# What is going on with Ibanez QC. Pics inside. What a Joke.



## eightsixboy (Aug 17, 2017)

Just received my RG852MPB. This guitar was never seen by a store btw, after I enquired about it at a few stores store one checked when the next shipment was due, which was this week, another stores said the same thing, the next day a store got the distributor to send a few pics of the only two that were on the shipment so I could choose a top I liked, it was then sent straight from the distributor to me, I got the guitar the next day.

So this begs the question, what is going on with there QC? Unless someone at customs or the distributor managed to ding multiple times and chip the guitar I can only assume they left Japan like this. Besides the obvious marks on the back there is what looks like some paint/marker used around the back cavity, some of which is actually smudged on the back of the guitar, this is clearly factory done.

This is also the second guitar this year alone I have bought that has rocked up straight from the distributor, unopened that has some form of damage. The guitar was a RG752 with a noticeable chip in the fingerboard. There was also a RG927 a few years ago where the first two rocked up with dents in exactly the same spot, the third one was ok.

This is also not including all the premiums and some prestige's I have seen in other stores this year that have had glaring QC issues, from poorly cut neck pockets, bad fretwork, wonky binding etc, all on guitars 2k and up.

Is it time to start looking at other brands?







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## MoonJelly (Aug 17, 2017)

Pic 1: aww, not too bad.
Pic 2: HOLY F*CKING F*CK

You would think they'd want to fill those voids in the burl. How that little patch saw no stain is beyond me. 

I love Ibbys, but I've always bought used. Looks like that isn't going to change.


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## jemfloral (Aug 17, 2017)

Yeah that's awful in pic #2!


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## eightsixboy (Aug 17, 2017)

MoonJelly said:


> Pic 1: aww, not too bad.
> Pic 2: HOLY F*CKING F*CK
> 
> You would think they'd want to fill those voids in the burl. How that little patch saw no stain is beyond me.
> ...



Tell me about it. Its like the finish just fell of or something. I doubt it was left unpainted. After doing more research on this finish it seems like it has the consistency or cork and is wafer thin. What a crap idea Ibanez.

The dings on the back and weird marker around the edges is what pissed me off the most. The dealer told me very clearly that they just unpacked the container and they were brand new. Something suss going on here that's for sure.


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## BangandBreach (Aug 17, 2017)

eightsixboy said:


> The dings on the back and weird marker around the edges is what pissed me off the most. The dealer told me very clearly that they just unpacked the container and they were brand new. Something suss going on here that's for sure.




How the heck did the dealer not catch it? I am not absolving Ibanez for that awful QC, but there's no reason that thing should have been shipped to you like that.


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## MoonJelly (Aug 17, 2017)

Looks like they are shipping this way to everyone, if you look closely at the pics from Sweetwater. I mean, I've seen Ibbys with burl tops in the past, but the finish technique was to fill the voids with their righteous filler/sealer goop that is nigh indestructible. It almost looks like they're trying (and failing) to emulate a thin nitro style finish on craggy wood.


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## MattThePenguin (Aug 17, 2017)

burl tops that aren't top tier have always looked absolutely heinous to me. I can't believe Sweetwater didn't send that back and ask for another, and I would send yours back asap.


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## USMarine75 (Aug 17, 2017)

Kind of shocked to see that from an MIJ Prestige. 20+ years I've been buying Ibanez guitars, including a lot of their high end models, and I've never seen anything remotely similar.

I usually caution people to not let one bad item become a prevailing opinion... All companies have a certain QC level, but that is far beyond acceptable.


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## eightsixboy (Aug 18, 2017)

BangandBreach said:


> How the heck did the dealer not catch it? I am not absolving Ibanez for that awful QC, but there's no reason that thing should have been shipped to you like that.



It never went to a dealer, it was sent straight from the supplier.



MoonJelly said:


> Looks like they are shipping this way to everyone, if you look closely at the pics from Sweetwater. I mean, I've seen Ibbys with burl tops in the past, but the finish technique was to fill the voids with their righteous filler/sealer goop that is nigh indestructible. It almost looks like they're trying (and failing) to emulate a thin nitro style finish on craggy wood.



Well I think this finish is flawed, its apparently super thin and like cork, so its brittle. That on a basswood body is a very bad combo imo.



MattThePenguin said:


> burl tops that aren't top tier have always looked absolutely heinous to me. I can't believe Sweetwater didn't send that back and ask for another, and I would send yours back asap.



I got a refund in the end, I will never ever buy something sight unseen again and never a satin finish again.



USMarine75 said:


> Kind of shocked to see that from an MIJ Prestige. 20+ years I've been buying Ibanez guitars, including a lot of their high end models, and I've never seen anything remotely similar.
> 
> I usually caution people to not let one bad item become a prevailing opinion... All companies have a certain QC level, but that is far beyond acceptable.



Unfortunately this isn't the first issue I have had with their QC, most are fine but I have seen a drop in most brands lately, even some high end Schechter's and Fenders had some obvious issues, you don't get a lot for you $$$ as you did 10-15 years ago it seems.


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## Sir Ibanez (Aug 18, 2017)

Oh, feel really sad, bro. That's not good. The guitar looks lightly used or B stock. It's time to call back to the distributor and get your money back actually. Or they must send you absolutely brand new guitar instead, with no issues.


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## jephjacques (Aug 18, 2017)

Woof, that one's quite a lemon. Amazing that never got flagged as B stock.


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## diagrammatiks (Aug 18, 2017)

man...if that guitar was labeled b-stock and given a discount I think I'd be fine with the dings. Guitars gonna see worse then that after being in my hands for a few months...
But the finish literally falling off the body..that's like c stock used pricing and even then...


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## BangandBreach (Aug 18, 2017)

eightsixboy said:


> It never went to a dealer, it was sent straight from the supplier.



My mistake.


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## BigHandy (Aug 19, 2017)

Due to the black decolorizations on the wrecked finish parts, it rather seems that it has been burned by something. ?! By a flambe tool or similar...


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## gunch (Aug 20, 2017)

That's a damn shame


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## Petar Bogdanov (Aug 21, 2017)

According to Rich at Ibanezrules, Ibanez relies on the dealers to do QC. If that is true, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, then going direct to the distributor is not the best place to buy.


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## Lemons (Aug 21, 2017)

I think you're all overreacting, this is obviously just Ibanez's attempt to break into the Fender customshop "relic" market.


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## eightsixboy (Aug 21, 2017)

BigHandy said:


> Due to the black decolorizations on the wrecked finish parts, it rather seems that it has been burned by something. ?! By a flambe tool or similar...



They are all like this, its like a stain or something they put over the burl holes. Its not burnt but I see what you mean.



Petar Bogdanov said:


> According to Rich at Ibanezrules, Ibanez relies on the dealers to do QC. If that is true, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, then going direct to the distributor is not the best place to buy.



This I can believe. I won't be buying anything I haven't inspected from now on.

It must be the way they operate over here or something, as someone else commented that most dealers will sell something online and just ship it from the distributor, its something they don't even have in stock, which is pretty terrible, putting it on the customer to go over guitars when they rock up cause no one in the country has even looked at it yet.



Lemons said:


> I think you're all overreacting, this is obviously just Ibanez's attempt to break into the Fender customshop "relic" market.



I never got relics, if you ding something up yourself and it has history its cool, but it you buy something dinged and beat up already and at an inflated price imo its just crazy.


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 21, 2017)

I hate burl tops, they're very fragile unless properly filled/epoxied.


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## Kevcarnage (Aug 22, 2017)

oh man that's pretty bad. Just be pissed off when you call. They may send you a new guitar for free


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## Dredg (Aug 23, 2017)

Oh I'd be straight up their ass about pic 2. That they had the utter gall to ship that is downright offensive.


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## marcwormjim (Aug 23, 2017)

Triple post.


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## marcwormjim (Aug 23, 2017)

Triple post.


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