[Fowleri]

The quality sucks compared to rg550, but I was already expecting that, but the fretboard felt awful, rough and I couldn't play well at all, you could say is because is a display guitar, but I tried other ones from Schecters on display, around the same price, it felts so much better than the jem jr.

To me that jem jr felt cheap, everything, the pegs, the fretboard, frets, it felt like a gio

 

[BigBazz]

Well they feel cheap because they are cheap.

 

[Fowleri]

Well they feel cheap because they are cheap.

for $500 I was expecting better quality, guitar should cost no more than $350

 

[chris101]

The quality sucks compared to rg550, but I was already expecting that, but the fretboard felt awful, rough and I couldn't play well at all, you could say is because is a display guitar, but I tried other ones from Schecters on display, around the same price, it felts so much better than the jem jr.

To me that jem jr felt cheap, everything, the pegs, the fretboard, frets, it felt like a gio

This mirrors my experience also. The Jem Jr had hideous frets.

 

[webjunk]

for $500 I was expecting better quality, guitar should cost no more than $350

It is a $350 RG but the added value is the monkey grip and the name, neither of which effects playability. Nearly all signature guitars from any manufacturer you will be paying additionally for things that have nothing to do with playability or sometimes even sound. That's why Ibanez loves Signature instruments. They make more profit from them.

 

[Dutchie]

I've got 4 Jem Jrs and the frets are great on all of them. They are great guitars for the money. You definitely need to change the trems though. The ones on them suck.

 

[morellotunes]

I've got 4 Jem Jrs and the frets are great on all of them. They are great guitars for the money. You definitely need to change the trems though. The ones on them suck.

I agree, the frets on my Jr. are perfect. There are definitely good ones out there.

 

[Santir79]

I personally don't have any Jem Jr but two of my students do and I have set those guitar up. Clearly, they can't be compared to my MIJ Jems, however I was really surprised by the quality if the guitars given they are cheap guitars.

 

[morellotunes]

Even Steve Vai has 4 Jem Jr’s in his personal collection. One old black one and 3 of the newer white ones. I assume all heavily modded, but still.

 

[BigBazz]

Even Steve Vai has 4 Jem Jr's in his personal collection. One old black one and 3 of the newer white ones. I assume all heavily modded, but still.

Most guitars are fine if you have setup skills, I think the issue is that the target audience for a Jem Jr is really the younger more inexperienced player that doesn't have the skills to do a setup, and of course you could pay for a setup and to have the frets worked on if needed but you're looking at close to 1/4 the price of what the guitar costs for that work. The Jem JR's I tried and inspected at stores looked and felt pretty bad to me, and while I'm sure a few tweaks would have them playing really nice I'd soon want to replace that bridge for something with more stability, I think if I was spending on a guitar in that price bracket a Jem Jr would not be a consideration.

That said I think Steve's are probably stock and they never leave the stand, he has a million guitars so I very much doubt he's going to pick one up and play it, he has one like he has one of probably every Jem that was ever released.

 

[KennyV]

I just received a jr today.
Finding a left handed authentic Jem 777 is pretty much impossible at the price range everyone says to wait for.

I am referring to the typical "don't get a Jem just buy a real one used for 1200".

As a lefty that doesn't happen.

Anyway, pickups, trem and fret dressing is pretty much perfect.

I think I got lucky on that aspect cause this trem is currently better then most of my ofr guitars. (not my 550s with original edges tho)

The pickups have alot of range of tones. I had a full DiMarzio set ready to go but I'm thinking I'll keep these stock.

The only thing I am not liking is that Jotoba fretboard.

It feels like unfilled, hardly sanded mahogany.
Super scratchy.
The amp doesn't seem to pick up the scratchy, but my fingers sure feel it.

 

[Fowleri]

Even Steve Vai has 4 Jem Jr's in his personal collection. One old black one and 3 of the newer white ones. I assume all heavily modded, but still.

steve has a lot of crap that he never uses, that was given to him, he will never use those jrs for anything, heck he would never production model jems for anything

all the guitars you see in his rack and that he uses live and for recording, they were all custom made for him and with all the modifications, for you to get that same guitar quality as his custom, itd probably be $7000+ which is the cost of the EVO replica