I've been meaning to post this for a while, but every time I think about doing it I pick up the guitar and play it instead! Just got this last week and don't have words to express how much I love it. The design choices and aesthetics are certainly not for everyone, but I like just about every last detail. I'm even warming to the ornate PUP covers.
After a lot of shopping around I found a bargain. I picked this up used, in mint condition, and I don't think it had been played much, if at all. The original strings were still on there with no visible wear. Either the factory or the prior owner set it up perfectly. I normally spend a couple/few hours dialing in the setup, but this one didn't need anything. The only work I've done was to swap in locking tuners.
A few of my favorite features are the body contours, which are very strat-like where it counts, a rounded version of the JEM/RG on the upper edges that perfectly fits my body and picking arm; the neck profile, thin but with more shoulder than other high-end Ibanez necks I've played; the responsive and balanced PUPs; and, to my surprise, the ultralite trem arm. I'd never tried a carbon fiber trem arm and figured it was a gimmick, but this thing is amazing! This guitar is completely in sync with my preferences, feel, and style. I've never felt so inspired to create music by an instrument before. I alternate between plugging it in to play and just standing here staring at it as a work of art.
I'd never seen one in person before buying this, but what I read/heard in so many reviews is true: This looks better in person, pics don't really do it justice. The white pearl paint and the PIA blossom inlays really pop up close. Weather hasn't permitted decent outdoor pics yet, but I took a couple inside. Note to self: don't wear an orange shirt when photographing a guitar...
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![Brown Musical instrument Guitar Guitar accessory String instrument]()
After a lot of shopping around I found a bargain. I picked this up used, in mint condition, and I don't think it had been played much, if at all. The original strings were still on there with no visible wear. Either the factory or the prior owner set it up perfectly. I normally spend a couple/few hours dialing in the setup, but this one didn't need anything. The only work I've done was to swap in locking tuners.
A few of my favorite features are the body contours, which are very strat-like where it counts, a rounded version of the JEM/RG on the upper edges that perfectly fits my body and picking arm; the neck profile, thin but with more shoulder than other high-end Ibanez necks I've played; the responsive and balanced PUPs; and, to my surprise, the ultralite trem arm. I'd never tried a carbon fiber trem arm and figured it was a gimmick, but this thing is amazing! This guitar is completely in sync with my preferences, feel, and style. I've never felt so inspired to create music by an instrument before. I alternate between plugging it in to play and just standing here staring at it as a work of art.
I'd never seen one in person before buying this, but what I read/heard in so many reviews is true: This looks better in person, pics don't really do it justice. The white pearl paint and the PIA blossom inlays really pop up close. Weather hasn't permitted decent outdoor pics yet, but I took a couple inside. Note to self: don't wear an orange shirt when photographing a guitar...
