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And I'll try to be specific about my musical tastes and not be too vague. Basically I want something versatile enough to handle all kinds of music ranging from sparkling-clean pop to blues/jazz/progressive to heavy rock/metal.
I'll state my opinions on this guitar, and I need some feedback from you guys:
1) Versatile pickup configuration. H-S-H coupled with 5-way switching allows a wide range of tones to be accommodated. In particular, the single-coil pickup is good for twangy cleans suitable for milder stuff such as blues, jazz & pop music. That's the reason why I've deliberately chosen an axe with at least one single-coil pickup. Otherwise I would have chosen an all "buckers" axe.
On the other hand, switching to the humbuckers (or tapped with single) allows me to achieve a heavy, crunchy tone suitable for heavier stuff such as hard-rock & heavy thrash metal.
I've heard that the Dimarzio pickups on this guitar although not as good as the Evolutions on the higher end Ibanez's are heaps better than the stock pickups on the RG1570. Is this true? Can these pickups do screaming leads, tapping and pinch harmonics such as those heard in songs such as 'Eruption'? I know a lot depends on the amp used as well, but the guitar is a good starting point.
2) Double-locking floating tremolo. I forgot to mention that I'm a fan of guitar greats such as Steve Vai & Eddie Van Halen as well as their respective whammy-laden signature sounds. I've heard a lot of good things about the Edge Pro tremolo that comes with this guitar. Hell, even Mr. Vai himself uses the Edge Pro (and abuses it like crazy, ala 'Live at Astoria', right before 'For the love of God'), so I can't really go wrong with it.
Also can it do 'fluttering' sounds like those in the ending of 'Blue Powder'?
Excuse me for bringing song titles out of the blue but this being a 'jemsite', I would half-expect you guys to know Steve Vai and his incredible work.
3) Thin neck. I've heard both good & bad reviews about the Wizard necks. Good reviews: Very fast and good for lightning fast solos. Bad reviews: Super thin neck may feel comfortable at first, but after a while develops muscle cramps especially for larger hands. Is this true?
Also, is the thin neck as good for chords as they are for leads? Is the neck-width suitably sized for comfortable chord playing. Basically, I play a Squier Strat and love how the neck feels. Maybe we'll use the Fender neck as a benchmark.
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For a new amp, I'm thinking of getting the Mesa Boogie F-50 (or F-30). I've heard that it is a very versatile amp that has very excellent cleans as well as a bad-ass distortion, which is exactly what I need i.e. versatility.
Anyone who uses an Ibanez RG with this amp, please tell me how good are they in terms of their capability to cover a wide range of tones.
I'm new to tube amps (been using solid-state all the while) so I'm not sure whether a 50 watts tube amp will be too loud for bedroom playing. I've heard that tube amps only sound good when their volumes are turned up. So in this case, should I get an attenuator for the 50W amp (F-50) or maybe go for the 30W amp (F-30 without attenuator). Basically I need an amp that is suitable for both bedroom playing and small gigs.
Just for the record, I initially thought of getting a Marshall (either TSL or DSL) but heard that Marshalls are generally over-priced (due to their name) and are not good for producing crystal-clear cleans as well as Mesa-like hard distortion. And my playing really covers both ends of the spectrum, which is why I've been considering the Mesa Boogie.
**************
I guess I just want to make a musical investment that is worthwhile and allows for years and years of enjoyable musical indulgement.
Appreciate some good advice from you guys. Thanks a lot!
I'll state my opinions on this guitar, and I need some feedback from you guys:
1) Versatile pickup configuration. H-S-H coupled with 5-way switching allows a wide range of tones to be accommodated. In particular, the single-coil pickup is good for twangy cleans suitable for milder stuff such as blues, jazz & pop music. That's the reason why I've deliberately chosen an axe with at least one single-coil pickup. Otherwise I would have chosen an all "buckers" axe.
On the other hand, switching to the humbuckers (or tapped with single) allows me to achieve a heavy, crunchy tone suitable for heavier stuff such as hard-rock & heavy thrash metal.
I've heard that the Dimarzio pickups on this guitar although not as good as the Evolutions on the higher end Ibanez's are heaps better than the stock pickups on the RG1570. Is this true? Can these pickups do screaming leads, tapping and pinch harmonics such as those heard in songs such as 'Eruption'? I know a lot depends on the amp used as well, but the guitar is a good starting point.
2) Double-locking floating tremolo. I forgot to mention that I'm a fan of guitar greats such as Steve Vai & Eddie Van Halen as well as their respective whammy-laden signature sounds. I've heard a lot of good things about the Edge Pro tremolo that comes with this guitar. Hell, even Mr. Vai himself uses the Edge Pro (and abuses it like crazy, ala 'Live at Astoria', right before 'For the love of God'), so I can't really go wrong with it.
Also can it do 'fluttering' sounds like those in the ending of 'Blue Powder'?
Excuse me for bringing song titles out of the blue but this being a 'jemsite', I would half-expect you guys to know Steve Vai and his incredible work.
3) Thin neck. I've heard both good & bad reviews about the Wizard necks. Good reviews: Very fast and good for lightning fast solos. Bad reviews: Super thin neck may feel comfortable at first, but after a while develops muscle cramps especially for larger hands. Is this true?
Also, is the thin neck as good for chords as they are for leads? Is the neck-width suitably sized for comfortable chord playing. Basically, I play a Squier Strat and love how the neck feels. Maybe we'll use the Fender neck as a benchmark.
**************
For a new amp, I'm thinking of getting the Mesa Boogie F-50 (or F-30). I've heard that it is a very versatile amp that has very excellent cleans as well as a bad-ass distortion, which is exactly what I need i.e. versatility.
Anyone who uses an Ibanez RG with this amp, please tell me how good are they in terms of their capability to cover a wide range of tones.
I'm new to tube amps (been using solid-state all the while) so I'm not sure whether a 50 watts tube amp will be too loud for bedroom playing. I've heard that tube amps only sound good when their volumes are turned up. So in this case, should I get an attenuator for the 50W amp (F-50) or maybe go for the 30W amp (F-30 without attenuator). Basically I need an amp that is suitable for both bedroom playing and small gigs.
Just for the record, I initially thought of getting a Marshall (either TSL or DSL) but heard that Marshalls are generally over-priced (due to their name) and are not good for producing crystal-clear cleans as well as Mesa-like hard distortion. And my playing really covers both ends of the spectrum, which is why I've been considering the Mesa Boogie.
**************
I guess I just want to make a musical investment that is worthwhile and allows for years and years of enjoyable musical indulgement.
Appreciate some good advice from you guys. Thanks a lot!
