[newbieguitarmaker]

I would definitely buy it if it was MIJ, if it isn't I probably will just get a custom version or something hah

 

[Jerich]

Hey Tak thanks again for keeping us seven string guys in the loop!! I cannot wait till a proto type comes in!

 

[newbieguitarmaker]

I really appreciate you asking this Tak.

I'd really like to see this as a neck through model, as something I've certainly lusted for is a neckthrough RG7, so you could easily kill two birds with one stone with this guitar. I'd much prefer a nice trem, Edge LoPro 7 if possible, but it's not a deal breaker for me. Pickups I'm not fussy about, as those can be changed out, just so long as it's not EMGs, as the big routing would be terrible for placing in DiMarzios, or other regular sized pickups.

Red, Green or Purple trans finish over a quilt or flame top. Please god not black, or blue.

The biggest factor in this guitar is that it is Japanese made.
If Ibanez brings out a Japanese made neckthrough RGA7, with a trem, and it is not black, I will buy it. Those specs would be as close to custom as I'd want, so I would definitely buy it. Other things like reversed headstock, inlays, it doesn't really matter, I don't mind.

I wanted to say I agree with you 100%

 

[Hellraizer]

I agree. I'd buy it if it was MIJ, I probably wouldn't even consider it if it was MIK no matter what the specs are.

 

[Scali]

I agree. I'd buy it if it was MIJ, I probably wouldn't even consider it if it was MIK no matter what the specs are.

How about China?
There were a lot of Ibanez guitars from the Chinese custom shop at NAMM 2008, looked pretty good aswell.

 

[Scott of Actual Time]

I'm thinking more like 7 string neck through version of RGA321 type of guitar.
I don't know about MIJ Prestige though.......I don't think so.........

i would totally buy that. i don't care where it's made, so long as it's made well.

 

[jim777]

This Chris Broderick custom with a top lock would make lots folks happy, and likely sell very well. It seems to be pretty close to a consensus at this point. I LOVE the bound ebony board on this one A return to ebony would be nice here, even if it is streaked ebony.
An RGA7xx0 with a trem, and a matching RGA7xx1 with a 7 string version of the RGA321's fixed bridge and we're done!

jim

 

[nikt]

6 letters to this thread

"NTB MIJ"

whatever trem or not, both are great

 

[Satchriossi]

It really needs to be MIJ - i personally wouldn't buy one, regardless of spec unless it was MIJ. Its the quality of the fret dressing job above all that needs to be top quality.

I agree with JIM77 - the Chris Broderick guitar is the way to go.

For me;

Bolt on neck is fine but neck thru would be nice too.
H-H p/up configuration.
Floating 'knife edge' bridge or perhaps a ball bearing trem design where th pivot point is nearer the front edge of the saddles - so the pitch bending range is larger like that of a knife edge design.

 

[guitarplayerone]

MIJ Crucial.
neckthrough crucial.
a seven-string RGT320 would be great, with real dimarzios on it.
edge pro trem.
a piezo, ebony fretboard, and offset dot inlays would be amazing as well, but not dealbreakers.

Remember the J- custom RGCST? Just release that, and neckthrough.

 

[Emperoff]

If the guitar pleases the customers, it will sell well. That's a fact, so if everyone is saying that loves Broderick's guitar, making a guitar like his would please everyone (the customer, and Ibanez for the good selling rate).

Also, designing a new fixed bridge for the guitar would cost way more money and job for Ibanez that just putting an Edge pro 7 on them.

It wouldn't be so difficult, is just a trem-equipped RGA321 with reverse headstock and bound ebony board, with no inlays (less job). All of us would buy it at the moment, granted.

 

[Karl Hungus]

i don't care where it's made, so long as it's made well.

That statement it at odds with itself. The fact is, where it's made has a gigantic impact on how well it's made.

The reality of the situation is that no Korean, Chinese or Indonesian made guitar can compete with a Japanese made one. I've owned and played many Korean guitars over the years, some of them can be decent, but some of them, I've had problems with useless wiring, poorly cut nuts, horrible fretwork, resulting in fret buzz or at the worst, sharp edged frets that I've recieved a cut from, misaligned necks, even warped necks.

I have never had an issue with an MIJ guitar. Fretwork has been exemplary, overall build quality has been nothing if not perfect, and any MIJ Ibanez has been far more playable than a MIK counterpart.

I would far rather pay twice the price for a Japanese guitar, rather than buying a guitar that I might have to go and get refretted before it's even up to playing standards! Not saying this RGA7 would be a crummy guitar, but with the quality issues, I wouldn't chance it.

 

[Scali]

The reality of the situation is that no Korean, Chinese or Indonesian made guitar can compete with a Japanese made one.

I disagree with that. My 2007 MIK S7320 has an excellent neck, very playable, at least comparable to my 1995 MIJ RG570CT. And the neck pocket of the S is actually cut better than on the RG aswell. The RG one is really wide. I've had problems with the neck moving around at times.

I also have a Korean-made Epiphone Les Paul from 1995, which is also a killer guitar. Still plays and sounds great after 13 years of intensive use. And it's given me less trouble than the RG aswell. The tremolo arms on the RG break from time to time, the output jack was broken, neck pickup was broken, 5-way switch broken...

So what I'm saying is that I've seem some pretty damn good guitars coming out of Korea, and some rather poor ones from Japan.

 

[Satchriossi]

The tremolo arms on the RG break from time to time, the output jack was broken, neck pickup was broken, 5-way switch broken...

So what I'm saying is that I've seem some pretty damn good guitars coming out of Korea, and some rather poor ones from Japan.

I think its fair to say you've had some unusually bad luck with your RG or you just dont look after it well enough?

I would agree MIJ RGs neck pockets are sloppy - mine certainly is but its not the case with MIJ Sabers in my experience.

The fret work is the main thing though - none of the MIK guitars ive had or tried have had 100% level frets whereas the MIJ ones always have.

 

[nikt]

I disagree with that. My 2007 MIK S7320 has an excellent neck, very playable, at least comparable to my 1995 MIJ RG570CT. And the neck pocket of the S is actually cut better than on the RG aswell.

it's a 12years period of time. You know how the technology of CNC cutting evolved since 95??

 

[Scali]

I think its fair to say you've had some unusually bad luck with your RG or you just dont look after it well enough?

Well, I've had it for about 11 years... But it sure is the most 'maintenance-heavy' guitar I've owned. It's been my main guitar for years, my baby. I look after it very well.

The fret work is the main thing though - none of the MIK guitars ive had or tried have had 100% level frets whereas the MIJ ones always have.

The fretwork on my S7320 is immaculate. It's my guitar with the lowest action right now, and there's no fretbuzz anywhere, just really accurate playing, great tone and sustain.

 

[Scali]

it's a 12years period of time. You know how the technology of CNC cutting evolved since 95??

That's no excuse, is it?
If you want to build a proper guitar, you cut out the pocket smaller, then manually sand it down to size. It's what I'd expect from a relatively expensive guitar like a MIJ RG570. Heck, Epiphone could do it with the set-neck of my Les Paul (with long tenon, eat that, Gibson!), and that's a much cheaper guitar, and MIK...from the same year. What excuse does Ibanez have?

 

[Karl Hungus]

I disagree with that. My 2007 MIK S7320 has an excellent neck, very playable, at least comparable to my 1995 MIJ RG570CT. And the neck pocket of the S is actually cut better than on the RG aswell. The RG one is really wide. I've had problems with the neck moving around at times.

I also have a Korean-made Epiphone Les Paul from 1995, which is also a killer guitar. Still plays and sounds great after 13 years of intensive use. And it's given me less trouble than the RG aswell. The tremolo arms on the RG break from time to time, the output jack was broken, neck pickup was broken, 5-way switch broken...

So what I'm saying is that I've seem some pretty damn good guitars coming out of Korea, and some rather poor ones from Japan.

This is based on your experience of owning 1 MIJ guitar?

Sorry man, but in my experience over the years, I've seen far too many shoddy MIK come and go. You got a lemon of an RG? That's a serious pity. But it simply does not over-ride my experience of MIJ guitars, and I stand by my statement of never having an issue with them.

I'm not trying to diss all MIK guitars, because I have played a few good ones, but overall, there's some serious quality control issues there, and I wouldn't take my chances on buying one again. You got some great playing ones? Good for you, but that's luck of the draw really.

 

[Algiman]

It wasn't that long ago that any guitar coming from Japan was assumed to be junk. Things change.

Lower end guitars are made in China, Korea etc to help keep the price down, but the quality is dictated by the fact they are lower end guitars and supposed to be cheap (i.e. you get what you pay for). I can promise you that the cnc machine has no idea what country it is in, dimarzios sound the same no matter where they are installed (assuming they are installed properly) and wood doesn't go down in quality by crossing the border.

 

[Scali]

This is based on your experience of owning 1 MIJ guitar?

I'm just giving one example to prove that your claims are over-generalizations.

Sorry man, but in my experience over the years, I've seen far too many shoddy MIK come and go.

As said, things change. Japanese guitars weren't always high quality, and Koreans didn't start out with high quality either. But things change.

You got a lemon of an RG? That's a serious pity. But it simply does not over-ride my experience of MIJ guitars, and I stand by my statement of never having an issue with them.

Just because you never had an issue with them doesn't mean that no issues exist. Likewise, just because you had some issues with some Korean guitars doesn't mean all of them are trash.

I'm not trying to diss all MIK guitars, because I have played a few good ones, but overall, there's some serious quality control issues there

I would say the neck pockets on Japanese RGs are serious control issues aswell, wouldn't you?

Good for you, but that's luck of the draw really.

It's always like that when you buy mass-produced guitars.
Even Fender and Gibson have quality issues, and you have to hand-pick your guitars if you want to have good ones.
I would say that Ibanez' Korean department is currently at about the same level as the Japanese one was about 10 years ago. That also explains why Ibanez is now moving production to Indonesia and China. Korean guitars have become too good and too expensive.