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

I'm quite certain, that in 70 years of electric guitar, you two geniuses have cracked the fucking code.

That 'dead note' has eluded the discussion, but being so prevalent in that two dudes have 'experienced' it multiple times and figured out the physics that builders have been oblivious to for most of a century.

This is madness.
 
squealie said:
I'm quite certain, that in 70 years of electric guitar, you two geniuses have cracked the fucking code.

That 'dead note' has eluded the discussion, but being so prevalent in that two dudes have 'experienced' it multiple times and figured out the physics that builders have been oblivious to for most of a century.

This is madness.
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Luthiers have been dealing with dead notes for as long as they've been building string instruments. We are geniuses indeed, thank you for the recognition :D , but not the first ones 💡

Left-Brain Lutherie: Using Physics and Engineering Concepts for Building Guitar Family Instruments


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squealie said:
I'm quite certain, that in 70 years of electric guitar, you two geniuses have cracked the fucking code.

That 'dead note' has eluded the discussion, but being so prevalent in that two dudes have 'experienced' it multiple times and figured out the physics that builders have been oblivious to for most of a century.

This is madness.
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I’m not sure what you're sarcastically trying to say.

Did you actually read my thread?

John Suhr himself was involved in building the replacement neck for my guitar.

I'd never experienced it before having owned many guitars prior.

Once you have then you'll know... Hopefully you never do but it's apparently not uncommon at all.
 
squealie said:
I'm quite certain, that in 70 years of electric guitar, you two geniuses have cracked the fucking code.

That 'dead note' has eluded the discussion, but being so prevalent in that two dudes have 'experienced' it multiple times and figured out the physics that builders have been oblivious to for most of a century.

This is madness.
Click to expand...
I don't know why you're getting so worked up.
 
A cursory search, reveals 'wolf notes' which are notes that are sympathetically resonant with the 'wood' This is incongruent with unix-guy's experience.

I'm just taking the position of ... that if this a problem that is common enough to beware premium guitar buyers...then the premium sellers should be aware and take measures. If this is a common enough problem in electric guitar construction, then 'the dead spot is here' should be a mention on every guitar classified ever.

Does that not make sense?

If I were Suhr...and one of my premium guitars had a 'dead spot' ... do I let it out the door? Maybe I'm nuts and deranged.

I'm not worked up. I've just had enough of the posturing and assertion of absolutes.
 
squealie said:
A cursory search, reveals 'wolf notes' which are notes that are sympathetically resonant with the 'wood' This is incongruent with unix-guy's experience.
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I didn't deny it could happen, I merely said I had not experienced it.

I also said I had not experienced dead notes before my Suhr.

squealie said:
If I were Suhr...and one of my premium guitars had a 'dead spot' ... do I let it out the door? Maybe I'm nuts and deranged.
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Read the thread I referred to...

I'm pretty sure there are links and/or quotes from John Suhr in that thread about this very real thing.

I don't think they (or most guitar builders) put that level of QA into their instruments.

Edit:

Here's one link to one of the posts from John:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/i...tell-and-what-causes-it.1228544/post-30266867
 
squealie said:
A cursory search, reveals 'wolf notes' which are notes that are sympathetically resonant with the 'wood' This is incongruent with unix-guy's experience.

I'm just taking the position of ... that if this a problem that is common enough to beware premium guitar buyers...then the premium sellers should be aware and take measures. If this is a common enough problem in electric guitar construction, then 'the dead spot is here' should be a mention on every guitar classified ever.

Does that not make sense?

If I were Suhr...and one of my premium guitars had a 'dead spot' ... do I let it out the door? Maybe I'm nuts and deranged.

I'm not worked up. I've just had enough of the posturing and assertion of absolutes.
Click to expand...

You do not make sense. It is absurd that you are denying our frustrating experience and the experience of all the people that got a lemon guitar with a dead note, and you call it posturing. We are mentioning it just to warn others to consider checking this before purchasing, as it is easy to think that an expensive guitar must be flawless. But whatever... Good for you if it never happened to you. I wish that you never pay for a very expensive guitar and get a dead note with it.
 
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squealie said:
A cursory search, reveals 'wolf notes' which are notes that are sympathetically resonant with the 'wood' This is incongruent with unix-guy's experience.

I'm just taking the position of ... that if this a problem that is common enough to beware premium guitar buyers...then the premium sellers should be aware and take measures. If this is a common enough problem in electric guitar construction, then 'the dead spot is here' should be a mention on every guitar classified ever.

Does that not make sense?

If I were Suhr...and one of my premium guitars had a 'dead spot' ... do I let it out the door? Maybe I'm nuts and deranged.

I'm not worked up. I've just had enough of the posturing and assertion of absolutes.
Click to expand...
Dead notes that are going to be a problem are not really apparent until the instrument is pretty much finished and then the only real remedy is a different body. You may be able to improve things with changes in mass but sometimes it's just not enough to minimise the issue in to something acceptable. John Suhr knows this and has swapped necks for people .It is usually not the key to the incompatibility though as typical bolt on maple necks are similar in mass. It's the body that is the wild card.
 
I have had 3 expensive guitars with dead spots. It's all good and fun until you play a song that has a lead part on which you have to really linger on that note. Then suddenly all love for the guitar goes away, cause you can't hold that note for more than 2 seconds. You can't play your song with the guitar without feeling uneasy or picking the string again to lengthen the note.

Dead spots are a very real and irritating problem. That's why you have to make sure to play through all the frets in a guitar that you're looking to buy. Unless it's an Aristides... :hearteyes:
 
Sorenspete said:
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:

s-l1600.jpg
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Not sure what you’re exactly looking for, but if you are considering a high end Ibanez, the AZ Prestige is absolutely worth checking out. I know, I’m an Ibanez endorser and all that, but I’m not telling you to buy one, just merely suggesting you try one….. 😀
 
Velokki said:
I have had 3 expensive guitars with dead spots. It's all good and fun until you play a song that has a lead part on which you have to really linger on that note. Then suddenly all love for the guitar goes away, cause you can't hold that note for more than 2 seconds. You can't play your song with the guitar without feeling uneasy or picking the string again to lengthen the note.

Dead spots are a very real and irritating problem. That's why you have to make sure to play through all the frets in a guitar that you're looking to buy. Unless it's an Aristides... :hearteyes:
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True that, or an old Steinberger.
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My060.
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And my GLT4 and both have no hint of dead spots.
 
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 @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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Totally agree with you. There are some old RGs like your 550 that just have the Mojo. That being said the laminated necks on the newer prestige 2000 and newer are freaking fantastic. Love my 2010 10th anniversary. Bottom line is you can't go wrong with a prestige and the price point over a J custom gives you the option to try a few different flavors. I feel the prestige line is more of a players grade guitar where as the J custom are more of a Bling/ work of art. It comes down to what you really want and can afford. There are some great deals to be had on some quality used prestige out there.
 
I have had USA Jackson's and Music Man guitars with dead spots. Not fun when you are shelling out that kind of money for a guitar. I had a Furch acoustic with weird resonances too. I took it to a luthier and he said there's not much you can do in these cases.
 
That Ibanez is very pretty but $3700 !!! ouch, not sure if you pay more for Ibanez in the US but thats insane, rather have a Suhr or Charvel at that price point
 
Ian Minogue-Corps said:
That Ibanez is very pretty but $3700 !!! ouch, not sure if you pay more for Ibanez in the US but thats insane, rather have a Suhr or Charvel at that price point
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$2700 on Reverb, importing from Japan. + Shipping + Tax + Import duty

$3000 at the US
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...-j-custom-exotic-maple-natural-serial-1384227
https://www.pitbullaudio.com/ibanez...-ebony-fretboard-natural-ibz-rg8570cstnt.html
https://www.toneshopguitars.com/products/ibanez-j-custom-rg8570cst-natural
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...ez-j-custom-rg8570cst-electric-guitar-natural
 
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