Finally some pics of my BFR!

[mesavox]

Bipolar Echo played at my school thursday (dec. 4th) The girl who took the pics put them on her myspace so they are small. *EDIT* I forgot to mention that I picked this up from Islandboy from the forum here.

 

[paranoid70]

Looks awesome bro. Keep your eyes on that JP!

 

[TNT]

Kevin,

Way to go with that BFR!!!

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

Very very nice indeed!! Say, how does it play compared to the JPM.. i noticed that you were playing the JPM too..

 

[Spudmurphy]

Great stuff - I haven't played on a stage that big for ... ... .... too many years !!

 

[mesavox]

Very very nice indeed!! Say, how does it play compared to the JPM.. i noticed that you were playing the JPM too..

This JPM has basically the same neck that my camo one did... it's just a ever so slight bit thicker. The action is great and it plays like a dream. But....

The BFR has a smaller neck (similar curve but thinner over all... not thin and flat ala typical Ibanez YUK) and has the best fretwork I've ever seen... even better than the JP7s I've had. The biggest difference though is the neck carve. I always loved the camo JPM's neck. This one not quite as much so I like the neck better on the BFR. Maybe some miracle will happen and my camo will be found and I can compare what has been my favorite neck ever with the BFR.

Sound is why I use both guitars. They are very different animals, and that is good. The JPM has more bass and bite. More aggressive sounding. The BFR has more midrange and is more classic sounding, even though it has more gain overall. It's also warmer. I think that's why JP has even more of the V scoop on his amps going these days than in the past. He's always had it, but it's more pronounced now. I leave the amp set the way it's always been for the Ibanez so it makes the BFR really stand out when I use it.

I said the JPM has more bite, BUT, pinch harmonics on the BFR are off the hook. lol Man... it's scary how easy it is to make the thing scream. lol It likes the metal

The BFR is clearly the better built guitar, but the JPM has it's own magic. I'm definitely in love with them both. The BFR gets more stage time because of the piezo. I definitely know which songs I need to use which guitar on.

Right now the JPM plays slinkier (which I like) because the BFR still has the 10s on it... that shall change soon. lol

 

[DJ.]

Congrats on the BFR and a nice series of pics.

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

The BFR has more midrange and is more classic sounding, even though it has more gain overall. It's also warmer. I think that's why JP has even more of the V scoop on his amps going these days than in the past. He's always had it, but it's more pronounced now. I leave the amp set the way it's always been for the Ibanez so it makes the BFR really stand out when I use it.

Awesome.. i think it even shows with JP's tone these days.. Like in Systematic Chaos.. Compared to say something like Images and words or Awake.. But I dig his tone in SDOIT 1 and 2.. Dunno which one he is using there(JPM is my guess) but the diversity of tones he displays there is tremendous..

Nevatheless,the aggressiveness is much there in many songs from Systematic Chaos.. Dark Eternal Night.. Damn,, tht riff is just amazing too..

But I do believe that his tone shines through in singing solos - ala Forsaken or Wishful Thinking.. Just to name a few

Cheers!!! and Congrats on the find again..

 

[paranoid70]

Awesome.. i think it even shows with JP's tone these days.. Like in Systematic Chaos.. Compared to say something like Images and words or Awake.. But I dig his tone in SDOIT 1 and 2.. Dunno which one he is using there(JPM is my guess) but the diversity of tones he displays there is tremendous..

Nevatheless,the aggressiveness is much there in many songs from Systematic Chaos.. Dark Eternal Night.. Damn,, tht riff is just amazing too..

But I do believe that his tone shines through in singing solos - ala Forsaken or Wishful Thinking.. Just to name a few

Cheers!!! and Congrats on the find again..

JP was definitely playing MusicMan guitars when they recorded SDOIT.

 

[colinboy]

very impressive my friend.BFR,s rule!

 

[lumberjack]

Ahhh, Purple goodness!!!! Nice one, Kevin. Congrats

 

[73h Nils]

Awesome.. i think it even shows with JP's tone these days.. Like in Systematic Chaos.. Compared to say something like Images and words or Awake.. But I dig his tone in SDOIT 1 and 2.. Dunno which one he is using there(JPM is my guess) but the diversity of tones he displays there is tremendous..

Nevatheless,the aggressiveness is much there in many songs from Systematic Chaos.. Dark Eternal Night.. Damn,, tht riff is just amazing too..

But I do believe that his tone shines through in singing solos - ala Forsaken or Wishful Thinking.. Just to name a few

Cheers!!! and Congrats on the find again..

All these songs were recorded with original JP models, too. Not BFRs.

Sorry to thread hijack.

*Reconsiders Amethyst Burst for BFR. That seriously looks awesome!

 

[mesavox]

Yeah, the solo on forsaken is clearly the regular JPM. It has the more woody tone.

THE example of the mid heavy sound of a BFR is the big solo on In The Presence of Enemies pt 1.

I do seem to vaguely recall that one of the solos on Dark Eternal was the prototype BFR.

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

All these songs were recorded with original JP models, too. Not BFRs.

!

Music to my ears.. Now.. I just have to keep waiting for mine

Come to think of it.. SDOIT came out after Metroplis II .. And he was playing his JPs in Metropolis II.. DUH!!!

You guys have any idea when did he shift to EB from I@@@@z.. M II ?

Sorry Mesavox.. I didnt mean to hijack your thread

 

[mesavox]

He was playing the JPMs on SFAM.

I still REALLY want to put the Steves Special and Air Norton in a regular JP6, and a BFR and see how all the different pickup combinations would sound in comparison to the Ibby days... The Air Norton and SS in the JPM always sounded better than either of my JP7s with the Dsonic7 or the original SS based 7. Given that the tone of the guitars unamplified was pretty much the same, my theory remains that the pickups are just the pickups that fit my fingers, pick attack, etc.(all those things that make up our individual tone) for so much of what I do as a guitar player. Whereas for John, the modifications made have fit what he's looking for over the years. It's really less in the sound, and more in how it makes the guitar feel in your hands. I've been very pleasantly surprised at how much I'm liking the sound of the BFR. It's like it's taking what works and just making it do different sonic things based on the same blueprint. Maybe someday I'll have the money to buy one and put the Steves Special in it and see if it sounds like I imagine it would.

So far, I think what I'm praying for is a BFR shaped(same neck profile too) standard JP6. I think putting the JPM pickups in that, would be the ultimate replacement for my JPM because I like the body shape a bit more than the standard JP6. But, as it is, I hope to have a current JP6 soon to put the JPM pickups in so the JPM can become more the nostalgic thing that I want it to be. lol

 

[Nik_Left_RG]

He was playing the JPMs on SFAM.

hmmm.. I remember seeing the MII DVD and I am pretty sure he was playing the EB there..

 

[mesavox]

Yes, he switched right after the album was released. The first half of the SFAM tour was Ibanez and then he got the prototype, and then more prototypes... the DVD is the two final prototypes 6 and 7, and the first prototype he was given (a modified Silo) was used on Home in drop d.

 

[Headstock]

beautiful - i love the purple. So rich.