Prestige Title Confusion

Jackhammer · #1 04-22-2007, 01:50 PM

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but are all Prestige Ibanezes made in Japan? If not, which ones are/are not? Are MTM1 and MTM2 both made in Korea despite being signature models? Is the RG550 anniversary made in Japan (it's labelled as a Prestige)?

What are the things to look out for to know where the guitar is made?

Thanks for your time,
Jackhammer

Dee · #2 04-22-2007, 01:54 PM

RG Prestige are made in Japan, S Series Prestige are Korean. MTM models are Korean, as far as I know. The RG 20th is made in Japan.

Ironjose · #3 04-22-2007, 06:02 PM

all of the RG, JS, GB prestige guitars are made in japan

GregCrowe · #4 04-22-2007, 07:14 PM

At this point, "prestige" really doesn't mean anything. With the continued drop in quality from Japan and now Korean "prestige" guitars, "Prestige" is just a marketing gimic.

Jackhammer · #5 04-22-2007, 08:13 PM

You sure S Series Prestige are made in Korea? God damn... I suppose Team J Craft means made in Japan then?

Dee · #6 04-22-2007, 09:27 PM

Yes, and yes.

LonePhantom · #7 04-22-2007, 10:07 PM

MTM2 is Indonesian made, and it shows unfortunately.

ibanezdiehard · #8 04-23-2007, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonePhantom

MTM2 is Indonesian made, and it shows unfortunately.

yeah my friend said to me a practice last week, "dude saw the new MTM on the net it's only $998 i gonna buy it, aye."

i stressed that he should try it out first, so he did, needless to say he's not buying one anymore.

sugizo_esp · #9 04-23-2007, 01:29 AM

i think its ibanez that is dropping in quality each year
i'm very suprise to the the X series on the shelf for $1800au made in indonesia. i mean, did they add an extra zero???, what get somethign indo when u can get something japan for less price..

crevis · #10 04-23-2007, 01:46 AM

Part of the production of all ibanez's happen in korea or indonesia.

Ironjose · #11 04-23-2007, 02:34 AM

its like cloth... they are all made here in central america... and all the prestige's are made in korea, japan, mexico... for god sake with a world wide part selection...hahaha

LynchBox · #12 04-23-2007, 08:11 AM

Bang for the buck, I think that a lot of the Korean Ibanezs are great guitars, and I own 7 Japan built ones. So I'm not someone just trying to defend something I own. At a Satriani/Johnson concert, I saw Satriani's backing guitar player/ tour manager Galen Henson playing a SZ 4020 which is a Korean Ibanez. I know a lot of people on this forum have purchased some incredible Japan built guitars. I realize that the Japan guitars typically come with better hardware and electronics. In this forum I do see some people go a little far slamming the Korean built ones. I also own a USA Peavey Wolfgang and in the Wolfgang forums a lot of the USA owners love to bash the Korean Wolfgangs - so it doesn't only happen here. I think that sometimes people forget that its more the talent you have in your hands than the the quality of the instrument in your hands. About 10 years ago I saw Eddie Van Halen at NAMM playing a Peavey Predator through a Peavey Envoy 110 and it sounded like Eddie. Peavey was trying to make a point that their intro line was still great instruments. It also backfired a little if you think about it because they also proved that it's more the player than anything. When you look back at a couple famous guitar player's favorite guitars, you remember they were "muts" thrown together from more than one guitar. I have a friend that is playing an unmodified Indonesian built Ibanez RG321 through a Ibanez Tone Blaster stack. He gigs with it in a band where everyone elses gear is high end. Thats all he can afford based on his budget and other responsibilities in his life. However, he sounds incredible because he is an incredible player. Bang for the buck, the Korean and even Indonesian guitars are great guitars. It's not like people are paying thousands of dollars for them. I know it makes a lot of people feel good to own the best gear but there are people like my friend out there playing entry level gear that could still smoke most of them using his "cheap gear" .

Gino · #13 04-23-2007, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee

Yes, and yes.

No. My S 1220 Prestige was made in Japan.

560licious · #14 04-23-2007, 08:50 AM

I think that it has something to do with Ibanez's quality control rather that tha actual building of the guitars...I've seen slack work on Prestiges and more often on Korean models...it trickles down the models...Quality Control has got one eye closed.