Ibanez JEMJR SP Honest Review Steve Vai Guitar

Just a few thoughts (and licks) on the Jem JR.
Me?
Web
www.JoeHellmore.com
Tiktok
/ joehellmore
Facebook
/ joehellmore
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Specs?
Yellow / Pink
ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/JEMJRSP
Black / White
ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/JEMJR
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Where to find it?
AMAZON
(pink) amzn.to/3w79Ohf
(black, dots) amzn.to/3GGRhNB
GUITAR CENTER
(yellow/pink) guitar-center.pxf.io/b3LdZk
(white) guitar-center.pxf.io/YgOz5j
(black) guitar-center.pxf.io/mged61
(left-handed-white) guitar-center.pxf.io/DV5xEd
REVERB
(all colors) reverb.grsm.io/joegabaldoniba...
(knobs) reverb.grsm.io/joegabaldonkno...
0:00 Intro
0:20 Disclaimer & Links
0:43 Neck
2:41 Neck too white?
3:32 Playability & Action
4:10 Body
4:42 Bridge
5:31 Trem-Arm
6:08 The Green Tuners
6:25 Pickups
7:10 Wrap Up
9:00 Tone Samples

[@flycubfly]

I feel the same . I picked up a Jem Jr and was blown away at the quality for $499. It is flawless and plays amazingly well . Hate to say it … their quality control is far better that Gibson . My Les Paul was returned for several flaw repairs .

[@RotterStudios]

Great review and playing. I used to have a lot of Jems, including the originals with pyramid inlays. They're all gone. I now have a few Jacksons and ESPs. Thinking about this one but I'd have to swap the pickups and add a Floyd later on....if I get it.

[@JoeR203]

I have the yellow one. I added green knobs and a pink switch cap. I also replaced the bridge with a Gotoh GE-1996T. The stock tremolo arm would not stay tight. I kept the back cover off because I was constantly tightening the Allen screw.

[@dasberserkr]

I just got mine :) Cannot wait!

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

I just got a used one in pink, I think the previous owner put a Dimarzio in the bridge. 👍

[@jeffreyp1855]

Damn, Joe! You are an awesome finger picker and what a great review! I'll be picking up a Jr within the next few weeks. 🤘🏻

[@JLGabaldon]

Glad it helped Jeffreyp1855, I hope you will enjoy your guitar.

[@kenmalm6859]

I got one. I wish I had this guitar when I started to learn. It would have been a shortcut. Really easy to play and worth more than 500$

[@srinivaskumar615]

Best review and brilliant playing and a sexy guitar ❤❤❤❤❤

[@dave23024]

I modded the heck out of a $250 Ibanez GIO with a quad rail for the neck pickup and an S/D Black Winter bridge pickup, so I bet the JEMJR will sound phenomenal.

[@kerrymorris8798]

I've got all 4 models,the newest Jr came out 2020 n black...all are easy to find new except the yellow! As time goes by,and wear acures,the tremelo system will give you problem s! The pegs and arms on the system get burs on them and the tremelo system will not rebound to factory position causing it to stay out of tune constantly! Fix is to take system apart and use small file to clean up the mounts on both ends,she works great then! I put green knobs,pickup selector and a green Vai truss rod cover on mine! Looks sic! Got 14 Jem's,jrs, universe n my Vai collection! IBANEZ addict since first release 1987 lohness Vai green,and yellow Jem's with phramid inlays ( wish the jrs had those instead) 🤘

[@pp90djask2idjk]

In Canada's Long & Mcquade, this coloured knob version has been discontinued. Instead of it, the current version does not provide the yellow color and the knobs are the same colour as the pickguard.

[@NITE_SHIFTING]

I have this guitar. Same color. I changed the control colors to the same 'slime' green. 👍 I wish the pickups were a brighter pink. Nice video.

[@accentontheoff]

Thanks for the review. If I may ask, which model would you recommend (in the same type of Ibanez guitar) if I could double my budget.

[@Nick9Os]

great review friend but i have to ask, well the comparison is probably wrong due to different model styles, but will you recomend this one or a fender strat mexico due to playbility and overall quality? greetings from Greece!

[@jafferscakes7063]

I have the mahogany/rosewood 2016 model in white I love it

[@pawekowalski510]

Thank you for the very good test. Are you able compare this guitar with Wolfgang Standard?

[@thehellsurfers]

🎸💛

[@Bungler-qq5sg]

Hello Joe, Is this guitar also suitable for clean sounds or does it sound bad with this body wood?

[@ThePedroDB]

I totally agree. I'm a bit of a Jem-a-holic and own a range of the Japanese and Indonesian models. So, I think I'm in an equally good posiitition to make a direct comparison. I've owned 2 Jem Jrs. I still own one. The other was gifted to my youngest Son and is still giving good service (& taking lots of abuse!). Both the Jrs I have had were the White variant. Same guitar but different (Quantum vs Infinity) pickups. I like the Quantums. Build quality (fit/finish, paint, fretwork etc.) was impeccable on both. I'd actually say better in some critical areas than that on some of my Japanese models. I have heard a few horror stories with the Jrs though, so the QC may be variable and maybe I was just lucky with mine. Overall, I think they are a fine guitar and an excellent modding platform. The weak point is the Tremolo. Poor quality metals are used and it will be the first thing to give tuning stability issues. It depends on how much of a Trem abuser you are. One thing I did with Jr #1 was to replace the stock (thin, Zinc) Trem block with a fatter Brass block. It increased the sustain by approx. 50%. Way better than my Japanese models, in fact. A cheap upgrade and well worth doing. Softer springs increase the sensitivity of the Trem action too. The prior owner of my current Jr upgraded the Trem to a Gotoh GE1996T and this is a far, far better Trem. I've only owned this particular Jr for a few months but It has become my daily player. Much to the displeasure of my Jem70V which had been my daily player for almost a decade. I've been a fan of your Guitar reviews/comparisons for some time. Your JS100 vs JS1000 video is one of my favourites - and, again, is spot on. As I discovered for myself after buying a JS24P and more recently a JS2410. There are minor differences but certainly not enough to justify the large price difference. Keep up the great work on your channel!

[@JLGabaldon]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I love Jems too. Cheers from Seattle.

[@Worlds_Worst_Guitarist]

The Body is build as good and is the same (except the wood) as the JEM 70V which is off the Premium Line. I own both. Honestly i like the Neck of the Pink even better (its a Wizzard 3, but with a wider D-Shape, so your hand is filled well and has something to hold on). Replaced the Pickups and the Trem though.

[@RickTheTubeman]

I can buy this or a japonese rg505 . What you think. I much prefer the jem. Do you think the RG is that much better?

[@razorray6273]

It is a great guitar. Swap out the bridge for a gotoh 1996t with Floyd Rose studs. Just makes it a pro instrument at that point.

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

How much os the gotoh bridge, and is it similar to a Floyd Rose?

[@mpexus]

@@scramblesthedeathdealer like half price of what an Original FR cost and its probably better. Gotoh makes the TOP Level Ibanez Bridges (Edge and Lo Pro Edge)

[@merkaba22]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGepqnqbmLmXacU

[@manoeldias7411]

What's wrong with the tremolo that comes with it?

[@razorray6273]

@@manoeldias7411 the bridge and piviot posts are soft metals and they wear away easily when rubbing against one another after some time which causes tuning stability issues.

[@acefan2trekninja]

Do you have a video for setting up the guitar? Thank you for the video.

[@JLGabaldon]

I don't but you just gave me a great idea. Thank you for that, my friend!

[@James-hh1lq]

They should of done it the desert sun yellow

[@POLLOTROM]

Ibanez needs to bring back the Pyramid inlay.

[@JLGabaldon]

@POLLOTROM yes!

[@zaprodaju1661]

Dude, you're my favorite guitar reviewer, and I don't even play Ibanez.

[@JLGabaldon]

Thanks man, soon may be bringing a Strat stravaganza... What brand do you play?

[@mallardtheduck406]

I wish they had made it with the pyramid on the fretboard.

[@JLGabaldon]

I would have one too! Those look great

[@fenderboy88]

Gosh i i imagine trying to change strings on this guitar would be a nightmare ....LOL

[@mathias6423]

This guitar is great for the money. The pickups are the weak part though but for the price they are decent. This guitar is around 500-600€/$ add your fav pickups and maybe a heavier tremolo further down the road and you got yourself a guitar that plays and sounds better than double it's cost. My conspiracy theory is that they are going to stop manufacturing this guitar since it is to cheap. A reseller told me that they can not order the yellow JEMJR anymore since Ibanez stopped making it =( And at least in my country I see all the colours getting sold out and no new ones coming in.

[@r2skyvader]

I was able to pick up yellow version right before they were sold out. I replaced the bridge with a Gotoh 1996t bridge. I used Floyd Rose posts to replace the stock ones so as not to have to use the Gotoh which are larger. I also had to shim the string holders to match the neck radius. The new bridge increased the sustain and tone significantly. Although I will likely replace the pickups someday, I don’t feel the need to rush into it as before.

[@CacophonyOfDestruction]

My guitar overheard this review and started acting all weird like it was feeling insecure. Not exactly sure what it is you said that hurt it’s feelings but you might want to cover your guitars ears around the 1:40 mark

[@MrDim09]

Great quitar for fun and much more.Not a pro quitar although...........

[@jj96zkkm]

R u serious about no frets buzzing? I m intended to buy jrsp.

[@JLGabaldon]

Mine ccame perfect.

[@jj96zkkm]

@@JLGabaldon Thanks bro.

[@AndrieAhmad]

550 x (currency conversion) = wowww Cheap is subjective. Hahhaa... Hopefully I can say it's cheap one day.

[@ThePedroDB]

I refuse to buy new and paid around half price for my Jr with an upgraded Trem. Keep an eye on the local classifieds/marketplace/eBay etc.

[@JohnLloydDavis]

I had one and it was crap. There was so much wrong with it I could have bought an RG with how much it would cost to put it right. Each to their own though.

[@paulanderson771]

Yeah, there are going to be some lemons out there and people need to send them back immediately, not try to pay someone to work out the kinks. I made that mistake with a Squier that was getting great reviews and ended up going out of pocket just to make it playable when I should have just returned it.

[@MikeBall-sz2jf]

POS. Simple as that. Cheap bridge, shit pickups. Could NOT set this thing up. Wouldn't stay in tune. Pure junk. Avoid.

[@zaraditti7730]

500 hundred bucks for a guitar is not cheap

[@ThePedroDB]

...but it is a cheap Jem! 😇

[@riktar5312]

400 - 500 bucks is when u start encountering some decent production guitars. Don't get me wrong i got a cheap Aria pro and i love it. but is not even closer to my rg350dx (and is a relative cheap guitar). Prestige series is around 1000 bucks. When we are talking about jems. well the price just sky rockets. (Not even counting limited editions) Its all about prioritys you can use a cheap android phone or just buy the last iphoe. Both do the work one better than other.

[@JLGabaldon]

It's meant to be taken into context. Cheers!

[@Thatguy420-69]

Comparatively it really is lol😅

[@shamwow4273]

$500 and less is most certainly cheap as far as guitar prices go, and as far as instruments in general go, guitars are one of the cheapest, for instance, a $1000 acoustic violin is considered very cheap

[@professorben7071]

Charvel, Kramer, Jackson, better sounds

[@wiktor5331]

😋 'Promosm'

[@techgamer1597]

in my opinion the bridge and the pickups are terrible, and will be replaced in due course. The rest of the guitar is fine minus a few cosmetic issues.

[@bozziovai]

Dude......make some close up shots of the neck the bridge the body every little nook and cranny of the guitar. Don't just talk there with the guitar so far away.....

[@thespacepainter]

$500? Try more like $1200!

[@JLGabaldon]

No, it's definitely 499 USD.