*My Opinion* The Gio is totally amazing for its price. Of course: you can hear when you pitch shift down to Drop A you loose a lot of gain. Here the S series wins clearly. Other than that... man you can get some badass pinches out of the guitar. Also: the Gio gets minus points for a „clear mix“. When you add up tracks played with this model you don’t get the clarity like with the S series. Yet again... I didn’t EQ the guitars to emphasize their sweet spots! You can hear that the s series adds more definition and that it serves with more clear tone. But... for 1800€ less you get an amazing instrument! 😊👍 Also: Upgrade you amp first when you feel comfortable with your guitar! Because playability always comes first! And also here the Gio is good!
To feel the difference of any guitar, need to listen to how its tree sings, harmonics, overtones, sustain. The price is determined by the musicality of the tree. Cheap guitars only have "sings of strings", without tree.You're right! I have Ibanez C540, the great era of the 90s, thank you for good channel , very quality and cool!
JJ's One Girl Band Hey there! Yup I agree with all you said!! My next video I’ll be using a cheap €200 guitar. I don’t think I could ever pay a couple of thousand for a guitar because I have a habit of knocking stuff over at times! 🤦🏼♀️😂 Jassy you’re an amazing metal player!! Hope your channel keeps growing and growing! Great to see a badass female musician as unfortunately the scene is still predominantly male in 2021. Big love 🖤🖤🖤
Only in some parts. In other parts I can barely hear any difference, but then for example in the psychosocial riff it has more bite to it than the gio. Still though... 1800 difference imo not worth it, but I'm a sucker for pretty things so I'd rather save and get something expensive + pretty.
They both sound good to me. The green one got a brighter sound and the black one had a darker warmer sound. The guitar bridges look great (fixed i think)! Loved your riffs!
Just remember that $200 guitar is still going through what looks to be like $5000 worth of equipment. Would be interesting to see both guitars going through a cheap $300-500 amp.
I honestly don't see a big difference between them, except that maybe the S series has a better clean sound, but I'm no guitar expert, and certainly not a gear head, so my ears are probably not properly trained for this. Still, the GIO looks like a good option for guitarist on a budget.
The 2k guitar definitely has more clarity and definition when using the exact same tunings but I can’t help but wonder if it’s 1800 worth of better when the amp is tuned to each one specifically…but that Gio does hit some nasty pinches and I feel like it can definitely be up to par with the equipment backing it up! Savage job on each section btw!
I bought my oldest son a Gio starter kit 12 years ago. The Gio survived both my sons and still plays well! In fact, I love my S series but still play my sons old Gio without fear of damage.
The 2000 guitar sounds better. on the other hand the 200 guitar sounds pretty good for its price... But the difference in sound beetween the two its not worth 1800..my humble opinion
🤘🏻 however you also pay for the finish and solid building structure. That 2000€ guitar already survived a 20 shows tour in 2018 without a single scratch and having an amazing tuning stability 😊 I think you pay also for the „endurance“ of a guitar.
@@JassyPabst ofcourse i agree with you..better woods bridge tuners pickups all that,its a way better instrument..can you do a similar video with schecter please?!?! :D
The GIO is amazing for the price but the S is CLEARLY better. That being said, it would be interesting to do the same test with both guitars using the same pickups.
The GIO did surprisingly well considering the price difference. My only comment would be that the sound was not quite as bright as the Prestige. Have a great birthday Jassy - best wishes from Cumbria.
I was going to the say the same thing. The S sounded a little brighter. But I'm still impressed the Gio sounded so good. I just bought an RG450dx and am wondering if I overspent. lol
55 year old metalhead here! I am a beginner guitarist and after I watched this and a couple of other videos about this guitar I went down to my local music store and bought this amazing guitar! It looks awesome and it sounds even better! It don´t get more metal then this! Love this guitar! And yes it can get more black! I bought a set of DR Black Beauties strings for mine! So thank you for this awesome video and keep shredding! 🖤🤘 🖤
41 year old metalhead here 🤘 Just picked up a GRGR131EX from my local shop last week after not touching a guitar for 20 years. These guitars are absolutely stellar for the price! Every day at work, all I can think of is getting back home to learn to play again. Didn't know they made black guitar strings, I'll have to pick some up. Thanks for sharing who makes them!
I've been watching many videos lately to help me pick a new guitar and between all of those, the selection (and execution) of riffs are the best! Thanks!
You don't have to spend thousands on a guitar to sound really good, you could change the pickups on the cheaper guitar for example. The most important thing is actually playing well through a good amp imo.
Plus the bridge...being able to dial in the string height better, makes a difference, if you're a high level player. Noobs won't notice small adjustments.
In my opinion, that already had several budget guitars, the Gio is definitely one of the best budget. It is very confortable. The scale is top notch right from the factory. The thing is that you have to give it a setup before you play. The pickups are not the best such as the electronics, but, what i do is, i disassemble the eletronics, do a nice copper wrap, change the wiring and pots and the jack plug. The switch is good quality so you don't have to change. Lemon oil on the scale, get down the bridge and new strings. Set up the pickups high and you're ready to go
I’ve been wanting an Ibanez for awhile i had already purchased the GIO before watching the video thanks for taking the time to showcase it and by the way you are amazing on the guitar 🎸 🤘🏻
Wow honestly both are freaking rad and the cheaper guitar actually stood up to the test. This actually proves that it doesn't necessarily always come down to having the most expensive instrument but it comes down to how hard a person practices and works at their playing. I mean yeah those high cost guitars are awesome but the cheaper cost guitars can in some cases be just as rad sounding when you use them right. Course in the hands of Jassy J a toy hello kitty guitar would sound amazing cause you play awesome!
It's not the tool, it's the carpenter as they always say but I hear a brighter, fuller sound from the s series. I happen to own one myself so I may be a bit biased. Both guitars sounded great. I was amazed how close it really was.
Very amazing video. I like that you don't talk so much like other gear youtubers. You keep focussed on the key points, not much product placement - Ibanez and ENGL are obvious because you an artist, but that is understandable. It's amazing what knowledge you just need to make a cheap guitar sound good. It's not too much. Equalizer, a good amp and clean playing haha.
The more I hear that little GIO, the more impressed I am. The S Series is better. It's clearer and less compressed, but it's much closer than I expected for the price. Definitely not 10x better. I guess you're paying more for looks, feel, quality of components, and being made in Japan. :) An expensive guitar is just going to be a nicer experience and make you want to play it more. To be fair, the amp and the playing (and your excellent EQ/mixing) have far more influence on tone. Pretty sure I would make both of those sound a lot worse haha. Really cool video. \m/
Thank you 🤘🏻 for serious productions you would clearly need a high end guitar simply for the more defined tone. However this Gio does compete very very well! 🔥
🤘🤘 I’m so happy about this video! I have had me eyes on the black grgr131ex and this has sold me on it! So thankful for this video! And you played all the songs I would want to play. Best video ever! Awesome playing. Rock on! 🤘
Обе хороши, заметно, что за 2000 играть приятнее, но в основном даже если получится гитарой за 50$ в хорошую аппаратуру, в хороших руках она будет звучать неплохо. Ждём новых видео)
I prefer to buy cheapies and rebuild them myself basically because rarely do showroom guitars come with the set up and equipment I prefer Great playing Jass 🤟🤟
That gio makes good for a mod project! Put some quality pickups (of ur choice) & locking tuners then you got yourself a weapon of mass Chugstruction 🌋! But that prestige ibanez is beast slayer! 🗡️
Your green Ibanez is my 8 year olds dream guitar. Mine 2 haha. But honestly my 8yo wants to watch your videos every night. He's taken 6 lessons and is doing great. He's super pumped to learn new stuff. Thanks JJ 😀👍 for your efforts. We enjoy them.
@@JassyPabst The both sound very good, but he S Series does sound brighter, both on chords and single notes. I would use the Gio for rhythm and the S series for lead and doubling the rhythm.
@@IgneelS11 The Whammy is no additional effect in itself except for a pitch shifter. and in this case you can hear a significant difference at the 5 halfsteps drop ;)
The GIO sounds good for the price but the S definitely seems to have crisper clean tones. I have that same S and also have a low end RG. I know my S has a much wider range of tone and definitely much better build quality than my RG. Unless you just have money to burn though I wouldn't suggest wasting $2k on a guitar if you are just learning. You can learn plenty on a $200 guitar.
The 2k one sounded better but personally I'd buy three of the GIOs and set them up for different tunings and still have some cash left over for accessories and hardware :)
well the prestige is going to be better in the long run and sound better however if you're not recording or touring then a few Gio models is fine maybe a used Japanese Ibanez and still have money
Decided to give Ibanez another try. Sent back my expensive one and ordered the Gio GRX 70. Just arrived and been jamming for while now. I'm totally blown away. The sickest, slickest guitar I've owned, and I've been through a bunch over the years. Officially retiring my strats. $200 vs $800 and this this is a beast. Thanks for the vid!
I can hear a difference, the s-series is slightly more fuller sounding which allows for more clarity within a mix but it's remarkable how good the Gio is. Could you do a test on how well they keep in tune by comparison to each other as well and let us know how that goes? How do they feel to play? I have always found much of the cost for a guitar is in the playing comfort and confidence you can have in it as a player, at least for non-signature/non-replica series guitars.
I told you guys towards the end of the video that both of them play great whereas the GIO has a higher string action =) I need more time to say more about tuning stability and such!
So I purchased the GRGR131EXBK and it is an amazing guitar for doing mods. I got this to add to my collection and I wanted a low cost super strat that I could modify to my liking. The neck was a little wider than I remember from what Ibanez uses. This is not a wizard I, II or III neck. It is different. I haven't own an Ibanez in about 30 years. So this is new again to me. I am a Les Paul player so the wider neck felt really good in my hands. I was able to get the low E string to a height of 1.5mm and the high E string to 1.0mm. It just took some time setting up the hard tail bridge. I installed Dimarzio X2N and PAF pickups in it and removed the tone pot and installed a kill switch. The guitar was a fast player before I did a fret dress and now it is just murderous. I also purchased the GRGR330EXBKF and I will be doing the same to it. The trem on that stays in tune very well when dive bombing but with pull ups it goes 1 cent sharp. I installed a trem stabilizer in it but it did not cure the issue. So, I deck it for dive bombs only and it works fine. Gonna install a D-Tuna and it will be ready for all those EVH licks. I love watching your videos. Rock on \m/
I started guitar 1 year ago. Pacifica 012 (279$) with Blackstar Amp Stereo10 V2(159$). I changed my amp and now running a PRS MT15 with its cab (1500$ amp+cab). Night and day, same guitar. Get yourself an inexpensive guitar that you find beautiful (seriously...you are beginning, get something pretty) from a reputable brand (easier to sell if you eventually realize that guitar is not your cup of tea), but do yourself a favor, invest a bit more in the amp. And also, I'm treating my guitar like it's worth 2000. Doin all the maintenance and learning a lot without being scared if I break something. Thanks for your videos JJ
I just bought this same gio. My main guitar is an Ibanez RG5120M prestige. It's crazy how good the gio is, I would recommend it to anyone looking for something solid and inexpensive.
Awesome review. The S hands down wins for its clarity and sound, however the Gio packs a punch for an entry level guitar at the price! The amp is of a steller quality, the S reflects that. That Gio is asking for some EMG 81 or Seymour Duncan blackouts Ahb-3s upgrades. Party on 👊 JJ.
The pickup upgrade could pretty much bring it to the level of the more expensive guitar. But for a fraction of the price difference. You don't have to go for SD or Dimarzios, you could get Toneriders, e.g. Tonerider Octane or Generator, these could do fine as well.
Your epic green beast was the winner for sure but the black beauty was amazing for the price was close sounded amazing once again big hugs from Wisconsin in the us.
@@JassyPabst I am with Aaron here, because they sounded the same to me, and I used headphones. My hearing is probably not as good as yours though, but for my money, give me the Gio!
@@madbull4 Scrolling through the comment section it appears that Jassy is a guitar snob. She even commented that she doesn't have "cheap Schecters" in one comment thread where a guy was suggesting she do a low end and a high end Schecter. But you don't have to take my word for it: Read through the comment section. Hahaha
@@JassyPabst I'll try that lol. And my son has the Ibanez Mikro, he wants you to review that guitar sometime. He wants to see you shred on his guitar lol. Thanks for the video!
There is an obvious sound difference between the two in which I would say the 2000 euro guitar sounds better, but the 200 euro model sounds very good for being its price. Great video Jassy! Also do you know whether or not Children Of Bodom members will keep producing? Or are they finished.
I can definitely hear more tone and bite with the 2000£ guitars pickup but I’m sure you could achieve that by upgrading the 200 guitars pickups and spending less money Gotta keep in mind these guitars are going through expensive amps so they’re gonna sound great anyway 🤟🏼🔥🔥
Which is why it is important to upgrade you amp first IF the playing comfort on your guitar you already own is good! On the other hand you also pay for endurance. The green one survived a 20 show tour in 2018 without a single scratch, string break, dent or detuning issue =)
I think this video would be inspiring to new guitar players who are just getting started. Showing them that there is no need to buy the most expensive guitar right away. Both guitars sounded great
Ya, especially in clean sound when Jassy played the Master of puppets, The expensive green guitar has a better tone. If in distortion mode of course good or plain original tones almost the same
3 points: 1- The Ibanez Gio series was fu##ing amazing. Maybe cheap one, but in a good hands you must have to hear carefully or you miss the small differences. The hands that play it was more important than it's price! 2- I got an RG421 and it sounds amazing, the most comfortable guitar i've played. I love the Ibanez guitars. 3- I love how you play, i love you're attitude... damn! I think i'm in love!. ¿Can I get a clon of you for christmas? Joke's aside, you're an amazing guitarist!
The clean part at master of puppets had the biggest difference for my ears, that sounded 800€ better Guess the other 1000€ are put into playability and the look of that axe :D
Hi Jassy, I am writing to inform you that your video was super amazing and will inspire others to be just as good as you. I hope to hear from you soon, stay safe, and rock on🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
The cheap version had surprised me that it's been really good. I couldn't afford the expensive one of course. But thanks for the well deserved update and information
I bought mine Gio 131 a few days on internet and i amvery anxious to put my hands on it and make one review to in my chanel! This guitar looks amazing and after your video im more anxious than never! Best video! 🤘🔥👏
The more expensive sounds a little more clear and refined but that's down to pickups, the big question is which feels better to play and the finish of the neck and frets.
Wow they are basically identical. I would go with this one: www.thomann.de/de/ibanez_grg131dx_bkf.htm?offid=1&affid=248 but ONLY because it totally resembled to my first real guitar ;)
Greetings, Yasi, I just bought the 131EX for my 14-year-old son and it's his first guitar, he told me I want that one and well I saw your battle and I'm honest I'm a bassist not a guitarist and your Green Ibanez is really cool but for me both have a sound brutal and similar both sound almost similar no difference notice. good video
It proves you can sound good on a budget. Once you're truly serious the difference is huge. Noticeably crisper and cleaner. I remember you had beginning amp recommendations. Going to have to check that out next. Thanks!
This comparison of the Ibanez Prestige and the GIO is the perfect example of The Law Of Diminishing Returns. The average person listening to music isn’t going to notice the difference between the $2000 Prestige and $200 GIO. Hell, most Musician’s wouldn’t be able to notice the difference between these two guitars if you did not show them the guitars you were playing. So is the Prestige worth the $1800 more than the $200 GIO based on the sound it produces when both guitars are played through the same signal chain & rig? The answer is NO. This is the law of diminishing returns. After a certain point the difference is not worth the money paid for the slight increase in quality / sound/ performance of instruments. This law applies to all products sold to consumers from toothbrushes to yachts! Swap pickups on the GIO with Fishmans and you will have a bad ass guitar for half the price of the Prestige!🎸
I decided to test this out on my girlfriend, who isn’t a guitar player! She could immediately tell a difference between the two and pointed at the green one being the expensive one. She did say after that the black one looks 🔥lol. I’m trying to get her to understand that price sometimes makes a big difference but also that you can upgrade a lower priced guitar to sound great as well! Great video!! My girl says she loves your hair!! Lol
My favourite guitar is Ibanez S6521Q and i don't have any guitar but I like to hear solos and enjoy. The solo Master of Puppets with Ibanez is awesome. Keep it on Jassy Tschüs
That’s 50% true. There is always a setup that might turn the biggest guitar god to just a good decent player. Still decent but not 100% amazing anymore ;)
It's funny how things happen. I have a Gibson Gothic Explorer, Schecter C7 Apocalypse,Gibson Les Paul Studio Deluxe and a Ibanez DX. I just got the Schecter and needed a case but the one that came didn't work so I sent it back. After giving up on their case options I told them to send me the Gio instead. Last night I opened the box and it was flawless. Wish these were available when I first started playing but that was 50 years ago. Then I do my usual, watch RUclips to see what's new and there's JJ shredding it on the Gio. Hers is the best demo so far. Love what you do JJ. As far as the comparison for me its a no brainer Gio wins.
So for me it's clearly to see that the expansive one is the better one. Why? - The Sound is much more sharp - The Guitar has more "attack", sound much better - I bet it is more comfortable to play and better to setup You can hear this differences if you are using or using good headphones. The difference would be much more clearer if there were no backing-tracks in the background :D Aber an sich mega gut gemacht Jassey! :D Finde den Unterschied vom Hören her, als würde man eine DVD mit einer BluRay vergleichen. Der Sound ist viel genauer und feiner aufgelöst.
I enjoyed this fascinating comparison. There is no question that the expensive guitar gives you more - more frequencies, more range. If I was recording, I'd want the nice shiny green one because the sound is clearly better. However, it only makes a difference when you're listening at home through quality speakers or headphones. I think as a live instrument at gig volume, you wouldn't notice much difference in the mosh pit. So if you're recording, use the best quality guitar you can get, but leave it at home and go on tour with the cheap one! It's at more risk on tour so you're better breaking the cheap one!
Everyone keeps talking about the clarity of the S Series. That can be fixed on the GIO, buy some good pups and now you have a total of 400-450 where the S series is 2K. GIO all day! On a side note, your playing is incredible! New SUB.
Great topic! No a cheap guitar does not have to suck. Sound and feel is always subjective and If you find one that you love to play on you can always upgrade it with whatever your budget allows (but yes better material cost more) and still have a great instrument regardless of brand. But to pay a ridiculous amount of money just for an instrument it is not worth it (unless it's a very rare one).
They both seem to keep in tune the whole time. I believe it’s about the pickups. A cheaper guitar as opposed to an expensive guitar from the same company still has a great quality. The cheaper one still has there brand, so there will still be a great sound. Both sounded great. Keep the videos coming. You’re amazing.
Hy Jassy 🤘 Du weißt ja das die grüne Ibanez mein absoluter Favorit von all deinen Gitarren ist 😁 und der Qualitätsunterschied ist schon zu sehen und zu hören. Aber was die Gio kann ( für grade mal 200€) ist echt Wahnsinn!!! Mein Gitarrenlehrer hat immer gesagt "die hätten mir die falsche Gitarre zugeschickt, nie im Leben hat die bloß 200€ gekostet". Haha
Ist halt aber wirklich so! Auch meine erste Gio Ibanez war so ein klanglicher Unterschied zu meiner Einsteigergitarre, obwohl sie verhältnismäßig nicht so viel teurer war.
I been on the fence with the Gio. I got my dads Les Paul Copy after he passed this summer and man it is heavy it hurts my back ( I practice standing up) so i been looking for a lighter one that is not too light that has Neck Dive. I wanted that 500$ RG but after trying it at the shop (I am still a beginner BTW) that Gio felt so good in my handstand love the feel when i put a strap on it, and the Stealth Black is so metal it inspires me more!!!
![[Eng CC] Ibanez GRGR131EX BKF - affordable electric guitar](/img/1.gif)
*My Opinion*
The Gio is totally amazing for its price. Of course: you can hear when you pitch shift down to Drop A you loose a lot of gain. Here the S series wins clearly. Other than that... man you can get some badass pinches out of the guitar.
Also: the Gio gets minus points for a „clear mix“. When you add up tracks played with this model you don’t get the clarity like with the S series. Yet again... I didn’t EQ the guitars to emphasize their sweet spots!
You can hear that the s series adds more definition and that it serves with more clear tone. But... for 1800€ less you get an amazing instrument! 😊👍
Also: Upgrade you amp first when you feel comfortable with your guitar! Because playability always comes first!
And also here the Gio is good!
To feel the difference of any guitar, need to listen to how its tree sings, harmonics, overtones, sustain. The price is determined by the musicality of the tree.
Cheap guitars only have "sings of strings", without tree.You're right!
I have Ibanez C540, the great era of the 90s, thank you for good channel , very quality and cool!
JJ's One Girl Band Hey there! Yup I agree with all you said!! My next video I’ll be using a cheap €200 guitar. I don’t think I could ever pay a couple of thousand for a guitar because I have a habit of knocking stuff over at times! 🤦🏼♀️😂 Jassy you’re an amazing metal player!! Hope your channel keeps growing and growing! Great to see a badass female musician as unfortunately the scene is still predominantly male in 2021. Big love 🖤🖤🖤
Except for the slightly larger difference in clean, it's only $1800 for the nicer paint. Keep up the good work.
All in the fingers playing them 😁
I think this proves a good guitarist can make both a cheap and expensive guitar sound great.
The 200 euro guitar sounds awesome and can't really say I noticed an 1800 euro difference. The cheaper one would work great especially for the price.
Is it just me or is the green one a bit brighter?
Yep 👍 good ears 😊
Seems to hold sustain much longer as well.
yes, exactly what i thought :)
I hear it too!!!
You could use the black Ibanez for Doom Metal 🙏🤘 If you want to play Saint Vitus for example ✌️😉
Only in some parts. In other parts I can barely hear any difference, but then for example in the psychosocial riff it has more bite to it than the gio. Still though... 1800 difference imo not worth it, but I'm a sucker for pretty things so I'd rather save and get something expensive + pretty.
They both sound good to me. The green one got a brighter sound and the black one had a darker warmer sound. The guitar bridges look great (fixed i think)! Loved your riffs!
Honestly the less expensive guitar sounds amazing,
It does! But still the S series has a more defined tone =) 🤘🤘🤘
@@JassyPabst I totally understand that, I have a more expensive Ibanez 5 string bass and definitely has a defined tone
@@JassyPabst but look at the price difference
@@avi3243 that explains the price difference.
Just remember that $200 guitar is still going through what looks to be like $5000 worth of equipment.
Would be interesting to see both guitars going through a cheap $300-500 amp.
I honestly don't see a big difference between them, except that maybe the S series has a better clean sound, but I'm no guitar expert, and certainly not a gear head, so my ears are probably not properly trained for this. Still, the GIO looks like a good option for guitarist on a budget.
You can definitely hear a difference in clarity but true! The Gio definitely rocks!
The Gia sounds a bit duller but it could probly sound closer with some eq or an overdrive. Not bad for standing up to a $2000 guitar
The 2k guitar definitely has more clarity and definition when using the exact same tunings but I can’t help but wonder if it’s 1800 worth of better when the amp is tuned to each one specifically…but that Gio does hit some nasty pinches and I feel like it can definitely be up to par with the equipment backing it up! Savage job on each section btw!
I recently bought a black ibanez, the same model as in this video. I didn't regret taking it! Good video and instrument playing.
I bought my oldest son a Gio starter kit 12 years ago. The Gio survived both my sons and still plays well! In fact, I love my S series but still play my sons old Gio without fear of damage.
What a lovely story!
The 2000 guitar sounds better.
on the other hand the 200 guitar sounds pretty good for its price...
But the difference in sound beetween the two its not worth 1800..my humble opinion
🤘🏻 however you also pay for the finish and solid building structure. That 2000€ guitar already survived a 20 shows tour in 2018 without a single scratch and having an amazing tuning stability 😊 I think you pay also for the „endurance“ of a guitar.
@@JassyPabst ofcourse i agree with you..better woods bridge tuners pickups all that,its a way better instrument..can you do a similar video with schecter please?!?! :D
I don’t have a cheap Schecter 🙈 to be exact: I just own my Apocalypse 😊
@@JassyPabst well all the schecters are damn good guitars with awesome sound..i ll never give away my hellraiser c1 ;)
exactly
The GIO is amazing for the price but the S is CLEARLY better. That being said, it would be interesting to do the same test with both guitars using the same pickups.
that would be one HELL OF A TEST!
@Eric Phliponeau Als still one of the cheapest and most efficient to replace with something better if needed.
Black Ibanez looks so witchy, love that, nice tracks you play here, great job, cool video. cheers!!
The GIO did surprisingly well considering the price difference. My only comment would be that the sound was not quite as bright as the Prestige. Have a great birthday Jassy - best wishes from Cumbria.
Yes! We have a crispier tone with the s series 🤘🏻
@@JassyPabst Hey Angel! Frohen Valentinstag.
I should have read the comments first, lol. It was definitely hard to heard it.
I was going to the say the same thing. The S sounded a little brighter. But I'm still impressed the Gio sounded so good. I just bought an RG450dx and am wondering if I overspent. lol
Wow, that was an amazing battle, and the GIO is pretty impressive to think you could have 10 of them for the price of your S.
True! On the other hand you pay for more than just tone 😊
That green beauty was the winner for me, but the Gio was certainly good and is a fantastic value of course. Great video comparison 🙂
Thank you =) You can definitely hear the differences but the Gio totally is worth every cent! 🤘
I have to agree with you...
55 year old metalhead here! I am a beginner guitarist and after I watched this and a couple of other videos about this guitar I went down to my local music store and bought this amazing guitar! It looks awesome and it sounds even better! It don´t get more metal then this! Love this guitar! And yes it can get more black! I bought a set of DR Black Beauties strings for mine! So thank you for this awesome video and keep shredding! 🖤🤘 🖤
41 year old metalhead here 🤘 Just picked up a GRGR131EX from my local shop last week after not touching a guitar for 20 years. These guitars are absolutely stellar for the price! Every day at work, all I can think of is getting back home to learn to play again. Didn't know they made black guitar strings, I'll have to pick some up. Thanks for sharing who makes them!
Same here. I bought the GRGR330EX 🙂
Prestige sounds brighter more clear. You made the Gio rip. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👊🏽
🤘🏻😊🤘🏻
I've been watching many videos lately to help me pick a new guitar and between all of those, the selection (and execution) of riffs are the best! Thanks!
Very much appreciated! Always happy when my videos can be of any help!!!
You don't have to spend thousands on a guitar to sound really good, you could change the pickups on the cheaper guitar for example. The most important thing is actually playing well through a good amp imo.
Absolutely right look at what little money Tony Iommi was able to spend back in 1968 on up and what tremendous sound he put out.
No you just need a $6,000 amp like she has
Plus the bridge...being able to dial in the string height better, makes a difference, if you're a high level player. Noobs won't notice small adjustments.
And pedals, too.
In my opinion, that already had several budget guitars, the Gio is definitely one of the best budget. It is very confortable. The scale is top notch right from the factory.
The thing is that you have to give it a setup before you play.
The pickups are not the best such as the electronics, but, what i do is, i disassemble the eletronics, do a nice copper wrap, change the wiring and pots and the jack plug. The switch is good quality so you don't have to change.
Lemon oil on the scale, get down the bridge and new strings. Set up the pickups high and you're ready to go
Jassy when you play them they both sound great . To me the only differance is the color
:D
No tone difference?
The 121 and 131 are bothba steal. Ibanez really hit a home run with these. They gave jackson some comp on the js models
I’ve been wanting an Ibanez for awhile i had already purchased the GIO before watching the video thanks for taking the time to showcase it and by the way you are amazing on the guitar 🎸 🤘🏻
Wow honestly both are freaking rad and the cheaper guitar actually stood up to the test. This actually proves that it doesn't necessarily always come down to having the most expensive instrument but it comes down to how hard a person practices and works at their playing. I mean yeah those high cost guitars are awesome but the cheaper cost guitars can in some cases be just as rad sounding when you use them right. Course in the hands of Jassy J a toy hello kitty guitar would sound amazing cause you play awesome!
It's not the tool, it's the carpenter as they always say but I hear a brighter, fuller sound from the s series. I happen to own one myself so I may be a bit biased. Both guitars sounded great. I was amazed how close it really was.
If you drop in some Dimarzios into the Gio you get a kickass shred monster for little money...
Facts
You could definitely get it to be equal in sound output BUT playability would still favor the prestige.
Very amazing video. I like that you don't talk so much like other gear youtubers. You keep focussed on the key points, not much product placement - Ibanez and ENGL are obvious because you an artist, but that is understandable. It's amazing what knowledge you just need to make a cheap guitar sound good. It's not too much. Equalizer, a good amp and clean playing haha.
The more I hear that little GIO, the more impressed I am. The S Series is better. It's clearer and less compressed, but it's much closer than I expected for the price. Definitely not 10x better. I guess you're paying more for looks, feel, quality of components, and being made in Japan. :) An expensive guitar is just going to be a nicer experience and make you want to play it more. To be fair, the amp and the playing (and your excellent EQ/mixing) have far more influence on tone. Pretty sure I would make both of those sound a lot worse haha. Really cool video. \m/
Thank you 🤘🏻 for serious productions you would clearly need a high end guitar simply for the more defined tone. However this Gio does compete very very well! 🔥
🤘🤘 I’m so happy about this video! I have had me eyes on the black grgr131ex and this has sold me on it! So thankful for this video! And you played all the songs I would want to play. Best video ever! Awesome playing. Rock on! 🤘
Обе хороши, заметно, что за 2000 играть приятнее, но в основном даже если получится гитарой за 50$ в хорошую аппаратуру, в хороших руках она будет звучать неплохо. Ждём новых видео)
А на гитаре за 2000 точне не активная электроника?
@@darkcorners648 нет, пассивные хамбакерв
I prefer to buy cheapies and rebuild them myself basically because rarely do showroom guitars come with the set up and equipment I prefer
Great playing Jass 🤟🤟
i think that the cheaper guitar looks more expensive and prettier than the actual expensive guitar
haha really? =D Why that?
It is.
Looks more metal
it not all about sounds of guitars , also the playability and how it comfort is important too
That gio makes good for a mod project! Put some quality pickups (of ur choice) & locking tuners then you got yourself a weapon of mass Chugstruction 🌋! But that prestige ibanez is beast slayer! 🗡️
Your green Ibanez is my 8 year olds dream guitar. Mine 2 haha. But honestly my 8yo wants to watch your videos every night. He's taken 6 lessons and is doing great. He's super pumped to learn new stuff. Thanks JJ 😀👍 for your efforts. We enjoy them.
For chords i actually like the less expensive guitar more. For single note soloes and shredding i liked the more expensive one.
Great review! Your playing is great as well - really makes the similarities and the differences apparent without being too flashy. Thanks for posting.
I like them both! They are honestly pretty similar to me, but there's something about the S Series' sound that I like better...
It sounds a tiny bit crispier and clearer 😊🤘🏻
@@JassyPabst The both sound very good, but he S Series does sound brighter, both on chords and single notes. I would use the Gio for rhythm and the S series for lead and doubling the rhythm.
With full gain its most of the time hard to tell a difference at all. Especially with additional effects like a Whammy.
@@IgneelS11 The Whammy is no additional effect in itself except for a pitch shifter. and in this case you can hear a significant difference at the 5 halfsteps drop ;)
Amazingly close! Great playing too!
The GIO sounds good for the price but the S definitely seems to have crisper clean tones. I have that same S and also have a low end RG. I know my S has a much wider range of tone and definitely much better build quality than my RG. Unless you just have money to burn though I wouldn't suggest wasting $2k on a guitar if you are just learning. You can learn plenty on a $200 guitar.
And that’s the point. For starting out this 200€ guitar delivers everything you need 😊
You are an inspiration.
I want a signed photo!
I can't wait to see your next video!
Keep rockin'!
The 2k one sounded better but personally I'd buy three of the GIOs and set them up for different tunings and still have some cash left over for accessories and hardware :)
Good approach! =D But on the other hand the S series is unbreakable haha! It survived a 20 shows tour without a single scratch! =D
well the prestige is going to be better in the long run and sound better
however if you're not recording or touring then a few Gio models is fine
maybe a used Japanese Ibanez and still have money
Decided to give Ibanez another try. Sent back my expensive one and ordered the Gio GRX 70. Just arrived and been jamming for while now. I'm totally blown away. The sickest, slickest guitar I've owned, and I've been through a bunch over the years. Officially retiring my strats. $200 vs $800 and this this is a beast. Thanks for the vid!
P.S. and the damn thing is so beautiful!
I can hear a difference, the s-series is slightly more fuller sounding which allows for more clarity within a mix but it's remarkable how good the Gio is. Could you do a test on how well they keep in tune by comparison to each other as well and let us know how that goes? How do they feel to play? I have always found much of the cost for a guitar is in the playing comfort and confidence you can have in it as a player, at least for non-signature/non-replica series guitars.
I told you guys towards the end of the video that both of them play great whereas the GIO has a higher string action =) I need more time to say more about tuning stability and such!
So I purchased the GRGR131EXBK and it is an amazing guitar for doing mods. I got this to add to my collection and I wanted a low cost super strat that I could modify to my liking. The neck was a little wider than I remember from what Ibanez uses. This is not a wizard I, II or III neck. It is different. I haven't own an Ibanez in about 30 years. So this is new again to me. I am a Les Paul player so the wider neck felt really good in my hands. I was able to get the low E string to a height of 1.5mm and the high E string to 1.0mm. It just took some time setting up the hard tail bridge. I installed Dimarzio X2N and PAF pickups in it and removed the tone pot and installed a kill switch. The guitar was a fast player before I did a fret dress and now it is just murderous.
I also purchased the GRGR330EXBKF and I will be doing the same to it. The trem on that stays in tune very well when dive bombing but with pull ups it goes 1 cent sharp. I installed a trem stabilizer in it but it did not cure the issue. So, I deck it for dive bombs only and it works fine. Gonna install a D-Tuna and it will be ready for all those EVH licks. I love watching your videos. Rock on \m/
S series sounds clearer, other sounds a bit muffled, great playing though, has to be said
Thank you James! I also would say the tone resolution on the S series is a lot better!
I started guitar 1 year ago. Pacifica 012 (279$) with Blackstar Amp Stereo10 V2(159$). I changed my amp and now running a PRS MT15 with its cab (1500$ amp+cab). Night and day, same guitar. Get yourself an inexpensive guitar that you find beautiful (seriously...you are beginning, get something pretty) from a reputable brand (easier to sell if you eventually realize that guitar is not your cup of tea), but do yourself a favor, invest a bit more in the amp. And also, I'm treating my guitar like it's worth 2000. Doin all the maintenance and learning a lot without being scared if I break something. Thanks for your videos JJ
I cant hear a difference
Because your so talented in playing guitar :)
I just bought this same gio. My main guitar is an Ibanez RG5120M prestige. It's crazy how good the gio is, I would recommend it to anyone looking for something solid and inexpensive.
Awesome review. The S hands down wins for its clarity and sound, however the Gio packs a punch for an entry level guitar at the price! The amp is of a steller quality, the S reflects that. That Gio is asking for some EMG 81 or Seymour Duncan blackouts Ahb-3s upgrades. Party on 👊 JJ.
The pickup upgrade could pretty much bring it to the level of the more expensive guitar. But for a fraction of the price difference. You don't have to go for SD or Dimarzios, you could get Toneriders, e.g. Tonerider Octane or Generator, these could do fine as well.
Your epic green beast was the winner for sure but the black beauty was amazing for the price was close sounded amazing once again big hugs from Wisconsin in the us.
Thanks man! Of course the price pays at some point. 😅 but still the 200€ are pretty well invested!
To be quiet honest I couldn't tell the difference between the two sound wise. My question is which one is lighter if you were standing with them?
The S series definitely is lighter. I would recommend to use headphones because honestly there are big differences 😆
@@JassyPabst I am with Aaron here, because they sounded the same to me, and I used headphones. My hearing is probably not as good as yours though, but for my money, give me the Gio!
@@madbull4 Scrolling through the comment section it appears that Jassy is a guitar snob. She even commented that she doesn't have "cheap Schecters" in one comment thread where a guy was suggesting she do a low end and a high end Schecter. But you don't have to take my word for it: Read through the comment section. Hahaha
@@JassyPabst I'll try that lol. And my son has the Ibanez Mikro, he wants you to review that guitar sometime. He wants to see you shred on his guitar lol. Thanks for the video!
@Jeff I am not a snob 😂 to be more precise: I only have 1 Schecter and it isn’t cheap. Better now? 😱
So, after 2 years I think the Black one is better for low tuning because the low E string is longer than the S series
There is an obvious sound difference between the two in which I would say the 2000 euro guitar sounds better, but the 200 euro model sounds very good for being its price. Great video Jassy! Also do you know whether or not Children Of Bodom members will keep producing? Or are they finished.
Dude that green Ibanez sounds glorious! I'm jealous of all your toys! Sending love from Kansas, USA!
I can definitely hear more tone and bite with the 2000£ guitars pickup but I’m sure you could achieve that by upgrading the 200 guitars pickups and spending less money
Gotta keep in mind these guitars are going through expensive amps so they’re gonna sound great anyway 🤟🏼🔥🔥
Which is why it is important to upgrade you amp first IF the playing comfort on your guitar you already own is good! On the other hand you also pay for endurance. The green one survived a 20 show tour in 2018 without a single scratch, string break, dent or detuning issue =)
I think this video would be inspiring to new guitar players who are just getting started. Showing them that there is no need to buy the most expensive guitar right away. Both guitars sounded great
The less expensive guitar sounds awesome! I love the more distorted sound.
It has a lot more dirt indeed! Might be perfect for Slipknot 😊
Awesome video Jassy 😊👍👍
Thank you 🙏
Ya, especially in clean sound when Jassy played the Master of puppets,
The expensive green guitar has a better tone.
If in distortion mode of course good or plain original tones almost the same
Happy that example shows its purpose 😊
Both guitar sounds great played by you. You are awesome, compliments!
They sound exactly the same to me. The budget guitars are amazing now
So true 😊 however I would recommend to listen to the mix with headphones 🤘🏻
A great player can make every instrument sounds good. My guess is she is talented
3 points:
1- The Ibanez Gio series was fu##ing amazing. Maybe cheap one, but in a good hands you must have to hear carefully or you miss the small differences. The hands that play it was more important than it's price!
2- I got an RG421 and it sounds amazing, the most comfortable guitar i've played. I love the Ibanez guitars.
3- I love how you play, i love you're attitude... damn! I think i'm in love!. ¿Can I get a clon of you for christmas? Joke's aside, you're an amazing guitarist!
SUPER GREETING FROM CROATIA--BRAVO!!
Cheers to Croatia!
Hi! It's me again! Excelent video! I love Ibanez guitars too! I got S Series guitar and Ibanez acutic electric guitar!
The clean part at master of puppets had the biggest difference for my ears, that sounded 800€ better
Guess the other 1000€ are put into playability and the look of that axe :D
And also the green guitar survived a 20 show tour without having a single scratch or dent 👍
@@JassyPabst just amazing 😄
Hi Jassy,
I am writing to inform you that your video was super amazing and will inspire others to be just as good as you.
I hope to hear from you soon, stay safe, and rock on🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Thay are both cool, but i preferred rg couse of body shape. All Ibanezs are cool and great guitars!
True 🤘🏻
The cheap version had surprised me that it's been really good. I couldn't afford the expensive one of course. But thanks for the well deserved update and information
You can hear its flaws in the clean section 😊 but it is indeed an incredible instrument!
The question is would #HermanLi use any of these guitars in #DragonForce? Thumb up comment, Herman might give us his opinion.
I bought mine Gio 131 a few days on internet and i amvery anxious to put my hands on it and make one review to in my chanel! This guitar looks amazing and after your video im more anxious than never! Best video! 🤘🔥👏
Expensive don’t mean better. Any good guitarist can make a cheap guitar sound like a expensive one.
But you can hear that the S series isn‘t as „dull“ hence it survives the pitch shift better.
The more expensive sounds a little more clear and refined but that's down to pickups, the big question is which feels better to play and the finish of the neck and frets.
I dont hear much difference ....and in the hands of a pro both sounds GREAT LOL.
Hey jessy i wanted to ask you which one was better the grg131ex or the grg131dx in your opinion im buying a new guitar and im stuck between these 2
Wow they are basically identical. I would go with this one:
www.thomann.de/de/ibanez_grg131dx_bkf.htm?offid=1&affid=248
but ONLY because it totally resembled to my first real guitar ;)
The Amplifier makes your head banging environment so... Better have a Great Amp?
Alright, you've convinced me, getting the Gio. Nice channel btw, came across while researching the Gio, good content. Rock on! 🤘
Greetings, Yasi, I just bought the 131EX for my 14-year-old son and it's his first guitar, he told me I want that one and well I saw your battle and I'm honest I'm a bassist not a guitarist and your Green Ibanez is really cool but for me both have a sound brutal and similar both sound almost similar no difference notice. good video
It proves you can sound good on a budget. Once you're truly serious the difference is huge. Noticeably crisper and cleaner. I remember you had beginning amp recommendations. Going to have to check that out next. Thanks!
You are freaking awesome. Subscribed.
This comparison of the Ibanez Prestige and the GIO is the perfect example of The Law Of Diminishing Returns.
The average person listening to music isn’t going to notice the difference between the $2000 Prestige and $200 GIO.
Hell, most Musician’s wouldn’t be able to notice the difference between these two guitars if you did not show them the guitars you were playing.
So is the Prestige worth the $1800 more than the $200 GIO based on the sound it produces when both guitars are played through the same signal chain & rig?
The answer is NO.
This is the law of diminishing returns.
After a certain point the difference is not worth the money paid for the slight increase in quality / sound/ performance of instruments.
This law applies to all products sold to consumers from toothbrushes to yachts!
Swap pickups on the GIO with Fishmans and you will have a bad ass guitar for half the price of the Prestige!🎸
I decided to test this out on my girlfriend, who isn’t a guitar player! She could immediately tell a difference between the two and pointed at the green one being the expensive one. She did say after that the black one looks 🔥lol. I’m trying to get her to understand that price sometimes makes a big difference but also that you can upgrade a lower priced guitar to sound great as well! Great video!! My girl says she loves your hair!! Lol
Schön ein neues Video von dir jj
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
My favourite guitar is Ibanez S6521Q and i don't have any guitar but I like to hear solos and enjoy. The solo Master of Puppets with Ibanez is awesome. Keep it on Jassy Tschüs
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Thank you very powerful, super performance🔥🔥🔥👍🤘
Thank you 😊
@@JassyPabst Kein klanglichen Unterschied zwischen der billigen und der teuren Gitarre
@@tieukhavu8832 doch, man hört es deutlich bei Psychosocial =)
@@JassyPabst Einigermaßen geht's. Hast du einen schönen Valentinstag gehabt?
It isn't about the guitar. It's about what you've got in your head, heart and hands. That's what I've been told, anyway.
That’s 50% true. There is always a setup that might turn the biggest guitar god to just a good decent player. Still decent but not 100% amazing anymore ;)
It's funny how things happen. I have a Gibson Gothic Explorer, Schecter C7 Apocalypse,Gibson Les Paul Studio Deluxe and a Ibanez DX. I just got the Schecter and needed a case but the one that came didn't work so I sent it back. After giving up on their case options I told them to send me the Gio instead. Last night I opened the box and it was flawless. Wish these were available when I first started playing but that was 50 years ago. Then I do my usual, watch RUclips to see what's new and there's JJ shredding it on the Gio. Hers is the best demo so far. Love what you do JJ. As far as the comparison for me its a no brainer Gio wins.
This is awesome!¡can't select one, i like all of them in my opinion very great job!
Thank you 🙏
Are both cool, just!
So for me it's clearly to see that the expansive one is the better one.
Why?
- The Sound is much more sharp
- The Guitar has more "attack", sound much better
- I bet it is more comfortable to play and better to setup
You can hear this differences if you are using or using good headphones.
The difference would be much more clearer if there were no backing-tracks in the background :D
Aber an sich mega gut gemacht Jassey! :D
Finde den Unterschied vom Hören her, als würde man eine DVD mit einer BluRay vergleichen.
Der Sound ist viel genauer und feiner aufgelöst.
Excellent video
I enjoyed this fascinating comparison. There is no question that the expensive guitar gives you more - more frequencies, more range. If I was recording, I'd want the nice shiny green one because the sound is clearly better. However, it only makes a difference when you're listening at home through quality speakers or headphones. I think as a live instrument at gig volume, you wouldn't notice much difference in the mosh pit.
So if you're recording, use the best quality guitar you can get, but leave it at home and go on tour with the cheap one! It's at more risk on tour so you're better breaking the cheap one!
Everyone keeps talking about the clarity of the S Series. That can be fixed on the GIO, buy some good pups and now you have a total of 400-450 where the S series is 2K. GIO all day! On a side note, your playing is incredible! New SUB.
That GIO just needs a Dimarzio EVO set, a tusq nut and a gibraltar bridge, BOOM! Killer guitar
Wow!!i was too busy paying attention to the awesome playing to even pay attention to the guitars 🤘
🤘🤘🤘
Interesting video🤩🎸
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Great topic! No a cheap guitar does not have to suck. Sound and feel is always subjective and If you find one that you love to play on you can always upgrade it with whatever your budget allows (but yes better material cost more) and still have a great instrument regardless of brand. But to pay a ridiculous amount of money just for an instrument it is not worth it (unless it's a very rare one).
They both seem to keep in tune the whole time. I believe it’s about the pickups. A cheaper guitar as opposed to an expensive guitar from the same company still has a great quality. The cheaper one still has there brand, so there will still be a great sound. Both sounded great. Keep the videos coming. You’re amazing.
It's all about "feel." Budget guitars sound great but the higher end stuff feels magical in your hands. I dig that s series!
Hy Jassy 🤘
Du weißt ja das die grüne Ibanez mein absoluter Favorit von all deinen Gitarren ist 😁 und der Qualitätsunterschied ist schon zu sehen und zu hören. Aber was die Gio kann ( für grade mal 200€) ist echt Wahnsinn!!! Mein Gitarrenlehrer hat immer gesagt "die hätten mir die falsche Gitarre zugeschickt, nie im Leben hat die bloß 200€ gekostet". Haha
Ist halt aber wirklich so! Auch meine erste Gio Ibanez war so ein klanglicher Unterschied zu meiner Einsteigergitarre, obwohl sie verhältnismäßig nicht so viel teurer war.
I been on the fence with the Gio. I got my dads Les Paul Copy after he passed this summer and man it is heavy it hurts my back ( I practice standing up) so i been looking for a lighter one that is not too light that has Neck Dive. I wanted that 500$ RG but after trying it at the shop (I am still a beginner BTW) that Gio felt so good in my handstand love the feel when i put a strap on it, and the Stealth Black is so metal it inspires me more!!!
A true artist never blames their tools
uh ah haven't heard that lamb of god song in years, thanks for reminding me of it :D the green one immediatly comes off richer and thicker. nice vid!