I Did Not Expect This / Ibanez Jem Jr Deep Dive Review

[@Kels364]

Got a Jem jr myself,a week ago and got it setup nicely yesterday,totally love it! Also a very beautifully chrome hardware,.mine is q beautiful black. Your review is lit 🔥 brother!! Love your playing and tone, its totally lit 🔥 ❤️

[@dcamnc1]

I heard Vai lowers his single coil out of the way also.

[@r2skyvader]

I changed the trem on mine with a Gotoh. Had to make a few mods to get it on including using FR trem posts (Gotoh’s are a larger diameter and would require additional drilling) and grinding down a corner on the trem. The sustain now seems like it lasts forever. I might change out the electronics and pickups later, but it sounds good as is.

[@LandsOfDespair]

Thanks for a review :)

[@ThePedroDB]

Nice review. I'd agree that all issues with a used guitar should be disclosed in the sales listing. The stripped neck screw thread could easily be a factory QC fail and neck movement has caused the paint defect - but who knows. I love Ibanez guitars but the Jem Jr's do have a reputation for erratic QC and arriving poorly set-up. If you can deal with that (you obviously can!), they can be turned into stellar players and make great modding platforms. I have 2x 2017 Jr's (one White, one Pink). Both bought used and with minor issues. Good prices as a result. Easy fixes. I'm not a fan of the Wizard 3 neck profile. I shaved 5mm off the necks and gave them a Tru-oil finish. They now have a profile very similar to the original Super Wizard neck. I also scalloped frets 21-24. They feel better than my MIJ Jem necks IMO. White Jr has a Gotoh GE1996T fitted. Pink Jr still has the Standard DL trem. Stock trem has a poor reputation for long term tuning stability but no issues with mine. I would recommend fitting a fatter 33mm Brass Block though as this gives a 50% improvement in natural sustain (I did before & after timings..). I also upgraded the trem posts and trem arm/socket for genuine Floyd Rose items - not essential but worthwhile. The push-fit Floyd Rose Trem Arm & Socket is much more convenient to use than the stock item. Finally, the Pink paint had darkened on my example too. I know it had been hanging on a wall for most of it's life, so it's due to sun damage. I love the Pink finish. It's such a fun guitar and my favourite player. I have also been surprised by the Infinity pickups and (so far) have decided to keep them 🤘

[@chrisdigital]

I always put trying these off. I need to give it a go

[@johnkirk6980]

That intro demo was beautiful!

[@SIX1NINEGUITARSANDGEAR]

Thank you so much i rarely play solos but i had fun writing this demo

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

I got a pretty good deal on a used JEM Jr. recently, it already has some kind of dual rail pink pickup in the bridge position, looks like a Dimarzio to me (I'll have to take the pick gaurd out and check the back of the pickup, it should say). Shocking pink! Pretty cool guitar, and I really do love the monkey grip, it's easy to carry! I have 7 RGs, as well, and I love my JEM Jr.!

[@chrisdigital]

How is the overall feeling fit/finish?

[@SIX1NINEGUITARSANDGEAR]

Dude i fell inlove with this thing fast i got it used but beside the things i mentions which were fault of a previous owner is awesome i to put off trying one but in glad i pulled the trigger great guitar for sure

[@chrisdigital]

@@SIX1NINEGUITARSANDGEAR Nice! Thanks for doing this vid!❤️

[@madisonboyd7992]

I’m stuck between this and the Jackson series x dinky, I found this same one for sale on FB and guy I willing to let it go for $250. The other is $599. Idk which I should get, I’m also learning how to play and am wondering how these are for new beginners. I kinda wanted something good that I can keep playing and not something cheap and then upgrade.

[@SIX1NINEGUITARSANDGEAR]

@@madisonboyd7992 i would go with this ibanez all the new Jackson’s just arnt what they use to be this is a great guitar as far as being a beginner the trem system is a learning curve but if you or someone else sets it up correctly its great. This guitar will get you through and you wouldnt feel the need to upgrade as you progress.

[@TheRealBJPimpson]

You should totally put a gotoh 1996 with a 38 block, gotoh locking studs and a original Ibanez tremolo stabilizer dude. And put a veyz sustainer in the neck! He'll even pickup match it for you color and all!!! BTW I've been loving your guitar mod vids! I have a unhealthy amount of modded guitars in my collection. I just don't have the time right now to step up my video preduction like you and show the world how much of a gear gremlin I am. But seriously keep it up dude I love your stuff

[@TheRealBJPimpson]

Oh and if your going with gold upgrades just replace the locking nut with a 16 radius. And the 1996t trems have a factory 14 radius but you can grab OMP gotoh brass saddle shims for like 5 bucks. Perfect machined size and thickness. Ever other shim is the wrong shape and thickness

[@ThePedroDB]

@@TheRealBJPimpson agree re: the slight radius mismatch with the Gotoh. I never bothered to shim mine and retained the stock nut. Zero set-up issues and same action as my Edge equipped guitars. You did the job properly though 👏 I found that a 37mm block was too long for my Jr. I couldn't fit the back plates and had to swap for a 33mm.

[@TheRealBJPimpson]

Yeah but its difficult to find sometimes. I was just saying to switch it with a gold lock nut. Drums Inc online and Rich Harris (ibanezrules) sell gold top lock 3's. You just have to track down the exact part number and model to find and order. But they can go for over 100$. And you have to watch out if it's top screw mounted our rear bolt mounted. I have and do buy the for special builds but just getting a 16' gotoh nut is much cheaper and it's only .3 off of the 15.7 lol

[@Neshek023]

There is no unmodded guitar in my collection, haha. Even the ones I build myself get 'modded' after a while' 😁 no shame.

[@Armedcor]

I had one in the discontinued desert yellow and I seriously regret selling it!

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

Ouch, I'm sorry to hear that. I had a beat-to-hell purple sparkle RG I really regret selling many years ago. Little did I know I'd learn how to fix guitars up a bit in the future. 😢

[@christineblack4654]

I just bought a jem jr. used in white. it's fine but what's with the super high nut? I own gibson, kramer,jackson, other Ibanez, bc rich, fender, prs and others. none are that high at the nut. can I just buy a lower nut I mean so the strings will be lower at the first frets. I like low action and this would help the overall action. it's like 3 times to high. I will have to file down the groove were the strings sit or file down the wood under the metal nut but I dont like that because it wood mean it's stronger and I would take a lot off. all other guitar I have are 3 times lower, I would expect this on a Walmart guitar or something. I very suprised by this on a Ibanez. realy sucks. sorry for the bad spelling I am french. If I can get a lower one please give me the link for the righ one... anyone thanks.

[@SIX1NINEGUITARSANDGEAR]

@@christineblack4654 Take the screws out and see if there and shim or piece of sand paper under it if it used sometime people shim the locking nut to compensate lack of knowledge on how to set up a guitar or maybe they have a unique set up preferences. Without measuring it and knowing the height and the height ur going for its hard to just go find a link for a new one. I have filed metal locking nut slots down before but it should be a last resort. Im also assuming uve checked your neck relief and action and everything else first and made sure thats all where it needs to be. I didn’t have the issue with mine

[@christineblack4654]

@@SIX1NINEGUITARSANDGEAR ya I like low action. it's ok at the other end lol yes everything is good other wise. it's simply the nut is freaken high. I havent checked for shims yet( lack of time) but I will, but at first glance nothing seems to be there. it's simply like they put the wrong nut or something. very weir for Ibanez. thanks. it's like almost 1/8 high lmfao it's an fn nightmare. it's like they got the specs wrong, if it's the righ nut then the freaken cut of the wood is wrong lol know what I mean?I will take the strings off an try and get to the bottom of this. it sucks cuz I know it's a good guitar other than this nut thing. no ajustments will do it's realy on the nut side, it's gonna drive me nuts lol get it?

[@Zombie_13x33]

i like emgs but they get boreing when thats all you have lol. i want to try a set of fishman moderns and a million others lol.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

I have like 9 electric guitars, mostly with different pickups/pickup combinations and tunings.

[@shanewalton8888]

No one should ever list a used guitar as mint or excellent. Very Good is the highest you should go.

[@aldersmoke1]

The blemish I can almost give a pass but a stripped neck screw? Nope. The only real options there are that they knew about it and didn't disclose it, or they didn't look over the guitar nearly well enough before labeling it "excellent." To a certain extent I almost think that it doesn't really matter what you call it, but you do need to make sure that you're disclosing absolutely everything wrong with the guitar, including seemingly minor things like swirling or player wear. I had a situation a few years ago where I bought a guitar and it had a huge dent/scratch on the back bottom corner, right below the strap button. The seller didn't show or mention this in the listing but thought I should be ok with it because it didn't affect the sound or playability. You gotta show everything because something that doesn't bother you might be a deal breaker for someone else.

[@thewdshck]

Yeah I agree I'd accept the partial refund due to the work on the neck

[@edcornwall8700]

I prever a JS or a RG Ibanez, i play guitar over 45 years. It's a nice review but its sad that i mis that handgrip Vai-Ibanez story. Ibanez claimed that they where the first whit a handgrip but its very clear that Washburn was the first with a model from early 83'. Beside of that, very nice guitar but...to expensive for me, i stay a JS and RG 🙂

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

I've heard of people picking these up used for as low as $250, I payed $375 for mine, used.

[@visionop8]

You’re not crazy. What you detailed should have definitely been listed by the seller. If the seller says condition is subjective, then why hide details? He should be able to say the guitar is in excellent condition with an obvious paint fix and a stripped out neck screw if condition is truly subjective.

[@toddmerriott6901]

The trem won’t last long. I would get a edge or floyd on order. Mine lasted about 20 hours of play

[@okayestguitar66]

Condition is only subjective to a point. A stripped neck screw is not excellent condition, nor is a touched up scuff/scratch/ding, very good if the touchup isn't obvious. It's like these people selling 30+ year old amps with rips in the tolex and knobs missing their caps being list in very good or excellent condition - the add "for it's age" like it means something. Crazy dishonest sh*t if ya ask me.

[@SIX1NINEGUITARSANDGEAR]

Agreed

[@RotterStudios]

subbed

[@TheGibberingGoblin]

Bump

[@jeffreyhoehn9307]

Not crazy

[@kjh264]

Dg: Sinusitis 😢