your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige's?

[pro-fusion]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

I have the predecessor to the RG1620x, the non-Prestige RG620x, which has the Double Edge bridge w/piezos. I love that guitar--the piezos work great, and it's the only Floyd-with-piezos option out there, as far as I know. Unfortunately, mine needed a little remedial fretwork even though I bought it NOS. Now that that is fixed, my 620x is a really cool instrument.

Apart from the change to a piezo-version of the new EdgePro bridge and pickups screwed into the body, the 1620x appears to be exactly like the old 620x. I recommend it highly.

I admit, I used to make fun of Ibanez, but the Japanese guitars are really cool. I've also got an RG7620 7-string guitar that is a great instrument.

[jgcable]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

The RG7620 and the 7621 are both great 7's. I am partial to the USRG Dave Bunker Ibanez's and of course my favorite of all time the S540 Saber. I have yet to play an S540 that I haven't loved. Perfect balance, super light, great pickup options, great switching etc.. I have a 540pro that is to DIE for. Sharks, fully bound neck, EMG's, S/S/H with the Low Pro Edge and a factory tremsetter. Guitars really don't get much better than this one IMHO. I have several of them. BTW... where the heck were you when I was looking for a Variax!!

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

I wish Ibanez had a larger variety of fixed bridge guitars. They make some nice stuff in their prestige line.

[pro-fusion]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

The rumor is out there of a fixed-bridge JEM coming in the near future. Don't know if that's blarney or what.

[jgcable]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

Actually, any Ibanez with a serial # starting with an F is worth checking out. Ibanez Japan really puts out nice guitars. The RG550 is probably one of the nicest super strats ever mass produced.

[JonnyJobe]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
The RG550 is probably one of the nicest super strats ever mass produced.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll attest to that. Just went down the my local guitar shop, and played the hell out of one today. Very very comfortable neck. Love that maple fingerboard. PLus it was PINK! I may get it because I'm going through a huge Paul Gilbert phase at the moment. BTW, they had $350 on it. Think that would be a good deal?

[guitar geek]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
Killer fit and finish (and I don't mean some of them.. I mean all of them). I have yet to find one that wasn't factory perfect. Ibanez Japan really has their **** together and has for many years now.
Oh yea.. don't let anybody give you any **** regarding basswood.

[/ QUOTE ]

I consider myself quite experienced in the basswood ibanez kind of guitars, played a lot of them and one in particulary, namely my very own ibanez JPM, which I sold 2 month ago to get another charvel.

Most ibanez guitars that I stumbled upon factory set up were horrible, played a RGT2020, which I considered to be a nice looking with great specs guitar, played like crap. ok, most likely after I would have given it a set up, the guitar would most likely rock.
lets talk basswood. first, there is basswood and basswood. My ibanez JPM was made of basswood. I played an EBMM JPM as well, baswood again, and the difference was STUNNING. the ibanez sounds like a cartboard guitar compared to the EBMM. It is something all basswood ibanez guitars suffer from. I recorded a lick with my Ibanez and with my charvel model 6, same settings (shame I deleted it) and same bridge PU (steves special). the ibanez sounded like a cheap entry level guitar compared to the 6.
I think basswood is not bad, but somehow in the ibanez guitars it does not work; no tone and no sustain.
playbility is superb, no complaints there, because THAT is what they do, but that is all

harrald

[pro-fusion]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
Just went down the my local guitar shop, and played the hell out of one today. Very very comfortable neck. Love that maple fingerboard. PLus it was PINK! I may get it because I'm going through a huge Paul Gilbert phase at the moment. BTW, they had $350 on it. Think that would be a good deal?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not excessively high, but I wouldn't call it a "good deal." You can get RG5 series guitars on eBay for under $300.

I would see if they would go down to at least $300. Pink guitars with maple boards aren't exactly flying off the shelves these days... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[pro-fusion]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
I think basswood is not bad, but somehow in the ibanez guitars it does not work; no tone and no sustain.
playbility is superb, no complaints there, because THAT is what they do, but that is all

[/ QUOTE ]

There seems to be a lot of variation in how basswood Ibanez guitars sound. I have two, an RG620x and an RG7620, and they sound dramatically different, even when unplugged. I think you have to play a bunch of them in order to find the one that sounds right for you. My 620x is an absolutely amazing sounding guitar--it sings as nicely as any JEM I've ever played.

[JonnyJobe]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
Pink guitars with maple boards aren't exactly flying off the shelves these days... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Hehe, good point. Sometimes I forget where society is these days. I think its from hanging around the JCF for so long, where folks still think pink guitars are cool.

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

Does anybody have any pictures of these guitars?

[vwall]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
looks great priest, but i think im interested in a new one with the Edge PRo bridge. Possibly the double edge, Id like the Piezo if I decide to ditch my Variax (which I pretty much think I'll do)


[/ QUOTE ]

Bro, the thinking on the Edge Pro is a little whacked IMO.
The new Edge Pro and Edge Pro II trems are terrible!
(granted the Edge Pro is much better)
Being an Ibanez repair center among other things, I have had many of the new systems in for saddle replacements and trem arm holder replacements.
Plus, if you get an Ibanez with one of these new trems on it, you wont be able to retrofit it with an Edge or Lo pro Edge or even OFR for that matter as the routes are all different...

I personally highly favor the Edge Lo Pro over every trem system on the planet.. Of course the OFR is right there too for me but I specifically like the way the arm inserts and the angle of it... One of these days Im gonna get the time to pop out the arm holder from a Floyd and put in an Edge holder..
I breifly looked into it out a few weeks back and it looks like it can be done with some drilling and poss some other work...

Also, the double Edge Lo Pro with the LR Baggs is a great
system. I have one on an Ibanez Prestige Mahogany S2020X
Actually, Im selling that as I never play it. Its minty if you're intersted.
Pics and stuff afre on my used gear page:
Used Gear Click here

Well, I hope this info has enlightened
you on your decision.

Rock on!

[img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[pro-fusion]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

I've read mixed reviews on the EdgePro bridges. Some people seem to think they are just fine.

However, Ibanez apparently cut a lot of corners in the new design--no locking studs (which the Edge adn Lo Pro had), and the trems are now made out of an alloy, rather than the hardened steel the old ones were made from. The new softer material is why they have steel saddles. And the locking stud design is one of the best features of the old bridges, as it makes the tuning more stable and prevents wear on the routs on the softer basswood bodies.

I haven't owned a guitar with the new bridge yet, but the reports of problems have kept me going with used or NOS guitars with the older bridges. I think Ibanez is really going to regret changing the design. Supposedly they had to redo the tooling for their bridges, as the dies for the old ones were wearing out--causing more defective parts--but they could have just stuck with the tried-and-tested design. But they'll probably save a few cents per bridge with the new one. And lose lots of sales to used guitars. Go figure.

[jgcable]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

I love the Low Pro. It is on my USRG20TP. I believe my S540Pro has the same bridge on it too. It is impossible to get those guitars to go even a cent out of tune no matter how much I wank away.

[JonnyJobe]

Re: your thoughts on the new Ibanez Prestige\'s?

At the Dallas Guitar Show I went to this March, Joe Satriani was showing his new JS1200 and said he didn't even like the new bridges on the new Ibanez's either, so the guitar he was playing still had the old trem on it.