JEM 7V WH Review

Steve Vai Signature Model. Alder body, JEM neck. JumboWarmoth #6105 fret. Lo-Pro Edge bridge. DiMarzio Evolution (H) neck pu. DiMarzio Evolution (S) mid. pu. DiMarzio Evolution (H) bridge pu. Gold hardware.

Features:	9.7
Sound:	9.5
Action:	9.5
Reliability:	9.7
Impression:	9.8
Overall rating:	9.6
Users rating:	8.8
Comments:	84

Featured review by: unregistered, on december 20, 2004

Features: This is a 2004 Ibanez JEM7V, but it's not white, but the other finish, sparkle blue. It has 24 frets on a very thin very fast neck, not sure the wood type but it has a rosewood fingerboard. The body is Strat style alder, with a monkey grip on the top (one of my favorite aspects of the guitar). It has a licenced floyd rose, but it's still a great bridge. It has passive Dimarzio Evolution pickups, which are bright and very loud, and a dimarzio single coil custom in between the two humbuckers. The selector is a special split five, meaning that all the way to the left is neck pickup, one over is the bridge side of the neck pickup and the middle, and then middle is the middle pickup, and semetrical on the bridge side. It is a fully loaded guitar, although it only has a single volume and single tone. It still is packed with everything you would want wish or disire. // 10

Sound: I play many styles of rock, from Jimi to Sabbath to Metallica even throwing in some Hives sometimes. I'll even attempt as some of Vai's work (although I cant really play ne of it). It plays everything great. I can get it to sound pretty much however I want without ne preamp equipment. Now all I need is an amp to match this wonderful guitar. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was sent to me in perfect condition, and I had nothing wrong with it. I did although chip the finish myself when I got it (not a smart thing to do with a guitar you got only two days proir). // 10

Reliability & Durability: Well like I already said, the finish did chip on mine, but thats only cuz it fell on some metal. It looks solid as a rock though as long as you don't take a real axe (you know the ones that actually have a sharpened metal edge) to it. Everything looks like it would survive a long time. As long as you don't do want Vai does to Evo (see his website and look for it, it's a well loved guitar) you will have a spick and spam guitar when you're done. // 10

Impression: I love this guitar, it is my baby. I actually reglued those chipped peices of finish back onto the guitar when I chipped it (looked kinda crappy so I put a bandaid on it). It will stay with me, for a very long time. Inspiriation is easy to come by with this sitting on your lap, or slung around your neck. If you can, cough up the $1700 for this guitar, cuz it's worth it and it looks beautiful as well. Can't forget that. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on october 01, 2007

Price paid: $ 2100

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: You've read all the info from other reviewers. Beautiful workmanship. The Hardware is all of excellent quality and never fails me. The Evolution pickups have a wonderful and unique sound. the Tree of Life inlay is stunning. Great feel to the neck. The neck is slick and fast. The monkey grip is almost useless, but looks very cool to me and I actually have used it a few times. Vai put it there, so it's ok with me. The case is extremely sturdy and very plush (smells great too). Floyd Rose trem is outstanding when used with the string locks. Otherwise goes out of tune within minutes. Fantastic looks and workmanship. // 10

Sound: I love the variety of sounds I get outta this baby. Every Switch position is a very cool, unique sound. Not a Strat sound. Vai planned this one right. When I crank this dude up with my Vintage Fender Blues Deluxe or through my 120 watt twin 12 inch Jensen speaker stereo modeling amp, this ax can play anything and sound great doing it. With effects like a little more reverb, wah, various distortion effects, you have other worldly sounds, just the way Vai likes em. I've read that some people say you should only used this guitar for certain types of music. I play blues, light rock, very hard rock, a little thrash, and my own sort of 60's psychodelic/rock style and the Jem7vwh handles all of it with classs, power and brilliance. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Action is very good right out of the box. I lowered my strings just a tad to gain even a little more speed on an already fast playing neck. The very light satin finish on the neck makes it fast and smooth. Looks great too. The frets are sort of medium high, it seems to me, and the last few fret positions are scalloped ala Yngwie Malmsteen. Makes the last few high notes crystal clear. Really a great idea that works. Thanks Steven V! As I said earlier, the workmanship is fantastic and that means the fit and finish on my ax is 100% perfect. No gaps, no paint clumps or drips. Everything perfect! // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've had this guitar for a year now. It's solid and a workhorse. It's the real deal, not just another pretty face. Meant to be a real players ax, not an expensive toy for spoiled little kids. I always take care of my guitars (I have 14), so my Jem is always safe from disasters. I don't beat the hell out of any of my guitars when I play. Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townsend did that best, so I would look stupid. I also always carry two or three of my guitars one of them is always my Strat or my Jem7. I'd feel fine depending solely on my JEM7, but I like a variety of sounds and tunings, so 2 or 3 more instruments is a must for me. // 10

Impression: I think I've said it all. I love the Jem7vwh and would be fine if it was my only guitar. I had a couple other Ibanez products, and regard that company very highly. If stolen I would buy another. I chose this ax for quality, sound and looks it's a 10 in all of them. I currently own tons of effects, the amps already mentioned, plus a Strawberry Blonde acoustic amp, made in Fullerton 1970's Fender P-Bass, Pre Ernie Ball 1970's Musicman Stingray Bass, '76 Gibson L6-S Custom, '86 MIJ Fender Strat, custom Telecaster, Fernandez Ravelle Elite, Ibanez EP-9, D'Aquisto New Yorker acoustic/elec, Hagstrom Jimmy Oval Hole acoustic/elec, Ibanez 105A hollow body, heavily customized Gibson Les Paul Classic. So that gives me quite an arsonal to chose from... and I love my Jem7... // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: Martinius, on october 30, 2003

Price paid: $ 2242.8

Purchased from: Emporio Musicale

Features: This guitar is full of great features according to Steve Vai's exact specifications. The contoured alder body with a 24-fret JEM neck provides easy access to all registers. It features Vai's choice of specific DiMarzio (Evolution) pickups, combined with Ibanez Split-5 wiring for incredible tonal versatility. Buyers of this guitar will now also experience the newly designed Ibanez EDGE PRO double locking tremolo (Deep routed tremolo cavities allow the pitch to be lowered or raised by as much as a fifth) and the new Prestige neck. A Bullet proof Ibanez case should also be included. // 10

Sound: Thanks to the Di Marzio Evolution pickups wich the JEM 7V is armed with, the sound is fat and has a very good sustain. Any particular noise hasn't been noticed. This guitar has been used on a Fender Cyber-Twin and has been tested on a large variety of effects and different sounds. It sounds good on every setting of the amp. The guitar itself can be used to make many interesting effects like harmonics, etc. combined with the use of the whammy bar. The only bad thing is that the guitar is recomended for specific styles of music. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: At the factory the guitar has been through a variety of check ups as written on a little piece of paper that should be on the guitar when you buy it. The factory has regulated the action not to low, but not to high either. The pickups were particulary low at first wich doesn't make any problems. Regulate the height if it makes the volume sound too low. Some patience is needed when you tune the guitar for the first time since the hardware is new and may not work perfectly at first. But this is normal when talking about whammy bar hardware. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The guitar is very reliable and everything seem like it will last if you take good care of it. Ibanez guitars are extremely delicate so they need much care. The JEM 7V is not a poor Squier you know. // 8

Impression: The JEM 7V suites my playing style perfectly since I'm much into Instrumental Rock. Since it's very versatile you can even play clean pieces with it and the sound is great. Compared to other Ibanez guitars this is one of the best thanks to the features listed above. It's a complete guitar and doesn't need anything else. If you got enough money it's worth to buy! // 10

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: megamattlulz, on june 04, 2009

Price paid: £ 1600

Purchased from: The Mighty Ebay!

Features: I'd like to say that, prior to me writing this review, this guitar was purchased from ebay and I have no clue on what year it is..So don't flip out if I miss out some details. Well, it's an American-made JEM77vwh, also known as Steve Vai's signature. 24 fret (6105 frets) rosewood fretboard on a contoured alder body. Custom fret inlays which are very iconic to any guitarist, also known as the Tree of Life. Licensed Floyd Rose Trem System, as with most Ibanez guitars. Superstrat style with a more agressive twist compared to a normal Fender.

Mother of pearl pickguard. One volume knob, one tone knob and 5 way selector Switch. Right now I have stock pickups, which are DiMarzioEvo (Neck), DiMarzio single in the middle position, and a DiMarzioEvo in the bridge. No coil tap, which is a shame but being Steve Vai's guitar, it wasn't very likely anyway..Oh, and the neck is five piece maple/walnut..and that's just the bloody features.. // 9

Sound: Well, I play abit of everything, and this guitar handle most of it pretty well..I play mainly hard rock, instrumental, blues, metal, some ambient guitar and some jazz when I'm in that sorta mood.

I'm currently using..*long sigh*..a Marshalll MGFDX30..*holds for booing*..I'm saving for a valve state amp but till then..and a Zoom 707MkI pedal..good tones for £50.. The neck pickup gives a lovely warm sound..almost perfect for jazz, blues and rythym playing of any style...the out is a bit too low for a neck pickup but none the less.

The middle single is very clean, but very low pickup..I'm considering switching it out but I'm not sure I use it enough to merit the time and money it would consume..Because its jammed in between two buckers its quite low output.

The Humbucker is the hottest stock pcikup I have ever played through..including EG HZ's..not putting EMG's down, tbh, I prefer EMG's anyway..this is the pickup you wanna use for lead playing of any style, it works surprisingly well for blues lead. No 10 though because of the low output of the neck pickup. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: As I said, this guitar was purchased from ebay so this guy may have made the action lower/higher, but all hardware/wiring is completely original. The action was perfectly low, but I like a bit of high action sometimes..The bridge pickup is a bit squint, but I should be able to fix that..The guitar had a few very minor dents, nothing noticeable unless pointed out. I've had a bit of problems with the bridge, as the prick Who had it before f--ked around with the floyd. When I got it the bridge was raised. He insisted that the strings were 11's but I was sure they were 9's..So to be safe I put tens on anyway..(I like strings that fight back). Upon doing this, the Floyd Rose raised. I'm about to put a third spring on so that should bring the bridge back down. However, if you change the strings regularly, this should not occur. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is not for touring. Unless you're Steve Vai. Or stupid. I never said it wasn't built for touring, and I think, as long as you aren't playing a smoky crowded club, you should be fine. I polish the hardware daily and it still shines like it did the day I got it. All alder bodied JEM's have a super thin (basswood I think) veneer coating on the top and back. I'm not sure why but I think it is to stop the finish sinking into the grain. Good call Ibanez. The finish seems like it would last for an eternity with good care and love. // 10

Impression: Well, I have been playing for about a year..I never bought this guitar expecting to be able to pull of Bad Horsie the second I laid my fingers on that beautiful Tree of Life. Nope. But at least I can still pretend. I think my gear has had an effect on this review, because I did once play straight to a Marshall AVT100, which sound fantastic. I got some fantastic tones through the combo..but still, this guitar is a fantastic guitar, beautiful woods, I have acheived some tones I never thought were possible with this guitar. If it were stolen, I would be too poor to buy it and not die of starvation. However, I could always try just living on tap water.

There is no other guitar I could honestly, seriously compare it to. I love this guitar more than I could love any other piece of equipment. I might even go as far as saying I love it as much as someone would love a human being, but lets leave this review at that. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: imoeng, on may 16, 2006

Price paid: $ 2888

Features: This is probably the most beautiful, rock, perfect guitar all time. Ibanez is one of the leading guitar brand and hundreds of artists have using Ibanez for many years. JEM7vwh, in particular, was made in 2004 in Japan. From aesthetic point of view, the characteristic of a JEM7vwh is obvious, a white finish solid alder wood body with monkey grip on it, the tree of life on the rosewood fretboard. The tree of life was made of pearloid and mother of pearl which makes it very beautiful. From technical point, JEM7vwh is a very reliable axe. The fingerboard has 24 frets and from the 21st fret up to the 24th, the frets were scalloped to reduce the amount of pressure while you are bending the sting(s), also it was designed to improve the sustain. The pickups are DiMarzio Evolution neck, Steve's special and bridge, the hottest pickups available. The pickups setting is H/S/H, so it has 5 way selector. The knobs are very simple to use which makes it very reliable, a volume knob and tone knob. JEM7VWH has floyd rose Edge Pro bridge, which is a floating bridge. This is where JEM has the disadvantage, since it using floting bridge, it very hard and almost impossible to drop the tuning. // 9

Sound: With DiMarzio Evolution, you can not go wrong. The DiMarzio Evo (Evolution) Neck has a mid characteristic with somewhat a mid-low output. This pickup is very usefull to play with low notes and fat punchy tones. While the single DiMarzio Evo has a very clean character, which I think almost sounds like a piezo, that is why I use it every clean tone passage. DiMarzio Evo bridge is probably the hottest pickup ever. It has a very high output that can creates very powerful and sharp tone. Also with this pickup, player can easily produce an artificial harmonics sound. I use this JEM with Peavey Bandit 112 amp and GFX-5 guitar effect. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I have own my JEM for almost three years and so far nothing wrong with it, the durability is awesome. Here is some secret, in www.jemsite.com, it said "Ibanez JEM7VWH has a super thin 0.5mm basswood veneer on the top and back. We do this with all alder woods because otherwise the finish would settle into the grain and have lines like a Strat does in it after a few weeks. We do this with only alder wood that has a solid or metallic color on it. Just to let you know." // 9

Reliability & Durability: I would say JEM7VWH is a very durable guitar. From my research, I found out that the neck and the headstock are jointed to increase the strengh, not many guitar types or brands do this. One thing to remember is to look after the bridge carefully, because if you accidentally broke it, you have to buy a new one and it takes ages, because you can only get the one from Japan. And also, an EdgePro bridge cannot be replaced with an EdgePro2. // 10

Impression: I play lots of Dream Theater, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and I would say it's a very good match. I could say that because JEM7VWH has a very big range of frets and DiMarzio Evo pickups which is very suitable for all kinds of music. Well the worst part about JEM7VWH is its very expensive, that I cannot buy a nice amp and effect, but its all worth. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: angelcommand, on june 26, 2006

Price paid: $ 3800

Purchased from: Billy hyde

Features: This beauty has a 3pc JEM neck, has 24 W/6103 frets and has custom Steve Vai inlays. Its Alder body (this guitar relies more on electronics though) has a Edge-Pro bridge and has DiMarzio Evolution pickups: (H) on the neck and bridge and a single coil on the middle. The JEM77V's shape is similar to the Strat but Steve Vai has personalised it with a cut-through handle and sharpend edges. // 10

Sound: Well, The JEM77V has a unique voice that is clear, powerful but with its own tone so it may not suit popular rock genres. Because Steve Vai's music style is very different, when you play ths guitar: you'll have the feel of Vai sound there with you. Strange, I use a Marshall Valve/electronic, but because I only just got it, I've only had time to play with distortion, and the sound was very powerful and strangely alive, but I haven't tried clean yet so I don't know, a bit scared, never heard it before. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The JEM77V, to me, it's a artisan instrument. I prefer a smaller and lighter guitar with great fun action, but the JEM77V is for serious music. That's why this guitar will be very fun after you get used to it, it'll take time with a guitar like this. If the JEM77V has flaws, I don't know about them and I'm pretty sure will never. It's one of the most beautiful guitars out there, the wood its made of doesn't matter if you ask me, it relies mostly on electronics. // 9

Reliability & Durability: As ive said you'll have to get used to playing this strange guitar, coz, trust me, if you buy this guitar you would simply listen to its great sound and stare at it! The fist time i felt this about a guitar was when i first layed eyes on a 12-string, we didnt care what we were playing,just as long as we could hear the sound.
This guitar is not meant for home-use only though, it was made for live gigs and presentations. Dont worry if you do buy it, it'll last. // 10

Impression: I play a lot of hard-rock, old skool metal, instrumental/arena rock. And I would honestly say, I would "not" use this guitar for any other songs, other than Steve Vai songs. Harsh, that's why I keep the amazing Stratocaster for everything else. Truth is, pressure's on when people see you playing the JEM77V, you'll have to play good or you won't get any respect. // 9

Comments

[Sören]

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

[pixi3]

loving the monkey grip

[idontreallyknow]

i like the cool finish in the 'bad horsie' JEM better.

[schwedengitarre]

Beautiful guitar, especially the inlays, but I really don't like the pickguard.

[cool#9]

Wow, i felt like a little kid looking at a playboy when i clicked the pictures page to get the bigger picture.

[zerglagtr]

mmmmm beautiful I LOVE IBANEZ

[sashki]

cool#9 wrote:

Wow, i felt like a little kid looking at a playboy when i clicked the pictures page to get the bigger picture.

Is that good or bad?

[colelamb_611]

wow... ide tap dat

[.:LoCo:.]

nice Guitar, i think that handle thingy looks stupid

[ilovethinlizzy]

that grip is ridiculous
who carries a guitar like that and without a case
just pointless

[river_of_souls]

Es la mas fea y ridcula guitarra que he visto.
Pero aun asi pienso que tal vez suene decente.

[colelamb_611]

usted joder se ducha su una guitarra de awsom

[richard_edwards]

ibanez = good
guitar = good
monkey grip = useless

who in the right mind would carry a guitar that expensive and gorgeous out of its case and like that!

[Mahoru]

As you said, the grip is useless, it's only there. But the guitar is really nice-looking and sounding. It gets a little thin on the higher notes, but not really important. For me is better the RG Prestige series, from Ibanez, too, but this is also an alternative to take care of.

[talemon]

damn i have to make some money. maybe i should rob a bank.

[Tias]

me like ibanez aspecialy the gold things, bling bling:P

[F4ll3N]

i dont like this thing to grab it :P

[Metalology]

If you people had done any research on the guitar you would know that the monkey grip was first designed for stage stunts. When Steve was with David Lee Roth, he thought it'd be cool to had a grip to swing the guitar around. So, when it was made, it just stuck with it and has been put on Jems from then on.

[sassamafras]

omg thats a sweet looking guitar

[xxZeroxx]

Yeah take off the grip and it would be a sweet guitar!

[IWasHere!]

pretty pretty looking

[cool#9]

sashki wrote:
Is that good or bad?

a little bit of both actually

[tanman]

If you think this thing is nice, check out the J Customs from a few years ago. My roommate bought one that Ibanez stopped making because it was too rich: Flame maple binding on an ebony fretboard, honduras mahogany body, flame maple top and matching headstock. The guy he bought it from described it as a "Jem Killer." The guy wasn't lying.

As for this guitar, it's beautiful. There are a lot of complaints about the grip, pickguard, even the inlay, but none of those things bother me. I love it

[Garrett52789]

Good thing it comes with a handle. I often find myself walking around carrying mine w/o a case. Just the other day I brought it along to the supermarket, and let me tell you, if that handle wasn't there, I would have been in a world of trouble going through the self check out line!!

[maddogmike77]

damn that guitar is nice i love ibanez....first electric guitar

[MastaBassist10]

I honestly wasn't im[ressed by the JEM I played. I did like the Satch sig though.

[milla da killa]

*drools, nice...guitar...me...wants...it...

[Bones420]

I jammed on one of these at my local Guitar center, and this was my impression.. Ok yeah, its a nice guitar, and yeah, i love Vai as much as the next guy, but comeon.. Who wants to pay $2500 - $3000 for a Ibanez with a guys name on it.. You could probably buy a cheaper ibanez and upgrade to the same hardware for half the price.. Of course you wouldent get the pretty fret-board, or the dumb handle thingy..

Oh well, if your rich in $$$$ then all the power to ya, but its not really worth it to me..

[schwedengitarre]

Ok the price aint that cool but if you compare it with fender or gibson it costs nothing.

[wayneskate]

Sick guitar, but a bit hevy on the price!

[NewDayRising]

STEVE VAI PMG MY HEROSsss. Seriously though, that guitar is so sleek and sexy, I'm gonna break into my local guitar center and grab me one lol.

[blatong]

hell, i dunno what to get... this one or the ibanez ic400!!!

[nacho229]

Nice!!!

[inhumanrampage]

The monkey grip may be useless to you. But it's there because he uses the monkey grip and he designed the guitar. During shows he'll often use the monkey grip to throw it around his body or just swing it around in the air. And as far as not holding that expensive of a guitar with it. He's loaded so he doesn't care. I think it look's neat and has lot's of uses for it.

[acshadow25]

vai + ibanez = pass the tissues...

[groundskeeper]

i actually have this guitar. and id like to say it was love at first sight, or more like a deep "like". my electric celibrity gs ovation, i believe, is better. but its still a great guitar.

[bigal_85]

This or a fender standard strat? grr difficult choices

[ibanez-4-life]

this guitar is sooo nice. the monkey grip is useless if you always carry it around in a case. the whammy bar is a great feature you can literally suspend the guitar in the air by it and not even break a string!

[MonsterOfRock]

Believe me, this guitar is worth all that cash. I personally don't have all that cash and will have to work for months to get enough, but I played one at the store for a while and MY GOD!!! I Would pay AUS-$4200 for one [If I had].

[Pacifica112J]

Greatest stringed instrument ever made. For the greatest guitarist of all time.

[IbanezAngel]

The grip is cool I love this GUITAR!!!!!

[whiplash_90]

my mate at school has this guitar.
I dont like him
this kinda makes me not like the guitar
but still, just look at it. it's pretty
it's gorgeous.

it's fantismal

[whiplash_90]

i saw a triple neck JEM.

http://www.ibanezregister.com/cpg148/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_JEM-trippleneck.jpg

woot

[DavyH]

Nothing to add to the reviews. I went in my local music shop on Friday to buy a stand, test drove a Jem 7V and walked out with it. It's:

1 - Drop dead gorgeous;
2 - The most playable guitar I've ever touched;
3 - a lot lighter than my Les Paul;

Obviously a very different guitar from the LP and doesn't do what the LP will, but for an almost perfect superstrat you'll have to go a long way to find better. Only dislike? Top hat knobs. I hate them.

The tripleneck is one of Steve Vai's. 12 string, 6 string, 6 string fretless. Catch it played on the G3 Denver disc.

[Wylde14]

whiplash_90 :
i saw a triple neck JEM.

http://www.ibanezregister.com/cpg148/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_JEM-trippleneck.jpg

woot

yeah thats a one of a kind, living in steves house.. if only i had a crowbar and knew where he lived.. lol

[DavyH]

whiplash_90 :
i saw a triple neck JEM.

http://www.ibanezregister.com/cpg148/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_JEM-trippleneck.jpg

woot


yeah thats a one of a kind, living in steves house.. if only i had a crowbar and knew where he lived.. lol

You'd need a removal truck to move it though....

[pl0x]

DavyH wrote:

whiplash_90 :
i saw a triple neck JEM.

http://www.ibanezregister.com/cpg148/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_JEM-trippleneck.jpg

woot


yeah thats a one of a kind, living in steves house.. if only i had a crowbar and knew where he lived.. lol


You'd need a removal truck to move it though....

hah that made me crease, this guitar is lush but i wouldnt be able to decide this or a VG strat?

[>1B4N3Z<]

ahhh. i have this guitar and its all down to opinion in the end but i think the handle is imense. i use it all the time. and when i play other ibanez guitars it doesnt feel right without the monkey grip. and some people said "who in their right mind would use a grip on a guitar this expensive" well for one its simple to get it out the case now. coz the case with it is so well fitted its hard to get it out. thats where the handle comes in. and whilst picking it up. you have more control with a balanced handle in it. so yeah. i love my monkey grip. i love my guitar. i love ibanez

[Dixie Wolf]

This is undoubtedly the epitomy of the superstrat

[d_lord1]

bigal_85 wrote:

This or a fender standard strat? grr difficult choices

I can't believe there's any doubt in your mind whether to choose the JEM over the fender. the JEM is soo awesome. The fender is good but boring

[I_Am_In_Flames]

Joe Satch's JS is a better guitar trust me..hes also a better guitarist : )

[mind_freak007]

dude just wanted to clarify some things with you...
The Axe is absulutely amazing!!!(Good looks,awesome sound etc!!!)
But....is the hardware of real gold or just gold plated or just some gold like paint???
My Jem 7V is Japanese but the gold hardware especially the screws are loosing the so to say gold on it!!!
Now it just looks like sum ordinay screws!!!
Even the tuning locks on the bridge and neck are rusting!!!
Any one suffering from similar problems???
Heard that Ibanez dosent give any warranty whatsoever...any one can throw some light on it???

[DavyH]

It's plated - it may be expensive but 'real' gold won't get on there at that price. Tuning locks on bridge and neck? The fine tuners on a Jem7VWH are black... are you sure your Jem is real? Check Jemsite for details on fakes.

Anyway, depending on how much your hands sweat and the chemical composition of your sweat - some more acidic than others - you're going to lose some or all of the plating over time anyway.

Ibanez's warranty certainly does not cover normal wear and tear. Neither does anyone else's.

[mind_freak007]

Thanks a lot DavyH!!!
Appreciate that!!!
I'm sure that my Jem is Authentic....The serial no's are the same as explained on Jemsite!!!
I checked out Jemsite before buyin the axe...so i was sure that i was goin in for an original!!!
The fine tuners on my Jem is of course black.....and i meant to say that its rusting too!!!
Any option to get the screws lookin close to that Gold dust or woteva??? ;P

[ismith]

I hate the monkey grip, but this is one of the best looking guitar's I've ever seen.

[j3yps]

Just Got My Jem Yesterday...The Only Problem That I Had Is The Sustain But I Think I Can Adjust That On My Amp...It's An Awesome Guitar!!!Steve Rocks!

[joshua.mcdonald]

.:LoCo:. wrote:

nice Guitar, i think that handle thingy looks stupid

i think you look stupid

[Tartan_nick]

Ah yes. Has almost the exact same things as a 555 but cosmetic difference and is set up better before sold.

Good guitar, but the better buy is the almost identical jem 555.

[JoelTheShredder]

this guitar is the holy grail for all ibanez to be marked on. but holy ****ing shit have you seen how much it is!?

[ikarian-pride]

i would get this guitar because of the handle

[RichCrisler]

I don't belive in GOd but if I did this would be it. This giutar makes the most ham fisted fear like a guitar god. I can't say enough about this guitar. If your serios about guitar and you want to know what a real guitar is supos to be like this is it. This is the closest you can get to having a luther living in your home to custom your guitar.

[Zythyl]

If God had a guitar teacher, his guitar teacher would own this guitar.

[JoelTheShredder]

ikarian-pride wrote:

i would get this guitar because of the handle

thats the exact reason i wouldnt get it.

[marcussss]

Hey guys, i have a important decision to make; yngwie malmsteen stratocaster or ibanez jem 7vwh. Please let me know your opinion on witch i should choose.

Thanks for responding (:

[messsamannn]

Have a Blue Floral Pattern 77 jem..It is ok, but the pickups then weren't as hot as the new evos.
Bought a Evo 77 WH about a year ago...was so happy with it...great sound, hot pickups, looks awesome...however...just bought a JS1200 in Japan and it shits on anything I have ever played. The most versatile guitar..meaner sound than the jems...feel like tossing them out...(except they cost too much..)
Seriously consider...at least try..the candy apple red is something to be seen.. my jems have turned a lot of heads, but this JS...people just drool..then they hear it..!!

[messsamannn]

Hi marcussss..personal choice for you..the jems are great...depends if you want a fat neck or not..I personally don't like strats much due to the necks, but others swear by them...Before you buy, check out my previous correspondence..

[rancidryan]

richard_edwards wrote:

ibanez = good
guitar = good
monkey grip = useless

who in the right mind would carry a guitar that expensive and gorgeous out of its case and like that!

steve vai? who else lol and its not stupid it has its uses im sure

would you recomend this guitar im thinking of getting the rock mirror one or a js

[Adam Musial]

I hate Vai.. I mean his music is.. good and his guitars are nice but he's much of a corporate *****... he has custom... everything pick-ups, strings, frets... :\

he problly even has strap-lock washers >.

[Tubyboulin]

^actually the pickups are standard DiMarzio, He Uses DR Strings i think(i forget), and He has a DiMarzio Strap he bought back when he first got EVO.

The More you Know...

[hamer exp jp]

that guitar is insane im on a mission to save up for one lol
the cheapest ive seen is £1600 has any1 seen less?

[StanwoodSpartan]

i played this at guitar center
i was so let down when i played it
was just trashed

amazing looks, cost to much,
not exactly worth it

[tigerking615]

If I had unlimited money, this would be the first guitar i'd buy.

[drag00nlanc3r]

how many of u people think thats a floyd well ur ****heads its a edge pro or edge 3 dumbasses

[mAyor43]

drag00nlanc3r you are the dumbass
edge pro 3 is a licensed floyd rose bridge
pull up your pants your ignorance is showing
before calling someone else a dumbass
make sure you aern't the dumbass
your the ****head, idiot. =)

[dougfresh31]

The handle is what gives the guitar it's signature look, with out the handle it just wouldn't be the same

[CigarKid]

Which is a Better Guitar? The Ibanez EGEN18 or the JEM?

[CigarKid]

Ok, I guess I can answer my own question now. About 2 weeks ago, I bought a new old stock 2008 Herman Li from Daddy’s Music in Salem NH. I originally wanted the Jem 7V but bought this instead since they didn't have the Jem and let me play the Egen18. I loved it, I have been playing an RG 550 for the past 3 years and this was a much smaller body. It had a really nice Blues\Jazz\Metal type sound to it by switching the pickup selector switch. The action was very smooth and buzzed very little at the very low setting I like to play at. My only real beef with it was the middle pickup. It kept getting in the way of my picking. I tried lowering it but it was already as low as it would go. I don't quite understand it because I thought Herman Li had this guitar made to eliminate this problem by having it set lower into the body, but the pickup was a little over 1\4 of an inch above the flat of the guitar body. The Salem Daddy’s store that I purchased it from did not have the tremlo bar in the case with it and they said they would order it from Ibanez. After about 2 weeks later, still no tremolo bar. I never tried the Edge Zero tremolo bridge before and the store only gives you 15 days to return a new guitar for the full refund. I only had 1 day left and I didn't want to be stuck with a $2150 guitar that I wasn't happy with so I made some calls to other Daddy’s stores and finally found a new Jem 7V for sale in Manchester NH. I asked if I would be able to return it there for the Jem if I liked it more and they said "NP"
I now had the great opportunity to compare the 2 guitars side to side. In my opinion, the Jem was a cleaner sounding guitar with slightly more sustain. The feel of the bending was not as smooth compared to the Egen's jumbo frets, but I got use to it in about 3 minutes. The edge pro bridge was fantastic and had just the right bending feel. (again, I still had no way of trying the edge zero bridge as they didn't have a bar that would fit it either). The neck on the Jem felt a little thinner than the Egen. There was a lot of fret buzzing on the Jem compared to the Egen, but they said they could send it out to fix that problem. I then hooked up a "Satrinator Distortion pedal to the Jem and it sounded UNREAL... so I know I could still have that nice hard metal sound out of it. I guess the final decision was which guitar can I rely on more. The Jem has proven itself to be an outstanding guitar where as the Egen is still in the unknown area.
Resale was another thought in my mind, which guitar will be easier to sell if I (hopefully not) ever have to sell it. I heard a rumor that the Egen18 will not be made in 2010. What will that do to the value? I guess my final opinion on these 2 guitars is this: If you want one of these guitars for Heavy Metal. I think I would go with the Egen18. If you want it for playing stuff like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dave Gilmore, then I think your better off with the Jem. But these are just my opinions. I have been playing guitar for 36 years now and have owned many different guitars, but I have only played religiously for the last 3 years. I play by ear and only play lead guitar and the basic bar chords. I can play lead to almost anything as long as I feel and enjoy the music. Of course I'm no Satriani or Vai, but I just love playing to whatever I hear and enjoy. I recommend you try both guitars before you make your own decision. "Enjoy"

[blacksunshine13]

i paid £2000 for my jem and its woth every penny it plays like a dream & i can pull off more tecnacal playing skills with it than i can with my rg550 costom

[Redshark24]

CigarKid :
Ok, I guess I can answer my own question now. About 2 weeks ago, I bought a new old stock 2008 Herman Li from Daddy’s Music in Salem NH. I originally wanted the Jem 7V but bought this instead since they didn't have the Jem and let me play the Egen18. I loved it, I have been playing an RG 550 for the past 3 years and this was a much smaller body. It had a really nice Blues\Jazz\Metal type sound to it by switching the pickup selector switch. The action was very smooth and buzzed very little at the very low setting I like to play at. My only real beef with it was the middle pickup. It kept getting in the way of my picking. I tried lowering it but it was already as low as it would go. I don't quite understand it because I thought Herman Li had this guitar made to eliminate this problem by having it set lower into the body, but the pickup was a little over 1\4 of an inch above the flat of the guitar body. The Salem Daddy’s store that I purchased it from did not have the tremlo bar in the case with it and they said they would order it from Ibanez. After about 2 weeks later, still no tremolo bar. I never tried the Edge Zero tremolo bridge before and the store only gives you 15 days to return a new guitar for the full refund. I only had 1 day left and I didn't want to be stuck with a $2150 guitar that I wasn't happy with so I made some calls to other Daddy’s stores and finally found a new Jem 7V for sale in Manchester NH. I asked if I would be able to return it there for the Jem if I liked it more and they said "NP"
I now had the great opportunity to compare the 2 guitars side to side. In my opinion, the Jem was a cleaner sounding guitar with slightly more sustain. The feel of the bending was not as smooth compared to the Egen's jumbo frets, but I got use to it in about 3 minutes. The edge pro bridge was fantastic and had just the right bending feel. (again, I still had no way of trying the edge zero bridge as they didn't have a bar that would fit it either). The neck on the Jem felt a little thinner than the Egen. There was a lot of fret buzzing on the Jem compared to the Egen, but they said they could send it out to fix that problem. I then hooked up a "Satrinator Distortion pedal to the Jem and it sounded UNREAL... so I know I could still have that nice hard metal sound out of it. I guess the final decision was which guitar can I rely on more. The Jem has proven itself to be an outstanding guitar where as the Egen is still in the unknown area.
Resale was another thought in my mind, which guitar will be easier to sell if I (hopefully not) ever have to sell it. I heard a rumor that the Egen18 will not be made in 2010. What will that do to the value? I guess my final opinion on these 2 guitars is this: If you want one of these guitars for Heavy Metal. I think I would go with the Egen18. If you want it for playing stuff like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dave Gilmore, then I think your better off with the Jem. But these are just my opinions. I have been playing guitar for 36 years now and have owned many different guitars, but I have only played religiously for the last 3 years. I play by ear and only play lead guitar and the basic bar chords. I can play lead to almost anything as long as I feel and enjoy the music. Of course I'm no Satriani or Vai, but I just love playing to whatever I hear and enjoy. I recommend you try both guitars before you make your own decision. "Enjoy"

Motherf*cker.
care to tell us the rest of the story of your frickin LIFE?

[justine3563]

Redshark24 wrote:

CigarKid :
Ok, I guess I can answer my own question now. About 2 weeks ago, I bought a new old stock 2008 Herman Li from Daddy’s Music in Salem NH. I originally wanted the Jem 7V but bought this instead since they didn't have the Jem and let me play the Egen18. I loved it, I have been playing an RG 550 for the past 3 years and this was a much smaller body. It had a really nice Blues\Jazz\Metal type sound to it by switching the pickup selector switch. The action was very smooth and buzzed very little at the very low setting I like to play at. My only real beef with it was the middle pickup. It kept getting in the way of my picking. I tried lowering it but it was already as low as it would go. I don't quite understand it because I thought Herman Li had this guitar made to eliminate this problem by having it set lower into the body, but the pickup was a little over 1\4 of an inch above the flat of the guitar body. The Salem Daddy’s store that I purchased it from did not have the tremlo bar in the case with it and they said they would order it from Ibanez. After about 2 weeks later, still no tremolo bar. I never tried the Edge Zero tremolo bridge before and the store only gives you 15 days to return a new guitar for the full refund. I only had 1 day left and I didn't want to be stuck with a $2150 guitar that I wasn't happy with so I made some calls to other Daddy’s stores and finally found a new Jem 7V for sale in Manchester NH. I asked if I would be able to return it there for the Jem if I liked it more and they said "NP"
I now had the great opportunity to compare the 2 guitars side to side. In my opinion, the Jem was a cleaner sounding guitar with slightly more sustain. The feel of the bending was not as smooth compared to the Egen's jumbo frets, but I got use to it in about 3 minutes. The edge pro bridge was fantastic and had just the right bending feel. (again, I still had no way of trying the edge zero bridge as they didn't have a bar that would fit it either). The neck on the Jem felt a little thinner than the Egen. There was a lot of fret buzzing on the Jem compared to the Egen, but they said they could send it out to fix that problem. I then hooked up a "Satrinator Distortion pedal to the Jem and it sounded UNREAL... so I know I could still have that nice hard metal sound out of it. I guess the final decision was which guitar can I rely on more. The Jem has proven itself to be an outstanding guitar where as the Egen is still in the unknown area.
Resale was another thought in my mind, which guitar will be easier to sell if I (hopefully not) ever have to sell it. I heard a rumor that the Egen18 will not be made in 2010. What will that do to the value? I guess my final opinion on these 2 guitars is this: If you want one of these guitars for Heavy Metal. I think I would go with the Egen18. If you want it for playing stuff like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dave Gilmore, then I think your better off with the Jem. But these are just my opinions. I have been playing guitar for 36 years now and have owned many different guitars, but I have only played religiously for the last 3 years. I play by ear and only play lead guitar and the basic bar chords. I can play lead to almost anything as long as I feel and enjoy the music. Of course I'm no Satriani or Vai, but I just love playing to whatever I hear and enjoy. I recommend you try both guitars before you make your own decision. "Enjoy"
Motherf*cker.
care to tell us the rest of the story of your frickin LIFE?

plus 1!this is a comment page.not for story telling!derp!

[justine3563]

CigarKid wrote:

Which is a Better Guitar? The Ibanez EGEN18 or the JEM?

that depends on you man!for me ill choose jem cause im more on RG looks.the EGEN has the "S series" looks ryt?but if you want a more crazy handle.EGEN's got it!lol.both good guitars!

[sewoo55]

if u have a steve vai signature guitar, people expect you to play like steve. otherwise they're gonna think you're a poser with and expensive guitar and no skill. i'm sorry... but the name "steve vai" has a very unique meaning to it and it just resonates exellence.

[Stikit2duhman]

-1 for the ugly grip thing.
-1 for being SO EXPENSIVE!
so it's 98\100

[DeadSoloist]

Did anyone else cry because of the second review? The guy says he has a 120 watt amp, this JEM, 'use a bunch of effects.' Whats next do you live in a palace and get your tea from the dangerous jungles of south asia?