totally newbie needs some help

[onanym]

hey, i tried to read quite a few of the posts here, but to be frank i dont understand that much guitar lingo, especially in english..

im looking for a nice beginner guitar, and ive tried the RG170DX which i liked very much, its just that i want a better guitar, preferably used, one that can be sold for a small price reduction... so ive drooled on the thought of RG470, but i was wondering if the neck was very thick in comperison...

All in all i want one of the RG series, but what is recomended for a beginner, what is the general difference between RG170,270,370,470 and 570...

all help is very much appreciated![/list]

[jemsite]

the most notable differences are the tremolo and where they were made (china, korea vs japan).

you can see the specs here
http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/series.asp?s=rg&l=e

the 5xx series and above RGs (along with *some* 470s) were made in Japan. the 5xx series and above has the superior double-locking Edge trems. you get what you pay for and the RG170 cannot be made into the RG570 by upgrades or pickup changes.

for a beginner, i'd worry more about hassle-free playing and tuning but if you're wanting an RG i'd start with the 5xx series (or newer 15xx) for value, resellabilty & overall quality. Anything less is a step down and moot point other than affordability (ie. can fit your budget)... glen

[Longhair]

I was able to pick up a used RG570 for about €280 without a case (local music store) and a used RG550 for about €300 with a case (ebay). So along those lines, I would say that they are very reasonable priced guitars.

The necks on them are 17mm at the 1st fret and 21mm at the 12th fret - this translate to be very thin.

Also, if you are looking for a beginner's guitar with a very long life, the RG550/570 series would be perfect for you.

I know that brand new RG1550/1570 guitars are around €700. They are worth it, even for a beginner, but I would stick to used and put the money saved towards a practice amp or something.

[onanym]

thanks, but i'm trying out a rg470 next week, and if the feeling and groove is good i think i'm going for it... its 470 with an original hard case for 400 us$, and i'm abit scared by the thought of buying a used guitar over the net, and sending it over seas without checking it out and trying it first... but the 470 might suck, so i might come back to you if it's not "the one"...

thanks for your help, its very much appreciated

[Ibateur]

If it is NOT a new (i.e. 2003+) 470, think again. That will have a TRSII trem that everyone loves to hate. If it is an '03 470, then okay (Edge Pro II) maybe better. But, 400+ USD is a little too much in my opinion. Don't you want to go for a second hand 5xx?

[onanym]

well, its not a very good marked for used guitars here, so i think its better with 400 bucks for this including a seymour duncan mini-humbucker and an original hard guitar-case than having to send a guitar from the us, god knows what that'll cost me alone, not to mention i don't know what i'll get. if the TRS II tremolo is so bad, wouldn't it just be better to change it, or install a trem-setter,which the Jem7vwh's come standard with so no it's not a LO-TRS thing..? if i find a 5-series in good condition within my budget 500$ max, i'll go for it, but for now i'm thinking the 470'll do. its a 92, but hasnt been used for 7 years and it has been stored correctly, so...

i dont know, i'll keep searching for a better or cheaper one, if you know any good sites with cheap guitars, preferably used, who ship internationally would be great

[Longhair]

$400 usd for a rg470 is way too much money. Just keep searching ebay.com for some nice deals.

Don't buy a guitar just because it comes with a case or a nice set of pickups. A side from strings, cables, and the strap - pickups are way cheaper to replace than a tremolo, neck, body, etc... You can always buy a case later at the local music store.

Ask a lot of questions before bidding and ask for all the pictures that they can send.

A lot of times, I will e-mail the seller asking them if they are willing to ship to the Netherlands (that is where I am located) and 9 out of 10 times they are as long as I pay for shipping.

Since I am on the subject of ebay... There are a lot of different ebay's out there for different countries. Ebay.com is located in the states, but then there is an Ebay.de located in Germany. A lot of times, the listings will only be local for that country and they would be willing to ship internationally also.

Also when dealing with a big money purchase, you should use an approved escrow service. Ebay recommends Escrow.com ( I haven't used them so I can't tell you first hand about it).

One last thing, don't pay too much for anything because you are afraid that it will be gone if you don't. Within days or even hours, there will be more of the exact same thing that you want and a lot of times for cheaper also.

[onanym]

youre right.."unfortunately", you're right.. will get better and cheaper guitars in better condition, i guess i was just blinded by the fact that i wanted a guitar quick... :oops: any idea how much it'll cost to ship a guitar from the states to norway,how long will it take and how much will it cost? ebay.de is a better alternative, but i don't speak german, so thats out of the question... what guitars should i consider, along the line of RG5XX?

[Longhair]

I paid 100 USD to have the guitar with case shipped from the states. I don't know if you use the Euro in Norway, but the coversion rate is really good right now. 1 EUR = 1.26846 USD.

It was shipped Friday and he says it will be here in a few days - but who knows how long it is going to be held up in customs for...

I don't speak german either, but I use an online translator - WorldLingo. It seems to get the job done

I have a RG570 and I am getting a RG550. Both of those were made in Japan, has the Ibanez Edge tremolo, H-S-H pickups with 1 volume, tone and 5 way switch. I have seen some RG560's on there, and I am assuming that they are the same except for the pickups - they have a S-S-H combination on them.

Personally I wouldn't pay over 400 Euro for it and that is including a hardshell case. You may want to use xe.com The Universal Currency Converter to find out aproximatly how much it would be in USD.

Good Luck

[Longhair]

onanym - check pm plz

[onanym]

thanks longhair! whats the difference in quality between guitars made in china, korea or japan? and does it say on the guitar where its made?