Wow.
Ok. Ok. Let’s get started, there is so much to reply to here (I wonder how many useful man hours this post has consumed so far?).
First, a resounding round of applause to all the ‘oh he can’t back it up so he hasn’t posted a reply’ type posts. (As well as the ‘please mutilate yourself’, ‘you are a tool’, ‘stop messing with our forums’ etc posts). I don’t spend every waking second salivating over possible responses to my forum posts, I had stuff to do today.
Now I’ve got a few minutes so I will make a thoughtful and concise response.
Defined: “In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion”
Am I trolling here?
No, I think not.
My post was not irrelevant, this is a forum about guitars and music associated with said instruments. It is full of opinions, banter, reviews and comment.
I made comment on a brand of guitar I find less than noteworthy.
In my opinion. (That’s the key right there).
It’s my opinion. I am entitled to it.
My post was also not an off topic response to some other thread.
The only reason it could be construed as controversial in any way is because of how YOU react to it.
I did not post “All guitarists are &^%$s” or “man, isn’t religion just a crock of %^$#”
Those statements are controversial in any light and cannot be backed up with any sense or reasoning.
My statement, as an opinion, can be.
So.
If you would care to listen (Again).
I don’t like Ibanez instruments.
Having played various RG models, all entry level, in the quest for a first electric guitar (Some 9 years ago) I found myself at a loss for a tone, versatility or quality that I enjoyed. Even then, knowing next to nothing about what I liked or how to approach the instrument, I still knew I did not like these guitars.
Their necks were too thin for me, the frets felt too ‘high, blocky, bumpy’ (I prefer smoothed and rounded fret wire), Looks wise they are too pointy and tone wise all I got was a buzzsaw chug on distortion and a piercing high on clean. I ended up with a Yamaha Pacifica after taking some advice from the store (Andys) and considering what styles of music I enjoy.
It served me faithfully for years (Until it was stolen) :'( (Sad face for me).
I have also managed to try out an SZR520 model (In dark violin sunburst) recently.
This thing is dead cool looks wise. It’s more rounded (As I like) and the through body string design looks damn nice. And gone is that harsh knife-like pointed headstock.
Tone wise I didn’t enjoy this guitar either. Same issues as RG on bridge and muddy goings-on at the neck pickup. I won’t even mention the supposedly professional level 5 string basses I have come across in my limited time playing these things. Give me a Jazz Bass or (If I had tons of money) a Rickenbacker 4000 series.
:O Daaaamn, they are pretty.
I sooo would try out a Jet King JTK30H, but alas they are not imported into this country. (I asked music mate & music conn). No luck. But they do look nice and reviews seem to agree on a fairly good sound for an entry level semi-hollow.
SO.
Having formed opinions on the actual sound and playability of the gear (And by collecting and trying large amounts of different gear myself) I come to the other point I made.
Ibanez has an image.
It is one of balls to the wall metal. Speed metal. Trashed out shred your face off riffing.
Yes. I know there are jazz guitarists that use their semi-hollows but if you are honest you will agree that Ibanez as a brand caters to a certain crowd. Go watch a random up-and-coming-bands middle of the week gig at roxys or tempos and tell me you don’t see entry level RG’s being played across the slew of punk & metal bands that embrace them.
Facts.
When I think of Ibanez I think automatically of the awe inspiring technical virtuosos that are Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
Oh lord YES, these men can play the crap out of a guitar.
But.
Here are a few analogies for you all.
http://www.danmagness.com/danmagness/Freestyling.html
That man holds an extremely impressive record. He kept a football airborne and juggling for 24 HOURS. 24 godamned HOURS!!!!
He clearly has coordination, control, dexterity and stamina.
But.
Is he a FOOTBALLER?!
No. Simply. NO, not at all, not ever, not now, not in a million years.
Francesco Totti will wipe the field with him any given day. Because the skill sets are different .
The abilities are technically similar but one man can do what the other man cannot. Play the game.
The same could be said of film stunt car drivers who are by no means good racing drivers.
Battlefield medics who might not make good private practice surgeons or doctors.
Mainframe programmers and sys admins who cannot fix their own windows based desktop/laptop computers (I meet them every single day).
They cannot play the game.
Vai and Satch cannot play the game.
The game here being song writing.
The skill of translating into sound the base human emotions.
Those men cannot do those things.
And neither can any of the slew of super speedy metal and jazz fusion etc etc guitarists who spend 9 hours a day practicing.
Song writing is an esoteric skill.
It’s not about muscle strength or speed.
NONE of you can honestly say that you picked up a musical instrument with the goal of playing it amazingly quickly in order to impress people.
You did so because you felt you could write a piece of music that spoke to someone and conveyed a sense of connectedness.
You wanted to write songs.
This is the reason I don’t like those guys and players like them. For every well produced super technical album/song/guitarist/drummer whatever that you can point out to me I can point you to something far less well recorded, far less technical and FAR more impressive.
Arctic Monkeys. That band of 19 year olds achieved more with their debut album than Vai or Satch has in 30 years of play. They spoke to people. That child (He was at the time) got up on a stage and ripped into every heart and mind that his music entered. Because he can write songs.
Just as Kurt Cobain, J Mascis, The Edge, Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo, Jimmy Page, John Lennon & Paul McCartney, Brian McMahan and Buddy Holly etc etc etc (On ad-infinitum) did and still do.
They step back the amazing technical elements and write for the song. Sure bust out an off the wall solo when it’s required.
But don’t go on and overblow it with no emotion or feeling for 13 minutes (I point to Jason Becker & Yngwie here too).
You can right now go trawl through youtube and find videos of 9 year old Korean children playing amazingly technical guitar. Unbelievable technical talent that would make any session musician weep with shame, but not songwriting.
So.
Long post. Sorry bout that.
I posted originally with no intention to inflame, but you all took offense.
I have opinions and I share them.
They come from a place of fairly extensive knowledge and experience. So yeah.
Pick apart my arguments if it’s “so easy to do”.
Discuss this. That’s what forums are for.
Call me what you will and think as I know you probably do.
No worries for me.
?
Thanks for reading guys.
I shall continue to read this forum and consider its members opinions (I'll probably buy gear from some of you) (Again), though perhaps I won’t post much since my debut was so massively mistaken.
Later All
