JS1200 Review

The JS1200 Joe Satriani Signature features a basswood body, maple neck, 22 frets, rosewood fingerboard, pearl dot inlays, edge pro bridge, and chrome hardware.

Features:	10
Sound:	10
Action:	10
Reliability:	10
Impression:	9
Overall rating:	9.1
Reviewer rating:	9.8
Users rating:	8.3
Votes:	151

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: angelcommand, on june 07, 2006

Price paid: $ 2280

Features: The JS1200 Joe Satriani Signature features a basswood body, maple neck, 22 frets, rosewood fingerboard, pearl dot inlays, Edge Pro bridge, and chrome hardware. // 10

Sound: This a well rounded rock/heavy-rock guitar, and plays perfectly well with bands like AC/DC, Joe Satriani, Velvet Revolver and even some heavy metal bands that are addicted to loud artificial harmonics. Well, I use a cylinder-mix Marshall amp and mostly use distortion but it plays surprisingly well with clean sounds. The JS1200 is noisy only when you blast the place appart with a screeming harmonic, but other than that it's sounds are beauties. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The JS1200 is surprisingly well set up and constructed. I could only find some aging in strings E and A, but apart from that its fine // 10

Reliability & Durability: Will this guitar withstand live playing? This guitar will withstand a hammer throw! Well, not that I'm going to try it, but seriously, this guitar is made for live gigs, great pickups, steady tremolo bar (although I've been used to Strat tremolo bar so I'm getting used to the high JS1200 bar) and solid strap screws so you can pull off an Yngwie Malmsteen. And about the finish, I don't know what you guys do to your guitars to make it look like badly shaved christmas ham. Guitars aren't drumsticks but I positive that the JS1200 would withstand a all your crazy guitar manuvoures! // 10

Impression: Personally I play a lot of Metallica, Led Zepplein, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Velvet Revolver, Megadeth, RHCP, Steve Vai etc. Well, this guitar is fun and plays well with most of these songs, but for those that dont go too well with this guitar, I usually substitute a Stratocaster for that. Well, I love the versatility in playing this guitar. Its thin neck allows for fast action, its medium-small but solid body for comfort. Well, I wish it had a beverage holder other than that it has everything! // 9

Comments

[xxZeroxx]

What a sweet guitar!

[Zach Strife]

Yeah, but it's too lightweight for me.

[denied]

awesome axe

[doive]

I don;t doubt it's a beautiful instrument but i wouldn't pay pay 2280 for it unless that was turkish lire. Even in Aussie dollars that's a LOT of money

[AmplifySilence]

ibanez makes good guitars, this is another

[AmplifySilence]

it isa lot of money

[hmmm_de_hum]

JS1200 made from basswood???

[ArcherTheVMan]

hmmm_de_hum wrote:

JS1200 made from basswood???

most ibanezs' are. i love that guitar although i'll wait for the ones with the Mo'Joe pickup in instead of the fred, its better tonally. why are you surprised that its been set up well anyway? its an ibanez!

[ArcherTheVMan]

i just noticed something, you dint alf get ripped off iv seen them for sale for half that price bloody ell.

[ArcherTheVMan]

actually ill say one more thing, ibanez dont make the damn strings you know.

[FLAN MAN]

i love the ibanez range i've never played one but from the way they look and from what i've heard there awesome

[Discouraged]

Hey Mr Flan Man, just walk into your local music shop and ask to try one out. Thats what I do. *Freeloader* Ha. =D

[wiggyisgreat]

lush

[The_Elitist]

Yeah, I don't know what kind of money you paid for it, but in US dollars, I always see it around 1300.

And yes, it is an awsome guitar!

[Nucc57]

I tried this out, I liked it, def has a great feel to it.

Side note: I rode the train (LIRR) with Joe Satriani a month ago. Hes from a Small Town from Carle Place, NY where I'm from. He went back there for mothers day. Whatta nice guy

[g-unitie]

too expensuve for my blood

[intthis]

wow, i picked mine up for under $1000 on ebay... and it was brand new...

just because it wasn't in the review, the volume and tone pots pull up and activate a hi-pass filter, and coil taps for both pickups... and you can get a whole mountain of sounds out of it... joe really knew what he was doing when he designed this thing.

[justinp93]

very nice guitar. tried it. very nice and easy to use.

cant afford it though

[Constantine]

Bleh. Don't like the sound or shape of this one.

Vai's Signature is better.... (Because I have one ;})

[TheAvrilero]

beautiful :O

[trying2learn]

mad hott

[crazymettal666]

It just looks like another strat. I agree with Constantine.

[Kaolin]

this guitar is a goddes ready to be set free...a beautiful goddes might i add

[angelcommand]

Firstly, its 2280 aussie dollars - meaning its about 1600 american. Yeah, lol, i didnt lyk the body shape at first sight, looked like a hyped up bass guitar, but live? it looks soo fine baby. And yeah the sound is vintage-post modern mix, so its not exactly on everyones christmas list. Oh! and it cost that much coz it came in a deal - free acoustic guitar worth 1000 bucks
And secondly, the Vai sig. is a master instrument thats soo funky i prefered the JS1200 coz its simple and f***ing cool, and mostly fun! rock hard!

[angelcommand]

pressure's on when you've got a Steve Vai Sig. When people see you playing it, you've got to play something beautiful or else you're gonna have peoples lunch on you.

[Mahoru]

Very nice guitar. I've tried it and it's a dream!! Very comfortable, sweet and fast. I didn't buy it only cause I didn't have the money (1400 ?) at the moment, but someday I'll do. And NO, IT'S OT LIKE A STRAT. Believe me; I hate strats, but I loved this guitar!! You can't compare!! But before buying it, I have to get an ESP Edwards E-K-100GA, which suits better in my band (psychodelic j-rock)!! :P

[jam-man]

Constantine wrote:

Bleh. Don't like the sound or shape of this one.

Vai's Signature is better.... (Because I have one ;})

Actually, JS is considered to be a better guitar than JEM! Better electronics and hardware...

intthis wrote:

wow, i picked mine up for under $1000 on ebay... and it was brand new...

I'd watch out for those ebay guitars...many of them are bootleg...especialy JEMs and JSs!
Hope your's not!

[angelcommand]

uhh yeah thats true, the JS100 has a red version and it almost looks the same, so you can easily get @#%!ed on eBay!

[Aftertime]

oh yea, this is my dream gtar! really really want one

[Phill-Rock]

Its a great guitar, but I wasnt comfortable playing it and I think you can get better guitars for less money.

[tackledog]

savin up for one

[Ich_Bin_Ibanez]

this guitar is Amazing

[limefan913]

I have this thing, its amazing. Its $1400ish, and I love it. It just feels right. The JS Prestige neck is perfect, and, although all the stock pictures of this thing look like shit, its really an attractive guitar... very very shiny

[Tomaz24]

I want one. But I'm slightly concerned if it'll cover my funk/ska/jazz.

[RaDja]

lol. on contrary to public opinions, I've always felt that monkey grip and vine fretboard marks are just too much. Just like Vai. He's an amazing guitar player. But too much more show than skills. Satch can do anything Vai can do, but Satch is just a much more down to earth guy. If you know anything about Vai's techniques and THE WAY he's playing it, it's just more toward SHOW than actual DIFFICULTY.
I agree with angelcommand. I'd rather put up a simpler guitar look and deliver heavier blows than put up an extravagant look but not live up to ppl's expectations.
Plus, over USD 2k for JEMs vs 1.5k for JS? not worth it.

[messsamannn]

Hear Hear RaDja..I have both Jems, BFP and new Evo and just bought a JS1200. The JS1200 CA is the best guitar I have ever played. The $$ for Jems is for the showiness..I can tell you though...my JS has turned more heads than the Jems,..especially when arced up. It has the cleanest sound when distorted..you can clearly hear every note..where as the Jem is not as saturated, but a messier, dirty sound..Joe certainly got this right...especially with the hi pass filter and the coil split...Awesome guitar...can't recomment it hightly enough...So you know,. I picked it up in Japan about 2 months ago for $1200 AUS, ie 1200 Yen.

[schecter ftw]

This or a Jem??

[ITAthrasher]

This guitar is great.

[88-Muse-88]

schecter ftw wrote:

This or a Jem??

This one, definitely! It is Godly to play! I got it for GBP 750 and it was the best deal of my life (the normal RRP in England is GBP 1100!)

[Hamish McDonald]

In real life the finish looks so deep - almost bottomless

[Metallican666]

Awesome axe, man!

[IofHorus]

I was just on the Ibanez website. None of the js series have a edge pro bridge, including this model. It says Edge. Not pro. Did you modify it?

[JohnnySp]

dude one question...can i play dream theater's stuff with this guitar?

[Blargaha]

JohnnySp wrote:

dude one question...can i play dream theater's stuff with this guitar?

You can play their six string stuff on a Les Paul if you would desire that. What guitar you use has very little with what music you can play.