http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_uk.html (go to RG Prestige section)
Im looking at maybe getting an RG 2550E. Anyone know about the Prestige models or played this one? Couple of questions...
1) Prices vary greatly for this model in particular, from £500-670. Non of the other guitars really vary this much, why is that? The guitars before it in the list, like the RG1820X or the RG1520G are therefore sometimes more expensive, but I am right in saying theyr not as good? It seems Ibanez have arranged those guitars from best to worst? You look all the guitars from the 2550E onwards they all have the Dimarzio pickups, all those before have V8 and V7 IBZ ones, so the Dimarzios are better right?
2) It seems the only difference between the 2550E and the 2570E are the colour n the fret inlays?
Thanks. Simon
I have played (and thinking of getting) A RGA121 with natural flat finish. Guitar Center wants 900.00 US out the door with case (insane deal!!). It is a very nice guitar. You can see the quality of how the guitar is made. This particular model has the Ibanez and a mahogany body. Great action and you can sustain a note forever!!
My only guess for the price differnces would be the materials these guitars are made from. This one is made of mahogany, therefore expect to pay some dollars!! The two you are looking at are made of basswood. Do not know much about basswood but this is where I think the price difference occurs.
Cool. Dya know what the difference is in sound and quality of those V8 and V7 Ibanez pickups on your one compared to the Dimarzios? I mean does one have better tone while the other has higher output? Or is one just simpley better than the other. I'm really looking for great tone over mega output
Oh and does that shop you got that from have a website?
I personally liked the Dimarzios better due to the kind of music I like to play (probably simular to yours). I just put in a Super Distortion in my old Kramer and just love the tone. The V8/V7 to me had a warmer tone....more of a medium/high output. The tone reminds me at the neck position with overdrive of Ted Nugent's Cat Scratch Fever. I am also looking a a used S470 quilt top with a different set of Ibanez pickups, the INF series pickups, and for some reason, I keep going back to that guitar from the prestige (that is probably due to that the S470 is 400.00 US less than the Prestige) http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/guitar.asp?model=S470DXQM&color=1
The place I shop is Guitar Center, in fact which Musicians Friend owns now. They have great deals. The web address is http://www.musiciansfriend.com
Happy hunting!!!
John
The DiMarzios are definitely the higher quality pickups, but the V7/8's are nothing to sneeze at either. Something else you might like is the DiMarzio Evolutions that Vai puts in his guitars. A very cool sound.
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
undercat,
i have an epi lp black beauty, i changed all three pups to dimarzio's , i put a
super distortion in the bridge, a paf pro in the middle and an evolution in the neck, this guitar
sounds awsome, dimarzio is the way to go imo
even god loves rock-n-roll
I have the 2550e. I purchased last year after the S470 i had went wonky in the bridge. I didn't want the same problem with an in transition bridge so i upgraded to a japanese model. They had the 2570 at the store, and yes the difference is only the fret inlays and the Textured finish which doesn't show up well on the ibanez site. Not knowing it'd be a 7 month wait i ordered a 2550. The 1820 and 1520 simply have different features, piezo setups which i know nothing about other than they add a lot of cost to a guitar. i suppose i should have looked into them more, but oh well. i was more concerned about the pickups combined with a black guitar, so my options were somewhat limited. My only real complaints with the guitar is that its a little more glittery than i wanted and the store didn't really take care to set it up properly. Some buzzing on a and g strings which i got rid of (fingers crossed hoping this won't return and i experience no other problems). What can you say about the neck? Well the guys at the store couldn't keep their hands off the S neck, amazed by it. And the prestige wizard necks are soooo much better. These are some of the best necks you can find on any guitar. Again, i've heard lots of people say its a toss up between ibanez and Les Pauls for playability. The pickups are some of the best i've heard of this style. I can't give a good review of pickups but they are definitely for metal, and i've heard comparisons to super distortions so... The bridge is also amazing, so low profile, no cutting strings and might be what will keep me from going to ESP. Along with the fact that Ibanez is the worst company for support, i would recommend buying from a place that will cover warranties and fix any problems themselves. They have the ability to make great guitars, but they might want to start showing a little more respect for people. Ratings out of 10
Sound 8.9
Playability 9.4
Durability 9.2
Overall 9.1
And for reviews more informed than mine
Good ole harmony-central:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Ibanez/RG2550EXGK_Prestige-1.html
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Ibanez/S470-1.html
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/ESP/M_II_Deluxe-1.html
