# Wizard II v. ESP thin U?



## Dusty201087 (Aug 4, 2009)

Hey guys, I was just wondering if anyone could give me a decent caparison of these necks. Now I know how thick each is (the thin U is a tad thicker) but I don't really know how the shoulders are shaped on the Wizard II (guitar I'm looking at is the 27 fret Xiphos, so bonus points if you've actually played that!). I'm really hoping the Wizard II is just a tad thinner but with the same shoulders as the thin U.

Thanks for reading, help will be rewarded with positive rep


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## DSilence (Aug 4, 2009)

I have the 'thin U' profile on my EC500, although its not super thin, I find it really comfortable & more than easy enough to move around on the fret board. I am assuming the Wizard neck is a whole lot thinner.


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## yellowv (Aug 4, 2009)

It's been a while since I have played one of those ESP necks, but from what I can remember in comparison to a Wizard 2 is that the Wizard 2 is slightly thinner and flatter. I love the feel of both. I think if you like the ESP neck you will find the Xiphos a bit better, but that is subjective.


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## SamSam (Aug 4, 2009)

I own an LTD with the thin U neck and two Ibanez 6 strings, a pre prestige RG570 and a 2008 RGA121, the LTD had a rounder profile which in my opinion makes the shoulders a bit less noticable than on the flatter Wizard necks. I can play both with equal comfort and I'd say my hands were average size. Hope that helps.


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## Cheesebuiscut (Aug 4, 2009)

The difference between the two is small, the ESP necks are a tad thicker / rounder feeling but it wouldn't be uncomfortable to go between the two.

Now if we were talking an oldschool ibby neck it would feel extremely thin and profiled amazingly vs an esp neck which would feel more like a gibson neck after playing the old ibby


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## damigu (Aug 5, 2009)

are you talking about 6 strings or 7?

because the wizard II 6 string is garbage, imo. it's nowhere near as good as the original wizard neck was.
but the wizard II 7 string is excellent.

so i'd take the ESP thin U over a wizard II 6 any day.
but i'd also take the wizard II 7 over an ESP U any day.


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## Toshiro (Aug 5, 2009)

I don't like the LTD necks, they play pretty differently from the W-II, IMO. The nut width is narrower on some LTD models as well. 

I really wanted to like the Alexi-600, but the Xiphos' neck blew it away.


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## Scali (Aug 5, 2009)

There's no such thing as 'the' Wizard II neck, because Ibanez has changed it over the years.
The old Wizard II (early/mid-90s?) was just a 2 mm thicker version of the Wizard neck, with a round profile.
Then at some point, they changed it. I think it coincided with moving the production of most 'Wizard II' guitars to Korea, with only Prestige guitars built in Japan.
On those newer guitars you find a more U-shaped Wizard II... it feels bigger than the old one, because it's flat in the middle and has pretty obvious 'shoulders'.
I've got a 1994 RG570CT with the old round Japanese Wizard II, one of my favourite necks. I've got an S7320 with the new Wizard II and the obvious shoulders... I've played some 6-strings with a new Wizard II, and they had the same bulky feel around the shoulders. If I could choose, I'd pick the old Wizard II. But the new neck is still not bad.


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## Toshiro (Aug 5, 2009)

There's actually 3 "Wizard II" necks, the Korean one, the Japanese one, and the Indo one. The Korean one from the mid to late 90's is the worst, IMO. 

The recent Indo W-II isn't bad, and I'm definitely a W-I fanboy.


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## MTech (Aug 5, 2009)

not sure what models you're looking at but a lot of them (MII for example) have Extra Thin Flat and Extra Thin U now and those nices are Niiiicccccce.


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## Sepultorture (Aug 5, 2009)

the wizard II's have squarish shoulders in comparison to the ESP thin U necks


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## DevinShidaker (Aug 5, 2009)

I have a xiphos 6er, and compared to my friends EC-1000, the Wizard-II felt a lot more flat, while the thin-U was more round. Both necks are comfortable, but the Wizard-II is definitely more suited for shredding in my opinion. Hope this helps!


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## damigu (Aug 5, 2009)

Sepultorture said:


> the wizard II's have squarish shoulders in comparison to the ESP thin U necks



that's why i don't like them. it feels like playing a 2x4.

but the shoulders are a lot rounder/more tapered on the 7 string wizard II than on the 6 and that makes all the difference in the world. i love the wizard II-7.


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## Dusty201087 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks for all the help guys! Just one more question, would I get an accurate feel of the *current* W-II neck by playing the regular, 24 fret Xiphos? Because I remember playing that and really liking it.


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## SamSam (Aug 7, 2009)

It wouldn't surprise me if the two necks were identical to be honest. I can't see them reshaping it for the sake of 3 frets.


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## Dusty201087 (Aug 7, 2009)

SamSam said:


> It wouldn't surprise me if the two necks were identical to be honest. I can't see them reshaping it for the sake of 3 frets.



Very true, very true. Well, I may be at a guitar store today, I hope that within the next few days I'll have a NGD


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## 7 Stringer (Aug 9, 2009)

All i can say is the original Wizard neck can`t be beat,IMO. I`ve tried all versions of the Wizard II and you can`t beat the original, i never kept an Ibanez after 1994.

The best Ibanez i`ve played are these:







And the rest of my collection are all pre 1994:






Oooops, except the 550 re-issue....Wich they say is an exact replica of the Wizard, but it is not. It feels great but it`s not the same as the true Wizard. Close though.

Like one of the previous posters said, the Wizard II 7`s are another story, there actually amazing!!!!!

Chris


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## Scali (Aug 9, 2009)

7 Stringer said:


> Oooops, except the 550 re-issue....Wich they say is an exact replica of the Wizard, but it is not. It feels great but it`s not the same as the true Wizard. Close though.


 
Well, I wonder... this one is new, and the others have 15+ years of playing on them... Who knows what this will feel like in 15 years 

Nice collection btw


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## 7 Stringer (Aug 9, 2009)

Scali said:


> Well, I wonder... this one is new, and the others have 15+ years of playing on them... Who knows what this will feel like in 15 years
> 
> Nice collection btw



You`ve got a point there but the old ones where scarf jointed while the newer one has a 5 piece neck. Also the old ones where varnished while the newer one has a satin feel. The satin feel is more smooth but the varnished one cleaned with pledge is smoother. It`s a matter of preference i guess.

Thanks by the way 

Chris


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## Scali (Aug 9, 2009)

Ah, 5-piece? Bleh 
My mid 90s RG570CT has a one piece scarf-jointed Wizard II neck aswell.
I don't think it was finished at all. It just felt like bare wood (just like the S7320 I bought almost 2 years ago). It looks as if it's varnished and polished now, but it's seen intensive playing for over a decade 
The maple is now coloured considerably darker than it originally was (you can see a clear difference if you take off the neck, the part that goes in the body is not discoloured).
At any rate, I distinctly recall the neck feeling quite 'rough'... as I was normally a Les Paul player, so I was used to lacquered necks. The RG neck now feels really smooth and looks a bit shiny actually.
I guess it's the result of years of grease and sweat from your hands, and repeated polishing. Yea, I use Pledge with bees wax on the neck, makes it silky smooth


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## 7 Stringer (Aug 9, 2009)

Scali said:


> Ah, 5-piece? Bleh
> My mid 90s RG570CT has a one piece scarf-jointed Wizard II neck aswell.
> I don't think it was finished at all. It just felt like bare wood (just like the S7320 I bought almost 2 years ago). It looks as if it's varnished and polished now, but it's seen intensive playing for over a decade
> The maple is now coloured considerably darker than it originally was (you can see a clear difference if you take off the neck, the part that goes in the body is not discoloured).
> ...




All of my RG`s, including the 770`s, have the necks varnished. But my Universe`s are not, there bare wood. My Jem BFP(Not pictured) also has an unfinished neck.

The varnished necks are varnished just like the fingerboard. If i don`t clean them once in a while they can get a little sticky. Even the varnished ones have a little bit of discoloration at the neck pocket.

I just sold my ESP m-II and that ones had the same satin feel as my 550. One of my friends just bought an original 550 in desert yellow and it has the varnished Wizard. I like it more than my re-issue!!!!!

Chris


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## BenInKY (Feb 10, 2010)

I have a 1998 Wizard II on a 270DX that I love, and got a 2008 RG3EX1 with a "Wizard II" but the shoulders are much more square and I don't like it. Anybody know where to get a good replacement wizard II neck? I was thinking ET Guitars.


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