Ibanez and its close competitors
To most musicians, on a global or a local scale, Ibanez will be an ideal guitar of choice. It is just undeniable that Ibanez hold the most prestige in today’s modern music scene.
With the average Prestige guitar setting you back around a Grand, you won’t be let down. With the new Ibanez Wizard One neck, agility on the fret board will never come to you so naturally.
Then, like any other guitar brand, there are the signatures. However, the Joe Satriani Signature range says it all. Especially with the 20th Anniversary Ibanez Satriani Prestige (JS20thP), equipped with the latest DiMarzio Pickups for that clean crunch sound Satriani is famous for.
To top it off, this edition comes with the Marvel artwork of the Silver Surfer, featured on the front Cover of Joe’s “Surfing with the alien” album, printed on the guitars body.
Even those with little expenditure at a young age can get a lot from by buying an Ibanez guitar. Lately Ibanez released the GRMG range, and a guitar from this range can easily be found at around One Hundred and Fifty pounds.
Despite the paint jobs on some of these models being a little overwhelming for the first time buyer, they will look different and no-doubt diverse on a stage despite them being of the ¾ size variety.
If Ibanez were not as good as people make them out to be, why would legends such as Matt Bachand (Shadows Fall) put so much faith in them?
However, we can not forget the competition. Gaining there popularity from Avenged Sevenfold choosing this type of guitar, I introduce you to Schecter.
No doubt, Schecter have the cheapest range of guitars in the world of music, where no guitar will cost more than an Ibanez, there quality is sometimes questionable.
With generally chunky necks and a heavy feel, if you don’t need the guitar for playing any assortment of alternative music, they are probably not going to satisfy your needs.
When “Schecter Guitar Research” began in the famous year of 1976, little did David Schecter know that by 1979 he would release his first batch of self made guitars. It is true; we cannot deny that David Schecter is a successful man.
However, his guitars lack much variety. Despite that, Schecter do use a good variety of quality products on their guitars.
The V-1 series comes with custom 59′ Seymour Duncan Pick ups, which make for a great combination with any classic style amplifier.
You only have to compare the artist’s choices on the two Manufacturers website to see which Guitar rates the highest.
Schecter proudly list members of Black Tide as a user of there instruments, where as Ibanez have the infamous Steve Vie amongst theirs.
Overall, it is the bodies on the Ibanez models that win it for most people. Light, unlike the Schecter, and equipped with Ibanez’s own materials.
Schecter prefer to go to other electronic companies such as DiMarzio for Pickups, instead of creating their own.
Long running guitar Manufacturers Gibson come very close to Ibanez when talking about quality. However, many see Gibson Guitars as boring compared to new generation Manufacturers.
I mean, lets face the fact, how many young unsigned bands do you see with an official Gibson, never mind a poorly constructed Epiphone rip off. For what they are, they are too expensive.
The variety is also a bit of a let down. There are only a small handful of distinctively different shapes: The SG, the Custom, the Explorer, the les Paul and the Firebird. It is rare to find a musician with something different from one of these five varieties.
However, if you do have the money, there is a little something that you do get with Gibson that you won’t feel when playing a guitar from a different Manufacturer.
It’s the feeling that you’re playing something that has taken a long time to create and develop, something that a lot of thought has gone into; and no matter what Gibson you own, it’s a guaranteed classic.
Yet we find that they have the same problem as Schecter. They are just way too bulky! Realistically, what musician wants to play a guitar that weighs so much more than its cousin from the Ibanez stock room?
Gibson seems to be losing the edge too. It’s a case of rehashing the classics. It appears that the edge of making new guitars is in the hands of our brothers at Ibanez, as we all expected.
The reason Fender is a successful make is because it is the most talked about. Most people that start out playing guitar, will start out on a fender (Or another companies replica of a Fender).
However, despite the initial hype, there is just something about Fenders that are dull.
Let’s take the Fender Telecaster. Plays like a dream for any aspiring indie rock / soft rock guitarist. However, after a week of owning it, you will be searching for something that little bit better.
Don’t get me wrong, I would not turn down any Fender if it was offered. But they lack style! And to be successful, style is often as important as sound.
Take the new “Road Worn” fender ranges, where the body work has a ‘damaged’ finish. Admittedly however, these guitars are just remakes of the 50′s and 60′s models that, undoubtedly, were legendary in there day!
However, I feel time has moved on, and today’s guitarist is in search for something that little bit more up to date.
Despite the Stratocaster being one of the originals, it seems increasingly rare for new guitar players to actually buy one of those (Apart from entry level players), because of there simplicity. All the money they cost, for the little attractiveness they carry.
However, fender have to be doing something right, as heroes such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers own John Frusciante and blues rock master Eric Clapton both have a long term faith in the Fender Manufacturer.
The final guitar brand in this article is one known mainly amongst musicians in the more extreme territory, and that is BC Rich.
BC Rich are Kerry Kings (Slayer) weapon of choice, and therefore you can only expect of this manufacturer guitars that look like they have been made from the gates of hell.
Pointed edges, V shapes and over extravagant body work are all on the check list of a BC Rich guitar, making them good for one thing… heavy music.
You could not imagine a snyth pop band getting on stage and there guitarist using a BC Rich War Beast. It would just not click.
If you are a player of Thrash, Extreme or Death Metal, then BC Rich are probably as good a choice as Ibanez (generally come with good stats / quality parts), but why narrow yourself to one genre, when Ibanez could cover the lot?
If you have not understood my point so far, let me explain it a little clearer.
If I were to buy a Schecter, it would be to get a top quality guitar at a good price. However, I could just buy an Ibanez GRG with a choice of Five Pick up combinations.
If I were going to buy a Gibson, I would buy it because it is the choice of hundreds of popular and famous rock gods. Well, you could get a much more imaginative guitar then the Les Paul by buying the Ibanez JEM, even if it is very proudly priced.
If you were after the Fender, just because of its popularity, then you might as well save the money a bog standard Fender would cost and buy a popular Ibanez model… maybe the S Body range, or for the more well paid customer, a JS body.
And then, there is the BC Rich. Well, you would only buy this if you were going to play metal. However, given the choice of a War Beast (BC Rich), or an RG (Ibanez), it would have to be the RG any day.
This is simply because of the Wizard Two neck installed on the RG range, which is thin enough to allow an advanced player to shred lightening quick, but not too thin as to restrict you from really digging your fingers into it and playing them all brutal breakdowns.
A little off the point, but still relevant: Ibanez also have a great bass range available as well as amplifiers and other stage equipment.
I do however, admit here, that maybe a make such as Fender would be a better choice for bass, based just on the fact that there Precision and Jag basses are good value for the money you pay.
Its simple, Ibanez have prestige. Satriani chooses them, and if that shred master does, then there is no reason for you not to give them a chance either.
I seriously believe that if you do buy an Ibanez, no matter what level of player you are, you wont be disappointed.
Posted on July 27, 2009 | Filed Under Music
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