g+1 #guitar #guitartone #guitarhero #nitastrauss #hurricanenita
Let me start with, this was a very precious surprise gift
So
I’ll be frank about my bias, even if it wasn’t a gift, if I was only going to own one Ibanez, THIS, JIVAjr in Deep Sea Blonde, would be IT. It’s my first blue guitar, and I chose it not because it’s the “cheaper” model, but because of the blue. And to be frank again, JIVA10, and JIVA will be coming into the collection soon.
This is, right now, as a whole, my favorite guitar to play and #grind on.
So I was on the hunt for my little mini amp to replace my beautiful but cute and “best secret Santa under $60”
future links to Mini 2, Mini 3 reviews will be here – stay tuned
And while that was failing, I knew the Fountain Valley Guitar Center (epic and probably the biggest in OC) had a JIVAjr.
Well, the dude has to go into the back of the store to get “her” – his words not mine
Very savvy salesman, and he also wanted to see me play another Ibanez first, until someone else from the store recognized me from the “Block at Orange” GC store
So he brings “her” out and the setup, is not going to lie, pretty nice. I kinda wonder if they had already done a bit of a basic setup on this guitar, then put it back in the box.
But mine, from the store, was set up fairly nice, for me anyway. I do like a relatively low action, but like anyone, fretbuzz is the worst thing ever. The neck is very smooth, and as a whole, the guitar is epic

Because I’m at a Guitar Center, Of CoUrSe I plug the gorgeous blonde and blue Ibanez into none other than a Supro
And NOT a Supro Delta King, but something worth more than my older, but not cool and vintage, Ford Mustang. The car…
I can’t even remember which one it was now, yay chemo-brain. I just know it was the denim blue, made in the Midwest, and ohhhhh so goooooooooood.
I want to say if it was a “Keely Custom” I would have remembered that, but here we are
It was denim, it had headroom for days, and a super rich reverb
https://www.suprousa.com/amplifiers/keeley-custom-12
And, YES. This is where I learned I have a phone, and I should USE its other beautiful features of the camera and recording.
Because I forgot.
I also met another guitarist that could 1:1 on a Charvel pull off anything of David Bowie, David freaking Gilmore, or Steve Stevens (Billy Idol and TOP GUN!!!!) just into some random amp, and a guitar center cable
…
Anyway, back to the JIVA
The neck is primarily solid maple, with an ebony fretboard. My second favorite fretboard/neck combo. It’s Ibanez’ “wizard neck” which is the thinnest of all my necks, even less than the Charvel, and feels half the size of the “Thin-C” shape of the Schecters.
And comparing the guitar as a whole vs me being used to my Schecters, one being affectionately nicknamed “BIG Red” – the guitar feels about 1/5th the weight
The neck is like this beautiful, strong, but still made of gossamer and pixie dust and weighs absolutely nothing
I’ve held beautiful professionally made rapiers that are less balanced than this guitar
It actually initially makes it feel fragile, and dainty. So thank God it’s a bolt-on, because if it was a set neck like two of my Schecters, I’d probably be terrified.
The frets are stainless steel jumbos. So just like my Schecters. And those have definitely become the Frets I’ve gotten most used to, although I don’t think they’re the best for me, playability wise. We’ll see going forward, only way to really tell is #4Science and buy more guitars!! #g+1
However, I have come to learn even though stainless steel frets are quite a bit “brighter” sounding through the amps, so may not be best for a traditional Telecaster like my Sparkle Red, they are my preferred material because of how many hours I put on my guitars.
My Charvel shown above, next to JIVAjr, I’m babying, and having the strings changed more often than other guitars, just because of its steel-nickel frets. I’m legit worried I’m going to start getting fret wear and little divots in the frets.
Also, the NUT. First thing I noticed on this guitar is that the NUT doesn’t BITE into my fingers like the Charvel. The Charvel’s Floyd Rose, when I’m going at it, digging deep playing Iron Maiden… I have BLED from the Charvel.
This nut has rounded edges, and I NOTICED them immediately in the store. It plays on those upper frets like a dream.
Also the bridge itself is low-profile, so palm mutes like in Chris Stapelteon’s “Parachute” on the last chorus run, or all over Simple Mind’s “Don’t You (Forget about Me)”
play so beautifully, and easily. This is the first guitar since the Charvel that has absolutely flabbergasted me on its inherent “playability” level
Sure this guitar is a signature of a known shredder – and one of my guitarheroes, Nita Strauss – but it’s still a Strat-type, and can play all those Strat-like-signature sounds epically. I really think I am a “hot but passive” pickup kinda guy. I blame my first “legit guitars” all coming from Schecter.
To test guitars, I like to run the C# minor pentatonic with the blues blue notes
JOHN MAYER TEACHES HOW TO PLAY SLOW DANCING IN A BURNING ROOM
⁃ cuz I’m totally not striving for a very clean, deep, transparent tone
Nah, not at all
I feel very confident, at least in my condo, and it being what it is, with this “Chris Stapleton” preset I have built on my Spark APP.
Patrick Murphy on Instagram: “No coffee yet, ye be warned.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7EgW59xd4j/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Recorded via my iPhone
I’ll have a more in-depth review and first impressions review on that little portable amp soon (tm*)
This JIVA comes with a bit more bite, growl, and caffeine than even a “hotter” traditional single coil Strat like my Fender American Special Strat with Texas Tea pickups.
American Strat:
Patrick Murphy on Instagram: “When you know it’s gonna be one of ThOsE mornings lol 😂
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7EhqnSxXr_/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The American Special would be a Flat-white – with that extra shot of espresso on top – a bit more earthy flavor – a bit of a “southern comfort” if you will – its got quite a bit more output and feel than the American Vintage II 1957 I tested – it’s not as piercing because it seems to have “a bit more underneath the curve” as car guys say. It’s a bit more oomph in the mids.
And if the Texas Tea Special is a flat white – the JIVAjr is a red-eye made for coffee connoisseurs needing their fix during finals week with more espresso than milk.
JIVAjr:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7EjA5tRRFR/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
First impression of the guitar – in the 4th position running the neck and the mid – it immediately showed just how beautiful a “John Mayer” tone it can produce.
* so, the TIME, and more importantly, dedicated TIME on the guitar difference between my writing this article, and actually publishing it on my little blog*
I have had JIVA in my possession for about 30 days. I have decided, using JIVA as my base for future reviews of anything new it’ll either be 90 days, or 500 hours for a further in-depth review. The Charvel, and all three Schecters are well past that.
But this morning, May 15th, I definitely found something beautiful with Jiva and a more gained, driven, and gritty setup on the “Chris Stapleton” tone preset I made on the Positive Grid Spark app
https://www.instagram.com/grumpybadger117/reel/C6_mYKML6on/
Patrick Murphy on Instagram: “So I “gave it the beans!” And put the “klone” in the positive grid app to 9.5
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6_mYKML6on/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
And yes,
YES
(This is also what I look like without coffee, y’all have been warned lmao)
Bonus points if you know the chord progression and what it’s from – me being the last vestiges of Gen X and child of the early 80s, I can’t help it –
Original version is tuned a half-step down from E-Standard. Right now JIVAjr is in E.
Like I said, plenty of caffeine in this guitar
This has also, either because I want to make these “first impressions” and and additional, post 500 hours more in-depth reviews articles – and having now put well over 200 hours on this guitar – just because of WHAT JIVAjr is, she’s become my go-to for the technique and practice stuff I’m doing right now with scales, arpeggios, and just all around “get er done!!” Level of grinding.
SPEED building PROGRAM! | Guitar Lesson
JOURNAL – week 1 – Starting a Journal –
And right now, just the confidence inspiring, tone, grit, and growl of JIVAjr, “she” is earning her 500 hours way before the 90 days are up. I have over 200 hours clocked on this guitar in these four weeks
“She”’s been a pleasure to play, grind, and work on. Needless to say, I am very impressed.