Ibanez Review: JS1000

History:

Purchase: Satriani, Vai and this other Frippin old guy toured where I live. Of course I was a little impressed. It seemed to me that every time I looked at Vai on stage it was the perfect photo op. Satch... what can I say that hasn't already been said. I loved the tones that he accomplished with such irritating ease, so I surfed for the guitar. I live in RIP OFF England so I was pleasantly surprised when I found the JS1000 for... wait for it, £1089 from imuso.co.uk. Thats £300 cheaper than the stores and loads more than you lucky Americans have to pay.

What I Like About This Ibanez JS1000: A beautifully appointed guitar. Stunning good looks, nicely thought out electrics (coil tapped humbuckers, 3 way toggle switch and a high pass filter on the volume pot) and of course soaring, singing, whistling and purring tones (like the master himself... well almost). I love the sound of the Dimarzio Fred and Paf, bridge and neck pickups. I didn't think that I would as I have Seymore Duncans fitted to both of my American custom Jacksons and, well they are scary. I also wasn't sure about the woods used and the neck, which is thinner than the Jackson's. I was wrong to be unsure. The basswood body, maple neck and rosewood finger board combine to create a wonderfuly balanced warm and silky tone with a vintage feel that is very endearing. Don't misunderstand me though, this lady can be a first class B***. The frets are unforgiving to sloppy playing styles (you have to be accurate) this really helps to develope the player and it can really kick some serious butt if you want to push the gain on your amp. I use a Mesa 3 channel dual rectifier and the sound is as sweet as a nut. Buy one.

What I Do NOT Like About The Ibanez JS1000: The cost here in England is stupid. You lucky guys on the other side of the pond pay the equivalent of around £650, I paid through the nose. The factory set up is strange. Satriani has a really low action set and yet the JS1000 when it arrived had an action like a long bow (you know... Robin Hood Style) A little bit of time consuming set up time is required by the serious musician before you can sample the sound... not really plug in and play straight from the box. You don't get a hard case as standard (very odd for any musical instrument of this quality), but if you push the retailer he WILL sort you out. Oh and the tremelo arm (whammy bar) bumps the top of the volume pot when the filter is engaged, how odd!!

Ibanez JS1000 Quality Rating: Ooops! I have already described the construction except for the bolt on neck, I was unsure again, silly really. As for the quality well it's SUPERB.

Review Summary: Buy one and see, especially if you are American... lucky b*******. Lovely guitar in all the important areas. Get a Fat Finger sustain clamp... Satch uses one so it can't be a bad idea.

Rating of this Ibanez product: 4

This Ibanez JS1000 Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: Rage

Review Date: 2004-08-21