Whilst he wasn't an overly technical player, he made his guitars speak a language that no-one else could and had a powerfully sweet voice, he'll live on through his music and legacy.
deliverance is wicked, just like nola from down. i also dig kyuss, clutch, spiritual beggars in this genre, and maybe it's not an obvious choice, but i think zakk wylde's pride and glory had the same musical roots than deliverance, too.
the new ones are overpriced, but i've had tons of old japanese ones, and they're very good for the price. this beat to shit one with its broken neck is a killer instrument:
generalizations you didn't play a good ibanez i guess. some might not like the thin necks, that's a matter of taste. (i don't like tom bridges or single cut bodies too much, for one.) but a good ibanez is every bit as good as an esp, fender, gibson, prs or whatever. cheap indo/korea/china-made guitars will feel cheap from any brand anyway. if you're a gibson guy than a superstrat is not for you obviously.
I've played $3000 ESPs that sounded like shit, I hate those poly finishes with humbuckers, it kills the sound of the guitar. Even those thick satin finishes too. It chokes the guitar.