I'm looking for a good first electric guitar (I've been playing acoustic for about a year now), and I have been left in awe by the looks of the RG350EX. However, I would love to know anyone's opinion, and also if there is any difference between the EX and DX besides colour and trem system (and does that make a difference).
both the EX & DX finish sport the Edge III floating vibrato bridge, the differences between the two are merely cosmetics, tonally, they sound above average IMO. a worthy first investment. if you think the 350 looks stunning, the 320's laminate top should be one-up.
You can't go wrong with an Ibanez RG for your first electric. GermX is right: most of the differences between those guitars are simply cosmetic, but the RG320 will sound a bit different from the other two simply because it has a flamed maple top. I personally have an RG370DX and it rocks. I wanna drop some EMGs into it to give it a lot more articulation with distortion.
Thanks guys. All the names are way too confusing... The 370 is a version below the 350, but the 320 is better, right? The 320 does look nice, but it doesn't have the shark tooth inlays, and I think they really make the 350 stand out.
ibanez has a series of codes they use to describe different variants... eg. x20 means it'll have two humbuckers and no single coil with no pickguard, x50 means it'll have a hum-sing-hum pickup configuration with a pickguard, x70 means it'll have hum-sing-hum with no pickguard... (i'm sure there are exceptions)
don't count on the flame maple of the rg320 making a difference tonally, as the flame maple is more a veneer than a top as such. it's too thin to be substantial. but it looks great.
both the EX & DX finish sport the Edge III floating vibrato bridge, the differences between the two are merely cosmetics, tonally, they sound above average IMO. a worthy first investment. if you think the 350 looks stunning, the 320's laminate top should be one-up.
Teenbite I just purchased the 350dx, and i like it a lot. Shop around because there are good deals out there. I got mine at ******** on sale for 319.00. it's a great guitar for the price, nice neck (i to like the shark tooth inlays) the pick ups sound really good, but will probably swapp them out later on. its a good choice though. chef 21
Everything is expensive over here, we just get used to it, and £300 ain't that bad. You know it costs £150 for the most basic of portable basketball nets over here, when it's like that many dollars for a one with spring loaded square backboard.
the edge 3 is pretty shoddy trem, i would suggest an RG 321. It has a mahogany body and no floyd rose, so you wont have as much trouble setting it up, tuning, chainging strings etc especially since its your first guitar. Plus i think the RG 321 is the best guitar in its price range, its also slightly cheaper than the 370. 250 and 320.
the edge 3 is pretty shoddy trem, i would suggest an RG 321. It has a mahogany body and no floyd rose, so you wont have as much trouble setting it up, tuning, chainging strings etc especially since its your first guitar. Plus i think the RG 321 is the best guitar in its price range, its also slightly cheaper than the 370. 250 and 320.
Yeah, I don't think the Edge III is a shoddy trem at all. It stays in tune quite well and it gets the job done. Of course, it's not as fluid as an Edge Pro but you definitely get what you pay for.
the edge 3 is alright but, imo its not that great, especially since his first electric, itl save him lots of headaches especially if he wants to experiment with down tuning. Is he even going to use the trem much at all? Beause if he doesnt there is little point of getting it. Ah well too bad he doesnt want the H H config.
many people would dismiss the 320 for the lack of a single coil in there so it is deemed less tonally versatile. however, the 320 has a 5-way switching option which splits the humbuckers in pisition 4 for a very convincing single coil tone. however, if you insist on a real single coil, the 350/ 370 would make a better option.
As far as the setting up being complicated goes, I'd love a challenge, and would prefer an actual single coil. I'm the lead singer in a band that already has 2 guitarists, so I'll only be doing fairly random things, meaning I have to be able to do anything.
My personal advice is that you should buy a Prestige guitar if you can afford......IF you can afford it. Overall, they are much better guitars than the regular series and have a much higher resale value. Of course, if you're going to be rough with the guitar and not take proper care of it then maybe a regular series guitar will be fine. I bought an RG370DX and I loved it to death at first, but after playing some Prestige RGs I'm already thinking about bigger and better things.
Also, a floating trem isn't something to be taken lightly. Definitely decide whether or not you're actually going to use the trem before buying a guitar with one because they are a serious hassle.
Get a used japanese RG 5xx... youll end up saving money and getting a much, much better axe... have a friend you trust help you check it out (if your not so used to trying out electrics yourself)...
I know usually people tend to go "i dont wanna spend that much, its my 1st"... but still, if youre serious enough about playing the better instrument will pay off, as itll encourage you to play it more, youll be way more satisfied with it, etc...
i had a couple cheap 1st and 2nd guitars... i ended up spending more than if id got a good RG 10 years ago...
my friend just got a 320 and its a really decent guitar. the trem isnt THAT big of a deal... just block it if ur not going to use it... then u can expirement later
Are the floating trems only really a problem when it comes to changing strings?
Also, I keep getting told by everyone "save up, X is so much better". I don't know how much I'll have by Christmas, but it seems doubtful I'll be able to get better than the RG350. Aslo, if I did save up, by the time I could afford X, people will tell me that Y is better than that, and I'll end up with a custom made Fender Strat as my first electric in 30 years time.
I think ultimately its a dead heat between the EX and DX...the 320 is a good choice but look at the SZ series since the string changes aren't as complicated for a first electric. but personally I'd go with the EX simply because it looks evil!
there is a learning curve when you take on your first double-locking guitar, but provided you're willing to ask questions and do a little research, you'll master it in no time. there's a wealth of useful information on this site (and even some not-so-useful-but-marginally-humourous information!).
it's true that setting up a double-locker is more of a challenge than, say, a strat or les paul, but you'll get the fundamentals down pat in no time... change one string at a time... stretch your strings... etc.
the bad rap that double-locking systems cop is usually down to unfamiliarity.
true, shifting between different tunings is a major drag, so you should ask yourself whether you're into doing that.
otherwise, it's well worth the additional hassle (if any) to have a guitar with yet another tool for expressing yourself.
There really is no right or wrong way to go, and I think you'll be happy with whatever Ibanez guitar you get. Atleast you're going to be a step ahead of other people who's first electric was a cheap strat copy (Yamaha Pacifica here). Not that there's anything wrong with starting off with one of those, but if you like to play a decent amount the it'll be a guitar that you'll outgrow in 6 months to a year (although probably a lot less since you already know how to play guitar). My 370DX is light years ahead of my old Pacifica and it's probably going to hit the pawn shop pretty soon (it'll probably be replaced by a RG321 unless I find a good deal on something else).
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