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2010 Jem7V-WH identification

3K views 20 replies 5 participants last post by  Rich 
#1 ·
Hello Everyone.. its been a while... I have owned 4 different Jems but its been years. Since then I have been playing Prestige models. Anyway... I came across a repainted Jem7V-WH that I am interested in buying. The headstock is still white. I plugged the serial number into the Ibanez database and it came back as a Fugi Japan 2010. I am pretty sure that database only looks at the F10 and automatically spits out that its 2010 Japanese.
The last 4 frets are scalloped. The original hang tag serial number matches the serial number on the back of the headstock. Obviously it has been repainted. The seller thinks it might be a copy of one of the anniversary guitars or one of Vai's private collection. I don't think so. I just want to make extra sure that based on the pics everything looks correct. The trem looks correct to me, the pickups are Dimarzio's. 2nd owner is telling me that except for the pink stuff... and the paint job... the guitar is original. Thanks!
 

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#2 ·
I think it looks like a legit 7VWH unless fakes have had a massive jump in quality lately. I have yet to see a well replicated edge. Also I actually kinda dig that finish. Before the attachments loaded I was holding my breath lol, but was positively surprised.
 
#5 ·
And another thing.. .if it is indeed a 2011... do I need to be worried about the intonation on the low E? I am buying this guitar privately so I won't be able to check the intonation or return it. During the pandemic it will be a parking lot deal with masks on.
 
#9 ·
So I know without seeing the guitar in person there is really no way you can tell me if its real or a fake or a parts guitar but in your expert opinion... does this guitar look like a 2011 Jem7V-WH that was reprayed? I am meeting the guy on Thursday and I am going to spend a fair amount of money for it so I really appreciate your opinions!
 
#10 ·
Without seeing the stamps in the neck pocket you can't be sure of anything except the neck and the parts are correct. But there's nothing about it to make me believe it's not a real body except that plenty can cut a body that looks identical and only the neck pocket tells the story.
 
#11 · (Edited)
And that would hold true for anyone buying any Jem used correct? Should I ask the seller for pics of anything specific? Obviously he has the hang tag for the neck and the serial number matches so I know the neck is a Jem neck. The bridge looks like an Edge... the pickups are stamped Dimarzio and they have the gold poles, the screws for the pickguard look to be in the correct places, the case looks correct ( think), the neck joint looks right. The guy also owns a Pia. The guitar is going to cost me about a grand and I have been saving for while to get it so its a pretty substantial purchase for me.
 
#15 ·
FWIW, I also think its a legit Jem. Condition is probably fair-good, and the quality of the refin probably decides between those 2. If the price is right, the few ugly bits could be fixed. Maybe buy some replacement gold bridge saddles(I bet Rich has them). A white cover for the middle pickup should be easy. Even another refinish could probably be done for $250-300. I'd think about going back to the original white, or go black and have the headstock redone to match.
 
#16 ·
Well, Im gonna be the nay sayer and say "nay".

Ill start with probably the most "alarming" thing, but it could just be the angle + lighting obfuscating it.... but... where are the scallops on the 21-24??? lol that alone is enough... but Ill get REAL nit picky here ->

1) The back of the headstock pic -> that stamp is wrong. The ink is way too dark; black almost. Real stamps are more gray in color. Also, the stamp "thickness" is much higher than a real one. Now bear with me ... but the walnut "stripes" are also too thick. Subtle, but definitely thicker than they are supposed to be. Tuners are legit though.
2) using the photo you posted in the other thread, that body is absolutely fake.
3) The dimarzios are 100% fake
4) the screws for adjusting the pickups are bigger than they are supposed to be
5) that fretboard doesnt look anything like the rosewood used on the models of that time. Its ridiculously uniform in color, and lacks porosity incumbent with indian rosewood.
6) the routing around the bridge is wrong, and the pickguard is also wrong

Heres what it looks like to me -> That neck looks DAMN similar to a "premium". Probably REALLY easy to copy and counterfeit at that point. Combined with the fact that quite a bit of that is most certainly fake without a doubt, it stands to reason that the neck would also be counterfeit.


The case? Thats real :)
 

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#17 · (Edited)
Well, Im gonna be the nay sayer and say "nay".

Ill start with probably the most "alarming" thing, but it could just be the angle + lighting obfuscating it.... but... where are the scallops on the 21-24??? lol that alone is enough... but Ill get REAL nit picky here ->

1) The back of the headstock pic -> that stamp is wrong. The ink is way too dark; black almost. Real stamps are more gray in color. Also, the stamp "thickness" is much higher than a real one. Now bear with me ... but the walnut "stripes" are also too thick. Subtle, but definitely thicker than they are supposed to be. Tuners are legit though.
2) using the photo you posted in the other thread, that body is absolutely fake.
3) The dimarzios are 100% fake
4) the screws for adjusting the pickups are bigger than they are supposed to be
5) that fretboard doesnt look anything like the rosewood used on the models of that time. Its ridiculously uniform in color, and lacks porosity incumbent with indian rosewood.
6) the routing around the bridge is wrong, and the pickguard is also wrong

Heres what it looks like to me -> That neck looks DAMN similar to a "premium". Probably REALLY easy to copy and counterfeit at that point. Combined with the fact that quite a bit of that is most certainly fake without a doubt, it stands to reason that the neck would also be counterfeit.

The case? Thats real :)
If you look here you will see the scallops: https://www.jemsite.com/forums/f15/ngd-woot-166931.html
Why do you think the DiMarzios are fake? They look bang on the same as mine on my 05 7VWH. And your comments about the rosewood are impossible to back up from a single image from one angle. Some of my rosewood fretboards look super uniform - it's an organic material, not all pieces look the same. The way the shadows fall in that image makes it impossible to see the rosewood pores. Of course the stamp will be looking darker when the light is coming from behind the headstock and the backside is shaded which also will give it a thicker appearance in a picture like this (same for the walnut stripes). I can't say whether the body routing is off or not, but the pickguard may very well be after market, who knows. The pickup height adjustment screws look the same as mine as well.

The most telling thing of all is for one to produce a fake of this quality, you'd be sending your margins out the window - you're making profit from fakes by cutting costs selling them below retail of the original instrument.
 
#21 ·
One of the most valid points was those rounded corners of the guard which on an Edge model would have a much smaller diameter round, and if you have a real vwh and you're repainting why would you have a crappy aftermarket pickguard.

And he did show me some Chinese shop that can cut pretty convincing bodies, just like there are several custom builders in the US. The difference is the still crap hardware on the Chinese, but swap that out and you're left with questions.
 
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