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Finally set up the Ibanez GAX I got a year ago

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:41 pm
by Pens
I picked up this guitar about a year ago at GuitarCenter because it was on the Used wall for $80 and it was lefty, and kinda looked neat.

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It kinda looks "modern" and all that, but it played really damn nicely. However, I played it a bit when I first got it, then just set it aside.

I finally busted it back out this week, noticed that the intonation was waaaaay off on it which was probably why I wasn't impressed with it before. I set the intonation, and tried it out in band practice last night.

I really, really like this thing. The neck is really comfy for being a wide Gibson scale neck, it's really thin which is typical of an Ibanez. The pickups are actually pretty decent also.

This is the first guitar I've ever had with a TOM bridge, and I actually seriously like it. Palm muting is so much easier than on my SuperSonic or Jaguar.

I think I need to refin it, I have too many black guitars. That's about my only complaint about it.

Anyone else have one of these bitches?

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:14 pm
by Gabriel
My friend had the single pickup limited edition one that had a flaming control plate. I remember it playing well and the hum bucker had quite a nice poke to it.

I always thought it should have been painted a neon colour though :twisted:

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 6:14 pm
by endsjustifymeans
I wanted the one with the drop-d contraption on it but I was broke when they were all on final clearance everywhere. I think they're nice guitars.

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 6:26 pm
by Pens
What color should I refin it in? Pelham? Or just do an arty "spray some blue against the black and sand some of it off to give a scratchy look to it" that I did on my old Peavey?

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 6:37 pm
by Rhysyrhys
Yeah man, Pelham but kept the headstock black. I had a righty one a few years back and I thought it was proper nice for the money. I had a slightly different model, the one that had the pickguard but I've always had nuff love for the AX series in general; good solid build on them that makes them feel like they could take a kicking.

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:22 pm
by gaybear
Rhysyrhys wrote:Yeah man, Pelham but kept the headstock black..
i like this idea

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:04 pm
by Pens
Just did a mockup of that, looks pretty sweet. Very high on my list right now.

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:29 pm
by SGJarrod
endsjustifymeans wrote:I wanted the one with the drop-d contraption on it but I was broke when they were all on final clearance everywhere. I think they're nice guitars.
don't be to sad cuz the drop D lever was shit....fantastic idea but the one my friend had would never be in tune when he dropped it


also, the pehlam with black headstock would be sick!!!

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:36 am
by nyck
[youtube][/youtube]

^do a JEFF

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:43 am
by dub
I started out on the cheapest Gax:

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Mean90/SuperDistortion Combo. Don't have it any more but it was fun to play.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:48 am
by hotrodperlmutter
how easy would it be to put a fender neck on? i think it'd look great with a lefty strat neck.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:12 am
by ultratwin
Keep it black, PENS!

Just my opinion, but I don't think you should fee the need to "rainbow-up" the collection. Twin-horned guitars simply look perfect in black. Besides, with all that polyurethane gooped on, you can blow that sticker collection on covering it up without regrets.

That being said, a pastel color with white guard sure would be really purty.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:26 am
by SKC Willie
love my the gax 70. they're cool guitars and look much better with a pickguard!

I played the crap out of mine! It really was one of my better playing guitars.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:25 am
by Mages
mines:

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I've PiMped it out a bit then. gibson nashville bridge, quickchange III tailpiece (like on an artist), suregrip knobs (like on an artist). It's great. although I don't like the neck so much actually. it looks so cool though. does anyone know if the AX120 has a fatter neck? I've been thinking about getting one and swapping the necks and selling the AX120 with GAX neck.

I might have to sell it soon though as things are getting tight around here.

Re: Finally set up the Ibanez GAX I got a year ago

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:29 am
by Mages
Pens wrote:It kinda looks "modern" and all that
I it looks like an ibanez artist crossed with an SG. which are both basically vintage guitars so not exactly all that modern. it's also extremely remiscent of a travis bean:

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if you put chrome pickups on it at least... sub' used to have one.... can't find a picture of it right now...

also looks like the old vantage guitars:

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which are themselves alembic rip-offs. basically it has the whole 70s guitar vibe goin for it big time.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:44 pm
by johnnyseven
I once had a similar Ibanez guitar, not sure if it's the same model though. I bought it because at the time Omar from The Mars Volta played a similar guitar. I think mine had a JB in the bridge and a something else in the neck, could have been a Jazz. It sounded good but it suffered badly from neck dive. I ended up selling it to an old boy at work who didn't want to take his expensive vintage guitar out for gigs.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:47 pm
by dezb1
Pens wrote:just do an arty "spray some blue against the black and sand some of it off to give a scratchy look to it" that I did on my old Peavey?
I like the sound of this...

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:58 pm
by Pens
Huh. I had no idea these guitars were as widely used around here.

I am reconsidering repainting it now, but I'm not ruling it out.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:00 pm
by Pens
hotrodperlmutter wrote:how easy would it be to put a fender neck on? i think it'd look great with a lefty strat neck.
Gibson scale. Can't swap necks.

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:05 pm
by Lucamo
Don't want to high-jack this thread, but I plan on selling my Mustang and Fender Bullet, so I will have some skrill.

I need a humbucker guitar... is there anything I should know about GAX's like what the numbers entail? I am gonna go scourge the local pawn-shaps.