Major Ibanez News Options

[Mertay]

I checked today the largest GC in my country. ALL of the RG Ibbies ale sold out and gone from the catalogue. Even those that looked so weird I wouldn't suspect anyone could buy it. So, as of today I will probably switch my sights to the used guitars market or to another brand. It's sad but I knew it was coming. Guess I can buy the cheapest Squire out there and mod it bit by bit; I heard they are a good base for it. This feels like a rude awakening or being flushed with a bucked of cold water. I no longer care.

Also, today I found an auction of some '96 Fujigen RG 550 that's apparently a limited version. It's supposed to have DiMarzio Transitions and True Velvet but I obviously can't afford it.

Maybe the largest store is going bankrupt Jokes aside, maybe they just cleared old stock to save space for new coming...so you might have visited the store in a bad time.

Do not buy the cheapest squire out there, with big mod. project you'll always end-up paying more for less.

If that '96 ibanez has transitions on it, its a modded guitar not limited (transition pickups came out only a few years ago).

And whats the rush? I don't buy-sell often but I know its key to be patient when looking at the used market. You can also try many other guitars out there, ibanez is cool but there's nothing wrong if you prefer a Jackson, Schecter etc. so take your time.

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[Adam]

There are still great Ibanez guitars to be found used If I had the money I would go for the RBM1 '92 for sale here in Denmark at the moment. It is listed at around 700 USD mint condition, but usually goes for nearer 2000 USD used

I also bought my RG3570Z used which usually goes for a bit more used than what I bought it for.

Mind you, my RG752MFS-VFD was bought new, but that was a limited run of 39 world wide, and I haven't had any regrets about that, and hopefully the price holds up relatively well - not that I'm thinking about selling at all

I have a thing for collector's editions and limited items. Mostly in video games but if there was a really unique guitar up for sale, I might consider selling my car just to get it. Hopefully, I'll get a full-time job after graduating and buying a guitar will be a matter of few months.

Maybe the largest store is going bankrupt Jokes aside, maybe they just cleared old stock to save space for new coming...so you might have visited the store in a bad time.

Do not buy the cheapest squire out there, with big mod. project you'll always end-up paying more for less.

If that '96 ibanez has transitions on it, its a modded guitar not limited (transition pickups came out only a few years ago).

And whats the rush? I don't buy-sell often but I know its key to be patient when looking at the used market. You can also try many other guitars out there, ibanez is cool but there's nothing wrong if you prefer a Jackson, Schecter etc. so take your time.

I asked the GC via e-mail and they said there was a maintenance and some of the items were missing. They weren't tagged as Ibanez and so, they weren't listed in my search. They reset it and now they are back in stock. That gives me some hope for the white Genesis model again. But they also said that new Ibanez will be different from those old still in stock.

The RG 550 guitar is supposedly limited but the original pickups were swapped. I guess if that's the case, there should be some certificate of authenticity. Or maybe he used spare parts from one of the LTD's and called it like this

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This post has been edited by Adam M: Feb 6 2019, 06:38 PM

[Mertay]

...

The white Genesis is discontinued, this year they have pickguarded models.

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[Todd Simpson]

Some really cool stuff coming out of Ibanez these days. Thanks for sharing these!

The white Genesis is discontinued, this year they have pickguarded models.

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[Adam]

It's a little off-topic but related to Ibanez. Would you say Genesis RG's are on par with old JEM 555 (with Edge Pro II and Evolution pickups) ? Or are they still better? Someone near is selling one and I may even be able to borrow the money to get it. Should I bother and go try it out in the first place?

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[Todd Simpson]

Well, I hate to be the "Cork Sniffing Ibby Guy", but the 555 series are "indo"/"korea" Ibbys. As such, they are typically rated a pinch below the MIJ (made in Japan) RG Ibbys. This is mostly a "Cork Sniffer" thing. Lots of folks love those guitars. In the end it comes down to the player and the guitar. Go play it. If it speaks to you, get it Same for any guitar. "Better" and "Worse" are really subjective when it comes to instruments. If you are talking about sheer market value, (which is always one metric that can be used to help grade the quality of a given guitar. though not always of course as there are exceptions to every rule). you can check on Ebay for what used guitars of any given model have been selling for and get a rough idea. Just check "sold items" when searching. You'll see actual prices paid. They drift a lot, but you can get some idea of what things generally sell for and thus get a rough idea on resale value.

Ok, now that I've qualified that to the nth degree.

I'd rather have an MIJ RG than just about any Ibby not grown in Japan. I've always enjoyed MIJ ibbys just a pinch more than indos/korea ibbys. Also, I've enjoyed most ibbys built during the "golden era" which is roughly 1987 to 1997 give or take a few years. Those guitars are still highly prized among Ibby nuts. I've owned a 2010 MIJ Prestige that was a great guitar and it was way outside the Golden era, so yeah it just depends on the guitar in the end. Ibby fan boys like me, do tend to like MIJ Golden Era Ibbys. It's that simple. I've got two of them. Love em They are much cheaper than they used to be since Ibanez started making new versions of the same guitars in recent years. The original Wizard Neck with the 17mm profile is just my fave neck of all time. But some guys hate em. Jem necks are a bit thicker. Steve Vai loves the Jem neck as he helped create it and he's no slouch. So again, no hard fast rules, just preferences.
Todd

It's a little off-topic but related to Ibanez. Would you say Genesis RG's are on par with old JEM 555 (with Edge Pro II and Evolution pickups) ? Or are they still better? Someone near is selling one and I may even be able to borrow the money to get it. Should I bother and go try it out in the first place?

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Feb 8 2019, 04:59 AM

[Mertay]

Its really been a long time since I played one but as Todd says they aren't very high quality builds, I'd guess expect rg300 series type quality (but priced higher being signature model).

I had rg300 series when I was learning guitar, kept it for 3 year I think then sold for a mij rg many years ago. Should be ok for all needs but wouldn't consider it a lifetime keeper, and the trem. they use on such guitars aren't to be trusted much. Also Jem necks are much beefier than RG's so its really a preference thing.

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This post has been edited by Mertay: Feb 8 2019, 09:12 AM

[Adam]

I know not all of Indo guitars are reliable but I have two of Greg Bennett's and I wouldn't trade them for any MiJ. Neck is super comfy and they are really well made. The only thing to do with them is swapping pickups. In fact, I trust Greg Bennett's series to a point I would consider getting another model of his.

I will go and try it out, as you suggest. Maybe it will fit me. I double checked and that specific JEM has one of the good FR models, not the cheap counterpart. I don't think I will be using it in my first years anyway, so it will stay locked. Because it's a used model, it costs about the same as JEM JR which has the fake FR. I will pay extra attention to the neck, as Mertay pointed out. I'll talk to the guy once the exams are out of the way, though.

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

I know not all of Indo guitars are reliable but I have two of Greg Bennett's and I wouldn't trade them for any MiJ. Neck is super comfy and they are really well made. The only thing to do with them is swapping pickups. In fact, I trust Greg Bennett's series to a point I would consider getting another model of his.

I will go and try it out, as you suggest. Maybe it will fit me. I double checked and that specific JEM has one of the good FR models, not the cheap counterpart. I don't think I will be using it in my first years anyway, so it will stay locked. Because it's a used model, it costs about the same as JEM JR which has the fake FR. I will pay extra attention to the neck, as Mertay pointed out. I'll talk to the guy once the exams are out of the way, though.

I have owned a fair amount of guitars through the years, from cheap to just below custom Ibby-ish. While some cheaper guitars can be great, there has been a huge leap in quality to my RG3570Z and RG752MFS-VFD from just about any other guitars I have owned. I don't mean this to come across as arrogant or such, but if you can it is worth trying out a well set-up MIJ Prestige. That will likely not be off the shelf in a guitar store unfortunately. Well, that's been my experience. My RG752 came with relatively high action, but it could be dropped so low and still sounded great. It can almost be played just by looking at it! I had a guy who has played for 40 years ask me today if he could try it, and he was stunned at how much he liked the fretboard etc.

So, yeah, if you can, then try a well set-up relatively high quality Ibanez. Could be finding one used in your area for instance and saying: "can I try it?" and then not buy it anyway for instance.

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[Adam]

I have owned a fair amount of guitars through the years, from cheap to just below custom Ibby-ish. While some cheaper guitars can be great, there has been a huge leap in quality to my RG3570Z and RG752MFS-VFD from just about any other guitars I have owned. I don't mean this to come across as arrogant or such, but if you can it is worth trying out a well set-up MIJ Prestige. That will likely not be off the shelf in a guitar store unfortunately. Well, that's been my experience. My RG752 came with relatively high action, but it could be dropped so low and still sounded great. It can almost be played just by looking at it! I had a guy who has played for 40 years ask me today if he could try it, and he was stunned at how much he liked the fretboard etc.

So, yeah, if you can, then try a well set-up relatively high quality Ibanez. Could be finding one used in your area for instance and saying: "can I try it?" and then not buy it anyway for instance.

I'm not taking anything as arrogant, we're talking and I'm open to others' opinions

My first SG was set up very low and I got used to that but when I got the LP with medium/high action and I liked it more. My classical guitar has even higher action and I'm still able to play it, so string action is not a problem.

I found another one. Little more expensive than JEM 555 and further away but close enough to drive there. That one is a white RG 450, MiJ in 1993. It also has scalloped frets up from 15th. Seems like a much better deal! Is RG 450 a good model?

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[Mertay]

I found another one. Little more expensive than JEM 555 and further away but close enough to drive there. That one is a white RG 450, MiJ in 1993. It also has scalloped frets up from 15th. Seems like a much better deal! Is RG 450 a good model?

Yeah it does seem like a better deal, never played one but would would expect a positive experience specially if it has the edge trem. Keep in mind I don't think they were originally scalloped so check if its done properly (better yet investigate and learn about it online). Condition is everything so take your time inspecting it (body or neck cracks, trem. condition etc.)

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[Adam]

Yeah it does seem like a better deal, never played one but would would expect a positive experience specially if it has the edge trem. Keep in mind I don't think they were originally scalloped so check if its done properly (better yet investigate and learn about it online). Condition is everything so take your time inspecting it (body or neck cracks, trem. condition etc.)

It doesn't have the whammy bar in the photos but he probably just took it off. It seems scallops and all the maintenance was done by a professional luthier but I will check every bit of the wood before making a decision. If that's the case, it should be fine?

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[Mertay]

It doesn't have the whammy bar in the photos but he probably just took it off. It seems scallops and all the maintenance was done by a professional luthier but I will check every bit of the wood before making a decision. If that's the case, it should be fine?

Yeah I guess, as you'll never know what to find until getting up close best you can do is study the model online. Like, memorize the parts and try to find used prices to make sure you're getting a fair one. https://www.jemsite.com is also a good place to ask about ibanez guitars too if needed.

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[Todd Simpson]

Well said. The MIJ PRESTIGE are among the best guitars I've ever played. I had one of the same guitars that Ben mentioned, the Prestige 3570z and it really is just an amazing guitar. It's also built before the 2010 cutoff date which is yet another "ibby thing" which is very controversial. Some feel that 2010 was roughly the time when Ibby quality control began to slip a bit until it was restored somewhat recently. This is not a "fact" just another "ibby thing".

In general, just about any MIJ PRESTIGE that's been well setup and maintained is a guitar that you can keep for the rest of your life and be very happy with.
As the original question was about JEMS and RGs I didn't even dive in to PRESTIGE land as it's a bit of a jump up in price, but not crazy big of a jump. I've seen prestige Ibbys go for under $750 which is a real steal if the guitar is in good shape.

As was mentioned, it really does come down to the player. Some folks think Ibanez guitars are entirely over rated including the prestige line and prefer gibson or fender or jackson, etc.

Ben has another great point about patience. Researching a guitar can take a long time and then waiting for the guitar you want to show up on the used market in good shape can take years. The best advice I can give you is to play as many guitars as you can get your hands on to find out what type/brand/model of guitar really speaks to you as a player.

Todd

I have owned a fair amount of guitars through the years, from cheap to just below custom Ibby-ish. While some cheaper guitars can be great, there has been a huge leap in quality to my RG3570Z and RG752MFS-VFD from just about any other guitars I have owned. I don't mean this to come across as arrogant or such, but if you can it is worth trying out a well set-up MIJ Prestige. That will likely not be off the shelf in a guitar store unfortunately. Well, that's been my experience. My RG752 came with relatively high action, but it could be dropped so low and still sounded great. It can almost be played just by looking at it! I had a guy who has played for 40 years ask me today if he could try it, and he was stunned at how much he liked the fretboard etc.

So, yeah, if you can, then try a well set-up relatively high quality Ibanez. Could be finding one used in your area for instance and saying: "can I try it?" and then not buy it anyway for instance.

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[Adam]

...

I checked both the JEM's and RG's serial numbers. RG was build in 1993 in Fujigen and the JEM was build in Korea (as you said) in 2007. I asked for some photos and seems like the JEM has Ibanez tuners and one of the pieces at Edge bridge (I don't know the English name for it, saddle I think) for the high E string needs replacing. The RG has no need of part replacement etc. as far as I know. I'll still try both guitars in person. Maybe the JEM turns out to fit me better and I'll just replace the parts over time. The RG looks great for the price, though. Sounds like a steal. I like the JEM's design but I shouldn't value good looks over technical state if I can't afford it

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[Mertay]

...

Try finding that saddle first from where and how much. I don't know these days but in the not so past they were hard to find and stupid expensive.

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[Adam]

Try finding that saddle first from where and how much. I don't know these days but in the not so past they were hard to find and stupid expensive.

Somehow, there are a few mailing shops and 1 local that have the part. It's costly but not a price I wouldn't paying if that would make it work. But then the RG is in a good condition and not much more expensive. I'll check both after February's pay day and let you know which one I choose

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[Mertay]

Cool

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[Todd Simpson]

PIX please!!! My personal thought is probably for the RG, but then again, I'm a bit of an RG NUT!!!! So you gotta consider that as well.

Somehow, there are a few mailing shops and 1 local that have the part. It's costly but not a price I wouldn't paying if that would make it work. But then the RG is in a good condition and not much more expensive. I'll check both after February's pay day and let you know which one I choose

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