Does anyone recognize this S model? Hard to tell in the pictures but the guy says it's MIJ...

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rds/msg/4725843340.html

Not enough detail in the picture, but it's an SV of some sort. Ibanez came out with a model called the 473S in 1992 and renamed it to SV470 in 1993. That guitar would be MIJ. The guitar was made as an SV470 through 1995 but may have become MIK like other 400 Series guitars that year.

1994-95 guitars will have "S Series" on the headstock and prior to that will just be the standard check mark logo. Unlike a regular Saber, this guitar will have a fatter Viper neck.

Thanks!!! When I google the SV470 it looks like the hardware should be gold or did some come w/o gold hardware? http://ibanez.wikia.com/wiki/SV470

How can I confirm this one is MIJ? If it just has the regular checkmark logo it should be MIJ?

Look at the serial number on the back of the headstock. That will say where it was made. I'm assuming that someone swapped out the original gold rings for some wood ones.

guys says the serial number is F316524... F makes it MIJ I believe...shouldn't it have a 0 in front of the 3?

That's a '93 SV470 then. And no that serial number scheme started later. The first "F" serial numbers were F7... in 1987 and they went that way through F6... in 1996. When they got back to 7, they switched to F97...

ok, cool thanks for the help. I'm still on the fence about it... It's in very used condition and needs some work...but he has it listed at $300 so I might be able to talk him down a bit... A MIJ Ibby for under $300....hmmm... I don't know much about that model and there's not much info online... thoughts?
Also, I did read somewhere that it is a 24 3/4 scale length...

As others said it is an SV470SOL as shown in the 1993 catalog.
Gold hardware was standard for this model.

No, they're standard 25-1/2 scale. There was another fixed bridge S model that had the shorter scale. FWIW, there are many people who think the Viper neck they put on the SV470 (along with the RV470 and RT models) was one of the finest necks they ever built. Very well done, quasi-traditional strat feeling neck. I love 'em!

Thanks for all the info and help guys - it is much appreciated! I am going to go have a closer look at it today - i will let you know how it goes...

Did you buy it? I had my eyes on it too but Delta/Langley too far for me....

Yup, I bought it - we ended up settling for $150! A great deal for sure but the guitar needs quite a bit of work ... Body has many deep scratches and the neck is out of alignment... It clearly was not taken care of and is in need of much TLC... But for $150 for a MIJ ibanez I couldn't resist. I will be looking for some advice on restoration so I will start a new NGD thread requesting advice on how I can get this beautiful guitar back to its former glory. Thanks for all of the info and advice provided in this thread! Cheers, Ron

Nice guitar, hope you get her back into top shape and have her shredding like she should be

Refinish and go with the gold hardware look as suggested in the other thread! Enjoy.

Yup, sounds like a plan - it would probably look pretty killer with some work and new gold hardware... should be a fun project! =)