I've watched videos about the new Tim Henson signature models. They're made in Indonesia and people are already complaining about quality issues.
I thought it was common sense. People really think they're buying the same guitar that Tim Henson uses? His guitars are custom made at the LA shop and probably cost 8-10k, same as Vais, Satriani, etc. They're not using off the rack models at all. Their are custom made and modded to their quirks.
An Ibanez PIA costs $3999 and in a way, is closer to the artist actual PIA than these Henson models are, but to believe that Steve's PIAs are actually just $3999 off the rack model is naive. His PIAS are probably custom made at the LA shop and also have modifications to them that jack up the price up to 10k easily.
Probably the only Jem that was made to be almost similar if not exactly as Steve's actual guitars, was the EVO copy and the 8-10k price reflected that.
To believe that Tim Henson, a huge guitar player and very famous worldwide now, is playing an Indonesian guitar live and for his records, is very naive and laughable.
Not to mention, Ibanez has realized where the money is, in the more affordable creations, such as Jem Jrs and premiums, that's where the money is, not the PIAs.
The Jem Jr has sold and still sells like candy all around the world. Its probably the most sold Ibanez guitar in many years. It was a home run, because they copied all the cosmetic parts of the Jem, albeit with cheaper materials, thus satisfying that desire for a Jem like guitar. Unlike previous copies like JEM555 which failed at copying the aesthetics.
Most fans cannot afford a $3999 guitar or even a $2500 one. This is a reality. This is why Henson signature models are purely indonesian models and priced affordably. That's what sells and what fans are more likely to buy rather a $4000 japanese copy.