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25K views 37 replies 31 participants last post by  jordancoffin 
#1 ·
I really haven't found much backup on this, just here and there. Understanding this forum may be biased towards Ibanez, I would still like all opinions of superstrat type guitars and how they compare sonicaly and as far as quality (and visually if interested). Which guitars I have in my mind are...

Ibanez Prestige
Ibanez J.Custom
Ernie Ball MM
Charvel
Jackson
Suhr
Caparison
Tom Anderson
Carvin, and similar types.

Lets hear from the guys who have had experience with a few different brands and see how they truly compare. And if this is dumb let me know haha.
 
#3 ·
i played a suhr once there very nice and have a jazzy tone
i think it compares a little to a j custom based on craftsmanship
the j custom also has a bit of a jazzy tone from my playing experience i think it is more verstile and gets other sweet tones.
my opinons
 
#4 ·
well, I've been a long time ibanez fan, but i do cheat on ibanez.
now, besides ibanez, i also have caparisons.

I once had : ESP custom mirage, washburn mercury, jackson dinky, edwards, all are superstrat style.
they all crap compare to my ibanez.

what can I say, once your heart makes the decision, you won't turning back.
it's like : ibanez is my wife, caparison now is my mistress.
I've got all the fun with caparison, but i always go back home to my ibanez.
 
#6 · (Edited)
For me and my money Ibanez delivers the goods. But I'm no jazz player. Also, I've played a few other brands that I liked such as ESP, Jackson and EBMM. The ESPs and the EBMMs are the ones I've liked the best besides the Ibanez.

But dollar for dollar, yen for yen, pound for pund, euro for euro etc. I think Ibanez makes the best super strat.
 
#38 ·
I *just* got rid of my Jackson Dinky, in favour of an RGPrestige. The guitar that I had was not even close to being as good as my Ibanez. Didn't play as well, didn't sound as good. I'll buy another Ibanez before I buy another Jackson, but its all subjective really. Also, it should be noted that my Ibanez costed much more than the Jackson, so it's not really the most fair comparison. My RG is better than any Jackson I've played before though.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I'm not sure I'd call a Suhr a superstrat. I see it more as a higher quality standard Strat. The Wolfgang and its consumer versions are kinda superstrats, considering they were Van Halen's designs.

I've either owned or just played many EB/MMs, Jacksons, Kramers, and Charvels. As of last year however I've reduced my superstrats down to just an Ibanez RG550 20th and a vintage Kramer Baretta II.

Speaking of the Ibanez Prestige, it's a great value. It's very well made. My RG550 feels precise without feeling cold and mechanical. It feels like a violin, and I feel encouraged to play it lightly as opposed to hard like I might a Kramer or an ESP. I mean to say that my RG550 feels more efficient. I put less effort in, but get more back. Much of this comes from the Wizard neck and the Edge bridge, but also there's the general shape of the body and the scalloping.

The Charvel is my next favorite. The San Dimas is a very expensive guitar. Expect to shell out $3~4 grand. The lower $2,000 end will get you a cool graphic and a single humbucker config. I was always a one humbucker guy myself, being a Kramer nut that I am. There are consequences though to just having the one, especially if you're used to playing with three. You can get a HH config though. Most Charvels will be alder bodies with original non-recessed FRs and Seymour Duncan JBs and '59s/Full Shred/or Jazz pickups in the neck. This is a setup that will make you stand in front of a JCM 800 and scream, "I am Godzilla, you are Japan!"

The necks are smooth. Most are unfinished maple combined with maple fretboards. They feel like smooth heavily used Fender Strats, and that's a good thing. They are very responsive hot rods. The good news is, there's two new lines going for a $1000. The new San Dimas and the new SoCal use Korean FRs and some great pickups. If you're mostly an Ibanez guy, I think you might like the SoCal just a little more.

The Jacksons are getting disappointing. I am a fan myself, but you will be paying Charvel prices for the very best Jacksons (Select Series, custom, PC-1 signature). The MIJ Pro Series should be your minimum standard for a Jackson. The compound radius neck is nice. It feels smooth, and it is flat, but I found it a little cramped for my tastes. I just never meshed well. The best Jacksons IMO are the PC-1 which is a unique guitar and the Select Soloist. I'm a bolt-on guy myself. But at Select level, you'll unlock all the Jackson graphics options whether you go Dinky or Soloist. Jackson does make good guitars, but I've found more variance in their quality in the last few years than I care for. EDIT: The PC-1 is by all means a great guitar, and the neck is wide. You will have a difficult time demoing one without first buying it though. :(

The Earnie Ball Music Man. Arguably the Axis-Sport, if that's what you're talking about, is better than Peavey's own version of the Wolfgang. The one I played had a maple cap on basswood, and a non-recessed FR. I believe most use a Wilkerson bridge - not sure though. As with the Charvel, a non-recessed FR mounted MM will limit you a little with whammy bar tricks, but at the benefit of greater sustain... that's the way Eddie likes it. The neck is smaller, narrower. It's a world apart from the Wizard neck, but it feels comfortable even for my ogreish hands. The necks are unfinished birds-eye maple. That guitar sings. Look for one with the DiMarzio custom customs, designed for that brown sound. These guitars have great sustain. However, in the last year, I've seen more and more of them in stores looking rushed. Ultimately, I walked away from these because I wanted more sonic flexibility and more comfort when composing. Plus, I have my Les Pauls for when I want a big big sound. EDIT: I forgot to mention that the Axis I played had direct mounted pickups. I'm in the school that believes direct mounting = more tone and sustain. If you're not, then it's more of a hindrance than a feature. :D

I don't know anything about the others on your list from personal experience. I think you should also look into vintage superstrats. Pick up a vintage Kramer. Even look at a vintage Japanese made Kramer Focus. They will beat out most superstrats made today when it comes to quality. Also look for a Nightswan. My '88 Kramer Baretta II was made by a then little, somewhat unknown company in Japan called ESP. *wink* Great neck, and this guitar has outlasted most others with no surgery required. Also, take a look at vintage Peavey's like the Vandenberg. There's also the BC Rich Gunslinger, which was designed in part by Wayne Charvel as a superstrat that could compete against Kramer, Charvel, and Jackson. Sorry for the long-winded reply, but I hope it helps.
 
#10 ·
Ibanez Prestige
Ibanez J.Custom
Ernie Ball MM
Charvel
Caparison
Jackson
Carvin
All these brands have good and better guitars. You can go wrong with all, and you can go right. Especially if you say Ibanez and take away Prestige. ;)

Suhr and Tom Anderson are high end single coil based guitars, and are in another division. Both buildwise and in looks. I would say better than any Ibanez. Suhr prefers the same wood combo as many Ibanez guitars, basswood and maple body.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Suhr and Tom Anderson [are] in another division. Both buildwise and in looks. I would say better than any Ibanez.
They're definately a different division yes, but perhaps more a different sport (with the exception of maybe the Suhr Modern ).

The J-customs I've tried (and a couple of the other high end Japanese Ibanez guitars) hold up well against the Andersons or Suhrs I've tried. YMMV :)

Oh and looks are a personal preference, but I also like the Ibanez superstrat body shapes better too :p
 
#12 ·
I realize lots of folks view Andersons and Suhrs as made for a particular type of music (blues/jazz/pop etc.) but this Suhr of mine is a metal guitar to me. :D Flamed maple on basswood sounds great.



It's a cliche to say perhaps, but I'm done looking. I've owned forty-something guitars by now and my Suhr has easily eclipsed anything I've ever owned. I'm still a fan of the RG based guitars and will always love and recommend Ibanez guitars. But I'm speaking honestly when I say that the quality difference is very noticeable, to me. I have one J-Custom and have played others and have owned very nice high-end Ibby's and don't dispute they are really good guitars. But this particular Suhr just plays and sounds amazing. The pickups are so freakin' clear, it's easy to dial in really great tones. And don't get me started on how much I love the stainless steel frets which have been pleked to perfection. :)

The only other guitar I've owned which came close to this one in quality was my Anderson. But it had a Floyd, as do many of my Ibby's, and I just wanted to get away from so many Floyd guitars.

I think for Ibanez devotees who are looking for a boutique guitar, they really should check out the Moderns by Suhr if given a chance to sit down with one. They are the first 24 fret guitars being built by Suhr and I'm sold. Fast necks and very, very good access to the upper frets. And yes, I'm getting one. :) I have no agenda with Suhr, I just think they are that good that I should share my experience. I think the Modern will really catch on with lots of folks. I tried Suhrs about 5 or 6 years ago and just didn't dig them. I'm thinking it was just the one I test drove that didn't do if for me. But I went back again and found the right guitars for me and man, I haven't regretted it at all.

paul
 
#17 ·
Yeah I'm with you. I understand there are different tones, but above a certain price I don't think anything sounds bad. So obviously I also think there are different feeling guitars, but above a certain price level there aren't bad feeling guitars.

I'd say that it's above $1700 though not $1000. They are close at $1000 but I've played a few bad Gibsons at that price range. But that's just my opinion.
 
#19 ·
+1

I second that and I have only touched one of my "old" guitars since I bought the 20th. The wizard neck is highly addictive.

I am actually looking for another superstrat as a backup/workhorse...got to have a wizard neck and a maple fretboard, any suggestions???
 
#18 ·
I've played many bad Gibsons, too many this year alone. In order to find a Gibson that meets the expectation of quality the name carries, expect to spend over $2K.

I myself stepped away from Charvel and Jackson altogether once I got my RG 20th. My superstrat choice is vintage Kramers -- the only guitars that shipped with an OFR worth owning, none of this screw-in tremolo arm stuff. ;-) But if I wanted a guitar that captures the raw power of a Kramer, I'd go Charvel.

But my RG 20th is superior to any San Dimas. The scalloping, the pickup configuration, the more ergonomic body shape, the Edge tremolo, and most importantly the structurally improved Wizard neck. I still love the San Dimas though as I'm a DeMartini and '80s Gary Moore guy. But any prospective buyer should be aware that the San Dimas was created to be a hot-rodded strat with powerful pickups, better electronics, proper shielding, good hardware, and a shredder's neck that manages to feel like a vintage Strat. If you're a Soloist guy, you might not like the Charvel's feel. Nowadays, people seem to prefer pointier horns and sleeker looking carved tops, so the OP might even consider a Schecter. I've played only 4 ever, but they all were relatively inexpensive and were incredibly well built. They're darker than what I like, but they are quality instruments.

I recommend the OP look at the current RG770 reissue, then try out the new Charvel $1000 San Dimas and SoCal, and then compare those two to the other brands on his list. Any Guitar Center will have at least one Music Man Axis in, though not likely another model.
 
#21 ·
This is a tuff question that there really are no answers to.
I mean, ask the question, what a good guitar is and you will get several different answers.
A guitar that is super to one player is crap for another player; we all want different things in our guitars (down to the sound we want, the gear we have around it, what we are used to, what our friends/heroes play, what we like eyes wise and so on).

Take the highest models of, basically, all brands and you get about equally good guitars. Then the rest of it is just taste, non are not really better then the other, just different.
I have played loads of high end boutique guitars and there are bad ones there too.
I have played ridiculously expensive custom shop guitars and they are far from better then anything ells in my normal “high end” Ibanez collection.
I have played a silly expensive PRS that was complete garbage, absolutely no tone or resonance at all.

What you might get is that the chance of getting a good one is bigger among some brands then others. Some are very expensive just because they have a fancy name that most people want.

Really the only thing you could compare is bang for the buck, but first you have to clear what a good guitar really is, and that is very personal thing.

I mean, I have several guitars of the exact same model, and none of them sounds the same, some are okay, some are good and few are fantastic and very, very few are super (all to my taste). The ones I feel are just okay might be the super ones for another player. And it is the same for all brands.

I have played plenty of Suhr, and just like any other brand, some are great and some are just okay.

/Magnus
 
#22 ·
It's nearly impossible to compare guitars on a mass level.

All brands have thier different quirks. I find it's best to own a variety of guitars so you can use each quirk to it's full advantage. I've always prefered Ibanez (and currently due to money only own Ibanez and Classicals). But I do miss the other guitars I have owned over the years despite them being low end.

In the end the only solution is to buy them all.
 
#26 ·
I'll add to the Kramer bandwagoneers here. I used to have a Kramer KnightSwan and I'll have to say that that guitar really was a monster! Probably the best guitar I've had. Not sure why I ever sold it.....It had great sustain, tone, and a low end that would give satan goose bumps...! Now, I'm a huge Ibby fan (7620 and a 7320 owner) but if I could find another Kramer...perferably a Swan,Pacer, or Baretta, I'd definitely look into it. As far as other "superstrats" I'll take a Washburn N4 as well...
 
#28 ·
Each to his own. One man's meat is another man's poison. However to me Ibanez RGs are *the*guitar. That's to ME, however; I'm talking from a view of personal taste here.

I have tried many others, but for my liking nothing comes close to an RG. Before I bought my RG2550 I tried a few others, including ESPs, a Jackson DK which I was seriously interested in, even some humbuker-equipped Fender Strat models, all sorts of guitars - however, whenever I tried an RG everything seemed so much better. To my ears the sound was better, the neck was much nicer, quality better etc. Like I say this is from my own point of view.

Probably the main appealing feature on the Ibanez is the neck. For me it's ideal. Jackson necks I always felt were a little too chunky for my liking. The RG neck on the other hand is perfect for me.

I would love to try an old Kramer! Especially a knackered red and white sriped one as played by a certain guitarist ;)

'87
 
#29 ·
My view is that brand names can give you an idea of what to expect in a guitar, but really, the only way you can tell if it will suit you is to play it, preferably through your own rig.

Try and play as many different guitars as you can, over as wide a range of brands and prices as possible, then form your own ideas. Other peoples reviews can be helpful, but remember that they might have very different tastes than you, let alone a different setup, gear, or style.

All that being said, from my experience I agree with the idea that over a certain price point the differences between brands are more about personal preference than quality levels.

Good luck finding your ideal guitar. :)

Rock on!
 
#30 ·
It's only me and my 2 cents.
But every time I'm looking at other brands "superstrats" I feel like they are 20 years late. Some might look very cool though.
(I'm not talking about reissues. Looking 20 years late may be really cool)
To sum up, the RG is a reference among Superstrats. At least, my personnal reference.
So I won't spend more than 1000$ in something that's not Ibanez anyhow. (we're talking about superstrats :D I love my Gibsons)
 
#32 ·
Well, as far as superstrats go, I have a Yamaha RGX Standard, Ibanez RG570CT, Ibanez S7320 and Gibson M3.

Ibanez gets points for the nicest tremolo's, in my opinion.
I generally don't like the RG series, but mine has an alder body, giving it a more 'singing' tone with more sustain, which is quite impressive for a bolt-on.
The S7320 sounds huge because it's a 7-string, another thing that Ibanez is good at (although it's starting to get more common with other brands now).

The M3 is my overall favourite, because it's a vicious beast. The pickups are incredibly powerful, and it is the only set-neck of the bunch, and the only guitar that doesn't die out on the upper frets. It sings and sustains right up to the 24th fret, like a Les Paul would.

The Yamaha has the coolest looks, and is a nice overall player, but doesn't really excel in anything.

I've also tried some Jacksons over the years, and found that they play very well, but generally they sounded too dark, too 'metal' to me. They didn't have good classic rock or clean sounds.

So for me the best superstrat is a Gibson, as ironic as that may sound :)
 
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