Why the Ibanez ICHI10 is the BEST guitar for working musicians

Summary

The speaker passionately endorses the Ianz ich10 as the ultimate live music guitar, highlighting its lightweight design, durability, and versatile tonal options. Despite its worn appearance from extensive use, the guitar's performance remains robust, offering a range of tones from Stratocaster to Telecaster-like sounds, and even a unique mid-range option. The speaker also appreciates the guitar's practicality for stage use, its affordability compared to heavier and more expensive alternatives, and plans to swap out the pickups for studio work while keeping the alter switch for live performances.

Takeaways

• 🎸 The Ianz ICH10 is considered the best live music guitar by the speaker due to its lightweight and durability.
• ⚡ The guitar weighs only 4 pounds, making it significantly lighter than a traditional Les Paul from 1977, which is a considerable advantage for live performances.
• 🎵 It features a headless design, which prevents it from hitting people in the audience and reduces the risk of damage if dropped.
• 🔊 The ICH10 offers versatile tonal options with three single coil pickups and an 'alter' switch that changes the sound to mimic a Stratocaster or a Telecaster.
• 🛠 The guitar is praised for its durability, having survived being dropped, thrown, and kicked without major damage.
• 👕 The speaker prefers the ICH10's neck shape, describing it as 'neutral' and comfortable for playing without causing hand strain.
• 💰 The ICH10 is a cost-effective choice, offering two guitars for the price of one new Les Paul, and is less expensive than many other guitars.
• 🏷 The guitar's ergonomic design includes a cutout that allows for easy resting during performances without taking up much stage space.
• 🔧 Despite the guitar's worn appearance after extensive use, it has proven to be reliable and in need of only minor repairs or upgrades.
• 🔄 The speaker plans to replace the pickups for studio work to achieve more authentic Stratocaster and Les Paul tones, but will keep the alter switch for live performances.
• 👀 The fret markers on the ICH10 are hard to see on stage, leading the speaker to use white gorilla tape as a temporary solution for visibility.

Q & A

What type of guitar does the speaker consider the best for live music?

The speaker considers the Ianz ICHT10 as the best live music guitar of all time.

Why does the speaker prefer the Ianz ICHT10 for live performances?

The speaker prefers the Ianz ICHT10 for its lightweight, headless design, tonal options, durability, and affordability.

How does the weight of the Ianz ICHT10 compare to a typical Les Paul?

The Ianz ICHT10 weighs almost nothing at 4 pounds, compared to a typical Les Paul from 1977 that weighs 29 pounds.

What is the advantage of the headless design of the Ianz ICHT10?

The headless design prevents the guitar from hitting people to the left of the performer and reduces the risk of damage if dropped.

How many single coil pickups does the Ianz ICHT10 have, and what is their configuration?

The Ianz ICHT10 has three single coil pickups, similar to a Stratocaster configuration.

What does the alter switch on the Ianz ICHT10 do?

The alter switch changes the tonal options, allowing access to three different tones by altering the pickup combinations and polarities.

How does the speaker describe the neck shape of the Ianz ICHT10?

The speaker describes the neck shape as neutral, neither too fat nor too thin, with fretboard edges that are slightly rounded off but not sharp.

What is the speaker's opinion on the price point of the Ianz ICHT10 compared to a Les Paul?

The speaker believes the Ianz ICHT10 offers great value for its price, costing about half the price of a new Les Paul.

How does the speaker plan to improve the Ianz ICHT10 for studio work?

The speaker plans to swap out the pickups for regular Fender Strat pickups to achieve more authentic Strat and Les Paul tones for studio work.

What are the two main complaints the speaker has about the Ianz ICHT10?

The speaker's two main complaints are the need to swap out the pickups for better studio sound and the difficulty in seeing the fret markers during live shows.

How does the speaker address the issue of visibility of fret markers during live performances?

The speaker uses white gorilla tape to mark the frets, making them more visible during live performances.

Outlines

00:00

🎸 The Ultimate Live Music Guitar: Ianz ich10

The speaker passionately introduces the Ianz ich10 as the best live music guitar, highlighting its lightweight design, weighing only 4 pounds, which is significantly lighter than a traditional Les Paul. This makes it ideal for live performances involving movement and extended playing without causing physical strain. The guitar's headless design prevents injuries and damage during energetic shows. Additionally, the speaker praises the tonal versatility of the guitar, which features three single coil pickups and an 'alter' switch that provides a range of tones from Stratocaster-like to more unique configurations, suitable for different musical styles and vocalists. The affordability of the Ianz ich10 is also emphasized, offering great value compared to more expensive guitars like the Les Paul. The speaker's personal experience with the guitar's durability and practicality on stage, including its compactness and ease of storage, is shared enthusiastically.

05:02

🔨 Durability and Versatility of the Ianz ich10 Guitar

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the durability of the Ianz ich10, noting its ability to withstand rigorous live performances despite visible wear and tear. The guitar's resilience is attributed to its construction, which has held up after 18 months of heavy use, including sweat exposure and physical impacts. The speaker also mentions a recent failure of the guitar, which they view as an opportunity for an overhaul and potential pickup upgrade for studio work, while maintaining the guitar's unique 'alter' switch for live performances. The need for better visible fret markers during live shows is addressed with a temporary solution of using white gorilla tape. The speaker concludes by reiterating the guitar's superiority for live music, especially for those with budget constraints, seeking a lightweight, durable, and tonally versatile instrument.

Keywords

💡Guitar

A guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is played by plucking or strumming the strings, either with fingers or a pick. In the video's context, the guitar is the central theme, with the speaker discussing various types and their suitability for live performances.

💡Ianz Ich10

The Ianz Ich10 is a specific model of guitar that the speaker highly recommends for live music. It is described as lightweight, durable, and offering a variety of tonal options, making it ideal for the rigors of live performances.

💡Live Music

Live music refers to musical performances that are performed in real-time, as opposed to recorded music. The video focuses on the suitability of the Ianz Ich10 for live music, emphasizing its durability and versatility in different performance scenarios.

💡Headless

A headless guitar is one that lacks a traditional headstock. The Ianz Ich10 is described as headless, which is beneficial for live music as it prevents injury to other performers and reduces the risk of damage if the guitar is dropped.

💡Tonal Options

Tonal options refer to the different sounds a guitar can produce. The speaker praises the Ianz Ich10 for its tonal versatility, including the ability to mimic Stratocaster and Telecaster tones, and the use of an 'alter switch' to modify the sound further.

💡Pickups

Pickups are electronic devices attached to a guitar that capture the vibration of the strings and convert it into an electrical signal for amplification. The Ianz Ich10 features three single coil pickups, similar to a Stratocaster, offering a wide range of tones.

💡Alter Switch

The alter switch on the Ianz Ich10 is a unique feature that changes the guitar's tonal characteristics. It is used to switch between different pickup configurations and provide a variety of sounds, enhancing the guitar's suitability for live music.

💡Durability

Durability refers to the ability of an object to withstand wear and tear. The speaker discusses the Ianz Ich10's durability, noting that despite its beaten and aged appearance, the guitar has held up well over 18 months of intense live performances.

💡Price Point

Price point is the cost at which a product is offered for sale. The video mentions the Ianz Ich10 as a cost-effective option compared to more expensive guitars like the Les Paul, providing good value for money without sacrificing quality.

💡Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body and its movements comfortably. The speaker mentions the Ianz Ich10's ergonomics, noting the comfortable neck shape and the guitar's overall suitability for long live performances.

💡Fretboard

A fretboard is the part of a stringed instrument where the strings are pressed down to change the pitch of the notes produced. The speaker describes the Ianz Ich10's fretboard as 'neutral', neither too flat nor too rounded, which is important for comfortable playability.

💡Portability

Portability refers to the ease with which an object can be moved or carried. The speaker highlights the Ianz Ich10's portability, particularly its compact design with a cutout that allows it to be easily set down on a stage without taking up much space.

Highlights

The Ianz Ich10 is considered the best live music guitar by the speaker.

The guitar weighs almost nothing, making it ideal for live performances with physical activity.

It is a headless design, which prevents injury to others and damage to the guitar.

The guitar offers tonal options similar to a Stratocaster with an additional alter switch for more variety.

The alter switch provides three different tones, enhancing the guitar's versatility.

The speaker prefers the Ianz Ich10 over Steinberger due to its more natural feel.

The neck shape of the Ianz Ich10 is described as neutral, neither too fat nor too thin.

The fretboard edges are slightly rounded off, preventing string rollover issues.

The Ianz Ich10 is affordable compared to other high-end guitars like the Les Paul.

The guitar's compact design allows for easy storage on stage without a stand.

The speaker discusses the guitar's durability after 18 months of heavy use.

Despite aesthetic wear, the guitar's functionality remains intact.

The speaker plans to replace the pickups for studio work but keep the alter switch.

The Ianz Ich10 is recommended for those on a budget, needing a lightweight guitar with tonal variety.

The speaker's only complaints are the need to swap out pickups and improve fret marker visibility.

The guitar's versatility is praised for complementing different singers and musical arrangements.

Transcripts

so yeah I own a couple of

guitars these are the ones that are just

on the rack this does not include

guitars that are in storage or in the

trailer or at my parents house for when

we rehearse and write over there but

none of these guitars none of them are

as good for live music as the one I'm

going to tell you about which is in my

opinion the greatest live music guitar

of all time this is the ianz ich10 let's

talk about

this is the ianz ich10 I've had this for

18 months gigging about four or five

nights a week in Florida in a suit

running around jumping around and I have

decided this is the best guitar for live

music reason number

one it weighs almost nothing thing

weighs 4 PBS and compare that to that

Les paw that you got in 1977 that weighs

29 kilos this thing weighs nothing you

spend four hours playing jumping running

around doing all that stuff doing dance

steps your shoulders and your back are

going to be in pain and crooked reason

number two it is

headless whoever's standing to your left

will thank you that you're no longer

smacking them in the face with the

headstock also your less PA will snap if

you drop it this will not I've dropped

it so many times I've dropped it I've

thrown it I've kicked it it's been

mauled by a bear and it's just fine

reason number three is tonal options you

may notice three single coil pickups

just like a Stratocaster so you can get

pretty close to Strat tones but whole

but there's more there's also an alter

switch right here when the alter switch

is off it's just like a Stratocaster but

when the alter switch is on you get

access to three different tones the neck

position now gives you these two and it

flips the polari so it's side in series

parallel doesn't matter but what does

matter is the tone it makes it fatter

and it makes it louder so less harsh you

can get a super Jazzy tone by going like

this

see all

right you switch it to the middle

position with the alter switch it's like

a Telecaster it's these two pickups so

you get a a nice Telecaster tone switch

it to this position with the alter

switch on and you're going to get these

two pickups with the polarity thing

switched which is great if you like a

Steve Luca type tone or if you like a um

Johnson what is his name Eric Johnson if

you like an Eric Johnson tone like it's

a little bit rolled back on the tone but

it's it's loud and very mid- rangey

that's this that's this right here if

you love that tone which I freaking love

that's it if you hate the super chimy

annoying grading regular single coil

well then just flip the alter switch now

you get away from that it's great now

I've had a Steinberger before and if

youall have seen those there's also no

headstock on those but I don't like a

Steinberger it throws off my hand

position it messes with my mind and I

think it's just this right here with a

Steinberger it just cuts off right here

but this ianz has just this little bitty

thing right here so when you're playing

you feel that natural stop there that

that keeps your brain oriented like it's

a normal guitar super important when

you're playing out there and you don't

need to be thinking about the guitar the

neck shape I don't know how to how to

describe it except it's neutral it's not

a fat neck it's not a thin neck it's not

like a really rounded fretboard like an

old Strat but it's also not a super flat

fretboard like a lot of izes a lot of

izes I don't like them because of how

flat and wide they are on the fretboard

not the case with this super neutral the

edges are not sharp they're a little bit

rounded off but not so much that you

have that problem where the the strings

roll over the edge okay very important

the next important thing is the price

point okay I have a Les Paul over there

it's very nice Les Paul it costs a lot

of money I bought this and said oh no

what if it breaks during a show well

that's okay I got a backup okay I got

this and the main one for

about yeah half the cost of one new Les

Paul okay two great guitars versus one

guitar that's twice as

expensive the less Paul is heavier here

these two guitars are are not as heavy

as one less paw by itself okay kind of

important when you're playing a 4-Hour

gig next and it may seem trivial but

this right here with this cutout you've

got two points of contact at the bottom

so a lot of times we end up on a really

small stage it just happen big band

small stage so what are you going to do

you're not going to bring out a bunch of

guitar stands cuz you're mucking up the

whole stage so this lets me just set it

down and lean it against a wall it takes

up way less space and sometimes you know

switching to a horn or just putting the

guitar down to go to a song where I'm

just out in the audience and being able

to just set it down quickly without it

dropping is a huge deal and of course if

it does drop it's not a big deal because

it weighs nothing and it doesn't have a

headstock so when it falls it's it's not

going to snap like a less Paul is going

to snap and then then there's something

that's a little bit contrary I'm going

to say it's the durability okay you're

looking at this guitar and you're saying

holy shnikies this thing is beat to heck

it's discolored it's disfigured it is

destroyed back here you've got paint

primer wood okay I've gotten through all

the layers I'm starting to destroy it my

sticker is almost gone too for uh Safe

Haven music not a sponsor but awesome

guys but this thing has held up it's

it's been 18 months I have poured

gallons and gallons of sweat um over

this thing over the course of all the

shows that we do again 45 nights a week

in Florida we wear suits we do dance

steps and I'm just a sweaty person in

general so it I I may as well just throw

it in the ocean after every show cuz

before I did this video you're not going

to be able to see this on video but from

the show last night there were like

Rusty droplets forming like stag typ

off of these strings it's gross and I

apologize to everybody I've ever met

about the amount of sweating that I do

I've got the temperature set to 60 in

here and I'm sweating still okay but

it's the durability despite the

aesthetic like outer things that have

been destroyed which I actually really

love like I love the way that this

guitar is aging it it doesn't do that

that thing where you're like man I've

played this guitar for 79 shows and it

looks exactly brand new well now this

well 79 shows it' be like six months but

still the point remains do a crapload of

shows and it very much shows that it is

being used but this thing is held up

despite me beating it just to death it

uh it's held up all the way until

yesterday it finally failed and I'm I'm

kind of excited about it because now I

get to take it to the shop and just get

a complete overhaul I might swap out the

pickups I would probably recommend that

cuz because the the tones are nice it's

fine it's good it's a for live shows

it's it's good enough but for Studio

work I would not use this guitar as is

it plays great it feels great the

ergonomics and the tonal options are are

awesome but if you want that Strat sound

for your record you need a strat this

won't quite do it if you need that less

Paul sound this won't quite do it so I'm

going to swap this out for just some

regular old Stratocaster pickups so I

can I can get those tones but I'm

definitely keeping the alter switch CU

to me that's the ultimate you're doing a

show for 4 hours you got a bunch of

different genres bunch of different type

of music and for us we got different

singers too so you know one pickup

position that sounds good while I'm

singing is not going to sound the same

when Michael's singing or Nick is

singing or Raywood is singing because

they all have different voices and you

need to compliment their voice and I

don't mean say nice things never say

nice things to your bandmates but I mean

compliment c m p e me n t Okay so that

they go together well you've got to

complement their voice and the rest of

the arrangement you can do that with

this because you have so many different

tonal options options you don't have

with the less fall options you don't

have with a typical Stratocaster so if

you are tight on money like me well I

have a lot of guitars but still I'm

tight on money if you're tight on money

you don't want a heavy guitar you want

lots of tonal options and you want

something that's going to be able to

endure the difficulties of Road life

this is the guitar it's not it's not

even close I used strats I've used Les

Pauls I've used other Gibsons I've used

haums I've used

uh reverends I've used epon I've used

kles I've used them all okay and none of

them quite do what this does my two

complaints only two complaints swap out

the pickups for uh regular Fender strp

pickups but keep the alter switch and

these fret markers the Fret markers are

difficult to see during live shows so

what you're seeing is some white gorilla

tape that lets me see what I'm doing on

stage because I can't see the uh the

standard dots during a show you may be

able to

see ah I think that's a

dot but you're not going to see that on

on

stage unless you've marked it a

different kind of way but again ianz

ich10 best live guitar ever