What Finish is on this 3120?

[hindlewind]

My first thought was VV but isn't it a bit too brown...I thought Vintage Violin had a tad more red in it.

what do u think...?



What where was this made?, My friend has one in Natural finish and his says Team J Craft on the neck...Would there be a difference in quality between this and his.

[buddroyce]

That's definitely Vintage Violin. My old RG7CT-VV had the same colour.

[GAZ]

Originally Posted by buddroyce

That's definitely Vintage Violin. My old RG7CT-VV had the same colour.

+1

My RG8270VV is the same. Fire Agate which I have on my RG8470FE has a slightly redder look to it.
It's an older prestige model made in Japan if it doesn't say Team J Craft on it. The same quality and possibly better pups !!! What year is it ?? Nice !!!

[GAZ]

Duh !! Just noticed the pic of the headstock, it's a 2002 model so has PAF Pro in the neck and Tone Zone in the bridge !!! The Team J Craft ones have the Dimarzio/IBZ pups which are ok, but not as good !!

[hindlewind]

Hi Guys,

I says F02 on the headstock so i think it's from 2002.

It is brand new, not a single scratch, ding on it.

I bought it from someone in france for quite alot of money, VV in that condition is rare though, so well worth it.

1,010 euros delivered. So about £800-£850.

Not totally unreasonable though.

[hindlewind]

I don't really play metal, I love it but it's not what i play,

Im into heavy psyche.

I use a Soldano sl60 with a fender tonemaster 4x12, but i've never played something as nice as the 3120 so i had to have one...

I'm planning on putting Fender HB-1 humbuckers on it, (hopefully no body modding is required)

I hope my plan doesn't sound disasterous, i want the playability of the 3120 with the thick, tight deep bluesy tone.

My point is, I'll be selling the pickups if anyones interested!

[Takin' a Ride]

Definitely a VV, you can see the subtle burst around the edges. Also bear in mind that every VV has a slightly different look to it. Another thing is that most of the VV's you see are on J Customs, which seem to be a bit higher end guitar and possible use higher grade flame maple and perhaps more involved finishing steps.

[fretboardpyro]

"What where was this made?, My friend has one in Natural finish and his says Team J Craft on the neck...Would there be a difference in quality between this and his."

your friend is deluded! that its a fine machine, i own one but in blue. the earlier prestige's are way better, they are more than a good neck with an average body and electrics attatched like they seem to be now. the new prestiges can be had for £400 odd quid up where as back in the day an ibanez prestige was £6-700 up these retailing at about £1100 quid! a hell of a guitar! this one will do jpm better than i jpm (which i own) mahogony body,tone zone on the bridge, paf pro (replaced mine for an air norton) on the neck. again just for the record.... your friend is deluded!

oh btw dont get rid of the pups, the paf pro aint that hot (just a modded gibbo clone bucker) and neither is the tone zone really, try backing off the volume a touch and backing the tone of to null the trebles a bit, or if you are feling really adventurous put the paf pro in the bridge and then change the neck to a dimarzio ej custom! that'll fix those blues!

[GAZ]

The newer prestiges are built slightly better, the pups aren't as popular though and you won't find a 3120 equivalent for £400 either ! I think you're behind the times with the pricing of the high end Prestiges. I won't even comment on your last paragraph ?!!?

[fretboardpyro]

Originally Posted by GAZ

The newer prestiges are built slightly better, the pups aren't as popular though and you won't find a 3120 equivalent for £400 either ! I think you're behind the times with the pricing of the high end Prestiges. I won't even comment on your last paragraph ?!!?

sorry if you have a problem with my opinion, but i would suggest you read it again as you clearly seem to think that i said you can get a 3120 equivelant for £400, which i didn't say. If you have any doubts about the pickup's a PAF is origionally a gibson humbucker so named due to the "patent applied for" moniker on the back of the origional 50's items. As for the TZ, evh's pickup was a PAF and given that was the starting point for the TZ. If you are doubting the eric johnson custom pickup for a blues guitar, maybe you should consider telling eric johnson this!
On a final note, the qualility of the later prestiges "I" wouldn't consider to be as good as the earlier ones. E.g the rg550 (now the 1550 prestige) was never a prestige model in its previous guise, so why now when it's virtually the same guitar, the 570 is also a point in case. The 1570 is a crafted neck with a very average body attatched (sorry to any one that has one). Without prejudice there is also the trem's that need trem post mods, that you need for them to remain in tune, although i will admit the more modern take on the lo-pro edge is really nice. For the last 12 years i've been using ibanez guitars starting with an rg550 and finally ending up with today a jpm100p2, js1000btb, rg3120 amongst the rest that aren't ibz are a wolfgang special us, epiphone les paul bullseye and a home made evh frankenstein. out of all of them the jpm is the best "player" and as such is my gigging axe, with the 3020 being a close second and the epi being my drop tune machine. I would maybe suggest instead of flaming someone that maybe you should find some facts to back your claims. As not so long ago i chose the 3120 for its similarities to the much reverred jpm after trying many ibz prestige models in all price ranges even as far as trying an ebmmjp and the mmjp-fr1 which i should have found suitable. Your comment isn't really a constructive one, its more an underhanded pop at someone thats trying to help another member of the forum, with the community spirit that forums are intended to provide.

[GAZ]

Well, I'm sorry you have a problem with my opinion too. The Prestige necks are way superior to the non prestige ones. Fact. Like I said other than the pups, the quality and finishing is more consistent on the newer production guitars. They're not 'way better' but there is a noticable difference. Check out Ibanez Rules above ^ I have 4 Edge Pro equipped guitars and I can tell you now that they don't need any mods to stay in tune perfectly. And they're gigged every weekend.
I have never heard anyone recommend backing off the tone and nulling the treble on a Tone Zone pup either. I do agree that the paf pro would make a good medium power bridge pup though.

[fretboardpyro]

sorry gaz had a bit of a cob on when i last posted, tz although dimarzio will say its hot ,its not all that hot. to describe it is its got a "scooped sound used as a bridge pup. with the tone backed off some it rounds out well but still does the pick squeel thing. Rather famously it was designed for evh's axis but never made it as evh knocked it back. it does go lovely and thick though and isn't a bad pup at all. As a blues setup though, i would heartily recommend the eric johnson custom as used by my one of my buddies in the bridge then shift the the paf into the neck as it will soften the eq. Or for a lush blues setup the EJ custom set, which will give a hot rodded guitar blues sound ala robbin ford (or should)! Doesn't some one also do a retrofit p90 for a bucker sized cavity these days? Anyone? That would be the mutts for a bluesey axe!