Ibanez 2022 discussion.

[Alberto7]

Ibanez Instagram making this GIO look T E M P T I N G:

View attachment 102047

Indeed. As a project guitar, this is delicious.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Ibanez is just a little late to the party as far as trying to boost the image of their lower end brands.

After Gibson and Fender have successfully boosted Epiphone and Squire, Jackson is pumping up the JS models, and now LTD is working on the 200 series, with Ibanez putting more effort into the Gio line.

It's smart.

Gotta grab some market from the no-name stuff.

 

[DiezelMonster]

If you don't want to post publicly, can you PM the name of the store? I'd love to check out more modern Ibanez stuff once anything's in!

I'll pm you

 

[DiezelMonster]

Only slightly worse now that Efkay is no longer the distributor for Canada.

I've actually had better results with Hoshino USA than dealing with Efkay, Howard, the owner was incredibly difficult to get along with, it took a little over 10 of the 20 years I've worked here before we had a decent relationship. The rep Ray Auld however was a saint, but he has passed away and there is a new rep that is really seasoned as he worked for a different company before but he often has NO idea what is happening and my staff and I are always 10 steps ahead haha.

 

[gaspoweredteeth]

I've actually had better results with Hoshino USA than dealing with Efkay, Howard, the owner was incredibly difficult to get along with, it took a little over 10 of the 20 years I've worked here before we had a decent relationship. The rep Ray Auld however was a saint, but he has passed away and there is a new rep that is really seasoned as he worked for a different company before but he often has NO idea what is happening and my staff and I are always 10 steps ahead haha.

I would describe Howard as prickly. Only ever talked to him a couple times. I've dealt mostly with a guy named Mike. Seems like a decent guy. But Efkay has been notoriously slow the past 20+ years I've been in the Ibanez game.

 

[gaspoweredteeth]

 

[thomas.reuter]

Evertune M80M / FTM33 please

 

[Stiman]

Anyone else think it's unfortunate that they use DiMarzio Fusion Edge pickups on Prestiges? I have them in my RGA42HP and I just find them lacking in something... clarity I guess. I don't like to swap out pickups if I don't have to but I think it's a must for these pickups. Anyway, I'd hate to spend $2,500-$3,000 CAD on a Prestige and get Fusion Edge pickups in it and have to spend another ~$300 CAD on replacement pickups.

Maybe some of you like these pickups?

 

[JimF]

I'm used to changing pickups being a must-do that I don't even look what pickups come on a guitar anymore

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Anyone else think it's unfortunate that they use DiMarzio Fusion Edge pickups on Prestiges? I have them in my RGA42HP and I just find them lacking in something... clarity I guess. I don't like to swap out pickups if I don't have to but I think it's a must for these pickups. Anyway, I'd hate to spend $2,500-$3,000 CAD on a Prestige and get Fusion Edge pickups in it and have to spend another ~$300 CAD on replacement pickups.

Maybe some of you like these pickups?

Whatever they put in, most people fussy enough to buy a Prestige (rather than Gio/standard/Iron Label/Axion/Premium) will also be too fussy to keep stock pickups, unless they coincidentally happen to be the ones they would have picked out themselves.

JEMs have "real DiMarzios" but even then a lot more f the Evolutions are swapped out in favour of Evo 2, Breed, PAF Pro etc.

I prefer the DiMarzio/IBZ they used to use, over Fusion Edge, but those wouldn't be my first choice either.

The main downside to me is that Fusion Edge (+ DiMarzio/IBZ) have less resale value than Tone Zone / Air Norton... which I would be equally keen to replace.

BKP Aftermaths (also stick in some Ibanez models) would only be more desirable to me because of the high resale value. I'd happily have BKPs in my guitars, but Aftermaths would not be my choice (I'd prefer Holy Diver, Miracle Man, Painkiller, Nailbomb, depending on how I intend to use the guitar).

Fishman Fluence Moderns are less desirable to me, because I'd not only need to buy new pickups but also redo the wiring for passive.

The perfect situation would be a choice of pickups, but that's the sort of thing people pay custom prices for.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I'm used to changing pickups being a must-do that I don't even look what pickups come on a guitar anymore

I look to see whether the stock pickups are active or passive. I also factor the resale value of the stock pickups I to how much I'm willing to pay for a guitar.

 

[Stiman]

Whatever they put in, most people fussy enough to buy a Prestige (rather than Gio/standard/Iron Label/Axion/Premium) will also be too fussy to keep stock pickups, unless they coincidentally happen to be the ones they would have picked out themselves.

JEMs have "real DiMarzios" but even then a lot more f the Evolutions are swapped out in favour of Evo 2, Breed, PAF Pro etc.

I prefer the DiMarzio/IBZ they used to use, over Fusion Edge, but those wouldn't be my first choice either.

The main downside to me is that Fusion Edge (+ DiMarzio/IBZ) have less resale value than Tone Zone / Air Norton... which I would be equally keen to replace.

BKP Aftermaths (also stick in some Ibanez models) would only be more desirable to me because of the high resale value. I'd happily have BKPs in my guitars, but Aftermaths would not be my choice (I'd prefer Holy Diver, Miracle Man, Painkiller, Nailbomb, depending on how I intend to use the guitar).

Fishman Fluence Moderns are less desirable to me, because I'd not only need to buy new pickups but also redo the wiring for passive.

The perfect situation would be a choice of pickups, but that's the sort of thing people pay custom prices for.

Your point regarding resale is a good one. Which only reinforces the point that they should provide good pickups in Prestiges so people who do change them, can get good money for them.

 

[odibrom]

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/rgrtb621_1p_01.html

Anyone seen this yet? Here, let me give you a fast peek into it...

• Iron Label series
• neckthrough
• hardtail individual bridge - monorail something...
• metal af looking aesthetics
• DiMarzio Fusion edge pickups
• 3 ways switching + "alter switch" = 6 different tones
• @ about 1.1k price tag

PS addendum, there's already a small video of it...

 

[Shredrrr]

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/rgrtb621_1p_01.html

Anyone seen this yet? Here, let me give you a fast peek into it...

• Iron Label series
• neckthrough
• hardtail individual bridge - monorail something...
• metal af looking aesthetics
• DiMarzio Fusion edge pickups
• 3 ways switching + "alter switch" = 6 different tones
• @ about 1.1k price tag

Like it, instant buy if it had stainless steel frets. I like it still but there are other brands and Ibanez models I want to check out first.

 

[Jeffrey Bain]

Ibanez Instagram making this GIO look T E M P T I N G:

View attachment 102047

MMMMMMM baby that would be a fun mod platform. Gio's come in at $199 still?

 

[Alberto7]

Ibanez Instagram making this GIO look T E M P T I N G:

View attachment 102047

MMMMMMM baby that would be a fun mod platform. Gio's come in at $199 still?

299.99 USD
389.99 CAD

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Your point regarding resale is a good one. Which only reinforces the point that they should provide good pickups in Prestiges so people who do change them, can get good money for them.

I don't actually think DiMarzio/IBZ or DiMarzio Fusion Edge are inferior to aftermarket DiMarzio pickups. They just aren't what I want in my guitars...which I would also say of most aftermarket pickups, because I'm fussy.
They are chosen to make a guitar sound appealing to a wide audience when tested out in a store. Relatively versatile for rock and metal, with a decent amount of output but not enough output to scare anyone off (unlike X2N, D Activators, Black Winters etc.) The Tone Zone / True Velvet / Air Norton combo has repeatedly been used by Ibanez for the very same reason and also is routinely swapped out.

The only stock pickups I haven't ever been tempted to replace are the D Activators in my red chameleon XPT700. Niche pickups in a niche guitar shape with a niche finish, but I happened to be amongst the minority of people that it appealed to. I was primarily drawn by the aesthetics, but the "real DiMarzio" pickups helped Ibanez justify bumping up the RRP by circa 50% compared to a comparable RG with cheap stock pickups (i.e. standard line). If I hadn't happened to like the pickups, they would have made it harder for me to justify buying a Xiphos over and RG (which I owned 0 of at the time...now up to 5 hehe).

 

[Neon_Knight_]

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/rgrtb621_1p_01.html

Anyone seen this yet? Here, let me give you a fast peek into it...

• Iron Label series
• neckthrough
• hardtail individual bridge - monorail something...
• metal af looking aesthetics
• DiMarzio Fusion edge pickups
• 3 ways switching + "alter switch" = 6 different tones
• @ about 1.1k price tag

PS addendum, there's already a small video of it...

Looks like an RG version of the Xiphos they released last year.

Does anyone actually like painted necks or are some people just willing to put up with them?

 

[danbox]

Does anyone actually like painted necks or are some people just willing to put up with them?

Gotta ask all the esp owners!

 

[Crash Dandicoot]

Gotta ask all the esp owners!

5 minutes with some 0000 steel wool and masking tape