Ibanez Q52 Reaction/Review - Can You Play The Blues On A Q52?

[@franckrichard8077]

GREAT !!! I am pleased to ear AT LAST a blues demo of those guitars. I tried myself the Q52 in a store last week, both the guy at the store and some customers looked at me amazed to ear me play "Have you ever loved a woman ?" with this one ! I am convinced, I would have bought it if it came in BLACK. I will wait for a Prestige Made in Japan version, maybe in Black next time ?

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate you saying so. I particularly enjoy the guitar for its light weight but the quality of finish and playability are extremely good and I think if a guitar is comfortable to play and blues is your thing then there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't play the blues on it :)

[@katzensprung7449]

Great review and very tasteful playing! Sounds great, you have a beautiful tone. Thank you, Paul!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks so much for dropping by and for the very kind words. Much appreciated I assure you. I really like this guitar. I was lucky to find one at a reduced price because of the damage to the finish but almost all the folk on youtube that I had seen playing one were either tapping or shredding in some way, so I was even more pleased to discover that I could make it work for me sound-wise. The pickups are quite hot but respond pretty well to dynamic picking and the volume control works well.

[@bobhardie6895]

Thanks for cheering my day great sounding guitar. Look after your self Paul and have a great week. All the very best Bob H

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks Bob. I'm glad I spotted it tucked away in the 'B-Stock bargain bin' because I really do like it. Nice and light, beautifully finished and great sound and feel 🙂

[@Luknopfler83]

Happy 14th anniversary, Paul! 🥳 Nice seeing you play your great chops. Cheers!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Merci mon ami. You are nearly as old as me (on KZbin anyway) and have been away too long. I hope you're well... it's good to see you.

[@Luknopfler83]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac I’m good, thanks. Not much time to make music videos, but that’s life! 😊

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

@@Luknopfler83 As long as you are busy with things that please you, that's ok :)

[@Luknopfler83]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac Most of it is, yeah! 😊

[@RoseAkerman]

Nice guitar! It sounds great. Have fun playing it, and I hope your week goes well!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks Rose, and to you. Yeah! It looks like a toy but sounds very grown-up. I like it a lot.

[@TheEssexCat]

I like it, happy 14th anniversary.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I do too....and thanks very much 🙂

[@davedee7865]

Thanks for the review and cool tunes. I wanted to get one of those but I think I'm going to go for a Yamaha Revstar with p90s. Happy 14th!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. Good choice with the Revstar I think. I have heard nothing but great thngs about the whole range.

[@onewomanandsomesongs]

She’s a beauty, Paul. Nice tone and playing! :) Janet

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks Janet. For a very 'modern' guitar I'm enjoying playing it very much indeed :)

[@jensbomholt4529]

Sounds beautiful under your fingers!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

You are very kind. Thank you 😊

[@Bassistdan1]

VERY nice, Mr. Paul! I love instruments with a wide range of tonal abilities! And Ibanez has always been one of my favorite brands! My first 6-string bass was a SDGear by Ibanez and I LOVED it. Wonderful sound and playing as always! One question - is that a roasted maple fingerboard on that beauty!?!? OH! I almost forgot - HAPPY YT BIRTHDAY, my friend!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks Dan... and thanks again. It is indeed a roasted maple fingerboard on a three piece roasted maple and bubinga neck. It feels great. I might have referred to it as maple and imbuya because that's what was said in the Andertons vdeo but on Ibanez' website it specifies maple and bubinga. I'm very glad I gave in to temptation because I really do like it very much indeed :)

[@Gerry2210]

Sounds great Paul, but you could make an egg slicer sound brilliant. I used to play the poker, with the windy handle, at school lunch break, to Bucks Polka, can’t remember by who, was an Irish fella, and I didn’t sound good at all. 🥴

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I had to search for Buck's Polka. I wouldn't feel too bad about how you sounded on your poker/guitar. It wasn't a tune that elevated me to heights if I'm honest, though I might have listened to a version by the wrong fellow. My poker equivalent was a 1/2 sized (or maybe 3/4) hurley from an Irish uncle that I got when I was 8 or 9. Not much hurling in the middle of London but lots of 'in the mind' playing along with Sgt Pepper. That was superseded by a broken Spanish guitar found in a dustbin.... Almost the real thing 😊 Thanks so much for the very kind words. I appreciate it.

[@johnsmith-sm6mh]

Hi Paul, really enjoyed you enjoying your new guitar , have to admit the looks are very different but the sounds are fantastic . It’s really nice to try something just that little different, the shop I frequent one of the guys bought a Fan Fret and let me have a play on it and boy does it feel just fantastic playing chords and further down the dusty end too. Enjoy fella and go buy the single coil one too if it takes your fancy , like they say you can’t take it with you 😉 Cheers John

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thank you John. I like this guitar a lot and one of the best things - and a relief in an odd way - is that I can still very much be 'me' playing it. It does have very hot pickups but you can get dynamic range out of it by playing hard or soft and the actual volume control works better than a lot I've seen. I owned a baritone 12 string once and the big low notes were exciting but I don't know if I could spend the time and effort doing the fan fret/ multi scale thing what with finding new string guages and all that, plus they seem to be used by players with a musical vision that requires them, if you know what I mean. They sort of live in the same place as 7 and 9 strings and de-tuning and all that kind of stuff that I'm aware of but can't really relate to :-) I was more than half serious about the single coil model and may well end up going down that route. Honestly a 5lb guitar is such a treat. If anyone bends my ear about it I'll say I got your blessing and that's all I needed. Thanks again John. Good to see you.

[@johnsmith-sm6mh]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac Ha ha I’ll take the compliment Paul . Bless you 🙏 Cheers John.

[@jennysguitarworld]

Looks funny but sounds great, happy anniversary 😁🎶👍👌

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks Jenny. Yeah! That's it in a nutshell 🙂

[@stringler-6733]

Hi Paul, I got the hss configuration. bought it a few months ago and I still don't know if I gonna keep it. It"s ok, but my left hand seems in a wrong position so its causes a little pain and thats not good. I had the same problem with the Steinberger I once had. Still my back says yes. happy 14th and thanks for all the uploads.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks for the "happy birthday" - much appreciated. I'm sorry you are having wrist/hand pain problems. I've never been able to do the Jimmy Page length guitar strap but still they get shorter as I get older. Maybe there's some scope for you there, though I'm sure you've thought of that already. I must admit I would be happier if the neck on this were the size of my old '57 Junior but to be honest my days of playing 6+ hours a day are behind me now and I'll take the overall light weight now I think. Take care of yourself and if t hurts, stop!

[@willowherb8481]

Thanks nice review. Yes weather is cool here in Mombasa

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks very much indeed, for dropping by and for the kind words. Give my best regards to Mombasa.

[@David-no7zi]

Thanks for this review, was very informative!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I'm glad to hear you say so. Thanks very much 🙂

[@GQJ]

I remain quite traditional and I admit to having trouble with headless guitars ! Nice job 👍

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

If I could find a Stratocaster or Telecaster this weight I would be very happy indeed and would never play anythng else :-) Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment.

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

We like the silly one Paul.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Try one if you can Wayne. Much nicer than I thought it might be and full of great sounds.

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac I'm already keeping an eye out

[@StratsRUs]

Thank you for the demo. Light guitars are essential for me now.The Ichi 10 I'll have to try too!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thank you. Thanks for dropping by and for commenting. I have the Ichi 10 too and maybe because I have always been a Strat player I don't like it as much as this one. They are both very light though, well made and nice to play.

[@Noitpure]

An odd little bugger but you make it sound awesome! Seems like a fun guitar. Enjoy!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

It is an odd little bugger but great fun to play and really good qualty too. Thanks Trina. Good to see you :-)

[@wrtoomes600]

Thank you for your excellent review.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thank YOU. I hope it was a little entertaining and a bit helpful 🙂

[@markuyehara7880]

I was really curious to hear how these somewhat flat pickups sounded playing the blues so thank you so much for your demo. Also, your vibrato is brilliant.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks for that very kind compliment. It means a lot. To be honest the guitar is a lot better in this kind of role than I expected it to be and the pickups, though very powerful, are quite touch sensitive and dynamic. There is another video with this guitar but a LOT less talking which you can waach if you've a mind to. In the meantime, thanks again for appreciating the vibrato 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGq6lIV8oZypqqc

[@michael1]

Me too. Did he stop talking long enough to find out? I gave up...

[@angusorvid8840]

Of course you can play the blues or any style on a headless guitar. I knew a lot of blues, jazz, rock and metal players who were using Steinbergers in the 80s. I've been interested in the Q52 for some time now. I've never owned a headless guitar but always thought the concept was refreshing, cool.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I only put it as a question because all the demoes I'd seen were shredders who definitely weren't playing blues or anything like.

[@KP-vr6ft]

Sounds great

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks. I like it much more than I expected to. I mainly bought it for its low weight but it plays really well and sounds grand :-)

[@fatsuperfly]

Awesome video! I have back problems and been trying to get into more light guitars, and lot of good options out there. I honestly am not one that cares if a guitar is headless or not, just have good sounds. This seems something I should look into.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

In recent years I have become more and more concerned with the weight of guitars. With guitars I can't live without, like my Les Paul, I use the widest strap I can find - a 3.5" wide soft leather strap from DSL That is comfortable but I can't do much more than 20 minutes standing. I had been looking at these and the opportunity arose to buy one a little cheaper because of a chip in the finish and I took the plunge. After having seen demos from mostly hard rock and metal players I wasn't completely confident that it would suit me but honestly I have come to love this guitar. If you pushed me the only thing I would change would be to make the neck a bit bigger but even with my fat fingers it is very playable and to be honest I'd like a chunkier neck on most of my guitars. It weighs 5lb and is very comfortable to have on a strap. I would say definitely look into it if you can. Thanks for stopping by and for the very kind words. I hope your quest to ease your back is successful.

[@the_hessian__]

this guitar lets me play for hours when my others kill my back

[@justinrayguitars6024]

Cool machine. Never had any experience with one of those.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

It's an odd feeling but gets very comfortable very quickly, especially as weight becomes an increasing problem. Definitely worth a look if you see one in a shop though Strandbergs, being three times the cost and more, would be a step too far for me. I rather like this one I must admit. Thanks for stopping by. Good to see you.

[@stratocasterbob]

Cool guitar Paul ! No tremolo ?

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks s'bob. I hoped to like it and I actually like it even more than expected. No! No trem. That's ok, I have Strats with trem and the absence just makes the tuning that little bit more stable, which is always nice :)

[@glennmichaelthompson4112]

A lot of tones from this guitar. Seems very versatile in that respect. And I've always found that lightweight guitars can sound very resonant! I have 4 headless guitars now and am considering one of these Ibanez Q series instruments. Problem is I want the 12 inch radius fingerboard (like yours) but with the slanted frets ,,, which only come in 20 inch radius. Maybe Ibanez will offer more options and perhaps an upgrade to a Japanese made headless at a later date...? That could be nice. Thanks for the great review!!!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you found it useful and/or enjoyable or both. 😊 I am personally pretty radius tolerant if you know what I mean. The width of a neck and the depth front to back are always of more concern to me in practical terms. I don't understand the mechanics of it but I would guess there is a definite reason why Ibanez have a flatter radius on their multi-scale Q guitars. Japanese companies (forgetting country of manufacture) have always been very customer oriented so it might be worth your while asking Ibanez themselves the question. I don't know where you're based but on the Ibanez UK website there seems to be a "contact" option so it might be worth asking them the question directly. If their reply isn't satisfactory then at least you tried. Good luck in your search and thanks again.

[@glennmichaelthompson4112]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac I found your video both informative and enjoyable. I'm in Canada and think your idea of getting in touch with my local Ibanez distributor is a great idea. I'm pretty sure they're not too far from me just outside of Montreal. And to be honest it's just a preference to have the 12 inch radius... I'd probably enjoy the 20 inch radius after playing it for a short while. I do like the idea of the slanted frets. It's something I'd like to try before buying though. It's a lot of cash to buy something new like that before being absolutely sure I'd enjoy it. Thanks again, Paul. Cheers from Montreal! ~Glenn

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

If Ibanez are like other Japanese companies I've dealt with I'm sure they'll try to help if they can. Well done on mentioning "slanted" again. I stupidly referred to multi-scale but of course the Q models are literally just slanted but not 'fan fret' as such - not multi-scale at all. Of course I have absolutely no idea what practical difference this would make to the feel 😀 It was the fact that a dealer had my particular Q52 heavily discounted as B-Stock (because of a chip in the finish) that caused me to go for it but now these guitars have been around for a while it seems more and more likely that used examples will be turning up so that might be something to think of after maybe trying one in a shop first. Wherever this road leads you I hope there's a happy and satisfactory conclusion and thanks again for the kind words.

[@daviemcf]

Coooooooool!!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Hahaa! Thanks Davie.

[@TempleOfTheMartyrs]

you rock bro😉

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Thanks so much. I appreciate it :)

[@TempleOfTheMartyrs]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac have a nice day brother

[@wrigleyx]

headless ! looks always weird to my eyes. but sound right with distortion, maybe with the grace of the reviewer !

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

C'est vrai Fred. Very strange looking but I think it is because it is petit. It would look better on you 🙂

[@2009framat]

The instruments looks strange to me. Almost unfinished 🙂 really small unless you are a 6'4''-man - but it sounds really good and it seems very flexible in sound with that humbucker/single coil-mix. Yes it looks like an instrument for shredders but as we hear you can play blues,too. I would have been surprised if not.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I'm 6'2" so yes! it is really small. My arthritis is getting worse and one of the things I like most is that it is very light, so nice and comfortable to play. I like it very much indeed. it feels very stable and is very well finished in every area. Thanks for stopping by Frank. Always nice to see you.

[@emelle1283]

is it a Floyd Rose type bridge?

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

No, not a vibrato bridge at all. Six individual saddles.

[@emelle1283]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac Thanks man.

[@hiroprotagonitis]

can you play jazz on it?

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

I'm afraid I can't play jazz on anything.

[@hiroprotagonitis]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac oof, me neither!! I guess what I meant was, "as an owner of this instrument, do you think its neck pickup is easily capable of tonalities in the realm of jazz, or is likely to inspire mid-level players to take a jazz approach from the sound of the guitar itself?" I guess its just because I haven't found a demo of the instrument with the tone rolled off *primarily in that style

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

You need to try one really. There are so many different jazz guitar sounds from the big box players of the '40s and '50s through to George Benson, John McLaughlin and all the players since and they all sound pretty different. I would say it probably wouldn't do a convincing Barney Kessell or Joe Pass but might get close to Ted Green, John Scofield or Mike Stern.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Neck pickup with the tone rolled off at about 7.40

[@hiroprotagonitis]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac Thanks Paul, I've only tried the HSS version as stores near me seem to sell out on the other versions so quickly!! Also appreciate the comparisons with other players, I'm not the most familiar with Mike Stern but if anyone tells me I sound even a fraction like Ted or Sco... whew, thats me made haha. Regardless, I do think this'll be the next axe I own, getting rid of 3 others and keeping my semihollow would be a good enough trade off I think

[@Nostreborlatsyrhc]

Can you hang it up ?

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Yeah! It's got a little flare beyond the nut and some wall hangers come with rubber sleeves for ukeleles which work. Things like String Swing can be squeezed tighter to work.

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

Looks a bit small on you.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Only coz I'm a fat bast'd 😂😂

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac lol

[@przemyslaw1235]

​@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac😂great lad

[@VoxMax1200]

The first and biggest problem is the strings for that guitar. You can't find them in every musical instrument store. and you don't have as many choices as with a classic electric guitars.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

It's not like a Steinberger and doesn't need double ball end strings so you can use what you want. Super heavy guages might be a problem but I use normal 10-46 and they are fine 🙂

[@VoxMax1200]

@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac thanks for information.

[@revtimewest]

Yes you can use any strings with these. I have a QX with the slanted evo frets. I use my standard daddario 9 46.

[@the_hessian__]

They use normal strings. I play this guitar 10x more than any of my others. Just right neck profile, absurdly light/comfortable, lot of tonal options. Kind of ruined me for guitars that are more than 5lbs.

[@chrishill9707]

I can't hear you!!!!!!! Fail.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Odd

[@fatsuperfly]

I can hear just fine. Great review my friend, never mind these guys.