BonScot
Straight Flush
This should be carved on to the back of every guitar...
Help me buy a guitar (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Lemonzest
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Dix
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Nothing wrong with that position. Like has been said, this has got to be something comfortable for YOU. Not me, or anyone else in this conversation. It's all about what fits & feels best to you, & makes you want to play it... as often as possible. You wouldn't be the 1st to be put off by a LP's tonnage (or neck thickness). So don't feel bad.
That's a big reason I specified the S-Series Ibanez as another option. It's the exact polar opposite. There's no way something that light should play & sound that good. But, the build quality defies the logic I guess. Then it's just a question of the Wizard neck profile. That's something, again, that you will either like, or not... the Ibanez Wizard neck profile is very polarizing.
A good humbucker in the bridge position will always get the high-gain job done... it's all about voltage & a pickup's frequency response. General rule of thumb is that a humbucker will be hitting the front of the amp with twice the voltage. This makes the amp react differently. It pushes the amp into clipping sooner providing that overdrive & natural compression quicker on the transients. Also, having more mass they roll off the high end sooner, giving a more pronounced mid-range dominance to the tone.
You & me both. I haven't been able to really figure out the Strat crowd for over 40 years of trying. Scroll up.... A used relic that's only $200 off a brand new relic's price is a "good deal"?.... really?
I'd rather pay the 200 Bennies if that's the only difference, & get something no one else has had the opportunity to screw-up.
But, yea.... made in USA is always going have some extra cache that MiM doesn't. Regardless of how well the Mexican version stands up playablity-wise to the USA version.
Same reason an S2 PRS is worth more than an SE. Or a made in Japan "Premium" Ibanez is worth more than a "Standard". It's all about it's birthplace.
In that case, as long as you're awake & sitting down.... a little bonus.... someone else you may like listening to.... Kiesel's latest endorcee.... enjoy!
Might want to go test the lower powered Marshall studio versions if you haven't yet (even if just for fun).. 20 watts with a power reduction to 5w for bedroom levels (not sure if/how that messes with the tone).
https://marshall.com/marshall-amps/products/amps/studio/sc20h
https://marshall.com/marshall-amps/products/amps/studio/sc20c
johnnycnote
Flush
Great amps, but even at 5W tube amps are LOUD. I even tried the Tone King Gremlin that attenuates to .5 (1/2) watts and I still found it too loud for playing at home
After, 40 plus years of playing, I finally gave up on finding a tube amp that sounds good (to me) at low volume levels. I ended up getting the new Fender ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb and it was perfect out of the box at all volume levels. Fantastic light weight amp
If you like that Marshall growl and want it at low volumes, check out the MG30 combo. Not a tube, but a great home amp for about $250
I feel for you @Lemonzest, you're getting hit with advice from all directions at once! lol
Yeah when I go to the big boy stores downtown I will try some of the various Marshall offerings good call. Part of me is scared of falling in love though and bringing home a complete stack!
I am doing ok with the advice. It is helping a lot. I am really close now!
I finally gave up on finding a tube amp that sounds good (to me) at low volume levels
I don't understand why on a tech level but yeah tube amps don't sound good unless they are cranked up from what I have been learning. I had my heart set on the THR10x modelling amp but can't seem to track one down at the moment.
Bought a Big Muff online this AM - lets go!
There are attenuators (I have a Weber Mass), but they crush the tone.
I own a Marshall 1974x (18 watt).
When I want to crank it, I just put the amp in a different room and use a long cable
On the other hand, my 1973 100 watt Fender Twin Reverb can not be cranked in my house without shattering some windows.
I own a Marshall 1974x (18 watt).
When I want to crank it, I just put the amp in a different room and use a long cable
On the other hand, my 1973 100 watt Fender Twin Reverb can not be cranked in my house without shattering some windows.
johnnycnote
Flush
I own a Marshall 1974x (18 watt).
When I want to crank it, I just put the amp in a different room and use a long cable
@Dix @softchewy @Thomacetti et al
might buy this tomorrow. What say you wise sages?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/226775462296605/
might buy this tomorrow. What say you wise sages?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/226775462296605/
Not too familiar with Ibanez (never owned one) but ones I have played felt nice.
Have you played that Wizard III neck before? Is the price US or Canadian? (prices below are US)
Looks like an s621, so new it is $500 (same as s521 with a quilted top - s521 is $400 new), plus $80 for that pup (add $20-$40 for install if not soldering yourself).
I might be more inclined to get the s670 ($600 new) and possibly change out the pups to ones I liked.
670 has an added single coil in the middle position which can give you some more tone possibilities. Also has a tremolo (not sure if you'd ever use it, but nice to have even if only occasional) and locking nut (S621 is just a plastic nut).
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/S670QMDEB--ibanez-s-series-s670qm-dragon-eye-burst
Dix
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$500 (390-USD) - A little on the high side of fair market value, but not outrageously so.
What you're looking at is a hard tail H-H S-series standard - S621QM "Quilted Maple" top in Dragon Eye Burst.
Online price new $500-USD (640-CA) all day. LINK: Musician's Friend - Ibanez S621QM
MSRP = $665-USD (850 CA) If he bought local, he might have paid $750-CA for it.
OK, so he's replaced the bridge pickup for a Duncan Custom (SH5). $100-CA (80-US) plus he claims a $50-CA gigbag.
So, add all that up & his claim of paying $900-CA is pretty much on the mark & makes sense. However, I know everyone likes to "claim" customization and/or "upgrades" add to the value. Well... some do, some don't. That Duncan Custom in the bridge is only worth an extra $100 if a buyer is willing to consider it worth the $100 extra. Which is not always the case. & I'll get to more on that in a minute.
Then there's this part....
| It's a great guitar, it just isn't for me. The wizard neck is a lot of people's favourite, but it's too thin and flat for my preference. |
Which, as I stated above, is totally plausible. The Wizard neck profile is certainly not for everyone.
So the whole listing makes sense & the guy certainly seems honest & upfront about it all.
First thing you'll want to do is play it. See what an Ibanez neck feels like for you. Like I said, most people are either hot or cold on 'em with very few fence-sitters in the middle. Most either love it, or hate it. As it seems our seller here figured out the hard way.
Next thing I'd want to do is hear what the volume & tonal balance between the stock neck pickup & the Duncan in the bridge is like. Remember my point above about used guitars meaning someone had the chance to screw something up?
Granted, pickup preferences are a personal thing, But I still like to have the middle position of the pickup selector switch mean something (especially when the 2 pickups share the same volume/tone controls). The Duncan Custom is a pretty high output pickup. Can the stock neck pickup keep up? The Custom is also fairly bright (ceramic magnet). Does the stock neck pickup now sound dull in comparison? In other words, am I going to want to put the stock bridge pickup back in it maybe? Or maybe replace the neck pickup with something from Seymour Duncan that pairs well with a Custom in the bridge?
That's what I meant about an "upgrade" being worth something... or not. 9 times out of 10 to the buyer it's not. But 9 out of 10 sellers want to try & recoup the cost.
So, whether or not the price makes sense kind of depends... is the pickup swap worth $100 to you? Personally, I'd be looking to get it for around $400-ish. maybe let him talk me into $450.... maybe.
Of course, make certain it's in good playable condition first & doesn't need any major surgery. Take a good look down the neck from the peghead's perspective for any unusual warping/twisting. Play it all over the neck looking for any dead frets, etc.
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Dix
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Nita has a new fan.
And just think.... for only $1500......
or maybe this for only $800 & maybe a pickup swap?
Sorry, I had to.
In more than a few of her old interviews she mentions her earliest biggest influence being Steve Vai's guitar scene at the ending of the movie "Crossroads". & while it's said you should never meet your heroes, when his name is Steve Vai, & it's the January NAMM show.....
And just think.... for only $1500......
or maybe this for only $800 & maybe a pickup swap?
Sorry, I had to.
In more than a few of her old interviews she mentions her earliest biggest influence being Steve Vai's guitar scene at the ending of the movie "Crossroads". & while it's said you should never meet your heroes, when his name is Steve Vai, & it's the January NAMM show.....
Saw Steve Via a few years back at Iridium in NYC. Great small club (holds maybe 150-200 people - all table seating).
Went to see him filming his episode of the Front and Center series.
He was awesome and a genuinely nice guy.
Also saw Les Paul there several times and met him (he played there every Monday night for over a decade).
A phenomenal talent and very funny.. had so many great stories.
Guests would always show up and he'd have them sit in for a couple of songs with him. From local musicians to huge stars like McCartney, Slash, Chet Atkins, etc. (Richie Sambora jammed with him one of the nights I was there, though Richie had a tough time keeping up).
Mongoose
Full House
Small/intimate clubs like that are the best. Typically, as artists grow in popularity it goes from clubs, to arenas, to stadiums. It’s always cool when some players scale things down to play in a club like that. Awesome!
Enjoy
Please listen close to his version...eyes closed & headphone is best
Bone shilling imho
Imagine someone pulls this off in a backyard party (local brewer) playing for 6 people...
I would be in awe with tears rollin'....this touches my guitar players soul in the deepest fibre
The emotion & dedication to play a song like that without boasting skillz is just mesmerizing
Ps. reading the comments is worth it
just one:
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i voted for Gibson because the les Paul but the Steve Vai ibenez gem 777 is a supermodel! that fret board is stunning! And its different. Everyone has a les paul or Fender strat.
BLECH... So predictable, and just so dull.
But the 777 is like a Lambo in the car park. Its the only car that looks like its going 500 mph.
And you can get the low b version
Mmmmmm You want chunky riffs.... Low b all the way
Even in booring white its just stunning
Or this...
Just stunning...
or this...
BLECH... So predictable, and just so dull.
But the 777 is like a Lambo in the car park. Its the only car that looks like its going 500 mph.
And you can get the low b version
Mmmmmm You want chunky riffs.... Low b all the way
Even in booring white its just stunning
Or this...
Just stunning...
or this...
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who was that bass player? He was ALL class.Nita has a new fan.
And just think.... for only $1500......
than a few of her old interviews she mentions her earliest biggest influence being Steve Vai's guitar scene at the ending of the movie "Crossroads". & while it's said you should never meet your heroes, when his name is Steve Vai, & it's the January NAMM show.....
Dix
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Things like this are one of the reasons I occasionally enjoy kicking around on YouTube to find stuff like this. It's how I came across Sophie Lloyd's channel, which I signed up for the notifications for.
For anyone that enjoyed the "Bulletproof Revolver" video above, I'd highly recommend downloading a copy of her 5 song EP "Delusions". It's part of the regular rotation on the MP3 player in my car.
https://www.sophieguitar.com/product-page/delusions-ep-digital-download
Here's the video of the title track....
Here's the video of the title track....
Longtime Vai touring/recording bassist Philip Bynoe: https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/philip-bynoe
Problem I'd have recommending a Jem in this particular case is the fretboard inlay.
Remember, LZ's OP is that he's a returning player looking to improve his skills after a long time off from playing. For someone like that I'd be thinking that fretboard is going to be a little to "busy" visually. Something with a more traditional inlay style is probably going to work better for anyone in that situation who may lack the ability to grab any fret on the neck instantly without looking.
That and the weight of the S-series is why it's my usual go-to for any recommendation in the Ibanez lineup. All you have to do is be able to be comfortable with the Wizard neck profile. Which isn't to everyone's particular taste either.
Dix
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How many people on the planet CAN keep up with Vai? That's a pretty short list.
That said, I have to confess rating Sambora as being on my personal list of top 5 favorite guitar players ever. In fact, if you twist my arm & force me to pick just one, that would probably be the name that would come out of my mouth.
If you asked mt to rate guitarists based on feel, timing, & reliably coming up with solos that perfectly capture the mood, feeling, & general atmosphere of the song its used in, he's the 1st name I'd go to every time.
So many times players with amazing skill sets tend to want to overplay everything to death. & seem to completely forget the backdrop they're supposed to be painting on/playing over. That's something I can't remember Richie being guilty of..... ever. He's got the most amazing ability to literally put himself inside the song & just nail it. The feel, the phrasing, the overall picture... it always seems... well... just so "seamless". & is one of those rare individuals with that intangible ability to extract maximum emotion from every phrase of a solo.
Other side of that coin would be Mark St.John. Technically an awesome guitar player. As the lead guitarist for KISS?.... bad idea.
For those of you who didn't have the benefit of being around in the peak of the guitar hero era... I submit as evidence exhibit "A"....
If you're short on time & have to skip ahead, the minute & a half "edited down for video" version of the original roller-coaster ride starts at 3:42.
Mind-blower little nugget: This was recorded before "Pro Tools" was a thing. There was no such thing as going into individual tracks on a hard drive & precisely time-aligning everything to the n-th degree. It was 24 tracks straight to 2-inch tape. (or 48 tracks if you synced 2 tape machines) So there are parts in this song where you simply have 2 extremely talented musicians (Sambora & David Bryon) making 2 separate instruments (piano & guitar) sound remarkably like one single instrument, without the benefit of post-production monkey-business. This is the kind of musical talent we need a revival of.
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So I went downtown and played all manner of guitars. @Dix was right about trying the LP Studio, PRS, and Ibanez and falling in love with one of those. First guitar I played was some high end Ibanez worth 3k and it sounded a dream. I didn't love the LP same as all the ones I have played. I like PRS but love Ibanez. Also now I realize how off base I was calling them soul less. Looking through their signature artists on the website is amazing.
https://www.ibanez.com/na/products/detail/s521_1p_04.html
I am leaning toward the S521 at the minute. Nothing fancy but it should get the job done. I really like Nita's signature guitar but the thing preventing me from pulling the trigger on it is the floating bridge. I can get frustrated changing strings on a fixed bridge. Talking with guys in the guitar shop etc. sounds like changing out strings on the Floyd Rose floating trem system is a PITA. I am on the beginner side of intermediate and really just want to learn to play. I don't care about using whammy and all that. I freaking love this version of Nita's signature, the JIVAX
https://www.ibanez.com/na/products/detail/jivax_00_01.html
@CHP TD Thanks for trying to help but Vai's custom guitar just looks hilarious to me with the big handle. That isn't something I vibe with at all.
I am getting a complete price list from my shop for all of the Ibanez offerings. I have been able to narrow it down so thats good. It is hilarious to think in retrospect I was actually considering hollow bodies. lol that would have sounded so bad.
https://www.ibanez.com/na/products/detail/s521_1p_04.html
I am leaning toward the S521 at the minute. Nothing fancy but it should get the job done. I really like Nita's signature guitar but the thing preventing me from pulling the trigger on it is the floating bridge. I can get frustrated changing strings on a fixed bridge. Talking with guys in the guitar shop etc. sounds like changing out strings on the Floyd Rose floating trem system is a PITA. I am on the beginner side of intermediate and really just want to learn to play. I don't care about using whammy and all that. I freaking love this version of Nita's signature, the JIVAX
https://www.ibanez.com/na/products/detail/jivax_00_01.html
@CHP TD Thanks for trying to help but Vai's custom guitar just looks hilarious to me with the big handle. That isn't something I vibe with at all.
I am getting a complete price list from my shop for all of the Ibanez offerings. I have been able to narrow it down so thats good. It is hilarious to think in retrospect I was actually considering hollow bodies. lol that would have sounded so bad.
Great progression en insight... I would plug the Prestige series...had one for years and only axe I regret selling (at a loss)
The S6570Q-NBL would the be the one I would pick up today
My goodness 12/10. He made that thing sing, scream, cry, and whine !
https://www.ibanez.com/na/products/detail/s6570q_00_02.html
I got pricing on this yesterday. They are $ 2,850 CAD or $2,240 USD. They are about double what I want to spend but man are they gorgeous!
I love the blue color that these come in as well. One of the best finishes Ibanez makes.
Also has the floating bridge that I don't really want to deal with.
Check out the RH652AHMFX in nebula green....that should fit the budget and right in that awsome gear for money midrange.
I can assure you that custom shop or signature guitars don't play 10% better for 200% of the price (and had a few of those).
And still advise you to look at Schecter...or at least try to play one.
Right up your alley (ESP too)
I can assure you that custom shop or signature guitars don't play 10% better for 200% of the price (and had a few of those).
And still advise you to look at Schecter...or at least try to play one.
Right up your alley (ESP too)
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HebrewChuckNorris
Two Pair
What shops did you go to? I'm in the lower mainland as well and in a similar guitar boat. Also your aesthetic preferences are similar, ex. The handle on the 777 or the LP looking too fancy and old-man.
I'm planning on a trip to L&M this week, but I'd rather give my business to an Indy shop if I can.
Yeah I just went to LM downtown location and one of their smaller shops further East. To be honest I was a bit disappointed by the selection. Maybe what I want is just so specific but they didn't have that many good Ibanez options in my price range. LM can get pretty much anything in though so thats cool. If you can find something you like then you can order it in a different finish etc.. It is also a bit of a savings since setup at LM is $75-100 so if you buy a guitar from them they will set it up for free. That is something to keep in mind.
One place I find interesting but didn't visit is Westcoast Guitars located downtown. These guys seem to deal in more of the high end stuff as they are dealers for Suhr and Reverend and I assume many other brands. They have limited store hours so pay attention to when you go there so they are actually open. If you end up going there I would be interested to know what you think and what their in store selection is like.
What kind of music do you want to play?
Whoa! That Nebula Green is hot! RH652AHMFX is still a bit more then I want to spend but it certainly checks all the boxes. Great spec and great looking. I will take a look at Schecter and ESP more seriously next time I go to the shop. I didn't realize that playing hard stuff is somewhat unique and requires special tools lol. Lucky I didn't buy a hollow body Gretsch I was looking at!
Dix
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If you're certain you will never have a use for a trem bridge, that's one thing (& Ibanez certainly has plenty of hard tail options), However, I wouldn't be too put off by something with a trem if you really fall in love with one that comes with it standard over one that doesn't.
The number of times you'll be changing strings isn't going to be near as often as a professional. & really, it's not THAT much more complicated over a non-trem bridge, even the Floyd-Rose types that lock the strings at the bridge. (NOTE: with a Floyd type system, you don't have to bother cutting the ball ends off, just string the ball end through the tuners at the peghead & cut for length at the bridge. With a locking nut, you don't need multiple wraps around the peghead.)
I'm not a big trem user, but having it as an optional tool on my PRS has been handy at times. The one thing I really don't care for is a full floating trem. String bends with a full floater are something you really have to get used to as you're going to be having the bridge fighting against you. So you have to bend further to get there. With a non-floating trem (only bends down in pitch not up) you can just up the spring tension to eliminate that issue.
The PRS I have does have a full-floater, but you can get a "trem stopper" such as the one pictured below for use on any Floyd type floating trem.
90% of the time I use my PRS, I don't even install the arm, I just play it like a hard tail. & with a trem stop installed I can pop the arm in & have a Fender style non-floating trem that works & doesn't require re-thinking string bends.
Phil McKnight did an awesome video on restringing a Floyd type trem....
HebrewChuckNorris
Two Pair
Classic rock, blues, some basic fingerstyle, light metal/heavy rock (Metallica, Sabbath etc).
I have my Chinese ibanez that I'm using now, but it was like 200 bux new 20 years ago, and I'm fighting a few issues. Taking it to a luthier would be nice but would probably be close to the value of the guitar. Figured an upgrade might be in order.
Mine has a fender style trem, and I made the mistake of going for lighter strings. That opened up a can of worms I'm still trying to get the top back on. Hard tail is starting to sound appealing, less of a learning curve. I'm not sure if their entry level guitar has the wizard neck or not, but it is a bit uncomfortable at times. I'm also not sure if having two ibanez guitars is a wise move. Anyways I see a trip to LM on terminal in my future as well as the music shop down in new west.
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