I got one of these axes about 6 months ago so I reckon I am now qualified to write an informed review.
JEM77B RMR Features:
Body Material - Basswood
Neck Material - 5pc Maple/Walnut
Neck Type/Neck Scale - JEM Prestige/25.5"
No. Frets/Type - 24/6105
Fingerboard - Rosewood
Inlay - Pearl Dot
Bridge - Edge Pro
H/W Color - Chrome
Neck Pickup - DiMarzio Breed Humbucker
Middle Pickup - DiMarzio Breed Single
Bridge Pickup - DiMarzio Breed Humbucker
Controls -1V, 1T and 5-way switch
Other Special Features - Clear Pickguard, Lions Claw Tremolo Cavity, Monkey Grip.
First off, this is the coolest looking guitar I have ever seen. The photos on sales websites do not do it justice. The entire front of the guitar is a crystal clear mirror good enough for Gene Simmons to do his make up :p The head comes with the coveted Ibanez Jem logo which only serves to make it look cooler still. But looking cool is not what this guitar is all about. It is an amazing piece of gear!
At first I was little taken aback by the sound of the Dimarzio Breed pickups. They certainly have a unique tone! Although Dimarzio describe them as "hot", they bear no resemblence to Evolutions which no longer sound 'new' as most new upper end models are equipped with these (or the terrible stock Ibz/Dmz's), which I was almost expecting them to sound like. This is one of the few guitars that i have ever played that has a unique tone all of it's own. The pickups combined with the basswood body create a tone that is perfect for rock, metal, shred. The sound is crystal clear, no hums or buzzes and feedback (if wanted), can be easily controlled in a highly harmonic way. The only way to describe the tone from this guitar is to imagine other quality axes as having a specific coloured tone (black, blue, red... whatever). Well, in that context the Bad Horsie has the entire spectrum of tones, like a rainbow of sound (sounds wierd but if you try one you'll see what I mean).
Clean sounds are simply beautiful and high gain settings kick ass for lead. The neck setting keep perfect definition and is excellent for sweep picking or neo-classical runs. Unlike a lot of other Ibanez models which get muddy or overly mid/bassy, the Breeds keep everything tight and clear. I would see this guitar as being perfect for anyone who plays a lot of lead.
The neck is the fastest I've used. I also have an Ibanez Prestige which has a classic Wizard neck but the Bad Horsie comes with the JEM Prestige/25.5" neck of Maple and Walnut. The finish used for the neck varnish is lovely, no matter how sweaty your hands get, you won't get that "sticky" feeling that can slow you down and cost you a bum note. Also, the neck itself is wafer thin, thinner again than a Wizard (which is also wider). All 24 frets are easily accessable, as with most Ibanez guitars.
One other cool feature of the Jem models is the monkey grip. Why on earth every guitar doesnt have one I don't know because it's just so usefull, especially if you are lugging gear around and you don't want to risk banging your guitar off something in a tight studio full of sharp corners.
They are advertised with n RRP of $3099 but I got mine including delivery costs for €1800 from a dealer on E-Bay (included a Prestige flight case with plush interior).
One thing that I wish Ibanez had done differently though would be to add the Vine of Life in chrome to the fretboard instead of the standard dot markings. It would give the guitar that extra bit needed to make it stand out in appearance as a Jem, but then again, thats only for looks.
The trem system is the Edge Pro set in a deep Lions Claw cavity which allows extreme trem work up and down with the ability of remaining in perfect tune.
I just used this guitar in a studio and got a nice sound for heavy rhythm by simply allowing the bass guitar to work on the low end. The Jem worked perfectly to colour the sound but stood out most on the lead parts. Although I recorded everything through Mesa gear, I have found that this axe works best for lead parts through Marshall hardware.
Bottom line, if you play a lot of lead and are thinking of investing in a high end Ibanez, give this one serious consideration. I'd give this one 10/10 or 98/100 (minus 2 marks for not having the Vine Of Life).
