I swear this forum has turned into a bunch of whining, crying, bitching, moaning, Ibanez bashing malakians.

Ibanez has done a great job at turning enthusiasts into "annoyed ex-customers" ...glen

Now now Rich. You need to look at it from people who cant just toss cash at collecting a guitar over some you use to play. Im a player, to me anything more then what I need to perform is just pretty wall art. This forum has two kinds of people, people who play and people who just collect. And it does come off like the people who collect rub it in the players faces sometimes. Ibanez is losing (have lost) sight of the player.

I love my Ibanez, Do we need another PRS company?

No, actually you people that wouldn't pay more than $600 for a guitar feel free to bash everything the company does just because it doesn't fit into your world. Ibanez hasn't lost sight of the player, they offer PLENTY of models at damn cheap [junk] to very affordable [MIJ non sigs] to models that are JUST as much for players as collectors, but the common point being, they can AFFORD it and have no problem parting with the dough.

They sell 30 times more Bentley S's every year at $350,000 than will be 2's available. You think collectors are buying Bentley's?!

I've NEVER seen one collector rubbing ANYthing into the face of anybody in this forum.

I am a small collector (and player), I have plenty of more than 600s bucks guitars, and I love Ibanez designs and ideas. I just wont pay 5300 list for chromed JS. A fancy finish doesnt sell me a guitar for that much money. Innovative designs, unrivaled craftmanship, deluxe inlay work, flawless fretdressing, exotic woods, may do the trick. A plastic mirrored finish or a chrome paint wont make me part with that kind of money.

Really?

I'm not at all surprised these kinda of feelings have materialized. I think bunches of very loyal customers are just mearly expressing their disappointment with the course of action Ibanez is taking.

And I've alway learned that as a company you need to listen to your customers. The minute you stop doing that.......that minute your company is history.

I think most of us are willing to hand over our hard earned cash for some great Ibanez guitars.....and we all know Ibanez can make them......They are now just mearly customs or on special order.........things are not very complicated here. What Ibanez should do is bring out:

- that new chrome pickguard material made Jem (but for 50% of the price).
- a nice black k7 type guitar without that stupid K7 inlay.
- the Meshuggah 8 string......just to be leader of the pack again.
- more interesting colors in JS line (e.g. Black Chrome paint JS for price of regular JS1200....)
- did anyone say JS-7???
- and even better would be to bring back the AANJ Radius and do all kinds of funky stuff with that one. We all love that guitar, maybe even more than the JS-line.
- sell Japanese J-Customs (especially the RG8670 TB) to rest of the world.
- open up USA Custom shop again...
etc. etc....

All they are doing now is bring some overpriced models, in addition to a pretty boring retail line......most of them being produced (or planned to be produced) in Korea.

They do have a name for this: It's called milking a company.........it's very profitable.........but one day you will discover that there isn't any milk left.

Got milk???

Rich, I don’t expect a seller/collector to reply innerness.

Jemmm, Dead on!

What I find interesting is that, yes, at that price I'm expecting unrivalled craftsmanship, and flawless fretdressing. But exotic woods? Pah. Deluxe inlay work? Pah.

I'm more interested in flawless chrome finishing, than yawn, yet another vague variation on "oooh a sunburst maple top" on "an ooh mahogany body"

Still, I'm waiting for the Donnie Hunt Reissue

I think they are the only true art work out of all the Ibanez guitar lines that merit any large price tag. No water tanks, no plastic body with chrome. Someone took their time and hand painted it.

There are far more interesting things than mahogany and maple tops!!!! =)

Besides the cosmetic appeal you may get from a trully innovative wood combos (not only the woods you use, but the way you assemble them) you also get an innovative tone that a different paint wont provide.

I would love to own a chromed JS, but 5300 is a little to much for a guitar that is about the same than a JS1200 with a different finish. I dont expect a conmemorative or limited model to have the same price tag the 1200 has, but double the price would seem enough for me. I would consider buying one of them it the retail price was around 3000-3300USD.

Its subjective, and it also has to do with my budget limitations. Even if I had the money to buy one (at the time I dont), I would find more interesting options to spend that kind of money... I still want that RBM2 Rich had a while ago =) and with the remaining cash I could buy the PGM90 he has now....

>Someone took their time and hand painted it.

Like every single USA custom graphic. Before you spit you should brush your teeth.

>Rich, I don’t expect a seller/collector to reply innerness.

I've been playing for 28 years, that'sw 20 years more than I've been collecting or selling. :yawn:

>What Ibanez should do is bring out:

Yea yea, everybody knows what Ibanez should do but Ibanez right? :yawn:

>yes, at that price I'm expecting unrivalled craftsmanship, and flawless fretdressing.

Jono, you should know better. It'll be nothing more special than a prestige JS neck on a body that's probably been farmed out from a supplier [if it isn't wood, and then the finish would probably still be farmed out]

>Got milk???

Got kookies?

Hey guys,

I have to agree with probably everyone here. I mean I was looking at different company's prices and like with Gibson the list on a Les Paul Supreme Figured guitar is $4,448.00. PRS, Fender, Taylor, Peavey's custom shop, Tom Anderson.... they all have really expensive lines as well.

I think Ibanez also wants to have an "upper line" like these other companies which is understandable. There is definitely a market for it just not the same market (all of us that were use to buying JEM's at the "old" prices). For me.... if I am spending that much money I usually just have something made for me custom nowadays.

I look at a PRS Dragon that sells for $250,000 and say YEAH RIGHT! I mean its friggin beautiful and I am sure plays like a dream but thats a little more than I spent on my house! lol Now again... doesn't mean I wouldn't take one if it were given to me but I would not pay that much for it. BUT someone out there would and HAS or else they would not continue to make them.

I think all you guys are right. You are all coming from different view points and thats why a thread like this could just be debated till the end of time. So quit arguing, drop the keyboard and mouse and pick up the guitar and start jammin!!! lol

The new Doubleneck Dragon, limited to 40, $40,000. :yawn:

Oops !!! Erm I mean, erm..

ah yes...

I expect, but that doesn't mean I'll receive

Having said that, I've comapred my JEM10 to prety much any guitar out there that you can find in the UK and I've never found a better guitar. Whether it's the result of the store's setup or what I don't know, but I still maintain that when I find a better guitar than my JEM10, that's when I switch.

So far I'm still an Ibanez guy

I think everyone has good points here about the price. However, I find it a little disturbing that basically everyone is bashing the people that really want one of these. I'm a player/collector too, but I don't think it's necessary for everyone to chime in about how unfair it is, or how stupid it is, or whatever. It comes down to this; you'll either buy it because you want it, or you won't because it's overpriced. The same goes for the mighty Jem 7BRCH. If you don't like the price, don't buy it, right? But does that give anyone permission to bash the guys that do?

Keep on buying your RG550's, J-Customs, Jems, or whatever you want. And I promise I won't say anything.
Josh

PS - Rich - Guitarland!!