The fading is very easy to spot, but can sometimes be difficult to spot if the seller’s pictures are very poor. There are methods such as the scrape method detailed on jemsite that let you completely clean the dirt of a maple board if it is something that bugs you.Ī few models like some of the swirled guitars and the Jem 777SK are prone to fading. While clean boards command a higher premium, having a fretboard that shows a little wear isn’t a terrible thing, and it does not affect the guitar itself. This is almost guaranteed to be seen on any older guitar with a maple fretboard. The position of screws on the pickguard can be a good indicator of a fake as well. Fake Ibanez also usually have a bridge which looks and feels nothing like the real thing. Carefully comparing the guitar you intend on buying to the real deal or posting for verification on a forum like Jemsite is never a bad idea. Unfortunately, a lot of fake Jems are floating around. This can be fixed but it is not fun to fix, and I recommend avoiding guitars with trem posts leaning. Sometimes, on guitars with softer bodywoods, the trem posts have a tendency to slide forward. We actually wrote an article examining the Edge tremolo, so check that out here to learn more! When buying, you should check the knife edge, and make sure it isn’t too worn, although it is unlikely to be a big issue. I have had many older Jems and UVs that are 20+ years old, and the trem units functioned completely fine. These are easy to fix with wood glue and can be repaired either by you or by any competent tech for not too much money.Ī shocking amount of older Ibanez have zero issues with their trems. The ultra thin necks and lack of an ample volute means that cracks behind the nut may show up over time. These occur behind the nut and are usually seen on guitars Ibanez built with thinner necks. The most common way to address this is by filling the crack with glue, although different luthiers have different approaches to dealing with the issue. What can potentially be problematic is when the cracks extend into the wood. Most of the time, they are just in the paint, and will not affect the guitar. However, you should inspect the cracks or try to get high resolution close up shots of the cracks to see how deep they are. Do they lower the value of the guitar? Yes, but most people expect to see neck pocket cracks on older Ibanez guitars and they will not fuss over it too much. They are found on a lot of bolt-on guitars in general. These are very common and not generally something to be concerned with. This article is not going to cover the usual issues you see on used guitars, instead we are going to focus on potential problems you might encounter when hunting specifically for an older used Ibanez, especially the very collectible Jems and Universes. This article will show you what to look out for when purchasing a used Ibanez Jem or Universe. A trio of screaming DiMarzio Blaze pickups (humbuckers at the neck and bridge with a custom single-coil in the mid position), coupled with Split-5 wiring give you all the tonal diversity you crave.Hunting down old Ibanez guitars is a blast, and they play well to boot! Many Ibanez enthusiasts feel that the early Jem and Universe models are the best guitars Ibanez has put out. The American basswood body produces clear, full-bodied vintage tone that serves all your needs from chunky rhythms to searing leads. A 48mm nut provides comfortable string spacing and 24 jumbo frets deliver greater range while the recessed tremolo provides right-hand playing comfort and allows notes to be radically raised as well as lowered. A 25-1/2" scale and bolt-on neck joint get you lots of bass and treble response with a quick, precise attack. The 5-piece maple/walnut neck with KTS TITANIUM rods is super-smooth for easy riffing and incredibly strong and stable with a lead-friendly thin and flat profile. The Ibanez Premium Steve Vai Universe 7-String Electric Guitar is an exciting 7-string solidbody capable of exploring the most extreme sonic territories at any speed and at a price that's hard to resist.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |