So we have a Chibanez....

[sixx_ gunner]

2nd real guitar..First was a BC Rich Bich back in the day...Take a look at the copy I got a couple years ago, shipped to my house in three days from China....Its supposed to be a UV777BK by Ibanez. After taking it to two shops, they have it playing pretty good..it stays in tune well, regardless of my "Vai" tricks...the pickups are CRAP...no bite,crunch or anything...just there. Nothing to brag about for sure.
It weighs more than my DK2 by far and the neck is supposed to be rosewood, but seems lighter than any I have seen.
I know I am gonna hear "put that f*cker under my truck" or whatever....
I am asking....if you had this...what would you do to make it freaking rock..the fit and finish are much better than I have seen on the 'bay. Some of them copies are......God awlful! Those "monkey grips" can be HUGE...
I don't think the nut is cut right, and I know they shimmed the neck to get the intonation right.
Suggestions BESIDES the very original "buy a real guitar"...it was a gift from the 'lil woman.......Thanks in advance~












Thanks for YOUR input~

[CharvelRocker]

Made in Korea? I'm a little shocked. try some new pickups and a trem. Or, you could turn it into a clock

[nhspike]

are you an avid canoeist?
sorry...
couldn't resist

Dimarzio Pickups... Tone Zone in the bridge.
Try that.

[Bengal]

Made in Korea? I'm a little shocked. try some new pickups and a trem. Or, you could turn it into a clock

That MIK logo is as fake as the guitar. It's made in China.

What would I do? Turn it into a clock like CR said.

But I guess you could go with new pickups.

Is that a single locking trem? HA! That's funny. I'm surprised you can keep it in tune at all.

But yeah, I'd go with new pickups but don't go nuts on it. You can get into the same ammount of money a used RG7620 would cost. I wouldn't spend more than 100-150 on it. Max.

[CharvelRocker]

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69041&highlight=fake+clock

[sixx_ gunner]

how do I determine what trem will fit if I wanted to change this one out?
Do I measure from center to center of the pivots or....inside diameter or..

honestly don't mind the razzing, I get it from the local Jackson dealer, but they are the ones who got this playing very nice. As soon as they saw the "Jem Jr" logo they were giving me crap....but damn, for a couple hundred bucks shipped to the door in three days, new & shiny?

The current trem does a good job of staying center and in tune,still learning so I am not using the trem except for wailing no nonsense crap... so I may concentrate on the electronics & pickups.

Tone Zone is the best choice? I found a Evolution for less then 40 bucks local....opinions?

ya, I know.....lots of questions...

[CharvelRocker]

It looks like you could get any Jackson JT580-style trem in. It would be a cheap way to upgrade to something half decent. You may also want to look at some used DiMarzio Blaze pickups, though it is a good deal on the Evo.

[DrDestruction]

I've actually had some rather good luck with the Korean-made guitars I've had over the years. The electronics have been so-so in some cases, but they've been quite usable in every other case.

My current guitar (Ibanez SZ320... got it at a pawn shop on the cheap) plays like a dream and sounds like banshee. I DID have to change out the pickups though, as one had died on me (I changed both of them out just because I was bored). It was the best $190 bucks I had ever spent.

[sixx_ gunner]

Thanks for the input so far~
taking it all in...
Thinking of taking down to another shop that REALLY wanted this....may trade up for a Jackson string thru V that I liked. It's a great 7 string player, never claimed it was as good as a JEM, but it has attracted some attention.
I just wanted a guitar and the lil woman knew I loved the Ibanez stuff...so ...

[Bengal]

Well, depending on how uptight you are, there is the whole illegal copy thing. I know guys are buying these and having them shipped here but some have issues with that. You should see the shit dudes have to put up with on the HC forum when they try to sell one of these.

I don't know where I stand on that. My thought is they shouldn't be allowed into the country but since they are, who am I to knock a guy for buying one? To each his own.

But I would trade for the Jackson. Anyone who knows guitars would spot that thing a mile away. The body doesn't look like an RG/Jem/UV guitar.

That trem would have to go. Another trem would cost a few pennies. And $40 for the Evo, while cheap is still 40 more into the guitar. It's a good pickup BTW.

But I would trade the copy for a legitimate Jackson anyday.

Troll your local pawnshops, you'd be amazed what a couple of hundred bucks will buy these days. That and craigslist.

[nhspike]

... $40 for the Evo, while cheap is still 40 more into the guitar. It's a good pickup BTW.

But I would trade the copy for a legitimate Jackson anyday...

+1

[Matt_B]

I don't know where I stand on that. My thought is they shouldn't be allowed into the country but since they are

The only reason this guitar got into the country is because it wasn't caught in Customs. It (probably) doesn't emit radiation and it doesn't smell like drugs to the dogs.

That guitar is a trademark violation and therefore illegal to own or resell in the United States. While it's unlikely you would get arrested for owning, it's one of those things prosecuters love to use as "add-on" charges. At the very least it would be confiscated.

Believe me, I have been tempted by some of these copies. To the untrained eye, they look very nice but the law is the law and owning such a guitar is illegal.

[Racerx2k]

Man, that body isn't even cut accurately! Maybe that's why it made it through customs: They didn't know it was supposed to look like an Ibanez!

All ribbing aside, if you can dump it for an actual Jackson, do it, run, and never look back.

[scotty]

Thanks for the input so far~
taking it all in...
Thinking of taking down to another shop that REALLY wanted this....may trade up for a Jackson string thru V that I liked. It's a great 7 string player, never claimed it was as good as a JEM, but it has attracted some attention.
I just wanted a guitar and the lil woman knew I loved the Ibanez stuff...so ...

I would take the trade.

[Blazer]

They must have used a grainy picture printed from an eighties fax machine to make that "copy"


If anything, that guitar of yours is an attempt to make their own design since it doesn't remotely resemble a real Ibanez Universe.