# RG970WBWZ - Up on Ibanez site...



## GXPO (Sep 9, 2013)

...In Europe..

This is the Wenge and Bubinga neck premium, looks like it will be EU only.









Electric Guitars RG - RG970WBWZ PREMIUM | Ibanez guitars






Looks tastey! Can't see it for sale anywhere yet, I'm getting excited for this one. I know it's just an RG, but that neck...


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## craigny (Sep 9, 2013)

US gets skunked again.


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## minorseventh (Sep 9, 2013)

craigny said:


> US gets skunked again.


I agree, and it sucks.

I have a good friend that works for a major guitar company, and he was telling me how only a few versions of their popular models outsell everything else in the line here in the US, while in the rest of the world sales are much more diverse. 
essentially, the US market is close minded, conservative, and trend driven. kind of the general pattern of consumerism we have going on here.
obviously on internet forums we tend to be a little more illuminated as to whats out there... but if you tried to sell a bunch of guitars at guitar center with a higher price point, based on the awesomeness of wenge and bubinga... they would sit a long time with broken strings and missing knobs and the salesmen would be explaining the bubinga is a kind of wood all day.

that said... I cant wait til a few of these hit ebay!


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## Daf57 (Sep 9, 2013)

Whoa - that's nice!


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## IbanezDaemon (Sep 9, 2013)

Very cool. That finish looks great!!


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## c0n0r (Sep 9, 2013)

damn thats awesome!


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## MetalBuddah (Sep 9, 2013)

Its ok....this exists 






http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ibanez-s-series-musicians-friend-30th-anniversary-electric-guitar#


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## Andromalia (Sep 9, 2013)

minorseventh said:


> I agree, and it sucks.
> 
> I have a good friend that works for a major guitar company, and he was telling me how only a few versions of their popular models outsell everything else in the line here in the US, while in the rest of the world sales are much more diverse.
> essentially, the US market is close minded, conservative, and trend driven.


I'd say this is not the only reason. Same as why the Us bands tour Europe all the time much more than the US: it's very profitable to be paid in  and to come back home to spend $ or Yens. That's why we in Europe drool at Us prices, too. The EU market brings in more money because gods are sold for more there.


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## 77zark77 (Sep 9, 2013)

good lookin' but what about playing and sounding ? 
Luthery isn't just for eyes


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## TheDudeAbides (Sep 9, 2013)

It is going to be available in Canada though!


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Sep 9, 2013)

Andromalia said:


> I'd say this is not the only reason. Same as why the Us bands tour Europe all the time much more than the US: it's very profitable to be paid in  and to come back home to spend $ or Yens. That's why we in Europe drool at Us prices, too. The EU market brings in more money because gods are sold for more there.



I hadn't ever thought of it that way  

I hope they come out with a version with a fixed bridge too, so I can have a chance at grabbing one off of eBay or on here haha


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## GXPO (Sep 9, 2013)

77zark77 said:


> good lookin' but what about playing and sounding ?
> Luthery isn't just for eyes



There's no reason it should sound as good as any other Premium does. I still don't think they compare to the MiJ's but they seem to be good at the price point.


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## Hammer (Sep 9, 2013)

MetalBuddah said:


> Its ok....this exists
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's basically Ibanez saying "Yo, I heard you bitching about rosewood fretboards. Here, rosewood fretboard AND top mofos!"

Still, bubinga + wenge necks are a very niche option on guitars at least. Bold move. 10/10 would play for the both RG and the S.


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## Tyler (Sep 9, 2013)

no fair


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## BlackStar7 (Sep 9, 2013)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/st...inga-neck-ibanez-guitar-festival-content.html


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## Tree (Sep 9, 2013)

Am I the only one that thinks that the top on this model looks really cheap, and out of place? 
It reminds me of the tops on a few of their older, lower end models:


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## GXPO (Sep 10, 2013)

I've never been a huge fan of the tops on the premiums. That being said, the only real problem I've had with them was the maple binding on the neck. I love the look but it has been known to cause some issues with frets lifting slightly at the edge. I think the top on this one is a lot more subtle though, the coours really set each other off.


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## ExtendedRange (Sep 10, 2013)

I believe this guitar may be on the Canadian site as well.


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## wannabguitarist (Sep 10, 2013)

MetalBuddah said:


> Its ok....this exists
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This is way cooler; S, mahogany, ZR trem. Everything else is identical


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## DarthV (Sep 11, 2013)

Why couldn't they put that neck on the rg970 blazing dusk finish?!?! And why you no HH config :/


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## Muzakman (Sep 21, 2013)

Already available in Sweden for 1,263 dollars. I want it.. so beautiful.. however... already put down an order for a JP12.. I wish I was rich.. or at least rich-ER!


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## Zado (Sep 21, 2013)

Someone knowz bout these?





Ibanez JCRG6 Brown Smoky Topaz and Royal Blue Sapphire.


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## Daf57 (Sep 21, 2013)

GXPO said:


> looks like it will be EU only.



That's a shame! That is a beautiful RG.


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## rapterr15 (Oct 27, 2013)

I'm in Hong Kong for a few days and I got to play one of these today at a big music shop in town. Pretty sweet guitar. When I took it off the shelf and saw the back of the neck I was all "NO WAY!". I thought it was a plain old RG970. The thing played pretty well actually. The finish of the top actually looked pretty good compared to the other 920 premiums they had, which looked a bit cheap and tacky to me. Side note. I was playing through a Blackstar HT-Metal 1R. SWEET little amp! I used to have a HT-1R and the increase in distortion on this new one sounds killer!


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## Black43 (Oct 27, 2013)

They are available in Aus as well (as far as I know), I like it but personally I prefer the 970qmz, simply because that quilt maple finish is sexy as anything


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## Theodata321 (Dec 7, 2013)

The S on MFriend, if you look at the other pics, has an EZ-II trem withOUT ZPS. I emailed them because the specs and pics are conflicting, but I'm really hoping (for my sake) that it comes with the ez2 and no ZPS, so I can put a tremol no in it, and I have one of the pink anniversary premiums with the same trem and it's very reliable and holds tune extremely well. I was holding out for rich to drop that SV premium hes got another 100$ and go silver but if this exists i may go for this. Dat neck.


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## Alphanumeric (Dec 8, 2013)

Why did they have to shoehorn the middle pickup in there >.< It would be beaut otherwise "yeah man I love it when that thing in the middle I never use gets in the way of my pick and makes the body look like a traffic jam".


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## nicktao (Dec 8, 2013)

Tree said:


> Am I the only one that thinks that the top on this model looks really cheap, and out of place?
> It reminds me of the tops on a few of their older, lower end models:



Yes. 

Would it be feasible to import it?


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## Pat_tct (Dec 9, 2013)

played the new RG in a local shop.
It played so great.
This could be my fav RG in a while if only i could afford it right now.


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## shanejohnson02 (Dec 9, 2013)

Tree said:


> Am I the only one that thinks that the top on this model looks really cheap, and out of place?
> It reminds me of the tops on a few of their older, lower end models:



As cheap as those were, I actually really liked the different grain on those cinnamon-top guitars. I wanted to snag one and throw a black pickguard and cream pickups on it to make a shredder SRV strat clone.

Back OT: Yay new Ibanez, boo not being sold here.


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