accidentally deleted my latest blog. i don't really remember all that i rambled on about, but it was something to do with the band i was supposed to be playing with being defunct. i'm hooked up with a bro who runs a skatepark in channelview, tx and plays guitar/ bass. even though his background is metal and mine is punk our styles mesh well. its pretty cool because he's been wanting to learn more punk and i've been wanting to learn more metal. we're looking to maybe put a house band together for the skatepark where there is also a cafe, gameroom, x-box as well as a stage- its not just for skaters. starting to get a lot of local bands wanting to come play there also. i'm totally stoked about the whole scene cause not only does it give me a place to play on 11 but its also a cool place for the kids around there to hang out, keep off the streets and stay out of trouble. channelview isn't exactly high society so most of the kids don't really have much of anything. i guess then that another bonus is that i get to be a positive role model for them. who would've ever thought? but i grew up around there so i know alot of the kids struggles and troubles. it feels really good to be able to give something positive back.
Just purchased the Ibanez S520EX in beautiful glossy black 3 days ago. I am really very much impressed with it. Like I said before, it is so much lighter, more comfortable and less bulky than my Gibson. By comparison my Gibson feels like a Mack truck hanging around my neck. I still love my Gibson- don't get me wrong. I think its just as beautiful as the Ibanez but in a different way. Kinda like your children. Diversity and variety are the spice of life.
After a few hours of playing it seems to me that maybe the frets are wider than the Gibson? I'm not sure; it may just be my imagination. The neck is so much slimmer than Gibson and my hands are pretty large so maybe thats it.
I know its because of this that I still keep muting the high e string. It'll just take a little time to get used to it.
So far I have no buyer's remorse about this purchase. The guitar feels so good around my neck, against my body and in my hands.
Many people knock the Infinity pups but they sound fine through my Vox AD100VT whether clean or dirty. Different but every bit as good as my Gib's. Again, wonderful diversity.
My only remorse is not checking this one out sooner. I try to keep an open mind about most things these days. "Don't" knock it 'til you try it." I'm willing to give most everything a shot. Do yourself a favor- give this guitar a shot.
The headstock on my Gibson was broken when it crashed to the floor so I went to Parker Music (Houston, TX) to look for a replacement. I pretty much had my mind narrowed down to either Schecter Corsair, S1 or PRS SE custom soapbar. Playing around on these wasn't helping me with my decision as they each have their pros & cons and I was enjoying them all. Looking around as I played I saw an impossibly thin beautifully finished black guitar. Walking up to it I saw it was an Ibanez S520EX.
Ibanez. I always walked right past them. Typical Les Paul snob I looked down on them as cheap knockoffs of "real" guitars. The Corporate Beast had gotten to me and brain-washed me and I never even knew it. Bastards!
Anyway, I plucked this sleek slim girl from the wall "just to see how it feels." I thought I would confirm my prejudiced and preconcieved notion that they were shoddy, rattling, cheap piles of junk. Wrong answer. Totally wrong.
My LP is heavy. The beautiful Schecters were heavier. The Ibanez was unbelievably light. As an aging punk rocker weight is starting to become a factor with me. The PRS was very light as well but it is also a semi hollow body.
The Ibanez "felt" right, too. You know how some guitars just don't feel right or don't lay themselves out for you naturally? This one, for me, "fit." Being so much slimmer everywhere than my LP it took a moment to adjust but when I did (at least to a degree) it felt good.
Playing fast is easy with the Ibanez. I'm no shredder (punk, remember?) but movement up & down the neck/chord changes were liquid smooth. Maybe it will inspire me to learn to shred. So the neck felt good too. Only problem was my pinky sometimes missing the high E string. I chalk that up to less real estate on the neck than what I'm accustomed to. Also no inlays on the fretboard except the claw mark at 12. But I see that as a challenge to be a better player.
No one guitar is right for everyone, so I'm not trying to sell everyone on this one. But if you haven't tried one of these, I'll tell you like I tell my son: "How do you know you don't like it? You haven't tried it or given it a chance!"
I need to tell myself that more often.
| My Profile
ivri's blogs, last updated : January 30, 2009
