Ibanez and Bullying

Sar

Hello everyone.

For more than 10 years I've been playing an Ibanez Prestige RG2570E , bought online as I was too shy to sit on a guitar shop to try different models, and based on the fact that some of my favourite bands used Ibanez, good reviews and features.

I already had an Ibanez GIO and wanted to "upgrade", spent around €850 (yes, I wasn't living in UK yet) thinking that was the right thing to do. I am not sure anymore as probably I could've spend less to achieve same or better results.

Since the first day, band members, friends, studio guys and whoever was listening or trying my guitar has been always consistently saying "The pickups are bad", "the neck is too thin", "Ibanez aren't real guitars", "this guitar is a rip off", and even a band I played with saying "you should buy another guitar, to continue playing with us".

This has never put me off and I continued to play regardless, also knowing its price, and they never attacked me or my technique personally, but the guitar as the sole fault I've never sound really good compared to others.

Today I am more towards the idea it is me that needs to improve playing, and I am sorta re-learning the basics, even if I've been playing in bands and gigs for almost 20 years.

I am also looking for a second guitar, and despite thinking for ages that my third instrument would've been a more expensive one, I am now more towards the idea to spend way less (even half) than last time.

It has been shown clearly to me that big money don't make big guitar/guitarists.

I would like to know if this is something familiar with you and what's your opinion about it.

ICBM

There's absolutely nothing wrong with your guitar, but some people are just dicks.

In fact it's a pretty high-quality guitar. If there's anything wrong with the sound you're getting, it's more likely to be down to the amp, pedals or set-up of the guitar.

Perhaps some of them should listen to someone like Steve Vai or Paul Gilbert playing an Ibanez and then say that they aren't real guitars...

thegummy

Some of those comments are just opinions based on the people's personal preferences but anyone saying "Ibanez aren't real guitars", even assuming they really mean that it's not a highly respected top-line brand, don't know their arse from their elbow!

Would Joe Satriani or Steve Vai spend a whole career not playing real guitars? Or probably countless other top name players, especially in the metal world?

I wouldn't want to play with a band who tried to dictate what gear I used - God knows how they might try to dictate how I actually play. I'd also dismiss anyone who claimed Ibanez aren't real guitars as ignorant.

DannyP

That's a real shame you've had to put up with that.

I wonder what kind of music you're playing? If it's metal, then those comments make zero sense.

If it's classic rock, blues or indie, I can kind of imagine the scenarios where those kind of comments might take place. Not excusing it, but I can imagine it.

But guitar music is full of people using incongruous guitars to really good effect, so I wouldn't let it worry you.

To be honest "The pickups are bad", "the neck is too thin", is the kind of insensitive sh!te I might come out with, not realising that it might upset someone,

but "Ibanez aren't real guitars", "this guitar is a rip off", and "you should buy another guitar, to continue playing with us" are just ridiculous comments that should certainly be ignored.

octatonic

It comes down to fashion- Ibanez guitars aren't cool in some circles.
I am betting though that none of the people criticising your guitar are professional musicians with a proven track record and  commercial releases.
Play what you like and be happy.

As ICBM says, some people are just dicks.

FWIW here in Asia I seem more Ibanez guitars than anything else.
They dominate so completely here and Fender and Gibson would love a piece of that action, let alone the boutique brands which do not even get a look in.

darthed1981

Sar said:

Since the first day, band members, friends, studio guys and whoever was listening or trying my guitar has been always consistently saying "The pickups are bad", "the neck is too thin", "Ibanez aren't real guitars", "this guitar is a rip off", and even a band I played with saying "you should buy another guitar, to continue playing with us".

Sounds like you've had the misfortune to be dealing with some c*nts.

My sympathies.

Funkfingers

Old proverb say, opinions are like arseholes. Everybody's got one.

Most of the flak being directed at you and your guitar sounds like puerile gobshite. Some guitarists, usually male ones, seem to appraise instruments according to price and what "designer label" components have gone into them.

Taking the pickups as an example. DiMarzio/IBZ pickups are a co-design, manufactured in SE Asia. To label snobs, this makes them "inferior". For what it is worth, my PRS S2 Vela has Korean pickups. They suit it perfectly. Whacking in a boutique humbucker would be no guarantee of achieving a "better" sound. In any event, better is subjective. 

Sar said:

"you should buy another guitar, to continue playing with us".

People with this attitude are poseurs not musicians. 

In your position, I would enquire how many gigs they have booked. Tell them that this is how long they have to find your replacement. Act professionally but get the **** out as soon as possible.

munckee

Google Dave Simpson on youtube and watch him play an encore or a squier, the guitar is a tool.

bloodandtears

^ this.. 5** series Ibanez were often made in Japan.. very decent guitars.. not much difference between these and Vai and Gilberts signature models really...

Paul7926

Only thing I can think of other then these people just being idiots is perhaps the style of music that was being played.  I know a gigging guitarist who pretty much only plays Ibanez and owns, shall we say, several, and can certainly make them sound great but they play mostly metal/rock covers plus some of their own stuff which is also in that genre.

On the other hand I went out last Friday to watch a pub band and in the second set they played 'Highway to Hell' into 'Enter Sandman' and whilst there was nothing technically wrong with what they did the guitarist was playing a Fender style guitar and it just didn't sound 'right'.  There was nothing wrong with the guitarist or the guitar but the sound didn't have the punch that I think those songs need.

With all that said anyone who doesn't think Ibanez are 'real' guitars is probably someone who's opinion you shouldn't worry very much about.

Snags

munckee said:

Google Dave Simpson on youtube and watch him play an encore or a squier, the guitar is a tool.

Equally, a lot of the people Sar has had the misfortune to interactive with in the past are tools ...

skunkwerx

Your guitar, even if its an Ibanez gio (I have one too, its beaten a fender mexican in quality by the way), and your playing is yours to judge, and yours alone my friend. 

You improve whatever you want. We all strive to be a better guitarist, always, but it doesnt matter what you play on man. 

Hendrix had to use an upside down guitar whilst being black in the 60's and 70's. I bet he took some shit bless him. 

Guess what I'm saying is, build your own confidence up too, that will serve you far better than any gear or skill can! 

Nikc

People are weird - your guitar wouldn't be for me (my eldest son and my brother in law love them) but its yours and if you like then that is all that matters to you. At one of the blues jams I go along to there is a guy who plays an RG and another pointy head type guitar - bugger me he sounds good

Sassafras

Can't speak for your particular model but I've never played a bad Ibanez. Even the cheap ones are serious instruments.
I get laughed at because I don't like Gibsons.

FelineGuitars

It seems to be dumb tribalism at play , and people going by "internet wisdom"

It's as dumb as kids at school saying you can't play football with us because your trainers are a different brand....makes no difference to your football skills

Any guitar brand can sound good provided you have two bits of wood that work well together...you know - the body and the neck.

Other than that you can have it checked to see if it plays as well or as easily as it can, and sure you can change bits if you wanted to, but if it inspires enough to make you play , then crack on and play that guitar.

I'm sure there are many players with great playing guitars that were a budget brand that have covered or removed the logo to avoid all that dumb chatter and concentrate on the important bit- playing music.

Here isJoe Satriani playing a cheap guitar ....still sounds like Joe

thecolourbox

Out of interest, what guitars do they play? I find this kind of thing really angering, how dare they try to make you feel bad about what you have and what you like, when there is clearly nothing wrong with what you have. Like if you were showing up to band rehearsal with a badly setup Encore into a Squier Frontman 15 amp then fair enough, but Ibanez are a well established brand in many fields with good reason. I've only had one myself (an old Jet King) but despite being out of the usual target audience of the metal/rocker models, I'd be quite keen to try some of those types and also some of the lower end models like the Artcores look genuinely good and you know they'd be good instruments.

Don't be embarrassed about what you have, if anything they are probably jealous that you sound better than them so they are just picking faults with something they see as different to them.

rossi

I played a new modern Talman tele type a few months ago and it had bad fret sprout but it was long hot summer.It doesnt worry me as I do a fret job on most guitars cheap or expensive but was surprised .A very good guitar though .

steamabacus

I'm not one for 'pointy' guitars but there's nothing wrong with Ibanez ... 

Like others have said, I don't ever remember playing a 'bad' one. OK, I've swapped out the pickups on all of mine, but that's personal preference (and the originals weren't terrible).

usedtobe

Ibanez guitars are great! Some people are dicks!

hotpickups

I was going to join a band years ago but then they said that I had to buy a marshall amp to be in it. I didn't bother after that. Be yourself and you'll feel better about your choice then. What do they know anyway other than being brand snobs 

Mark1960

Hi Sar - I totally agree with all of the above, and fully support you. Keep on playing with whatever you fancy, and if it works for you then great, and just ignore and distance yourself from anybody who says otherwise. They aint worth bothering with! Certainly everone on Fretboard that i have encountered would say the same.