J-Custom Website - Question for Glen & Kevan

[David Ho]

For some reason I can no longer get to Kevan's site. *What happened?

Collecting all the J-Customs specs is probably a real challenging job, and to get all the pictures is even more difficult I imagine. *However, I think there's a lot of people out there like me who wants to see an organized web page about these incredible guitars.

I know Glen is working on a J-Custom page on jemsite. *So if you need pics for the RG-GOLD I am glad to help.

Hope to see that section going up soon

[jemsite]

Thanks, once i obtain permission the J-Custom spec sheet will be public. Been working on that for a while now :biggrin: Photos welcome.... glen

[Kevan]

Sorry David- when Pets.com went under, I decided to bail on the LCR site. *LOL *The temp J-Custom site was on the LCR site.

Actually, that was my mom's business. *Since she's selling it and retiring in October, she decided that it wasn't generating enough business to warrant the cost. *Bye bye. **tear*the first site I've had to shut down.

I have the original 1996 J-Custom catalog, and plan on REALLY nice scans of the guitars, as well as the spec sheets (maybe even PDF). *I also have DOZENS of pics of J-Customs from around the world that I'll probably use. *Pics of your RG-GOLD would be greatly appreciated. *

Like Glen, I'm awating approval from the powers-that-be. *The last thing we both want is Ibanez lawyers knocking on our doors. *With the tax hit we took (makes Bob's check look like he bought a Happy Meal) and other time-consuming stuff, J-Custom.com is a little ways away. *Please be patient. *

I'm not sure how Glen and I will work out joining our sites....he'll probably want a frickin' NJ Devils logo to click on in order to enter....:biggrin:

[jemsite]

Kev, do you have a host for your jcustom domain yet? Let me inquire if i can obtain a private FTP login & space for to run at no cost one one of the jemsite servers. You'd then only have to direct the domain to the location.

I think one problem with Ibanez is they don't want info published on 50+ J-Customs because inevitably it will create mail and support via the web. Something they cannot provide. Since most of these JCs are not forsale, from their point of view, business-wise it makes little to no sense promoting J-Customs. Thos contrasts exposure to *JEM/UVs here which are worldwide mass-market.

That said photos and specs are a no-brainer IMHO as they can bring notoriety to Ibanez which can bring sales for other Ibanez models. But that is not our call... glen

[David Ho]

Thanks guys.
Whew, I never thought so much politics and restrictions behind all this. *I guess that explains why so few J-customs are available in the States. *But it all make sense because after all, they are small quantity custom made guitars. *These days folks like Ishibashi are selling J-customs on the web, so I suppose with the Internet and guys like us, Ibanez may have to realize there is a small demand for these top of the line guitars elsewhere outside Japan.

No doubt, custome made guitar is a complete opposite direction to a company's mass production philosophy. *Yet they still have to do it to establish their position in the high-end guitar market. *Unfortunately, I feel that the lack of promotion for such a good product line (J-customs) in the US, people just could not realize, let alone appreciate, the quality of these guitars.

I agree with Kevan that, when it comes to quality top-end guitars, the Ibanez shop in Japan is on par with (in some way, exceeds) other major guitar makers. *Although the designs of J-customs are not exactly mainstream, they offer an alternative to those boring traditional models (LPs, str*ts). *Don't get me wrong, I think those guys also make very nice customs but it seems difficult to change the mass perception of what Electric guitars are all about.

Ibanez has a very different approach on J-custom designs. *Everyone I have seen is always a nice suprise. *Everytime I run into a never seen before J-custom model, my reaction would be "you can do that on a guitar?" *Yet, Ibanez preserves the fundamental RG or S design and comes up with fresh ideas on the finish, appointments and hardware. *That makes the entire line of J-customs very interesting.

May be some day Ibanez will realize this, but until then I probably have to search hard all over the world for these rare guitars. *All thanks to you Kev. *LOL

[David Ho]

Glen, I can see the J-custom section has been updated, great work!
One thing I notice, my RG-GOLD1 does have a "center" piece through the headstock but it is not bubbinga like the DBK or Jem90. *I think it's just maple.

[jemsite]

Thanks. The specs say the Gold1 & 2 necks are Maple 1piece w/ bubinga stripe. Where are the pics of your axe :-) ...glen

[David Ho]

Glen, I can take some this weekend. *My friend borrowed my digital camera until Friday. *Do you want me to email them or upload them to the site?

[jemsite]

cool. if you can ZIP them and EMAIL it would be easiest ...glen

[ripl3y]

Kev,
How's J-custom.com coming along?

Any updates?

Cheers
Steve

[IbanezFreak777]

Thread ressurection.......did this website ever get going ?

[Rich]

http://jcustom.web.fc2.com/

[IbanezFreak777]

Originally Posted by Rich

http://jcustom.web.fc2.com/

yeah I know that site but its not in english and its missing all Rg Paints.

there should be a place with all the models, and info on all of them.

Id do it, if I had the information and catalogues to scan.....

oh well

[Rich]

And as most of those limited runs were never in the catalogs?

[brianxtr]

i cant read japanese!aaaahhh....