[HaGGuS]

Hello from downunder
Im picking up my s7320 on monday...
U guys overseas have it easy for ibanez prices..
Aussie prices are shocking..

[hmmm_de_hum]

Originally Posted by HaGGuS

Hello from downunder
Im picking up my s7320 on monday...
U guys overseas have it easy for ibanez prices..
Aussie prices are shocking..

You will not regret it trust me


Threadstarter: They may of been made in Korea, but have you actually played any of them... the build quality isn't as shabby as you're making out to be. Ok they dont hold against MIJ models but they're still respectable guitars.

[Alex-D33]

Originally Posted by Dendroaspis

This year the price on the 1527 actually went down on our system by about $150. Go figure. Ibanez's best bang for the buck in a 7, IMO.

well don't know about that ....over here in Canada they actually went up I paid mine in 2006 $999.99 + taxes & I went back to the same store 2 weeks ago the price was $1150.00 whats that about

[Unknown Doodl3.2]

Originally Posted by Alex-D33

well don't know about that ....over here in Canada they actually went up I paid mine in 2006 $999.99 + taxes & I went back to the same store 2 weeks ago the price was $1150.00 whats that about

Dendroaspis lives in Toronto... and in 06' I saw them for sale at $1219.99... I went just this week and they were now $1049.99...

prices fluctuate I guess

[Naren]

I don't see the problem. All 3 of the Korean guitars I've played recently have been up to the quality of the Japanese guitars. The pickups are usually crap (the pickups in my one Korean-made Ibanez are absolutely excellent and I wouldn't think of changing them, though), but a lot of the Japanese-made ones have bad pickups as well. The stock pickups that were in my Ibanez RG1527 (Japan-made) were just as bad as the stock pickups that were in my band's other guitarist's S7320 (Korean-made). And the trem on his Korean-made guitar is a lot lot better than the trem on my Japanese-made guitar. The fretboard on mine is a little better than the one on his, I'd say, but they're both excellent fretboards.

I haven't played an Indonesian-made Ibanez that played well, but every Japan-made and Korean-made Ibanez I've played has been of superb quality and excellent value.

I bought both of my guitars in Japan. I paid about $900 for my Japanese-made RG1527GK (bought new) and I paid about $750 for my Korean-made RG7EXFX2IPK (also bought new). Both are excellent guitars. I changed the pickups in the 1527, but I didn't need to change the pickups in the RG7EXFX2 (because it has EMG707s which sound great).

[ibzrg1570]

Originally Posted by darren

I've played some amazing Korean-made guitars, and the guitars being made in China are getting really good, really fast.

+1 on Chinese manufacturing. Yea, they may have some sketchy business practices over there but poor QC affects mostly the domestic market, so we in the US are getting good deals. And the few Indonesian Ibbys I've seen didn't have any noticeable flaws, I was actually very surprised when I looked at the back of the headstock of a RGR5EX. So don't just assume that manufacturing location determines quality.

[heavyjeffd]

Okay, first off, I'm not trying to start a flame war here or stir up a bunch of shit, but...

I've owned plenty of Ibanez's and was a long-time supporter. The nicest of the ones I've owned (ie: that I've liked the most) in my life were probably an RG7CT, a UV777BK and an old orignal 540SLTD (had to change the pickups in all of them, the stockers were crappy to my ears).

Five or so years ago I noticed a major decline in Ibanez build quality while prices remained the same (or actually got higher). When I first got my UV, I liked it, but felt the price in no way justified the build quality. Anyway you slice it, it just was not a very well made guitar (specifically the fretwork and overall fit/finish, such as the binding) yet the pricing was let's say, ambitious of Ibanez to say the least.

But, I rolled with it, continued playing it (faggy mirror pickguard and all ).

Until...

EBMM came out with the JP7. FINALLY a good guitar company made a guitar that gave me another chioce. Prior, I'd never owned any EBMM's or played very few, but knew of their quality through their Stingray 5 basses.

In short, when the EBMM JP7 came out, I played a 6 at a store, was so impressed I ordered 2 JP7's and when I got them, sold every Ibanez 7 string I owned as they paled in comparison for the money and lack of quality.

I did hang on to the RG7CT as it was kind of sentimental, but ended up selling it. I just didn't play it and after being so used to my EBMM's, it just felt, well cheap.

Therein lies my problem with Ibanez now. They use to make some great guitars, but now it seems to be more about marketing and popularity than quality.

My 540sLTD has a very, very dear place in my heart. I played that guitar so much and for so long, it had three refrets which got the neck to the point where I couldn't safely refret it again and had to sell it. I was very, very pissed. That guitar was fantastic, easily the best Ibanez I've ever owned and one of the best guitars I've ever owned, period.

If Ibanez went back to making guitars that played that well and were worth the asking price in quality, I'd certainly pick up a few.

Until then, I'm sticking with guitars that of a higher build quality for basically the same money.

Sorry for the long post, just had to let that one out.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Donnie

The only Prestige guitars made in Korea are the S series.

You've been misinformed on that one. In a recent trip to an Ibanez dealer every single six string prestige they had (and they were not all S series) was made in Korea. Even the ones done by the AVP guy or whoever did them with the crazy machine parts on them (1 is a painted RG and the other is a gigantic sculpted chunk of metal) that they had on the wall for $3999.99 were made in Korea. Also, I specifically said that Korean crafted Ibanez are great, and they do not bother me at all, just don't charge me Japan prices for them.

[zimbloth]

You guys are ridiculous. The original poster is absolutely correct. I love Ibanez as much as any of you, but they ARE overpriced and you get shafted feature-wise for the money you're paying. Just because you're an Ibanez fan, doesn't mean you have to be defensive and an apologist. There's legit reason for criticism. Their prices go up and up, and the relative quality goes down and down. Saying "oh but the 1527 is a prestige" means nothing now. That meant something in 1997 or 2001, but now they put a 'prestige' tag on everything thats made in Japan. The RG570 for example, was just a mid level guitar, then they decided to put a "1" in front of it and call it prestige.

I still love Ibanez guitars, the RG8 is proof they're still making quality instruments, but the thread creators sentiments are completely legitimate.

As a former Guitar Center employee with access to each guitars 'cost', i can tell you Ibanez have the most obscene cost/retail price ratio in the business.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by heavyjeffd

I did hang on to the RG7CT as it was kind of sentimental, but ended up selling it. I just didn't play it and after being so used to my EBMM's, it just felt, well cheap.

Therein lies my problem with Ibanez now. They use to make some great guitars, but now it seems to be more about marketing and popularity than quality.

If Ibanez went back to making guitars that played that well and were worth the asking price in quality, I'd certainly pick up a few.

Until then, I'm sticking with guitars that of a higher build quality for basically the same money.

I'll definately have to disagree with you on the RG7CT feeling cheap. I don't think any J-Custom level Ibanez guitar can feel cheap. The last few statements puzzle me tho because that guitar was made in 1998 before any "decline" in Ibanez quality occured.