Finally pulled the trigger (Ibanez content)

[devastone]

Re: Finally pulled the trigger (Ibanez content)

Yes, the MIJ Ibanezes are great, I've never played an MII one, I do have a MIK Ibz bass that is really nice.

The RG 550/560/570 are all great guitars; especially if you grab a Japanese one. Congrats and enjoy!

All the 500 series are MIJ with the exception of a re-issue 560(?) that they did a few years ago (IIRC). I think they have done away with the "500" series now and they are 15XX and 17XX series. I think all the 80s models were MIJ at Fujigen, I don't think they had any other factories in those days.

 

[BartOfDarkness]

Re: Finally pulled the trigger (Ibanez content)

Nice. I've never had/played a mega. What's your opinion on how it compares to an X2N,,,,,or is it a hotter crunchlab?

This will be my first time using a Megadrive, so I can't comment on it yet, but it's more commonly compared to a steve special, though it's not supposed to be as scooped. I've also read that it's an X2N PAF Pro hybrid, but I don't know if that's true. I do know that Tony Macalpine got some sweet shred tones out of it and at some point Kerry King had one.

Nice score. You have more generous coworkers than I do! That was made during a golden age for MIJ Ibanez shredders.

I've been casually keeping an eye out for an unmolested bone stock RG770 for years in either black or laser blue. A lot of people tend to like to do cheesey cosmetic things to them, and people don't coddle them like they would a LP or PRS, so many are poorly kept. I wanted one so badly when I was starting out, but they were a bit expensive for me then when new. So I started my MIJ Charvel quest, which I have now completed except for the mighty 750 XL.

Make sure to report back after you get the new pickups in!

Hopefully you won't consider the pickgaurd I'm adding to be a cheesy cosmetic addition haha. I would have loved to get a 760, but I couldn't even find one for sale. Aside from the binding and shark tooth inlays, is there a big difference between a 570 and 770? It's funny that you mention MIJ Charvels, because I was actually torn between buying the 560 and a fusion special.

Yes, the MIJ Ibanezes are great, I've never played an MII one, I do have a MIK Ibz bass that is really nice.

There's something about the necks on the indonesian ones that make my fretting hand cramp. I always thought it was how thin they were but the original wizard neck is a little thinner and I don't have the same problem.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Finally pulled the trigger (Ibanez content)

Hopefully you won't consider the pickgaurd I'm adding to be a cheesy cosmetic addition haha. I would have loved to get a 760, but I couldn't even find one for sale. Aside from the binding and shark tooth inlays, is there a big difference between a 570 and 770? It's funny that you mention MIJ Charvels, because I was actually torn between buying the 560 and a fusion special.

Please don't do pink or pokemon, or anime, etc...... :guilty:

The 770 is clearly the top of the RG range and ahead of the 500s. The 770s weren't far behind the JEMs. When I was a kid, I remember feeling sick because I couldn't afford a guitar with shark fin or shark tooth inlays, LOL. I thought dot inlays were so boring. My first very good guitar was a MIJ Charvel 475 with the much-coveted mother of pearl sharkfin inlays. I still have it, plus another 475. I prefer the slightly beefier Charvel necks to the Ibanez Wizard, although the Ibanez is still plenty comfy for me. The main factor in me getting the Charvel first is the fact that they were used and available in my locale, whereas the 770s were only available new and out of my price range at the time.

It's funny, I bought my 475 from a small, snobby guitar shop where the owners thought anything other than a traditional guitar or PRS, etc, was a "throw away kid's guitar". And in 1992 Grunge starting plunging the knife deep into the heart of metal, so such guitars were instantly "uncool" overnight. I can't say enough how much peer pressure there was to embrace Strats, LPs, Teles, etc, but NOT '80s shredders. It was practically a felony to even play a metal guitar solo until about 1998. I didn't care, because I got the 475 in mint condition for $335!!!! The new 770s back then were selling at more like $800, although they died off when metal was no longer fashionable. It was a depressing time, because the MIJ Jackson Pros were also replaced by a vastly inferior and downmarket XL line also. It was tough to get people to shell out big bucks for anything associated with metal at that time.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: Finally pulled the trigger (Ibanez content)

The 770DX I think is just different in cosmetics, with clear pickguard and sharktooth inlays (which I think is a ripoff of Charvel/ Jackson but still pretty cool. Alex Scolnick played one).

The 550 and 560 were reissued 3 years ago as Genesis collection, but Japan only. Everything is cool except the square heel. If you are used to AANJ you'll surely hate it.