U.S.A Custom vs. JEM - Which is better?

JayJay

I was thinking about purchasing another Ibanez at some point so I wondered what should I be looking. Also are there other "low-end" JEMs than 555? I've been noticing that some 7-series JEM models sell a lot cheaper than others. Are there any significant differences between
USRGs and japanese RGs? I have the RG770DX and was wondering if those USA models are better and how.
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Thanks

Jani

vwall · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 5:18 am Post subject:

Stay away from ther Jem 555.

I recommend the Jem &VWH and The VBSK.
The VBSLis on sale at MF for a blow out of an unprecedented price of 999.00 du to the new ones having the new EDGE PRO trem system on them.

Or buy a used Jem DY,SK, FP etc...
Cant go wrong with any of those Jems.

As for USA Custom Series, same deal. You wont spend as much and cant go wrong if the headstock says USA Custom.

Now if you're on a tighter budget, an RG 770 is an Excellent guitar and so is the RG 550-560 etc...

Make sure you get a little older ones that say made in Japan.
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JayJay · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 5:24 am Post subject:

Thanks

I was thinking about getting one of those older fluorescent JEMs or maybe a floral. I also love the paintjobs on USA customs. They're also relatively cheap so I'll have to take them under consideration.
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Thanks

Jani

vwall · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 1:11 pm Post subject:

Sure Thing!

Honestly, the only real difference of the older jems and usa customs are the pick ups and inlays and finish..
I beleive the nut mm are the same 43 mm and for the most part, they are all Basswood bodies.
The only usa customs that are not basswood are the exotic wood series.
ALL jems are Basswood as well except the Jem 7VWH and VBSL, they are alder...
Even the Jem 10th is basswood which strikes me as odd since Vai plays almost exclusively the alder jems..

cheers
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JayJay · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 1:48 pm Post subject:

I just read the cd covers while listening to Vai's Alive in an Ultra World and
he mentions the guitars he's using in different songs and you can see that he uses the floral Jem almost as much as the VWH. Those two are the only ones he's using except the Carvin of course. I think it's more the pickups (PAF Pro vs. Evo) than the body woods. I assume there's not that big difference between alder and basswood. Alder's a little heavier of course but I think there's not that much tonal differencies. BTW what pickups did Ibanez use in USA Customs?
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Thanks

Jani

vwall · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 4:13 pm Post subject:

have you ever seen him play live>?

over the last decade or more...
every live shjow he almost exclusivel;y play the White 7VWH
ALDER guitars.

For recordings, he's been known to use a wide variety of guitars but im telling you his primary guitars live are the alder ones...

This is a well known fact..
Alos, there is a HUGE difference in basswood and alder...

if you do any recording.
play the exact ame thing with two different woodsetc and you will hear it..
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JayJay · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2003 12:45 am Post subject:

Yes, I know the VWH is his main axe but I don't think it would matter to me what the body wood is. It matters when you have same kind of guitars with different body woods though. When I'm recording I'm using
either my RG or my mahogany bodied setneck Hamer. There's a HUGE
difference but if I had two Jems, another one in basswood and the other in alder I guess it wouldn't matter to me. You can get close the same sounds from almost any bolt-on Ibanez just by changing the pickups.
I'll much rather use totally different kind of guitars. I've noticed there's
a typical sound in all the Ibanezes like there's a typical sound which you can find from every Les Paul or Strat. All my guitars come from different manufacturers so it's hard to hear the differencies between body woods 'cause their original sounds are so different. For me it's more like bolt-ons vs. setnecks. Sounds stupid, eh??? Very Happy

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Thanks

Jani

vwall · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2003 10:26 am Post subject:

nah, its each persons preference.
But heres the deal,
the basswood jems all for the most part sound the same and additionally,thwy all all stocked with PAF Pro pick ups and some with Breeds and the UV's with Blaze...

A;lthe above guitars are basswood.

But the only the Alder Jems have the3 Evolution pick ups.

there's a totally diferent tone from the alder guitars,esp with the EVO puips.

if you ever have a chancem listen to an alder jem wuth the Evos and then swap out the Evo for a PAf Pro....

it will sound terrible..

Theres a wood and pup combo thing goin on with guitars...
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