# Ibanez Model Numbers



## ZeroSignal (Jul 28, 2007)

Ok. Here's the translations for the Ibanez Model Numbers.

(Disclaimer: This only really applies to guitars made 2003 and on)

Examples:

RG8427F = Roadstar Guitar, J. Custom, Made In Japan, 2 pickups, 7 string w/trem, flame maple top.

RG320FM = Roadstar Guitar, Made In Korea/Indonesia, 2 pickups, w/trem, flame maple top.

There are some inconsistencies in the model numbers that are unexplainable (like SZ's with the 0 digit but no trem and other random stuff) and these only really apply to RG, S, SA, SZ and some AX series guitars as the others just seem to increase with the sophistication of the guitar.

AR = Artist (Not Rule Bound)
ARC = Artist Single Cut (NRB)
ARX = Artist Double Cut (NRB)
AX = Artist SG Style (NRB)
DTX = Destroyer (NRB)
EDR = Ergodyne
FR = ??? (NRB)
GRG = Gio Roadstar Guitar
GSA = Gio Sabre Arched Top
GSZ = Gio Sabre Z (?)
IC = Iceman (NRB)
Radius = Radius
RG = Roadstar Guitar
RGT = Roadstar Guitar Through Neck
RGA = Roadstar Guitar Arched Top
RGR = Roadstar Guitar Reverse Headstock
S = Sabre Series
SA = Sabre Arched Top
SAS = Sabre Arched Top Set Neck
SF = Sabre Fixed Bridge
SV = Sabre Vintage
SZ/SZR = Sabre Z (?)
XPT = Xiphos Through Neck(NRB)


Prestige Model Numbers:
Codes:
--8### = J. Custom
--4### = Made In Japan (MIJ)/Korea (MIK) Prestige
--3### = J. Custom/Special Edition
--2### = MIJ Prestige (higher quality than "1", Normally with DiMarzio/Seymour Duncan/EMG pickups)
--1### = MIJ Prestige

(N.B. 1. I think the construction standard increases with the number. 2. I can't figure out what the second number means on prestige codes.)

--##7# = 3 Pickups (p/u) H-S-H
--##6# = 3 p/u H-S-S
--##5# = 3 p/u H-S-H w/ Pickguard
--##2# = 2 p/u H-H
--##1# = 1 p/u H

--###8 = Prestige 8-String
--###7 = Prestige 7-String w/trem
--###71 = Prestige 7-String w/o trem
--###0 = Tremolo System

Prestige Suffixes:
A = Ash Body
AB = Ash Burl Top
E = Sharktooth Inlays
F = Flamed Maple Top
FB = Figured Bubinga Top
FW = Figured Poplar Top
G = Roland Equipped
H = Mahogany Body
L = Left-Handed
M = Maple Fretboard
Q = Quilted Maple Top
X = L. R. Baggs Piezo Equipped
Z = Edge-Zero tremolo system


Non-Prestige Model Numbers:

Codes:

--7### = 7-String

--#6## = MIJ
--#4## = MIJ/K
--#3## = MI Korea/Indonesia
--#2## = MI China

--##8# = 3 Pickups (p/u) H-S-H w/ 27" Scale Length.
--##7# = 3 p/u H-S-H
--##6# = 3 p/u H-S-S
--##5# = 3 p/u H-S-H w/ Pickguard
--##2# = 2 p/u H-H
--##1# = 1 p/u H

--###1 = Fixed Bridge
--###0 = Tremolo System

Non-Prestige Suffixes:
B = Basswood
DX = Deluxe (?) Sharktooth Inlays
EX = Extreme (?) Inlays / EMG Equipped / 27" scale
FM = Flamed Maple Top
FX = Fixed Bridge
L = Left-Handed
M = Maple Fretboard
MH = Mahogany Body
QM = Quilted Maple Top

There you go... I figured it out a while ago with the help of a jemsite article on 7-Strings and I needed to put it somewhere...  

And before you ask... Shits And Giggles. lol: / )


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## OzzyC (Jul 28, 2007)

BTW, RG = Rigid Guitar.


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## ZeroSignal (Jul 28, 2007)

OzzyC said:


> BTW, RG = Rigid Guitar.


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## OzzyC (Jul 28, 2007)

ZeroSignal said:


>



That's what the History of Ibanez book says, IIRC.


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## ZeroSignal (Jul 28, 2007)

Hmmm... Interesting...

Any links?

I googled 'Ibanez "rigid guitar"' and got nothing except guitar cases!


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## Toshiro (Jul 29, 2007)

I was under the impression that RG was Roadstar Guitar, since that's what they were before the Jem, a rename of the Roadstar.


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## ZeroSignal (Jul 29, 2007)

I need links!

I'm going to update and alter this until it's all right! I put a (?) after anything I'm not totally sure of...


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## Toshiro (Jul 29, 2007)

You're forgetting lot's of non-current models that destroy some of the "rules". 

RG5xx.
RG7xx.

An RG770 had sharkteeth and binding. An RG770DX had a maple board, colormatched sharkteeth and binding.

S540. There were about 5+ different models of S540, some of them H-S-S, some H-S-H.

From 1994 to 1997 RG4xx guitars were made in Korea. From 1994 till the present all S4xx guitars were/are.

Seriously, Ibanez breaks their own "rules" on a regular basis. The list itself might drive you nuts to get it correct. 

Catalog shots of Roadstar's called RGs and RGs called Roadstars:
1986
http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1986/p05.jpg
1988
http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1988/roadstar5_3.jpg
http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1988/roadstar5_4.jpg


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## ZeroSignal (Jul 29, 2007)

Toshiro said:


> You're forgetting lot's of non-current models that destroy some of the "rules".
> 
> RG5xx.
> RG7xx.
> ...



Well I used the modern Ibanez model numbers so they don't really count. 

Roadstar -> fixed!


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## Toshiro (Jul 29, 2007)

Better put a disclaimer on it stating that the list is only from 2003 on, or so, and you need to change this:



> --#4## = MIJ



Because the S470, and RGT42's are both Made in Korea. The last MIJ 4xx series were the RG470s and RG7420/21, which are both long gone.


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## ZeroSignal (Jul 30, 2007)

Toshiro said:


> Better put a disclaimer on it stating that the list is only from 2003 on, or so, and you need to change this:
> 
> 
> 
> Because the S470, and RGT42's are both Made in Korea. The last MIJ 4xx series were the RG470s and RG7420/21, which are both long gone.



FIXED!  

Anyone else?


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## ZeroSignal (Dec 2, 2008)

Added more model codes and the words "w/ Pickguard".


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## Scali (Feb 13, 2009)

Another weird thing that Ibanez did at first was to put the series at the end, not the front, eg the 540S and 540S7 models, rather than S540 and S7540, as we would expect today.


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## loktide (Feb 13, 2009)

> --3### = J. Custom/Special Edition



does this apply to my prestige rg3120 ? at least it would explain why it kicks so much as compared to all new prestige ibby's i've played 


also, why doesn't it say anythin about the --##8# for on my rg7680 ?


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## Scali (Feb 13, 2009)

loktide said:


> does this apply to my prestige rg3120 ? at least it would explain why it kicks so much as compared to all new prestige ibby's i've played


 
I don't think so... Yours is the version from the mid-90s I suppose?
Around 1996-1997 iirc.
They also had an RG2800-something I believe. Basically one was the H-H version, the other the H-S-H version. One had a blue transparent finish, the other a purple transparent finish.
But otherwise they were the same guitar, so I doubt that the 2 and 3 had any relation to what kind of edition they were.

Back then Prestige was just synonymous with kicking ass, as it should be. In recent years they've just abused the Prestige name.


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## loktide (Feb 13, 2009)

Scali said:


> I don't think so... Yours is the version from the mid-90s I suppose?
> Around 1996-1997 iirc.





i bought mine in '99 and it was a new model at that time. i guess it appeared somewhen between '98 and '99 

still, i  my rg3120


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## Toshiro (Feb 13, 2009)

loktide said:


> does this apply to my prestige rg3120 ? at least it would explain why it kicks so much as compared to all new prestige ibby's i've played
> 
> 
> also, why doesn't it say anythin about the --##8# for on my rg7680 ?



No. Your 3120 is from the era that Prestige meant something beyond "made in Japan", though. Back then it was the "top of the line" for a production RG.

There are too many exceptions to these rules, they can't be taken as 100&#37;.


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## ZeroSignal (Feb 13, 2009)

loktide said:


> also, why doesn't it say anythin about the --##8# for on my rg7680 ?



Tell me what's different about the RG7680 from a RG7620 and I'll make an entry.


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## Scali (Feb 13, 2009)

ZeroSignal said:


> Tell me what's different about the RG7680 from a RG7620 and I'll make an entry.


 
I think the 80 is a baritone?
Speaking of which... I think you missed the "XL" suffix on some models (RG1077XL and such), which also means it's a baritone.


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## scottro202 (Feb 13, 2009)

what about my RG5EX1? someone mentioned RG5*** but they said something bout earlier, but I bought my RG5EX1 in 08?


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## loktide (Feb 13, 2009)

ZeroSignal said:


> Tell me what's different about the RG7680 from a RG7620 and I'll make an entry.



27" 5-piece neck


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## Toshiro (Feb 13, 2009)

Didn't the 7680 have the glow in the dark binding/etc, also? Maybe I'm thinking of something else...

Edit: Yup, that's the one, HSH, glow in the dark binding, 27" scale.
http://www.ibanezregister.com/Gallery/RG/gal-7680ltd1.htm


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## loktide (Feb 13, 2009)

Toshiro said:


> Didn't the 7680 have the glow in the dark binding/etc, also? Maybe I'm thinking of something else...
> 
> Edit: Yup, that's the one, HSH, glow in the dark binding, 27" scale.
> New Page 0



yes, it does. the finish also has a really weird texture to it, as you can see on the images. Mine's purple instead of greyish/green, though.


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## nikt (Feb 13, 2009)

J-custom in prestige line??? :/


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## ZeroSignal (Feb 13, 2009)

scottro202 said:


> what about my RG5EX1? someone mentioned RG5*** but they said something bout earlier, but I bought my RG5EX1 in 08?



Yeah but those ones make very little sense. I'm not even going to bother to figure out what the hell is going on there. 



Toshiro said:


> Didn't the 7680 have the glow in the dark binding/etc, also? Maybe I'm thinking of something else...
> 
> Edit: Yup, that's the one, HSH, glow in the dark binding, 27" scale.
> New Page 0



It shall be done...


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