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01-07-2022 02:33 PM
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Yes PM-100
Ibanez PM100 Pat Metheny Signature | Reverb
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No, it's not a PM100. Look at the edge of the guitar he's playing. It's the thinner body. It's a pm120 body but with a single pickup. The PM100 is closer to the thickness of a 175.
Originally Posted by medblues
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Pat really cooks on that session, and gets a great sound out of the guitar. It looks like he has some aftermarket extra bridge pickup of some sort.
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i think that's a midi pickup Originally Posted by skykomishone
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I guess I did not pay attention to detail, Ibanez would probably build him whatever he wants. Originally Posted by jzucker
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yes it is probably one of the several prototypes Ibanez made for him. I think he recorded the 99 to 00 album with a pm120 with one pickup. I will try to find the interview and come back Originally Posted by jzucker
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Maybe it's a PM 120, but he took out the bridge pickup and covered the hole (like his 175). No toothbrush, though (yet).
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i don't think so. in the screen capture above, it looks like a glossy finish where the bridge pickup would be. I think there's there's vol/tone for the neck pickup and vol/vol for the internal mic and the midi pickup Originally Posted by John A.
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i'm guessing vol/vol for mic and midi pickup.
Originally Posted by Lobomov
The PM100 has two and the PM120 has three with the last one located under the f-hole. Tone and volume for the mic he has inside the body?
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I like my idea better, and am hoping for a toothbrush. Originally Posted by jzucker
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due to supply chain issues, toothbrushes are getting harder to find and expensive! Originally Posted by John A.
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Our own member @Eriktk did a similar “mod” :
“…I connected a cheap transducer pickup, directly to the volume pot for the bridge PU. I don't use the bridge PU anyway. It adds some nice highs to the tone that make the tone 'breathe' a little more. Without extra feedback problems of a microphone. When I accompany another player, I dial down the neck PU volume a bit and get a more acoustic sound right away. No extra knobs, no batteries or anything. And just through the guitar amp.…”
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I saw a video on how to make your own out of paper towels, but I'm not sure it's suitable for the PM use case. Originally Posted by jzucker
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Talking about several prototypes Ibanez made for Metheny, one of them was given to Antonio Sanchez I suspect by the man himself. I saw it in one of his videos from his studio. I can’t seem to find a more clear but you can see it here
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Those are just flat out cool looking guitars
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One would think that in 25 years the guitar would have been made available if it were going to be a standard model. That video is at least 25 years old, posted in ~1997.
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Yep, even though I now have a great 175, i still gaze fondly at the PM 100/120 Originally Posted by jim777
Those are just flat out cool looking guitars
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That's classic! With lust in your heart, I'm sure. Good one Jack. Made me laugh! Originally Posted by jzucker
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Never had the opportunity to play a PM. Just out of curiosity, what sets it apart from the competition? Originally Posted by jzucker
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I wouldn't say it's set apart from competition. In some ways, IMO, PM100/120 guitars are in the 175 family, tonally but have better quality control and are more consistent. Pat even says that in one of his videos. He can travel all over the world and just ask for a PM series guitar at his destination and be confident that it'll be great and sound just like the one from his last concert. Even when gibson was making a 175, I don't think you could have done that. However, I have owned over a 1/2 dozen of each and I will say that if you find a good gibson it surpasses the 175 in tone. However, I think the gibsons are not as consistent in quality control and tone. Originally Posted by Oscar67
The thing about the metheny guitars is that they have this certain "lilt" to the attack that is characteristic of his tone. If you find the right 175, it also has that but not every 175 has that tone. Every metheny guitar does. And the neck of the metheny is very consistently carved via CNC whereas the 175 neck thicknesses are all over the map based on era and individual carvers.
The PM120 happens to be light, really easy to play up to the 22nd fret and is just a really nice instrument. Would I trade any of the metheny guitars for my 175? Heck no! But as a cheaper alternative to the 175, the metheny is a nice option.
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Thank you both, Lobomov and jzucker!
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I’ve been looking at the PM120 recently. I’ve always thought they were really cool looking aside from the kinda gaudy inlays on the board and headstock. It’s been a while since I’ve played a full hollow body on a regular basis and I’m jonesin a bit.
I actually owned a PM100 very briefly about 10-15 years ago, I think I only had it for a few weeks but I remember it having a very uninspiring sound. It was very dark and lacking in punch, sounding somewhat weak on the treble strings. What I can say that was positive is that I remember it being one of the, if not the, easiest playing archtop I’ve ever played. Super low, even action. Effortless playability. I was in my early-mid 20s at the time and must have been really put off by the sound because these days I would take the time to work with a guitar that played that well. I also remember it being extremely prone to feedback which is odd for an Ibanez. Its the only Ibanez I just couldn’t get a satisfactory sound out of and it’s still the only PM I’ve ever seen in person. Maybe I got a rare dud.
There’s a guy on YouTube who’s made some really great blindfold comparison videos between the 100 and the Epiphone 175 Premium and it wasn’t bad sounding at all, but I actually preferred the epiphone. Punchier and thicker on the treble strings and much closer to my experiences with Gibsons, so based on that along with my own experience I’d definitely agree with Jack that it just can’t hang with a decent 175. What’s interesting though is I found several videos of people playing 120’s that sound fantastic and preferable to my ears to the 100 despite its size.
Jack, since you’ve owned several, what is your impression of the sound 120 compared to the 100?
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