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James... « It's almost perfect for me »
Published on 12/19/11 at 18:30I've always loved the prestige line from Ibanez. Made in Japan. ZR edge bridge. Mahogany body and rosewood fretboard. 24 frets. Usual Ibanez pickups and control set. HSH pickup setup. The neck is your usual wizard shape. Obviously it has the typical thin S body shape.
UTILIZATION
As guitars go, these are probably the easiest models to play ever. The body and neck shape are made for maximum shred and mobility around the guitar. It has a pretty genius design and that's why I like them for playing in the studio and live. Ibanez is known for this but the prestige S series especially has this in spades. These are also very well crafted and very reliable as I have found out from a number of prestige guitars I've had over the years. The cost a bit but the japan craftsmanship is worth it.
SOUNDS
The thing about these is they need a pickup change. The Ibanez pickups in this aren't awful but they aren't great either. A good set of Dimarzio or even Bare Knuckle pickups go a long way to improve the tone. I can't recommend that enough. The stock ones tend to try and cover too much ground and most players are better off getting a set that is more focused to their type of music. In my case this is prog metal. I suspect most people who buy these are of the metal persuasion.
OVERALL OPINION
The playability of these is amazing. That said I have some gripes. The finish isn't really my thing. It's a minor annoyance but still, I'm not a fan of the trans black color. Also, the front jack design is annoying for a guy like me who uses an angled jack. Beware of this. It's something that can be overlooked easily. Also, I don't love this version of the Edge trem. I think I like the edge pro better even though I can't point out why.
UTILIZATION
As guitars go, these are probably the easiest models to play ever. The body and neck shape are made for maximum shred and mobility around the guitar. It has a pretty genius design and that's why I like them for playing in the studio and live. Ibanez is known for this but the prestige S series especially has this in spades. These are also very well crafted and very reliable as I have found out from a number of prestige guitars I've had over the years. The cost a bit but the japan craftsmanship is worth it.
SOUNDS
The thing about these is they need a pickup change. The Ibanez pickups in this aren't awful but they aren't great either. A good set of Dimarzio or even Bare Knuckle pickups go a long way to improve the tone. I can't recommend that enough. The stock ones tend to try and cover too much ground and most players are better off getting a set that is more focused to their type of music. In my case this is prog metal. I suspect most people who buy these are of the metal persuasion.
OVERALL OPINION
The playability of these is amazing. That said I have some gripes. The finish isn't really my thing. It's a minor annoyance but still, I'm not a fan of the trans black color. Also, the front jack design is annoying for a guy like me who uses an angled jack. Beware of this. It's something that can be overlooked easily. Also, I don't love this version of the Edge trem. I think I like the edge pro better even though I can't point out why.