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Help Discover Which Ibanez This Is

2K views 20 replies 7 participants last post by  Langeani 
#1 ·
Hey guys

I've been a member to this forum/site for a couple of minutes only, but i've been reading it for a long time now.

The thing is: There's this guy selling this guitar really cheap, but he doesn't know which model it is. Can you guys help me out here? The pics are baaad...

Serial #F9824605 from what I can tell... he says the :?:"model # is FP98 24605":?:, so, u see what my problem is.

You guys will see that it has a HH config, and it's from 98. Please, help me find out which model this is, coz i'm really considering buying it, but it's just too weird! hehe thanks a lot!




 
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#5 ·
If so, it has a Lo TRS tremolo which isn't supposed to be very good:

1994. LoTRS I / II



A move downmarket necessiated lower-spec bridges in Ibanez guitars, and the LoTRS system was introduced on the majority of Korean (version II), as well as several Japanese models (version I). The LoTRS features a flimsy base plate, integrated with cast knife edges, basic screw-in studs, and a Floyd-style screw in arm. While low-profile, the system has few other redeeming qualities which are often attributed to the Ibanez locking bridges that preceded ithe LoTRS.

Through the years, both LoTRS versions have acquired a reputation for substandard material quality, as the majority of these bridges would wear out the integrated pivots within a short time, leaving the system unable to stay in tune after any amount of use. Fortunately for the disgruntled users, the LoTRS bridges are famously interchangeable with the original Floyd Rose machines, pending little to no modification.
http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f18/all-about-ibanez-tremolos-119330.html

That guitar you posted pics of is also missing the pickup selector switch.
 
#6 ·
Guys, thanks a lot for the help!

It sure looks like the 420. How would you guys grade it? Coz the price is pretty cool, and it does have a EMG 81 on the bridge (with a passive pickup on the neck... weeeeird!)

Hell, i hadn't noticed about the missing pickup selector... although, that's not a pricy piece.

For a little more i could get a 550 or 560 here on our local ebay-alike website.. i was actually going to get this to fix it and sell it for more that it's being sold, coz it's kinda cheap. But a 560... i could really get used to it!

also, about the lo-trs... don't think i ever played with it... no good, huh? that could be a deal breaker if i was to get the 420 to keep it... although the emg itself would be a nice addition to the guitar.

Thanks for your help, everyone.

cheers

Lee
 
#7 ·
I've got an '08 RG 420FB and its actually a great guitar. And yes, this def looks like a 420. Mine has a mahogany body so it sounds outstanding for drop-D.

I did replace the pups with DiMarzios on mine. And mine had the Edge III which I added an FU brass big block to. But hey it was a really inexpensive guitar, it plays and sounds great, why not?

If the price is right I'd say go for it if you wanna play it. I wouldnt expect a big profit flipping it though... These Indonesian RG's don't fetch much.
 
#9 ·
You could always block the tremolo if it doesn't work well (unless you want a floating tremolo).

According to that info I posted, the Lo-TRS is easily switchable with a Floyd Rose, of course that takes money and maybe some skill so it may or may not be feasible for you.
 
#10 ·
yeah, i hear ya! but I already got a carvin as a fixed-bridge guitar, and I'd like to venture more in the tremolo-world... so i definetely want a floating tremolo for a guitar that I'll keep.

But that's all inputs that I was looking forward to have, so, thanks a lot for your help. Maybe I could buy a floyd rose and change... or maybe it's not worth the money and trouble, and i could just get the rg 560, instead. i'm kinda leaning towards that, now.

thanks again!
 
#11 ·
Oh yeah cool a Japanese should def be worth more than an Indo. Good luck man I hope it works out to be reasonably profitable for ya! But if you can't get the price you want for it when its done, like i said they are good guitars & might be worth it to you to just play it for a while. The market is pretry soft right now but you can always sell it in a year or 2 when the market is stronger. Especially since its a Japanese model. :)
 
#13 ·
Can people who don't know all the info not post on things they are not knowledgable about?

This is a Japanese made RG420. It does come with a LO-TRS. Don't lump this with the piece of crap Korean LO-TRS II. The LO-TRS is actually a decent trem that is built out of far better metals than the Korean "II" model. Do not discount it as a crappy trem just because it shares visual similarities, and a namesake.
 
#17 ·
As Lone and Alaska have said......the TRS-101 and Lo-TRS are FAR superior to the Lo-TRSII. (I don't think I'd put them on the same playing field as an Edge/LP, though). If they have not been severely abused in the past they can be very solid and trustworthy bridges. It's important for Ibanez lovers to know the difference and the distinction. Otherwise they may "pass" on a great deal for a great guitar for all the wrong reasons. There are far too many RG3xx/4xx guitars out there that people are "unfairly" labeling as cheap, not knowing exactly what they're looking at. You can almost always find AWESOME deals on these guitars.

That said; I think I'd pass on this guitar if you have a 560 available to you for nearly the same price. 560's are just to damn hard to find anymore and they are, in general, a better guitar than this "partsinez" 420.

just my 2 cents:D
 
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