Ibanez Jemini Distortion Pedal
Does the guitar playing world need yet another distortion pedal? That’s almost like asking if your town needs another Starbucks. Hmmm… maybe that’s a bad analogy because while we could probably do without yet another coffee commodity, I for one don’t ever mind seeing another distortion pedal hit the market.
And just when I thought I’d heard all the variations of distortion around, and that not much else could be done, along comes Ibanez with yet another mind-blowing distortion box, designed by none other than one of my guitar heroes, Steve Vai. I gotta admit it: I’m really impressed with this latest offering from Ibanez – at least as much as I was impressed with the Vox Satchurator. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not because of Steve Vai, or because I’m a Vai wannabe. It’s because there’s something about a great distortion sound that evokes a visceral response inside of me. It’s hard to explain. So I’m more than pleasantly surprised about the Jemini because it produces a GREAT distortion sound; at least from what I could tell from this video starring Steve Vai and Steve Vai – you’ll get the joke once you watch it:
Leave it to Steve Vai to not only demonstrate his mastery over the guitar, but the eternal showman manages to make the video a joy to watch. I was laughing my ass off at his antics! He’s so likeable!
Okay… now for a reality check… I really would like to get this pedal, but at $199, it’s a bit out of my price range right now. But being two distortion pedals in one for that price, it’s a hundred bucks a pedal. That’s actually not bad at all. But I have to admit, I have my sights set on a Satchurator right now. I kind of go for the more mid-rangy type of distortion. But I’m not going to let that keep me from taking one out for a spin.
On a final note, what’s been really great as of late is that big-name gear manufacturers are finally producing what could be considered boutique-type pedals. Having played with the Satchurator, that thing is built like a tank, and it just kicks ass. The Jemini appears to follow suit of well-made, gig-worthy quality. That’s very pleasing to me, because I’m a big proponent of getting great sound without breaking the bank.
Guitar Gear 
Funny!!! Y’know that I reviewed this pedal the other day after reading your Satchurator review.
I think I like the Satchurator better, but Vai’s demo vid is just too cool!
Ha! 🙂 I just noticed in my dashboard this morning that you linked to my Satchurator review! Love it!
If you ever view Vai’s other videos on YouTube, he’s got to be one of the funniest guys in the music industry. I love that exchange from the video… “Vai, you rock…” “No Vai, YOU rock…” “Nah, YOU Rock…” I was ROFL when I saw that. And whoever cooked up the demo has to be applauded!
Remember that Vai spent a lot of time with Zappa. That tells ya everything ya need to know!
Agreed! Frank Zappa was a funny man! I can see it’s rubbed off on Vai quite nicely!
I just bought the Jemini quite recently and fiddling with it has been fun. Absoloutely one of my greatest purchases along with the Jem a few years ago.
Well worth the money friends!
Vai bless.