Couple of questions about the Satriani model.Specs and such

[Paul Secondino]

Hi.
I usually hang out at the J custom forum being that all my Ibanezes are RG series .I did a search through this forum to find aout a few facts about the Satriani model.The first thing is that I wondered if there was a scarf joint.But it seems that the headstock is not a tilt back and that might mean there is no scarf joint??

I played a student's JS 1000 once and it sounded pretty midrangey kind of like a strat.Do you owners find that the Satriani 1000/2000 have a strong midrange character or is it jsut the Fred pickup that I was hearing?

Any other tidbits that I should know about? Thanks alot.

[JESTER700]

Originally Posted by Paul Secondino

Hi.
I usually hang out at the J custom forum being that all my Ibanezes are RG series .I did a search through this forum to find aout a few facts about the Satriani model.The first thing is that I wondered if there was a scarf joint.But it seems that the headstock is not a tilt back and that might mean there is no scarf joint??

I played a student's JS 1000 once and it sounded pretty midrangey kind of like a strat.Do you owners find that the Satriani 1000/2000 have a strong midrange character or is it jsut the Fred pickup that I was hearing?

Any other tidbits that I should know about? Thanks alot.

Yup. No joint.

Yes, it's a little midrangey. A stratty vibe was part of the idea, I think.

[frankfalbo]

I don't want to get into a wood debate, but basswood is midrange heavy. It is too soft for a deep low end or tight bright "mapley" highs. The JS combines that with a thin vintage strat fretboard, rather than a thicker one like the RG. So the fact that it's rosewood is less apparent, and the neck is more "solid maple" sounding. That enhances the upper midrange brightness as the rosewood doesn't strike down as many overtones. But most of the midrange honk is from that Fred. It's very alive in the mids, with lots of dynamic expression there, rather than in the highs or lows. I found I don't get as much variance in the highs when altering my pick attack with a Fred. Its not that it's weak on highs, just that most of the expression is in the mids.
I believe the no-scarf straight headstock helps the midrange, too, because I think the headstock is more sympathetic to the mid vibrations that way. Incidentally, they do a good job leaving enough wood around the nut area. If you only have RG's (whatever wood they're made out of) you can't go wrong with a JS. Plus you get the 22 fret neck pickup location, essential to a more traditional sounding neck pickup tone. If you don't like the midranginess, the JS/Radius body will respond well to pickup changes. It's very cooperative. I have about 15 "R" shaped guitars with every different combo possible in them and they're all winners.

Feel free to dismiss this as a long winded, waste of time rant, by the way

[Edwood]

or treat it as a chance to learn something about tones/woods/etc. for novices like me.

[JESTER700]

Originally Posted by frankfalbo

I believe the no-scarf straight headstock helps the midrange, too, because I think the headstock is more sympathetic to the mid vibrations that way. Incidentally, they do a good job leaving enough wood around the nut area. If you only have RG's (whatever wood they're made out of) you can't go wrong with a JS. Plus you get the 22 fret neck pickup location, essential to a more traditional sounding neck pickup tone. If you don't like the midranginess, the JS/Radius body will respond well to pickup changes. It's very cooperative. I have about 15 "R" shaped guitars with every different combo possible in them and they're all winners.

Feel free to dismiss this as a long winded, waste of time rant, by the way

Jeez, Frank. At least when I got a new Radius, I'd sell an old one. Guess you bought but never sold...

Note that the Radius DOES have a scarf joint. I'm sure Frank knows that, it musta slipped his mind while ranting...

As it stands, I've gotten good sounds from a JB pup in a Radius, and a JB is a midrangey pickup. But I'm going to a Steve's special, which will hopefully be even better; not only with bucking sounds, but split as well.

[frankfalbo]

Originally Posted by JESTER700

Note that the Radius DOES have a scarf joint. I'm sure Frank knows that, it musta slipped his mind while ranting...

Yeah, I was just kinda referring to the basswood/trem combo at that point. I was in the zone....The rant zone. One of my Radii does have a JS neck, though. And I have some with Proline necks where the joint is across the A and D tuners.
If you're not into the JS necks or the Fred then a used Radius is the perfect solution at less than half the price. Then you've got cash left over for new pickups and a fret dressing, since they're all 10-15 yrs old by now.

[JESTER700]

Originally Posted by frankfalbo

Yeah, I was just kinda referring to the basswood/trem combo at that point. I was in the zone....The rant zone. One of my Radii does have a JS neck, though. And I have some with Proline necks where the joint is across the A and D tuners.

...ooooh... Radius with Proline neck - a bound ebony board? Yum.

[82DeanZ]

Hi Paul,

Good to see you on this side of the fence! I expect to see a JS up on your website soon. Yes, they do have a Strat vibe going on, but there is so much more to the JS. For me, the multi radius neck is infinitely more playable than the neck on my USA strat. I'll let Falbo's explanation stand for the other differences.

Best Regards,

Mike.

[saTa]

true. i NEVER experienced a neck i liked SO much...

telecasters, strats, lespauls, rgs, jems... great guitars with most different necks. but none is a competition to the js neck to me...


you're spoiled once you touched this guitar! you will never reckon a neck great cos it will always remain in the shadows of the js neck you once touched

[JESTER700]

Originally Posted by saTa

true. i NEVER experienced a neck i liked SO much...

telecasters, strats, lespauls, rgs, jems... great guitars with most different necks. but none is a competition to the js neck to me...


you're spoiled once you touched this guitar! you will never reckon a neck great cos it will always remain in the shadows of the js neck you once touched

Feh. I liked the Ultra better. But I suspect I'm in a very tiny minority

[Kev Brigden]

[Slaps Jester700]




love ya man!

now, all we need is a JS take on a 7 string neck, and Ill be a happy man...

[Paul Secondino]

I feel dumb for asking.I looked around though and can't make the connection to what the "radius" is.Help?

[82DeanZ]

I feel dumb for asking.I looked around though and can't make the connection to what the "radius" is.Help?

If you are asking about the Radius guitar then you are asking about the Ibanez guitar that Joe played when he first signed as an Ibanez endorser (and before he got his signature model). Check it out here:

http://www.bossarea.com/test/joesatch.jpg

If you are asking about the JS neck then read this: Actually, there is some debate even here on this board. Rich Harris (I know you know who he is) settled the debate and confirmed that radius in "compound radius neck" refers to the -back- of the neck. Apparently, the JS neck is a little thicker near the bass side and a little thinner near the treble side (think tear drop sliced in half).





Best Regards,

Mike.

[horstausmforst]

That isn't a radius guitar, that's a power.

Better take a look here:

http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1989/r.jpg

[zEr0]

The radius of a guitar fretboard is a measure of how flat it is. The bigger the radius the flatter the fretboard, smaller radius means a rounder fretboard obviosuly.

The JS model (not all models) doesn't have a set radius but it changes as you go higher up the neck and that's why it's called compound.

Hope that helps.