I actually prefers it than the MIJ Ibanez as well.

I have a DKMG that I find to be much higher quality than most of my Ibby's. I think they go for about $700 new, and as of now, I don't know of any $700 Ibby's that are quite up to par.

I don't know about the lower range Jackson's, though... I can't really stand to play any of them. I don't know if it's all due to my own snobbery, but they just feel like toys to me. I guess I feel the same way about any "budget" guitar, regardless of who makes it.

Perhaps you should consider taking up a different instrument :P

My 2003 (after Jackson moved their operations in Japan to a different factory in order to make guitars of lesser quality) DK2 set me back 167 British pounds ($272 US), and the other 8 electrics I have don't compare. Neither do any of my uncle's 19 guitars. The slender neck greatly eases the strain on my left wrist during long thrashing sessions, it came with a REASONABLY low action (and no fret buzz) after it was delivered to my door and the Duncan Designed JB-TB4 (same product name as the "real" Seymour Duncans, built to the same specification and, from what I've heard, the same sound) has everything I could ask for in a pickup.

But we aren't living in the 1960s. The quality of even the cheapest guitars on the market today far surpasses what was considered "playable" back then. If you honestly can't find a PLAYABLE guitar for under 500 quid, then try looking a bit harder...

Necro'ed not one! Not two! Necro'ed THREE TIMES!

Oh, what the hell, I'll give my 2 cents.

IMO, as of 2008, those last few MIK Ibanez guitars seem about equal with the MIJ Jacksons of the same year.

OLD thread, an RG550 and 2 pedals for 400 bucks!

Of the 2, the Jackson is the much better guitar. The Jackson will have Seymour Duncans and a Jackson JT580 (which is much better than the Edge III on the Ibanez). Those features alone sell me on the guitar. Also, the Jackson will most likely be Alder, as opposed to the basswood Ibanez. This isn't a quality concern, mostly just personal preference. The jackson neck is a bit thicker than the Ibanez, but NOT by much. I would buy the Jackson in a heartbeat.