ever consider buying a fake guitar on ebay?

[deathstrike from hell]

im looking at the ibanez jems on these fake sites for less than 200 dollars. i obviously know theyre fake, but im reading the ebay guides and some experienced players were very satisifed with the knock offs even though theyre not as good as the real thing.

basically, im just thinking itd be bad ass to play a local show around cleveland with a guitar looking a lot like the jem. and fuck it, its only 200 bucks.


discuss.

 

[Enemy242]

I've considered it but i realized if its such an awesome deal, why haven't tons of people done it and why wouldn't people be talking about how much of a great deal it is. plus if i want a jem i'd get a jem, a knockoff i could just get at the same price as a lowerend guitar and the specs would probably be close to the same, just not looking like the jem.

 

[guitarguru777]

As a former Ibanez Jem Collector I can say they are nothing like the real thing.

As far as buying a $200 knockoff theres no reason and heres why ......

Insted of paying $200 for some cheap no name guitar, you can look on ebay and find an old RG 570 or 550 (even better) for around $300 - $400.

The Ibanez Jem is an Ibanez RG-550 with a handle cut in it, It sounds the same, plays the same, and holds tuning the same as an actual Ibanez Jem.

The main difference between the Jem and the 550:
The RG-550 comes with IBZ USA Pickups (Dimarzio Knockoffs Of The Super Dist)
The Jem comes stock with:
1989 - 1994: Dimarzio PAF Pro Pickups
1994 - 1996: Dimarzio Evolution Pickups
1996 - Current: Dimarzio Breed Pickups

The only other differences are purely cosmetic, the vine or pyramid inlays, and the handle.

I have owned a total of 16 Ibanez Jems over the years.

2 - 1989 Jem 777VBK (Back & Green w/ Vine Inlay)
2 - 1989 Jem 777LNG (Number 124 and 456 this is the Green ones signed by Vai)
1 - 1989 Jem 777SKP(Pink With pyramid inlay)
3 - 1991 Jem 777RB (Root Beer - Borwn with the pink pickups)
2 - 1991 Jem 777FP (The black Floral Print)
1 - 1992 Jem 77BFP (The blue floral pattern)
2 - 1990 Jem 777DSY (Yellow with pyramid inlay)
2 - 2000 Jem 2KDNA (Multi Color with DNA Inlay)
1 - 90th Aniversary - (Black with Metal Engraved Pickguard)

Over the years I have spent more than $50,000 on collecting these guitars. I sold them all off over the past 5 years in order to buy other gear and made triple my money back.

While playing a knockoff might look cool, they sound like ass and arent worth it. Spend the extra $100 to $200 and get a RG 550 or 570, you will like it alot more.