New to JEMs..thinkin bout buying in 7VWH - got some question

[AJ Love]

hey folks...first off let me say I've been lurking for a little while and I really enjoy this Forum and the people who post here...this place seems like a class act message board

I've been thinking seriously about buying a JEM 7VWH, but strangely enough there are no dealers in my town who carry them (Madison WI), so it will take an extra trip to somewhere (Chicago perhaps) in order to play one

in the meantime I have a couple questions for you...can someone please post how big the neck is, in inches...whats the width at the nut and at the 12th fret?

I have heard that JEM's often have problems with lots of broken strings...would you guys say that broken strings happen mostly because of the tremelo bar? the reason I ask is that I don't play with a tremelo bar (I play a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster presently) and I probably won't even use the tremelo bar on the JEM (yeah I know that might sound strange, but anyways)...this may seem like a strange question but could the JEM play well without the Floyd Rose bar even on it (back when I used to play Strats I used to just take off the trem bar and leave it i the case---yeah I know: strange)

from what I can tell JEM 7VWH guitars look magnificient and I'm a huge fan of Steve Vai's (we just did the song "For the Love of God" at my gig tonight) so I am very temped to buy one soon

I apologize if this was too long winded of a first post...glad to be a member here

peace

[trouble311]

Let me be the first to say: *if you can afford it, buy it. *Quickly. *I live in Champaign, IL, so I know how you feel...no one around here carries them either....pretty sure width at the nut is 46mm. *The scale length I think is 25.5, if I'm not mistaken, but I'm not currently looking at the specs, so....ya know...anyway, they are definitely gorgeous....and about the broken strings, I would say personally that it is from pulling "up" on the bar and raising notes....this stretches the string farther than it usually goes, so there is always danger....in fact, I broke one at a shop last week doing that very thing. *But I haven't seen Steve break strings on his JEMs in any videos or anything, so you never know....

[ShredHead42]

Quote: from AJ Love on 1:22 am on July 29, 2001


the reason I ask is that I don't play with a tremelo bar (I play a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster presently)

(we just did the song "For the Love of God" at my gig tonight)

* * FTLOG without the trem!?!?! *I think most members here consider that sacrilege!

[wilch]

Well I'm not going to say to not buy one.

In regards to your "broken strings" question. The strings will break just as often as on any other high quality guitar. But that's not often, not often at all....unless you like bouncing the guitar by the whammy bar, dropping it on the floor then jumping on it. :biggrin:

One problem that you might be new to is the fact that if you break a string on a guitar with a free floating bridge *every* string will go out of tune, rendering the guitar useless for the rest of a song (when playing gigs).

But if you don't plan on using the floyd, get it locked, or lock it yourself. Details on how to do that are in the tech section of jemsite.


oh yeah, what's this, you played For The Love Of God without a whammy?!!? <tisk, tisk> *.................sacrilege! * :silly:

[ripl3y]

The width at nut it 43mm, and 56mm at 24th fret.
Thickness is 19mm at 1st fret and 21mm at 12th.
The scale is 25.5 (fender scale) and the fretboard radius is 430mm (16.something inch)

If your tele has a standard neck it'll probably 42mm at nut with a 9 or 9.5" radius.

Basically, you get a slightly wider neck with the 7V and will feel a bit more comfortable and faster when widdling away, but not as comfortable as the tele for chord work.

If you really like your tele neck then check out the JS series, not the same dimensions as a tele but closer to it than a 7V.

Try the 7V, if you like it and can afford it then go ahead with it.

You can always block the trem if you so wish, or just leave it as is if you want to get into whammy work later in the day.



Steve

[bachle7]

Check out the Guitars link at the top of the page. *Jemsite has all the specs on all Jems. *If you don't use the whammy, you'll probably never break a string on a Jem!
Definitely play one before you buy it; the reasons are two-fold: *1. *You'll realize how much you love it. *2. *You won't wait around deciding to buy one. *-Andy
P.S. *FTLOG, no bar?... oh, where are my heart pills!?

[HIS ROYAL DARKNESS]

AJ,

Welcome. *NOW GO BUY A VWH!

Look around your local area for one to play. *That way you can get overanxious to have one! *Then search the web. *You'll save lots of dough. *If new isn't a priority, check out Ebay or the jemsite BUY & SELL section. *Rich, at IbanezRules.com has new ones with the UV1000 case. *Plus he sets up every guitar he sells for intonation and such. *I picked up a 99 VWH and it took me all weekend to adjust the trem and intonation! *Once you get a JEM set up properly, nothing plays better!

Just my opinion: *the VWH with its wood, electronics and apperance, its the epitomy of a JEM. *

Chris

[AJ Love]

thanks much everyone for the welcome and the kind words and information

yeah I think I'm gonna have to get a 7VWH...it might take me a few months to save up the $$

I suppose me talking bout playing For the Love of God on a Telecaster might sound strange but it seems to work out pretty well and always gets a good reaction from the crowd

[littlegreenman]

My next question is, how do you play FTLOG without 24 frets?? never mind no whammy bar!!!!!

But, play one, and buy a VWH, I've certainly never regretted mine!!!
Jeremy

[Camelman]

You mean FTLOG whitout whammy bar AND no 24 frets???
My gosh!!!

Next he'll say it's on an 3 stringed Ukulele!!!

AND one-handed!!!

Scared,

Camelman

[AJ Love]

hey...I'm not playing the song note for note....I'm playing the basic melody note for note and playing the recognizable aspects of the song and then improvising/soloing....we do have a sax player in the band...pretty cool to hear a sax solo on For the Love of God

no ukelele's around here.....lol

[Vai is God]

I always used to play FTLOG with a 22 fret wammy-less Fernandes Monterey. I actually prefer playing it with no bar!



...please don't hurt me.

[anuj]

sax solo in ftlog w/ a 22 fret whammyless guitar.

*sits down*

dude.. do you record your gigs... i'm intrigued - wanna hear this...

and i mean that in the sincerest way...

~A

[AJ Love]

we're planning on recording some of our gigs next month.....I'd be happy to send you (and anyone else) out a CD if the recording comes out well