Ibanez Sabre 520X Candy Apple/Jet Blue

[Predator]

Hey guys, I'm new here.. I have a question and a terrible headache!





Does anyone know if this is a new Ibanez model, or an older one which they don't produce anymore?

I suspect it's from the year 2000. Why?:
- CA (Candy Apple), Ibanez stopped making guitars in that color in the year 2000 if I am correct.
- Wizard 2 thin neck, the newer models come with Ultra Wizards and Wizard 3s, not 2s.
- Try a search on the axe, Ibanez S520XCA, not many hits at all.
- I've never seen it! And I mean NEVER! So it must be either old or spanking new!
- It's not in the newest catalogues.

I played one of those guitars (the CA one) 2 days ago. The last one they have left in the store and they're holding it for me for 2 weeks because I don't have the money. Might it be an old model (from 2000) which they don't produce anymore, I'm ****ed!

Do you know anything about this model AT ALL? Please inform me!

[horstausmforst]

Hmm, these non - Lo Profile Double Edges arent around that long. They looks like S620X Guitars to me, in new colors. Neat. Why do you think they have a WizardII neck?? Don't the necks have that dark stripe on the back? The current S necks are the Super Wizard and the Wizard II; and I think the neck is a Super Wizard. Are these V1 and V2 Pickups? Oh, and the serial number on the back of the headstock tells you what year the guitars where made in.

Enough said. So, I'm 99% sure these are S620X guitars made in 2002. And I'm 98% sure these colors will appear in the next catalogue. Go get them both

[Predator]

Dude, I'm sure of my case... It is NOT a 620X, I know the 620X and it's different.

But I WILL check the fricken serialnumber, nice tip.. Me outta here!

And, it is a Wizard 2, I know for sure aswell. My former guitar TUTOR/GOD has a Wizard 2 neck on his custom made Sabre aswell, the exact same one.. Only it was made 13 years ago!

[spacenuke]

Originally Posted by Predator

And, it is a Wizard 2, I know for sure aswell. My former guitar TUTOR/GOD has a Wizard 2 neck on his custom made Sabre aswell, the exact same one.. Only it was made 13 years ago!

Wizard 2 necks didn't exist 13 years ago.

[darren wilson]

What year were those silly wavy inlays introduced?

[spacenuke]

you can also try getting help from Ibanez. I'm not sure how long it takes for them to get back to you since I've never used this service.

http://www.ibanez.com/support/faq.asp#oldmodels

[horstausmforst]

Originally Posted by Predator

Dude, I'm sure of my case... It is NOT a 620X, I know the 620X and it's different.

No offense, but what do you mean by 'different'?
And, is there a dark stripe on the back of the neck?

[Predator]

About the dark stripe, there is a dark stripe on the back, a pretty fat one actually. I haven't checked the serialnumber yet, but I did on my GRX40CA and it says: |7121907 How do I get a year or date from that? Please explain!

The main difference between the 620X and the 520X is that they have different necks (620X=Super Wizard, 520X=Wizard 2). I've both played them and I didn't like the 620X that much, I don't know why. Besides, it comes in different colors, I don't like the colors of the 620X. And in the shop it said 520X on the guitar aswell as in their computersystem. So it IS a 520, not a 620!!! I'm certain of that, also because I asked if they had any more of those guitars as the 520XCA was the only one hanging there. The answer was that they still had a Jet Blue (520XJB as in the pic above) in the back of the store. When I came home and searched, I only found those two here: http://www.stepup.it/Prodotti/Ibanez/2001/2001alfa.htm So, it must be the 520!

About my former guitar tutor's axe, it's custom made, 13 years old he told me. He bought it about 9 years ago, spanking new, never used. Later on he strapped one of those Roland synths on it and BOOM! One of the greatest axes I know.
I don't know for sure if it's a Wizard 2 on his axe, but it's the only neck I know that is so damn thin that I guess I just asumed it. Because the neck on his guitar is also about 17 or 19mm thin. Maybe it's because it was custom made (as it says in an inlay on one of the top frets), sometimes you can get that luxury earlier y'know?

Anywaze, thanks for the help/comments. I'll do a search on how to check serialnumbers for date/year!
If you still know anything that could be of any help, please write it down!

[darren wilson]

Do a forum search for "Custom Made plaque" and you'll learn that your guitar tutor's "Custom Made" S series is a run-of-the-mill production model.

[horstausmforst]

Originally Posted by Predator

I don't know for sure if it's a Wizard 2 on his axe, but it's the only neck I know that is so damn thin that I guess I just asumed it.

You're aware that the Wizard and Super Wizard necks are THINNER than the Wizard II? The Wizard II is only used on lower end Models, like the S370.
Also, the dark stripe I asked you about identifies the neck clearly as a Super Wizard.

Originally Posted by Predator

Maybe it's because it was custom made (as it says in an inlay on one of the top frets)

Sounds like a stock S540 to me. They had the custom made inlays although there are totally stock guitars (Which doesn't mean they aren't great guitars anyway). But that's another topic.



That IS a 620X on the pics. Just because of one shop mislabeling it doesn't mean there is a 520X . According to Ibanez.com, a 520X never existed. You arent talking about a 520EX?? Did the guitars in the shop have the piezos or not?

[Predator]

You're right! They were run-of-the-mill models... My tutor once told me that maybe 500 of those Sabre models like his were made. For some reason it says custom made on the 20th or 21st fret inlayed, though. But like you say, great guitars. His is in a very dark purple color. I'll try to get a pic of it for you guys, because the thing looks great!

It's no EX but it's an X, it has the piezos - as you can also see by the two output plugs, a little switch, a button and three knobs instead of two. It's a 520X to be precise (once again)... There's no mislabeling on that axe! I'm sure of it! The 620X doesn't even come in Jet Blue or Candy Apple. Do a websearch on Ibanez S620XCA or JB and you'll find nothing! The 620X comes in Wallnut Flat and Galaxy Black. The shop had the axe only in Candy Apple and Jet Blue colors... When I searched, I only found the 520XCA and JB on that Italian site. IT IS NO 620X!!!! This makes me think.. Maybe I can get more data via that Italian site!? It says the model is new, in Italian of course (nuovi means new)... But who knows how old that site might be!?

By the way, the country versions of Ibanez.com differ. According to the Dutch Ibanez.com, they 620X doesn't excist! :P Yet still, they have it in the shops!

And about that neck, if you say so, it's a Super Wizard then... Differs only two milimeters I just checked that on the site. So it's well possible I couldn't have felt or seen that, still weird that the Ultra Wizard on the S2120X is so fat... Still plays 'okay' though.

Anywayz, here's the serialnumber: F0136579 Anyone of you guys know how to check it for date?

Wait a minute... I think I just found out... Take a look at the URL from that Italian site: "...Prodotti/Ibanez/2001..." It says 2001 in the middle! Whoops! Well, now I know for sure I guess...

[Predator]

Interesting, I have found out what the serialnumber F0136579 stands for.
The F, stands for: Factory designation. (Whatever the hell that means!)
The next one or two numbers 01, stand for the year (at least for all the post 1987 made guitars), respectively 2001 on the guitar I played. So if it would just say 7, it would've been made in 1987.
And finally, 36579, is the production number. The guitar I played was the 36579th guitar (of that particular model?), made in the year 2001.

I found this information here: http://www.tokairegistry.com/axedate.html#ibanez

But! The serialnumber on my own guitar is weird then, I7121907... But then again, it's an Ibanez Gio so that would explain it I think!

[horstausmforst]

Actually, the F stands for the Fujigen Factory in Japan. All mid- and upperclass Ibanezes are being made there, while the lower-end models have a C for Korea, I think.

You can also find the exact exaplanation somewhere here on jemsite, but I'm too lazy to search now

Hmm, that's indeed a weird serial number you got on your GIO. Anyone else have a clue on this??

Yeah, I saw that the guitars on the pics have the piezos, my guess was just that the guitar in the shop didn't have them.. ok!! (btw, I still think it's a 620X , but everyone has the right for having his own opinion :P )

About the local differences on Ibanez.com: I know! That's why I looked on the US, Dutch, Italian and Japanese page, hehe.

Oh, and about the fat ultra neck on the 2120X: Thinner isn't always better, well, for me at least. Thin necks are good when I'm playing shred stuff and thick ones for the more.. umm.. 'classical' stuff. Plus, thicker necks are good for better tone and sustain, which is pretty good when playing with the Piezos.

[Predator]

Yeah, thicker necks aren't always better. It's from what I've noticed while playing this guitar. The 2120X sounds better because of the QM pickups and EQ-dial, but also because of the neck of course.
But that guitar is just way too expensive for me to buy now (costing around €1299,-). Since I know that Ibanez won't be discontinuing that guitar for at least a few years, it gives me enough time to save money for it to buy it one day. The model is still evolving anyways, next year there will be a far better or more beautiful 2220X I guess. But I will buy the top model S once, I just feel like I need to!

I always wanted the 2120X, up until I played the 520X. I'll go for the 520X because of the color and the comfort. The price/quality combination (around €799,- for all of that!) is also truly wicked! It plays better than the 2120X in my opinion, and it looks better aswell even though I like the charming and warm Antique Violin color of the 2120X. Candy Apple is just my favorite guitar or car color! Just, a damn fricken SEXY BEAST!

The sound is a little bit less of course, but I guess that after a few years of playing on it, I can put the QM pickups in and it'll sound quite the same as the 2120X - except for the piezo sound and it's sustain of course. At least I'll be able to fix the warmth of the tone.

Just one thing... Do you think they still produce the 520X? Or is it maybe discontinued? I have no ways of finding out now. Maybe I should call the importer, but it's Sunday - they won't answer the phone.
Thing is, that I have to weeks to find a job to buy that guitar on a loan from the shop itself, if it's discontinued! If it's not, then I could concentrate more on my re-exams and drivingschool, because then I would have enough time to find a job. I can't do too many things at once now can I?

[Predator]

I just did a bit of thinking about the serialnumber on my Gio.

The I stands for Indonesia I presume, as it says "Made in Indonesia" under the serialnumber.
The 7 couldn't possibly stand for 1997, because back then the Gio's did not excist, instead they had the Stagestar. Let alone it being 1987. The closest thing to the Gio in 1997, would be the RX240CA according to the catalogues on Ibanez Rules!. So maybe you need to see it as 7+1, for 1998 when the Gio was introduced. (Would be pretty stupid but I couldn't figure out something else.)

Actually, or this is stupid.. Or it's a coincidence, but I bought my Gio in 2000 and I know that the shop wouldn't have them lying around for two years. 7+1+2=10, which would be written as 00 or just 0 in the serialnumber and it would mean 2000.

Nevermind... This is givin' me migraine!