Want your opinion... Cheapo Jackson or ???

[BenoA]

Hey everyone,

Christmas is coming, my 2 oldest sons, 9 and 11 have put guitars into their gift list for this year.

The last time I went to a music store to get a new strap, one of them had picked up a cheapo Ibanez RG "Gio" model to jam while he was waiting and he's been talking about it since then.

Both of them are just beginners, they've started noodling on my guitars a few weeks ago and they look like enjoying it. I'm not pushing them too much, showing them a few easy things and I'm letting them learn at their own pace.

So back to my question, as I owned a JS30 Kelly (don't laught, it's my main axe these days and I own a few guitars) I'd rather get them a JS30Dinky then the cheap Ibanez... And these days they are both learning with my Charvel Model 4. The cheapo Jackson and Ibanez are similarly priced, so any advice welcomed, is one model would be better in the long term? One point for the Jackson is that I could get it with a fixed bridge.

Buying used in that case is not an option, I want the guitar new, in a box, it's gift, it's their first instrument...

Waiting for your comments or advice.

[markD]

well, if your son played the GIO and is excited about it, chances are he'll be disappointed with anything else. so maybe get the ibanez for one and a jackson for the other?

[BenoA]

You are right MarkD.

I'm just wondering which of the two would suit them better in the long run...

I think I'm gonna go back to the store with them this coming weekend.

[rjohnstone]

Was it a GRX or GRG model?
The GRG models are decent enough and comparable to a JS30 in build quality. The GRX models are crap.
The GRG170 has a really cheezy trem (FAT 10) on it where the GRGM21 is just a plain hartail.
I think the JS30DKT looks better IMHO.
String thru TOM instead of a boring hardtail.

During your next trip to get strings or whatever take them with you to a shop that has both (GC maybe) and see if they say anything about either one of them.

[hippietim]

MIM Fenders are great. What's your budget for this?

[BenoA]

MIM Fenders are great. What's your budget for this?

300$canadian max/guitar... I got my JS30ke for 299$canadian including taxes, the Ibanez GRG170DX would be around 250$canadian.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll go to the store on Saturday, the last time I went there they had both models on display.

[SouthPlatteDemon]

I've got an RG170 that is black with maple neck. It sounds pretty good. The tremelo keeps everything in tune even without a locking nut.

Until I got my KV2, I thought it was pretty nice. LOL

[fett]

Buy a Gio for each of them. Don't play favorites. I know you don't, but if you buy different guitars they will get into a "Mine is better fight.:ROTF:". Try to get them to tell you what color they want. Then both boys will be .

[mhalsey]

Good advice given so far. They're young, but like us ole farts they know what they like and don't like. I picked out my son's first guitar when he was 10 (Christmas gift as well) but the 2 he has now he picked out. Like anything else, it has to be something they like for them to even stay interested. Downside is that once they get into playing you're now dealing with your GAS & theirs.

[BenoA]

Question for you mhalsey, how did you keep the interest up with your kid?

I know mine and they usually get into something for a few months and then get into something else...

[npacheco]

I know you asked mhalsey, but...

I say keep it fun for them. Don't ever make it seem like work.

Also, if you teach them songs they like. Or even if you teach them easy songs that seem like they are hard.

[MountainDog]

The thing to watch on low $ entry level guitars is how high the nut holds the strings off the fretboard. It seems in order to mass produce these fast, they have the tolerances set up so that the nut height/string slots are such that the strings are pretty high off the board at the first few frets. An entry level player has enough issues with pushing down the strings to make a chord, without having the high strings make the issue even worse.

A guy at work bought a cheapo electric guitar at Sam Ash, was ready to give up playing as it was too hard to push the strings down. He talked to me about it, so I took his guitar home. The bridge height and truss rod relief were ok, but the nut slots in the plastic nut were holding the strings way too high. I filed each string slot down so the strings were the normal height above the 1st fret. Gave the guitar back to him and he comes back saying 'Hey its real easy to play chords now!' (check out cheap acoustics, they have their strings a mile off the 1st fret...no wonder people give up playing the guitar when they buy a cheap one!).

I would say maybe the cheaper Jacksons might be built better regarding the nut height vs. the cheaper Ibanez's. If you are handy, you could always file the nut slots deeper if the guitar you buy has them too high.

[Newc]

Jackson puts more into the construction quality and wood than their hardware (pickups and such), whereas other companies skimp evenly all around to keep their prices low.

While a cheap bridge or tuners may wear faster than a good one, they are easy to replace, but when the entire thing degenrates at the same rate (frets lift, neck joints weaken, etc), it's time for a whole new guitar.

I've owned a JS30 Warrior, and it was as good as a Pro series IMO from a construction quality standpoint. I doubt they'd need CTS and Switchcraft parts and a TonePOS bridge or brass v-trem, so you may as well get the best wood for the buck.

I'm anti-Ibanez for personal reasons relating to an incident of poor customer service, but others swear they've changed (new management or some such), so let the kids be the ones to make their own choices, but I'd definitely try to get them using Jacksons.

[RacerX]

A guy at work bought a cheapo electric guitar at Sam Ash, was ready to give up playing as it was too hard to push the strings down. He talked to me about it, so I took his guitar home. The bridge height and truss rod relief were ok, but the nut slots in the plastic nut were holding the strings way too high. I filed each string slot down so the strings were the normal height above the 1st fret. Gave the guitar back to him and he comes back saying 'Hey its real easy to play chords now!'

That was way cool of you!

I was waiting for the punchline: "And that man's name? Sam Totman." :ROTF: