Brothers from different mothers

Had been spending time with these two last week: Ibanez RG521 (T)/ SA1260 (B)

Every time I felt that I actually like a non-Ibanez guitar more than I thought I did, I would make it a point to spend time with an Ibanez. Any Ibanez, it doesn't matter. Prior to this, I had been spending time with my Fender Jaguars mostly. I really love the 24" scale length, neck profile & overall feel, the tone could have been something else but I'm alright with what was meant to be. 

So is Ibanez the undisputed champion in my tone arsenal? For me, Ibanez is a safe brand to own because it's what I grew up with, what I started with & what made me the player I am today (not much of a player actually). On some days, I am better off playing a non-Ibanez because the change helps me check my true ability. We often get away with something we embrace within our comfort zone. Our true potential is therefore that struggle to get on with limitations; this my friends, is what defines us.

Coming back to the siblings you see above, the RG's neck profile is my staple. I have small hands, I struggle to play mistake-free given a thicker, narrower & rounder neck profile. No doubt, a capable player can handle what's thrown at him because it's the ability that matters, tools do not measure the person's capacity. However, note that a competent individual always specify his tools because these help them shift boundaries, it's a no longer a matter of overcoming hurdles. We should never let others define the tools for us because we have different needs. The SA on the other hand, is quite the opposite of what the RG has to offer, narrower (slight), rounder & thicker neck profile, something that would spell doom for me but not quite. The narrower, rounder & thicker specs here are the Ibanez interpretation, not a duplicate of the competitors. This is important for me because my go to brand name is offering a variation according to their understanding of what things should be & that is what clicked with me so the SA was a win-win purchase, definitely. Siblings these instruments are but twins they are not.