Ibanez Jemjr Steve vai Signature

june 2018 ToTal GuiTar
103
o
verall, the JEM Junior is hard to beat.
Your ocular nerves won’t thank us
for such a recommendation –
because, seriously, that pink  nish
could be seen from space – but its
combination of authentic Vai touches, like
the Tree of Life inlay and sonic versatility,
could, and maybe should, give it the edge. But
the Squier is a clear winner for anyone who
values a high-gain voice over all else. Its
reverse headstock is a nice touch, too,
marking it as the problem child in the Squier
stable. The company has done a bang-up job
in reimagining a near-ubiquitous guitar so
that it surprises us anew. Its  nish is
impeccable, too.
Some  nish issues on the Kramer 84 – frets
that are a little sharp on the treble side of the
 ngerboard – allied to its weight might make
it diffi cult for a wider audience to love, but
those weened on Van Halen, or superfans of
the Seymour Duncan JB1, might  nd its tone
too much to resist. Besides, a half-hour with
a fret- le would make it tip-top. As for the
Wolfgang, its playability and full-throated
humbuckers are ridiculous for that price, and
if it came down to that and the JEM Junior, it
might be a case of whose sound and style do
you love more: Steve Vai, the Zen master of
cosmic shredding, or Eddie Van Halen, the
OG? We can’t help you with that. But we can
conclude the market for super-spec’d and
aff ordable electrics has never been stronger.
th
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FINaL VeRdICt
Which shred machine is the right one for you?
th
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iBaNEZ JEMJr STEVE
Vai SiGNaTurE
SQuiEr CoNTEMPorarY
aCTiVE STraToCaSTEr
KraMEr
THE 84
EVH WolFGaNG
STaNDarD
best for
shred
most
versAtile
best All-
rounder
best for 80’s
metAl
best buY
AWArd
feAtures
sound QuAlitY
vAlue for moneY
build QuAlitY
plAYAbilitY
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
feAtures
sound QuAlitY
vAlue for moneY
build QuAlitY
plAYAbilitY
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
feAtures
sound QuAlitY
vAlue for moneY
build QuAlitY
plAYAbilitY
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
feAtures
sound QuAlitY
vAlue for moneY
build QuAlitY
plAYAbilitY
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
TGR306.gear_test.indd 103 25/04/2018 12:19