Guitar Collection Finally Growing Options

[Todd Simpson]

It's been a long time since I sold off my guitar collection during my Mom's fight with cancer. I've been on the lookout for good values on guitars for a while now. Only recently have i found some guitars which seemed like a really good deal. One thing I learned is that EBAY is dead to me for guitars. One vendor has sorta taken over and he ships from japan. Not for me. So I started looking at reverb.com and direct from guitarcenter.com and other such sites.

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*Half a dozen guitars, 4 of which are ibbys, 2 of which are MIJ. Only 6 to go until I hit my dozen guitars limit. I found that over 12 guitars doesn't work for me as I end up not playing them.

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jun 20 2021, 07:42 PM

[Storm Linnebjerg]

Nice that your collection is growing!

I gotta ask your opinion on the higher end Ibanez guitars. I hope this doesn't come across like a bad thing, but you seem to have an eye for the mid-range at decent prices. Have you ever thought about getting say a really high-end prestige or J custom? I know you owned the same blue one I had, the RG3570z, for instance. I don't recall the retail price or if it's actually at the top end.

Of course there is the law of diminishing returns and those are all great Ibanez guitars, but I'm certainly very happy with my little collection and at the very least feel they play better than anything else I've owned.

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[Todd Simpson]

I have always been a "value guy" as far as guitars go. My two fave Ibbys in my collection are both "mid range" models, even though they are MIJ. When they were built, the RG560 and the7620 were both mid range guitars. They have guitars above and below in the price structure. Both of these have kept their value quite well and are still sought after by collectors but they were never high end guitars. The only high end Ibby I've ever owned is the RG3570z like you have. It was honestly the best guitar I've ever owned, period, full stop, end of story. Also the most I've ever paid for a guitar at a bit under 1k.

That RG3570z is "High End" Ibby as it's a PRESTIGE which is their upper range line. Of course, JCustoms are even higher end. I love Prestige guitars and I"m always on the lookout for one. Lately, I have noticed that the economics of used Ibby's has shifted a bit. Prices have gone up and Ebay has stopped being a good place to buy used Ibbys and it's gotten very very hard to find certain guitars that I thought would always be coming up on the used market such as the XIPHOS and variants of RGT42.

Your collection, even though a bit smaller, is made of entirely of high end Prestige Ibbys which is great. If I would have seen a great buy on a prestige, I'd probably own it right now. So far, I've only kept 3 of the last 5 guitars that I've bought. 2 were returned, one was another RGT42. I've gotten really good deals on the two ibbys I've added, even though they are not higher end guitars, i wanted each of them as I was looking for a good RGT42 again and had never owned an S470. The LTD guitar was purely nostalgia to be honest and the fact that I had two other Lynch guitars that I simply can't find on the used market at all. When I do find them, the prices are double what retail was when they started. it was a kamikaze and the purple tiger stripe. So I wanted to get the yellow tiger stripe while I could.

I do hope to add a prestige to my collection again. I should have never sold the 3570z. At the time, I thought I'd just find another one for a similar price. I was flat out wrong. They are very hard to find and seem to have had a big price jump when I do see them on offer.

I'd love to have each one of the axes in your collection! I'll have to wait quite a while though I think

Nice that your collection is growing!

I gotta ask your opinion on the higher end Ibanez guitars. I hope this doesn't come across like a bad thing, but you seem to have an eye for the mid-range at decent prices. Have you ever thought about getting say a really high-end prestige or J custom? I know you owned the same blue one I had, the RG3570z, for instance. I don't recall the retail price or if it's actually at the top end.

Of course there is the law of diminishing returns and those are all great Ibanez guitars, but I'm certainly very happy with my little collection and at the very least feel they play better than anything else I've owned.

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

I have always been a "value guy" as far as guitars go. My two fave Ibbys in my collection are both "mid range" models, even though they are MIJ. When they were built, the RG560 and the7620 were both mid range guitars. They have guitars above and below in the price structure. Both of these have kept their value quite well and are still sought after by collectors but they were never high end guitars. The only high end Ibby I've ever owned is the RG3570z like you have. It was honestly the best guitar I've ever owned, period, full stop, end of story. Also the most I've ever paid for a guitar at a bit under 1k.

That RG3570z is "High End" Ibby as it's a PRESTIGE which is their upper range line. Of course, JCustoms are even higher end. I love Prestige guitars and I"m always on the lookout for one. Lately, I have noticed that the economics of used Ibby's has shifted a bit. Prices have gone up and Ebay has stopped being a good place to buy used Ibbys and it's gotten very very hard to find certain guitars that I thought would always be coming up on the used market such as the XIPHOS and variants of RGT42.

Your collection, even though a bit smaller, is made of entirely of high end Prestige Ibbys which is great. If I would have seen a great buy on a prestige, I'd probably own it right now. So far, I've only kept 3 of the last 5 guitars that I've bought. 2 were returned, one was another RGT42. I've gotten really good deals on the two ibbys I've added, even though they are not higher end guitars, i wanted each of them as I was looking for a good RGT42 again and had never owned an S470. The LTD guitar was purely nostalgia to be honest and the fact that I had two other Lynch guitars that I simply can't find on the used market at all. When I do find them, the prices are double what retail was when they started. it was a kamikaze and the purple tiger stripe. So I wanted to get the yellow tiger stripe while I could.

I do hope to add a prestige to my collection again. I should have never sold the 3570z. At the time, I thought I'd just find another one for a similar price. I was flat out wrong. They are very hard to find and seem to have had a big price jump when I do see them on offer.

I'd love to have each one of the axes in your collection! I'll have to wait quite a while though I think

Nothing wrong with a good bargain or getting something good for the price. I just always wondered, as I felt your playing definitely could justify any real high end guitar you'd have your mind on

I did a search, and there is a RG3570Z for about 850 USD, I think, in Virginia. Local pickup only though:

https://reverb.com/item/41116525-ibanez-pre...2010-laser-blue

Also one in Italy too at around 1150 USD and a red one in the UK at 1600 USD. Prices has gone up it seems, but 3 at the same time is more than I've seen before Maybe the price going up has lured people to try and sell.

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This post has been edited by Caelumamittendum: Jun 21 2021, 03:20 AM

[Todd Simpson]

Well thanks I've always been a bargain hunter on gear as I like to stretch my gear budget as far as I can. Also, if I get something for a really good price, I can make a bit of money when I sell it which always helps

I saw that one but yeah, local pickup isn't gonna help as I'm in Florida So it's not gonna work and as such, might as well not even be listed as far as my buying is concerned. I have noticed several guitars as "pickup only" which doesn't help me. Can you believe how few 3570z are on the used market? They are getting to be as rare has hens teeth. That one is the ONLY 3570z on reverb.com at all!!!

Nothing wrong with a good bargain or getting something good for the price. I just always wondered, as I felt your playing definitely could justify any real high end guitar you'd have your mind on

I did a search, and there is a RG3570Z for about 850 USD, I think, in Virginia. Local pickup only though:

https://reverb.com/item/41116525-ibanez-pre...2010-laser-blue

Also one in Italy too at around 1150 USD and a red one in the UK at 1600 USD. Prices has gone up it seems, but 3 at the same time is more than I've seen before Maybe the price going up has lured people to try and sell.

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jun 21 2021, 03:52 AM

[Storm Linnebjerg]

Well thanks I've always been a bargain hunter on gear as I like to stretch my gear budget as far as I can. Also, if I get something for a really good price, I can make a bit of money when I sell it which always helps

I saw that one but yeah, local pickup isn't gonna help as I'm in Florida So it's not gonna work and as such, might as well not even be listed as far as my buying is concerned. I have noticed several guitars as "pickup only" which doesn't help me. Can you believe how few 3570z are on the used market? They are getting to be as rare has hens teeth. That one is the ONLY 3570z on reverb.com at all!!!

It's the only one in the USA at least. Two more in Europe as said, but at $1150 and $1600.

(Replying from my phone, sorry for the short reply).

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[Todd Simpson]

I'm in the USA so that's my main concern Both of the European ones are probably to far to ship over here without prohibitive cost. I notice that the price on both is high as well. The second one costs about DOUBLE what I paid for mine when I had it. The PRICE INFLATION on Ibbys, especially good ibbys, (not gios or 3xx series) is really getting annoying. Prices were stable for a long while. For some reason, I've seen them spike in the last year or so. I paid well under a grand for my 3570z and now $1,600 is a fair price.

Also, I paid under $500 for my RGT42DX and here is one (albeit with upgraded pickups) for $700 and I've seen them as high as $900!!! For a freaking Korean guitar!!! Also annoying is the LOCAL PICKUP ONLY thing which is becoming much more common as is the case with the ibby in the pic below.

*Shopping List
-RGT42FM
-RGT42MDX
-XPT700
-XPT750
-RG3570z
-Any Prestige in Good shape



Even Ibby bits are getting crazy price. To wit, this trem bar for $65


At this rate, your Ibanez collection will be worth about 10k in a year or two.

Then again, IBANEZ is partially to blame. For example, here is a new ibby, an INDO! It costs $999.

It's the only one in the USA at least. Two more in Europe as said, but at $1150 and $1600.

(Replying from my phone, sorry for the short reply).

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jun 21 2021, 06:19 AM

[Steve Gilfield]

I think the "trap" most people fall into is buying mid-range to cheap guitars, and then start upgrading some or all of their features.
In the end, they spend way more than they would have if they have bought a new high-end guitar (which wouldn't need any upgrade) in the first place.

After they have accumulated quite a few of those guitars, they realise nobody would buy them unless they are priced very low (i.e. modified Squier originally being worth 200$ plus 400$ of upgrades won't be sold for more than 200$).

If I could go back in time, I would have done what Cael is doing; buy only a couple of high-end guitars to cover all the bases (humbucker, single coil, accoustic tones) and then call it a quits for buying new guitars.

I'm talking from experience

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

I think the "trap" most people fall into is buying mid-range to cheap guitars, and then start upgrading some or all of their features.
In the end, they spend way more than they would have if they have bought a new high-end guitar (which wouldn't need any upgrade) in the first place.

After they have accumulated quite a few of those guitars, they realise nobody would buy them unless they are priced very low (i.e. modified Squier originally being worth 200$ plus 400$ of upgrades won't be sold for more than 200$).

If I could go back in time, I would have done what Cael is doing; buy only a couple of high-end guitars to cover all the bases (humbucker, single coil, accoustic tones) and then call it a quits for buying new guitars.

I'm talking from experience

I've been through about 20 guitars or maybe even more before ending up with the 3 I have now, so I've been through it too!

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[FreePizza]

Great collection man. I like that ESP George Lynch Sig model. I'm a sucker for flashy guitars. 12 sounds like a good number. I'm shooting for 10 but it's probably gonna be a while before I hit that. My Jem jr. was my first Ibanez and while it's a cheaper Indo I really love playing it. A Prestige would be just awesome. I've never played one but everything I've read is super positive.

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[Todd Simpson]

Well said!! I see this ALL THE TIME and I try my best to discourage it. It's NEVER worth it to over upgrade a mid range guitar. IMHO, it' never worth over upgrading any guitar, it's just a much worse idea to do it on a lower end guitar. It's easy to spend the price of the guitar on upgrades. You'll never get the money back out of it and it's just a better idea to leave it stock or be able to return it to stock before selling it.

One is much better off just buying a better guitar in the long run than getting a $300 guitar and putting $300 of pickups in it.

CAEL has a great collection and it's a great strategy. Sadly, I have yet to be able to even find one of the guitars that I've been looking for again, the 3570z prestige, nor really any prestige that's been a really good buy. They all seem to be a bit over priced in the U.S. market currently.

I think the "trap" most people fall into is buying mid-range to cheap guitars, and then start upgrading some or all of their features.
In the end, they spend way more than they would have if they have bought a new high-end guitar (which wouldn't need any upgrade) in the first place.

After they have accumulated quite a few of those guitars, they realise nobody would buy them unless they are priced very low (i.e. modified Squier originally being worth 200$ plus 400$ of upgrades won't be sold for more than 200$).

If I could go back in time, I would have done what Cael is doing; buy only a couple of high-end guitars to cover all the bases (humbucker, single coil, accoustic tones) and then call it a quits for buying new guitars.

I'm talking from experience

I really hope i can find another 3570z and really any prestige that is a good price. Currently, just about everything seems over priced in Ibby land. I was lucky to find a couple of mid range guitars in decent shape that were good value. Even those are currently overpriced imho for the most part.

I've been through about 20 guitars or maybe even more before ending up with the 3 I have now, so I've been through it too!

Super thanks! That LYNCH is one of three that I'd like to own again. The other two are impossible to find currently. Saw one of the purple tiger for a few hundred over the original list price and it was used! I liked having about a dozen as I like to switch guitars to get different inspiration. The LTD has a HUGE thick neck so it's as different as it gets from the Ibanez, and the Fretlight has a strat neck so also very different. I'd love a Jem and some more prestige but going to have to wait til the market cools down! Hard to go wrong with just about any prestige guitar.

Great collection man. I like that ESP George Lynch Sig model. I'm a sucker for flashy guitars. 12 sounds like a good number. I'm shooting for 10 but it's probably gonna be a while before I hit that. My Jem jr. was my first Ibanez and while it's a cheaper Indo I really love playing it. A Prestige would be just awesome. I've never played one but everything I've read is super positive.

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[Steve Gilfield]

Todd if I remember correctly you had a blue ibanez similar to Cael's, am I right?

You also had a blue PGM with pink f-holes which I love its looks, and I can't seem to find it anywhere!!

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[FreePizza]

Here is the family as it stands. Please do share your "Guitar Family Photo"

Since I've had a new addition I've taken a new family photo.

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[Todd Simpson]

Yes! That was the 3570z. It's the one we have been talking about a bit. There are 3 for sale world wide and 2 are in europe. The one in the USA is pickup only on site no shipping. In short, there are NONE available to buy pretty much. Also, the price has doubled from what I paid for mine. Uggh.

I also had a PGM! And 2 xiphos. Double ugg. Yeah the PGM with floyd getting very hard to find as well. For some reason, it's getting very very hard to find good ibbys on the used market and it was easy as pie for a long time.

Todd if I remember correctly you had a blue ibanez similar to Cael's, am I right?

You also had a blue PGM with pink f-holes which I love its looks, and I can't seem to find it anywhere!!

Super Congrats!! Two nice Ibbys in there!!!

Since I've had a new addition I've taken a new family photo.

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jun 23 2021, 05:24 AM

[Steve Gilfield]

I'd say it's a good thing not finding specific models in the used market; it's a testament of how good and well build they are

I believe if a specific model is hard to find used then, it's a good indicator to get it new. You will most probably love it so much you will not want to sell it.

In short, there are NONE available to buy pretty much. Also, the price has doubled from what I paid for mine. Uggh.

Yeah the PGM with floyd getting very hard to find as well. For some reason, it's getting very very hard to find good ibbys on the used market and it was easy as pie for a long time.

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[Todd Simpson]

Sadly they have not made the 3570z for over 10 years now. It was only made very briefly and was a really great build which is partially why they are so hard to find on the used market. Of course, there are tons of other prestige models, this was is a bit of a collectors fave and having owned one I'd sure like another

Im glad I got the S470. it's turned out to be a great playing guitar. I would love one with the zero trem!

I'd say it's a good thing not finding specific models in the used market; it's a testament of how good and well build they are

I believe if a specific model is hard to find used then, it's a good indicator to get it new. You will most probably love it so much you will not want to sell it.

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[Timmez]

Very nice collections
I also have a nice collection of guitars.
My wife and i now have the rulevthat there is not going to be more guitars unless i sell a guitar.
But with this guitars i can really play all styles of music, which is great because i love a lot of styles

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[FreePizza]

I also have a nice collection of guitars.

Beautiful collection man! You're definitely covering all bases there. I really like that Les Paul Studio.. is that the transparent amber with a flame maple top?

My wife and i now have the rulevthat there is not going to be more guitars unless i sell a guitar.

My wife and I had a no more guitars rule and then she bought me one for Father's Day, lol. Go figure. 🤣

Great collections, there's gotta be more members with some family shots. Love seeing these.

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[Timmez]

Thanks man. I have to say i really Dont know. The les paul is from 1996 i believe and i bought it Second handed in a shop after i played on the guitar. The tone was amazing.
I use it a lot but i think in a while i have to let a Luther re-fret it because there is a lot of fretwear. But i will do it then because hé plays so well.

Haha very nice gift from your wife. The thing with the rule is...... She bought you the guitar so she is in control 😉 haha.

I really like that jem. Do you play a lot with it?

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[FreePizza]

I really like that jem. Do you play a lot with it?

I've only owned the Jem Jr. for less than a year but when I got it I was super impressed with how well it played. I thought for sure I must have been lucky because you can read a lot of people slagging them in online comments. But maybe they're just haters.🙄. I still love to play it but after getting this new Kiko signature premium I can see more where the Jem Jr is lacking and the premium excels. Immediately I notice the difference in the neck playability and the tone from the pups is waaay better. When I got the Jr I kind of knew it was going to be a project guitar and I had plans to replace the trem and pickguard and maybe the pups down the road. Two of those upgrades are almost complete. I am really enjoying the guitar though, it wasnt that expensive and I feel I'm definitely getting my money's worth. 👍

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