Hey guys,

Been a while since I posted on this forum, so long infact that I forgot my log in details of my old account.

I'm in the process of buying my first 'big boy' guitar this week (Ibanez ATZ100-SBT) and should drive and pick it up this Friday if all goes according to plan.

I'm doing an experiment where I want to compare a expensive guitar that is setup by a professional and a mid range guitar that has been modded pretty aggressively to get the best tone possible.

The mods include tropical fish cap 0.022, 680pf + 150k resistor in series treble bleed, bass cut pot 0.0047uF, all new pots (push pull for coil split) switchcraft barreljack, vintage shielded single core wire, shielding for guitar (copper foil), new pickups (dimarzio liquifire neck + seymour duncan pegasus bridge) fret edge roll, leveling etc. etc. basically a new guitar which is a Ibanez RG2570Z Prestige.

The reason for the experiment is apparent I would guess, but I have no clue who has a reputation for setting up guitars to a very high standard in the Western Cape. I'm in the Overberg area but I drive to Cape Town for work each week so can be anywhere in Western Cape.

Would really appreciate it if you guys might point me in the right direction as after I bought the ATZ100 I would like to go drop it off to get setup properly. Thanks a bunch.

OD1 For me the dude to get the electrical side of it done properly is Gareth Travis (https://www.facebook.com/gareth.travis.1) - the rest would be either Foster Guitarworks (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010165484153) or Francois at Traut GuitarWorx (https://www.facebook.com/TrautGuitarWorx)

IIRC Foster will send the guitar to Gareth for electrical side of things and do the frets/setup, while Francois will do most of it himself. I'd chat to them and see what they say - you'll get a feel for whom you'd rather work with.

I've worked with all and Foster's setups are pretty damn good, Gareth's electrical work is excellent and Francois is a wizard that can rescue the most tragic of instruments.

There are others, but those are the ones I know have been around a while and I have used myself.

Thats plenty thank you very much - I'll contact them and see what they say.

Much appreciated.

So I just wanted to update this. I'm actually speechless I am struggling to make sense of what just happened.

So I just got home after fetching the ATZ100 - I plugged it in expecting that there will be a difference but would still be comparable to my other guitar. There is such a bit difference in terms of play-ability, tone and resonance - dynamic response.......the ATZ sounds clear yet almost all the settings I tried sounded good, not harsh at all....I had to fight my other guitar to not sound harsh in the upper frequencies.

I'm struggling to make sense of why there is such a bit difference.....honestly I have no clue. I want to understand the why but I can already confirm that buying an expensive guitar vs midrange guitar that you mod.......hands down the expensive guitar, they are not even in the same universe.....insanity.

OD1 Been a Biatc$ to setup, as the 25.5" scale length produces a really high string tension, not really use to it.

Using 10's? Fender usually ships strats w/9's from the factory. Though this can differ from model to model.

I play a bit of classical - until you've tried high tension nylon strings on a nylon - then 10's on a 25.5 might seem tight. They're not

V8

It looks like a Fender but the guitar is a Ibanez, yip with 10's but I think I did something wrong with the setup as well, as I took the guitar to a guy who set it up properly and it wasnt as I remember when I set the guitar up.

It went back though as I couldn't believe that a high end guitar that is brand new would need a fret leveling job done, and I was wrong yet again - checked the frets with a rocker and nope........not level.

OD1 It looks like a Fender but the guitar is a Ibanez

Yeah, I meant the 25.5 scale length - Fender does a sneaky and sends their 25.5in scale length guitars out the door w/9's. Easy feeling and you can bend 2 semi tones without cutting off your finger tips.

OD1 high end guitar that is brand new would need a fret leveling job done,

Yeeeaahhhh, that's dissapointing. Is it in many places or just in one spot? A fret might have popped out, but that is rather rare.