[pera_a777]

..and i was really beautiffly suprised..
Actually i was going with my brother to check out some guitar for him..
I had several RGs before..but been playing a fixed bridge for some time now..
currently Conklin gtg-7..and i have completely forgot a feel of RG and a trem equipped guitar..
Actually, i have tried out a lot of guitars yesterday..Jackson COW7, some ESP LTDs..mostly cheaper models..and IBANEZES, after a long time
My brother was actually interested in rg350..so, i have tried it..this particilar guitar was a bit rusty (?!) anda bit like used, although should be totally new..
anyway..
the strings were so easy to bend..action very easy..it was a joy to play, really..
My GTG-7 has very low action, but i guess this was something like blast from the past..still, the arm wasn;t with the guitar and we were in hurry, so i havent been able to try it out properly..
in the afternoon, we went to the other store..which also carries Ibanezes..
again we wanted rg350, but the one in there, wasn't set up at all...so, i have tried the rg320fm amber, just to check out the trem, cause they are basicly the same models, except the "top", single coil and the guard..
it was great to play again..action, playability..
the trem, very well too...flutter was not so long lasting, but, again, although playable, this one also needed setup, so it showed great potential..especially for the bucks..cause, it played very similar to the ibanezes i have owned previosly, all japanese ones..2xrg550, rg505, rg7620, pgm30(with lo trs, which actually worked GREAT-more on that later..)..
there was also one 320fm amber damaged in transport..just out of curiosity, i wanted to try it too..
wow, it was the best out of all i have tried..flutter was great..i could pull a fifth effortlessly..and the tuning was in..and god nows how old were these strings.. and guitar was surely totaly unplayed too..
it was plugged in small Roland Cube, i think 30watter..and i put a "Metal" model..added some mids..and, i couldnt stop playing..!!!
really..!
honestly, i do not remember when it was last time that i was so inspired to play..
i guess i played for a full hour, maybe even more..i had a bus to catch, so i had to leave..
This particular rg320fm was with infinitis, not sure what trem, edge II or III..made in indonesia..damn, i havent looked at the serial to check out the year..
anyway,
Chances are i tahat, with some luck,i am going to buy it..!
The conclusion:
Do not hesitate to try out these guitars..there are probably some that do not work that great, but, again, there are some pieces that really do..!
Just sit down and try it!
Do not be a snob!

ps: i am well aware that these are cehaper guitars..and the fact that it works good now, doesnt mean that it will last that way..(cheaper materials and stuff..)..and thats ok..but, i always remember that good ol' PGM30 i had..with its Korean lo-TRS, it kicked ass..and that was my first "real" floyd equipped guitar, and i really abused it..
it was IIRC '95..and i bought it at 2002. wasnt in such a great condition..still..it held the tune so well..
anegdote: on friday night i had a gig..and i really abused the trem at those days..returned home after the gig..was so tired..slept the whole next day..Sunday..decided to face with my fears and to check the tuning on the PGM..(i am either deaf,or my guitar is really holding its tuning)turned on the tuner on my gx-700..and, ****ing WOW..only a G string was very little out of perfect tune..(after that, i had bought rg550ex, than, Gambale , than 7620..all with lo-pros..than rg505 with Edge..PGM was totally equal,even more stable in tune then some..! and i know how to set up the trem..Dont take me wrong, they all held teh tune greatly!)
yeah, this sounds like a twilight zone to many of you, but tahts my experience..and its true..!

 

[Fender868]

Yeah i agree. They are great guitars. A lot of people moan about them on here, but i've stood by nothing else but my Korean made RGT42DX for over a year. The Dimarzio's help it get a better tone, but as far as the tremolo goes, it is fine. Flutter is not incredible, but if you're skillful at trem bar play, than you can handle this tremolo for sure. I've never had problems with return to pitch with any guitar i've set up. I don't want to seem like i am pointing the finger here, but in most of the cases we hear, it's mostly the person setting them up that did a poor job. Even my old S 470 with a Lo-trs II was fine when i set her up correctly.

Anyways, they are great for the money. If i had been smart, i'd have opted for an RG3xx korean made series when i was starting. They go for about 300 - 400$ new so why make a fuss about it. You get way more than you pay for in my opinion.

 

[Dee]

Do not be a snob!

Well said.

Over the years, I have played quite a lot of cheap Ibanez and many other brands. Some were great, some were not so good, and some were terrible. The only way to know for sure is to do like you said and TRY THEM. Occasionally you get a total blinder of a guitar which is a real joy to play. The problem many of us guitarists have is allowing our ego get in the way, you know? Some of us wouldn't want to be seen dead playing an RG350! On the other hand, it's refreshing to see a player like Paul Gilbert using cheapo pickups from a Jump Pack guitar and sounding totally awesome.

Personally, I will give ANY guitar a chance. Unfortunately, I don't have a music store near where I live these days, I cannot try guitars before I buy, so I tend to buy online and stick to what I know is almost always reliable, such as MIJ Ibanez RG's. I miss the days when I could go to the local guitar store and play everything in there, because on more than a few occasions I have been really surprised by guitars that most people wouldn't even want to look at. It's the same with basses, and actually, cheap Yamaha's often surprised me.

 

[Gurj]

I've had a couple of rg470s and tbh they weren't too bad. Necks were quite nice to play on, they stayed in tune okay, although I didn't like the pups all that much. I'd say they were better than the cheap Washburn I played for years before I could afford to buy anything more expensive. The other good thing about them was that if you really wanted to, you could easily replace the trem with an OFR and change the pups.

 

[Eggy]

In my experience as long as the core elements of a cheap guitar are good, such as feel, neck etc then you can swap out pickups/tuners/wiring ets for very little money. It's a cost effective way of getting a killer guitar without spending too much money.

In my opinion there is a certain skill level a guitarist reaches where they are able to recognise an instrument for what it is. What it says on the headstock and what it says on the price tag doesn't matter to them. It's a black or white issue. Either it's basicly a good guitar or not. In general other players tend to use price tag and reputation to guide them in their search for an instrument.

(although there are those lucky people who can realy play and have a healthy bank balance too..............Grrrrrr, gear envy)

 

[Gurj]

In my opinion there is a certain skill level a guitarist reaches where they are able to recognise an instrument for what it is. What it says on the headstock and what it says on the price tag doesn't matter to them.

True, my brother has has a few guitars as well, but his main guitar when playing live is this cheapo BC Rich pile of crap! I've played it and think it's okay, but he absolutley loves it!

 

[Dee]

In my experience as long as the core elements of a cheap guitar are good, such as feel, neck etc then you can swap out pickups/tuners/wiring ets for very little money. It's a cost effective way of getting a killer guitar without spending too much money.

In my opinion there is a certain skill level a guitarist reaches where they are able to recognise an instrument for what it is. What it says on the headstock and what it says on the price tag doesn't matter to them. It's a black or white issue. Either it's basicly a good guitar or not. In general other players tend to use price tag and reputation to guide them in their search for an instrument.

(although there are those lucky people who can realy play and have a healthy bank balance too..............Grrrrrr, gear envy)

This is on point. I agree about the "core elements", if those are good that's all that matters, because everything else can be changed.

The neck is the most important thing. I always remember Francis Dunnery and his main guitar, a white Squier Strat which he bought for £100. The way he used to rip on that thing still amazes me, but basically he said he couldn't play the same way on his Fender Strats. There's a documentary on YouTube about his old band, It Bites, where he demonstrates the ease of playability. He's playing some crazy one-handed legato lines with just a clean sound.

I saw this the first time it was aired on UK TV. Dunnery is still a massive influence on me. I absolutely love the guy.

 

[mi2tom]

I tried em and I don't mind having one if I've got money

 

[pera_a777]

Nice to hear other people opinions on this topic..
I guess that "Ego moment", Dee has mentioned, is very crucial in many cases..
I hope that these words will encourage people who are considering buying one of these, to ignore the bad stuff that they might have possibly read on the net to some point, and to go and try them out..!
(lately, i've been thinking that Internet, as much as it really is remarkably helpfull and usefull thing, sometimes it does just the oposite..you know, you read, and read and read about the guitar you are interested..and you read so much about it..good sides/bad sides..pros/cons..this and that..specs/reviews..woods, materials..blah blah..
Of course, this is great, and let you make great insight BEFORE YOU TRY IT OUT!
But, sometimes all those info seem to be enough, and people instantly exclude some guitars from interest, which i think is a great mistike..!
of course, its not internets fault, but people's interpretation..
mmm..just wanna say that more traditional approach o trying out the guitars should be more involved, when possible..

 

[mike570]

It bugs me that people burn on the 3 series! I think lots of times it's a case of elitism; that you can't get quality for a cheap price compared to the more expensive Prestige models. Granted, IMO, the 3xx's AREN'T as good of quality as the Prestiges, but they are EXCELLENT guitars for their price-range. They are also VERY GOOD overall but need a bit more attention in terms of maintenance.
3's also have thicker necks, but IMO that isn't a bad thing either! There's too much emphasis on thin equaling speed but really it should be a question of what you LIKE and what feels comfortable for you!

 

[Gurj]

As far as I'm concerned, it's nothing to do with elitism. What i find a little odd is that someone is willing to buy a brand new 3xx guitar when they could for the same money buy a very good used MIJ Ibanez. Now if you're taking a used rg3xx or rg4xx, then you can pick up one at a great price. The last rg470 I bought was around £100! Bargain!

 

[pera_a777]

Gurj..you are right about the buying used MIJ..
If i live in the States, i would for sure do like that..prices are SOOO low in teh US..
I coul spend days watching **** and crying!
But, in here, market of the used guitars is not so big...waiting for a good rg could last for very long...

 

[LordGrendel]

My friend's little sister(which is my friend too) bought an "Indo" RG350EX in 2005 and I've played it a few times in the past. I noticed that the neck was different from my "MIJ" S470('99), but never paid it no mind. I obviously know they are both Wizard II equipped and difference in the specs of a Japanese WII and an Indonesian WII, but not having played hers in quite sometime I forgot how it felt...I bought my RG5EX1(Indonesian Made) in the end of 2006(literally on Dec. 31st) and I play it nearly everyday along with my S470 and their necks are very similar. And let me just say that I am very satified with my RG5EX1, I've played the same model in other stores and was very disappointed that they didn't play even close as well as mine does(and I was being very objective, not prideful).
I went over to Her place and played it last week and was completely disgusted by the neck. As I stated early having not played it for quite sometime I forgot how the neck felt. If this guitar wasn't Her's I would have never given it any playing time but, She told me She was having problems with the Edge III, so I fixed the problem and tested the trem. The rounding of the neck from middle to outside felt like a Comtemporary Countertop Edge!!! I'll never play that subpar disappointment again!!

 

[Gurj]

Gurj..you are right about the buying used MIJ..
If i live in the States, i would for sure do like that..prices are SOOO low in teh US..
I coul spend days watching **** and crying!
But, in here, market of the used guitars is not so big...waiting for a good rg could last for very long...

Do you have to pay import tax on guitars from other European countries? If not, there are some fairly good deals to be had

 

[Passion_and_Warfare]

No the import tax doesn't apply within the EU.

 

[pera_a777]

Well, we are still not in the EU (very painfull political topic in my country, btw)..
Shipping+18%Vat+customs fee
and, on top of that, i do not own a credit card, or any other way i could pay..neither is that often in here..
(lets just say that my country is pretty much behind all that..)..
and, even if i could pay, 99% of the sellers doesn't ship outside of the US..
So i would have to use a middle man agency to buy it and deliver it for me, which takes at least 20% of teh price+ many more fees..
when you take it all together, final price is about 200% at best..which, strangely enough, is again not so bad, considering our prices..!!!
and it takes 1-2 months...
.....

You really have no clue how lucky you are!
Really...!!!
ps: and prices are so LOOOW...compared to Europe!

Well, i'll stop here, cause i am sounding too pathetic!
I think that only solution is to start to make guitars in here..! Srbanez!))

 

[Dee]

Mate, you're not sounding pathetic, you're just telling it like it is. The situation truly sucks.

 

[pera_a777]

Yeah, truly sucks...
But, what the hell..!
At least, our fingers still grow right..
ps:
(this sounds somehow very wrong in english.. still, you know what i mean..)