ibanez strictly metal? (S series)

[trianglebiscuit]

i was thinking of getting a lespual for a really long time, but recently was thinking on maybe a s470 or something. i have the impression that it would be much comfortable and easier to play, and that would be a bigger priority then having a nice looking lp

now for the tone. i already have a sg, wanna get smth more different. would the s series ibanezes be able to handle indie, alternative and those generic emo pop-punk etc etc properly? thanks!

 

[mero]

Sure why not? The Ibanez S-series may look metal, but your pickups, amps and effects also play a major role in deciding whether it is suitable for your genre of music.

Stock, the Ibanez S470 doesn't have a good tone for indie or alternative IMO, punk it can handle, but anything with a clean tone could benefit from having a pickup change

Comparing between the LP and the Ibanez, the differences are that the Ibanez is lighter due to the shape, it has a ZR (Zero Resistance) trem, the thickness of the neck (Wizard II neck vs a much chunkier LP neck), the type of neck (Ibanez - AANJ bolton, LP - set neck) and various other details. Tonewise both would sound like completely different animals, though for your genres I would recommend a Fender Strat for versatility, it has the cleans when you need them and you can always get a fat strat or chuck a singlecoil sized humbucker in the bridge for heavier distortions.

 

[subversion]

i was into Ibanez's S-series way before the ZR vibrato system was standard equipment in the guitar- was a big fan of this series, namely due to the aerodynamic body & an overall good tone, not to mention the superb playability. ironically, when the ZR system was in place, with all due respect to its mechanical intention of promoting ultimate tuning stability, it added weight to the guitar & i find it repulsive personally. when the S-series was first conceived, it was the manufacturer's alternative to a certain dual humbucking, single cutaway mahogany guitar which remains spine-taxing till today (no prizes for guessing). however, the S-series then wasn't an effective alternative for that guitar as it featured specs which are too different, but they are superb players in their own turf. the guitar did deliver tone without being massive; its strongest selling point. i might be splitting hairs here with regards to the weight issue but being there when the S-series was in transition, i think i'm too rooted by a certain S-series philosophy & was resistant to change. talk about getting old...

well, the ultimate address as to whether a certain guitar is suitable for a certain genre, it remains personal. it's also in conjunction with an overall setup- the amp & FXs that complement the guitar- as mero pointed out, play integral roles in propelling the guitar's suitability.

if you are exploring the S-series domain today, it's a little unfortunate that the guitar in question is being propelled on a certain metal music platform, especially when the S520 is associated with the current wave of metal proponents. be informed that the S-series has a strong fusion inclination in its heyday.

mattleesc: i respect your consideration in giving serious thoughts for guitars which should appeal in terms of playability & tone more than in looks. when we started out, most of us would only pay attention to visually striking guitars as oppossed to others which are often more immaculate sounding but less intriguing physically.

i still respect the S-series but not too enthusiastic with its current manifestation, looking more at the SA/ SZ series these days 8)

ok i've said too much...

my S540...

**expecting shredcow/ vernplum to drop by & have their say...

 

[trianglebiscuit]

what about the sz320s and such? would it be able to handle the genres i stated?

 

[mero]

I own a SZ320MH and Subversion owns the SZ2020FM, several other softies also own the SZ320. My take on the SZ320, particularly the full mahogany model, is that it is capable of playing most distortion-heavy genres well, with loads of sustain and a warm, trademark mahogany sound. It gravitiates towards more of the bass/lower-midrange spectrum, which you might wanna take into consideration with regards to pickup choice etc. For punk, it certainly is suitable, but for indie, specifically clean sounds, you could get better sounds from a single-coil equipped guitar or from coil tapping the neck. IMO, the Duncan-Ibanez pickups on the SZ320 (2005 models modelled on the SD '59 *neck* and Distortion *bridge*) are above average, but do not produce a sparkling clean sound both in the neck or bridge, and also the stock neck pickup might be too bassy for some. For alternative, you might not be able to reproduce the whacky type of sounds as the SZ series doesn't have a trem bridge.

 

[ShredCow]

Mero stated a good point... the cleans dept of the SZ might not be to your liking... Yes, it CAN do cleans because it has a 4DPDT 3-way pup selector which in middle position, is the 2 hums split inner coils in parallel. And thats the only strattish tone you have there. 3 tones for the SZ.

For the S series, 5 way switch, 2 types of strattish/tele-ish cleans... plus you got a trem (curse or blessing, its your call), and this adds to playability.

The SZ is definately suited to LP style players. The S series for a wide range of players.

I have an S series and it can handle a huge range of genres.

 

[vernplum]

**expecting shredcow/ vernplum to drop by & have their say...

My S570 remains and has remained my #1 axe over the turmoil of the last 12 months in which I have acquired a small number of new guitars.

Reasons:

Lightweight and very comfortable to play
Very thin neck which is great for small hands
Almost totally flat fingerboard profile with medium/large frets - good for shredding
Hot fat output from neck and bridge humbuckers - the fullest sounding guitar I own.
Long sustain
Very stable trem.
Beautiful natural finish.

I bought this guitar at the height of my 'metal days' partly due to the guitar's looks and slimline body but it's versatile enough to be able to play almost any kind of music - I play clean for more than 50% of the time and can get a warm smooth jazzy tone from it, or a compressed, out-of-phase chicken-picking noise no problem. I don't think it would look too out of place in an alternative/emo band. If it's playability and tone you're looking for you'd be hard pressed to beat it - if you don't care too much about those then by all means get yourself a Jagstang or one of those Italian Speedster jobbies with all the knobs and switches.

I'll never sell this guitar now btw though I did consider it at one point when I first got it shipped to Singapore from the UK where it had been living - it's like a very comfortable pair of shoes. The only thing I never liked about it is the pickup selector switch which I think is just a bit too obtrusive on the surface of the body and marrs the appearance somewhat.

Here she is:

 

[subversion]

FYI: to S-series owners, the reason why the 5-way switch has a mounting, is to prevent it from being too protrusive as it is located on the thinnest part of the body, its tapered edge.

 

[popeye]

nice guitars :lol:

I believe S stands for Shiok :lol:

 

[Vaiyen]

hmm they could have painted the mounting brown or something.

 

[speedotenshi]

i rather find s470 flat and broad, a narrow neck is more suitable for me, like warmoth one

 

[ShredCow]

I'm thinking... you could replace the 5-way with 3 on/off mini toggles. Like the old S series. Then convert the vol knob into a push pull to do coil split for the neck/bridge hums.

DAMN! I gotta STOP thinking of mods...

 

[ShredCow]

Ugh... damn it... Sub and vern... I thought i could do it, log out and not come back to the thread to look at your awesome S540 and S570.

#$#$^%%^%&#$$!@##@$#^%

I WANT A NATURAL FINISH SABRE!

Last wk, I searched ebay for Ibanez guitars and I saw this heart stopping Sabre. Its a custom job, the body is natural finished, ala yours, and the neck is a maple fretboard. Then I saw the asking price of US300. And then I saw the piece of a large crack in the neck. I wept so bitterly that day.

In anycase, here's mine. 8)

And no, i decided not to strip the finish.

 

[popeye]

And no, i decided not to strip the finish.

you know... resistance is futile! :lol:

 

[trianglebiscuit]

lets say, the humbuckers and single coils can be changed to what ever deems fit, will the ibanez s series limit me from certain genres due to its shape/neck/weight?

ps:whats with trem blocking?

 

[vernplum]

lets say, the humbuckers and single coils can be changed to what ever deems fit, will the ibanez s series limit me from certain genres due to its shape/neck/weight?

ps:whats with trem blocking?

Why do you want to change the pickups? Have you even heard the S Series pickups so far?

The only limitations are those that you perceive as the expectations of the audience of your chosen genre. If you are going to play alternative music does this mean you must wear a flannel shirt? Likewise, just because <insert band name here> uses a certain type of guitar and <insert genre name here> bandmembers appear in ads with a certain style of guitar, must you do the same?

Any guitar can be used to make any kind of music. Don't follow; lead.

 

[tany]

nah it wont limit u! ibanez guitars are VERY VERY versatile u can do anything! and if u go further by modding, as shredcow said, wow squeeze me! u can get lots of tones for different kinds of music.

but the problem is, with so many options, what can we choose? aye! :lol:

 

[trianglebiscuit]

lets say, the humbuckers and single coils can be changed to what ever deems fit, will the ibanez s series limit me from certain genres due to its shape/neck/weight?

ps:whats with trem blocking?

Why do you want to change the pickups? Have you even heard the S Series pickups so far?

The only limitations are those that you perceive as the expectations of the audience of your chosen genre. If you are going to play alternative music does this mean you must wear a flannel shirt? Likewise, just because <insert band name here> uses a certain type of guitar and <insert genre name here> bandmembers appear in ads with a certain style of guitar, must you do the same?

Any guitar can be used to make any kind of music. Don't follow; lead.

think you got me wrong. i have no obligations to the cosmetics. im meant that if pickups are not a problem (with reference to mero saying that a clean tone could benfit from a change), will to guitar be able to cope with the genres i mentioned earlier, cause many reviews have said otherwise. aiyah

 

[subversion]

pickups are really personal preferences. if you try the guitar with the default pickups & you like what you hear, then why swap?

 

[ShredCow]

nah it wont limit u! ibanez guitars are VERY VERY versatile u can do anything! and if u go further by modding, as shredcow said, wow squeeze me! u can get lots of tones for different kinds of music.

If you refer to Thor's stickies, go to Shredcow's Guitar mod.

With those modifications, Thor was stumped with the array of tones available.

And plus, with 11 pedals at my feet.. hahaha, sometimes, I dont even need to touch my varitone to get jazz, blues, rock, hard rock, noise, fuzz, metal, you get the idea?