Ibanez vs. other superstrats

[vy100]

All of them are good rock axes. My prefered is Ibanez, but there are lots of them I have never tried...

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by dragsternj

over 30 guitars here. above $1k its all the same all nice none crap. i say it doesn't matter. Not even soundwise you hear a difference between a ebmm or a Ibby or a ESP or Charvel.

Yeah I'm with you. I understand there are different tones, but above a certain price I don't think anything sounds bad. So obviously I also think there are different feeling guitars, but above a certain price level there aren't bad feeling guitars.

I'd say that it's above $1700 though not $1000. They are close at $1000 but I've played a few bad Gibsons at that price range. But that's just my opinion.

[Keen Anthony]

I've played many bad Gibsons, too many this year alone. In order to find a Gibson that meets the expectation of quality the name carries, expect to spend over $2K.

I myself stepped away from Charvel and Jackson altogether once I got my RG 20th. My superstrat choice is vintage Kramers -- the only guitars that shipped with an OFR worth owning, none of this screw-in tremolo arm stuff. ;-) But if I wanted a guitar that captures the raw power of a Kramer, I'd go Charvel.

But my RG 20th is superior to any San Dimas. The scalloping, the pickup configuration, the more ergonomic body shape, the Edge tremolo, and most importantly the structurally improved Wizard neck. I still love the San Dimas though as I'm a DeMartini and '80s Gary Moore guy. But any prospective buyer should be aware that the San Dimas was created to be a hot-rodded strat with powerful pickups, better electronics, proper shielding, good hardware, and a shredder's neck that manages to feel like a vintage Strat. If you're a Soloist guy, you might not like the Charvel's feel. Nowadays, people seem to prefer pointier horns and sleeker looking carved tops, so the OP might even consider a Schecter. I've played only 4 ever, but they all were relatively inexpensive and were incredibly well built. They're darker than what I like, but they are quality instruments.

I recommend the OP look at the current RG770 reissue, then try out the new Charvel $1000 San Dimas and SoCal, and then compare those two to the other brands on his list. Any Guitar Center will have at least one Music Man Axis in, though not likely another model.

[OliOli]

Originally Posted by AlkyHauler

thats a wide range of prices too, I consider that heavily when looking at bang for buck, ie, the 20th rg is hard to beat IMO in terms of bang for the buck...

+1

I second that and I have only touched one of my "old" guitars since I bought the 20th. The wizard neck is highly addictive.

I am actually looking for another superstrat as a backup/workhorse...got to have a wizard neck and a maple fretboard, any suggestions???

[Veno]

RG770

[Ibanez-Mag]

This is a tuff question that there really are no answers to.
I mean, ask the question, what a good guitar is and you will get several different answers.
A guitar that is super to one player is crap for another player; we all want different things in our guitars (down to the sound we want, the gear we have around it, what we are used to, what our friends/heroes play, what we like eyes wise and so on).

Take the highest models of, basically, all brands and you get about equally good guitars. Then the rest of it is just taste, non are not really better then the other, just different.
I have played loads of high end boutique guitars and there are bad ones there too.
I have played ridiculously expensive custom shop guitars and they are far from better then anything ells in my normal “high end” Ibanez collection.
I have played a silly expensive PRS that was complete garbage, absolutely no tone or resonance at all.

What you might get is that the chance of getting a good one is bigger among some brands then others. Some are very expensive just because they have a fancy name that most people want.

Really the only thing you could compare is bang for the buck, but first you have to clear what a good guitar really is, and that is very personal thing.

I mean, I have several guitars of the exact same model, and none of them sounds the same, some are okay, some are good and few are fantastic and very, very few are super (all to my taste). The ones I feel are just okay might be the super ones for another player. And it is the same for all brands.

I have played plenty of Suhr, and just like any other brand, some are great and some are just okay.

/Magnus

[bulletbass man]

It's nearly impossible to compare guitars on a mass level.

All brands have thier different quirks. I find it's best to own a variety of guitars so you can use each quirk to it's full advantage. I've always prefered Ibanez (and currently due to money only own Ibanez and Classicals). But I do miss the other guitars I have owned over the years despite them being low end.

In the end the only solution is to buy them all.

[CosmicDebris]

Originally Posted by bulletbass man

In the end the only solution is to buy them all.

Working on it atm

[OliOli]

Originally Posted by Veno

RG770

£1099 for a new RG770??? What are they on?

You can pick 2 or 3 very nice used RGs for this price, or even a J-Custom and have some change to go down the pub...

[stingx]

Well as much as I LOVE my Ibby 1570 it still comes in 2nd to my original '83 Kramer Pacer Imperial. No guitar that I have owned or presently own can take it's place. Now, having said that, I am totally freaked out by the new limited re-makes of the Kramer Pacer that are due out soon...

http://kramerforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25710

[TMatt142]

I'll add to the Kramer bandwagoneers here. I used to have a Kramer KnightSwan and I'll have to say that that guitar really was a monster! Probably the best guitar I've had. Not sure why I ever sold it.....It had great sustain, tone, and a low end that would give satan goose bumps...! Now, I'm a huge Ibby fan (7620 and a 7320 owner) but if I could find another Kramer...perferably a Swan,Pacer, or Baretta, I'd definitely look into it. As far as other "superstrats" I'll take a Washburn N4 as well...

[keitho]

best i ever had was a Larrivee ls4,the same as Kee marcello,it was a Beast.

[Shredder87]

Each to his own. One man's meat is another man's poison. However to me Ibanez RGs are *the*guitar. That's to ME, however; I'm talking from a view of personal taste here.

I have tried many others, but for my liking nothing comes close to an RG. Before I bought my RG2550 I tried a few others, including ESPs, a Jackson DK which I was seriously interested in, even some humbuker-equipped Fender Strat models, all sorts of guitars - however, whenever I tried an RG everything seemed so much better. To my ears the sound was better, the neck was much nicer, quality better etc. Like I say this is from my own point of view.

Probably the main appealing feature on the Ibanez is the neck. For me it's ideal. Jackson necks I always felt were a little too chunky for my liking. The RG neck on the other hand is perfect for me.

I would love to try an old Kramer! Especially a knackered red and white sriped one as played by a certain guitarist

'87

[HeavyMetal4Ever]

My view is that brand names can give you an idea of what to expect in a guitar, but really, the only way you can tell if it will suit you is to play it, preferably through your own rig.

Try and play as many different guitars as you can, over as wide a range of brands and prices as possible, then form your own ideas. Other peoples reviews can be helpful, but remember that they might have very different tastes than you, let alone a different setup, gear, or style.

All that being said, from my experience I agree with the idea that over a certain price point the differences between brands are more about personal preference than quality levels.

Good luck finding your ideal guitar.

Rock on!

[cosmitron]

It's only me and my 2 cents.
But every time I'm looking at other brands "superstrats" I feel like they are 20 years late. Some might look very cool though.
(I'm not talking about reissues. Looking 20 years late may be really cool)
To sum up, the RG is a reference among Superstrats. At least, my personnal reference.
So I won't spend more than 1000$ in something that's not Ibanez anyhow. (we're talking about superstrats I love my Gibsons)