# Ibanez sc series



## ibzrg1570 (Jan 1, 2007)

has anyone ever tried it out? i'm looking at one now on the bay. probably shouldn't be wasting any more money, but if its good and stays at a low price i might just get it and get rid of the 7321 to appease my mom who hates guitars. links to specs would be nice too.

ok i looked up stuff on it and it seems to have medium frets which i hate, so someone can close this thread, sorry.


----------



## ohmanthisiscool (Jan 2, 2007)

do you mean SZ series?


----------



## ibzrg1570 (Jan 2, 2007)

nope sc series. pre-sz


----------



## Makelele (Jan 2, 2007)

What model number is it?

Info on most Ibanez guitars can be found here: http://www.ibanezregister.com/Gallery/gallery-guit.htm


----------



## Jeff (Jan 2, 2007)

I have an SC420. Awesome guitar.


----------



## HighGain510 (Jan 2, 2007)

I believe the SC is the sabre classic model, which was out a few years ago. IIRC they were finished in black, maroon, blue and maybe 1-2 more colors. The tuner buttons were also like an orange/amber pearl color.  I remember seeing it in an old ibby catalog I had, I believe the guy from Reel Big Fish had a custom lime green one. 

EDIT: Just searched eBay and found one, although he changed the knobs.

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBANEZ-S-CLASSI...8QQihZ014QQcategoryZ33043QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


----------



## Jeff (Jan 2, 2007)

HighGain510 said:


> I believe the SC is the sabre classic model, which was out a few years ago. IIRC they were finished in black, maroon, blue and maybe 1-2 more colors. The tuner buttons were also like an orange/amber pearl color.  I remember seeing it in an old ibby catalog I had, I believe the guy from Reel Big Fish had a custom lime green one.
> 
> EDIT: Just searched eBay and found one, although he changed the knobs.
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/IBANEZ-S-CLASSI...8QQihZ014QQcategoryZ33043QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



You are correct. There was a standard issue MIJ model which I have, the SC420 in black or black cherry. Then there was the SC220, MIK in gray pearl only. Then there was the SC1620, which was a Prestige model in some sort of burst. There was also the SC620, which was the same as the SC1620 but sans the Prestige designation and presumably without the Prestige neck finishing. The 620 proceeded the 1620 by a year or two.


----------



## ibzrg1570 (Jan 2, 2007)

Makelele said:


> What model number is it?




the seller didn't say (it was a pawn shop, so they probably don't even know), but it looked like an sc420, black with the amber tuner. looked like it was good condition, but i really don't like medium frets because i like to do vibrato by changing the amount of pressure i put on the strings, not bending it, so its almost impossible with the smaller frets. and the only older s series guitars on ebay with the wizard 1 neck (at least i'm pretty sure they have wizard 1) and aanj now are the s520's and they're going for way too much. so i guess i'll be holding onto the 7321


----------



## Shawn (Jan 2, 2007)

I've always liked the SC620AMP which James Murphy used. 







I've only played a black one, the 420BK, it was nice.


----------



## Dylan7620 (Jan 3, 2007)

i've played an sc420bc, great guitar, very classy. never saw that sc500n until now, and i want one bad!


----------



## Jeff (Jan 3, 2007)

Dylan7620 said:


> i've played an sc420bc, great guitar, very classy. never saw that sc500n until now, and i want one bad!



The SC420BC is the one I have. Cool guitar, and i will never part with it.


----------



## giannifive (Jan 3, 2007)

Jeff said:


> You are correct. There was a standard issue MIJ model which I have, the SC420 in black or black cherry. Then there was the SC220, MIK in gray pearl only. Then there was the SC1620, which was a Prestige model in some sort of burst. There was also the SC620, which was the same as the SC1620 but sans the Prestige designation and presumably without the Prestige neck finishing. The 620 proceeded the 1620 by a year or two.


The SCA220 was made in Japan, actually. I had one and loved it to death, except for the medium frets, which is why I sold it.


----------



## Jeff (Jan 3, 2007)

giannifive said:


> The SCA220 was made in Japan, actually. I had one and loved it to death, except for the medium frets, which is why I sold it.



Not all of them. My sister-in-law has one that's MIK. 100% positive of this. But seeing as how depending on the year some RG470's were MIK, some were MIJ, it's not surprising.


----------



## giannifive (Jan 3, 2007)

Jeff said:


> Not all of them. My sister-in-law has one that's MIK. 100% positive of this. But seeing as how depending on the year some RG470's were MIK, some were MIJ, it's not surprising.


Interesting; I didn't know that.


----------



## nikt (Jan 3, 2007)

there was also this J-custom edition of SC series
models SC3020 and SC3120SC
http://ibanezregister.com/Gallery/J-Custom/gal-jcust-sc3120nt.htm


----------



## Shawn (Jan 3, 2007)

It would be cool if they would've done an S-Classic 7. Nice sixers though. I'd like to own an SC.  Any pics of yours, Jeff? I think I might've seen you post a family shot a while back.


----------



## Jeff (Jan 4, 2007)

Shawn said:


> It would be cool if they would've done an S-Classic 7. Nice sixers though. I'd like to own an SC.  Any pics of yours, Jeff? I think I might've seen you post a family shot a while back.



Yeah, here ya go:











Found pics of my JS2000 too:


----------



## zimbloth (Jan 4, 2007)

I had one that was similar to that SC620 one, but it had an ebony board with no inlays other than a thing at the 12th, and it had a rosewood truss rod cover. I think it was only available in Japan.

Anyways here are pics of it. This guitar was killer. I miss it.


----------



## Jeff (Jan 4, 2007)

zimbloth said:


> I had one that was similar to that SC620 one, but it had an ebony board with no inlays other than a thing at the 12th, and it had a rosewood truss rod cover. I think it was only available in Japan.
> 
> Anyways here are pics of it. This guitar was killer. I miss it.




No it was available here too. That's the SC1620 Prestige.


----------



## Shawn (Jan 4, 2007)

Jeff said:


> Yeah, here ya go:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very nice! I would love to own one of those. I've always been a fan of those oldschool knobs they put on all the old sabers. Nice guitar, Jeff. Nice JS too.


----------



## ibzrg1570 (Jan 4, 2007)

giannifive said:


> I had one and loved it to death, except for the medium frets, which is why I sold it.




exactly why i didn't buy the one on ebay. i think they were trying to go for the les paul vibe with the smaller frets and hardtail bridge. i would only get it if i played it myself, because i really like the sz series (except for the medium frets), which is supposed to be really similar, but doesn't feel anything like a les paul to me.


----------



## Jeff (Jan 5, 2007)

ibzrg1570 said:


> exactly why i didn't buy the one on ebay. i think they were trying to go for the les paul vibe with the smaller frets and hardtail bridge. i would only get it if i played it myself, because i really like the sz series (except for the medium frets), which is supposed to be really similar, but doesn't feel anything like a les paul to me.



I think they were actually going for a PRS Standard CE vibe, which is what it's much closer to. 

Nothing at all like an LP.


----------



## amonb (Jan 26, 2008)

Jeff said:


> I think they were actually going for a PRS Standard CE vibe, which is what it's much closer to.
> 
> Nothing at all like an LP.



 

I know this is an old thread but I thought I would  it as I LOVE these guitars. Mine is a SCA220 (Japanese made, not one of the Korean ones Jeff mentioned earlier in the thread but who knows if they play differently). 

I was going to sell it because I had bought a couple of 7s and didn't see myself going back but I have over the past month fallen in love with it again. I love the neck on mine... its a little thicker than the standard RG but fits my hand beautifully. 

There used to be a band in town called Tongue and their singer played a SC420BC and it sounded great through her Marshall... It also looked like the body of that one was much more of the saber type than the SCA, which has a much more square-eged fender kind of vibe to its width...

Are the SCA necks essentially the same to the SC420 does anyone know? If they are, I might go on the hunt for one as they pop up on the 'bay every now and then.

If anyone is after a 6-string fixed-bridge beater I highly recommend the SCA as they are under $300 usually on the 'bay and are a pick-up upgrade away from awesome. I am tempted to put some diff pickups in mine one of these days...

Anyways, here are some pics (Yes I know it could do with a clean and No, the fretboard ain't that dry, its just the flash):


----------



## Jeff (Jan 27, 2008)

amonb said:


> I know this is an old thread but I thought I would  it as I LOVE these guitars. Mine is a SCA220 (Japanese made, not one of the Korean ones Jeff mentioned earlier in the thread but who knows if they play differently).
> 
> I was going to sell it because I had bought a couple of 7s and didn't see myself going back but I have over the past month fallen in love with it again. I love the neck on mine... its a little thicker than the standard RG but fits my hand beautifully.
> 
> ...



Yeah the necks are very similar, comparing my sister in law's MIK SCA to my 420. 

The fit and finish on my 420's better, but I imagine there's no difference in quality between a MIJ 220 and mine. Purely cosmetic I'm sure. 

I'd love to find an MIJ 220. That's a sweet color.


----------



## Apophis (Jan 27, 2008)

Looks really nice


----------



## amonb (Jan 27, 2008)

Jeff said:


> I'd love to find an MIJ 220. That's a sweet color.



Thanks for the info Jeff!

I think the SCA220 is a bit of a hidden treasure personally, I don't see them played very often and I personally think they are fantastic... 

I have been looking on the bay over the past couple of months and they are on there pretty often... 

This one has been on the 'bay for a while, but don't know if it's Japanese... a quick question to the seller would solve that!

Ibanez SCA-220 Black S-Classic Guitar - eBay (item 320088671527 end time Feb-26-08 06:39:14 PST)


----------



## Jeff (Jan 28, 2008)

amonb said:


> Thanks for the info Jeff!
> 
> I think the SCA220 is a bit of a hidden treasure personally, I don't see them played very often and I personally think they are fantastic...
> 
> ...



As with the JS-700 which also switched production from MIJ to MIK, it's difficult to tell without the sticker on the back, or at least the serial. Anything starting in an F would be Fujigen, which is Japanese. 

Korean would most likely start with a C, for Cort. Unlike more modern MIK Ibanez guitars, MIKs of those years weren't as nice as they are now. Korean build quality has vastly improved over the last 7 or 8 years.


----------

