Post by bokeh on Jun 12, 2010 10:02:45 GMT -5
I took some time to compare the way my Ibanez RG570 plays and sounds to my two Strat HM's. The RG570 is a 1999 model with the 5 piece renforced neck. The HMs are likely an 88 with Maple and an 89 with Rosewood fretboards. All guitars are stock with the exception of a varient of the Khaler Spyder on the 88 maple HM. All are stung with D'Addario 9-42 nickle wound.
The neck on the RG is thinner than the HM. The frets feel more Jumbo on the RG. Action is a push. The RG cutaway is deeper and access to the highest frets does seem a little easier, but not by much. The RG neck moves and gives more than the HM, which is a little weird to see on large bends and trem work. For my fingers, the neck on the RG is probably easier to play, but this could simply be less fret wear on the HM
too. Neck shape and thickness are all personal preference. The RG is thinner and flatter. The HM is thicker and rounder - though the HM is still thinner than many other guitars.
Unplugged the guitars are so different. The Strat HM rings and sustains. The Ibanez is more muted. This probably comes down to string height at the bridge and bridge construction differences between the trem systems. It may not matter, but like a Les Paul, SG, or even regular Stratocaster, the HM has so many interactions with the woods that make up the guitar and neck. Its almost organic the way it sounds and vibrates as an instrument unplugged. The Ibanez RG570 is just dead and thuddy in comparison to the HM unplugged.
Plugged in, both guitars can do the "metal" thing. The HM has more ouput from the bridge pickup. Both bridge pickups have a mid-focused sound with plenty of gain. The HM has a creamier sound to fast notes which probably comes from the higher output. The HM can coil tap the bridge and get a decent strat/tele twang. The RG can't. The HM can do proper Stratocaster out of phase sounds in positions 2 and 4, the RG can't. The middle pickup of the RG is much noisier than the HM. The RG can do a decent Gibson PAF neck pickup "woman tone" with fat bluesy overtones, the HM can not, but it can do the Stratocaster neck pickup bluesy tone.
Plugged in, the Stat HM gives you many more tone options than the RG570. The pickup switch, the volume, and the tone knobs just seem to change the sound more on the HM. Getting back to the ways the guitars sounded unplugged, maybe its why the RG seems to sound a certain way. Maybe starting out with more overtones in the wood leads to more tones plugged in. Maybe the Strat HM had better stock electronics and pickups. I do wish I had a humbucker in the HM neck position though.
The RG570 takes a while to get in tune when you change strings, but it does stay in tune really well. I like the original Floyd Rose licensed EDGE trem system much more than the Khaler Spyder for crazy trem dives and pulls. You can simply do anything to the Ibanez trem and it stays in tune. I am not saying the Khaler won't stay in tune, but the Ibanez is a small miracle. The downside to the EDGE is that it moves a lot easier than the Spyder. String bends detune other strings more. Missplaced palm mutes can make the string go sharp. The non-threaded EDGE trem is also nice for warble tones when you flick the bar.
I still need to play the guitars critically through some other amps that should reveal more subtleties to how the sound playing different kinds of music with different tones. I know that people say Ibanez RG550 and RG570 guitars can do all types of music and get all sorts of sounds. Next to the Strat HM that rings pretty hollow. The amountof tones from modern to true Strat vintage available from the Strat HM makes the RG570 sound much more like a 1 trick pony. That 1 trick of being able to shred with the best of them is a great trick for the RG570 to have though. I guess another way to put it would be - the RG570 can do L.A. - the Strat HM can do L.A. or Nashville.
The neck on the RG is thinner than the HM. The frets feel more Jumbo on the RG. Action is a push. The RG cutaway is deeper and access to the highest frets does seem a little easier, but not by much. The RG neck moves and gives more than the HM, which is a little weird to see on large bends and trem work. For my fingers, the neck on the RG is probably easier to play, but this could simply be less fret wear on the HM
too. Neck shape and thickness are all personal preference. The RG is thinner and flatter. The HM is thicker and rounder - though the HM is still thinner than many other guitars.
Unplugged the guitars are so different. The Strat HM rings and sustains. The Ibanez is more muted. This probably comes down to string height at the bridge and bridge construction differences between the trem systems. It may not matter, but like a Les Paul, SG, or even regular Stratocaster, the HM has so many interactions with the woods that make up the guitar and neck. Its almost organic the way it sounds and vibrates as an instrument unplugged. The Ibanez RG570 is just dead and thuddy in comparison to the HM unplugged.
Plugged in, both guitars can do the "metal" thing. The HM has more ouput from the bridge pickup. Both bridge pickups have a mid-focused sound with plenty of gain. The HM has a creamier sound to fast notes which probably comes from the higher output. The HM can coil tap the bridge and get a decent strat/tele twang. The RG can't. The HM can do proper Stratocaster out of phase sounds in positions 2 and 4, the RG can't. The middle pickup of the RG is much noisier than the HM. The RG can do a decent Gibson PAF neck pickup "woman tone" with fat bluesy overtones, the HM can not, but it can do the Stratocaster neck pickup bluesy tone.
Plugged in, the Stat HM gives you many more tone options than the RG570. The pickup switch, the volume, and the tone knobs just seem to change the sound more on the HM. Getting back to the ways the guitars sounded unplugged, maybe its why the RG seems to sound a certain way. Maybe starting out with more overtones in the wood leads to more tones plugged in. Maybe the Strat HM had better stock electronics and pickups. I do wish I had a humbucker in the HM neck position though.
The RG570 takes a while to get in tune when you change strings, but it does stay in tune really well. I like the original Floyd Rose licensed EDGE trem system much more than the Khaler Spyder for crazy trem dives and pulls. You can simply do anything to the Ibanez trem and it stays in tune. I am not saying the Khaler won't stay in tune, but the Ibanez is a small miracle. The downside to the EDGE is that it moves a lot easier than the Spyder. String bends detune other strings more. Missplaced palm mutes can make the string go sharp. The non-threaded EDGE trem is also nice for warble tones when you flick the bar.
I still need to play the guitars critically through some other amps that should reveal more subtleties to how the sound playing different kinds of music with different tones. I know that people say Ibanez RG550 and RG570 guitars can do all types of music and get all sorts of sounds. Next to the Strat HM that rings pretty hollow. The amountof tones from modern to true Strat vintage available from the Strat HM makes the RG570 sound much more like a 1 trick pony. That 1 trick of being able to shred with the best of them is a great trick for the RG570 to have though. I guess another way to put it would be - the RG570 can do L.A. - the Strat HM can do L.A. or Nashville.
