Ibanez J.Customs in 2022: Are They Worth The Pricetag?

Sorenspete

Sorenspete

Inspired
Title.

I'm putting the Strat on the chopping block and I think I'm going to give a J.Custom a go. I have owned many MIJ Ibanez RG's but never a J.Custom. They're a lot of money but the one I'm looking at does look sensational:

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Budda said:
Only you can decide if a luxury item guitar is worth the price.

Signed,

Playing his custom shop les paul.
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I'm just concerned that I'm not seeing much in the way of fit and finish which justifies the large gap in price between Prestige and J.Custom guitars.
 
I've owned four different j.customs (currently have a RG8550MZ). They are great (if they do not have a dead note - be careful if you buy online), but none of them surpasses my old RG550LTD in terms of playability, tone, sustain, finishes and resonance.

As @Budda has said, there isn't a huge gap compared with the price gap. And even less justified if you go for a signature (JEM, JS, Kiko, etc. - I've also owned some of them) as you are just paying royalties.

What RG do you have? Some are difficult to be exceeded if they have a good setup and good pickups, specially the MIJ
 
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I am a guitar tech, on the side, and have been so for over 23 years. I have worked on a TON of guitars of all types and price ranges. The J Customs are flawless. I have never seen a setup so utterly perfect, I don't know how to duplicate it. Frets, PERFECT. Action, CRAZY LOW. No buzz and the neck was super fast. The rounding of the fret edges were amazing. The fit and finish were awesome. Played itself.
 
Tremonti said:
I am a guitar tech, on the side, and have been so for over 23 years. I have worked on a TON of guitars of all types and price ranges. The J Customs are flawless. I have never seen a setup so utterly perfect, I don't know how to duplicate it. Frets, PERFECT. Action, CRAZY LOW. No buzz and the neck was super fast. The rounding of the fret edges were amazing. The fit and finish were awesome. Played itself.
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They are flawless until you get the one with a dead note, which can happen with any expensive brand. It has happened to me with a J.custom, a Suhr Modern Satin, and a Prestige S5470Q. Quality control does not include dead notes.
 
Piing said:
I've owned four different j.customs (currently have a RG8550MZ). They are great (if they do not have a dead note - be careful if you buy online), but none of them surpasses my old RG550LTD in terms of playability, tone, sustain, finishes and resonance.

As Buddha has said, there isn't a huge gap compared with the price gap. And even less justified if you go for a signature (JEM, JS, Kiko, etc. - I've also owned some of them) as you are just paying royalties.

What RG do you have? Some are difficult to be exceeded if they have a good setup and good pickups, specially the MIJ
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I've only one signature guitar and generally try to avoid them. The only signature guitar that comes to mind that I want is one of the Petrucci RG's.

I owned an RG7-620, an RG550 25th Ann., and a Japanese market only RG2820 in quilted cherry blossom. The 2820 probably wasn't the best example of a Japanese RG when speaking in terms of fit and finish, but it sounded and played great. It had the Petrucci style Air Norton and Steve's Special combo. The 550 was excellent too. My white ESP Horizon FR practically plays itself so that's the benchmark currently. I'd be selling that back to my buddy to afford the J.Custom...
 
Tremonti said:
I am a guitar tech, on the side, and have been so for over 23 years. I have worked on a TON of guitars of all types and price ranges. The J Customs are flawless. I have never seen a setup so utterly perfect, I don't know how to duplicate it. Frets, PERFECT. Action, CRAZY LOW. No buzz and the neck was super fast. The rounding of the fret edges were amazing. The fit and finish were awesome. Played itself.
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I have heard this about them from a lot of people.
 
Piing said:
They are flawless until you get the one with a dead note, which can happen with any expensive brand. It has happened to me with a J.custom, a Suhr Modern Satin, and a Prestige S5470Q. Quality control does not include dead notes.
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Can you be more explicit about what you mean by "dead note"? I don't think I've ever noticed a dead note on a guitar - and most of them have been either ESP or Ibanez. Is it subtle or extremely prevalent/noticeable?
 
Sorenspete said:
Can you be more explicit about what you mean by "dead note"? I don't think I've ever noticed a dead note on a guitar - and most of them have been either ESP or Ibanez. Is it subtle or extremely prevalent/noticeable?
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It is a note that decays abruptly and too soon, sometimes emitting a nasty harmonic as it dies. It is caused by the guitar body absorbing the vibrational energy of the strings at one specific frequency. It sucks the vibration like a black hole when you hit that note

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/so-about-dead-notes.176046/

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/new-suhr-has-dead-notes.159402/
 
A 'dead note' is usually a high fret. Sometimes a twist in the neck.

I've seen it on Les Pauls more than other high-dollar guitars.

If I spent dream-guitar money on a Suhr with a 'dead note' I'd be livid.
 
squealie said:
A 'dead note' is usually a high fret. Sometimes a twist in the neck.

I've seen it on Les Pauls more than other high-dollar guitars.

If I spent dream-guitar money on a Suhr with a 'dead note' I'd be livid.
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Not the dead note we are talking about. A high fret is a high fret, and a twisted neck is a twisted neck. Nothing to do with this
 
Piing said:
It is a note that decays abruptly and too soon, sometimes emitting a nasty harmonic as it dies. It is caused by the guitar body absorbing the vibrational energy of the strings at one specific frequency. It sucks the vibration like a black hole when you hit that note

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/so-about-dead-notes.176046/

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/new-suhr-has-dead-notes.159402/
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One could assume, that If a construction had that kind of cancellation, that it would also have positive resonances that caused other notes to JUMP OUT.
 
squealie said:
A 'dead note' is usually a high fret. Sometimes a twist in the neck.

I've seen it on Les Pauls more than other high-dollar guitars.

If I spent dream-guitar money on a Suhr with a 'dead note' I'd be livid.
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It definitely is NOT a high fret...

See the 2nd thread referenced above about my Suhr.

squealie said:
One could assume, that If a construction had that kind of cancellation, that it would also have positive resonances that caused other notes to JUMP OUT.
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Not in my experience.
 
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