Prestige RG1527CB Questions.

[Emg707]

Ok why is this model only $499.99 at many places.What makes that guitar have a great price.Crappier pickups maybe?Like the guys over here at jemsite pretty much said it was a prestige Rg7620 remake.

[btweensunandmoon]

I was skeptical myself about the price of the guitar. My personal opinion after getting to try one of these out is that what you are getting is a $600 guitar and theres no 2 ways about it. This isnt some great deal by ibanez and we are finally all blessed. The guitar is only slightly better than the 7620 and that pertains to fretwork only. The 1527 i played still had dead spots and buzz and this is supposed to be a "prestige" neck. I think ibanez is stretching prestige a bit in order to sell guitars in a flat economy. You wouldnt believe how many people will make impulse expenditures by seeing the "prestige" label and a $500 or $600 tag right next to it. This is a very clever marketing tactic. After you take away the stores profit, distributors profit, and ibanez's profit, what you have left is probably something that cost $150 to $200 to build, if even that. Now all of a sudden, "prestige" gets a sour tast to it. Unfortunately theres no middle of the road 7 string so if you buy this thing and it says "prestige", dont think its going to play like a universe.

[Emg707]

Well right when I get it ZIm blocking the trem and installing 707's.Than it will sound way better than the Universe.For Metal that is.

[gkelm]

Originally Posted by btweensunandmoon

I think ibanez is stretching prestige a bit in order to sell guitars in a flat economy....Now all of a sudden, "prestige" gets a sour tast to it.

I was concerned about this happening with the expansion of the Prestige line. We'll see how consistency is as more of these get into the hands of players.
Greg

[Drew]

Well, BucketBot seems pretty floored with the quality of his, and we're talking about a guy who used to own one of the dude form Fear Factory's custom UV's- I'd assume he knows what he's talking about.

Try one with a good setup before you judge, I'm waiting to get my hands on one myself.

-Drew

[btweensunandmoon]

Its unwise to make statements without the facts. The guitar I tried out was set up by a luthier who was also very unimpressed with the craftsmanship. My opinion is not based on a quick once over of a guitar that came straight out of the box in some chain store. I spent about an hour playing it. Perhaps this guitar one was just one of the exceptions. Or maybe not. I think these guitars will be subject to the same erratic manufacturing and QC as all of the other models with the exception, of course, of the upper enders. They are still coming from the same factory, made by same people, but with "prestige" added to the headstock. Why? The only differences i noticed were the rounding off of the fretboard edges,slightly I might add, and a filing down of the ends of the frets. Niether one of these is going to add to the playability of the instrument. Perhaps the back of the neck was finished differently but i can rub a neck with steel wool and get the same effect. Do these changes warrant the name "prestige"? I think not. Prestige should have stayed where it was,at the upper echalon rgs and s models. At least those have the nice tops, finishes, and bindings. I'm an ibanez lover just like the rest of you but i am also a realist. This is just a marketing tool.

[stretcher7]

Check my post in the 7 string sec. I just got mine today and it is the real deal. I own a 2027 and this guitar is as well built if not better. Maybe I got lucky, but I don't think so.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by btweensunandmoon

The only differences i noticed were the rounding off of the fretboard edges,slightly I might add, and a filing down of the ends of the frets..

Add in a tightening of tollerances [which were already fine and very consistent] and that's ALL Prestige means. Depending on who actually did that finishing will determine if it feels more like a 7620 or an 8527. The goal is to get everybody up to a certain level of craftsmanship and of course that will be a stretch, there will be 7620 level 1527's right next to 8527 level [if you get lucky]. What you are getting is the guitar for $400 less than it was in 2000' and with at least a modicum of extra feel.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by btweensunandmoon

Its unwise to make statements without the facts.

Exactly. Thus, while I'm noting your opinion has been outweighed 2:1 by 1527 owners, I'm waiting till I get my hands on one of my own before I make any firm opinions. That said, I'm guardedly optimistic.

And anyway, assume for the sake of discussion that the "prestige" thing IS a hoax (which i belive i have good reason to doubt). You're still looking at a professional-level 7-string for $500, new. How is that not an amazing deal? The fretwork on my 7620 isn't exceptional, but even if it was only marginally better I'd call the 1527 an exceptional bargain.

Incidentally, Springfield, mass... this wouldn't be a Falcetti's Music store, by any chance, would it?

-Drew

[motogod927]

I am off subject a little,but!! I think ibanez need to come out with a few more high end models. I have played a couple of the new so called "prestige" guitars and must say that compared to my 7vwh,js1000,and 2 rg3120's these guitar dont seem any different then lastyears rg's.Which i have also. I think it is a good markrting tool for ibanez but i think it really watered down the prestige name. You used to have to spend over a g-note for a prestige. Now those prestiges dont seem so special anymore. When the prestiges first came out it was like "wow" thats a nice guitar. now it's like"oh thats a prestige?"Those are only like $400. Ibanez needs to come up with a new high end guitar to set it apart from the rest of them. There are some people out there that want to have the best instrument that that company makes. Like myself! How about a few new rg style guitars like the old exotic woods? Maybe put a little more efoort into them (like a suhr or anderson) and make them available here instead of in japan.

[sam669]

usa customs were god
nuff said

i also thought that the newly prestige labelled axes (aka 1527, 1570 and the likes) would be fake prestiges. i mean, i played a '03 1570, and the neck wasnt really as good as the used '02 3120 that was sitting next to it in the shop...
oh god, even crappy nu metal and punk bands will have prestige labelled guitars

[caprile]

Originally Posted by sam669

i mean, i played a '03 1570, and the neck wasnt really as good as the used '02 3120 that was sitting next to it in the shop...

it isn't intended to...hence the 1000 vs 3000 diference. The point is.....does the 1570 feel superior than the 570?

[Drew]

Originally Posted by sam669

oh god, even crappy nu metal and punk bands will have prestige labelled guitars

Of course, it'll be made up for by the fact that some of the good ones will, too.

Anyway, bad as it may be, there's still more bad blues bands out there playing american fenders, so dont worry.

-Drew

[btweensunandmoon]

Originally Posted by caprile

it isn't intended to...hence the 1000 vs 3000 diference. The point is.....does the 1570 feel superior than the 570?

so does this mean that we now have multiple quality levels of prestige? I thought prestige was just prestige and any neck with that name on the headstock was supposed to theoretically feel the same. Its "prestige" and not "prestige as compared to last years model that was just upgraded" Theres a big difference in those two and if the rg3120s have just that little extra care put into the necks, then ibanez should make this clear in their advertisements. But since Ibanez is in it for the money, that little tidbit has been left out. I can make the same statement about the rg3120 neck vs the 1570 neck and that theirs no comparison. The rg3120 is superior in feel. Furthermore prestige is misleading because it only applies to the neck. I've seen cases where the finish has been stripped off of bodies to reveal horrendous wood quality. We are talking cracks and voids that have been filled with wood filler or even bondo. I've seen it with my own eyes on a 550 i stripped a couple of years ago. Those types of things are resonation killers and is the difference between a guitar that sings and one that just sounds pleasant. I can assure you that ibanez didnt just all of a sudden start using high quality wood blanks for their bodies. Do yourself a favor and spend at least a grand on something that wont frustrate you in the long run.

[motogod927]

AMEN!!!