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.