John Petrucci vs. Steve Vai (Sig Guitars!)

[AxSport4me]

I know what the outcome will probably be since this is a EBMM forum and would probably be the opposite at the Ibanez forum, but for metal,prog,shred type of playing, what guitar honestly do you think is better? I have to say last night i was at a local music store where they had both guitars and i did a side by side test playing mainly high gain stuff and i dont want to offend anyone but if i`m being truthful,i`d have to say Vai`s guitar won hands down! I guess it all comes down to the neck as to what people will say but i was very suprised especially being used to my Axis Sports neck how comfortable and effortless it is to play those flat wide Wizard necks! As far as the quality of both guitars one wasn`t better then the other but stock,i would say Vai`s sounded better. They both use DiMarzio pickups but i guess the Evolutions sound better to me then whats in the Pet. Anyway i thought this thread would be kinda fun but if its out of place by all means delete it! It wasn`t my intention to cause trouble and i believe i`m not but i had alot of fun messin with those 2 guitars last night!!!

 

[SteveLINY]

Petrucci guitar Vs Jem= Petrucci much better guitar
Perucci vs Vai as players= Vai blows him out of the water...

 

[AxSport4me]

Petrucci guitar Vs Jem= Petrucci much better guitar
Perucci vs Vai as players= Vai blows him out of the water...

Agreed as far as players is concerned!

 

[koogie2k]

I think the guitar comparison is going to be opinionated. I too have tried both and I walked away with the Pet. That's me.....

Vai blow him out of the water?!?!? I wouldn't go that far, I think Vai is better, but again, opinion. I don't like much of Vai's music, but from a technical standpoint, I think Vai edges Pet, but I likes Pets music better.....

My 2 pennies.

 

[fogman]

I can give you a good opinion since I own neither!
However I will be buying a few EBMMs when the time comes!

I think the answer to your question should be this. Forget about the players for one moment except for the fact that JP use to play an Ibanez and what is he playing now!?!?
But look at the 2 companies as a whole. Quality. No comparison. Entry level Ibnzzz are crap in my opinion. The player at the top of the heap is very talented, but is a sponsor to get your attention to buy more guitars.
In the case of EBMM the player is a key component to the development of the end product.
EBMMs entry level guitar the SUB 1 is still an amazing piece of equipment that reeks quality.
Do you honestly think that the phrase "Welcome to the Addiction" would be coined @ Ibanez?
Or do you think Ernie1966 would buy an Ibanez in every colour?
The answer.
NOT!!!!!

 

[AxSport4me]

Again...like i said, this is a EBMM forum!

 

[fogman]

I honestly think if you go to a neutral forum and get people that have had experience with both, you'll get the same answer.

 

[Philip]

ok here are my to pennies. I've played only a Jem, I had no opportunity to play the Pet. For me Jem sounded very good, but the neck was to thin and flat (horrible in my opinon) and the body was to contoured IMO

 

[Big Dainjerus]

Forget about the players for one moment except for the fact that JP use to play an Ibanez and what is he playing now!?!?
SIZE]

eddie played ebmm and what is he playing now??

 

[Jimi D]

Again...like i said, this is a EBMM forum!

These kinds of Q's are always loaded, especially when asked with bias, as this one obviously is... but I can only speak from my personal experience with both guitars.

I played Jems virtually exclusively for many years, and owned five of them at one time (two florals - an '89 and a '90 - a 7VWH, 7PBK, a 7VBK) along with three UVs (777BK, 7BK and 777GR) as well as a few RG's, S's, and other Ibanez guitars. So I know these guitars intimately - hell, I even built my own mock IBZ sig, the Ibanez Jim, from leftover parts I had lying around after playing these things for so long... Anyway, I've always loved Jems - especially when loaded with Breeds - but I never kidded myself about Ibanez' customer service (or lack thereof) or their hit and miss quality control. For instance, if you buy an Ibanez and find that you have neck pocket finish cracks (a problem that plagued Jem owners far worse than it ever did JP owners), Ibanez response was essentially "So what?". There was never any question of Ibanez doing anything for Jem owners with neck pocket finish cracks - they simply weren't interested; they didn't acknowledge it as an issue, and would dismiss it as expected play wear. Ernie Ball, otoh, have bent over backwards, expending who knows how much money and effort dealing with the issue of neck pocket cracks in the finish on the JPs that have developed them. And in terms of quality control, my $2000 Jem7VWH came with a fretboard full of filler around the vine inlay because the cutting was so rough, and there was sawdust trapped in the clear plastic over the faux screwhead inlays on my 7VBK... and these are just two obvious examples of the many little quality niggles I had with Jems over the years. To their credit, the fret work was almost always very good, but even that didn't meet the standard I have come to expect from EBMM.

However, if my arthritus hadn't started to catch up to me, I might never have looked beyond Jems and UVs as my instruments of choice, but as my hands started to cramp up and ache more often when playing those very, very flat necks, my Doctor (who is also a guitar player) suggested that maybe I should try to find a neck that would give my hands more support... so I tried Jackson and Gibson and PRS and finally wound up with an Axis, and within a few hours of picking one up, I knew the Axis was it... Even so, I still owned three Jems when I got my first Axis, and it took me a couple years to let go completely, but since then there have been no regrets.

In the end, I don't play JPs today for many of the same reasons that I no longer have my Jems - the neck is just not built for my aging hands and my playing style - and I don't know if the JP would really be a guitar I'd enjoy from a tonal perspective or not, but I did own an Ibanez JPM4 for about a year, and let it go because I prefered my Jems. So I think the whole JP vs. Jem thing in terms of tone is very much a matter of personal preference - which particular guitar you like. No doubt John would prefer his signature model over Steve's, and there are many, many people who agree with his ears and his interpretation of what a great guitar should be. Be that as it may, I feel very comfortable saying categorically that in terms of quality, EBMMs beat the Jem hands down - the massive assembly line at Fugigen Gakki has nothing on the craftsmen in SLO. And you can take that to the bank.

PS: This could be Jemsite (where I am a long, long time contributer and very well known, btw) and I would post the same thing...

 

[Roxy]

I owned a 2003 Jem for less than six months. I could never get the guitar to stay in tune. A noted local repair shop couldn't help me either. I just purchased a JP7 Buttercream 2005 Limited Edition that cost me less than the Jem (both new). The level of detail, finish, and tone blow the Ibanez away. The single coil on the Jem was useless and in the way. Vai screws his flat to the pickguard surface. The coil tapped middle position on the JP is incredibly useful. It sounds like a great Strat in the #2 position. Plus, I have Piezo. To me, there is no comparison. Look at the finish options. The EB/MMs come is several different finishes. The Jems come in one or two. Also, the paint inside of the monkey grip is always poor.

The JP tremolo is amazing. It has just as much flexibility as an Ibanez, but it actually stays in tune or very close. With no locking nut, I can easily and quickly fix my tuning. On the Jem, I was screwed if more than a fine tune was needed making the instrument risky in a performance situation. I imagaine Vai's tech, has some tricks to improving the tuning, but still Vai can afford to switch instruments after every song.

The necks are both wide/flat, but the JP has the beautiful birdseye maple neck bolted to the body with 5 screws. Both instruments feature great access to the upper register. I'm classically trained, so the wide/flat profiles remind me of my classical guitar and assist in proper technique.

Let me also mention that out of the box the Jem needed a professional setup, where the JP was perfect. That provided another savings and less hastle. I now own a special collectors piece, where before I just had a mass production run instrument that looked like everyone else's. I also think that the JP looks less like a signature guitar. Only a player would notice. The Jem screams Vai. I hope this helps

 

[ernie1966]

Nice post JP Buttercream!

Welcome to the forum and welcome to the Petrucci club!

 

[deadringer]

This is kind of like asking which is better, blondes or red heads? It's all a preference thing. For superstrat style guitars they're pretty different both in look and features. They have some commonality but a lot of differences also.

First of all the pickups (even though they're both DiMarzio) are pretty different in focus. The bridges are way different. The only thing common between them is that they float. I've had Edge bridges that you simply couldn't knock out of tune with a hammer. I've also had Edges that you couldn't get in tune in the first place. I haven't owned more than one Pet bridge so I couldn't tell you about variance.

I think the major question here is, which neck do you prefer? If you like the Jem than there you go. Many will like the neck of the EB. Do you prefer blondes or red heads? You'll get many different opinions between the two necks.

I've always thought the Jem and Universe were great guitars but a bit overpriced. Quality control and variance in quality are a whole other story.

I'd have to conclude that they both could shred well but the question is kind of silly considering I've seen guys shred on big ol' jazz boxes, teles, and all sorts of other guitars too. Man just go with what's comfortable!

 

[AxSport4me]

Well we all know that EBMM are USA made (supposedly custom!) and not mass produced so i can see where almost everyone chooses EBMM over Ibanez......But,try comparing EBMM to Ibanez`s J-Customs and USA Customs!!!!! Now thats a good competition!!!!!!

 

[rrhea]

Being a current owner of both guitars, I'd have to give the edge to the Pet. I love my Jem, and I love the neck on it but the quality of the guitar really just doesn't compare to the EBMM level of quality. To me they are very similar in feel, with exception to the bridges, of course, where I tend to be more comfotable on the Pet for palm muting. I also seem to be able to play a little more effortlessly on the Pet, too. The neck on it is just amazing.

Now, I have gotten my Jem to a place (with some work) where it is setup properly and just a playable as my Pet... but it took some work. IMO, it still needs a light fret level which I will have done sometime in the near future. The Pets almost never, if ever, need this. My Pet, unfortunately, came to me freshly built with some pretty messed up frets and is now in the care of Jon (the neck is slated to be replaced). I do not count this as a mark against EB because I have played many Pets both from stores and from friends and mine was the only one I've seen that was in this condition. It happens, even to the best of builders. EB will take care of this and my guitar will return to me in perfect condition. I can't really say that about Ibanez...

See, I had to send off my Ibanez Satch 1200CA because it came with a warped neck. So, I send it off to Hoshino in PA for a replacement, and I get back my guitar that was sent in mint condition with gouges and scratches on it. The new neck is not warped, but in need of a fret level (like nearly all new Ibanez's). I have opted to keep the guitar like it is because I don't want those losers touching it again. I can get the scratches touched up and the neck leveled here locally.

The nice thing about EB is not having to put up with crap like that. I love my Pet, and I can see it rapidly becoming my main "go to" guitar when it's time to play (practice or gigs).

EB rules!

Ryan

 

[cbpmmjp05]

I think the guitar comparison is going to be opinionated. I too have tried both and I walked away with the Pet. That's me.....

Vai blow him out of the water?!?!? I wouldn't go that far, I think Vai is better, but again, opinion. I don't like much of Vai's music, but from a technical standpoint, I think Vai edges Pet, but I likes Pets music better.....

My 2 pennies.

My two pennies, as well. I agree completely.

 

[AxSport4me]

But the Pet guitars are no match for the Ibanez J-Custom and USA Custom guitars!!!!!

 

[Jimi D]

But,try comparing EBMM to Ibanez`s J-Customs and USA Customs!!!!! Now thats a good competition!!!!!!

I wonder how many J-Customs and USA Customs you've played? I've owned both J-Customs and USA Customs and they are not substantively superior to the Jems in terms of quality. Frankly, AxSport4me, if all you want to do is stir up trouble I personally would appreciate it if you took it somewhere else. This is getting tiresome, imho...

 

[tommyindelaware]

Again...like i said, this is a EBMM forum!

playing wise......... i think they are both FAR beyond such simple catigorazation.......
both have amazing , terrifying technical abilities.
as far as the guitars go.......i would trade 2 ibanez for one ebmm pet. just my op....
how do you spell catigorazation ?????

 

[kbaim]

I haven't heard enough of Vai's music to give an opinion, but I have seen him give a seminar and play a little guitar (normal sized guitar, small amount of time). I was floored.

Makes things look so effortless.

Also, he's a remarkable guy what with his guitar oriented record label, solo career, etc. Just really impressive imo.