Uk Ant
New member
Why I like Ibanez, but also what they’ve done wrong.
I’ve always been a bit of an Ibanez fan since I first started playing. At the time the guitar I really wanted was a destroyer… preferably a 555 (the Phil Collen model).
It was these X series guitars that first grabbed me. They were so… well metal, how could a 14 year old Maiden fan want anything but.
I got my first Ibanez in ’89, it was a dark purple, roadstar II Bass. Great instrument, low action, good woody natural tone, big sound from the pickups and it was purple. I had this bass for over fifteen years and I eventually sold it for more than I paid for it… which doesn’t happen very often.
Not long after I bought the bass I found myself handing over almost certainly over the odds for a candy apple red Destroyer… just like Adrian Smith didn’t use anymore, apart from mine was the cheaper version.
I can’t really remember much about this guitar, I know the action was nice and low but I can’t remember it being special in any way, even with the Dimarzio pickups. But it looked great, but I wanted a locking trem and it got traded in for a Charvel.
For the next few years I stick mainly to bass, the charvel getting sold to pay the rent and my musical life falling more and more into the back ground as other aspects of life took over.
Just over five years ago I find myself in a music shop with my new girlfriend (now wife) eyeing up an Ibanez SA, she insists I try it and what struck me was I’d really missed playing electric guitar, and also these Korean made instruments were really good for the money, my girlfriend then bought it for me… did I mention that she’s now my wife!
Good guitars the SA’s, but a little bland in terms of playability and tone. There’s nothing wrong with them, the action low, the neck not to fat, not too thin, tone is kinda neutral, but not dull, hardware all works. It’s just a good solid guitar. Mine’s been quite modded down the years and is now my main slide guitar.
Last year I find myself, once again, in a music shop this time eyeing up yet another Ibanez… this time a soundgear SR700 bass. I’d always wanted a soundgear since they came out and here it was in my hands and it played lovely, once again all those Ibanez traits were there, slim neck, low action and great playability, coupled with good tone, solid construction and finish, not bad considering it was made in Indonesia. My Wife bought it for me.
My latest Ibby is the RG I made from spare bits and oil finished. Thing about this thing is that mutt guitars usually end up playing like dogs and not really fitting together very well. My last mutt was a Kramer striker neck onto a focus body, which was always a pig to play.
This were Ibanez really score well, neck was MIK, body MIJ, just like the Kramer, difference it fits together like a hand in glove (the neck joint is tight enough to lift the whole assembly by the headstock unbolted). Once assembled a quick set up was that was needed to make this one of the easiest guitars to play that I’ve ever owned.
To some up what I like about Ibanez is the looks, the playability (they seem to make guitars ideally suited to my tiny fingers) and consistency of quality.
This last point is also one of the down points. No matter where Ibanez set up a factory the product that comes out of the other end will be the same. They are the McDonald’s of guitar production where you know in advance what you’re going to get, just don’t expect anymore. These days they’re not the only ones mass producing to high standards either. ESP/LTD seem to make very solid guitars and the PRS SE’s have a great reputation.
Also, why does the Edge III trem need a different routing to all the other edge trems… why?
Also, I don’t like the ZR trem, not saying it’s bad, in fact it’s very clever and, by all accounts, works very, very well. I just don’t like the feel of it.
I’ve owned fourteen electric guitars and basses down the years, five of them have been Ibanez, only one other brand has more than one entry and that’s Tokai with two entries.
I’ve always been a bit of an Ibanez fan since I first started playing. At the time the guitar I really wanted was a destroyer… preferably a 555 (the Phil Collen model).
It was these X series guitars that first grabbed me. They were so… well metal, how could a 14 year old Maiden fan want anything but.
I got my first Ibanez in ’89, it was a dark purple, roadstar II Bass. Great instrument, low action, good woody natural tone, big sound from the pickups and it was purple. I had this bass for over fifteen years and I eventually sold it for more than I paid for it… which doesn’t happen very often.
Not long after I bought the bass I found myself handing over almost certainly over the odds for a candy apple red Destroyer… just like Adrian Smith didn’t use anymore, apart from mine was the cheaper version.
I can’t really remember much about this guitar, I know the action was nice and low but I can’t remember it being special in any way, even with the Dimarzio pickups. But it looked great, but I wanted a locking trem and it got traded in for a Charvel.
For the next few years I stick mainly to bass, the charvel getting sold to pay the rent and my musical life falling more and more into the back ground as other aspects of life took over.
Just over five years ago I find myself in a music shop with my new girlfriend (now wife) eyeing up an Ibanez SA, she insists I try it and what struck me was I’d really missed playing electric guitar, and also these Korean made instruments were really good for the money, my girlfriend then bought it for me… did I mention that she’s now my wife!
Good guitars the SA’s, but a little bland in terms of playability and tone. There’s nothing wrong with them, the action low, the neck not to fat, not too thin, tone is kinda neutral, but not dull, hardware all works. It’s just a good solid guitar. Mine’s been quite modded down the years and is now my main slide guitar.
Last year I find myself, once again, in a music shop this time eyeing up yet another Ibanez… this time a soundgear SR700 bass. I’d always wanted a soundgear since they came out and here it was in my hands and it played lovely, once again all those Ibanez traits were there, slim neck, low action and great playability, coupled with good tone, solid construction and finish, not bad considering it was made in Indonesia. My Wife bought it for me.
My latest Ibby is the RG I made from spare bits and oil finished. Thing about this thing is that mutt guitars usually end up playing like dogs and not really fitting together very well. My last mutt was a Kramer striker neck onto a focus body, which was always a pig to play.
This were Ibanez really score well, neck was MIK, body MIJ, just like the Kramer, difference it fits together like a hand in glove (the neck joint is tight enough to lift the whole assembly by the headstock unbolted). Once assembled a quick set up was that was needed to make this one of the easiest guitars to play that I’ve ever owned.
To some up what I like about Ibanez is the looks, the playability (they seem to make guitars ideally suited to my tiny fingers) and consistency of quality.
This last point is also one of the down points. No matter where Ibanez set up a factory the product that comes out of the other end will be the same. They are the McDonald’s of guitar production where you know in advance what you’re going to get, just don’t expect anymore. These days they’re not the only ones mass producing to high standards either. ESP/LTD seem to make very solid guitars and the PRS SE’s have a great reputation.
Also, why does the Edge III trem need a different routing to all the other edge trems… why?
Also, I don’t like the ZR trem, not saying it’s bad, in fact it’s very clever and, by all accounts, works very, very well. I just don’t like the feel of it.
I’ve owned fourteen electric guitars and basses down the years, five of them have been Ibanez, only one other brand has more than one entry and that’s Tokai with two entries.
