Ibanez LGB-300

[jzucker]

Anyone play or own one? How does the cheaper LGB-30 compare?

[jzucker]

come on, nobody's played one?

[pingu]

Only played the 30

it was lovely

[jzucker]

i've played the 30 also. Great guitar but fairly heavy. I'm curious how the 300 compares.

[Steve Z]

Probably not a big weight difference based on this comparison chart I found...
LGB30 (Ibanez) - LGB300 (Ibanez) | Compare | Guitar Specs

[Woody Sound]

Probably not a big weight difference based on this comparison chart I found...
LGB30 (Ibanez) - LGB300 (Ibanez) | Compare | Guitar Specs

Might be a bit heavier. Slightly bigger body, all maple neck.

[jzucker]

Well, i just bought one. hopefully it's not heavier than 7.5lbs and is significantly better than the LGB30...

I'm looking for a guitar to possibly stuff with cotton to do the martino thing. I don't want to do that with my 60 year old gibson!

[TedBPhx]

Looking forward to your review.

[GNAPPI]

Bigmike didn't have one?

[jzucker]

Bigmike didn't have one?

apparently not. Peter Farrell spoke glowingly about it though.

[Woody Sound]

Well, i just bought one. hopefully it's not heavier than 7.5lbs and is significantly better than the LGB30...

I'm looking for a guitar to possibly stuff with cotton to do the martino thing. I don't want to do that with my 60 year old gibson!

Just wondering, why not?

[jzucker]

Just wondering, why not?

For a couple reasons.

1) The guitar sounds amazing, as-is. Best sounding archtop I've ever owned
2) Don't want to stress 60 year old wood

[wintermoon]

For a couple reasons.

1) The guitar sounds amazing, as-is. Best sounding archtop I've ever owned
2) Don't want to stress 60 year old wood

Stuffing it w cotton isn't going to stress the wood.
I'd think in 2019 there are better methods to cut down feedback. Just use some plugs or tape w low tack tape.

[mr. beaumont]

several pounds of stuffing could certainly stress something, even if just pushing on old wires. Keep in mind, the Pat Martino method isn't just "stuffing a little cotton in the F holes!"

I tried the cheaper "new Benson" model about a year ago, I found it very bright, almost uncontrollably so. Probably could have been fixed by changing pot values on the tone-- it made almost no difference until halfway down, then instantly got muddy.

Had the thin Ibanez neck, not my bag, but would certainly work for someone into that...

I'd think an Epiphone Broadway would be a great candidate on a budget for "the stuff."

[BigMikeinNJ]

Let's face it, the Benson line is built to be played on stage, if you've ever seen Benson it's a bouncy set - two keyboards, drummer, percussionist/vocals, kick ass rhythm guitar player, bass. It's a loud gig. Now I own 2 stage used GB's - the RED GB5 is stuffed with foam and has little ebony inserts between the inside top and the foam. That's a guitar roughly the size of the LGB models. The stage used '02 GB10 I bought from Jesse in December has tape over the f-holes - being it is a slightly smaller body that's all that guitar needs to eradicate any feedback.

Now you gotta ask yourself Jack, are you gonna be playing that loud that you couldn't solve any possible feedback issue by simply using clear tape ?? I would think that would work - don't know if the finish is poly or not on the LGB300 but you can report in when you get her. Try some 2" wide clear packing tape. Sure sound way less invasive than say stuffing it with foam or cotton...

I'm sure both models are great guitars - but the fit, finish of the Team Japan made LGB300 will be lovely, I'm eager to hear your report.

Big

[jzucker]

Stuffing it w cotton isn't going to stress the wood.
I'd think in 2019 there are better methods to cut down feedback. Just use some plugs or tape w low tack tape.

Stuffing a guitar is way more than just cutting down feedback. Also, you need to understand just how much cotton goes into stuffing a guitar the martino way. You should read this article:

Stories from my studies with Pat Martino - Cotton Stuffing

[jzucker]

Let's face it, the Benson line is built to be played on stage, if you've ever seen Benson it's a bouncy set - two keyboards, drummer, percussionist/vocals, kick ass rhythm guitar player, bass. It's a loud gig. Now I own 2 stage used GB's - the RED GB5 is stuffed with foam and has little ebony inserts between the inside top and the foam. That's a guitar roughly the size of the LGB models. The stage used '02 GB10 I bought from Jesse in December has tape over the f-holes - being it is a slightly smaller body that's all that guitar needs to eradicate any feedback.

Now you gotta ask yourself Jack, are you gonna be playing that loud that you couldn't solve any possible feedback issue by simply using clear tape ?? I would think that would work - don't know if the finish is poly or not on the LGB300 but you can report in when you get her. Try some 2" wide clear packing tape. Sure sound way less invasive than say stuffing it with foam or cotton...

I'm sure both models are great guitars - but the fit, finish of the Team Japan made LGB300 will be lovely, I'm eager to hear your report.

Big

As I mentioned in another reply, stuffing the guitar is about more than just eliminating feedback. See the link i posted in the other reply...

[jzucker]

I think when you get a maple body, spruce top, maple neck with ebony board it's going to be bright. You have to adjust the amp to compensate. I love thin necks so it may just be my cup of tea. I'm basically looking for an L5 type of axe with a shorter scale and thinner neck so on paper the LGB-300 is going to be perfect though I think ultimately I'll just custom order a seventy seven...

several pounds of stuffing could certainly stress something, even if just pushing on old wires. Keep in mind, the Pat Martino method isn't just "stuffing a little cotton in the F holes!"

I tried the cheaper "new Benson" model about a year ago, I found it very bright, almost uncontrollably so. Probably could have been fixed by changing pot values on the tone-- it made almost no difference until halfway down, then instantly got muddy.

Had the thin Ibanez neck, not my bag, but would certainly work for someone into that...

I'd think an Epiphone Broadway would be a great candidate on a budget for "the stuff."

[pingu]

also , if you do stuff ...

consider half stuffing ...
i stuffed an ibanez af120 with foam
then after a while i removed the foam
from the treble bouts
(because i felt i’d over done it)

this worked great ...
i’ve now half stuffed my backup guitar an af81
(just the bass bouts again)
with foam which also worked out really well

just a thought
i know you will , but check the LGB at volume
on stage before doing anything drastic
it may be just fine , as they are fairly heavily built instruments

[jzucker]

all good points but I think you're missing the biggest one. if you read my other article (that I linked to) you would see that for the martino "sound" you are not stuffing *ONLY* to reduce feedback. Stuffing an archtop with a high volume of cotton also changes the fundamental sound to one that is more percussive. No amount of packing tape, doug's plugs or foam is going to sound the same.

Frankly, with my speaker and amp setup, I can play very loud without feedback as long as I don't have a drummer, saxophonist or organist producing a wall of sound that's hitting the guitar and making it vibrate.

I've played my '63 kessel at rock band levels and not had a problem with feedback. The cotton is to achieve a certain sound and feel.

also , if you do stuff ...

consider half stuffing ...
i stuffed an ibanez af120 with foam
then after a while i removed the foam
from the treble bouts
(because i felt i’d over done it)

this worked great ...
i’ve now half stuffed my backup guitar an af81
(just the bass bouts again)
with foam which also worked out really well

just a thought
i know you will , but check the LGB at volume
on stage before doing anything drastic
it may be just fine , as they are fairly heavily built instruments

[mr. beaumont]

I think when you get a maple body, spruce top, maple neck with ebony board it's going to be bright. You have to adjust the amp to compensate. I love thin necks so it may just be my cup of tea. I'm basically looking for an L5 type of axe with a shorter scale and thinner neck so on paper the LGB-300 is going to be perfect though I think ultimately I'll just custom order a seventy seven...

The idea of a Seventy Seven L5-ish guitar with a 24.75" scale is enough to get my wallet warm

Re: The LGB-30, Maybe on an amp with a more expansive EQ palette-- I tried it through a Deluxe Reverb and none of my usual tricks worked (including the "flat Fender" crack the pots barely open trick)

[Gitfiddler]

Just out of curiosity, did you consider a used GB200?

[jzucker]

Just out of curiosity, did you consider a used GB200?

no because I like the florentine cutaway and 300 is a higher number than 200 so it must be better!

[jzucker]

The idea of a Seventy Seven L5-ish guitar with a 24.75" scale is enough to get my wallet warm

Re: The LGB-30, Maybe on an amp with a more expansive EQ palette-- I tried it through a Deluxe Reverb and none of my usual tricks worked (including the "flat Fender" crack the pots barely open trick)

i had an LGB-30 for a week. I loved it. Very wes/george. Bright but not uncontrollably so. I was playing through a quilter 101R prototype combo at the time as well as axefx.

[jzucker]

but yeah, if I ordered a 77 jazz hawk deep, here's what I would ask for:

77 Jazz Hawk Deep
Spruce top
Maple back/sides
mahogany neck (slim taper)
rosewood fingerboard
neck pickup right against the fingerboard
tunamatic bridge

Not sure if they would do all that!