Which of these Ibanez's is the best option?

[drewgie66]

Hey guys im new here and need help buying a new guitar which will be Ibanez. I live in Singapore where the choice is very limited, and my budget isn't infinite so whats the best option out of these?-

New Ibanez RG 450
New Ibanez RG 350
Second Hand good condition Jem 555

My shop sold out its RG 1550's about 2 weeks ago which pissed me off and new stock ain't gonna come around for a few months at least, and i need to choose one of these as it will be for Christmas. I can also upgrade the pickups, so what would you guys recommend?

[donnyboy]

It depends whether the monkey grip/Evos of the 555 is worth the extra bucks to you over the RG 450 and whether you prefer the feel of a maple or roseboard board (RG 350 should have a maple board, unless it's a DX)

IMHO, the RG 350 is a horrible guitar and should be avoided, but I'm not a maple board fan at the best of times.

The RG450 and the JEM555 are both front routed with basswood bodies and a Lo-Trs 2 or Edge-Pro 2 trem. The things that make the 555 stand IMO are the neck and the Evos. 555 necks are actually really nice and let's not forget Mr Vai himself used one on Evo for quite a while.

Spend some time playing each one and see what fits ;-)

[drewgie66]

Actually I just found a very new RG 1550 in the white jem style colour (is that the limited edition?) with the pick-ups upgraded to evolution and a lace sensor. ill probably get this one as I tried it in the shop and really liked the feel of the neck and with new pickups it should be good. It is the same price as a new RG 450 which is a bit cheaper than the 555, and i think i can erase the jem555 from the list after seeing all the negative comments posted by people in here

[Rotti]

I would choose that one for sure out of the ones you listed.

[jem7vwh]

Not to be rude, but I'd suggest E. None of the above.

For the money you could spend on any of these guitars, you could get better fit and finish and a more stable bridge by buying a used RG570 or 550 from a pawn shop, guitar shop, or someone here on Jemsite. I'm not trying to sell anything, just giving honest advice.

No amount of inlay or DiMarzios will turn an unstable Korean mess of a JEM into a solid instrument.

[little wing]

hi drewgie66,

Well, lucky for you to be in Singapore. You definately have a larger selection of guitars there compared to Malaysia. But, like what jem7vwh said, i'm afraid if it's in my case, i wouldn't get any of the above... But that depends if you plan to target a certain group of potential buyers from your shop. Obviously, if you are targeting those who have large amounts of cash, i think that you can grab some JEM's and JS's. Pretty much depends...

About the pickups, which guitar and what style will you be playing then?

[the.godfather]

I agree too, go get a used RG5xx series guitar, either a 550 or 570. I wouldnt buy new personally - its just not worth it. For the price you can get used ones for, its crazy. Maybe stick in some new pups, and you got a very solid all-round guitar. Its been said a million times (especially by me) that you cant beat an RG550 or RG570 for qualityrice ratio. They are the best you can buy really for the money.

[Elysian]

he's already talked about getting a RG1550... whats wrong with that one? he said he's gonna probly gonna be picking it up.. what are you guys on about?.. the RG1550 has the prestige neck, which after playing, i like much better than any wizard I or II i've played on... and its jap made...