I was lucky to attend a clinic featuring. Joe. In Edinburgh ( 1981) promoting this signature model. You are correct as regards the pickup position. Joe stated that had given up the plectrum by this time and asked Ibanez to position the pickup with a " plucking gap" at the fretboard end. As he said at the time, this may put off plectrum players as it would be prone to impact noise from the pick. It is a beautiful guitar but he did play on the 175 for most of the evening. The John Schofield model was a sweetie too. Great playing Brian!
A very sweet guitar, it was my very first jazz-guitar, back in 1985, and I regret having sold it... though only for "sentimental" reasons!! Truth be told: I sold it after one year because I just could not get away from the thin sound (due to pickup placement) and kept "stumbling" on the pickup with my plecrum (which often fell off my hand as a result, again due to pickup placement). This is not just an opinion or a prejudice: it's my direct experience and I've resolved the issue by switching to a GB10. The JP 20 is a very nice guitar if you only play fingerstyle, however (in my opinion), and the thin neck is easy and a joy to play.
I've had the pleasure of playing two JP20's in recent few weeks. Both have been a dream to play and not suprisingly I haven't managed to persuade the owners to part with them. Much underrated guitar in my opinion and I've been lucky enough to try some very expensive "classic" models that just didn't compare. However each guitar should be judged on it's individual merits and you could try twenty of the same model but maybe only one will feel right for you. Thanks for review.
This is a nice guitar, Ibanez makes fantastic as well as affordable jazz guitars and this is one. I have two that I prefer. Joe pass played this but said the tone just wasn't to his liking because of the pick-up placement. He did not dislike the instrument but he couldn't get what he wanted out of it. The epiphone he liked also but it did not suit him. He just liked his 175 that he was sooooooooo used to it made him a little bias.
I have had one of these for 20+ years and liked the way it played but didn't like the sound; same as many who thought it lacked depth and richness. I just recently changed the pickup to a Benedetto B6. It made a significant improvement (to my ears). I think now it would be a first rate gigging guitar.
+Marco Zoppi I think the Benedetto B6 compensates for that problem. I would recommend that change to anyone who still has this guitar before giving up on it. A good set of strings helps too. I put Thomastik George Benson flatwound 12's on mine.
The pickup being moved back is not comparable to a 175, and many of the jazz guitars you are saying have it at the end of the fretboard have the pickup in the same place as the 175 - they are positioned where the 24th fret would be and are only at the end of the fingerboard because those guitars have more frets (longer fretboards). This is further back than that and just because it looks the same doesn't mean it sounds the same because it is not the space that matters but where the pickup is placed in relation to the scale length of the guitar. Also Charlie Christian played an es-150 - the es-175 was not invented yet. Since the pickup is back as far as it is, it does thin out the sound and worse it gets in the way of pick players who play there (which is a majority of players I think).
I took a good look at the ES 175 and noticed the neck pickup is actually quite far back too. What a surprised. I guess I never noticed it before simply because there are two pickups. And judging by the sound you got from this JP20, somehow it's not as thin and tiny as I have read. I think by adjusting the tone on the guitar and the amp, one can get a pretty decent sound from such a good looking guitar.
Mark, Good job. However,your not pronouncing DAquisto correctly. It's not DiQuisto. It is DAquisto. I don't mean to be picky,but thought you might want to know. I knew Jimmy DAquisto. He used to do setups for me many years ago. He was a real nice guy,and a Great Luthier.Keep up the good work. Danny S
Just came from a trip at Sam Ash NYC. They have a used one for $2495..little too much for me..but might worth it. Notice how the single humbucker is located in the middle of the body..
And that is why I dislike pick-ups next to a neck. PLus thats where my arm relaxes. The pic clashes with the cover... The prob w/ this gt is the short lower bout... But, I would love to try one out!
I read that Joe didn't really like the guitar but used it only to avoid damages to his better guitars. Same thing happened with Barney Kessel who didn't like the Barney Kessel model Gibson. George Benson doesn't like the Thomastiks for the road he prefers D'adarrio Chromes 13.
Mark, while I agree with some of your comments regarding how nice the JP-20 looks, I must say (respectfully) that it is a terrible jazz guitar. I owned one (not for long) years ago, and got rid of it fast. While the guitar has the looks and feel of a true jazz guitar, the sound is not very warm, and barely has any mids. This was caused by the placing of the pickup just too far form the neck. I spoke to Joe Pass himself after a clinic he gave in New York City in 1984, and when I asked him about the guitar his comment was, "Don't buy this, get a Gibson 175"!! I was shocked he was that blunt, but I imagined that he was getting some substantial compensation from Ibanez, or he was under contract to play the JP-20. Years later you can see many videos of him playing solely a 175 and in rare occasions his own D'Aquisto. Why do you think no (serious) players outhere play the JP-20?? The guitar should stay a sleeper.....
I should say something about those Ibanez Copies. I owned a couple of those lawsuit Les Paul copies and I can tell you from the outset that they were TERRIBLE. They had shifting necks because of the neckpockets were routed too wide, the gears of the tuners would break and those fabled Super 70 humbuckers would start to howl and screech with even the slightest amount of overdrive. One such guitar, I went the whole nine yards on: I glued the neck in, replaced the tuners, had the pickups potted but you can polish a turd but it still is going to end up a turd. I never got it to play and sound the way I envisioned it. The guy who bought it from me said that I should be ashamed because I defiled a piece of art. "Better than Gibson" is what everybody says about those copies, BS is my reply to that statement.
I was lucky to attend a clinic featuring. Joe. In Edinburgh ( 1981) promoting this signature model.
You are correct as regards the pickup position. Joe stated that had given up the plectrum by this time and asked Ibanez to position the pickup with a " plucking gap" at the fretboard end. As he said at the time, this may put off plectrum players as it would be prone to impact noise from the pick. It is a beautiful guitar but he did play on the 175 for most of the evening. The John Schofield model was a sweetie too. Great playing Brian!
Wonderful informative video!
That is a sleeper, and I agree that it sounds full. Thanks for a fantastic demo!
A very sweet guitar, it was my very first jazz-guitar, back in 1985, and I regret having sold it... though only for "sentimental" reasons!! Truth be told: I sold it after one year because I just could not get away from the thin sound (due to pickup placement) and kept "stumbling" on the pickup with my plecrum (which often fell off my hand as a result, again due to pickup placement). This is not just an opinion or a prejudice: it's my direct experience and I've resolved the issue by switching to a GB10. The JP 20 is a very nice guitar if you only play fingerstyle, however (in my opinion), and the thin neck is easy and a joy to play.
A nice appraisal. The Pickup position, although the subject of intense scrutiny, and criticism,
is just about the same as the ES 175.
Beautiful rendition of Moon River!
I have one and had it worked over and it's clean! It's from 1980
Mine ist also from 1980 Oktober. Serie 2030 so one of the First 💪 my dad gave her to me.
Sounds so spezial 👌👌👌👌
I've had the pleasure of playing two JP20's in recent few weeks. Both have been a dream to play and not suprisingly I haven't managed to persuade the owners to part with them. Much underrated guitar in my opinion and I've been lucky enough to try some very expensive "classic" models that just didn't compare. However each guitar should be judged on it's individual merits and you could try twenty of the same model but maybe only one will feel right for you. Thanks for review.
This is a nice guitar, Ibanez makes fantastic as well as affordable jazz guitars and this is one. I have two that I prefer. Joe pass played this but said the tone just wasn't to his liking because of the pick-up placement. He did not dislike the instrument but he couldn't get what he wanted out of it. The epiphone he liked also but it did not suit him. He just liked his 175 that he was sooooooooo used to it made him a little bias.
This guitar was not made in 1980. The JP20 was produced from 1982 to 1986, so it couldn’t have been made in ‘80.
I have had one of these for 20+ years and liked the way it played but didn't like the sound; same as many who thought it lacked depth and richness. I just recently changed the pickup to a Benedetto B6. It made a significant improvement (to my ears). I think now it would be a first rate gigging guitar.
The problem with this guitar is the position of the pickup, too far from the neck, it's unfortunate because the built quality is wonderfull.
+Marco Zoppi I think the Benedetto B6 compensates for that problem. I would recommend that change to anyone who still has this guitar before giving up on it. A good set of strings helps too. I put Thomastik George Benson flatwound 12's on mine.
Wow...good for "chord melody" playing! wotta coincidence, that's how Joe Pass played! What synchronicity!
Great review, I've owned a JP20 since the 80's .
The pickup being moved back is not comparable to a 175, and many of the jazz guitars you are saying have it at the end of the fretboard have the pickup in the same place as the 175 - they are positioned where the 24th fret would be and are only at the end of the fingerboard because those guitars have more frets (longer fretboards). This is further back than that and just because it looks the same doesn't mean it sounds the same because it is not the space that matters but where the pickup is placed in relation to the scale length of the guitar. Also Charlie Christian played an es-150 - the es-175 was not invented yet. Since the pickup is back as far as it is, it does thin out the sound and worse it gets in the way of pick players who play there (which is a majority of players I think).
GREAT REVIEW MAN WELL DONE !!!!!!!!!!
Great box,if you can find one!I tried to tell Ibanez to re-make this but no success acheived!!!
Bought one of these, mint, in 1983 for $380 from a dealer. It was a steal before the big archtop boom....but that pickup placement made me sell it.
I took a good look at the ES 175 and noticed the neck pickup is actually quite far back too. What a surprised. I guess I never noticed it before simply because there are two pickups. And judging by the sound you got from this JP20, somehow it's not as thin and tiny as I have read. I think by adjusting the tone on the guitar and the amp, one can get a pretty decent sound from such a good looking guitar.
Mark, Good job. However,your not pronouncing DAquisto correctly. It's not DiQuisto. It is DAquisto. I don't mean to be picky,but thought you might want to know. I knew Jimmy DAquisto. He used to do setups for me many years ago. He was a real nice guy,and a Great Luthier.Keep up the good work. Danny S
thank for the interesting video in clear english
JP 20 , nice guitar
Just came from a trip at Sam Ash NYC. They have a used one for $2495..little too much for me..but might worth it. Notice how the single humbucker is located in the middle of the body..
And that is why I dislike pick-ups next to a neck. PLus thats where my arm relaxes. The pic clashes with the cover... The prob w/ this gt is the short lower bout... But, I would love to try one out!
I read that Joe didn't really like the guitar but used it only to avoid damages to his better guitars. Same thing happened with Barney Kessel who didn't like the Barney Kessel model Gibson. George Benson doesn't like the Thomastiks for the road he prefers D'adarrio Chromes 13.
He played it to fulfill his contract obligation.
25 and half inch scale!
Mark, while I agree with some of your comments regarding how nice the JP-20 looks, I must say (respectfully) that it is a terrible jazz guitar. I owned one (not for long) years ago, and got rid of it fast. While the guitar has the looks and feel of a true jazz guitar, the sound is not very warm, and barely has any mids. This was caused by the placing of the pickup just too far form the neck. I spoke to Joe Pass himself after a clinic he gave in New York City in 1984, and when I asked him about the guitar his comment was, "Don't buy this, get a Gibson 175"!! I was shocked he was that blunt, but I imagined that he was getting some substantial compensation from Ibanez, or he was under contract to play the JP-20. Years later you can see many videos of him playing solely a 175 and in rare occasions his own D'Aquisto.
Why do you think no (serious) players outhere play the JP-20?? The guitar should stay a sleeper.....
What year is this model ?
How do you find these guitars these days. I've searched all over
+StephenFiorentini : In France, for example www.leboncoin.fr/instruments_de_musique/908308825.htm?ca=16_s
it need 12 gauge flat-wound strings and a tune-o-matic bridge
👍👍👍
I should say something about those Ibanez Copies.
I owned a couple of those lawsuit Les Paul copies and I can tell you from the outset that they were TERRIBLE. They had shifting necks because of the neckpockets were routed too wide, the gears of the tuners would break and those fabled Super 70 humbuckers would start to howl and screech with even the slightest amount of overdrive.
One such guitar, I went the whole nine yards on: I glued the neck in, replaced the tuners, had the pickups potted but you can polish a turd but it still is going to end up a turd. I never got it to play and sound the way I envisioned it.
The guy who bought it from me said that I should be ashamed because I defiled a piece of art.
"Better than Gibson" is what everybody says about those copies, BS is my reply to that statement.
You are wrong about the scale. It is a 25 1/2 inches scale.
This guitar commands a premium now though right?
What's the name of the chord melody song at the end?
Moon River, the gentleman giving the demo played it very beautifully.
D' A Quisto James L D'Aquisto not Dkeys-toe
Also, D'Addario is four syllables, not five. Even company employees cannot agree on the Italian "silent apostrophe."