IBANEZ 2013 (who has the inside scoop)

[Takin' a Ride]

I had the chance to check out a Premium Jem and a Premium RG920 while at Rich's house recently. They just aren't the same. I'll leave it at that.

Everyone is making the mistake of assuming that MIJ prices are set in stone and will always increase. Prices have come down dramatically before. It has nothing to do with the company and everything to do with the currency.

The worst it ever got was 1995, which you may remember as the death of a lot of higher end models. The best it's been was 1999-01, which is when the big price reset occurred and when you may remember there was the introduction of some great higher end models like the RG3120. The currency has been hovering a few percentage points above 1995 levels for a few years now.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by mike570

Guitars are sold in a market. Market pricing applies. I wonder how many guitars Ibanez is selling these days jacking up prices like crazy. Maybe I'm wrong as they seem to think they have the power to push them up far past many of their competitors.
You can't escape economic realities.

3000 series neck? I was talking about Premiums being priced $800-900.

Market pricing may apply if all things were equal, I don't know if they are or not, but I do know there are price increases coming again. Ibanez is in the business to make a profit and if they have to continue to raise prices to be able to do so then I'm sure they're less concerned about what the rest of the market is doing. Or to rephraise, I'm sure they are concerned about where their pricing lies in the market, but they still have to turn a profit which will over ride that concern.

[mike570]

You can not care what your competition is doing right up to the point that they eat your lunch. I know Ibanez has to make a profit but at some point prolonged price increases makes the customer walk away. I have. I don't think I'll buy a new MIJ model until prices come down. I'll buy used until they do. I am a sucker for Ibanez and don't imagine I'd ever switch brands.
I guess Premiums aren't so bad at $800-900 but rethinking my earlier posts I don't see why you can't give the customer what they want at that price. I like the Premium neck profile myself and don't know if a super wizard Premium is feasable. Put in Original Edge on all Premiums and I imagine a lot of the trash talk would subside.
Again, just my opinion on options and quality.
People walking away on higher price is pretty much fact.

[Rich]

They offer something in all price ranges right down to under $200. But if you want MIJ you'll have to pay more for it. It's just the way it is.

[63Blazer]

Originally Posted by mike570

You can not care what your competition is doing right up to the point that they eat your lunch. I know Ibanez has to make a profit but at some point prolonged price increases makes the customer walk away. I have. I don't think I'll buy a new MIJ model until prices come down. I'll buy used until they do. I am a sucker for Ibanez and don't imagine I'd ever switch brands.
I guess Premiums aren't so bad at $800-900 but rethinking my earlier posts I don't see why you can't give the customer what they want at that price. I like the Premium neck profile myself and don't know if a super wizard Premium is feasable. Put in Original Edge on all Premiums and I imagine a lot of the trash talk would subside.
Again, just my opinion on options and quality.
People walking away on higher price is pretty much fact.

This is so true and we are in 2013 and from all accounts still being in soft economic times, this year's catalog will be key for Ibanez. I can't think of a more important time to lower prices and/or offer higher quality for the dollar than this year.

I was out to get a main gigging guitar and my choices were Fender Am. Std. strat, RG, SG Studio, and the ESP/LTD. The most expensive pro-level option at the time was the Ibanez RG and S guitars. I walked away from Ibanez and got the ESP/LTD Viper for hundreds less than a comparable mid-line RG. And when I did this we were still in pretty good economic times.

Besides the competition and the pressure from there, we are five years into the economic collapse and Ibanez will be hurting if they don't get that fully pro option available for $800-$900 like you say. As we are screwing around hoping for that guitar, Gibson has the faded Les Paul Studio which can get it done on all levels and Fender has the American Special Stratocaster and Telecaster, all being less than $800 dollars street price.

[mike570]

Even as the Yen is getting better at $86 currently you won't see prices come down on MIJ stuff anytime soon. Two years at a minimum, I'm guessing, if ever.
On a positive note that Premium Timmons looks sharp.

[taracatac]

I saw on another forum the LTD Elites are $1500. This will likely push the Esp standard to $2000 which makes them competitive to Ibanez MIJ except for high end prestige and J custom

[Stealthtastic]

Originally Posted by Hind

As I can see at Gearhounds the Japanese-built ESP/LTD-chimera MII-Elite is listed with 2520 $, correct? That's quite a bunch of Benjamins above the list price for the Indonesian-made Ibanez guitars.

Thats not the correct price, they are actually around $1500.

[Hind]

Originally Posted by Stealthtastic

Thats not the correct price, they are actually around $1500.

Now you're mixing up list price and street price.

[ironfistx]

So... RG331M in orange in US?

[Takin' a Ride]

It's pretty laughable that people are comparing LTD to MIJ Ibanez and calling is a "pro level" instrument. Compare an ESP to a MIJ Ibanez. The only difference is that ESP has had much longer to market their LTD brand and convince people to buy it. They have the same down market compromises compared with an ESP that Premium has compared with Prestige.

[Sean777]

Originally Posted by ironfistx

So... RG331M in orange in US?

Looks like just yellow, which sucks for the US guys

[RGTFanatic]

Originally Posted by Hind

Lots of speculations around here. Has anybody seen or even compared the mentioned Ibanez prices to the 2013 price lists of ESP/LTD, Schecter or Jackson? Go ahead, then we'll talk!

Didn't need to compare prices.......... I compared guitars.

LTD and Schecter offer me nothing that I like to play........ not that I haven't tried. The C1 classic is a beautiful instrument...... The LTD elite MII looks great, but at $1500 I want a German OFR....not an LFR as per usual on LTD's

ESP and Jackson both have fabulous offerings but only in the $2k plus range. The MII ntb is a killer as is the Jackson SL-1 but at $1900 for the MII (only available in bk) and the Jackson SL-1 starting at $2500..they're out of contention for me. I also tried VERY hard to fall in love with an SL-3 (pro series) when they were out, but they were all big POS's!!! and being NTB their neck issues could be fixed.

[taracatac]

Originally Posted by Takin' a Ride

It's pretty laughable that people are comparing LTD to MIJ Ibanez and calling is a "pro level" instrument. Compare an ESP to a MIJ Ibanez. The only difference is that ESP has had much longer to market their LTD brand and convince people to buy it. They have the same down market compromises compared with an ESP that Premium has compared with Prestige.

The new LTD Elite is MIJ

[nathan80]

Originally Posted by silverctr

At that price it should say ESP on the headstock.

I noticed that myself the other night on the prices of the elite ltd on gearhound.. Your right for that price might as well get a esp,,,,but hold on,, what this going to do to the standard esp line's prices......yeah thats right bad stuff man and at this point not only is this sh*t a freaking joke but I see a lot of new schecter or other guitar brand fans in the future!! Come on guitar manufactures (not all of them) in a bad economy your suppose to make good stuff affordable not slap new titles on crap then raise the price. Sorry for the rant, but for that price Im going to buy a jem or that les paul I have been wanting for years and I know it will hold its value as opposed to the later.