Ibanez Disappointment

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

I’ve always been a fan of Ibanez guitars and have had a few over the years. Currently, I have an RG470DX that I picked up new a while back when it was on sale for right around $300 bucks. When it arrived, the only issue I noticed was that the jack plate was not connected properly due to one of the screws being set in at a slight angle. No biggie I thought as everything else seemed just fine and I could fill in the hole and reset the screw. I set it up to my liking, added new wiring, pots and pickups. I’ve been playing it a lot as it would become my daily beater so to speak and gave me better access to the higher frets than my single cut guitars. Yesterday I noticed that the frets were looking flat instead of the normal round appearance. So upon closer inspection, they have indeed become more flat. I know it’s a budget type of guitar, but damn, this thing isn’t even a year old yet and the frets look like it’s been a daily player for the last couple of decades. I have a couple of other guitars that are older and have more playing time on them and they still look new. Again, I realize this is a budget guitar, but I expect better quality from Ibanez products regardless of price point and where they are made. I’m guessing it’s a combination of poor quality fret wire along with me digging into it at times for vibrato. I play pretty much like I always have and never seen this kind of wear on any of my guitars. Moving forward, I will have no issue viewing these budget type guitars as disposable products and will give other no name manufacturers the opportunity for my business. Yeah, I get the “you get what you pay for” but I find this unacceptable for a known name brand company to produce a product that will be lucky to survive a year of actual use.

Ok, rant over and thanks for listening…

 

[DrewJD82]

Ibanez used to be my favorite guitar company in the world, but I'd be lying if I said I have zero interest in buying anything new from them at this point, regardless of the price. To get the same quality you got in the 90's you're looking at spending $3500 or more and the QC on the mid-level stuff is all over the place. I'd have no problem with the Premium stuff if they QC matched the level of specs going into the guitars. I've certainly played some great ones, but I've played a hell of a lot more duds.

@-BOOGIEMAN-, I wouldn't even bother getting a re-fret, just look on Ebay or Reverb for a new neck, there's TONS of RG470/350/RG necks on there from people parting out the guitars. Then grab yourself a Gotoh 1996t and that thing will be rockin'!

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

Ibanez used to be my favorite guitar company in the world, but I'd be lying if I said I have zero interest in buying anything new from them at this point, regardless of the price. To get the same quality you got in the 90's you're looking at spending $3500 or more and the QC on the mid-level stuff is all over the place. I'd have no problem with the Premium stuff if they QC matched the level of specs going into the guitars. I've certainly played some great ones, but I've played a hell of a lot more duds.

@-BOOGIEMAN-, I wouldn't even bother getting a re-fret, just look on Ebay or Reverb for a new neck, there's TONS of RG470/350/RG necks on there from people parting out the guitars. Then grab yourself a Gotoh 1996t and that thing will be rockin'!

Yeah, I agree. I’m not gonna sink anymore money into this one unless I can find a deal on a neck. I’m gonna use it up and turn it into some worthless wall art when it can’t be played anymore. Ali express has some necks but just not sure if they will fit. I may reach out to them and see if I can get more info about the ones I’m seeing there. I was really digging the Jiva Jr model, but after seeing how quickly the frets are wearing on this one, I’ll be damned if I’m dropping over $800 bucks with Ibanez.

 

[la szum]

Yikes. I feel ya! My recent purchase of a $2,000 Ibanez Prestige was beyond disappointing.

 

[DrewJD82]

Yeah, I agree. I’m not gonna sink anymore money into this one unless I can find a deal on a neck. I’m gonna use it up and turn it into some worthless wall art when it can’t be played anymore. Ali express has some necks but just not sure if they will fit. I may reach out to them and see if I can get more info about the ones I’m seeing there. I was really digging the Jiva Jr model, but after seeing how quickly the frets are wearing on this one, I’ll be damned if I’m dropping over $800 bucks with Ibanez.

I wouldn't even bother with Ali Express, my guitar tech gets necks off there all the time and then spends a few hours getting them into shape, usually doing a whole fret job on them and straightening the necks out but occasionally he gets a dud he can't do anything with. For the same price or maybe a few bucks more you can snag a legit Ibanez neck on one of the auction sites and not worry about it fitting/not fitting and you can tell by pics what condition the frets are in.

Looking at my Ibanez stuff, the newest one is '05 and I'm surprised the frets are in good condition, they're tiny frets and I've beat the hell out of that guitar. The '99 RG7620 still has excellent frets, I'm guessing the original owner barely played the thing and my JEM had to be re-fretted around the 18-20 year mark, those frets were DONE. So it's all over the place, I can't pinpoint quality over length of time played, the Korean SZ with tiny frets is 17 years old and doesn't need them worked on, the JEM was on it's 2nd level/crown by that point and I played the guitars fairly equally.

 

[la szum]

I am low key shopping for an SZ. Those are just killer guitars all around---in spite of the tiny frets.

Better than anything PRS put out of their SE lineup. Yeah, I said it.

Dave returns Ibanez Prestige for an used SZ and pockets $1600!! Anyone wanna go to the Strip Club!!??

 

[Justincase]

Ibanez used to be my favorite guitar company in the world, but I'd be lying if I said I have zero interest in buying anything new from them at this point, regardless of the price. To get the same quality you got in the 90's you're looking at spending $3500 or more and the QC on the mid-level stuff is all over the place. I'd have no problem with the Premium stuff if they QC matched the level of specs going into the guitars. I've certainly played some great ones, but I've played a hell of a lot more duds.

@-BOOGIEMAN-, I wouldn't even bother getting a re-fret, just look on Ebay or Reverb for a new neck, there's TONS of RG470/350/RG necks on there from people parting out the guitars. Then grab yourself a Gotoh 1996t and that thing will be rockin'!

$3500 your talking signature guitar prices... $3000 is J custom territory....which are both absolutely ridiculous. A killer prestige can be had for around $2000-$2500...and a Genesis for $1000.

They've priced me out of ever buying a new prestige. I'd buy a Genesis or a used Prestige which honestly IMO the laminated 5&3 piece super wizard necks slay the "golden era" Ibanez necks in stability and playability...too much variation in the older necks and they are prone to warping and cracking without the volute they added to the new necks

 

[Justincase]

I’ve always been a fan of Ibanez guitars and have had a few over the years. Currently, I have an RG470DX that I picked up new a while back when it was on sale for right around $300 bucks. When it arrived, the only issue I noticed was that the jack plate was not connected properly due to one of the screws being set in at a slight angle. No biggie I thought as everything else seemed just fine and I could fill in the hole and reset the screw. I set it up to my liking, added new wiring, pots and pickups. I’ve been playing it a lot as it would become my daily beater so to speak and gave me better access to the higher frets than my single cut guitars. Yesterday I noticed that the frets were looking flat instead of the normal round appearance. So upon closer inspection, they have indeed become more flat. I know it’s a budget type of guitar, but damn, this thing isn’t even a year old yet and the frets look like it’s been a daily player for the last couple of decades. I have a couple of other guitars that are older and have more playing time on them and they still look new. Again, I realize this is a budget guitar, but I expect better quality from Ibanez products regardless of price point and where they are made. I’m guessing it’s a combination of poor quality fret wire along with me digging into it at times for vibrato. I play pretty much like I always have and never seen this kind of wear on any of my guitars. Moving forward, I will have no issue viewing these budget type guitars as disposable products and will give other no name manufacturers the opportunity for my business. Yeah, I get the “you get what you pay for” but I find this unacceptable for a known name brand company to produce a product that will be lucky to survive a year of actual use.

Ok, rant over and thanks for listening…

Here's one off a 1999 Korean RG320 for $125....it's also listed on Facebook for $100 so he probably take less. He has the body listed separately.

Ibanez Wizard II neck - Loaded - musical instruments - by owner - sale

Loaded 1999 Korean made Ibanez Wizard II 24 fret neck in great condition. AANJ neck joint. Floyd ready. Frets have light wear with tons of life left. A few typical light string divots on frets 1...

stlouis.craigslist.org

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

Here's one off a 1999 Korean RG320 for $125....it's also listed on Facebook for $100 so he probably take less. He has the body listed separately.

Ibanez Wizard II neck - Loaded - musical instruments - by owner - sale

Loaded 1999 Korean made Ibanez Wizard II 24 fret neck in great condition. AANJ neck joint. Floyd ready. Frets have light wear with tons of life left. A few typical light string divots on frets 1...

stlouis.craigslist.org

Thanks so much for sharing that info. The neck on my humble RG is a wizard lll and has 4 bolt holes. The guitar was purchased through MF and they say they is a 2 year warranty from manufacture defects but not sure if this would qualify so I haven’t called them about it, not mention the guitar is not original as I’ve modded it. I took a long shot and emailed Ibanez and let them know about the excessive fret wear in such a short period of time. I don’t believe I’ll hear back from them or if there is anything they can or will do, but I tried. I know that whenever I contacted ESP for info regarding my LTD they always came through. I appreciate all for the comments and suggestions, it means a lot to me. If anyone does come across a wizard lll neck that is reasonably priced send the info to me and if it makes sense to pick it up, I will. You guys and this forum totally rock!!!

 

[Justincase]

Thanks so much for sharing that info. The neck on my humble RG is a wizard lll and has 4 bolt holes. The guitar was purchased through MF and they say they is a 2 year warranty from manufacture defects but not sure if this would qualify so I haven’t called them about it, not mention the guitar is not original as I’ve modded it. I took a long shot and emailed Ibanez and let them know about the excessive fret wear in such a short period of time. I don’t believe I’ll hear back from them or if there is anything they can or will do, but I tried. I know that whenever I contacted ESP for info regarding my LTD they always came through. I appreciate all for the comments and suggestions, it means a lot to me. If anyone does come across a wizard lll neck that is reasonably priced send the info to me and if it makes sense to pick it up, I will. You guys and this forum totally rock!!!

The center hole is a tooling hole...not a bolt hole. Just fyi. I'm pretty sure the pocket dimensions should work for a wizard 2 as well.

 

[PBGas]

I've gotten 4 Ibby's during this year.
Each and every one of them has been awesome.
No issues and no problems.

 

[Piing]

My #1 since 1994 is still a worn-out RG550LTD. It has surpassed Suhrs, Tom Andersons, Charvels, JEMs, a JS450, and several other expensive axes. The only one that is in pair with it is a J.Custom RG8570CST that I've acquired recently. So I concur with what has already been said: get an old Japanese RG for the best value for money, or a Genesis, or a fine Prestige.

Here is my almighty RG550LTD standing against a TA Drop Top. Nothing wrong with the TA, but it had no added value over the Ibanez. So I decided to sell it for a higher price than what I paid for it, to finance the J.Custom

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

The center hole is a tooling hole...not a bolt hole. Just fyi. I'm pretty sure the pocket dimensions should work for a wizard 2 as well.

Very cool info, didn’t know that. Sending you a pm.

 

[Justincase]

Very cool info, didn’t know that. Sending you a pm.

Looks like wizard 3 vary from 56,57,58mm depending on the year. Here is a chart that lays it all out. I know the older wizard 3 are compatible with wizard 2. Looks like 2011 and newer are not....there would be a .039 gap on each side so that won't work.
https://ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_neck_types

I'd get a cheap caliper and measure your neck pocket before ordering anything online unless it's from an identical guitar.

Sorry for any confusion

 

[JiveTurkey]

My #1 since 1994 is still a worn-out RG550LTD. It has surpassed Suhrs, Tom Andersons, Charvels, JEMs, a JS450, and several other expensive axes. The only one that is in pair with it is a J.Custom RG8570CST that I've acquired recently. So I concur with what has already been said: get an old RG for the best value for money, or a Genesis, or a fine Prestige.

Here is my almighty RG550LTD standing against a TA Drop Top. Nothing wrong with the TA, but it had no added value over the Ibanez. So I decided to sell it for a higher price than what I paid for it, to finance the J.Custom
View attachment 2276

This goddamn RG haunts my sleep! I don't really even dig RGs generally! The GK and purple pickguard don't exactly help my resistance either

 

[la szum]

Thanks so much for sharing that info. The neck on my humble RG is a wizard lll and has 4 bolt holes. The guitar was purchased through MF and they say they is a 2 year warranty from manufacture defects but not sure if this would qualify so I haven’t called them about it, not mention the guitar is not original as I’ve modded it. I took a long shot and emailed Ibanez and let them know about the excessive fret wear in such a short period of time. I don’t believe I’ll hear back from them or if there is anything they can or will do, but I tried. I know that whenever I contacted ESP for info regarding my LTD they always came through. I appreciate all for the comments and suggestions, it means a lot to me. If anyone does come across a wizard lll neck that is reasonably priced send the info to me and if it makes sense to pick it up, I will. You guys and this forum totally rock!!!

They never got back with me about the Prestige. One of their endorsed artists did, though. Weird!

Good luck.

 

[Justincase]

Thanks so much for sharing that info. The neck on my humble RG is a wizard lll and has 4 bolt holes. The guitar was purchased through MF and they say they is a 2 year warranty from manufacture defects but not sure if this would qualify so I haven’t called them about it, not mention the guitar is not original as I’ve modded it. I took a long shot and emailed Ibanez and let them know about the excessive fret wear in such a short period of time. I don’t believe I’ll hear back from them or if there is anything they can or will do, but I tried. I know that whenever I contacted ESP for info regarding my LTD they always came through. I appreciate all for the comments and suggestions, it means a lot to me. If anyone does come across a wizard lll neck that is reasonably priced send the info to me and if it makes sense to pick it up, I will. You guys and this forum totally rock!!!

Here is another candidate from music go around for $60. Again....you have to have them measure it and see if it matches your neck pocket....I've looked everywhere online bro...may just have to keep looking and waiting for the right one to pop up. Screw those assholes on reverb asking $200+ for a fu@king used Indo neck...I'd just buy another guitar if I couldn't get a replacement for $125 or less. Honestly if you really dig Ibanez save up for a used mij Genesis or prestige...you wont regret it.

https://www.musicgoround.com/product/41115-S000092705/used-ibanez-rg270dx-neck

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

Here is another candidate from music go around for $60. Again....you have to have them measure it and see if it matches your neck pocket....I've looked everywhere online bro...may just have to keep looking and waiting for the right one to pop up. Screw those assholes on reverb asking $200+ for a fu@king used Indo neck...I'd just buy another guitar if I couldn't get a replacement for $125 or less. Honestly if you really dig Ibanez save up for a used mij Genesis or prestige...you wont regret it.

https://www.musicgoround.com/product/41115-S000092705/used-ibanez-rg270dx-neck

I confirmed my neck is 58 mm and sent an email to musicgoround to confirm the measurements on the neck in the link you provided. Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

 

[paisleywookiee]

My #1 since 1994 is still a worn-out RG550LTD. It has surpassed Suhrs, Tom Andersons, Charvels, JEMs, a JS450, and several other expensive axes. The only one that is in pair with it is a J.Custom RG8570CST that I've acquired recently. So I concur with what has already been said: get an old Japanese RG for the best value for money, or a Genesis, or a fine Prestige.

Here is my almighty RG550LTD standing against a TA Drop Top. Nothing wrong with the TA, but it had no added value over the Ibanez. So I decided to sell it for a higher price than what I paid for it, to finance the J.Custom
View attachment 2276

GK pickup? Oh yeah guy!

 

[Blix]

This one is pretty all right