Steve Vai Ibanez JEM - Let's Fix It

As a HUGE Steve Vai fan it has been a loto of fun fix this Steve Vai's Ibanez Jam. This guitar had so many hours of study on its fretboard and desperately needed a setup and a new Push Pull pot.
It was a lot of fun!
Enjoy!
‪@stewmac‬ ‪@IbanezOfficial‬
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[@DoktorDamage]

Just learned by watching you to use a "hand" to judge how long the string needs to be before clipping. Nice job mate, fab work !!!

[@robertoperini2336]

Grazie ANCREAAAAAA !!! CHE BEL REGALO DI COMPLEANNO!!! COMPLIMENTI! GRAN BELL LAVORO!! CONFERMI SEMPRE LA TUA GRANDE "PROFESSIONALITÀ" N 1 👏👏👏👏👍😎🎸

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Grazie a te! Sto girando ora quello sul basso di tuo figlio 😜

[@prophez23]

Great job! The JEM is by far my favorite guitar.

[@kipponi]

I have it but JS is better sounding and more ergonomic body. I had JS but not anymore😢. Both are great guitars.

[@leisurealien]

good job andrew, pleasure and very relaxing to watch ya making ya job! + learned a lot just by watching u! thx for uploading :)

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Thank mate, I really appreciate it!

[@tgarder]

Man, these are beautiful guitars

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Indeed!

[@rvk8991]

Gaudy as hell though.

[@synonyx]

Nice attention to detail and taking your time! Stellar work!

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Thanks mate!

[@diegovd7215]

Landed here on pure chance, and really enjoyed the professional work. Thanks :)

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Thank you very much!

[@JamieRhodes-uv9xc]

Same here 😊 how do you stop ringing out nearer to the body I guess it could be a few things and when rubbing the fretts with the yellow thing what was on the bottom thanks for sharing

[@trevorbayfield4006]

The scariest thing I had to do was remove the neck of my Jem with all the strings still attached to fit a new pearl scratch plate. Setting up the Jem floating bridge is also a labour of love. Great vid.

[@firemanmick]

I'm sure you know what you're doing but that would have to be the most brutal fret crowning I've ever seen!

[@LiuteriaMarcellan]

There is only one way to crown a fret. You can simply chose to go slow, fast or somewhere in between. The result speaks itself. If it was “brutal” you should see damaged frets, damaged fretboard and scratches all over the place. So “brutal” it’s not the correct word but you are welcome to try again! 🤪 Anyway thanks for the comment!

[@mindaxiom3651]

Nice axe! I always like my guitars to double as brass knuckles! Lol

[@supay6537]

I changed strings for the first time on my new Ibanez S770 a couple days ago. I ruined the first set. Second set took about 45 minutes 😂 the hardest part was winding the new string on the post the correct way. I still have not done the tuning. Nice video btw!

[@samiam3297]

Giving it the good Bob Ross brush slap touch i see (hear)..🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 [could not resist]...seriously though brave soul here doing the steel wool scrub on a nakid fret board...tree of life even! 😬😬😬😬

[@tymanngruter1808]

As you give this guitar to Steve, he can play it without any doubt! The onley thing he Shall notice is that looks to new i ges! Fine job! 😮

[@sgeggbub1008]

only* too* guess*

[@tymanngruter1808]

@@sgeggbub1008 sorry....... 🤪

[@soundzznetwork]

What are you talking about??? Nobody's giving this guitar "to STEVE".

[@kipponi]

No tape wasted👍🎸. I have custom made Jem. I like monkey grip. New one's it is like rose petals. More beautiful but cant carry so easily.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Kind of! 🤪

[@ronnieparfait]

Never seen anyone crown frets without marking them first.. 🤔🤘🏼✌🏼

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Hi Ronnie! Thanks for the comment mate! They are marked! While level sanding every single fret has to become flat. There is no need to mark anything with a marker because it’s clearly visible. The flat surface of the fret becomes dull while the rest stays shiny. The same goes for the re-crowing job; you have to file the frets util every single scratch of the previous leveling job is gone and the fret appears shiny again; not perfect but shiny! Is using the marker helpful? Yeah, sure while learning how to do this kind of job or if you haven’t enough light over the bench, which I do, to help you see clearly all the subtle details of every part of the guitar. Is it necessary? Absolutely not! Like is absolutely unnecessary and potentially harmful using a spool of soldering wire on the frets before pulling them off of the fretboard yet many keeps doing it. Maybe it looks cool but still unnecessary. You just need heat, leve the soldering wire for “soldering sake”! 🤪

[@Worlds_Worst_Guitarist]

Great Video! Can you give the Setup Specs please?

[@waynem4791]

Loved it all apart from the Elixirs - just can't get used to them.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

I'm starting to like Elixir lately...especially now that the price is lower than 5-10 years ago and d'addario XS and XT are 50% more expensive...at least here.

[@soundzznetwork]

I hear ya. I can't get behind that either.

[@lefernandes7406]

Hello, The bridge pickup Dimarzio evolution or evo 2? Tank you

[@ClassicRockSolo]

No fret drop off @ fret 14 ? Or just not filmed ?

[@Tuzospachuca21]

So you tighten the nut after you tuned the guitar? And what are those things at the tremolo ???😮😮

[@GaryMcNeill]

Im sure you're very careful, but seeing the neck put in a vice scared the S$%^ out of me!

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Hi Gary, I had the same comment this morning! That vice is specifically made for musical instruments, and both the jaws have 3 mm soft rubber pads. The kind of stuff you buy from Stewmac. I service around 400 guitar per year and built a hundred guitars with the vice. 15 years and never ever made the slightest dent or scratch!

[@mikejamstonalspectrumstudi5339]

What was the phone app you used for checking the intonation?

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

I use n-Track Tuner for IOS

[@shelbyrockstar]

If you have one of these, do you still need a Fender Eric Johnson strat, though? Which one do you choose?

[@leetb1x]

I'm doing the same thing on a jem except the guitar i have is damaged and i'm trying to fix it aswell. 🤞

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Good luck! I’m rooting for you!

[@joesatchton212]

Interesting approach with the zero voiceover technique :) First time seeing any of your vids - nice work overall. Just a couple brief questions/comments for you: - Why do you not employ some sort of neck rest? You placed the guitar with the neck attached flat on the work surface. Yes, it was very brief, but I'm just curious why no neck rest? - It would have been nice to show what grit sandpaper you used on the frets. - Very curious why you restrung the guitar with only the center spring of the bridge attached. After your restrung it you re-attached the other two outside springs. Can you explain why you do it that way please? - Did you examine the knife edges of that bridge since you took the whole unit off? Just to see if there's any wear on the posts or the knife edges? How do you feel about applying some teflon style dry lube on those knife edges? Good stuff overall! Cheers :)

[@leetb1x]

I agree, would love some more info in regards to these things too and does that steel wool used help buff and remove the oil? Cheers also!

[@alexignatov3760]

Ответа от автора так и не последовало =(

[@davidceballos788]

I got a doubt, when you refret a guitar, the frets looks like the originals?

[@LiuteriaMarcellan]

You just need to now the original frets dimension and if you don't have this information you can always reach out to the manufacturer and ask this information. That being said you can find frets of any shape, material, hight and widht.

[@jvpoco8270]

Hi, how to remove the input plug on this ? Thank you

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

You have to open the little square cover on the back of the guitar where you will find the nut holding the jack in place.

[@ukguitarnoodle]

What is the Allen key under the single coil for ? is it a certain height ?

[@y2ari]

Yes! It is a nice trick to get a balanced pickup height Did it myself on my own guitar at home, it does the job :)

[@chapasproject]

is that an old cube 60? here sir, take a like and subscribe. 😄

[@LiuteriaMarcellan]

It’s a 30x! Thanks mate!

[@kipponi]

I have Cube 30X first ones. Great modeling amp. Never broken.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

@@kipponi A great working horse, but I think it's time for me to get a new one!

[@gfcarta2522]

Ottimo 👍👍👍👏👏👏👏🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@Nothing-gv8mv]

I use dispensary containers as well

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Super useful! That is my ex fish food container 😜

[@Nothing-gv8mv]

@@AndrewsGuitarShop Those ex fishes will break your heart.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

@@Nothing-gv8mv yeah...too Italian-english-ish 😅now that you mentioned it!

[@mindthemac]

una domanda , perche' hai passato la lana di acciaio dopo aver rimosso il nastro carta dalla tastiera e non prima?

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Perchè la lana d'acciaio molto fina (000 o anche 0000) aiuta a pulire in modo incredibile il legno della tastiera da residui di pelle, grasso, unto e anche a lucidare i tasti eliminando residui di ossido. Il tutto lisciando il legno e dandogli un bellissimo aspetto opaco e omogeneo. Impossibile che lasci strisci, è paragonabile a una carta abrasiva da 1500 grit.

[@mindthemac]

@@AndrewsGuitarShop pensavo potesse creare delle "swirl" sul legno

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

@@mindthemacvai tranquillo! Lo trovi nel mio shop amazon se vuoi sperimentare!

[@shaypolka79]

may i ask what was wrong with the guitar ?

[@LiuteriaMarcellan]

Sure, push-pull not working, the setup was out and the fretboard needed a feet job!

[@MrUltraworld]

On my Jem, frets 21-24 are scalloped.

[@mht525]

Questions. Steve Vai does he sign his own guitar ? Does Ibanez USA Custom Shop service his guitars? Flo or Evo ? The content is ambiguous. ✌️🤘🏴🇦🇺

[@Barbarapape]

I own a sample of this guiatar and there was no signature on it, only an expensive price tag but with a good setup they are excellent guitars.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Steve Vai Signed this guitar many years ago during a Guitar Clinic. My customer protected it by applying some sort of finish over it

[@Barbarapape]

A rare guitar and one to treasure, even without the signature they are still excellent guitars.@@AndrewsGuitarShop

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

​@@Barbarapape Indeed! Especially for a Steve Vai fan like myself!

[@Barbarapape]

They are a once in a lifetime investment. Without Steve Vai i don't think Ibanez would have beem as successful as they are today. The Japan made guitars are among the best you can find.@@AndrewsGuitarShop

[@dennisneo1608]

There sure are a lot of armchair luthiers and techs on here.

[@jamesprice6381]

Meguiars Aluminum Mag Polish makes frets look like n feel like CHROME............ YMMV...........

[@rvk8991]

I'm sure he knows what he is doing but I don't understand why people want to soak the fretboard with oil like that.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

I'm not soaking the fretboard, but if you put more oil you can spread it way faster and because of that you can wipe it off right away so that the fretboard is not left soaking in oil. It takes me just one minute to apply the oil, spread it, wipe it off and polish it with 0000 steel wool. With dunlop lemon oil it taks one minute only to apply the oil fret by fret before spreading it and the oil will deeply into the wood fibres.

[@lorenzomartone1476]

I tried to watch this video, but I had to stop to avoid suffering: Strings removed without preventing them from scratching the headstock and truss rod cover during removal. With Ibanez RG/Jem guitars, this often happens easily due to the tight space between the string retainer and the headstock. I usually place a carefully cut piece of paper in these critical areas during string changes. Springs removed with a screwdriver that, if you're lucky, scratches the plate holding the springs, and if you're unlucky, jumps off, damaging the paint in the spring cavity. Edge bridge removed haphazardly by simply removing the springs and letting it drop on the work table. This is done without using the method of first removing the two side springs and, when only one remains, removing it with one hand while holding the bridge with the other to avoid damaging the bridge or scratching the black screws (pivot) of the bridge. Loosening the 4 screws holding the neck with a drill screwdriver (which leaves ugly marks on the screws, especially when they are black, making them look as if someone tried to unscrew them with a fork or a kitchen knife). Unscrewing the backplate screws with the same method (power drill) without noting their position. Obviously, being gold, the screws located closest to where they make contact with the body will tend to lose their gold more than the others, and it is extremely unaesthetic to reassemble them randomly. Pieces of tape torn off forcefully after fret leveling, risking that bits of inlays from the fret markers (very delicate on the Jem) remain stuck. Reassembly of the bridge, complete with springs, before string installation, without using a cloth or any protective surface/thickness to prevent marks from the rear "springs" in the bridge cavity (very visible on Ibanez models of this type). This is done without avoiding damage to the "blade" edge and the two pivots of the Edge bridge due to the extreme angle of the bridge in the absence of strings. I guess I chose the wrong profession. Instead of doing setups and repairs on my guitars, I should have become a luthier. I wouldn't have had any competition.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

I've tried to read your comment, but I had to stop as soon as you said I removed the strings without preventing them to scratch the headstock. Clearly you were watching another video or, as you said, you stopped watching it really too soon. As you can't say anything interesting having stopped to watch the video I'm not going to read anything more of the first two sentences of your comment because I have zero intentions to waste my time with people that clearly have no respect for other people time, passion, and dedication. Thanks for the comment thogh!

[@lorenzomartone1476]

@@AndrewsGuitarShop The best method for removing strings without scratching the headstock and truss rod cover of a JEM or Ibanez RG is to loosen one string at a time, remove it from the bridge with the Allen wrench, cut it at the height of the first fret and a few millimeters above the string retainer, and cover the headstock and truss rod cover with a specifically cut piece of paper to prevent the string from causing scratches when passing under the retainer. It saddens me to see such a beautiful guitar treated with so little respect and attention. When you reassembled the bridge and put it under tension with the three springs without placing anything underneath to keep it horizontal and to avoid scratching and marking the bridge cavity, I was nearly appalled. I hope that, once the bridge is tilted to the maximum, at least the sharp edge allowing it to pivot on the two posts has remained intact. Everyone is free to work as they wish, and I have the utmost respect for all; I just wonder how someone who overlooks these details (as seen, for example, when you mixed all the different screws together in one container or when you used the power screwdriver to remove the neck and the pickguard screws) decided to showcase their work by even creating a video. For instance, I am not a luthier, and I don't publish videos, but if I have to unscrew bolts on my Ibanez, I use precision screwdrivers and cover the edge of the screwdriver tip with a layer of tape to avoid damaging the black finish. I also want to point out that you placed a guitar with the headstock inclined on a flat table, causing all the weight of the guitar to concentrate on the joint between the neck and the headstock (one of the most fragile points of this type of guitar with an ultra-thin neck). I was also shocked by how carelessly you tossed a pack of strings onto the guitar body, as if you were dealing with mechanical components of an agricultural machine. I can only accept such things from a plumber when fixing a sink

[@Worlds_Worst_Guitarist]

@@lorenzomartone1476 you seem to be a little (or heafty) suffering on "cleaning illness" ("Putzwahn" in German)! Any Guitar gets just more scratches and marks from just getting played and carried around! This man clearly knows what he is doing (although he could have given some Setup Specs). I am doing it the same way, never had any problems.

[@naegleriafowleri2230]

should've just put stainless steel frets lmao

[@Ron_Padgett]

Nah. No need.

[@MrTrubadurable]

Stainless steel frets sound different. I don’t like them, too glassy and bright for my taste.

[@lesbianmustardbottle957]

I agree.@@MrTrubadurable

[@TheBillMurrray]

You are a psycho for the way you took the springs off.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Best way to take the springs off and back on, period.

[@richard780]

Guitar neck in a vise ? Welding on the body this way with a little clothe? Ok but never with my guitars for sure mate sorry.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

Dear Richard, clearly you don't know what you are talking about, but that's fine, in the end this is my job and not yours. That vise is made especially for luthier works so, yes, guitar neck in a vise! I fix over 400 guitars every year and i've built more than 90 using that vise and guess what? It works like a charm because that's exaclty what It's meant to do so. That "little cloth", by the way, it's heavy linen cloth folded which means 2 layer of heavy linen cloth. You could drop a screw driver on it and it wont make a dent. Of course I'm using it to not scratch the guitar more then beacuse I'm soldering...if you know what you are doing is more than sufficent to protect the guitar. I'm sure you have worked on many more wiring then me so, forgive me for what I've done!

[@Sunny_Bonez]

clamping that neck just made me cringe. poor jem hehe.

[@LiuteriaMarcellan]

that vice is specifically made for musical instruments, and both the jaws have 3 mm soft rubber pads

[@ckmoore101]

Its worth noting, this guitar doesn't belong to Steve. Its simply a Steve Vai signature Jem.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

yeah, it worth nothing...I think I'm gonna toss it into the trash bin.

[@bosco_bosco]

In the UK it's probably worth about £1800

[@DevilsAvocado69]

They don't come signed. They are discontinued completely now, if it's made in Japan it's not been in production for 7 years. Pretty rare, then Steve's a legend in his own right so these guitars are going to be hard to find at a reasonable price in the future.

[@XionAzura1]

He didn’t say that it’s worth NOTHING, he said it’s worth NOTING. Obviously, that guitar is a made in Japan JEM that seems to be signed by Steve Vai, so it’s probably worth quite a bit. He was just unnecessarily pointing out that it wasn’t a guitar that belonged to Steve, but was one If his signature guitars l.

[@ckmoore101]

@@XionAzura1 Not totally unnecessary, as the only reason i wrote that, is because a few other posters thought it belonged to Steve.

[@paulbrodie]

You don't talk? How do we know what is going on? Bit boring to watch with no talking.

[@AndrewsGuitarShop]

I know. I don’t even have the time to make this kind of video(and yet I do my best to release one video per week) so doing also voiceovers it’s out of the equation for now. I’m Italian and if I’m speaking or doing voiceovers I want do it at the top of my possibility and that requires a crazy amount of hours, both recording and editing. I work on almost 400 guitars per year and build between 6 and 7 concerts classical guitars…and I also have an Italian YT channel. I would love to, trust me, even only to improve my English but I need time that I don’t have!

[@paulbrodie]

Good Luck with all that you are doing. Thanks for getting back to me @@AndrewsGuitarShop

[@Worlds_Worst_Guitarist]

@@AndrewsGuitarShop That's why i even stopped talking on my Channel (besides i can't stand all this nonsense talking for just the sake of talking on nearly all YT anymore anyway), coming from Germany it just takes up too much time recording (english) Voice and edit it.

[@n0nyabznss]

1. Jems don't come with push pull pots from the factory...... 2. You ought to be ashamed of yourself taking apart a guitar and dumping all the hardware in a cup. Not taking enough care to put every screw, pad, washer, etc. in their original place shows a complete lack of attention to detail.

[@LiuteriaMarcellan]

1. So what? 2. If you don’t know where 2 or 3 different type of screws goes on a guitar this is not the job for you. 3. Anyway I’ve changed all the screws except the one of the nut because they where completely lost the gold finish, so you wrote a comment without even watching the video…cool.

[@prophez23]

@n0nyabznss tell me you're a loser without telling me you're a loser....,.., 😂

[@syakirkhalidkhalid5387]

he changed the screws to new ones.. u didn't watch the video I presume

[@nigelsmith721]

Excellent - really looking forward to your video showing us all how it's done "properly".

[@AtacamaHumanoid]

Holding the neck with a vice grip is worse.