Ibanez JEMJR Steve Vai Signature Electric Guitar
Series: Signature JEM
Body Shape: Steve Vai JEM
Orientation: Right-Handed
Finish: White / Black
Overview
The Ibanez JEMJR is a Steve Vai signature electric guitar that brings the iconic styling and performance-focused features of the JEM series to a more accessible price point. Recognisable for its distinctive Monkey Grip handle, sculpted body contours and elaborate Tree of Life fingerboard inlay, the JEMJR is designed for players who want a guitar built for expressive playing and technical performance.
Featuring a meranti body and a fast Wizard III maple neck, the JEMJR offers a comfortable playing experience suited to intricate riffs, rapid runs and expressive lead work. Its jatoba fingerboard, 24 jumbo frets and 25.5-inch scale length provide a familiar platform for everything from rhythm playing to advanced soloing.
The guitar's HSH pickup configuration combines two Ibanez Quantum humbuckers with a central single-coil pickup, offering a broad range of tones for rock, metal, fusion and progressive styles. A double-locking tremolo system supports expressive pitch effects, while the iconic JEM body details make this instrument stand out on stage.
Key Features
Playability and Comfort
The JEMJR features Ibanez's Wizard III maple neck, designed with a thin, flat profile that supports fast movement and precise fretting. Its 15.75-inch fingerboard radius provides a relatively flat playing surface, making it particularly suitable for technical lead playing, wide string bends and fast runs.
With 24 jumbo frets and a 25.5-inch scale length, the guitar offers a full two-octave playing range and familiar electric guitar string tension. The sculpted body contours and deep cutaways provide comfortable playing access, while the distinctive Monkey Grip handle adds the signature JEM design.
Tonewoods and Construction
The meranti body provides a balanced tonal foundation, while the bolt-on maple neck offers a responsive playing feel. The jatoba fingerboard adds a rich reddish-brown appearance and features Ibanez's distinctive Tree of Life inlay, extending along the fretboard as a defining visual feature.
The double-locking tremolo system and locking nut are designed to keep the strings secure during expressive vibrato use. Cosmo Black hardware complements the guitar's bold appearance.
Electronics
The JEMJR is equipped with three Ibanez Quantum pickups in an HSH configuration, combining ceramic humbuckers with an alnico single-coil middle pickup. This arrangement provides a versatile tonal range suited to clean passages, rhythm playing and high-gain lead work.
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Neck Humbucker: Delivers full-bodied tones for smooth leads, warm cleans and expressive melodic playing.
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Middle Single-Coil: Provides clear, articulate tones for brighter passages and distinctive in-between pickup sounds.
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Bridge Humbucker: Offers punchy, powerful tones suited to rock riffs, metal and high-gain soloing.
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Five-Way Pickup Selector: Provides five pickup combinations, including split-coil sounds between the humbuckers and middle pickup.
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Master Volume and Tone Controls: Allow straightforward adjustment of output level and tonal brightness.
Hardware and Setup
The JEMJR features an Ibanez double-locking tremolo bridge paired with a locking nut, helping maintain tuning stability during aggressive vibrato techniques, divebombs and pitch bends. Its 10.5 mm string spacing provides a familiar playing layout across the six strings.
Cosmo Black hardware, including the tremolo components and tuning machines, complements the signature design. The guitar is factory-strung with .009–.042 gauge strings.
Design Details
The JEMJR's signature appearance includes the sculpted Monkey Grip handle, Lion's Claw tremolo cavity and Tree of Life fingerboard inlay. These distinctive features connect it visually to Steve Vai's celebrated JEM guitars.
Available in White or Black, the JEMJR combines bold signature styling with practical performance features. The contrasting hardware and decorative fingerboard inlay make it particularly distinctive under stage lighting.
Specifications
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Category
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Detail
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Model
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Ibanez JEMJR
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Series
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Steve Vai Signature JEM
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Body Shape
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JEM
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Body Material
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Meranti
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Available Finishes
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White, Black
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Neck Material
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Maple
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Neck Construction
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Bolt-On
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Neck Profile
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Wizard III
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Fingerboard Material
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Jatoba
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Fingerboard Radius
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15.75" (400 mm)
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Number of Frets
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24 Jumbo
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Fingerboard Inlay
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Tree of Life
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Nut Type
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Locking
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Nut Width
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43 mm
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Scale Length
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25.5" (648 mm)
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Pickup Configuration
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HSH
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Neck Pickup
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Ibanez Quantum Humbucker, Ceramic
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Middle Pickup
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Ibanez Quantum Single-Coil, Alnico
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Bridge Pickup
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Ibanez Quantum Humbucker, Ceramic
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Controls
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1 Volume, 1 Tone
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Pickup Selector
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Five-Way Switch
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Bridge
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Ibanez Double-Locking Tremolo
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String Spacing
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10.5 mm
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Hardware
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Cosmo Black
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Special Features
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Monkey Grip, Lion's Claw Tremolo Cavity
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Strings
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.009–.042
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Orientation
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Right-Handed
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Why Choose This Guitar?
The Ibanez JEMJR is ideal for players who want:
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Steve Vai signature styling with the iconic Monkey Grip and Tree of Life inlay.
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A fast Wizard III maple neck designed for technical playing.
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HSH Quantum pickups for versatile clean, rhythm and high-gain tones.
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A double-locking tremolo system for expressive pitch effects and divebombs.
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A distinctive signature guitar suited to rock, metal, fusion and progressive music.
