Nice comparison! I got my JCustom for 2200 euros brand new, while the PIA cost like 3k, so I think this deal wins it all. Regarding the quality, I have a Gibson LP Standard too, the Ibanez is light years ahead of the Gibson, and cheaper, Japanese instruments are just top of quality
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
That's a fantastic deal for sure. I'm inclined to agree on the quality from my experiences too! Good find
@MrPabsify2 ай бұрын
Where did you buy a new JC for 2200 EUR!!!?
@augustomesavila2 ай бұрын
@@MrPabsify at Ludi Music in Portugal, apparently the guitar was there for a long time, they put it on sale and I bought it :)
@mylogifyАй бұрын
@@augustomesavila That's a cool price! My Pia brand new in my local store was luckily 2725 Euro or so, when I bought it discounted, and No more discounts here in my country Pia is rated as 4200 Euro now........ The customs fee has changed and we are damned. All I can do is just buy from thomann, and someone bring it to my country.
@augustomesavilaАй бұрын
@@mylogify I saw in a store called Egitana here in Portugal one time, they had a 10% discount coupon, was the best price I ever seen, PIA would go for 2700 euros. I think you got a very good deal bro!
@Feverdream77773 ай бұрын
If someone was standing in front of me, saying pick one...only one: I'd go Pia: Stainless Steel frets will save you $1000 in fret jobs over the life of the guitar, Utopia pickups are awesome, original Edge is a superior trem for embellishments and flutter. No brainer for me... Pia all the way
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Definitely agree there. If I had to choose based on features, the PIA wins me over
@mylogifyАй бұрын
Lighter in weight, it's good when it's discounted somewhere.... Got it for 2725 here by chance 2 years ago, but no discounts ever again. price has doubled up here, custom fee changed in my third world country. Turkey
@TK963 ай бұрын
J.Custom Anyday. -The J.C Super Wizard with ebony fretboard is the fastest neck of all time. -Top wood selection. -Attention to detail -best trems even the Edge Zero models -It’s the ultimate RG for a reason. I switched mine bridge pup to Steve’s Special and put a brass block to it also wired it middle position is inner coils split. It’s warm and bright sounding at the same time which is quite unusual for a super strat style guitar.
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Those are some sweet modifications! Did the brass block or the pickup change affect the tone more? If I was going to make my J Custom my main, a pickup change would be involved for sure
@TK963 ай бұрын
@@HighZ Tone Zone started to sound too piercing in the high mids to my ears with ebony fretboard too much overcooked mids if it was rosewood, it would be alright in the high mids Steve Special balanced the mids and the guitar sounded more natural through an amp. Brass block rounded all the frequencies bringing warmth and more guitar through with clarity. Would recommend doing brass block first before changing pickups.
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Overcooked is a great way to phrase it. Ok sounds good. I bet changing the block is far less work for greater reward than changing the pickups
@TK963 ай бұрын
@@HighZ On edge zero those stock block screws can strip very easily so remove saddles get better access to them I learned this the hard way.🫠
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
@@TK96 aw man that sucks. You just saved me the pain though so thanks
@NirvanaFG453 ай бұрын
Great review! This info is helpful for understanding the specs for for decision making when picking a future guitar
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Thanks, glad this was helpful!
@fenderboy6819 күн бұрын
Just picked up my J Custom 8570 yesterday...Helluva machine!!! P.S. I like the cat making its entrance at the end!! Cheers brother
@HighZ19 күн бұрын
Congratulations! They really are insane guitars. And she loves to participate and walk in, she might as well be the executive producer!
@parksoo-kim69083 ай бұрын
You blocked the Pia trem??? I believe that's illegal in 48 states.
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
I must be in one of the two states where it's legal 😆 but yeah I did. I can always just take out the pieces of wood and it'll work. I love the stability and locking that a blocked trem offers
@These_go_to_eleven_19593 ай бұрын
The j custom gets my vote because it's got a maple cap, the Tone zone and air Norton and a wizard neck profile. Very much like my RG3120. Plus really prefer the old school Jem's to be honest. The ones that had the PAF pro's Stock. 🤘
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Can't argue there! When you need a wizard neck there's no substitute. And feeling like an RG is very important since RG's are fantastic
@gtrguy76Ай бұрын
Love my J customs! I have many high end Prestiges and late 80's/early 90's MIJ's (which I love!! OG wizards on my 540p's baby) but the J Customs are just built different-just pick em up and you feel it.
@BrianBower3 ай бұрын
Love this kind of comparison. Personally I think I would go first the J custom because I like the look more. I think id want the trem off the Pia though. The Edge bridges rule.
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
I hear you there. If these two guitars could be used like that, it would be perfect!
@mylogifyАй бұрын
The J. Custom is a heavy one though. Pia is a lot lighter, and there is another J. Custom with chambered body but costs a lot more. which is RG8870
@콩실뮤직3 ай бұрын
The one thing for sure is that they're both excellent guitars!
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Definitely! They're always a joy to play
@mylogifyАй бұрын
Awww so cute cat. Nice review! Loving my Pia.
@HighZАй бұрын
Thank you! She loves to participate. And the PIA is an incredible guitar for sure!
@martinkguitarcover49333 ай бұрын
Great review!
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@Consolous3 ай бұрын
Both are really beautiful guitars. I always liked that many Ibanez have those holes that make it easier to carry (unless maybe they're not supposed to be used for that). It's a beautiful guitar but if I had to choose, I'd probably go with the J Custom because of the smaller neck and body shape, especially for shredding. Which one do you think would sound better for my style? Great review brother, my go to place for epic VGM covers and guitar reviews
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Honestly either one would do it, since you could say both of these guitars have a common ancestor that's rooted in your favorite era of shred. Since pickups can be replaced and bridges can be switched with enough effort, it'll really come down to which neck and body you like the feel of. If you need a 1mm thinner neck, the J Custom would be the way to go. From there are the semi-permanent things like the pickups, fret material, etc. It might also matter how similar the guitar will need to sound to your existing one, since you'd have to change all your amp or plugin settings to get a good sound if it's radically different
@mylogifyАй бұрын
I would consider the J. Custom with Chambered body, or Pia. Not this, this is very heavy.
@Anthony-qh1xv13 күн бұрын
Hey, I really like this comparison, you did a great job. I had a pretty big question for you, I would really appreciate an answer. How do you like the J custom? I currently have a Charvel DK 24, and I love it, but I simply like how this thing looks more, so is it an upgrade? It’s obviously better, right? And how does the neck compare?
@HighZ13 күн бұрын
Thank you! The neck is going to feel thinner and flatter, so a j custom or any prestige ibanez will be a different playing experience. It might be an upgrade in quality and all since it's their top of the line offering but if you love everything about the charvel, the different neck might not be fun. But if you're looking for a guitar with a super thin neck, the j custom will be perfect
@Anthony-qh1xv12 күн бұрын
I appreciate that, I’ve never played one, but I found one of these on reverb, and I was actually going to sell my Charvel to guitar center today, and then just buy it without even playing it, which I know is not the best idea, but there are a lot of them out there, is it going to be a similar neck to a Charvel C?
@HighZ12 күн бұрын
@Anthony-qh1xv if it makes you happy! It'll be kind of C to D ish but will bee much thinner and flatter. Great for thumb behind the neck playing especially in my experience
@alice_piano3 ай бұрын
Great sharing! Have a pleasant weekend my friend😊😊
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Thank you and you too!
@TemplarGuitar3 ай бұрын
I have an early 2000's J-Custom that was an import from Japan (original owner was in Japan). Playability is ridiculous.. in fact, it makes me wonder sometimes why i even bother with other RG style guitars, but, variety is the spice of life (that goes double for guitars).. lol I dont have a Pia, but I have a 2007 JEM. (Mirror Pickguard, "Breed" Pickups... IMO, the J-Custom (that I own) tops either..
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Agreed, there's nothing like a J Custom. When you play one you really get the feeling that it's the guitar the craftsmen want to make and it shows in how amazing the instrument functions. You've got good taste!
@djpuma5733 ай бұрын
excellent guitars!
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Absolutely!
@chenhuey7373 ай бұрын
Do you feel PIA significantly lighter in weight (with alder & pia hole)? Personally I have 2 j customs, both are bit heavy(~4kg) for me. Apart from that JCs are nearly perfect guitar IMO.
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
The PIA is lighter than the J Custom, yes. I had to pick up both after reading this to check. It feels as light as a mahogany RGA. An ash body RG is lighter
@chenhuey7373 ай бұрын
@@HighZ Thanks for checking out!
@mylogifyАй бұрын
Pia is lighter, and you feel it. Great weight for balance. Body is alder, and slimmer than RG as well. The colour (white. Scallion looks better in person) than in any photos, videos.
@gtrguy76Ай бұрын
J Custims are my heaviest by far of my 30+ Ibbys, but when you play them I (almost-lol) forget about the weight cause the feel is so nice. But the weight is worth the trade off for the crafmanship
@mylogifyАй бұрын
@@gtrguy76 It's probably bearable, but I have damn health issues, weight is main concern for me. There is one RG8870 with Chambered body though :D, a bit more expensive than 8570's. But I prefer Prestige series, I am addicted to SS frets. :D I love the J. Customs still.
@Tatted-ne7tu3 ай бұрын
I enjoy your average Joe perspective. I don’t feel like you’re selling me on something.
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
Thank you! I'm not being paid to advertise anything so it's nice to speak freely
@maxcoen76412 ай бұрын
Is the RG8570 actually the RG8570z? the rg8570 has a lo pro edge and ebony fretboard as far I knew
That's a great question! In general you can always make great music with an inexpensive guitar. The audience isn't gonna care and it will sound good enough on recordings too. Cheaper guitars in general will require a more extensive setup and lower quality build and materials might make it impossible to get the best setup. But it'll still be plenty usable. While cheaper guitars might be more prone to manufacturing mistakes, more expensive guitars can have these mistakes too. It depends what brand you're looking at, but in terms of ibanez, there are lots of standard tier RG and premium too it depends on your budget. Also the more inexpensive trems will in general be less reliable
@andyy64813 ай бұрын
@@HighZ have you try out the jackson ones. I saw one for like 200$ all black, I am thinking getting that and replace the pickup from the PIA which would cost 500$ so $700 total, do you think that would be a good way to get the same outcome?
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
@@andyy6481 The sound would be somewhat similar. It comes down to how good the $200 guitar is. If you can try it and it stays in tune and you like how it feels to play, then this would be a great idea. If the stock pickups sound good enough though, you won't get a super big difference by changing the pickups, so you could save some money and leave it stock. Listeners won't be able to tell which pickups you're using when they hear your music or performances after all
@andyy64813 ай бұрын
@@HighZ have you try those $200 jackson guitars, are they good enough?
@HighZ3 ай бұрын
I haven't. I've only ever tried one jackson and I liked the neck. I'm afraid if I try the $200 jackson and like it, I'll immediately buy it 😆