Why the Ibanez ICHI10 is the BEST guitar for working musicians
Summary
TLDRThe 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
- πΈ The Ianz ICH10 is considered the best live music guitar by the speaker due to its lightweight and durability.
- β‘ 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.
- π΅ It features a headless design, which prevents it from hitting people in the audience and reduces the risk of damage if dropped.
- π 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.
- π The guitar is praised for its durability, having survived being dropped, thrown, and kicked without major damage.
- π The speaker prefers the ICH10's neck shape, describing it as 'neutral' and comfortable for playing without causing hand strain.
- π° 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.
- π· The guitar's ergonomic design includes a cutout that allows for easy resting during performances without taking up much stage space.
- π§ Despite the guitar's worn appearance after extensive use, it has proven to be reliable and in need of only minor repairs or upgrades.
- π 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.
- π 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
πΈ 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.
π¨ 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Guitar
π‘Ianz Ich10
π‘Live Music
π‘Headless
π‘Tonal Options
π‘Pickups
π‘Alter Switch
π‘Durability
π‘Price Point
π‘Ergonomics
π‘Fretboard
π‘Portability
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
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)