# Ibanez Custom Shop?



## tehk (May 7, 2006)

I was looking all over the Ibanez site as well as the jemsite, and ibanezrules site, but I can't seem to find any information about their custom shop (I know ESP and Gibson has one). First of, all, do they even have one? I don't know, maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places lol. Well if they do, how much would a standard custom cost? $2000? $3000? $4000?

Thanks


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## Ken (May 7, 2006)

Yeah, they have one, and unfortunately you have to be an endorsee to get an axe out of there, to my knowledge.


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## zimbloth (May 7, 2006)

Yeah, they only make them for endorsees.


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## Firebeard (May 7, 2006)

What about the "USA Customs"? I've seen 5 or 6 of them @ about $600-700. My brother owned one with the 0 tension neck and it being a 6 string it was pretty sweet but he hated the DiMarzio pickups.


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## Ken (May 7, 2006)

satanicmind said:


> What about the "USA Customs"? I've seen 5 or 6 of them @ about $600-700. My brother owned one with the 0 tension neck and it being a 6 string it was pretty sweet but he hated the DiMarzio pickups.



They make special little runs. Drew and I had one of about 24 J-Custom guitars ever made in a special limited run. You don't get to choose what you want. They choose the features and finish, and you are repulsed or scramble like hell to find one.


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## 7 Dying Trees (May 7, 2006)




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## Metal Ken (May 7, 2006)

7 Dying Trees said:


>



You sell that god damn pazuzu guitar and you sell it to me!


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## Luan (May 7, 2006)

Endorsers have to pay for their customs??


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## Drew (May 7, 2006)

Depends on the level of endorsement - I'm sure Steve Vai gets all his guitars for free. However, discounted gear is far more common, and some companies (Mesa springs to mind) ONLY do this. I think even Petrucci pays for his Mesas, or merely borrows them.


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## keithb (May 7, 2006)

I'm not sure (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but I think that some time ago Ibanez offered a 'true' custom shop - they would build you one of their guitars with a finish/options/etc that you specified, for a price.


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## Elysian (May 7, 2006)

yeah, but they closed it off to anyone but endorsees...


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## keithb (May 7, 2006)

Elysian said:


> yeah, but they closed it off to anyone but endorsees...



Yeah - I always wondered why. Seems to me that there are enough Ibanez fans to keep the shop running, and they could charge pretty much whatever they wanted.


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## 7 Dying Trees (May 7, 2006)

Luan said:


> Endorsers have to pay for their customs??


This depends on the deal. I didn't for mine, but i did wrangle it that way. Depends on the artist and depends on the deal and their level of popularity and exposure.



Metal Ken said:


> You sell that god damn pazuzu guitar and you sell it to me!


cold dead fingers only my when pry you it off.

rearrange thwe words 



Drew said:


> Depends on the level of endorsement - I'm sure Steve Vai gets all his guitars for free. However, discounted gear is far more common, and some companies (Mesa springs to mind) ONLY do this. I think even Petrucci pays for his Mesas, or merely borrows them.


Discounted gear is quite common, yes. mainly amp endorsements you get because of tour support, ie, the amp company "loans" you the amps to take on tour so you don't have to worry about owning amps in different continents and for festivals etc.


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## zimbloth (May 7, 2006)

I know some guys in a band signed to Century Media, by no means a huge act, yet they get free guitars sent to them. 7-string Sabers, RG1527 with factory EMGs. one had some gorgeous archtop 6-string as well, very similar to the RGA321 but with a MUCH better top.


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## Metal Ken (May 7, 2006)

7 Dying Trees said:


> cold dead fingers only my when pry you it off.
> 
> rearrange thwe words


Arranged Be Can That. ;p


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## metalfiend666 (May 8, 2006)

I wish they'd open the Custom Shop to the public again. If ESP, Jackson, Schecter etc can do it, why not Ibanez?



Metal Ken said:


> Arranged Be Can That. ;p


 
Not if I get there first.  

You think you want it bad now, think how you'd be if you'd actually played it. Now you know how I feel.


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## bostjan (May 8, 2006)

If they'd make an ST7x20XLX with 25 frets, blank ebony board, neckthrough, and a double edge 7 bridge, it'd be quite awesome, indeed, but no such luck.  I can't even begin to imagine what that would cost, though.


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## Mark. A (May 8, 2006)

Meh, I'd rather get a cheaper custom and get Ibanez put on it


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## scott from _actual time_ (May 8, 2006)

Ken Burtch said:


> Yeah, they have one, and unfortunately you have to be an endorsee to get an axe out of there.


yep. it's called the LA Custom Shop, 'cause it's in LA. they have different levels of endorsees, according to Rich at Ibanez Rules. the top level players can get a totally custom axe, and the lower level ones can get stock models customized to varying degrees.

the USA Customs were a US-made production model line from about 15 years ago. they weren't truly custom, and ibanez quit making them after a few years. the J-Custom line is the short-run Japanese production high-end guitars that they've made in various models. they're very sharp looking axes, but i've never had the chance to play one. i don't think Ibanez ever had a public custom shop that would make anything to order for the customer, like Jackson and ESP do.

you can occasionally find LACS guitars after they've been sold off by the endorsees. i found an LACS RG7 on Ebay a few years back. it has a flame maple cap on a two-piece mahogany body. i owned a 2027 for years, but the LACS sounds much more detailed and articulate--clearer, less muddy. if you ever get the chance to buy an LACS guitar, snatch it up.


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## Drew (May 8, 2006)

keithb said:


> I'm not sure (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but I think that some time ago Ibanez offered a 'true' custom shop - they would build you one of their guitars with a finish/options/etc that you specified, for a price.



Pretty close, but you were limited with the options you could request - there were a number of pickup route options, a number of custom graphics and finishes, but you couldn't call them up and say, "Hey, make me a Radius with H-H-H and a picture of Rush Limbough in a Speedo on the top, foo!" and expect them to do it, exactly...


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## Rick (May 8, 2006)

They really should re-open the Custom Shop to the public. No reason not to.


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## noodles (May 8, 2006)

Meanwhile, the Jackson Custom Shop has been around for years, churning out completely custom instruments...


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## Rick (May 8, 2006)

To me, it's really sad. I'd absolutely love an Ibanez Custom Shop. I'd save every penny I could to get one!!!


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## noodles (May 8, 2006)

Please to be referring to the post above yours, Rick.


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## Drew (May 8, 2006)

And they may have no reason NOT to open the Ibanez LACS to the public, but just as (if not more) importantly, they have no reason TO. Thus, I don't see it happening.


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## keithb (May 8, 2006)

Drew said:


> Pretty close, but you were limited with the options you could request - there were a number of pickup route options, a number of custom graphics and finishes, but you couldn't call them up and say, "Hey, make me a Radius with H-H-H and a picture of Rush Limbough in a Speedo on the top, foo!" and expect them to do it, exactly...



Right - it was more like what Carvin does. You could order one of the models offered with one of the finishes offered, etc.


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## Rick (May 9, 2006)

noodles said:


> Please to be referring to the post above yours, Rick.



Yours is a custom, right?


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## noodles (May 9, 2006)

rg7420user said:


> Yours is a custom, right?



I don't own a CS Jackson, but Mike has a CS Soloist 7. My guitar is a KXK, also a completely custom instrument. It is very gratifying to get exactly what you want.


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## Oogadee Boogadee (May 9, 2006)

like a custom ordered t-shirt.

you b*tch.


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## Rick (May 10, 2006)

I propose we start a petition to have the Custom Shop at Ibanez reopened. Isn't there a website where you can start an online petition?


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## Scott (May 10, 2006)

Petitions will get you no where with Ibanez. They aren't the type of company to take that kinda thing into consideration.


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## Drew (May 10, 2006)

rg7420user said:


> I propose we start a petition to have the Custom Shop at Ibanez reopened. Isn't there a website where you can start an online petition?



I've never seen an online petition actually accomplish anything (if nothing else, there's little way to prove all the "signatures" are unique, and thus it's VERY easy to ignore), and anyway, the Ibanez Custom Shop was never "open" in the first place. 

If you want a true "Rick Winsor signature model," my advice to you is to practice your ass off, start a band, release a CD, and then send them a press kit.


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## noodles (May 10, 2006)

Drew said:


> If you want a true "Rick Winsor signature model," my advice to you is to practice your ass off, start a band, release a CD, and then send them a press kit.



Better yet: there are plenty of extremely talented small builders who will give you exactly what you ask for, down to the letter. Who is it here with that custom guitar with the same RG7 body/headstock shape? If Ibanez won't do it, then screw Ibanez. Get someone else to build your dream guitar.


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## Scott (May 10, 2006)

noodles said:


> Better yet: there are plenty of extremely talented small builders who will give you exactly what you ask for, down to the letter. Who is it here with that custom guitar with the same RG7 body/headstock shape? If Ibanez won't do it, then screw Ibanez. Get someone else to build your dream guitar.




Damn right. I have 2 customs in the works right now  One will be done in july, the other in like october (Leviiathan ) 


The one that will be finished in july is an ibanez knockoff btw.


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## Rick (May 10, 2006)

noodles said:


> Better yet: there are plenty of extremely talented small builders who will give you exactly what you ask for, down to the letter. Who is it here with that custom guitar with the same RG7 body/headstock shape? If Ibanez won't do it, then screw Ibanez. Get someone else to build your dream guitar.



I just might have to do that.


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## jtm45 (May 10, 2006)

Yeah,i totally agree about the LACS.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an Ibanez LACS 7-string and it's just such a nice instrument.Everything about it is finished to the highest standard.


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## noodles (May 10, 2006)

[sign]Stop showing pics of that![/sign][sign]Yeah, you bastard![/sign]


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## eleven59 (May 10, 2006)

[sign]Holyshit, nice guitar[/sign]




[banana]Yeah, I know what you're thinking about[/banana]


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## jtm45 (May 10, 2006)

noodles said:


> [sign]Stop showing pics of that![/sign][sign]Yeah, you bastard![/sign]



It's a thing of beauty and this thread after all is about LACS guitars.


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## metalfiend666 (May 10, 2006)

Nice guitar JTM. Was the trem blocked when you got it? If it was I'm curios as to what method Dino used to block it.


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## Rick (May 10, 2006)

Yes, that's basically what I want.

Stop showing me that pic!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Drew (May 10, 2006)

noodles said:


> Better yet: there are plenty of extremely talented small builders who will give you exactly what you ask for, down to the letter. Who is it here with that custom guitar with the same RG7 body/headstock shape? If Ibanez won't do it, then screw Ibanez. Get someone else to build your dream guitar.



My solution has the additional benefit that, when all is said and done, not only will you have a bitchin' guitar, you'll also have a band, a CD, and some absolutely sick chops.


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## jtm45 (May 10, 2006)

metalfiend666 said:


> Nice guitar JTM. Was the trem blocked when you got it? If it was I'm curios as to what method Dino used to block it.



Thanks man!
Yeah,the trem was blocked by the Custom Shop when they built the guitar.
It's blocked with what appears to be a couple of neatly fitted (and glued)pieces of ebony.
It's still got all the springs in place so it wouldn't be very difficult to put the trem back into action but it suits me to keep it blocked.
I've got another Ibanez 7 with the Double-Edge (piezo equipped)trem if i need to do any trem stuff.

Dino actually got in touch with me recently about buying the guitar back but i've decided to keep it for the time being.
He sold quite a few of his LACS 7's in a rash moment and now he's regretting doing so.


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## metalfiend666 (May 11, 2006)

jtm45 said:


> Thanks man!
> Yeah,the trem was blocked by the Custom Shop when they built the guitar.
> It's blocked with what appears to be a couple of neatly fitted (and glued)pieces of ebony.
> It's still got all the springs in place so it wouldn't be very difficult to put the trem back into action but it suits me to keep it blocked.
> I've got another Ibanez 7 with the Double-Edge (piezo equipped)trem if i need to do any trem stuff.


 
Cheers for that. I thought it would probably be something along those lines.



jtm45 said:


> Dino actually got in touch with me recently about buying the guitar back but i've decided to keep it for the time being.
> He sold quite a few of his LACS 7's in a rash moment and now he's regretting doing so.


 
That's quite funny actually. I would have thought he could just go to the LACS and get new guitars. Ok, he might not qualify for free guitars any more, but if he's trying to buy back his old ones he can afford the discounted new ones that would be available to him.


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