Ibanez J Custom RG8570Z Unsponsored Review and Full Metal Mix Demo

Ibanez J Custom RG8570Z unsponsored review and full metal mix demo. The top of the Ibanez line, but is it worth it? Long answer short yes, but there are a few things that might not make this guitar right for your needs. Tabs for the full mix demo song are available on Patreon. Thanks for watching!
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Discord: / discord
Patreon: / highz
Tabs: www.patreon.com/posts/j-custo...
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00:00 Intro - Unsponsored Ibanez fan
00:40 Quality
00:41 Highest quality of all Ibanez lines
01:20 Amazing even if the specs aren’t your first choice
03:00 Features
03:03 Useful practical features but the angled output jack is bad for classical seating
04:55 Nickel silver frets instead of stainless steel
05:33 Features across whole J Custom line are same-y
06:50 Feel
06:54 This is the perfect vision of the RG realized
07:53 Switching to other guitars can be disorienting
08:58 Not heavy like a Les Paul
09:10 Very thin neck
09:55 RG body is comfortable enough
10:28 Tree of Life inlay is easy to read
10:42 Binding
10:57 Edge Zero bridge
11:57 Sound
11:59 Pickups are pleasantly high output but not modern voiced
13:50 Sound Demo
13:54 Clean tones
15:06 Distortion tones
16:34 Verdict
16:36 Recommend if you need versatile shredder but no if you need modern
20:33 Full Mix Demo
20:35 Overdriven middle single coil
20:57 Distorted bridge pickup metal rhythm
21:07 Clean neck pickup
21:18 Bridge pickup metal riffing
21:39 Bridge guitar solo
21:50 Overdriven middle single coil cat outro

[@HighZ]

Hey everyone, quick correction. It turns out according to ibanez wiki that this model of guitars since 2019 has a rosewood fretboard in Japan but for markets outside of Japan, it's macassar ebony! Sorry for the confusion!

[@ukguitarnoodle]

Excellent and thorough review, beautiful guitar.

[@HighZ]

Thank you. I tried my best to answer any questions a potential buyer might have

[@콩실뮤직]

The popping sound! Such a cool tone!

[@HighZ]

Thank you! I tried to create a good tone and the guitar really helps accomplish this

[@Consolous]

This guitar is a beauty, love the way it looks and sounds

[@HighZ]

Thanks man! Having one was a life goal and is a dream come true

[@arvindpuryag8291]

Thanks That was brilliant❤

[@johnnysguitarcorner5510]

Great presentation man, the prestiges are so awesome for the money, hard to beat. I own 2 J. Customs but only because I could get an awesome deal on them. I have also an Ibanez Japan collection video, with some great special axes😎🤘

[@HighZ]

Absolutely can't go wrong with either level of Japanese guitar Ibanez offers!

[@datoxicavenger732]

Good point on the you get 2 Prestige models for the price on a j.custom. Yep there is not a lot of difference between Japanese Prestige and j.customs models at the beginning. But after a few hours of playing you notice the level of playability of the j.customs. Got a RG5120 with Stainless Steel Frets, beautiful guitar with Fishman pickups. And shortly after a Black Rutile j.custom without Stainless Steel frets and standard Di Marzio Pickups. It just plays like butter, hard to describe. Is it worth 2 Prestiges? Probably not. But worth the higher price? Absolutely. It motivates you to play more and to try new styles. And makes you smile. Most important fact.

[@Jedidiahguitar]

I genuinely cannot believe this guitar. I’ve been listening to it for about a year now on KZbin. Every video the pickups have perfect balance, good high end pop and diversity. So today I went into a guitar store and tried it out for half and hour and wow!! This guitar so far beyond AZ’s I’ve owned, LSL super strats etc. in terms of playability it’s honestly only just behind my Suhr and the Charvel Guthrie. It had its own sound. Very beautiful and has the japenesey thinner tone on the 2 and 4 position when split. The bridge absolutely screams and the neck can jazz. A second hand one is so much bang for buck. It’d have to be the most underrated guitar atm.

[@HighZ]

Nice! It's certainly in a league of its own. Maybe people overlook it because it doesn't have the current most popular features but it definitely sounds and plays phenomenally. Glad you had a great time getting yo try one out

[@Jedidiahguitar]

@@HighZ yeah great call. Lack of stainless frets I can imagine is a huge miss for the current market! Lacks many of those features but as you said sounds and plays amazing. I might of just got lucky with a great one. Thanks for the video!

[@DragonsailPuppets]

Freaking gorgeous guitar! I'd have to come over and try out all of those guitars in the room to be fully satisfied 🤔

[@HighZ]

Thanks! Whenever there's time it's great fun playing them all. Unfortunate between making videos, recording music, and working the day job, there's not too much time for that!

[@HarryBall-fw7pv]

That is one of my dream guitars. That or the Kiko $3000 signature 🎸. Sweet Ax brother! It will be a year or two before I can afford one... I found much better stability in my guitars once I started using a dehumidifier alongside an A/C unit. Thanks for another great and seemingly honest review!

[@HighZ]

Thanks and yes, controlling the humidity and temperature of your playing area will keep the wood from shifting. If you're going out and playing live, you won't have any control over the conditions at the venue

[@PerryCodes]

I have the same relationship with ebony and rosewood. I didn't even know there was rosewood that could almost approach the feeling of ebony until picking up a few PRS guitars from the S2 line.

[@HighZ]

It's amazing how good some nice Rosewood can feel! But I get why it can't be on all the guitars

[@Mr.Goldbar]

A good friend of mine has one! It's great, but I'll never choose it over my AZ Premium, my RGA Axion Label 7, or my original MIJ RG and Saber from the early 90's :) I'll be way too worried about it and scared to play it, all I need is my workhorses and I'm happy with that. These J Customs are works of art and I think someone with less anxiety than me will get a better use to them :)

[@HighZ]

I hear you there. Those are plenty good in their own rights and can get the job done. And oh man you gotta love a good 90's Ibanez

[@vladzubac5360]

what year is that J custom from? Mine (from 2021) has a Macassar Ebony fretboard (which is not your usual full black ebony like you see on Jackson guitars, or even new RG5000 Prestige series). it might look like a rosewood but it looks dark when you oil it up and start playing it and putting in the playing hours. Overall it is an awesome guitar. on mine I changed the humbuckers, as I did not like them really - put the DImarzio AT-1 in the bridge and Dimarzio Transition in the neck. What I feel the guitar lacks in quality, although you mention them being high quality, are the frets. They are the same frets they put in the Premium guitars (even if they come super polished from factory)...and you can feel that after a while of playing. For example I have Jescar frets on some other guitars and they are levels above in quality than these frets on the J custom. At some point I will refret it with Jescar XJ, but overall it's a cool dark sounding guitar.

[@HighZ]

I think mine is from late 2020 or early 2021. Great pickup choice too. Interesting to hear about the frets though since mine do feel nice. It's possible they either had a worker mess up and put the wrong frets on yours or do bad fretwork, or it's possible I'm biased to like these frets. I have an RG652AHM that I play the most, for practicing. And while it has a nice sound and weight and great neck profile, they put the absolute worst frets on this thing. It feels as bad or worse than the budget ones Overall sounds like you've made some great improvements to yours and have some awesome frets ready! Love the jescar stuff

[@dovguitar]

Man, you have one of the best guitar collections on youtube! What’s your favourite one?

[@HighZ]

Thanks dude! That would be my RG5320 in cosmic shadow. It's one of those special ones where playing everything just works, it sounds better than it should, and looks unique!

[@FlowEckurt]

🎶Wonderful 🍀☀🎶

[@HighZ]

Thanks!

[@fkfakemusic3172]

got one but the surh govan made it feel like a squire yet i kept it for its looks

[@allanwilsonberg9558]

I really want the ibanez PIA, but I don't know if that's worth it when I could get a j custom for about the same price. Is the build quality about the same our is the j custom significantly better quality? I prefer stainless steel frets and the PIA have that

[@HighZ]

They're both about the same incredible quality. The frets are definitely a factor but the body shape and neck thickness are both also different between the two. You really can't go wrong with either though

[@JulianDaniels]

The J Customs are great guitars, they have the built quality I expect. The only thing I find is that for that price they could put more effort into the maple tops. They look so standard and similar to the premium range of guitars. But playability and components are great.

[@HighZ]

I have to agree there. It feels like they were going for quality of the wood itself and didn't care how it looked, so I wonder if there's supply and demand issues, if the wood is truly the best, or maybe something else

[@solidus317]

Depends on the particular guitar you get on how the top looks. There’s some J. customs out there with some very figured tops. My RG 8520GE is a lot more figured than the one in this video(his is still gorgeous, no shade intended) but I’ve seen others that make mine look plain in comparison as well. It’s kind of what makes each one unique. The Premiums can be “prettier” but they are also usually veneers whereas J.Customs are actual 4mm thick tops with real reveal bindings. Real visually appealing wood is going to cost more than essentially a sticker on plain wood underneath. Seeing both ranges in person makes it easier to see which is higher end without a question since real tops have a 3d effect that lesser tops can’t exactly replicate.

[@HighZ]

@@solidus317 No shade taken! I love mine and I'm glad others have ones they love too. What's your thoughts on veneers? I'm conflicted. Overall I think they're good because you can ensure a great top while saving more figured wood for everyone to enjoy, and you get more mahogany or whatever the bottom wood was, but at the same time you get less maple if that's a wood you like having in your guitar

[@solidus317]

⁠@@HighZI think veneers (and even cheaper photo figuring) definitely have their place. It’s the only way people on budget can get the aesthetic that will make them want to pick up the guitar. It’s that important to a lot of people. Personally I like having thicker maple on top of my guitars since I find that it’s stronger nature contributes to more bridge stability and also other hardware that’s mounted on top. I think that’s why it became a thing in the first place because it was and still is done even on guitars that don’t have translucent finishes. My theory is that’s where the tone difference comes from. More rigid/less rigid points of contact transfers vibrations different making different tone and sustain behaviors. With that said, I also have a handful of cheaper guitars with fake tops that I love just because I’m a collector, as well as my handful of 90s-early 2000 Ibanez and ESP that are just solid chunks of Basswood or Alder. It’s all a diff vibe and I love it all. With all that said, I’m glad I found your channel. You have a lot of the same tastes in guitars as me, we even own a few of the same models. You also seem like just a normal dude that just has a passion for the instrument. No other hidden agendas. I’ll def keep an eye out and see what you’ll be putting out next.

[@HighZ]

@@solidus317 Makes sense. The resonant frequencies of the wood plus the frequency response of the electronics in the circuit will affect the output signal and thus the guitar tone in theory. Thanks man! It's true. I'm just some guy on the internet making the videos I feel like making. The fact that anyone subscribes is a miracle 😆 Cheers man

[@scottdickinson7156]

I won a Royal Blue Sapphire one the other week in a competition lol. Best £10 I’ve ever spent.

[@MagnusGoGo]

Nice review. Glad you like the guitar. But man, the lack of SS frets on that things in 2024 (!!) at that price point is COMPLETELY unacceptable, ESPECIALLY considering Ibanez has them on their lower-tier models. lmao, both Ibanez and PRS really need to get with the times with this feature.

[@HighZ]

I'm with you on that one. I got this guitar because I'm a huge Ibanez fan, and I can understand why some people prefer the feel of nickel which is fair, but I do prefer stainless steel and so in a perfect world this would have that. I wonder if the people who make the J Customs don't yet have the tools strong enough to handle stainless steel yet? Maybe it's a corporate thing where management is selling them they can't use steel? This is pure speculation on my part

[@Gruppe_11]

Got one - Love it, but Like my E2 Horizon more.

[@HighZ]

It's definitely a different string spacing and neck profile than the E2. I have an E2 arrow and love it, but it does take some adjustment time going between the two

[@Centipede_Solaire]

Im not an Ibanez fan simply because the thin neck does fatigue my hand too fast. but it is a stunning guitar and I understand why some would pay the price for it. side note I have a core model PRS that has nickel frets. personally I much prefer the feel of high quality nickel to that over stainless steel Also, really great review man. I enjoyed the presentation and flow a lot. cheers, subscribed

[@HighZ]

Thank you! Yeah the neck is so thin, I can't play it every day or all day even. How's the PRS? I can definitely see the appeal of the nickel frets, they do feel familiar in a way. The high quality stuff has a good mix of smoothness and feel

[@Centipede_Solaire]

I love my Custom 24. its my do it all guitar. and the "pattern thin" neck profile from Prs barely deserves to be called a thin neck at all. The nickel frets feel incredible. and the gloss finish isn't like the cheap budget guitar finishes. in 13 years ive never had issues with a sticky neck. I could talk about this guitar for days but tonally it's as versatile as the Ibanez you have if not more. definitely check one out if you get the chance if you havent already. and I know other KZbinrs say the SE line is just as good, which sound wise I tend to agree. but I have an SE of my own that is not even close to the core USA model. @@HighZ

[@HighZ]

@Centipede_Solaire sounds like an amazing instrument! You've found the right tool for your uses and that's incredibly important. I'd love to try one but I'm afraid if I do I'd end up buying one 😆 I get what you mean about the SE line. Lower tier guitars can sound pretty good and be used professionally just fine, not knocking anyone who enjoys them. I think it's objectively wrong to say the two different tiers of guitars are equal since the quality of materials, construction, etc. are better. Maybe youtubers say they're the same to be marketable

[@Centipede_Solaire]

agreed big time. "just as good" has definitely become over blown for marketing. sometimes I personally see it as borderline dishonesty. Thats why I appreciate you letting the viewer know the J Custom actually feels better than the Prestige line. as it should. Things like that are important to me as a "buy once cry once" consumer, even knowing there is a point of heavy diminishing returns @@HighZ

[@HighZ]

@@Centipede_Solaire I'm glad I could put out some good information on this guitar! This was my goal with this video. Cheers man!

[@hendysetyawan6053]

How does it compare to ibanez pia? I'm torn between this and pia

[@HighZ]

The PIA has a slightly thicker neck and a different feeling body. I find I like the body feel of the j custom way more but the PIA neck and stainless steel frets are more fun to play. These are slight differences though, so if you like the look of one over the other, that could be the deciding factor

[@hendysetyawan6053]

Thank you....that's really help. Keep your awesome and honest review.

[@oliverjames7315]

You should see if you can get your hands on a Sugi built RG. They're even nicer than the Fujigen built guitars which is tough to imagine.

[@HighZ]

Hard to believe that's possible! But I'll keep an eye out

[@oliverjames7315]

I'm loving your videos dude. As a huge Ibanez fanboy I love your collection.

[@HighZ]

Thanks!

[@florianbenz1295]

Ibanez Prestige 5xxx vs Ibanez J.Custom 8xxx : wich one will be your daily workhorse? I guess I would change the PU/HU to Seymourse ...on a 3000€ guitar 🙃 However the J.Customs are S*x on the fretboard - no question, thx for your upload!

[@HighZ]

The J Custom is a better playing and better put together guitar, but for a workhorse I'd go with the prestige! It plays almost as well, will require less modification so less things will go wrong, and it's less expensive while still really good so I won't be as sad when it gets damaged, stolen, or worn down from playing. And there will be more money for plugins, pedals, cables, and other audio recording or live playing needs which is implied given its a workhorse. But I would definitely miss that tree of life inlay. It looks great and is functional with the leaves as the markers!

[@lordPix3lUK]

No stainless steel frets on the customs though

[@HighZ]

Definitely would prefer stainless steel

[@tiatoshijamir6797]

It appears the RG8570Z is discontinued with a new model RG8570 with the Lo-Pro edge emerge

[@HighZ]

Good to know

[@DarthCalculus]

Let's see...at 22 min 18 seconds, that's 1,338 seconds...30 fps means 40,140 frames. If I print each frame on one page, that's about 400 lbs of paper. The maximum weight the USPS will ship is 70 lbs, so I could split that into 6 shipments of 67 lbs and send them ~$120 each, or send each frame individually in a letter. At 66¢ per stamp, that's $26,492.40. Honestly, for that expense, we should just be supporting you directly

[@HighZ]

You're absolutely right! It only makes sense! I love calculations like this so this counts directly 😆 if I ever get big enough ti start receiving fan mail, I get the feeling I'll quickly become banned from having a PO box

[@Masterfighterx]

If they just offered a J custom with a 20-22mm or so neck, they'd be much more popular..

[@HighZ]

I could see the appeal! Would definitely love to try a j custom with those specs if it was ever created

[@Masterfighterx]

@@HighZ And a slightly, ahem, much rounder fretboard and maybe a bit narrower neck

[@HighZ]

@@Masterfighterx That's starting to sound like a different guitar 😆

[@Masterfighterx]

@@HighZ Well, call it an RGAZ 😂

[@oliverjames7315]

They used to make J Customs with necks that were 19.5-21.5mm on paper bur some were thicker than that. I love them but they aren't particularly popular as the thin Wizard shapes are most people want on an Ibanez. Hopefully they'll make J Custom AZ's soon. I would love to see binding, vines, full tops etc on an AZ.

[@tristanyoungquist7121]

Guitars as consumables…. Thought provoking statement.

[@HighZ]

Yep! I love thinking of things like this. The fretboard will be work away, the wiring will come loose, the bolts will vibrate out, parts will corrode and seize, and keeping the instrument alive overtime becomes more involved. We still do our best to maintain our instruments of course

[@f7viivvgiv]

I hate ibanez because if one is buying such an expensive guitar,ones would expect body through or set neck guitar but they offer you bolt on neck guitars which feels really cheap,where as brands like esp,schecter etc offer you set neck and neck through guitars,so ibanez should fix it in order to be in the market

[@erictheriault7737]

Ibanez do have neck through in the Premium line RGT1220, RGT1221 and RGT1270. I still have a Prestige RGT320Q which is awesome. Neck through cost more as it takes more time to build. Supply and demand must be the reason why it was dropped in higher end series.

[@f7viivvgiv]

@@erictheriault7737few of them have but most of them have bolt on

[@oliverjames7315]

Ibanez have made a few Japanese thru necks over the years but they aren't anywhere near as popular with Ibanez fans as the bolt ons.

[@jabelardo]

Ibanez is a spanish family name, so the plural should be Ibanez also

[@HighZ]

Good to know!

[@Joe-ri1oi]

I ve bought my RG8570 last year and it‘s screws get rust after one years of playing , which uncomforts me alot , I just don't understand why such a Luxury，J custom level guitar is made with inferior screws that will rust.

[@HighZ]

Sorry to hear that. I haven't had that issue but it's good to document this

[@theSmolniy]

No offends, but why you need so many expensive guitars while you're still a very beginner? And trust me, its true. Was so interesting to watch your vid until you started to play. Then every Pro guitar player understand that your opinion can't be taken really seriously as you are at the first steps of what is called proper guitar playing with good sound extraction.

[@MyNuj]

You sound like a total knob. No offends... actually, all the offends.

[@andy_182]

All guitars sound the same if they have the same pickup anyway…

[@solidus317]

So you have to be a virtuoso to have a collection of nice guitars? Guess you need to be an F1 driver to own sports cars, or a fashion model to own nice clothes. On the basis of “trust me bro”? Thanks for the education! It’s not like all of those markets would collapse if your advice was taken or anything.

[@theSmolniy]

@@solidus317 why virtuoso? Just to can play. If he was not a guitar player and just collect the guitars as hobby that's fine. But he is a guitar player, who is still have to learn much and that's ridiculous to have all these axes while you are a beginner. To become a proper guitar player you don't need tons of different guitars, that won't help you.

[@solidus317]

@@theSmolniyhave you watched any of his other videos? Like the cover videos? Dude sweep picks, plays some decent legato and tremolo pick runs and melodic leads and plays a pretty tight rhythm. How is any of that indicative of a beginner? You’re just a troll clearly.

[@atgwiuz]

No stainless steel frets is a shame

[@HighZ]

Definitely would have preferred them

[@atgwiuz]

@@HighZ what would you prefer between a pia3761 and this?

[@HighZ]

@atgwiuz difficult to pick because they're both made exceptionally well, sound good, and are easy to play. I prefer the feel of the body of the j custom and the neck is thinner and faster. The stainless steel frets on the pia are perfect though and it's slightly thicker neck makes it more comfortable to play for a long time. I find myself reaching for the pia more. But also make sure you like the sound if the lia. Changing pickups on that would be a crazy thing to do

[@atgwiuz]

@@HighZ yeah no doubt j custom neck is the smoothest and thinnest probably in any guitar, I would have no worries paying 2.5k for it if it has SS frets. I actually prefer more squared RG shape than rounded S, AZ and PIA shape. Yeah I won't ever buy a signature tho.