A love letter to the Ibanez Universe

[Utkarsh Mohan]

Folks,
I was thinking about something the other day.
Though the Ibanez Universe gets plenty of love on forums such as these, it strikes me that the overall impact of this Guitar to the popular musical landscape is still under-appreciated. It is the original extended range guitar which opened the door to everything that followed.

So I made a video about this precise thing and of course my very own 1990 UV7P. If you like Universe's this may float your boat.

Thanks as always
Utkarsh

 

[ArtDecade]

Dear Utkarsh,
It is not you, it's me.
Formerly yours,
Ibanez Universe
PS Leave the keys on the counter after you move your shit out.

 

[Nightside]

Especially those 90s universes with the smaller necks and block heel. A 97 silver dot is one of my cum buckets list guitars.

 

[narad]

If you're comparing a UV7PWH to a modern ESP custom shop in terms of quality, I have no idea where the basis for the concept of quality comes from.

 

[CleansingCarnage]

Folks,
I was thinking about something the other day.
Though the Ibanez Universe gets plenty of love on forums such as these, it strikes me that the overall impact of this Guitar to the popular musical landscape is still under-appreciated. It is the original extended range guitar which opened the door to everything that followed.

So I made a video about this precise thing and of course my very own 1990 UV7P. If you like Universe's this may float your boat.

Thanks as always
Utkarsh

I watched this video this morning. I'm a huge fan of early Ibanez 7 strings and my MIJ RG7 is probably my favorite guitar. The early Universe models have always been dream guitars for me.

 

[SalsaWood]

I think it's over appreciated and so are JEMs.

 

[odibrom]

These guitars should be more like this one, space-ship controls to navigate the Universe... less than this, one is missing a lot of star systems and black holes.

... don't forget the alien strap to help in the voyage...

 

[Ordacleaphobia]

I think it's over appreciated and so are JEMs.

I can get behind ya on the JEMs but curious to see how you got there for the Universe. On top of being 'the first' (I know it wasn't the first, but for our purposes, it may as well have been) it still remains a holy grail instrument for many folks interested in the 7s. But that pool is, relative to the larger pool of guitar players, pretty small. Idk I think it's pretty nuts that they got it that right on the first time on an idea that was niche beyond niche.

Damn I want a PBK.

 

[Shawn]

Cool video. One of my favorite guitars. I've had some get away, including a dead mint one that became a case queen for 12 years. I've owned 3 1991 models in the past and I currently own a 1990 and it's definitely staying with me as I've learned my lesson. I love my 1990 enough to hold onto it for good.

Here are my UVs, both BKs are 1991 models, PWH is 1990~

 

[Thesius]

They are amazing stock instruments, but if you ever wanna upgrade them you can just throw one of these bad boys on.

 

[SalsaWood]

I can get behind ya on the JEMs but curious to see how you got there for the Universe. On top of being 'the first' (I know it wasn't the first, but for our purposes, it may as well have been) it still remains a holy grail instrument for many folks interested in the 7s. But that pool is, relative to the larger pool of guitar players, pretty small. Idk I think it's pretty nuts that they got it that right on the first time on an idea that was niche beyond niche.

Damn I want a PBK.

The seven string guitar is not too novel, they've been made for hundreds and hundreds of years. Finding a market for them to be mass produced is the only novel thing to the UV 7 string guitars. I understand they are iconic and have unique specs otherwise, those are decent reasons to prefer and/or collect them. Putting them on a pedestal otherwise is a bit romantic and sensational I think. In my eyes they're just another basswood body with a maple neck that people worship for reasons they don't fully comprehend or wish to acknowledge the subjective origins of. "It was the first" isn't really a reason to say it's the best or write it a love letter, maybe to Ibanez for taking a small chance on such a slight and otherwise unremarkable deviation from their absolute norm for an artist with diamond hands. Outside of this exact forum the UV fan club is absolutely brimming with people who praise it simple because of Vai. It's a RG with different inlays to me, and I used to hold them in exceptional regard before I actually played one. I don't really have strong opinions about it, other than the complete confusion about how a lot of people love them.

I'm not watching another fucking YT video about guitar, my recommendation algorithm is fucked because of this shit. If someone wants to beat me over the head with facts from the video and their own opinions on them I'm all ears. If I wanted to spend 10+ minutes watching one person's opinion I'd shove my head up my ass and bump into things.

 

[Thesius]

The seven string guitar is not too novel, they've been made for hundreds and hundreds of years. Finding a market for them to be mass produced is the only novel thing to the UV 7 string guitars. I understand they are iconic and have unique specs otherwise, those are decent reasons to prefer and/or collect them. Putting them on a pedestal otherwise is a bit romantic and sensational I think. In my eyes they're just another basswood body with a maple neck that people worship for reasons they don't fully comprehend or wish to acknowledge the subjective origins of. "It was the first" isn't really a reason to say it's the best or write it a love letter, maybe to Ibanez for taking a small chance on such a slight and otherwise unremarkable deviation from their absolute norm for an artist with diamond hands. Outside of this exact forum the UV fan club is absolutely brimming with people who praise it simple because of Vai. It's a RG with different inlays to me, and I used to hold them in exceptional regard before I actually played one. I don't really have strong opinions about it, other than the complete confusion about how a lot of people love them.

I'm not watching another fucking YT video about guitar, my recommendation algorithm is fucked because of this shit. If someone wants to beat me over the head with facts from the video and their own opinions on them I'm all ears. If I wanted to spend 10+ minutes watching one person's opinion I'd shove my head up my ass and bump into things.

Boo this man

 

[Nightside]

Boo this man

Ikr? This is literally the website started to circle jerk around UVs and RG7s. That's a pretty bold attitude lol.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I think it's over appreciated and so are JEMs.

I agree, as in general I prefer MIJ RGs over these signature models. However, the JEM and Universe deserve credit for the impact they had on the success of production 6 & 7-string RGs.

Once exception that isn't overappreciated (imo) is the awesome silver swirl 25th Anniversary Universe:

 

[CleansingCarnage]

I get the point, a huge amount of why people hold the Universe in high esteem is because of its cultural significance and impact on music within the past few decades. That essentially is the point of the video, which I watched to affirm my beliefs, but it is definitely something we all know already. I'll continue to fetishize the Universe though.

 

[Shawn]

The seven string guitar is not too novel, they've been made for hundreds and hundreds of years. Finding a market for them to be mass produced is the only novel thing to the UV 7 string guitars. I understand they are iconic and have unique specs otherwise, those are decent reasons to prefer and/or collect them. Putting them on a pedestal otherwise is a bit romantic and sensational I think. In my eyes they're just another basswood body with a maple neck that people worship for reasons they don't fully comprehend or wish to acknowledge the subjective origins of. "It was the first" isn't really a reason to say it's the best or write it a love letter, maybe to Ibanez for taking a small chance on such a slight and otherwise unremarkable deviation from their absolute norm for an artist with diamond hands. Outside of this exact forum the UV fan club is absolutely brimming with people who praise it simple because of Vai. It's a RG with different inlays to me, and I used to hold them in exceptional regard before I actually played one. I don't really have strong opinions about it, other than the complete confusion about how a lot of people love them.

I'm not watching another fucking YT video about guitar, my recommendation algorithm is fucked because of this shit. If someone wants to beat me over the head with facts from the video and their own opinions on them I'm all ears. If I wanted to spend 10+ minutes watching one person's opinion I'd shove my head up my ass and bump into things.

To each his own. There are some things that are truly special about my UVs. I do respect people's opinions otherwise though.

 

[somethingsomething]

The seven string guitar is not too novel, they've been made for hundreds and hundreds of years. Finding a market for them to be mass produced is the only novel thing to the UV 7 string guitars.

Lol, so pedantic.

This is like saying that the Les Paul or Strat isn't special because "acktshually, guitars have existed for centuries and, therefore, your opinion is very stupid."

 

[ArtDecade]

Novel isn't the right word.... but niche sure is.

 

[nightsprinter]

Lol, so pedantic.

This is like saying that the Les Paul or Strat isn't special because "acktshually, guitars have existed for centuries and, therefore, your opinion is very stupid."

You probably only feel this way because you haven't played a 14th century ESP Custom Shop. The Muromachi period of guitars just had that mojo.

 

[Ordacleaphobia]

The seven string guitar is not too novel, they've been made for hundreds and hundreds of years. Finding a market for them to be mass produced is the only novel thing to the UV 7 string guitars. I understand they are iconic and have unique specs otherwise, those are decent reasons to prefer and/or collect them. Putting them on a pedestal otherwise is a bit romantic and sensational I think. In my eyes they're just another basswood body with a maple neck that people worship for reasons they don't fully comprehend or wish to acknowledge the subjective origins of. "It was the first" isn't really a reason to say it's the best or write it a love letter, maybe to Ibanez for taking a small chance on such a slight and otherwise unremarkable deviation from their absolute norm for an artist with diamond hands. Outside of this exact forum the UV fan club is absolutely brimming with people who praise it simple because of Vai. It's a RG with different inlays to me, and I used to hold them in exceptional regard before I actually played one. I don't really have strong opinions about it, other than the complete confusion about how a lot of people love them.

I'm not watching another fucking YT video about guitar, my recommendation algorithm is fucked because of this shit. If someone wants to beat me over the head with facts from the video and their own opinions on them I'm all ears. If I wanted to spend 10+ minutes watching one person's opinion I'd shove my head up my ass and bump into things.

Interestingly those highlighted bits are why I think it's an especially noteworthy instrument.
Fair enough though; but just out of curiosity, what would you put on that pedestal if not for the UV?

Once exception that isn't overappreciated (imo) is the awesome silver swirl 25th Anniversary Universe:

Ugh, I know right! Wish I had the dosh to scoop one but alas those were too far out of reach.
I do have a sweet RG920 tribute to those guitars though! [haha a tribute to a tribute]