My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Sly_D

New member
Well, after asking questions about hollowbody guitars, I got back from the store with a totally different beast... but I fell in love with this slick baby. Smaller than a Strat, bigger and lighter than a LP, as good as any of them, 10 times better than Epiphone crap (I bought 3 before learning my lesson). This thing is pure pleasure for the eyes and the ears... well, not because of the stock pups. They're OK, but stock anyway. My SD Custom SH-5 sounds totally AMAZING in this guitar (flame maple over mahagony). I just need a good neck pup now... Jazz? 59n? I'll see.

With my new Tech 21 amp and this baby, my gear search is over... or is it? :D

Well, I'll want an hollowbody someday...
 
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Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Sly_D said:
Well, after asking questions about hollowbody guitars, I got back from the store with a totally different beast... but I fell in love with this slick baby. Smaller than a Strat, bigger and lighter than a LP, as good as any of them, 10 times better than Epiphone crap (I bought 3 before learning my lesson). This thing is pure pleasure for the eyes and the ears... well, not because of the stock pups. They're OK, but stock anyway. My SD Custom SH-5 sounds totally AMAZING in this guitar (flame maple over mahagony). I just need a good neck pup now... Jazz? 59n? I'll see.

With my new Tech 21 amp and this baby, my gear search is over... or is it? :D

Well, I'll want an hollowbody someday...

I have the same guitar - well the blue one - same without so many of the flaming squid overlays... I will attest that the Custom Custom and the Alnico II Pro sound _amazing_ in this thing... easily my favorite guitar right now...
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Hmmm ... It's like a hybrid of so many guitars! Very cool looking! So, where are the CLIPS?!!!
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

I just moved so most of my cables and computer and stuff is sitting in boxes in the garage... I'll try to put something together once i'm finished painting this room and got my computer in there, etc... (right now I check in from work :D)
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

That's a real nice looking guitar! Is it grey or purpley?
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Thanks to all.

It's pretty much how the shots shows it: grey with a purpley accent, and with the abalone binding, which is sort of blue and turquoise, it's really awesome, even better that the photo.

UCSDBoy: I was thinking about putting an AIIPro in the neck, maybe I should. This combo (CC/AIIPro) is on my mind for a while.

What I like a lot also is that when the toggle switch is in the middle position, you don't get both pups, but rather the slug side of each one, which gives a cool single coil sound without any hum.

TwilightOdyssey: Yeah, a lot of people also compares it to a PRS. All in all, I paid less than a $1,000 ($840 with case), and this is the best guitar I've had in my life (I had 6 before this one - no real LP or Strat over 2K though).

I'll post a clip in the forum very soon... gee, you're scaring the sh*t out of me when you request a clip TwilightOdyssey, you're such an awesome player. I feel like a one-legged man trying to show a marathonian how to run :)
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

welcome to the SZ family :)
i've opted for no bindings/ fancy inlays, so i went with the 320 instead. pickups: CC (B) + AIIP (N)...

SZ320_pic3.jpg
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Sly_D said:
Thanks to all.

It's pretty much how the shots shows it: grey with a purpley accent, and with the abalone binding, which is sort of blue and turquoise, it's really awesome, even better that the photo.

UCSDBoy: I was thinking about putting an AIIPro in the neck, maybe I should. This combo (CC/AIIPro) is on my mind for a while.

What I like a lot also is that when the toggle switch is in the middle position, you don't get both pups, but rather the slug side of each one, which gives a cool single coil sound without any hum.

TwilightOdyssey: Yeah, a lot of people also compares it to a PRS. All in all, I paid less than a $1,000 ($840 with case), and this is the best guitar I've had in my life (I had 6 before this one - no real LP or Strat over 2K though).

I'll post a clip in the forum very soon... gee, you're scaring the sh*t out of me when you request a clip TwilightOdyssey, you're such an awesome player. I feel like a one-legged man trying to show a marathonian how to run :)

dude, you've got to try it, seriously... =) I think the basic quality of the guitar is the same for all of the SZ models, the 750's got more inlay (obviously! =)) than the rest. A guy could pick up a good SZ350, with regular dot inlays and solid black finish, throw in a pickup change, and have a pretty decent guitar. Actually Marty Friedman uses the 350 now, although as an endorsee I'm sure he gets nice ones. =)

I'm actually thinking of buying another one - they have a new naked mahogany version (no maple cap) that's just oiled (sealed?) - pick one of those up and throw my c5/59 combo in that...
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

em... there's no 350, only 320...

the reason i choose the 'naked' cellulose-devoid version is that i prefer a non-gloss neck (gets sticky with sweat). it might be your preference though, especially if you are accustomed to a gibson...
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

bloodswords said:
em... there's no 350, only 320...

the reason i choose the 'naked' cellulose-devoid version is that i prefer a non-gloss neck (gets sticky with sweat). it might be your preference though, especially if you are accustomed to a gibson...


lol - thanks man - i'm no good with numbers... :D - they're the 320, 520, and now the 720 and the 320mm
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Of course, the 720 is the fancier one... I'm very sensitive to that :) I came this close to buy the 520 amber one.

Seems like the CC/AIIPro is popular with this guitar... maybe I should give it a try... I thought the CC lacked punch in my LP, yet I know the black Epiphones are very often not mahagony but some cheaper wood without maple top. This one has a maple top and it shows, I perceive it brighter than my Epi LP.

These SZ guitars are fantastic, the neck is simply perfect, not a flaw, not a buzz and very low action. I just have to get used to it since it's a bit wider than the LP-type necks.

I'll keep you posted on my pickup search... I wonder if this will ever end :)
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Sly_D said:
Of course, the 720 is the fancier one... I'm very sensitive to that :) I came this close to buy the 520 amber one.

Seems like the CC/AIIPro is popular with this guitar... maybe I should give it a try... I thought the CC lacked punch in my LP, yet I know the black Epiphones are very often not mahagony but some cheaper wood without maple top. This one has a maple top and it shows, I perceive it brighter than my Epi LP.

These SZ guitars are fantastic, the neck is simply perfect, not a flaw, not a buzz and very low action. I just have to get used to it since it's a bit wider than the LP-type necks.

I'll keep you posted on my pickup search... I wonder if this will ever end :)

it's definitely brighter than what you'd initially think... I made that mistake when I stuck a C5 in and felt the icepick go straight into my brain... =) (which is pretty good since the brain doesn't feel anything... =))

I swapped the magnets between my CC and C5 and never looked back. =)
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Nice score...I love new stuff. I have the CC/APHII in a double fat strat that is on the heavy side, and that combo rocks. The APH is my favorite neck bucker. The Seth is a close second...it has a slightly more open sound. Don't worry about microphonics...not an issue with the Seth.
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

I've been looking into those SZ guitars myself. They have a great feel to them but the stock pickups just HAVE TO GO! Plus, the scale is shorter on these models (compared to an RG), so it gives it a LP feel. (IMO)
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

very nice guitar sly..... i almost bought 1 when they first came out but I found the neck to be a little think for my taste
 
Re: My new and unexpected Ibanez...

Damn thats perdy. Love the finish, love the binding, love the bridge pup! Got yourself a winner, it looks like!
 
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