Guitar Ibanez Jem article
Guitar Ibanez Jem for Beginners: A Complete Guide
That handle cut into the body, the wild pickguard — if an Ibanez JEM has caught your eye, here's the honest, patient answer on starting with one.
I remember the first time I saw a JEM up close in a shop window — that handle cut into the body, the wild pickguard, the whole thing looking like it belonged on a stage rather than a wall. If a guitar like that has caught your eye and you're wondering whether it could actually be your first proper electric, let's talk it through honestly.
Why This Particular Guitar Grabs People
The Ibanez JEM was built for Steve Vai back in the 1980s, and it still looks like nothing else on the wall — that big handle (the "Monkey Grip") cut straight through the body, the swirl-patterned pickguard, the carved shape around the bridge. It's a genuinely striking instrument, and there's nothing wrong with a guitar that makes you want to pick it up more often, which is honestly half the battle when you're learning.
Is It Actually a Good First Guitar?
Here's the honest bit: it's built for a fast, technical playing style, with 24 frets and a locking tremolo that needs a bit more care than a simple fixed bridge. None of that makes it a bad choice for a beginner — plenty of people learn perfectly well on one — but it does mean you're taking on slightly more to look after than a simpler starter guitar. If the look and the story are what's pulling you in, that's a genuinely lovely reason to start here.
Start With the Friendly End of the Range
You don't need Steve Vai's own Ibanez JEM specification to get going. The JEMJR gives you the real shape, the real feel and a genuinely capable set of pickups, at a price that won't break your heart if guitar-learning turns out not to be for you after all (though I'd put money on it being for you). Save the premium Ibanez JEM models for later, once you know you love the instrument enough to want the very best version of it.
A Few Words Worth Knowing
- Locking tremolo — the bridge clamps the strings at the nut too, keeping tuning stable when you use the whammy bar.
- H–S–H pickups — humbucker, single coil, humbucker; a five-way switch lets you pick between them for different tones.
- 24 frets — two full octaves on each string, more than most beginner guitars offer.
- Superstrat — the general style of guitar this belongs to: thin fast neck, double cutaway, built for speed.
Living With the Tremolo as a Beginner
Don't be scared of it, just be a little patient with it. Change strings one at a time rather than all at once, so the bridge doesn't lose its balance completely. If tuning ever feels genuinely wrong, a good local guitar tech can sort it out properly rather than you fighting it alone for hours. It's one of the few things about this guitar that rewards asking for help early rather than muddling through.
Give It Time
The fast neck and the tremolo on an Ibanez JEM both take a little getting used to if you've never played anything like this before, but that adjustment happens quicker than people expect — usually within the first few weeks of regular playing. Don't judge the guitar, or yourself, in the first fortnight.
Where to Go From Here
Once you're comfortable, our full explainer tells the whole story behind the design, and the buyer's guide is there for whenever you're ready to think about your next one. Starting on an Ibanez JEM is a genuinely exciting way into electric guitar — just be patient with the tremolo, and enjoy the ride.
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