsies, and all the animals you can imagine...and it doesn't go out of tune, because it's a double-locking system...

As long as playability, the JEM is something to be played to be believed...the playability is something out of this world...it must be the Jem Prestige neck...*sighs*

So as you can see, the Jem is just an ultra improved Strat...it gives all the strat can offer and a little more...if i had the money, i'd go for the JEM7VBSVL...it costs around $1700 but i think it's worth of the money...they say the JEM is the BEST ibanez guitar you can ever have...

so remember kiddo...NO GEAR QUESTIONS IN THIS FORUM...thanks for understanding...and good luck with your new axe...whatever you choose.

David

[GtrvVampyre]

Thanks alot for the insight, but why dont you guys make a gear forum? If not do you know of a great site that helps with gear questions ect..?? Thanks agan for the info, im really pushing for that ibanez but everyone else is trying to pressure me into the GL or a strat. Thanks again for the help!

[metaljustice83]

www.harmonycentral.com or more specific to your question and any jem questions you have www.jemsite.com You'll get better information from jemsite.com more professional and trust worthy I think.

[Rizla]

I'd be careful about the Jem. Do you have need of a floating bridge? If I were you, I would look at the PGM301, it is loads cheaper and it has a fixed bridge which saves so much hassle, very easy to play. All right, it doesn't have clever inlays and stuff but the novelty of having that on a guitar soon wears off. Well for me it does. Well I don't know what you are going to do but if you have not used a guitar with a floating bridge before and have no need for it right now then you will not be pleased with the annoyances that go with it. You really need to go and play the jem and more before you buy it.

[smallbusrider]

Go with the G&L, they are probably the most consistent guitars of the bunch. Me personally I stay away from Fenders 'cause i find them overpriced for what you get. also they are very inconsistent...you have to play many of them to find the one that suits you...anyway, thats my 2 cents.....ever think of trying music man? i own a silhouette that is sooooooooooo awesome.

SBR

[GtrvVampyre]

Well i really would like to have a high quality tremelo and from what i'v heard the JEM has the best tremelo and that you can radically alter the pitch with it, thats kinda what im looking for so i can learn to do some awesome stuff with it.

[GtrvVampyre]

Ok, i know alot of dealers out there want you to buy guitars from their store so they are willing to stretch things so this guy i talked to can order an Ibanez to the dealership. Not many people have ibanez jems and dont carry them and because noone carries it and its not in demand at all its kinda got me worried about purhcasing one. Also im told if i buy it from certain places under 2k or so $ then ill be getting a lower one from korea instead of japan thats not as good. I'v learned not to really trust dealerships so if i orderd a 1,700$ Jem from Musicians Friend will i get the same quality as a 2,000$ (same model) from another place?

[DemonSorcerer]

Come on, Kiddo...

Let me tell ya something...All the current Jems in the market are MADE IN JAPAN...there are only three models...the white one that you want with the alder body/Evolutions, the blue one with the same specs but with Cosmic Powder colored hardware (LOOKS GREAT!!!) and there's the JEM 7D, that sports a black texturized paint finish, a metallic pickguard and a new pickup model that Steve designed for that specific guitar: The Breed...those three guitars are all made in Japan...i know there were cheaper Jems that were made in Korea, but those are out of the market at the moment...so you don't have a a chance of finding one these days in the shops.

And about Musician's Friend...they're a great dealer granted, BUT!!!! I know of a better internet site that sells Ibanez guitars at THE LOWEST PRICE AVAIABLE....http://shop.donsmusiccity.com/ ...i bought my RG Prestige 7 string from that shop and the service is amazingly good...they request the guitars directly from Ibanez, so there's no chance you get a lower price..i got mine for just 600$...also, there's the Internet sales Department...you can mail them and ask if you can really get any Ibanez....they guy is very cool, and always replies to the mails...putting aside the great service, you can even get FREE SHIPPING if your order is over 200$...ground shipping via FEDEX, but that's what you get for free...;)

Take some time to visit them at that site...they only have the blue and the white one (JEMs)...

David

[smallbusrider]

whovever said that the trems on ibanezs' are great....youre absolutely right...i own a 1991 saber and the edge tremelo system is the smoothest....i wish everyone would adopt this design....WILL NOT...i repeat...WILL NOT...go out of tune...i drop the strings down till they hit the pickups and fretboard...come back up...still in tune....left it neglected for a few years while i played my prs...(about 5 years) had to clean some green of the frets..but STILL IN TUNE....still go with G&L for overall sound though

SBR

[GtrvVampyre]

Ok i think i'v made up my mind and im gonna get a JEM, just one more question. I heard the new models you buy now have new tremelo systems and the guy i know that got one said he didnt like it and got an older JEM version that has a Floyd tremelo that he likes much better. Whats the difference between the old one and the new one, advantages/disadvantages?

[Rizla]

You know man, there is like a thousand better websites that you could be asking that question. A guy has already pointed one out (jemsite.com), there you will find all of your answers from dedicated jem players. Anyway, surely you aren't going to buy one without playing it first are you? I would strongly advise against this.

[GtrvVampyre]

First off i figured DemonSorcerer (http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/member.php?u=1844) seemed to know alot about it the way he talked so it was more directed at him, sorry i trust you guys more cause i'v posted here more and liked the responses i have gotten. No i havnt played a JEM cause noone has it around here at all, this is my only resort to buy one online. I have played lower versions of an Ibanez but with the same design (tremelo and locking system, ect...) and i loved it. Besides if i get it from musicians friend and dont like it, within 45 days i can return it and get full money back.

[DemonSorcerer]

Ok, kiddo...lemme figure this bridge thing out...

There are three important brige models for the Ibanez Guitars...the Edge pro, which was the earliest tremolos and one of the better ones...the Lo-Pro Edge (The one that comes win the not so old swirled/industrial burnt/early models of the white JEMs, circa 1992), almost the same features but with a really low and comfortable profile...and this new Edge Pro bridge...this one's the latest improvement in Ibanez bridge systems, as it has the LOWEST profile ever...and when i say lowest, i really mean it...i own a 2004 Prestige 7 string RG and the EdgePro 7 feels like the 6 point bridges that the Stratocasters sport...the vintage ones...it doesn't get in the way of your playing style...plus, it's really comfortable for palm muting and stuff...

So, if you're looking for comfortable playing and a burst of new features, you should try a newer ibanez, be it a Prestige or an artist model (JS, JEM, Universe, etc)...by the way, if you want to keep this personal, you can mail your questions to demonsorcerer@hotmail.com...just identify yourself in the mail, so i can read it and don't overlook at it and delete it...

David