# Ibanez Iron label quality?



## myampslouder (Dec 9, 2015)

I'm in the market for a new guitar and I'm very interested in one of the ibanez iron label models but it seems like they have had a lot of quality control issues. It seems like most of. The bad reviews are a bit older but I'd like to hear some opinions before I order one. 

Does anyone know if they have improved the quality or am I better off going with something else?


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## trem licking (Dec 9, 2015)

They are among the worst of the low/mid end market in my experience as far as quality/quality control. If you want ibanez, get a prestige new or used


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## ZeroTolerance94 (Dec 9, 2015)

I wrote this in another thread about someone else asking about an Iron Label. 



ZeroTolerance94 said:


> I will never purchase another Iron Label ever again.
> 
> Calling them a lottery is the truth. They're exactly that.
> 
> ...



Fvck that series. Sold it to a music store for $220. I will never buy another one. 
Only Ibanez guitars worth buying are made in Japan. 

My $0.02, good luck.


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## Black43 (Dec 9, 2015)

ZeroTolerance94 said:


> I wrote this in another thread about someone else asking about an Iron Label.
> 
> Fvck that series. Sold it to a music store for $220. I will never buy another one.
> Only Ibanez guitars worth buying are made in Japan.
> ...


This. Although I wouldn't discount a Premium, only Ibby out of Indonesia to actually hold a candle to any Japanese model. And even that's a gamble, I was one of the lucky ones 

I wouldn't buy an Iron Label. Not for that price.


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## gunch (Dec 9, 2015)

Even mainline Indonesian models seem to be better than Iron Labels


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## myampslouder (Dec 9, 2015)

Meh. That's disappointing. I've had quite a few ibanez guitars over the years and it seems like the quality of their non prestige models keeps getting worse and worse. Such a shame that a company that built a reputation making very solid affordable guitars has gone so far down hill. 

I'll see about scraping up enough for a prestige model or just look into another brand. Thanks


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## gay4ass (Dec 10, 2015)

Black43 said:


> This. Although I wouldn't discount a Premium, only Ibby out of Indonesia to actually hold a candle to any Japanese model. And even that's a gamble, I was one of the lucky ones
> 
> I wouldn't buy an Iron Label. Not for that price.



The Premiums are very playable and having tested a few of them, I noticed a trend with the quality of the Indo Premiums:

The earlier Premiums are more likely to be shiite than the later ones. Ie, a Premium manufactured in 2015 is less likely to be a lemon than say the earliest 2011/2012 ones.

I own a 2015 wenge neck premium and it plays just as well as my Jap Prestiges.


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## ghost_of_karelia (Dec 10, 2015)

Just try before you buy.


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## col (Dec 10, 2015)

ghost_of_karelia said:


> Just try before you buy.



This. My RGIR27FE is perfect in every way, very surprised how how good it actually is in terms of fit and finish. (The pickups are terrible though).

Not sure I'd pay what they cost in the US, they're $680 new here.


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## Great Satan (Dec 11, 2015)

I literally just wrote this in another thread but it bears repeating here,
I'd probably go for a jackson over the iron label simply because i feel their quality control is better.


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## Grindspine (Dec 11, 2015)

I regularly play many Jackson and Ibanez guitars. I would agree that a good high quality used instrument is better than a new low quality instrument overall.

Between Jackson and Ibanez, I see fewer problems with Iron Label Ibanez. There is no comparison between those and Prestige Ibanez though.


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## IChuckFinleyI (Dec 11, 2015)

I was a die hard Ibanez fanboy for about 15 years. That all changed after my Iron Label experience. I couldn't believe something that bad made it out with their name on it. The frets were almost rough enough to break the skin and one of the wires for the pickups had been completely burned through. There's clearly no quality control in that factory. After receiving such a piece of ...., I can't even look at the company the same way. 

TLDR: Like most people say: stay away from anything that isn't a Prestige!


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## CoffeeSauce (Dec 11, 2015)

For some contrast. I just got an Ibanez RGIT27FE a couple weeks ago and it's fantastic.
Out of the box, it needed a setup really badly. But, post-setup it is great. The action is maybe a little high to get rid of fret buzz, but nothing too crazy.
If they all come like mine, I would definitely recommend them. Every iron label that I've tried at various stores has been just fine.


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## Steinmetzify (Dec 11, 2015)

Was really excited when that line came out, hi the stores and played 2 7s and 2 6s.....all of them were terrible....shoddy components, just awful fretwork to the point where it was cutting my hand, fret sprout all the way up and down both sides of the neck on all of them.

Cut to a year later and a guy on here was selling an RGIB6....pretty much everything I wanted in a baritone. He'd reviewed it when he got it, and he's been a tech and recording musician for years; said he had to file the frets a bit after it settled in but that it was a good guitar. He sold it to me about 6 months later and it's been one of my main recording guitars ever since. I like it a lot, but don't know that I'd buy one new. 

Depends on the guitar, not what people say on the internet about em. Go play some, find one you like and take it home.

Mine:



RGIB6 Redo by Scott Steinmetz, on Flickr


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## VBCheeseGrater (Dec 11, 2015)

There are plenty of good ones out there - best to see for yourself. The one i owned was nice except for some wonky pickup routing that looked like a new guy at the factory was training on it - but totally decent frets, sounded excellent. Regret selling it actually, was an SIR70.

I have not seen any of the sharp fret issues that go around on the net, but if you get any guitar like that, a fret level/dressing by a good luthier will have the frets feeling better than most new guitars.

Quality aside, they do have see really cool looking designs that have come out.


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## Lorcan Ward (Dec 11, 2015)

I'm a big Ibanez fan but I've never played a good one that wasn't MIJ. They've all had ibig ssues and flaws, sharp fret ends and patchy sanding/finishing being the most common.


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## FILTHnFEAR (Dec 11, 2015)

I've played several at GC and Sam Ash and they were all garbage. Horrible frets, finish flaws too serious to ignore, and an overall cheap feel. I was actually embarrassed to be wearing my Ibby hat at the time. All the Schecters and LTD's they had around the same price range were worlds better by comparison.

Even though I enjoy my MII S920e, I still wouldn't buy another Premium. And for the prices they're asking for these IL brand new, I can't really see a reason not to get a used Prestige. But that's just me.


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## myampslouder (Dec 12, 2015)

I went to guitar center a few days ago and they had a used rgir27. Seriously worst quality I have ever seen in an ibanez guitar. I swear it's like they go out of their way to make the iron labels worse because I picked up a cheap s series and it's was fine. No sharp frets, decent action, good finish. The iron label I looked at had major issues. The second fret was like a razor and looked like it wasn't even fully seated in the fret board. On the other hand pretty much every guitar in that price range from other companies like LTD, Schecter, and PRS was great. 

Big mark against ibanez. Really makes me lose a ton of respect for them as a company.


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## Azure (Dec 13, 2015)

How are the fanned fret models? I'm thinking of getting one in the future and I was wondering if anyone has experience with it.


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## dhgrind (Dec 31, 2015)

i got an iron label sir27fd. it actually improved my opinion of ibanez guitars... but i guess i got a gem among turds. frets were all dressed very well, no sharp edges dead frets ect. the action is also perfect... i also bought mine from SW which at least sort've tries to give you a decent axe.

the only qc issues on mine was the binding wasn't perfect. sounds like yall got the worst of the worst of the worst.


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## Joan Maal (Nov 3, 2018)

I recently bought a RGIX28FEQM. it is not near to my other axe Prestige RG2228, but it still is really good. I have changed the tuners but otherwise it is a good axe. 

Next week ill post some pics.

By the way .. IRON LABEL SERIES frets are made of stainless steel?


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## Sogradde (Nov 3, 2018)

Joan Maal said:


> By the way .. IRON LABEL SERIES frets are made of stainless steel?


No. Only the Uppercut and AZ series have SS frets.


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## Seabeast2000 (Nov 3, 2018)

Sogradde said:


> No. Only the Uppercut and AZ series have SS frets.


And some random premiums, no?


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## myrtorp (Nov 3, 2018)

Unless you get a steal of a deal id say go for a used prestige.


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## Sogradde (Nov 4, 2018)

The906 said:


> And some random premiums, no?


True, I forgot about the Fade-Premiums.


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## Synllip (Nov 4, 2018)

I only heard bad things about Iron Labels, they seem to lack proper QC such as rough fret edges, glue in the fingerboard, bad painting, uneven frets, nut too high... I’d say try it if you can before buying, if not possible then get it from a source in which you can return if you’re not satisfied.


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## vilk (Nov 5, 2018)

I think that Iron Labels would be OK if they were about 50% less expensive new. To me it's not so shocking to see an Indonesian guitar with less than great QC, but it IS shocking to see the price tag they'll put on one.


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## Ordacleaphobia (Nov 5, 2018)

Azure said:


> How are the fanned fret models? I'm thinking of getting one in the future and I was wondering if anyone has experience with it.



I just bought one of the newer FF models a couple months ago, the RGD 6 string with the faded grey top and the fishmans.
It's a great guitar, and I got a great deal on it ($100 less than street price, brand new), but I still feel like I paid too much when I stop to consider that for an extra couple hundred bucks, I could have just gotten an Ormsby.

I did a more in-depth review in my NGD post, but they're mainly a great way to see if you're into FF guitars imo. Not a keeper axe. The fan is just a _*bit *_too offset, and the raw neck is kind of a bummer. It plays great however; one of my better playing guitars. I do all of my own tech work though, so I may be a bit less inclined to "notice" small issues and oddities that someone who isn't comfortable doing all of that stuff is.


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