bulletproof_funk
New member
I'll start with the write-up since this NGD is pic-heavy.
I'm finding more and more that my GAS is a) spontaneous, b) deal-driven, c) costing more than the last!
Before the rehab begins though, here's my latest acquisition: a new Ibanez J Custom JCRG20126 in Brown Garnet Shadow (whatever that means)! This is my third Ibby to date and I still own the others and still enjoy playing them, but a "deal" came up on this J Custom that I found hard to resist.
Everything looked perfect out of the box, everything was intact and complete, the guitar was relatively in tune (standard E), not bad for sitting in a cold truck most of the day. I've only spent about 30 min. with it so far but it plays superbly, the action is low but not string buzzing low (slightly higher than my other guitars), the Velvetouch neck finish is very smooth, fast and satin like, and the neck profile is Wizard thin and flat while being ever so slightly D-shaped (I almost feel corners). The AANJ neck joint is further sculpted compared to even the Prestige line. The fret dressing is without question flawless, the rolled fretboard edges as well. The Edge Zero trem is my favorite trem system to date and continues living up to expectations so far.
The clean tones are very nicely balanced, the Duncan Custom 5 (TB-14) in the bridge has an evenly balanced mid-range distortion and saturation, and has some low end to really chug out the palm mutes without sounding muddy; I didn't like the C5 in my Horizon-III (no highs) but find it's sounding great in the JCRG. The Jazz neck pup has that clarity and balance I've come to like about it, great for bluesy soloing or Petrucci type runs. I like the way this guitar sounds with the scooped thrash tone settings.
The supplied Gotoh strap locks are neat: twist the knurled knob 90 degrees clockwise to release the two metal hooks, most strap lock systems require a push or pull. I kind of wished the knob was designed to rotate both ways to release. Also supplied is the utility tool set with screw drivers, truss rod socket and a ruler all-in-one. The case is the standard Team J Craft molded case, which from what I've read is better than the purple lined J Custom case with the combo lock.
A few things. There's a nut shim which I find strange for what is a top-of-the-line, hand-made, limited number production guitar. I don't think it takes anything away from the tone but thought it should have been a little more "perfect", no big deal but just saying (maybe it's by design). The up-angled input jack is somewhat recessed and the cavity isn't very large, I'm not sure a 90-degree cable plug would fit, and my Planet Waves cable end (which is metal and on the larger side) risks scraping the corner if I'm not careful. And while body-mounted pickups are great for stability, they suck for adjusting pup height: I can't lower the pups any more and it adds extra "attack" to my attack that I'm not fond of. I'll have to see what's going on in the pup cavities when I have the strings off, but I think they're as low as they go.
Also, this isn't an Ibanez issue but the unwound strings are in some places encrusted with a dark layer of oxidation or something. Honestly, would it have hurt the shop to throw on a fresh set, if not throw in a replacement pack?... The guitar had been in the store for about a couple of years already...
It's not a big enough deal to spoil the NGD experience though. 
All in all I'm very pleased with how things have went so far. Now onto the (iPhone) pics! (I didn't want to post all the pics but if you want to see more, go to the Album here.)
I'm finding more and more that my GAS is a) spontaneous, b) deal-driven, c) costing more than the last!
Before the rehab begins though, here's my latest acquisition: a new Ibanez J Custom JCRG20126 in Brown Garnet Shadow (whatever that means)! This is my third Ibby to date and I still own the others and still enjoy playing them, but a "deal" came up on this J Custom that I found hard to resist. Everything looked perfect out of the box, everything was intact and complete, the guitar was relatively in tune (standard E), not bad for sitting in a cold truck most of the day. I've only spent about 30 min. with it so far but it plays superbly, the action is low but not string buzzing low (slightly higher than my other guitars), the Velvetouch neck finish is very smooth, fast and satin like, and the neck profile is Wizard thin and flat while being ever so slightly D-shaped (I almost feel corners). The AANJ neck joint is further sculpted compared to even the Prestige line. The fret dressing is without question flawless, the rolled fretboard edges as well. The Edge Zero trem is my favorite trem system to date and continues living up to expectations so far.
The clean tones are very nicely balanced, the Duncan Custom 5 (TB-14) in the bridge has an evenly balanced mid-range distortion and saturation, and has some low end to really chug out the palm mutes without sounding muddy; I didn't like the C5 in my Horizon-III (no highs) but find it's sounding great in the JCRG. The Jazz neck pup has that clarity and balance I've come to like about it, great for bluesy soloing or Petrucci type runs. I like the way this guitar sounds with the scooped thrash tone settings.
The supplied Gotoh strap locks are neat: twist the knurled knob 90 degrees clockwise to release the two metal hooks, most strap lock systems require a push or pull. I kind of wished the knob was designed to rotate both ways to release. Also supplied is the utility tool set with screw drivers, truss rod socket and a ruler all-in-one. The case is the standard Team J Craft molded case, which from what I've read is better than the purple lined J Custom case with the combo lock.
A few things. There's a nut shim which I find strange for what is a top-of-the-line, hand-made, limited number production guitar. I don't think it takes anything away from the tone but thought it should have been a little more "perfect", no big deal but just saying (maybe it's by design). The up-angled input jack is somewhat recessed and the cavity isn't very large, I'm not sure a 90-degree cable plug would fit, and my Planet Waves cable end (which is metal and on the larger side) risks scraping the corner if I'm not careful. And while body-mounted pickups are great for stability, they suck for adjusting pup height: I can't lower the pups any more and it adds extra "attack" to my attack that I'm not fond of. I'll have to see what's going on in the pup cavities when I have the strings off, but I think they're as low as they go.
Also, this isn't an Ibanez issue but the unwound strings are in some places encrusted with a dark layer of oxidation or something. Honestly, would it have hurt the shop to throw on a fresh set, if not throw in a replacement pack?... The guitar had been in the store for about a couple of years already...
It's not a big enough deal to spoil the NGD experience though. All in all I'm very pleased with how things have went so far. Now onto the (iPhone) pics! (I didn't want to post all the pics but if you want to see more, go to the Album here.)
