Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

[rodrigo_echeverri]

I am posting in this section to make the redemption more effective...

Is it just me or are those Ibanez JEM 7VWH the sweetest shredding machines ever made and not actually any Jackson?... I tried one the other day and now I have dreams with it!... I event thought of selling my soloist to get one... I am confused, please help me come back to the light!... what do you guys think of my sinful thoughts?

[ April 10, 2003, 04:41 AM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

No shame in loving another guitar. Ibanez necks are pretty nice for that kinda stuff. But to sell your soloist [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Nah, just kidding. Hey, whatever feels better under those fingers of yours for shredding, go with it.

[Newc]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

Stick with the Soloist. The JEM was actually a Jackson ripoff made by a small company called JEM, which Steve Vai ran across. When he signed with Ibenhad, they "acquired" the JEM design (which was originally based on Vai's Green Meanie Charvel which he scalloped the lower horn of).
So you can pay $1500 for a new Japanese-made guitar or you can pay $1500 for a new USA made guitar.
Your choice there.

Newc

[BK]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

I'm pretty sure I know what Word is gonna say about the JEM [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[jem777az]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

Jems are great guitars, especially the Jem7VWH. Totally different feel than Soloists. IMO I think you can get more sounds out of a Jem than a Soloist simply because of the H-S-H configuration and the way the 5 way switch splits the humbuckers in positions 2 and 4. The neck on the Soloist is much, much fatter, but that's totally a personal preference. Soloists are also kickin guitars. Some people like neck-thrus, some like bolt-ons. I tend to prefer bolt ons, but there are a few neck-thrus I enjoy.

And in response to Newc's post that you can pay $1,500 for a Japanese made guitar or, $1,500 for a USA made one.......it doesn't really matter where its made. As long as the person playing it is happy with it, who the hell cares. The Japanese make some fine guitars, as do us Americans.

Check out the Jem7VBSL on www.musiciansfriend.com, they are clearing out last years models for $999 and it includes free shipping. The VBSL is the same as the VWH but with a rosewood board and different paint scheme.

[Hetfield]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

the Jem plays ok to me but the action feels so much.....lets say weaker than a soloist...my preference would be the soloist just because the sustain and the great looks...and the soloist is a huge tone monster.........
dont get me wrong the jem is a great player ..

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

No worries bro. Non of us are exclusive Jackson players (I think). I'm a pretty devout Carvin and Jackson player myself and I think it's great to check out other brands.

[the_drip]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

you should be killed. betrayer of the JAckson gods! DIE! PAGAN SCUM! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[GWARGHOUL]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

I'm a big fan of the high-end Fernandes..such as the Deluxe, and Elite models. I really think they have a lot to offer for the price.

[Guest]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

As a former elite owner I think the list on Fernandes are comparible to market prices nowadays. The quality is beating out Epiphone for sure, but for the asking retail price of say 600.00 the quality needs to improve as the competition in that price range gets pretty stiff. There's so many other brands..you could get a nice used Heritage Les Paul for the price of new Monterey Elite. I'm still partial to MIJ Fernandes over the Kor's.

[charvel750]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

Vai and Satch do not play the same JEM you and I can buy at MF or anywhere else. There is definitely custom work and choice wood selection on their models. Anyway, every Ibanez guitar I've played feels like plastic. If I started lifting weights again, I swear I could crack the neck with my left hand pressure alone, they're that weak and thin. A USA Jackson is solid, feels right, sounds right, and looks right. But it really is a matter of opinion. So, if you like the feel of thin plastic, go play your Ibina$$. [img]graemlins/evilimages/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Ace]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

If somebody else buys it, I'll try and crack the neck of a JEM with my hands!! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

I know what you mean by the thin neck but it doesnt upset me. I actually dont have very strong hands and was surprised/intimidated when I got my Soloist how thick the neck was... it made me think of a Gibson in a way (well, not quite but slightly) ... At the same time, that strength in the construction in a Jackson is related to the rich tone you get out of them. Gotta love it!...

Things I liked on the jem I would probably see in a Jackson model in the future:

1) The FLAT, wider fretboard (what is the width of that nut?..)

2) Surprisingly the DiMarzios that come stock sound great!.. made me think of Timmonds!.. maybe it would be interesting to get those sometimes...

3) The VARIETY of tone that you can get from the pickup combinations because of the single in the middle...

4) The last four scalloped frets!... nice tone, nice to play on... big time love there!...

Does anyone know where I can 3 and 4 above done to my Soloist and how it would affect the tone?

I promise to stay faithful to my baby snake regardless... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[JACKSONFREAK]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

Satch doesnt play a Jem; he plays his own signature model. are we forgetting the Jem was basically a reproduction of his green meanie Charvel? The necks are virtually the same. The JS1000 necks are thicker than the regular Ibanez line. Ans yes Steve and Joe do play the same models as are sold in stores. Exact same specs thats why a Japanese guitar costs 1600.00 US. Its out rageous but thats what it is. I've compaired the neck on the Jem and the neck on my San Dimas Strat head and they are almost identical. Keep in mind the neckon the green meanie had been played alot before Ibanez took it as a template for the Jem neck so there was some wear on it. don't get me wrong I'm not a huge Ibanez fan but lets at least try to get things straight.
Gil

[jem777az]

Re: Oh father, I confess, I have sinned!!!...

I'm not sure which Jem neck has the same profile as the Green Meanine. There are several different necks. The older models like the 777DY, 777SK, and 777VBK from about 87 until they released the VWH in 93 have a different profile. To me they are more rounded in the back, as opposed to the VWH's which are slightly flatter. Then you have the 777VDY, 777VSK, and a few others with the wizard necks, which are even thinner than the others. The newer 7DBK also has a wizard neck too. The VBSL and VWH both have what is called a "Jem" profile neck, but it feels different than the older Jems IMO.

And yes, for the most part Vai and Satch play the same guitars you can buy in the store. With the exception of Vai having a sustainer in a few of his guitars and a piezo in another. Vai also prefers rosewood fretboards on his VWH's. The ones sold in stores come with Ebony.