Hello all....after first seeing the RG-ART-1 at the 1997 NAMM show, I went on a 2+ year seach for one of the guitars. *By the time I decided to actively pursue a purchase some time in 1999 , I found out they were only produced in 1997....good job on my part. *I thought I found one through the internet in Germany and arranged a purchase after MULTIPLE CONFIRMATIONS that the guitar was THE GUITAR I was looking for. *I sent pictures from NAMM and the RG-ART picture from the Ibanez catalog that some of you might have seen on the web. *So $2200 on my Visa and 2 weeks later, the guitar arrived. *I opened the box and stared in disbelief at this NASTY, NASTY metallic red guitar with gold hardware, gold fret dots and SUPER NASTY gold FRIGGIN GLITTER around the entire edge of the guitar including the headstock!! *Perhaps I could understand some language barrier from the US to Germany but VISION BARRIER??!! *Also, shipped from Germany with NO CASE!!! *I had sent no less than 3 pictures of the guitar....geometric wood stain vs. that ugly red glitter thing...what a screw-up. *So, LUCKILY was able to return the guitar to an affiliate store in the US and thanks to VISA's charge dispute department, got my money refunded. *Well, long story short, a few more months searching and I found the actual guitar is MALAYSIA for a little over $2400 with case and shipping to the US. *GREATEST thing is that in 2000 when I finally found the guitar in Malaysia it was BRAND NEW, NEVER TITLED, NEVER USED. *Really lucked out 3 years after they were produced!!

So, I've seen only one piece of information indicating that only 24 of these RG-ARTs were produced. *Can anyone confirm this number or have another number??

Thanks!
Scottso

Scottso, the # 24 is correct. In 1997 they produced the Rg-Art, RG- Gear, and 3 different S3040 that were the J Custom line. For more info you can go to Here which is Kevan's site that is currently being made.

Side note, there is a Art *or was a Art on ebay right now.

(Edited by Todd Crawford at 12:34 pm on July 29, 2001)

Scott-
Your story sounds much like mine: *2+ years searching, then finding one, etc. *The RG-ART I own is the exact same one you saw at NAMM'97. *Yup- I got the floor model. :-)

The production totals for J-Customs are VERY elusive. *Some say 12, some say 24. *Usually you have to live in South Jersey to say "24"...but that's a whole other tale. *LOL *Ibanez *loves* the number 12. *I say 12; Rich will post right after me saying 24. *The battle wages on.....

I think I know the guitar you first got: *the RG-ARCH. *I own one. *I wouldn't call it a "nasty red" but more of a "full, deep burgundy". *A not-so-good pic of my ARCH is available HERE (far right side). *I could see how someone could confuse the word "art" with "arch". *Easy to mistake...esp. with an accent. * *I too found this guitar in Malaysia, and thanks to a good friend here on the Forum, acquired it with 0.0 hassle.

BTW- my RG-ART and my RG-7-CST are my main players. *Like Glen, no more JEM's for me. *:biggrin:

J-Custom.com will be updated with TONS of new info shortly. *Hang tight folks...

24

Told ya....LOL

(Check out the times. *Rich is gettin' slow in his old age. :biggrin: )

Maybe Rich thought I asked how many FRETS there were?? *j/k :-))

Scott

Kevan, thanks for the info.

Just thought I'd mention--especially because I'm new to the forum--that I did NOT mean that your RG-ARCH was nasty. *Just if you could imagine my utter disappointment when I was hoping to unvail that beautiful geometrically designed wood stain body and (1) received a box with NO CASE--just a triangular, ripped and damp box and (2) the red and gold glitter. *I was concerned enough doing an international transaction over the internet, let alone having an international guitar return to worry about!!

Scott

Numbers produced depends on the model. Some like the 1680, 1880, and RG7CST were certainly made in numbers greater than 12.
If you search around on the net, you can locate about 12 CSTs, which seems extremely unlikely (impossible) to me if there were only 12 made. I suspect there are even more than 24 floating around out there.

I've been wanting to say that but have feared the reprisal from the MFH guy

Looks like some cheap crack is makin' it's way around....

More than 24 CST's? *Pffft....yeah. *There's a couple of Hope Diamond's too.
:biggrin:

What Kev said........

...Says yet another CST owner. Man, there are a lot of them out there.

Yup- we're a tight bunch. *
Only about 12 of us out there. *:-)

Maybe you should get a room! :biggrin:

Make it a 'ballroom'

:laugh:

Don't know if you guys already noticed ...
there's an RG-ART on ebay.

Rgds,
Marcus.