Now I MUST have a Jem

[MetalManiac]

Picked up a 90's the other day. First time Ive ever held one. Fit like a glove and felt amazing. Guy wanted 1800.00. It was immaculate. Black wiht green pickups and tree of Life vine inlay.

I'm a convert. For some reason I thought the necks were too thin? maybe they are on later models, but this ones neck was perfect- just amazing.

Lets see, hear about your Jem experiences Sivu PLay.


I've always been a Jackson guy, and been thinking Charvel, but I will own a Jem. Period.

OH man, it was sweeet! It was this one;

 

[Adieu]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Nice bridge....far better than OFR.


Other than that, it's a gaudy-ish tricked out but also pimped up mij RG... Which doesnt seem to justify the extea 1500 bucks or so. Just get a RG 5xx/7xx for 10-30% of the price (same bridge starting with '90 or '91 models), and spend the other 70-90% on amps pauls or hey, charvels!

 

[Adieu]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Or actually no, scratch that, looking at my '91"Saber - thats NOT an Original LoPro Edge....wtf IS that??

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

I've played the white model that Steve plays regularly, I thought the neck was on the thin side but maybe you were just expecting something way thinner.

are you sure that the neck was stock?

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Ah, the 7VBK. Yes, Jem necks aren't quite so thin. Not a bad price on it either; the black ones are seen as kinda plain, so not as desirable.

Most are basswood but the 7VWH is alder. There's also the limited edition 20th anniversary acrylic bodied one.

Before 1993, they have the big square heel.

They variously came with an Edge and Lo Pro in the 90s, finally settling on the Edge as that's what Vai uses. The 7VWH also came with an ebony fingerboard originally, but was eventually changed to rosewood, again, as per Vai's main axes.

The monkey grip is pure cheese but the rest of the guitar is a good superstrat. I haven't played one, admittedly, but if it's like most other MIJ Ibanezes, then there's nothing to worry about. New ones are kinda pricey though.

I wouldn't mind a shocking pink one, or perhaps a DNA swirl; both to turn some heads!

 

[Adieu]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Well, isnt one of the virtues of an mij rg that it plays the way it does WITHOUT costing nearly 2 grand??

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Nice bridge....far better than OFR.


Other than that, it's a gaudy-ish tricked out but also pimped up mij RG... Which doesnt seem to justify the extea 1500 bucks or so. Just get a RG 5xx/7xx for 10-30% of the price (same bridge starting with '90 or '91 models), and spend the other 70-90% on amps pauls or hey, charvels!

I don't agree with your philosophy. There is no free lunch.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

The JEMs I've played have destroyed the MIJ RG-series instruments that I've owned or played. And that's saying a lot, because those RGs are great guitars.

 

[Kac]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

My uncle has a couple jems and a universe. Great guitars... I enjoy every chance I get to play them.


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[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Bear in mind not all JEMS are MIJ these days.

Anyway, the MIJ JEMS have scalloped frets from 21-24, 6105 frets (tall and narrow, surprising that you haven't complained about the lack of 'railroad tie' frets, Maniac :laugh2 , and a thicker neck than a MIJ/Prestige RG, so no, the MIJ RG wouldn't really be a direct replacement in terms of features or feel.
I personally don't get along with the Wizard I 6 string necks at all. Far too thin, especially in the last few years that I found myself preferring necks with a more Fender-ish thickness. Some with small hands may appreciate the Wizard I and Super Wizard necks, but I just find them fatiguing to play for long periods of time because there just isn't much wood to grab onto.

Also, I wouldn't really call the old square heel 'big'. Maybe compared to the AANJ, but not at all compared to an old school style bolt neck heel, although maybe that's what you meant Ashurb :laugh2:
Upper fret scallops are really cool too. It makes it so much easier to get more of the tip of your finger around the string so you can grip it better and have more control. I know his FLO III is scalloped all the way down the neck, not sure about any of his other guitars though.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

I played a Steve Vai model at guitar center a few months back and it was nothing short of amazing.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

My local GC had one of the white ones and it was pretty nice. To me, it didnt seem $1500 better than my RG570. But, thats me.. Im not a great player. I will say, one of the only Vai models Id really love to have was the disappearing pyramid inlays..

I really like the look of the one above, except the vine of life.. Glad it trips your trigger Jerry! Hope you can hook one!

 

[Brian Griffin]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Or actually no, scratch that, looking at my '91"Saber - thats NOT an Original LoPro Edge....wtf IS that??

The Original Edge, which preceded the Lo Pro.

 

[Reaper of Doom]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

I had a 2002 Jem7VSBL. It was a beautifully made guitar. The blue vine inlay was amazing. Played really nice but those Evolution pickups were very thin. I couldn't get on with them so I moved her on. It had the Lo-Pro Edge which I preferred the original Edge. My friend who is an Ibanez Nut loves the Lo-Pro and he mourned for a week when I sold that Jem.

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[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

^^ The VSBL is nice indeed.

Also, I wouldn't really call the old square heel 'big'. Maybe compared to the AANJ, but not at all compared to an old school style bolt neck heel, although maybe that's what you meant Ashurb :laugh2:
Upper fret scallops are really cool too. It makes it so much easier to get more of the tip of your finger around the string so you can grip it better and have more control. I know his FLO III is scalloped all the way down the neck, not sure about any of his other guitars though.

Yeah, I know it's not as big as on the old Roadstars, cos it's carved to a tilt. But you know what I mean .

Pretty much all of them just have the top four frets scalloped.

Jerry, fyi, you can also get a 7 string Jem now. Same as the 6 but with Blaze pups.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

^^ The VSBL is nice indeed.



Yeah, I know it's not as big as on the old Roadstars, cos it's carved to a tilt. But you know what I mean .

Pretty much all of them just have the top four frets scalloped.

Jerry, fyi, you can also get a 7 string Jem now. Same as the 6 but with Blaze pups.

...now? Dont you mean the Vai Universe, which isnt technically a JEM, and is older than dirt, or at least older than teh interwebz?

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Er, I think I can tell the difference between a Universe and a Jem. Unless you wanna argue semantics...

To me, the monkey grip, lion claw, vine inlay, alder body, overall 7VHW aesthetic (and, funnily enough, the label) says Jem. Ibanez and Steve haven't done a guitar like this before for sale.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

That model is new for this year, not a UV and has basically replaced the previous gen UV as the Prestige range/flagship Vai model 7 string.
The current green dot Universe http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_...5&color=CL01&year=2013&cat_id=1&series_id=171 is actually a Premium range model and doesn't share much in common at all with the old classic green dots other than the main visual theme.

Did anyone see this ? http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_...5&color=CL01&year=2013&cat_id=1&series_id=171
Wasn't even on the site a week ago.
A relic'd/repro of EVO. Interesting to note is the 6100 frets, not standard on brand new JEM models (6105 as standard), which is (6100s) what seems he would have had EVO refretted with most recently I suppose and also note the neck profile. Wonder if it's because of the insane hours put into playing it, sanded back by request or both.

 

[Hairmail]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

...now? Dont you mean the Vai Universe, which isnt technically a JEM, and is older than dirt, or at least older than teh interwebz?

Its definitely a JEM, Steve Vai released it this year, and according to Ibanez its a 7-string JEM and not a Universe, which is being made in the Premium line with the same colours as the JEM in the OP.

I've also got serious JEM GAS for the premium model:

That seafoam green JEM is probably one of the prettiest JEM models ever and I bet it plays like a dream.

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Now I MUST have a Jem

Did anyone see this ? http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_...5&color=CL01&year=2013&cat_id=1&series_id=171
Wasn't even on the site a week ago.
A relic'd/repro of EVO. Interesting to note is the 6100 frets, not standard on brand new JEM models (6105 as standard), which is (6100s) what seems he would have had EVO refretted with most recently I suppose and also note the neck profile. Wonder if it's because of the insane hours put into playing it, sanded back by request or both.

It's been around for a while. Remember reading about it on Jemsite earlier in the year.

The neck is probably what he's got on the original at the moment; the guitar has had many necks over the years, whether off the line or custom.