The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    Curious if it gets the dark metheny tone we all know and love?

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  3. #27

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    The PM2 is excellent, I've had it for a while.

    Added a pickguard, --- plays beautifully.

    For me the tone is dark and deep....

    I can only speak to my sound not PM's, but this has been a keeper for me.

  4. #28

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    thanks. did you have a pickguard made?

  5. #29

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    I couldn’t find a PM2 in any guitar shop within 500 miles so I ordered one online. The guitar I received sounded amazing—great acoustic resonance and sustain and a truly magnificent amplified tone. Seriously, tone wise, it was better than the single p/u ES-175 I learned on. But, the PM2’s neck was not straight and no amount of truss rod or bridge adjustment could make up for it. Sadly, I returned it and requested a replacement. The second one played a little better but was dead acoustically. Plugged in, it sounded like a bucket of mud—a real dud.

    I know that no two guitars are the same, but it was astonishing how different those two PM2s were. Sadly, that magic PM2 wasn’t to be found for me. I still think a great PM2 would be a keeper. The potential is there, the QC may not be.

    Roli

  6. #30

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    I picked one up for $600 because the owner had dulled the finish on the face of the guitar with steel wool. It sounds and plays great, better than a lot of archtops Ive had costing much more. You can get a decent Methenyesque tone depending on the kind of amp youre using. Sadly, I can no longer play so while its a great guitar its a dust collector If you can find a good one, buy it, youll love it. Bob
    Last edited by Top of the Arch!; 09-25-2017 at 08:47 AM.

  7. #31

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    Sorry to say I don't have a personal recording right now to contribute, but the tone in the below vid is definitely part of its readily available palette. For the way I play, I don't miss a pickguard.

    @ rolijen, it would seem that mine is a good'un as it has those two virtues. The neck, to my hands, is small overall, but really forgiving and fast as you like. The tuners are meh, IMO. Nice guitar at any price.


  8. #32

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    the clip above seems to have a brighter attack than I'd normally attribute to pat. I was watching a mike brecker video on the recording of pilgrimage and noticed metheny using the korean version on that record. It sounded darker to me. Maybe it's just a matter of the tone control?

  9. #33

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    I'm pretty sure the guy in the clip had the tone rolled back a fair bit, with D'Addario Chromes .....

  10. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter C
    I'm pretty sure the guy in the clip had the tone rolled back a fair bit, with D'Addario Chromes .....
    hmmm...then i would say it doesn't have much of the Pat vibe like what I got from my PM120.

    This video may not be the best demo of guitar tone but you can hear the methenyesque lilt of the notes which I don't hear in the above recording...It sounds good. Just not very methenyesque...Maybe the korean one is closer.


  11. #35

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    Just a personal observation, but I'm pretty sure I saw you in a video years ago illustrating some Pat Martino lines on a Gibson Les Paul and I remember it sounded just great, my point being that certain nuances of tone are, dare I say it, insignificant compared to the actual musical content. I also know that these words will most likely fall on deaf ears, because you hear it

  12. #36

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    haha, yeah - i get your point. It could be pick, strings, amp settings, etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter C
    Just a personal observation, but I'm pretty sure I saw you in a video years ago illustrating some Pat Martino lines on a Gibson Les Paul and I remember it sounded just great, my point being that certain nuances of tone are, dare I say it, insignificant compared to the actual musical content. I also know that these words will most likely fall on deaf ears, because you hear it

  13. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter C
    Sorry to say I don't have a personal recording right now to contribute, but the tone in the below vid is definitely part of its readily available palette. For the way I play, I don't miss a pickguard.

    @ rolijen, it would seem that mine is a good'un as it has those two virtues. The neck, to my hands, is small overall, but really forgiving and fast as you like. The tuners are meh, IMO. Nice guitar at any price.

    I saved this Video on Youtube about a month ago because I really liked the Tone and it does not sound like there is extreme treble Roll Off- it's deep with some high end still there- not muffled.

    And the long even sustain..

    Sounds like a lot of Guitar for $1000.

    I liked clips of the PM 35 also seemed to have a slightly fatter Benson- ish Tone .

    I tried to get one used at $ 600 but it was sold ( PM 35 ).
    Last edited by Robertkoa; 10-07-2017 at 01:49 PM.

  14. #38

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    Here's my PM2 video - I swapped the pickup for a Harmonic Design Z90:


  15. #39

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    Rob, you make any guitar you play sound wonderful!

  16. #40

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    This model could be a viable option for me, but I am not sure if I could get along with such a low profile neck. Is it flattish or C-shaped? I would really like a Seventy Seven Hawk, but unfortunately that isn't in the cards right now. What other options are there in this price range?
    Also, are the Korean made versions really that much better, or just more consistent in quality?

  17. #41

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    I've been on the lookout for something else recently and one thing that grabbed my attention was the PM2.

    Anyone here got one? Or had much experience with them?

    I already have an Ibanez AKJ-95 and a ES-175 Premium amongst others.. so one of my main questions is, would I really see a huge difference from specifically an AKJ-95 to something like a PM2? You know, the AKJ is around £500 and the PM2 is £850 maybe. So not a huge difference in value. To my knowledge they're relatively similar construction.. I think the PM2 is maple.. and I assume similar pickups (or "pickup" as in the PM2). I think it may be slightly different. "Super Custom 58" or something.

    I'm only having a look at the moment, not really fully decided, but the PM2 AA appeals to me as I wanted something Natural-ish and I am a Metheny fan. It's pretty cheap as sig models go. I don't really want to go into huge prices as it wouldn't be a main guitar anyways. So I've been looking at stuff in the lines of the PM2 as I'm cravings something new.

    Basically just wondering what the folks on here think of them? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance.

    JPF

  18. #42

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    Hello I also was lusting after the PM 2AA. Bill's music in Baltimore said they'd get one for me to try. But they took so long that I ended up buying a used Eastman AR805CE instead.
    But then a few months later Bill's called so I went in anyway to try the PM 2AA just for fun.
    It's very pretty. Plugged in sound is pretty good. But unplugged it had little tone, maybe that wouldn't matter to you but it does to me. The Eastman I can happily play unplugged and if sounds great.
    But the neck: the Ibanez has a narrower nut, and the overall feel was stiffer. To me a wider nut makes it much easier to play accurately.
    Maybe it'll break in. My Eastman is 10 yrs old. But playability wise it couldn't touch the Eastman.
    My guitar isn't as pretty but it's a dream. Really glad I bought a solid wood used instrument. I'd recommend you try one.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  19. #43

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    IF it's something you crave, and you don't rely on having a bridge pickup, then the PM2 could be a nice replacement for the AKJ95. They may not be different enough from each other to justify keeping both.

    I own a PM2 and like it for what it is -- very comfortable and super easy to play. I do have another Ibanez archtop that has two pickups, but it is bigger and has solid spruce top. There's just enough difference in sound and function to keep both, and every time I consider selling off the PM2 as the "lesser" guitar, it wins me back with it's playability. It is not a good acoustic instrument, pretty much needs to be plugged in, but as you said you had other guitars I assume you may have that covered elsewhere. My Gibson L7C fills the acoustic sound need, these Ibanez laminate are not really in that competition.

    I replaced the PM2 bridge base, just for experimentation as I made my own that sounds better.
    The stock PM2 tailpiece appears weak -- the thin metal at the hinge always looked like it was about to strain apart. I got lucky and found a PM120 tailpiece that worked out well. The PM2 super 58 is not the best version, my newer Ibanez has much better "Super 58" with yet another pair of MIC part numbers and nothing on the cover top. No end to the PU part number confusion from that manufacturer !

    John


    PM2 ebony fretboard can be burnished quite smooth
    Thoughts on Ibanez PM2?-burnish_ebny-jpg
    home made bridge base
    Thoughts on Ibanez PM2?-base-jpg

    Thoughts on Ibanez PM2?-pm2-fail2-jpgThoughts on Ibanez PM2?-pm_compare2-jpgThoughts on Ibanez PM2?-pm120-jpg

  20. #44

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    I really like Ibanez archtops. The quality of fret finishing on their Artcore Expressionist and Contemporary Archtop lineup is amazing.

    Like you, I started out really wanting the PM2. So, I ordered one from MF. It sounded amazing--better than any of the many ES-175s (single and double pickup models). However, the guitar's neck was twisted having bow on the bass side and backbow on the treble side. Maybe as a result, several frets 9 through 13 were uneven. So, back it went. THe replacement they sent was vastly different from the first one. Much heavier weight and it sounded like crap--dull and lifeless. The second one also had the same neck problems. So back it went as well.

    Rather than risk a third dud, I went another direction. I contend, that if you find a good one, it will be worth it. My recommendation is to try one in person. On paper it look like an amazing guitar and I am a witness of how beautiful a PM2 can sound. But, caveat emptor.

    Another thought: The PM2 has its single pickup placed in the same approximate spot as the neck pickup on an ES-175. Thus it will be in the 175 zone, tonewise. The AKJ95 has the neck pickup placed farther from the bridge and, thus, will sound slightly more mellow. Also, all three guitars (your Epi 175, your Ibby AKJ95 and the potential Ibby PM2) all have laminated maple tops. All will get you in the Metheny zone. Your 175 and the PM2 are pretty similar.
    Last edited by rolijen; 02-25-2019 at 02:31 AM.

  21. #45

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    I have a PM2 as well as an EPI 175. The PM2 is a little more refined than the 175, nice glossy finish, very nice neck and ebony fingerboard. The 175 is thicker and more resonant than the PM2. I really didn't give the PM2 pickup a chance, I put a Gibson R490 in it.
    The PM2 body seems like most other Ibanez's. Of course the PM2 is very yellow, maybe it will fade out a little. Overall its a nice guitar to have around. R

  22. #46

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    I think it's a very nice guitar for the money (only played it in a store). I would have preferred that they re-used the shape of the defunct PM20 (former cheaper PM-model). To me one of the features of the PM-signature guitars is better upper fret access (they all have 22 frets, too). Heck, the original signature guitar even had a second cutaway. I had a PM100 for a few years, one of the models with a second cutaway, and liked it a lot. The only problem was that it was one of the most feedback prone archtops I ever had.

    The PM20 and the PM200 both had/have the wider cutaway. I know, most of the time you won't play up there;-), but why not continue with a feature that Pat obviously likes to have on his personal archtop(s)?

  23. #47

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    I have very limited experience in archtops but my PM2, with pretty beefy roundwound strings, is acoustically loud, though tone-wise, I don't know what to expect from a lam top with a set-in pickup. The treble strings really ring out sans amp, that's for sure. It's probably about time I did a demo video...

    In terms of quality, if the AKJ95 mentioned above is the Artcore line, you can expect a significant overall improvement in the PM2, with far better fretwork, smooth ebony fingerboard and there's nothing wrong with the pickup, as far as I'm concerned. That said, I've played out with a AF75 (the faux "White Falcon" model) and don't recall any complaints about tone - plugged-in, obviously.

  24. #48

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    I owned one for a couple of months...

    --
    I had to level frets and still never could get them flat enough to achieve a really low action.
    Rough fret edges, they call this "Artstar fret edge treatment", come on Ibanez, are you kiddin' me?
    No pick guard (made one by myself).
    Gold parts wore off even from just looking at them. Replaced the string holder with a cheapo Chinese one that kept it's plating way better.
    Too yellow, why do they call this "antique amber", there is nothing antique to it?

    ++
    ????


    Well, it's not a really bad bad guitar, but then again, for that price, more than questionable.


    So over all it was a disappointment, sold it again.

  25. #49

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    I did a whole bunch of research before asking my local store to order one and this is the first time I've read any mention of a neck problem or rough frets(??) and it's hard to see the point in considering this guitar if you prefer a pickguard or dislike the colour.

  26. #50

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    I had one shortly before I got my ES-175. I thought for the money it was an excellent value. I got mine at a wholesale price ($500 I think...). I put a Benedetto pickup in it and new tailpiece as well and it helped to fatten it up a bit. It was light and felt like a toy after I got the 175, so I sold it for a bit more than I had in it. I think it was good guitar for the money and I gigged with it for about 6 months. Had the 175 not come along, I would have kept going with it.
    Thoughts on Ibanez PM2?-dsc_00300-jpg
    Last edited by jazzjames; 03-23-2018 at 12:30 AM.