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who invented the ibanez JEM/RG body style?


mbengs1

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I'm no Vai expert, but I think the handle comes from him wanting something to safely swing his guitar around him without it breaking off the strap and flying in the air. It's one of the same reasons he keeps fans onstage and listed them as his gear in Guitar World's Rig Rundown. They're just gimmicks.

 

As far as the RG style, isn't that just a take on a Strat style body? :D

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Steve was really involved in designing them,

 

http://www.vai.com/ibanez-guitars

 

and

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibanez_...and_production

 

as for who drew out the RG body style... I don't know. It certainly grew out of Ibanez Roadstar body shape, and to some degree the Ibanez Maxxas.

 

Who ever did it made a body that has great egros.

 

 

 

 

 

.

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I think Leo Fender might have something to say about that.

 

Without question that was the initial influence. The RG is an evolution of the Stratocaster. Same for the Jackson Dk and Soloist. My take is that the RG/Jem is the most modern cutting edge version of the Stratocaster. This comes down to components and construction details. Things like neck radius and widths, tremolo systems and body ergos.

 

Bill Carson, Freddie Tavares, and Leo can all take credit for the original design, which was intended as an improvement on the Tele... some 60 years ago.

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I'm no Vai expert' date=' but I think the handle comes from him wanting something to safely swing his guitar around him...[/quote']

 

 

 

I'm thinking that Vai (Ibanez) appropriated a previously existing feature, because I believe I saw the so-called "monkey grip" handle before the Jem existed.

 

It was a particular Lindert guitar model that had a handle cutout in the upper bout of the body, in the same place the Jem's monkey grip handle is. The outline of the handle cutout on the Lindert was very similar to the outline of Lindert's hand+thumb headstock -- but upside down.

 

 

 

Lindert.jpg

 

 

 

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I'm thinking that Vai (Ibanez) appropriated a previously existing feature, because I believe I saw the so-called "monkey grip" handle before the Jem existed.

 

It was a particular Lindert guitar model that had a handle cutout in the upper bout of the body, in the same place the Jem's monkey grip handle is. The outline of the handle cutout on the Lindert was very similar to the outline of Lindert's hand+thumb headstock -- but upside down.

 

 

 

Lindert.jpg

 

 

 

Would any player want to grab a guitar by the headstock?

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All i remember was him adding the grip and the ugly inlay, yes i think the inlay on the jem is ugly. I didnt mind the original inlay on the green one.

 

The handle isnt bad if you want to spend $2k on a guitar and need to carry it around without a case :/

 

'If i spent that much on a guitar it would be in the same vault as all my guns :)

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I remember as a kid we went bowling on wednsdays for gym class, it was really fun we would ride a bus to the alley and for the hour of gym class we would launch balls down the alley trying to get in as many games in an hour as we could.

 

my point?

 

I remember launching 9 pounders down the alley using just 2 fingers putting major spin on the ball. We were never good at making strikes but it was fun to ride the gutter and watch it hook at the last second as the lightweight ball just bounced off all the pins.

 

my point?

 

Why not make a guitar with 2 finger holes!?!? when you insert your fingers into the 2 finger grip your forced to do the rocker hand gesture LOL!

 

Insted of a monkey you could call it THE ROCKER GRIP! baahaa! Would make for a good gimmick guitar series!

 

I figured steve vai put the grip on his guitar for stage antics anyway what would be cooler then giving the crowd a rocker gesture while hitting a harmonic and shreading everyones ears at the same time?

 

He has that one guitar with the sustainer built into it he could run around the stage with the feedback screeching the whole time lol

 

 

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I wish Fender made a strat like that. We all know the Jem/RG and every other superstrat was influenced by the Fender Strat. Ibanez's model is leaner and a lot more meaner.

 

 

Well, they do make the Soloist.

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