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Author Topic: Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?  (Read 18388 times)

dave_mc

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #30 on: December 08, 2006, 03:57:39 PM »
I agree with indy, if you want a mesa-esque high gain tone, you don't want an ac30, it's a much more vintage-toned amp.

I seriously recommend giving a genz benz el-diablo 60 combo a try. It has a mesa-esque high gain (more so than engl, which are great, but don't really sound like a mesa), but has much better cleans and crunch tones than a recto- and is about £500 cheaper as well.

http://www.genzbenz.com/?fa=detail&mid=1399&sid=416&cid=91 (the amp)

http://www.sutherlandtrading.com/genzbenz_dealers.asp (UK dealer list)

It's around £900-£1000 for that combo- that'd be top of my try-out list if I wanted a mesa-type tone. Also, the mesa f-series and rectoverb combos may be in your price range.

stu__r

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #31 on: December 08, 2006, 07:22:00 PM »
Well personaly i would say check out Organic guitars (what a suprise to those who know me lol) as well as everything else you want to try.

From what you listed suhr would be my pic all day long.

When it comes to amps i will bow out as many people on here are far more familiar with mesa style high gain than me. :D

_tom_

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #32 on: December 08, 2006, 07:45:34 PM »
If you're considering going for a new amp as well, for the price you cant beat Laney. If you want multi channel, the old combo version of a VH100R (cant remember its name) should go for quite cheap and would give you enough money left over for a guitar and probably a hotplate to get good tones from the amp at reasonable volumes.

Or if you want a head and cab, I found a cab loaded with Eminence speakers for £83 all in on ebay. Got a Laney GH50L head and I couldnt be happier with it, it does everything I want but you might want to change the valves if you prefer a modern american kinda tone to classic british.

sambo

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #33 on: December 09, 2006, 06:32:43 PM »
Quote from: indysmith
if ur looking for Mesa high gain I wouldn't go for an AC30 if i were you :? sure you could model through it but it just won't sound like a real high gain amp. for the price of an AC30 you can get an ENGL, that you could still model through (thats if you need to)


+1 again... i dunno what the PODs sound like through AC30s but i know mine through my H&K isnt exactly great... and my EQ pedal with the amp on its own sounds much better...

personally i would split the 1500 straight down the middle... get a £750 amp + £750 guitar... (roughly of course)... ive been wanting to try a Genz Benz El Diablo, like Dave suggested, for a while now; they seem a great choice for the money.

i also remember playing a Mesa Nomad combo which sounded very nice indeed, but i think theyre a bit more expensive.

then of course there's the laneys that are really popular with people on here, but i dont think they're really your kinda amp, still worth checking out though.

and knowing you samantha i would also go for an Ibanez or something super-stratty, as opposed to something like the Axis. so maybe as Nick suggested the Petrucci sig. might be a nice choice. although i dont think thats in the £750 price region is it?

and as for pickups... well... Dave and Rob already summed it up haha.


 :lol:

(loving the lord of the rings references by the way),

Sam Wise Gamgee.

blue

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #34 on: December 09, 2006, 06:54:09 PM »
well, the El-diablo :twisted:  gets mentioned again, and i am the resident owner!  Sambo was asking a while back and i do believe i forgot to comment, sorry our fella :oops:

anyway, i'd agree that it's in the Mesa ballpark gain wise, there's no shortage of the stuff available!  it's definately geared towards metal though, you can get more classic rocky sounds out of it, but it prefers all out war.  also, it has a very definite personality of it's own, which it stamps all over whatever you're playing through it.  what i mean is, if you plug a les paul into a Marshall, you'll get a thick crunchy sound, plug in a strat and you'll get less gain and a springier edgier sound.  through the El-diablo :twisted:  this difference seems less apparent.  it's there to an extent on the clean channel, but on the hot channel it's a lot less subtle and not at all transparent.  the clean channel can be driven to a light overdrive, then the dirty end starts at mayhem and works it's way up!  which is great a lot of the time, but not always ideal.  it makes for much less difference between different guitars.

of course, maybe i just need to learn how to work my amp properly :roll:

if a modern sounding metal biased amp is what you want, the El-diablo :twisted: 's hard to fault (i have to put a devil after it, it told me so), but  it would be best to try it out with your own guitar to see how it sounds.
cry HAVOC!! and let slip the pigs of war!!!

Kilby

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #35 on: December 09, 2006, 06:56:10 PM »
Quote from: sambo
[+1 again... i dunno what the PODs sound like through AC30s but i know mine through my H&K isnt exactly great... and my EQ pedal with the amp on its own sounds much better...
---
Snipping snipping snipping goes the scissor man
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(loving the lord of the rings references by the way),

Sam Wise Gamgee.


Really a pod or whatever sounds best through a PA or a keyboard amp, though if you use it on a super clean setting with no EQ it should be OK

I think you mean Sam un-Wise Gamgee don't you !

Personally I always thought the Dark Elves where way cooler than any other LOTR characters

Rob...
Goodbye London !

sambo

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #36 on: December 09, 2006, 07:05:40 PM »
:lol: :lol: which Elves are the dark ones? The freaky dudes that show up fashionably-late at Helms Deep?

and no worries Blue mate, any info you would have given me would probably have just induced a sudden rush of G.A.S lol. i really would like to try one though; where did you actually get yours from just out of interest?

cheers.

Sam UN-wise Gamgee...

blue

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #37 on: December 09, 2006, 07:12:39 PM »
got mine in the deepest darkest depths of Banbridge, an ancient dwarf mine in northern ireland.  it was accompanied by a pink Maverick guitar, which insisted on joining the quest for ultimate tone.

(who the hell started this lord of the rings cr@p?  my battle hammer wants to crush their skull!!!)
cry HAVOC!! and let slip the pigs of war!!!

sambo

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #38 on: December 09, 2006, 07:42:47 PM »
hahaha  :lol:

well i think it was Rob who started it...


if not.....


blame Rob anyway...  :D

dave_mc

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #39 on: December 09, 2006, 07:43:37 PM »
^ that's where I tried it too. I doubt that's much help to you, sam... :lol:

I think I posted the dealer list earlier in the thread, sam.

Dakine

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #40 on: December 09, 2006, 07:52:51 PM »
Kingfisher Music ,Fleet Hampshire (on M3) is a dealer/have em Sam. I know cos am Getting a G-Flex for the Rivera very soon  :twisted:
"Do not go gentle.........Rage"

HTH AMPS

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #41 on: December 09, 2006, 09:45:27 PM »
I always love the look of Ran guitars... http://www.ranguitars.com/gallery.htm

From your vids on youtube it seems you're a shredder so these should be right up your street.

 :twisted:

dave_mc

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #42 on: December 09, 2006, 09:55:03 PM »
problem with ran is the wait... i think it's something like 8 months at the moment...

if you can wait that long, I'd expect them to be good, lol.

SamR

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #43 on: December 10, 2006, 05:09:12 PM »
haha yeah musicman was a 6 month wait if i wanted one built for me.

sambo

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Getting rid of my Ibanez Jem 555... For something better?
« Reply #44 on: December 10, 2006, 08:34:42 PM »
Quote from: Dakine
Kingfisher Music ,Fleet Hampshire (on M3) is a dealer/have em Sam. I know cos am Getting a G-Flex for the Rivera very soon  :twisted:


ahhh cheers for that nick!

and how is the Rivera by the way? apparently those G-Flex things are great so should sound f*cking sweet with the Knucklehead... (it was a Knucklehead right? or have i just invented that out of nowhere?)