New Ibanez is interesting.

[newey]

I've kind of got a love/hate thing going with my Ibanez, an S470 (HSH) from the late '80s or early '90s. It's a nice, well built guitar, but it's definitely more of a shredder-style axe, which isn't exactly my style. I don't play it much, but when I do, I always find some interesting tones out of it.

And as I looked at Ibanez guitars over the years, they make a lot of similar guitars to mine, the so-called "superstrat" genre. As a result, I never really looked seriously at buying another one.

But maybe things are changing over at Ibanez. They just came out with this, the "Jet King". Now, this is an Ibby I mean to try out:



Of course, I'll have to move fast, because I suspect no one besides me will want one, and they'll drop the model after a couple of years . . .

[ashcatlt]

For quite a while, I considered Ibanez in much the same way you describe. You know, the whole Steve Vai thing...

But they actually do make playable guitars. Their Artcore guitars are in demand as reasonable alternatives to more expensive semi-hollows like the Gibson ES series and Rickenbackers. I hear good things about these over on the shoegaze forum.

Now, this axe you've pictured, while disgusting in the silver sparkle coloring, is very much reminiscent of certain of Fender's "offset" models, which also tend to be very popular among the shoegaze crowd. It's missing the floating trem, but I wonder if they don't have another similar model which includes that feature.

Edit - Turns out they do make these in red and black ( ) also, and have a version which comes equipped with a Bigsby.

[dunkelfalke]

That's how the taste differs :-)
I find those ugly and prefer shredder-style guitars for the looks and the comfort, although I am not a shredder at all (playing slow, striving for the Gilmour sound).

BTW somehow I've got a feeling that you'll like the looks of some Soviet electric guitars - but not the comfort, that word was unknown in the USSR. They were sturdy instead so you could beat up muggers with them and have a gig afterwards without any change in playability (or the lack of).





By the way, many of them were stereo and had built in effects.



This one has got phaser and fuzz in it. There was even an urban legend that there is a secret switch combination that would unlock all guitar effects ever possible.

[newey]

Dunk- I'm only getting one of your photos, the others are "gefooey".

The Jet Star also reminds me of the offset Fenders, and has the weird vibe of some Italian makes (Italia, EKO come to mind).

I like the fact that it's got 2 SCs and not HBs. Or, at least, the one I pictured does- Ash's photo looks to be HB equipped.

[dunkelfalke]

Verdammt.

test.guitar-ussr.tu2.ru/

I realise that you probably cannot read Russian but the pictures speak for themselves.

[Double Yoi]

Think they might be courting someone?

[newey]

The Ibby has a chambered body, but that's not going to appeal to the Airline/Supro/Valco crowd- gotta have that Res-O-Glas®"* body with the cheesy white vinyl binding.

BTW, Eastwood makes reissues of these, but theirs are chambered mahogany, not the resin, even though they look like the originals.

*ResoGlas (or Res-o-phonic) was the answer to one of the Year End Quiz questions, which, as I recall, only one person answered correctly.

[sumgai]

newey,

Yes, but you missed the most important part of that photo..... it implies that the player is using what looks exactly like a Silvertone 1484, from the early 60's! Far, far more mojo than any of your aforementioned guitar brands.

Or even Ibanez, for that matter.



sumgai



p.s. Who's the guitar-player wannabe in the photo? His shoes have surely been over-gazed by now!

[newey]

It's definitely an Airline, a 1962, no matter what they imply.

Silvertones one bought at Sears; for Airlines one had to go to Monkey Wards.

In the early 1960's, Airlines were made by Valco, in addition to their Supro and National Guitar lines. Silvertones were made for a while by Danelectro, and later I think Harmony made them.

In the mid-60s, both brands were outsourced to Japan. Airlines were then built by Teisco, Silvertones by Kawai, IIRC.

[ashcatlt]

That is not a shoegazer. He's one of them garage-rockers. I think his name rhymes with Bite.

[sumgai]

Feb 28, 2010 23:54:11 GMT -5 ashcatlt said:

That is not a shoegazer. He's one of them garage-rockers. I think his name rhymes with Bite.

There's some joker out there making money under the name "Smite"? I better contact our copyright and trademark lawyers, I was under the impression that we had a lock on that name for use on KIIMH.

[sumgai]

newey,

All you say is true, and null and void in the same instance. I was referring to the amp, which is infinitely more desirable than any/all of the so-far mentioned guitars.

Last year a 1484 went on the local craigslist for nearly a grand! Right now on eBay, there are 3 of 'em, and none under $600 (USD), with time to go.....

Unless your name is Link Wray or Tiesco Del Rey, then you aren't gonna get any kind of usable tone out of any of those driftwood guitars. OTOH, the Silvertone amp is now worth as much as a good-condition 70's Fender SF Twin!!



sumgai

[newey]

I was referring to the amp,

"Oh, that's different. Never mind."- Emily Latella

But, SG, you corrected the number after the fact. I googled "Silvertone 1462" based on your original post.

It turns out that Silvertone Records #1462 is Buddy Guy's album "Damn Right I've Got The Blues". Also more mojo, but led me astray that you were referring to an amp!

[sumgai]

newey,


picky, picky, picky...... OK, work with me here, and we'll all be happy, all righty? ;D

But I still wanna know who the "little red rocker" wannabe is......

[newey]

So the first new Ibanez I posted reminded folks of offset-bodied Fenders. They seem to have looked elsewhere for the inspiration for this one:

guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-AMF73-SemiHollowbody-Electric-Guitar?sku=584115



If these 2 axes are any indication of the direction Ibanez is taking for the future, I'm on board. I probably will never afford a Ric, but this looks the part! Needs different pickups, though.

And SG-

the "little red rocker"

Sammy Hagar has a son? ;D

[newey]

More new goodies from Ibby. This one has our JohnH's signature splashed all over it. Acoustic-electric, with piezo and mag pickups unified/blended at the preamp. In true Nutz fashion, this piece, called the "Montage" adds onboard chorus, distortion and reverb!:



guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-Montage-Series-MSC350-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=584519

This I will go out and play and report back.

[BlackAngusYoung]

I have an Ibanez dealership within my secondhand shop. We've had good luck selling (and interesting conversations about) used instruments so decided to stock some new ones as well.

This Jet King guitar was one of my biggest draws to choose Ibanez to carry. I personally would like to own one of the semi-hollow Jet Kings one day. I haven't tried one but I like the idea of a semi-hollow with a longer scale length and the retro look. But, then.... I am a big White Stripes/Jack White fan. This photo makes it look like the inside of the guitar is painted black, but most I've seen show natural wood colour through the f-holes or whatever they'd be called in this case.


I'm not into really heavy rock or goth music, but I really love the design of their new Darkstone solidbody electric. Don't think I'll ever get one, though, because someone told me that it's extremely heavy. I like the finish they have called Cracked Mirror but it doesn't have the coil tap that this Dark Night Violet, or the black or white ones have. Last year's special finish was called Aged Plaster. Looking at it makes my skin crawl.


If I ever get to the point where I can design my own guitar... my current feeling is that it would look something like the Darkstone with rounded edges like a Strat.

I'm not really a fan of the whole evolved-Strat Steve Vai-lookin' guitars either, though. Not the slabby ones, anyways. The ones they make that look like Strats with carved tops are nice. Or the purple Herman Li model.

[chuck]

i seriously doubt Ibanez is CHANGING direction .... they have always offered a nice variety for different styles.

what i dont understand is why you would prefer a guitar that plays like crap over a smooth , fast shred machine ?

one dosent have to play like Vai , Satch , etc to enjoy a great playing guitar.

and by crappy playing guitars , i mean silvertones and their like.

those things were JUNK when they were new , why would they be better now ?

i know the retro crowd calls them VINTAGE and drools over them , but if it was cheap junk when it was new , it is just expensive cheap junk now.

[D2o]

Good point about Ibanez quality and playability.

... but I think that's where personal "style" (aesthetic?) preference comes in, big time!

For example, I simply can't stand the look of shredder guitars (not to slight Ibanez, I can't stand the look of shredder guitars.)

(edit: note that I was referring to the first half of the post above only - it was subsequently edited to include the second half)

[chuck]

i understand personal preference on the aesthetics , i am talking playability .

why cant you have both retro looks AND thin fast necks , quality pickups , and superb playability ?