Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

I think they are slightly over priced. I'd rather put my money towards a J Custom Ibanez or something or just an RG1570 and swap the pickups out acording to taste. But if you have the money, I'd go for it.

When I have the money some day I want to make a custom JEM variant:
Same measurements and design... magog body/maple top with monkey grip, maple neck/ebony fretboard with SS jumbo frets, neck thru design, HSH with who knows what, a hard tail and to have it in a whale blue finish... yummy, I practicaly spelt out a Jackson Soloist with a Hardtail though lol.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Was it Davey on this board that actually got to play EVO? He said it was nothing like the off-the-shelf JEMs he had played. Regardless, the neck pickup in Flo is a sustainer. I'm not sure that it's available in any of the production models.

Lew wants a JEM? I'm blown away... I guess you have been buying Marshalls lately, are you planning an assault on the Shred world?

I actually played that guitar and met Steve also. He is from NY, he was home visiting his folks and needed to get his guitar set up. He brought 2 guitars in to the local Guitar Center. My friends shop at the time was doing all the repairs for GC. It was a Saturday and the shop was busy. A call came in from GC and needed to have someone pick the guitars up, set them up and get them back before 5. I said I would go get them. The guitars were both setup and I had to test them both out. I played them thru a tweed Bassman and quite honestly they sounded pretty poor, but knowing that SV runs his guitars through some serious signal processing (at the time he was using a lot of rackmount stuff). I didn't think it would matter for him. His concern was to get the action as low as possible. I did compare it to my 57 RI Strat which I thought sounded a lot better thru the Bassman. Anyway we deliveed the guitars and met Steve very briefly. He was very nice and was glad to get his guitars back. This all happened about 7 to 10 years ago. So I really don't remember much about the guitars other than that I was not impressed with the tone out of the Bassman.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Never have liked humbuckers through a tweed Bassman. To...what's the right word? Bassy! :lmao:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Ibanez JEM7VWH


Vai named his guitars, because he uses to check a lot of necks / pickups before to be satisfied with the complete pack.


Usually, Dimarzio Evolution Neck, Evolution middle (can be substituted by a SH-2) and Evolution Bridge but, Vai is now using Evo 2 in bridge.


NO! that guitar wants the evolution set.


First versions were made with basswood, now they are alder.
JEM555 is basswood.


First version had the ebony fretboard, now it is rosewood.


I am also dreaming with one of those.
In the meanwhile I just purchased a nice korean copy. I am in the step to change the whole hardware stuff. When I have all upgraded I will then hang some video.
The copy is not very accurated but, the wood is ok then, I will sound nice, I am sure.


I played a lot with my korean copy. I am also not a schredder, maybe closer to Hendrix / Zeppelin stuff but, belive me. This is THE GUITAR to do hard stuff.
Very easy to play, fast neck, fast fretboard. Absolutelly stunning bridge and... IT'S REALLY NICE.
I like this guitar the most, since I've seen it for very first time. The bad new is that it is the guitar that Vai is promoting, that means that you must pay a lot more that it really costs.

Great post! Many thanks! Lew

 

[devastone]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Jems are nice, I have a RG550XX because I like the RG necks and the 20th RIs are better than the new RGs IMO. But, the Jems are a little different, the 7Vs have an alder body, EVOs, not my first pickup choice, but not bad, Vai uses a 250K volume pot to warm them up in EVO the guitar, because they can be a little harsh in the highs. The necks on the JEMs are very nice, they are thicker than the RG necks, therefore add more to the tone and feel better to most people. As far as fretboards, the older 7VWHs had ebony up until around 2003, now they have rosewood (Steve's preference).

I really like the EVO2 pickup though, it takes the good qualities of the EVO and tames down the output and the harshness.

Hope this helps...

 

[Rick1114]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

In had one as a teenager in the late 80's. It may have been one of the first models I think with a floral pattern on the body. I know nothing of tonewoods or pups at the time so I have no idea. I learned most of what I know on that axe (which isn't much I admit) and it sounded great for every style. I played alot of classic rock, metal and classical at the time.

I sold it to Sam Ash for peanuts like 10 years later when the flowers and pink pups started to grate on me (didn't do much for me imagewise). Gosh I really miss that guitar.

FWIW - It's the most ergonomically comfortable axe around and it's really hard to make it go out of tune. I can't remember exactly how thin the neck was, but I prefer somewhat wider necks now after playing a strat for so long and not being 15 yrs old anymore. Also the newer ones (I played a few new white ones in GC) have even thinner necks that I hated. I may get one again but it would have to have a custom neck I think...

Rick

 

[pinto79]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

The Evolution single coil is model ISCV2 and has been available from DiMarzio for a couple of years now.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Never have liked humbuckers through a tweed Bassman. To...what's the right word? Bassy! :lmao:

Yup...... I agree I think the only HB that I have liked tru a Bassman was a SG. The highs were nice yet not bright. His EVO to my ears just sounded lifeless thru that amp.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Yup...... I agree I think the only HB that I have liked tru a Bassman was a SG. The highs were nice yet not bright. His EVO to my ears just sounded lifeless thru that amp.

I have to admit that the first tweed Bassman I ever heard was around 1968 and Mick Taylor was playing his Les Paul through it when he was still with John Mayall. Sounded fabulous to me at the time. Just like a Marshall.

They don't work for me though, and I've owned a few of them. To much sizzle to the treble and to much bass.

Lew

 

[Top Jimmy]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

I always wanted this Jem out of all his models...<3

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

I always wanted this Jem out of all his models...<3

my grandma has a couch that matches that....seriously, i'm not kidding at all.

-Mike

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

my grandma has a couch that matches that....seriously, i'm not kidding at all.

-Mike

I think I remember reading that Steve had drapes or curtains in his home with that design and that's where it came from.

I want a white one though. I'm a Tele guy...I like white guitars.

Lew

 

[Rick1114]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

I always wanted this Jem out of all his models...<3

OUCH!!!

That's the guitar I was talking about. Played it solely from when I was 15 to about 22 or so. Now I play much cheaper guitars (have family, mortgage etc..) and nothng feels quite like that one did when I had it!

 

[jmh151]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

I just remember playing a desert yellow and floral print when they first came out. All I remember was at the time, they had the lowest, most perfect action of any guitar in the store. However, the PAF Pro's in those guitars were very flat with no character.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

I used to own an original loch ness green Jem 777 back around 89. Those guitars are very sought after now. It was a well thought out guitar, and very cool for the time and the techniques that were in vogue. Workmanship was ok, nothing spectacular but pretty well executed.

Honestly, I had no idea about tone back then, so I can't really tell you if it was that great a guitar sound-wise, but I seem to remember thinking it sounded pretty good. One thing I can say is if you're after those Vai clean tones, a Jem is definitely the way to go. Nothing out there sounds like a Jem's custom dimarzio single in combination with the squashed in humbuckers. Those clean tones are quite unique.

The necks are wide, with a flat D backshape that is noticeably fatter than the very thin RG necks. Still not uber chunky, but definitely more solid. A great neck for a thumb behind the neck player, but also less fatiguing than the RGs for a thumb over the neck player.

 

[tone?]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

my grandma has a couch that matches that....seriously, i'm not kidding at all.

LOL!!!!:laughing:

 

[FenderFan79]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

I'm actually building a jem clone right now out of a RG neck and body that has been routed for the monkey grip handle, the lions claw and for the original edge trem. The guitarist for a local band I jam with plays one, a 1989 777VBK, and the more I played his, the more and more I liked it and wanted one of my own! Never thought that would happen. Mine is a swirl finish and I'll be putting an Evo 2 in the Bridge and a Super 2 in the neck.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Lion's claws at the back are just silly. Waste of perfectly good wood. The Ibanez trems don't have the locks at the back where they would normally sink in the claw. Totally useless.

 

[Axl H]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

Lion's claws at the back are just silly. Waste of perfectly good wood. The Ibanez trems don't have the locks at the back where they would normally sink in the claw. Totally useless.

Actually no. I have played one, and I dont remember what it is, but there is something under there, which is why it is routed out so heavily. Its also done, so the bar can be pulled up so far, that the arm is like totally out in the air.

Insane pull-ups can be done with this thing

 

[Pierre]

Re: Steve Vai, Ibanez Jem Guitars...questions!

The routing for insame pull ups is UNDER the trem. This one is at the back of it, where there is nothing sticking.