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Posted by: Gilmore Oct 24 2007, 07:39 PM

Hi

I´m planning on buying a new guitar (my 3rd electric). I can´t descide wether to buy Gibson Lespaul Classic or Vai´s Signature Jem. I already have a Gibson SG 1961 reissue, and a Stratocaster. Mabye the LP sounds too simular to the SG, but i´m also looking for a guitar that suits many styles, and I had the Jem in mind for that. Probably end up buying both ........no my wife would kill me. I know the LP suits my playing style more, but damn I want that Jem too.

Anyone here has a LP Classic?

Posted by: Unleash-The-Shred Oct 24 2007, 07:54 PM

I'd get whatever YOU want, its really all personal preference if you know what your looking for.

Edit: Don't get what someone else suggests, because they may tell you to get something that they think is better, but you may have a different opnion!

Posted by: Unleash-The-Shred Oct 24 2007, 08:05 PM

Oh and here are a few things about the JEM...I own one, I also own a Les Paul

The JEM has a JEM Prestige neck, very thin, good for shred.

Pickups: DiMarzio: Evolution Neck Humbucker, Evolution Middle Single-coil, Evolution Bridge Humbucker.

24 Frets. (Unlike Satriani's Guitar)

...I'll add more later, I have to go.

Posted by: Wyldedime Oct 24 2007, 09:32 PM

It depends on what kind of guitarplayer you are.
I`m a Les Paul player, Les Paul is tha axe to get if you want to rock your balls of on the stage, and I use my Fender Strat HM to those songs who involves some fiddeling and wammybar techniques.
By the way, the SG and Les Paul is two different worlds...but that will also depend on wich model you got. My SG is kind of thin sounding, and lack a lot of sustain compared with the Les Paul.
My Les Paul feels like a firebreathing monster, and I actually need that weight
it puts on my shoulders...literally and metaforically.:-)

And you have to excuse me if I mispell and got some funny sentences, I`m from Norway...but I hope you understand what I meen :-)

Posted by: Gilmore Oct 24 2007, 11:14 PM

Your English is close enough better than mine anyway.

I got the 61 reissue SG. It probably has thinner sound than LP, but it´s got PLENTY sustain. It´s far more superiour to the Standard or Special SG´s.

Posted by: Pavel Oct 24 2007, 11:56 PM

LP and JEM are two different worlds. You can't compare those. If you already have SG, i think a JEM would be a better addition to your collection.

Posted by: Unleash-The-Shred Oct 25 2007, 12:00 AM

Well a LP would usually have more sustain because of the thickness of the body and neck.

A JEM has decent sustain though, LP's sustain is better.

You could also trade in your SG, for a decent LP, (more money will probably be needed) and also buy a JEM, I like LP's better than SG's

Posted by: Gilmore Oct 25 2007, 08:41 PM

Thanks for your views guys.

I think it´s more like adding to the collection than needing another one. Like Pavel said, the Jem would be a good choice since I got the SG. I will not be selling the SG. I think I´ll buy the Jem now, then I mabye in few years I´ll be going after the LP.

It´s also nice to have a guitar that has a good whammy bar like the Jem. My regular Strat, is not good enough for that.

Posted by: kevin-riff-after-riff Oct 26 2007, 10:04 PM

JEMM!!!!! get the jem! you get your moneys worth. les pauls pickups are just some general output, jem has high output, which should worth more, since they are more powerful, if the les paul ones cost more,it is just stupid, coz it isnt actually worth more.
the bridge of the jem is a edge pro whilst les paul has a lame old bridge, that is worth less as well.
the neck is probably worth more on the JEM as well coz its got all special inlays and stuff.
and les paul can make bout 2 sounds, loud guitar, quiet guitar. whilst jem can make loads coz of the difference between the pickups. u can do all sorts with jem pickups
and sorry if tis dont help, im just bored lol

Posted by: mattacuk Oct 26 2007, 10:10 PM

Well, there is nothing like a Gibson Les Paul, i would give the world for one. But the Jem is new technology and well worth the cash. I think it comes down personal prefence on this one!!

Im going to buy an RG presige next!

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Oct 26 2007, 10:20 PM

Versatility (Jem) vs All out tone&sustain (LP)

Posted by: Unleash-The-Shred Oct 26 2007, 10:48 PM

This isn't correct, LP's pickups can be VERY good. The bridges arent cheap, and the necks are great and there are many styles of necks for LP's. How did you come up with this.

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-IBA-S2170SE-NTF.html

I like these also.

Posted by: kevin-riff-after-riff Oct 30 2007, 04:59 AM

rightyeah. you want sustain, get a (i think) framus sustainer pickups. dont need no les paul for sustain. and the bridges cost alot on the price tag, but it isnt really worth much, tis just fat pieces of metal screwed on to your guitar. whilst the ibanez egde pro comes with many more screws and springs and a whammy bar if your lucky lol it is generally worth more in what you physically get unles you heavily mod it like buckethead does

Posted by: mattacuk Oct 31 2007, 05:53 PM

Gibsons Burstbucker pickups as fitted in the standards are generally considered a legend in tone.

Really these two guitars are worlds apart!! One is vintage tone, style and play.

The other is a leathal sonic weapon with all the bells and whistle that come with it !!

Are you a super sonic shredder? or a Les Paul rocker?

Posted by: tonymiro Oct 31 2007, 06:12 PM

Not a comment on the relative merits of Jems vs LPs but on the quality and price tag of a Gibson (much of this would almost certainly apply to a Jem):

Bought my first Gibson about 30 years ago and during the intervening years have spent very little time cleaning it. It's been through numerous gigs, survived 9 house moves - including several changes of country and climate. The bridge looks, and works, as good as new. It has no pits, no oxidation marks, no rust. The chroming on it is first class and the intonation adjustment is as sweet and smooth as the day I bought it.

My first ever guitar had a cheap Gibson style bridge. The chroming on that started to strip in the first year. If I remember rightly I paid 75 UK sterling for that first guitar and it lasted about 2 years - it's probably worth about 5 UK sterling now. I paid 535 UK sterling for the Gibson (still have the bill and receipt) and its lasted me over 30 - its valued at over 2,500 UK sterling.

You pay your money and you make your choice.

Cheers,
Tony

Posted by: Spiderusalem Oct 31 2007, 06:23 PM

Was it an LP?

Posted by: tonymiro Oct 31 2007, 06:31 PM

In this context it's a Gibson Les Paul.

Cheers,
Tony

Or maybe I'm misreading the question? The above took the Q as 'what is a LP?' Looking at it again if you mean is the guitar a LP then no it isn't - it's a Gibson semi - my LP is 3 1/2 years old and again the bridge shows no sign of age.

Posted by: Smells Oct 31 2007, 06:38 PM

Lets face it your not going to be disappointed with either purchase

Both top notch axes!

If it was my money I`d buy the Jem, purely for the weight issue .... ang on ... no the les paul awww I dunno

Buy both

Posted by: MickeM Oct 31 2007, 07:03 PM

It's a huge misunderstanding to think more output is better. What do you want huge output for, you got an amplifier, don't you?

What is the output of a 489T vs. the Evolution? I know as much that the impedance is almost the exact same.

Posted by: Juan M. Valero Oct 31 2007, 07:07 PM

As Pavel said they are two different worlds. I prefer Ibanez JEM... Why?? Those are my reasons:

Thin neck
24 frets
Microtuning (I don't know if it's the correct word, I'm translating directly from Spanish XD)
Whammy bar (I cannot play without it)
Floating bridge...

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Oct 31 2007, 09:26 PM

For drive - high output can be turned down, low output can;t be turned up, and if it isn't enough to drive your amp into distortion you need to get into boosters and such, so I say +1 for high output (as long as tone doesn't suffer!)

Posted by: mattacuk Oct 31 2007, 09:44 PM

For me, a 24 Fret Gibson Les Paul would be my dream weapon of choice. Unfortunatly i cannot afford a custom shop so i would probably opt for an Ibanez. A long slim neck is a very important thing to me!!

Posted by: coffeeman Oct 31 2007, 11:07 PM

+1

what about an Epihone Les Paul? (Should we open a new thread to compare the Ephinoe LP and the Gibson LP?)

Posted by: MickeM Nov 1 2007, 12:12 AM

But still, I stick to that it doesn't mean it's "better".

Say you for example have a pickup (not the Evolution's, ok) with a high output in which the winding is too lose all it will do it squeal. I wouldn't call that better just because they are high output. You made a reservation for tone there, clever.

Btw I think Yngwies tone is brilliant, with pickups that have almost no output what so ever.

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Nov 1 2007, 12:25 AM

Ok, lets compromise - high output can be desirable under certain circumstances for certain types of tone with certain amplifiers

Posted by: MickeM Nov 1 2007, 12:40 AM

Deal!

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Nov 1 2007, 01:27 AM

Posted by: TheReturnFC-Ibanez Nov 1 2007, 11:06 AM

O! Brave new guitar....

^^

I wish i could see combination of Gibson LP & Gem one day...

And surely... i will buy that one for SURE!!!!

They both are awesome...

Posted by: Goliath Nov 1 2007, 08:58 PM

Just buy a JEM20th and make everybody jealous.

Posted by: shredmandan Nov 1 2007, 09:13 PM

For me it would be the Jem hands down cause im more into the metal.But even that aside the Ibanez is more versatile than the les paul imo

Posted by: Gilmore Nov 2 2007, 08:50 PM

Yngwie uses DOD preamp overdrive pedeal to boost the output, because of low output pickups. But you get single coil pure tone with the extra low output without the buzz on regular single coils.

I´m very interested in the Malmsteen signature strat also. Mabye I buy the LP and and YJM strat. Yngwie´s strat goes for about 1200$, and that is not a high price for a guitar like that.

To bad that i can´t try out any of these guitars where i live. The music stores only has those high priced guitars for special orders.

Posted by: Maximus Nov 6 2007, 01:10 PM

I just don't understand the tension between the Les Paul vs Fender Strat vs Jem camps. Every forum you go to has people drooling over one and flaming the rest. The simple fact is that these guitars are really awesome pieces of craftsmanship with pluses and minusus on all sides. The Les Paul is a classic axe with a huge presence in music history. Same with the Strat. The Ibanez is just an awesome chunk of wood with a neck that really has no equal. If you are a musician, and one who really appreciates the history and the diversity of their craft, I don't see how you can have an aversion to any one of these tools. If I had my choice I would have one of each and I would have a smile on my face from sun up until sun down. Just my 2 cents.

Posted by: shammy Nov 6 2007, 02:57 PM

LoL, if Kevin-riff-after-riff is just busting balls, he is one funny mf'er

Posted by: Pavel Nov 6 2007, 08:03 PM

Honestly? I wouldn't buy it even if i had the money. It's around 4000$ but you can get much better guitar for that price.

Posted by: The Uncreator Nov 6 2007, 08:05 PM

The JEM 20th is geared towards collectors, not the average guitar player. And i say go for a Jem, playing on the neck is awesome, your vibrato feels like its on a stick of butter

Posted by: Spiderusalem Nov 6 2007, 08:14 PM

Now I'm gonna go vibrato over a stick of butter to see what its like to play a jem.

Posted by: Pavel Nov 6 2007, 08:37 PM

Hahahaha my God, let me know about the results of the experiment

Posted by: Goliath Nov 6 2007, 09:23 PM

It's 5k in the US!

Yeah Pavel, but if you pull up on the tone knob on other guitars, will the body light up? HUH!?! yeah didn't think so.

Now if you set it up with a couple laser pointers at the tips of the tuning pegs that woudl go off when the LED's were on, you'd have your own laser lights show!

Yes, I'm kidding, i recognize it's overpriced, but a see-thru guitar is still pretty awesome, just not for 5k

While we're on the topic of JEM's, why is the black one 100$ less than the white one?

Personally I prefer the look of the white one, but don't understand why the black one would be cheaper...

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Nov 6 2007, 10:01 PM

+1 - Great good sense there! I NEED all 3 (have the strat and the Jem already) since they are good for different things. Of all of them, the Jem is the closest to being an all rounder, but it has a less distinctive sound than either of the other 2.

Posted by: Spiderusalem Nov 7 2007, 04:54 AM

The results were inconclusive....

apparently, playing a jem is uncomfortable and a bit sticky, but it does make your fingers taste really good.

Posted by: Gilmore Nov 9 2007, 07:34 PM

I have decided I don´t need so expensive guitar right now and I have ordered Ibanex RG2570E (Vital Gold finish), and I will receive it in 2 or 3 weeks. I would have wanted more colours to chose from, but the Gold one looks just fine, but the Silver finish is not available any more.

I based my choice on many reviews and this one got very positive outcome, but so did RG2550E, but I didn´t like the look, but it´s very simular type dont´t you think? I like slim necks and I want all my guitars to have thin neck because I have rather small hands so the RG neck should fits my hands. I had a Jem for few years (one of the first models from 87´ i think) and the neck was perfect. But I sold it because I wanted Gibson, but now I think it´s nice to have an axe like Ibanez in my arsenal as well.

I think this guitar will do very well for now, mabye I trade it in for a Jem another day. I post some pictures when it arrives.