Guitar diaries ep.2: Ibanez EX370

 Today I'm taking care of my second guitar ever and my very first Ibanez.

She's been my mine guitar from 93 to 96 and her actual role is being "my metal strat".

What is a "Metal Strat"? To me it is a Strat guitar that can deliver both stratty/signlecoilous tones and high gain metal one. Just like thoose '80 strats with the black headstock!

The worst thing of this guitar was pickups, but it takes me dacades to understand it.

So I searched the used/lowend market for options. A decent classic single coil that works well with humbuckers and 2 humbuckers that split well..

I choosed a Duncan designed for the bridge. I love this pickup, it is a clone of the Duncan Distortion and works really well. If you dont like it is either not your cup of tea or it has the wrong distance from the strings.

And obviously it split well.

I did my  homework and found that entiwstle pickup are decent and offer a wide range of choice, included modern and high output pickups.

I chosed the HVX for the neck, becaouse it is hot and it is raccomended for the splitting job, and the X62N, that has a classic 60 tone but with an output stay with humbuckers. The HVX is very bassy but without being muddy.

So the guitar now has a very interesting range of tones.

How's the neck? Not stratty at all. it is small and very rounded like a perfect half circle and the fretboard is narrower that the classic Ibanez neck. The frets are small for my test, main drawback for this neck. No tmy actual favorite but it is a nice options to have. I also covered the shark inlays with a fretboard sticket to give it a more clasical look.

The guitar is turning 30 years and ufficially vintage this month so the neck is super stable and also has a very strong yellow acer now.

What's needed? Her very first fret polish is very long due. Maybe some check to the wires.