I'm a relative beginner I have a Jem Jr and I have to say like many others here, I don't agree this is a good choice for someone just starting out. Don't get me wrong I love my Jem, it's huge fun to play but it has some features that make it more complicated to learn on especially for a beginner. The floral pattern is harder to follow if you don't already know how to navigate the fretboard and tuning and/or restringing The Floyd Rose Bridge requires extra steps that most beginners wouldn't be aware of (I certainly leaned that the hard way). I DO recommend a Jem, you'll be very hard pressed to any other guitar that's this rich in features and quality (not to mention beautiful) at this kind of price, but make it your second or third guitar you buy and start with of something simpler.
I would think an Ibanez Gio. They’re normally around $200 and they play great. They need a little work at first, but after you get some strings and fix the action they’re awesome.
@@braydenoneil2129 I happened to start out with a gio, still had a floating bridge. After trying other beginner guitars, you get way more quality at the price point.
I own both a Jem jr and a GIO and I can definitely agree at the Jem is great for beginners but the GIO is better in both price range and build specific for starting out. And working with a floyed rose is probably not the best for people starting out. I definitely prefer my jem over my GIO but for starting out the GIO is better in my opinion.
This is an amazing recommendation! I started off with a Squier Stratocaster, and it’s a good budget option without sacrificing quality, while still giving that 5-way and trem bar
Great video and great recommendation, the only thing for me at least from my experience is having a floating trem or a floyd rose as starter did not go too well for me, too much work to deal with, but otherwise beautiful axe.
I like the jem jr, solid guitar for 500 But for beginners a floyd rose or any kind of floating trem should be the last option . Any $500 rg with fixed bridge would be better since you can change tuning on the fly and wouldnt discourage newbies to try different stuff with their guitar. Also would save a trip to luthier every time you cant get the tuning right on the floyd rose
You are one of the people who inspired me to pick up the guitar, I remember watching your Top 10 Songs Every Guitarist MUST Know... video and beeing amazed of your playing. Thank you!
This was my first guitar and the Floyd rose was a huge learning curve for me but the action combined with sweet sounding pickups for 500$, can’t rlly beat it
My first guitar was an Ibanez S521, its the first 'real' (read: not gio / beginner focussed) guitar in the Ibanez range together with the rg521 and its great. absolutely no shiney things or adornments but just a great well-built instrument (very light weight). Fixed bridge too, which might be better for a beginner. Still have that Ibanez 14 years later as my only guitar, just switched the pickups to SD's, added coil splits and a graphtech nut and now its absolutely killer.
The Jem is truly 'the Swiss Army Knife' of electric guitars. It can tackle any musical genre and make a decent stab (no knife pun intended.) at it. The Double Locking Trem is essential for all the whammy tricks but that also makes it much less Beginner friendly. Not impossible but a fixed bridge would be much easier to cope with
i have this exact same guitar model and color and personally as a beginner (grade 1) i can say this guitar might be the best thing i have ever purchased,
I love the jem jr and thought of buying one just because I couldn’t exactly afford the actual jem but then I found myself with a decent sum of cash and bough an evh instead. Still gotta get my hands on one someday though.
As a begineer a practice amp and a simple guitar like the Squier is more than enough. Don't get into the habit of getting more gear (that won't equal better ability, or more motivation)
Just got a used JEM Jr. in Shocking Pink, on top of the 7 RGs I own and an SR405EQM 5 string bass, I love Ibanez! I may upgrade the bridge someday, but I'll give the stock one a chance for a while. Someone already popped a Dimarzio (I think, have to take the pick gaurd off and che the back of the pup) in the bridge position before I bought it.
great guitar decided to pick this one up. Floyds def aren't good for beginners who barely know how to tune a regular guitar. I'd recommend something like the gio line or the fender player series. Guitars like those just make more sense to someone who doesn't have experience working on guitars or tuning locking trems.
I dont think any of the people think of people who want to pain of the floyd rose,i want the pain of restringing them, the pain to own one in general, so im getting the jemjr
I’d say if you’re a beginner now is better than ever time to get a quality electric guitar for $100 especially shopping used I’d look into epiphone, squires, Jackson, Dean or anything you can get your hands on. In the beginning you might even want a acoustic. That’s what I started with
The Jem Jr is not a bad guitar, but for $300 less (used around $150, new $220) you can get an Indo Kramer Baretta Special which is an absolute beast of a guitar.
Definitely would not recommend a guitar with a Floyd rose bridge for a beginner, jackson ibanez dean schecter are great quality guitars, get a standard bridge though.
I would also recommend the jem 555, just picked one up from 95, spent a little over 1000$ Canadian which is about $0.05 USD lmao, plays beautiful along with having the Dimarzio evos just like the jem 777, also signed by vai;)
i would not reccomend a floyd rise for a begginner guitarist, i would reccomend a bridge like a strat has or a tele, floyds are for advanced guitarists who know what theyre playing and know what theyre doing, btw yeah the jem jr is a great guitar
I’d recommend something a little easier to re string and such. The gem is cool, but the Floyd is a bit much. Go for something like an Epiphone special II. Or a Schecter Omen 6.
hss fender or squire classic vibe strat would be 1000x time better for begginers OR any stop bar guitar, kramer striker would be good for a S style, or a epi SG or les paul
*LIKE* this video for more Guitar Basics and stuff!
What do you guys think about the JEM JR?
I disagree. Most guitarists these days will eventually learn to use one or something similar, so might as well start with one
@@FennecFoxFurry did you mean to comment this under merks comment
I'm a relative beginner I have a Jem Jr and I have to say like many others here, I don't agree this is a good choice for someone just starting out. Don't get me wrong I love my Jem, it's huge fun to play but it has some features that make it more complicated to learn on especially for a beginner. The floral pattern is harder to follow if you don't already know how to navigate the fretboard and tuning and/or restringing The Floyd Rose Bridge requires extra steps that most beginners wouldn't be aware of (I certainly leaned that the hard way).
I DO recommend a Jem, you'll be very hard pressed to any other guitar that's this rich in features and quality (not to mention beautiful) at this kind of price, but make it your second or third guitar you buy and start with of something simpler.
This is a great pick but the Floyd Rose might be a steep learning curve for a beginner.
Maybe a Charvel DK24? Not too expensive and made in the same factory as MIM Fenders.
I would think an Ibanez Gio. They’re normally around $200 and they play great. They need a little work at first, but after you get some strings and fix the action they’re awesome.
@@braydenoneil2129 I happened to start out with a gio, still had a floating bridge. After trying other beginner guitars, you get way more quality at the price point.
Was thinking the same thing
ah my fav bridge, floyd ross
Not sure a Floyd rose is the floating trem I’d recommend for a beginner but other than that solid guitar
I like ibanez but if I was a beginner and had a floyd rose I'd probably quit
@@neil2706 they’re really simple and easy to worth with if you understand them
Just get on youtube & learn all about it in 20 minutes.
I own both a Jem jr and a GIO and I can definitely agree at the Jem is great for beginners but the GIO is better in both price range and build specific for starting out. And working with a floyed rose is probably not the best for people starting out. I definitely prefer my jem over my GIO but for starting out the GIO is better in my opinion.
I heard you aren't able to tune down on this guitar is that true?
@@ryanwalsh7892 you can but its just more work than without floyd rose system
@@pyllyvanukas thanks bro👍
which GIO series?
@@pyllyvanukas What if its drop D or half step down? How much work?
This is an amazing recommendation! I started off with a Squier Stratocaster, and it’s a good budget option without sacrificing quality, while still giving that 5-way and trem bar
i got a hardtail no trem squire strat as my first
I think it's a much better choice, or an epiphone, or even an ibanez gio
Great video and great recommendation, the only thing for me at least from my experience is having a floating trem or a floyd rose as starter did not go too well for me, too much work to deal with, but otherwise beautiful axe.
I like the jem jr, solid guitar for 500
But for beginners a floyd rose or any kind of floating trem should be the last option .
Any $500 rg with fixed bridge would be better since you can change tuning on the fly and wouldnt discourage newbies to try different stuff with their guitar. Also would save a trip to luthier every time you cant get the tuning right on the floyd rose
Yea, its got great versatility, but a floating trem would be a nightmare for a beginner.
Better yet a strat or an sg type
You are one of the people who inspired me to pick up the guitar, I remember watching your Top 10 Songs Every Guitarist MUST Know... video and beeing amazed of your playing.
Thank you!
Recommending a Floyd Rose bridge to a beginner might be the worst thing ever, it's a great guitar though outside of that
I bought the ibanez jem jr about a month ago as my 6th or 7th guitar and it’s great! 10/10 recommend
I'd recommend getting a non Floyd Rose style bridge if you don't wanna waste time changing strings/tuning FR guitars.
Damn i was hoping for nobody to point out the floyd as not being good for beginers so i could and then feel smart
This was my first guitar and the Floyd rose was a huge learning curve for me but the action combined with sweet sounding pickups for 500$, can’t rlly beat it
My first guitar was an Ibanez S521, its the first 'real' (read: not gio / beginner focussed) guitar in the Ibanez range together with the rg521 and its great. absolutely no shiney things or adornments but just a great well-built instrument (very light weight). Fixed bridge too, which might be better for a beginner. Still have that Ibanez 14 years later as my only guitar, just switched the pickups to SD's, added coil splits and a graphtech nut and now its absolutely killer.
That was my first guitar too, and is still my favorite to play of my 5 electric guitars
The Jem is truly 'the Swiss Army Knife' of electric guitars. It can tackle any musical genre and make a decent stab (no knife pun intended.) at it. The Double Locking Trem is essential for all the whammy tricks but that also makes it much less Beginner friendly. Not impossible but a fixed bridge would be much easier to cope with
Just coil tap the humbuckers to sharpen your Swiss army knife
After seeing this. I'm gonna buy that guitar and start taking some lessons. Thanks merk
i have this exact same guitar model and color and personally as a beginner (grade 1) i can say this guitar might be the best thing i have ever purchased,
That floyd rose like bridge together with the locking nut might be pretty confusing for a beginner
My Ibanez is my favorite guitar. I love how it sounds plays and everything about it.
This was my first guitar and it’s still my favorite!
This is my first guitar, and its perfect for what I play
2:52 It was FATE, how can a store be sold out on strats?
I feel like it's better as an intermediate guitar. Someone's second or third guitar who's good with the basics and wants a great budget guitar
this is quite literally the last thing i would recommend to a beginner, and that goes for every guitar on this planet with a floyd rose
I love the jem jr and thought of buying one just because I couldn’t exactly afford the actual jem but then I found myself with a decent sum of cash and bough an evh instead. Still gotta get my hands on one someday though.
purchased this guitar today with the help of this video, thank you m3rk 🖤
Was thinking of getting the JEMJR, but went with a Squier Telecaster, to buy more gear, I'm getting there in terms of skill.
As a begineer a practice amp and a simple guitar like the Squier is more than enough. Don't get into the habit of getting more gear (that won't equal better ability, or more motivation)
personally i would recommend a squier strat very affordable play and sound great for the price
That's the LAST guitar a beginner should get. The floyd rose would make their life a living hell and they would just quit guitar
Shows people the coolness of them, doesnt mention the PITA they can be, its almost like a troll lol
ahaha this made me so happy! This is the first guitar I've ever got. Its amazing
Squier Classic Vibes are a good bet too. Yamaha Pacificas as well.
Seeing as you’re an Ibanez fan, what are your thoughts on the AZs?
Whats Merk Music without Ibanez
love the guitar vids keep them coming
Buying and picking up TOMORROW
Just got a used JEM Jr. in Shocking Pink, on top of the 7 RGs I own and an SR405EQM 5 string bass, I love Ibanez!
I may upgrade the bridge someday, but I'll give the stock one a chance for a while. Someone already popped a Dimarzio (I think, have to take the pick gaurd off and che the back of the pup) in the bridge position before I bought it.
nah bro you gotta start off with a flying v and a nice beginner song, like perpetual burn by jason becker
Yes. You can basically play that in like the first 3 days, maybe even the first 2 days if you're dedicated enough
great guitar decided to pick this one up. Floyds def aren't good for beginners who barely know how to tune a regular guitar. I'd recommend something like the gio line or the fender player series. Guitars like those just make more sense to someone who doesn't have experience working on guitars or tuning locking trems.
I dont think any of the people think of people who want to pain of the floyd rose,i want the pain of restringing them, the pain to own one in general, so im getting the jemjr
I’d say if you’re a beginner now is better than ever time to get a quality electric guitar for $100 especially shopping used I’d look into epiphone, squires, Jackson, Dean or anything you can get your hands on. In the beginning you might even want a acoustic. That’s what I started with
Love these reviews and guitar vids in general keep it up man 💯
The Jem Jr is not a bad guitar, but for $300 less (used around $150, new $220) you can get an Indo Kramer Baretta Special which is an absolute beast of a guitar.
I started with les Paul standard and now I’m building a Kramer
Jem Jr is so freakin good for that price. I always wonder how is the jem 7v quality is when jem Jr is so good.
YAY NEW GEETAR VID!!
I was going to buy this guitar but I ended up buying an ibanez az essentials guitar for $400 it's an amazing guitar for the price.
Just got mine 🤘my second guitar, definitely wouldnt recommend the floyd rose to a beginner. Get a strat or gibson style first
love your videos
Yo merk you should get a Rockman stereo chorus that’s what joe satriani used back in the day and it’s absolutely beautiful
Definitely would not recommend a guitar with a Floyd rose bridge for a beginner, jackson ibanez dean schecter are great quality guitars, get a standard bridge though.
Id love to buy one some day but unfortunately my practice motivation is horrible even with my trumpet but hopefully one day
love the jems! shreddy af, you ever tried a gretch? pretty
could you consider making a video on a good amp for beginners?
How good is the tuning stability while using the whammy?
You should do a review of the Positive Grid Spark 40 amp
How the actual fuck have i never heard about your music channel😭 damn im binging today
Are you recommending a guitar with a Floyd rose for beginners?
I would also recommend the jem 555, just picked one up from 95, spent a little over 1000$ Canadian which is about $0.05 USD lmao, plays beautiful along with having the Dimarzio evos just like the jem 777, also signed by vai;)
I like the jem jr i use in recording a lot but I mainly use my kissiel
Tuning a guitar is part of learning
I think in general just a super strat without a floyd is a good beginner piece
i would not reccomend a floyd rise for a begginner guitarist, i would reccomend a bridge like a strat has or a tele, floyds are for advanced guitarists who know what theyre playing and know what theyre doing, btw yeah the jem jr is a great guitar
Have you ever played a Gibson Explorer?
"JEM Jr more versatile than Telecaster"
Bro you don't know the crowd you're messing with tele players are crazy
Does anyone know what AMP is he using while playing Ibanez Jem Junior?
Would this guitar be good for stuff like indie rock/pop?
I got my daughter a Gio for her first electric.
people overexaggerate how difficult a floyd rose is its literally easy ive never had any problems setting up changing strings or tuning a floyd rose
i literally JUST bought one
Damm I can see him doing Music going in road trips for his gigs if he chooses not to upload anymore 👍🤟🔥🔥
I’d recommend something a little easier to re string and such. The gem is cool, but the Floyd is a bit much. Go for something like an Epiphone special II. Or a Schecter Omen 6.
The tele is good especially since it's a hardtail bridge. You don't even have to unscrew the backplate
a floyd rose for a beginner?
Jackson Dinky JS11, 150$ and its really solid
I love Ibanez but I love my strat more
what do you say about the tuning stability?
It’s got a Floyd rose, should go without sayin
I donno man, I would never recommend a Floyd Rose to a beginner, they should be spending their early time playing, not tuning all the time.
This was my second guitar
I’m sorry but no beginner needs to start on a Floyd Rose all it will cause them is trouble
hss fender or squire classic vibe strat would be 1000x time better for begginers OR any stop bar guitar, kramer striker would be good for a S style, or a epi SG or les paul
Better go for the AZES model. More wiring options and no Floyd Rose.
my beginner guitar was my dad's Canora
best is the sire s7 larry carlton by far nothing competes even high end gear
this is all $500 and no amp? right now i would pick a guitar and my tone that is good for my liking
Very under mated will r8 5 stars
Yes! Sooner or later I am going to start playing the guitar like SpongeBob in the SpongeBob movie
como vas a recomendar para principiantes una con floyd rose xd
I would NOT recommend a floyd rose to a beginner.
the tree inlays and the floyd rose would be not so great for a beginner XD
Still need to repolish all frets. Very bad quality of frets.
Floyd rose special. No thanks
They work just fine, it's a more budget guitar
Play some Holdsworth Erik
Morkmoozzel
Man recommending a guitar with a Floyd Rose system for beginners
Its not a guitar but im doin research and the ibanez mikro is supposedly a really good beginner bass
Yamaha Pacifica !!!
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Bad recommendation. Floyd Roses are incredibly bad for beginners, I'd personally recommend Fender Squiers and or Gibson Epiphones.
The Yamaha Pacifica is a great bigger guitar
GIBSON CORVUS FIRST IN 84.