Greetings, GFSA boarders!
After doing loads of research online I still find myself unable to make a solid decision. There are literally hundreds of Ibanez vs. Jackson debates all over the net, some even on dedicated Ibby or Jackson forums (surely the OP's shoud expect biased opinions on these??). I know that it all comes down to personal preference and that both have there gems (Jems?) and cheaper, crappier models, so in this case I'm going to ask your opinions on particular models from each brand.
I play a cheap, MIC Epiphine LP Standard which I've set up perfectly myself and thrown a Duncan Invader in the bridge and this baby plays like a US Gibson LP Custom, I shit you not (this may cause some controversy but I've A/B'ed this guitar with a number of high-end models and it holds it's ground every time)! So I know for a fact that while lower-end axes may not look quite as pretty or be quite as solid as their 12 grand-plus aunties, a cheaper guitar often has the potential to be an amazing instrument when setup and modded just right.
Soooo, after that long intro (sorry about that), let me get to the gist of it. I desperately want a good bang for the buck superstrat "shredder" and have pretty much narrowed it down to 2 potential winners (in all honesty I cannot really afford these either but I lie awake at night thinking about 24 jumbo fret, thin-necked shredding machines):
- Ibanez RG321
-- fixed bridge, so no headaches regarding cheap, unstable trems
-- the mahogany body is another plus since I am used to Les Pauls
-- they're decently priced and I haven't found a single bad review
- Jackson PS 2 or 4 (Japan-made from the mid 90's
-- I've read that the necks on these things are some of the thinnest, most comfortable Jackson necks (and I played a MIJ SL3 at my local music shop yesterday, most comfortable neck I have ever laid hands on, this would be me #1 choice but it costs 14k so it's out of the question)
-- the PS-2 has Seymour Duncans in it already (upgraded from the stock pups by the original owner)
-- has a trem, which I may or may not use much anyway, although I've read good and bad reviews about the stock trems, as with all low-mid range ones
-- I got one of their catalogues back in '95 and I used to drool over it when I was a kid, especially the PS-4!
Apologies for the long-winded post, I would appreciate some opinions from those of you who've played both. I've played neither, they are all being sold out of town or on ebay so I can't test them out...
After doing loads of research online I still find myself unable to make a solid decision. There are literally hundreds of Ibanez vs. Jackson debates all over the net, some even on dedicated Ibby or Jackson forums (surely the OP's shoud expect biased opinions on these??). I know that it all comes down to personal preference and that both have there gems (Jems?) and cheaper, crappier models, so in this case I'm going to ask your opinions on particular models from each brand.
I play a cheap, MIC Epiphine LP Standard which I've set up perfectly myself and thrown a Duncan Invader in the bridge and this baby plays like a US Gibson LP Custom, I shit you not (this may cause some controversy but I've A/B'ed this guitar with a number of high-end models and it holds it's ground every time)! So I know for a fact that while lower-end axes may not look quite as pretty or be quite as solid as their 12 grand-plus aunties, a cheaper guitar often has the potential to be an amazing instrument when setup and modded just right.
Soooo, after that long intro (sorry about that), let me get to the gist of it. I desperately want a good bang for the buck superstrat "shredder" and have pretty much narrowed it down to 2 potential winners (in all honesty I cannot really afford these either but I lie awake at night thinking about 24 jumbo fret, thin-necked shredding machines):
- Ibanez RG321
-- fixed bridge, so no headaches regarding cheap, unstable trems
-- the mahogany body is another plus since I am used to Les Pauls
-- they're decently priced and I haven't found a single bad review
- Jackson PS 2 or 4 (Japan-made from the mid 90's
-- I've read that the necks on these things are some of the thinnest, most comfortable Jackson necks (and I played a MIJ SL3 at my local music shop yesterday, most comfortable neck I have ever laid hands on, this would be me #1 choice but it costs 14k so it's out of the question)
-- the PS-2 has Seymour Duncans in it already (upgraded from the stock pups by the original owner)
-- has a trem, which I may or may not use much anyway, although I've read good and bad reviews about the stock trems, as with all low-mid range ones
-- I got one of their catalogues back in '95 and I used to drool over it when I was a kid, especially the PS-4!
Apologies for the long-winded post, I would appreciate some opinions from those of you who've played both. I've played neither, they are all being sold out of town or on ebay so I can't test them out...