dante
Well-known member
I posted this on the Ibanez Forum recently:
And the Ibanez Forum moderator came back with:
Used? It's two months old...not a ding/scratch or dent on it. Am I wrong to expect the frets to not draw blood? Seems ridiculous to me to even have to ask that
Long time Ibanez fan, since I bought my first AM-50 in 1986. I'm not much of a pointy headstock guy, but I do have an old Explorer that'll be with me for life. I got a screaming deal on an RG4EXQM1 (love that cryptic Ibanez coding ). Had I not gotten this deal, I probably would not have chosen an RG to begin with. Just too pointy everywhere for my taste (lol) and this is the first time I've had JUMBO frets - this axe just isn't something I'd reach for in a store. She is purty - I got the antique burst, which to me, looks like the Antique Yellow Sunburst on the newer Artcore AM93 (see, that's more my style of an axe) Here's the lowdown on it
Basically, I'm seeing this as my new Strat with a Floyd-like bridge, an Edge III. I've read a lot of garbage about the Edge III but I find it working just fine for me. I set up the trem with my gauge of strings as soon as i got it, and she's in tune all the time. I suspect the bad talking about the trem is due to people's lack of experience with the Floyd system in general and a floating bridge in particular. The whole reason I got this for such a good deal is that the guy I traded with was sick of dealing with the trem and wanted a stoptail axe - I needed another guitar with a trem, so it all worked out.
The guitar is one of those 'only available at Guitar Center' models, which is an instant turn-off for me, BTW. Again, had I not gotten such a good deal, I would've probably picked a different model. It has the HsH P/U config, which I must say is fast becoming my favorite. Most of my other axes (except my Strat) are HH, so that extra single coil + the coil splitting possibilities, really opens up the guitar. I actually like the PUs that are in it, which is pretty rare for me. That's usually the first thing I do with every guitar - swap out the pickups. Not this one, I'm keeping them in there for awhile.
I'm really pleasantly surprised at how much I'm liking this guitar. Yeah, it's a new girl in the harem, so I'm reaching for her alot, but I really do enjoy playing the axe, plus she looks and it sounds great. I am a new fan of the shredder models in general. Nice job Ibanez!
ONE COMPLAINT: The edges of the frets are so sharp they could draw blood. Tsk tsk. I know this thing is only available to the rockheads at GC, but for a $500 guitar, you could finish the edges a bit smoother IMO. I would have NEVER bought this guitar in a store, I would've asked for another one of the same or similar model until I found one finished better.
And the Ibanez Forum moderator came back with:
Sharp fret edges can happen...it likely didn't start that way, with the change of season/temperature/humidity the wood will expand/contract while the frets will not. This can result in fret edges becoming sharp.
Since this istrument is used, I would find a good repair shop in your area and have them shave down/dress the frets for you...this should fix that complaint of yours
Used? It's two months old...not a ding/scratch or dent on it. Am I wrong to expect the frets to not draw blood? Seems ridiculous to me to even have to ask that