Ibanez and soft wood

BigShred · #1 12-21-2007, 08:37 PM

What the heck is up with Ibanez using wood that is so easily dinged? I have owned MANY different guitars but for some reason Ibanez guitars get dinged up with even very casual use. I'm talking about Jems and J Customs.

I own Caparisons and their mahogany is like rock (even though they have the WORST finishes I have ever seen). I've had Fenders and their Alder also holds up without getting all dinged from casual use.

I know Basswood is a very, very soft wood and will definitely get dinged up easily (try and find a 77BRMR without paint chips and dings along the back edges), but even the maple caps and mahogany bodies on Ibanez guitars seem to be far weaker than the maple caps and mahogany bodies you'd find on a Les Paul. Heck, even my Jacksons have held up better!

If this isn't the right place for this thread then please move it to the right place.

brothersnowgone · #2 12-21-2007, 08:59 PM

I can't honestly say that I own an Ibanez that doesn't have dings, but that more a monetary issue than anything (better to have 5 sweet players than one you're afraid to play IMHO). But I think if I ever had a new Ibanez or mint one I wouldn't have a problem keeping it mint. Just be extra careful and always keep it in it's case when it's not in use. Knowing they're softer is good, now you know how you have to be extra careful.

chone · #3 12-21-2007, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigShred

I know Basswood is a very, very soft wood and will definitely get dinged up easily (try and find a 77BRMR without paint chips and dings along the back edges)

Are you suggesting that the relative softness of basswood makes the finish more prone to chipping?

Dee · #4 12-21-2007, 09:22 PM

The use of basswood in so many Ibanez guitars is because of Steve Vai. Maybe Ibanez got stuck into the thinking that, because Steve likes basswood guitars for live use (where the sound isn't even so important) that everyone else likes basswood too.

BigShred · #5 12-21-2007, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chone

Are you suggesting that the relative softness of basswood makes the finish more prone to chipping?

Yes. The softness of the wood is a contributing factor to how easily the finish will chip.

BigShred · #6 12-21-2007, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brothersnowgone

I can't honestly say that I own an Ibanez that doesn't have dings, but that more a monetary issue than anything (better to have 5 sweet players than one you're afraid to play IMHO). But I think if I ever had a new Ibanez or mint one I wouldn't have a problem keeping it mint. Just be extra careful and always keep it in it's case when it's not in use. Knowing they're softer is good, now you know how you have to be extra careful.

Yeah, but some guitars you want to just be collectors. If it's an Ibanez that means that you pretty much can never friggin play the thing no matter how lightly you choose to do so.

I have one that was mint and I paid extra because I wanted a mint model. I was doing a routine string change and barely played it a bit to wear the strings in. I went to pull the trem and the bar popped right out and barely tapped the top on the way down. I was pissed to see that such a light tap left a pin head sized ding. This was on a mahogany bodied guitar with a maple cap. It should not have dinged so easily.

Let me clarify something since I'm always misunderstood. I LOVE IBANEZ AND THEY ARE MY FAVORITE GUITARS. Just because I am criticizing a clear flaw in their products, that does not mean that I am saying they suck.

CosmicDebris · #7 12-21-2007, 09:33 PM

I know how you feel and that is why I love my RGT220A with the natural finish. Looks as mint as the day I unpacked it.

Dee · #8 12-21-2007, 09:33 PM

My RG3120 ended up with a chip in the maple top also. How it happened, I have absolutely no clue -- I am freakishly careful with my guitars because I hate chipping them.

BigShred · #9 12-21-2007, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicDebris

I know how you feel and that is why I love my RGT220A with the natural finish. Looks as mint as the day I unpacked it.

That one is a beauty. How long have you had it and has use caused any discoloration?

**elcid** · #10 12-21-2007, 09:49 PM

ah hem, soft wood.

Thank you.

Dee · #11 12-21-2007, 09:50 PM

LMAO!

Cid, I was waiting for that, I swear.

dragsternj · #12 12-21-2007, 09:51 PM

I don't think its the wood. Its the finish. My JS has a chip on the back the paint is extremely thin. I remember times where you had .5 mm hard clear and than another .5 for the paint.

CosmicDebris · #13 12-21-2007, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigShred

That one is a beauty. How long have you had it and has use caused any discoloration?

Not really, if anything I find the grain becoming more pronounced which is nice.

P. Aaron · #14 12-21-2007, 11:05 PM

I play about 25 to 30 shows a year. Bar gigs mostly, but they're 4 hour gigs on average, weekends, all around beer swillin' drunken folks.

Yet my Ibanez 570 that's 16 years old now still looks very-fine. It has a few wear marks, no dings or chunks missing. I bought it new in '91 and I take good care of my gear too. I don't think that the woods are the problem.

Just gotta JS1200, and I am expecting that guitar, which is going to be a player, to have wear that resembles the 570 in about 10-12 years. But I use this stuff, it's all tools.

Nice tools.

BigShred · #15 12-21-2007, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P. Aaron

I play about 25 to 30 shows a year. Bar gigs mostly, but they're 4 hour gigs on average, weekends, all around beer swillin' drunken folks.

Yet my Ibanez 570 that's 16 years old now still looks very-fine. It has a few wear marks, no dings or chunks missing. I bought it new in '91 and I take good care of my gear too. I don't think that the woods are the problem.

Just gotta JS1200, and I am expecting that guitar, which is going to be a player, to have wear that resembles the 570 in about 10-12 years. But I use this stuff, it's all tools.

Nice tools.

So you're saying that the 570 doesn't have a single ding? Got pics?