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Strat recommendations for ibanez players

5K views 35 replies 14 participants last post by  pingfloid 
#1 ·
I've played only high end ibanez (and my lawsuit era ibanez Les Paul) for years now. Since i sold my MIJ Tele nearly 10 years Ago.

Recently I've been really enjoying the necks on my JS guitars (I have a 1000 and a 1600).

But having played my friends Mex strat all day whilst jamming at their house today I've got GAS for a good strat. It does give you some tones that the split coil JS or middle coil Jem don't quite nail.

I think a maple necked strat might be worth it if I can find a nice one with a similar neck radius/thickness to the JS.

Anyone got any recommendations as the number of strat options are so huge it's bewildering. Or better to try suhr or an AZ? There's something about that bell like ring you get with real single coils..
 
#2 ·
I'd say go to a music store and play them all, like you would for anything else. I haven't played the Suhr Strats but I had 2 Andersons and while a lot more money than a Fender I didn't like them as much. Actually, the newer Fender Strats (after say..'12? ) are great guitars. They even have Strats with sustainers now
 
#13 ·
That's the ultimate way to find a Strat you like &desire. There are unlimited amount of Strats everywhere from <$60 to >10K$. Virtually all of them has same or very similar specs; 3 single coil pickups, 5w switch, alder or ash body, 1p maple neck or rosewood fingerboard on maple neck, 6 screwed tremolo... But result, on the other hand, varies very dramaticly.

My personal approach on the Strats are just like this;
-) 1 piece maple neck/quartersawn preferred and as chunky as you can play smooth, thickness is crucial for tone
-) rosewood board (or cocobolo or pao ferro is also preferred)
-) lightweight alder body (as light as possible)
-) Well made tremolo (steel, titanium, aluminium is okay but never go for Zinc alloy material. If the essential tone is too bright brass might be good
-) True single coil pickups; ~5,5K dc resistance for the neck, ~6K for the middle and >6,5K for the bridge. I especially like to use a real tele bridge pickup on the strat bridge. Simple yet useful mod.
 
#14 ·
I'd say go to a music store and play them all, like you would for anything else. I haven't played the Suhr Strats but I had 2 Andersons and while a lot more money than a Fender I didn't like them as much. Actually, the newer Fender Strats (after say..'12? ) are great guitars. They even have Strats with sustainers now
That's the ultimate way to find a Strat you like &desire. There are unlimited amount of Strats everywhere from <$60 to >10K$. Virtually all of them has same or very similar specs; 3 single coil pickups, 5w switch, alder or ash body, 1p maple neck or rosewood fingerboard on maple neck, 6 screwed tremolo... But result, on the other hand, varies very dramaticly.

My personal approach on the Strats are just like this;
-) 1 piece maple neck/quartersawn preferred and as chunky as you can play smooth, thickness is crucial for tone
-) rosewood board (or cocobolo or pao ferro is also preferred)
-) lightweight alder body (as light as possible)
-) Well made tremolo (steel, titanium, aluminium is okay but never go for Zinc alloy material. If the essential tone is too bright brass might be good
-) True single coil pickups; ~5,5K dc resistance for the neck, ~6K for the middle and >6,5K for the bridge. I especially like to use a real tele bridge pickup on the strat bridge. Simple yet useful mod.
Tele bridge pick up?
When I get to play a strat i always seem to end up camped in neck and neck/mid position and never found bridge that usable. This is an interesting idea...
 
#5 ·
I've heard a lot of really good things about the new player and ultra series guitars. The players are a great value.

If you don't mind it NOT being fender, you could always try to find a Ibanez 540 R. It Feels a lot like my JS, the body is almost the same. It's a bit heavier but It has a HSS configuration, The necks were the Ibanez Ultra which was not a 17" radius like the RG's or 540S and it's a bit chunkier. it feels a lot more like a fender. I have a 540R but I only got my hands on a body. I had a neck built for it. But it's a work horse with tones if you don't mind putting your own pickups in. I see them going for $600-1K on reverb or ebay fairly often. I have the bridge on mine coil tapped to get as close to the strat #2 position. Plus it's a vintage non common body shape. Not many people have them. I love the strat but it's the glock of guitars. Everyone and their grandfather has one.
 
#7 ·
I think play a few to find the right one..
I really want maple neck, not to chunky..

Good thing about strats is they're also easy to customise with spare parts.

Will probably sell a PGM or a JS before going to Japan in the spring to generate some cash to check out the 2nd hand stores for any MIJ bargains...

The ultra series sounds like a good fall back option. Will try to play test one before my trip.
 
#11 ·
I went with an Eric Johnson model as not only do I like his music but I really like the flat 12" radius fretboard over the more common Strat options.

It seems well made and sounds nice too.
I had thought this too. Spec looks interesting. But never seen one in a shop to try. Maple board too usually.

Did you get the semi hollow body version?
 
#16 ·
Tele bridge pickups get a lot of their bite from the baseplate. Duncan makes a Strat bridge pickup called the Twang Banger that will give you most of that Tele sound. Harmonic Design makes a pickup called the STP which will do the same as well. I'm sure there are others as well.

If you are looking in Japan you should also look at brands like Bacchus and Momose as well. If I was guitar shopping in Japan for Strat I would check out the fenders but I would be looking specifically for a Japanese high end copy. FGN makes a Strat like instrument called the Odyssey as well.
 
#17 ·
#21 ·
Well, there's really using the trem to accentuate a note or chord and dive bombing trem use. Often when you see someone in a bar band doing dive bombs it's because they have no other ideas on what to play :lol: A Strat doesn't do dives like that too well obviously, as it doesn't have the same amount of pitch change ability. So, it isn't a great dive bomb platform. But if you have a modern Strat with or without locking tuners you should be able to use the trem without throwing the guitar too far out of tune to finish the song. I never had a trem problem with my G&L S-500, which is a floater.
 
#23 ·
Well, part of the appeal of the Strat is its sound, and part of that sound is due to the huge chunk of wood missing from the body in the trem cavity. Whether the trem works or not is one thing, but the body on that is significantly different from a regular trem'd Strat. I'm glad you like yours but i still wouldn't buy one myself (which,of course, doesn't make it a bad guitar).
 
#24 · (Edited)
Agreed that mine is not the norm. I wasn't advocating the OP buy the same model, just not to be 'put off' by that S1 Trem (it's basically a two point floating trem and has great tuning stability) or the MIJ Contemporary range in general. .

Most Strats have a 'chunk of wood' removed to accomodate the Trem springs and block. The fact that it is at the back of most Strats and under the scratchplate on mine is unlikely to make much difference tonally IMO. I'd expect the pups to have most influence.

OP should visit a local Strat dealer and try a few out. He might bond with something that none of us would recommend.
 
#26 ·
The values on the Contemporary series are tricky and very much location/condition dependent.

I've seen System 1 models on Reverb at over $1000 US. Personally, I think that's too much, even for a 'case Queen'. I'd say $600-700 would be 'fair'. If you can find a minty original example for less than that just grab it. IMO you'll struggle to find a better value Strat. The single coil pups have great tone too.

Just to prove how variable it can be. There's a guy on YouTube talking about his S2 costing him $1100. Mine cost 60% of that and is immaculate.

I've spotted an S3 this morning that I'm keeping an eye on...
 
#27 ·
The values on the Contemporary series are tricky and very much location/condition dependent.

I've seen System 1 models on Reverb at over $1000 US. Personally, I think that's too much, even for a 'case Queen'. I'd say $600-700 would be 'fair'. If you can find a minty original example for less than that just grab it. IMO you'll struggle to find a better value Strat. The single coil pups have great tone too.

Just to prove how variable it can be. There's a guy on YouTube talking about his S2 costing him $1100. Mine cost 60% of that and is immaculate.

I've spotted an S3 this morning that I'm keeping an eye on...
Thanks for the information! I think the store with the S1 knows exactly what they have because it is priced inline with your condition/price assessment. The history behind the guitar does make it more interesting.
I hope you get your S3!
 
#32 ·
I went to the local store to check out a few today.

Mex ones sounded great but necks felt rough. After 20 years of only playing prestige ibanez just felt rough. Sharp fret ends..

The maple board necks seem to have this thick clear on them. I feel I'd need to take some very fine sand paper to them to get that played in satin feel..

Didn't stock any MIJ..
Will try a few MIA or a G&L next visit.
 
#36 · (Edited)
I have traded my JS2450 for a Schecter Nick Johntson USA. The first model with Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot. And I do not regret of the change (I still keep my old RG550LTD that is a lucky piece of wood like no other super-strat I've ever played)

I can tell that it is an excellent Strat. Better guitar than my Fender American Deluxe Strat that I've been playing for 20 years

You could also try the cheaper "Diamond Series". Even NJ said that he cannot notice much difference.



edit:
the neck is suitable for shredding!
 
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