OK might be crazy but..............Should I buy an Ibanez Prestige?

What's Hot
OK completely out of my comfort zone, Played with a guitarist this week who had a Prestige RG I think, Maple top, very classy looking and played like a dream! I REALY liked it, Should I? If so I have no idea what is good or not with them?
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«13

Comments

  • GuitarMonkeyGuitarMonkey Frets: 1883
    New, no. Second hand, yes. They are invariably great guitars but residuals are very poor should you decide to sell.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • EvilmagsEvilmags Frets: 5158
    RGs are excellent guitars. I had a 550 for the best part of 18 years and it got played in a lot of different scenarios and did an excellent job. They are really easy to play and have decent hum bucker and single coil sounds, especially with aftermarket pickups in them. Second hand they are also quite inexpensive so hard to see where you could go wrong. The build on Japanese Ibañez guitars is really good and RGs come in a various woods these days so their is a lot of choice.  
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • Thanks, the interwebs seem to suggest Jap or USA made pre 2000.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    I had an early 90s Japanese RG570 and it was a really nice instrument, for the money s/h it was great. Don't write off an earlier Jap model with the original edge trem if you want something with a double locking system. As stated there is now tons of choice with RGs. Whatever RG you buy try to get one with the top of the range trem for the era (they have changed this over time). The better trems tend to stand up to abuse better and require slightly less maintenance as far as I'm aware.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • jeztone2jeztone2 Frets: 2160
    Buy a used one, but be wary of chewed tremelo systems...
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • This is the problem, I love the playability but have no use for a double locking trem, If I could find a Andy Timmons that would be my ideal.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4028
    edited July 2014
    I REALY liked it, Should I?
    Yes.  And that is how I got my first RG.  I had never even considered them, never had them even vaguely on my radar.  Then I played one, and REALLY liked it.

    I've had four, and basically they've all been good but the higher end ones have been the best with my Prestige 1540 being the bestest!

    But even the RG350 is great, except for its trem.  Blocked it off, and as a hardtail it was brilliant.

    PS I've seen what you said about trems, and I've been happy blocking off three out of my four.  They make great hardtails.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • xmrchixmrchi Frets: 2810
    If you can find one, a rga 12 1 would prob suit you, their a jap prestige with a full maple cap and no trem, I had one for years and it was amazing.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GuitarMonkeyGuitarMonkey Frets: 1883
    What about this for example? http://r.ebay.com/9dtj12
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Thanks for the advice, I can see me spending a significant amount of time on ebay!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    Look for models ending in 1. 0 is usually trem 1 is usually hardtail, unless things have changed since I last had one.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • EvilmagsEvilmags Frets: 5158
    Try an S as well, they are really light on the strap and there are some pretty ones. (someone in the classified was selling a nice burl Poplar topped Prestige)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • They're great, even the switching on the 3 pickup models is nifty.

    Go used for sure, real bargains to be had. And if you love the guitar and it rings nicely, don't be afraid to get some posh pickups in.

    I'm not sure if there is a golden era or not, interesting to hear the USA ones are good. They can be cheap!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • keithfkeithf Frets: 371
    deffo 98-2004,they're the bargains, Pound for pound the best value workhorse guitars you can get, be aware of knife edges on the trem and snapped trem posts, ideally the j-craft jobs are the easiest to sell.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • What about this for example? http://r.ebay.com/9dtj12
    Yeah checked that one out, Was put off by what a lot of people were saying about the quality of new ones, My bench mark is my old guitar teacher when I was a kid had an S series from probably late 80's (maybe Gamble model) and that was amazing!

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • GSPBASSESGSPBASSES Frets: 2335
    tFB Trader

    Or you of ask Dave to make you one then get your man to spray it then fit your Hot Rod pickups in it. I’m sure you would end up with a guitar far better then Ibanez.


    Or you could swap a pair of your Hot Rod pickups (P90 dog eared) for the the guitar below get Dave to work his magic on it etc etc.



    Your life will improve when you realise it’s better to be alone than chase people who do not really care about you. Saying YES to happiness means learning to say NO to things and people that stress you out.

    https://www.facebook.com/grahame.pollard.39/

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700

    I'd say get one. They're well underrated by anyone other than shredders/metallers.

    Mine has been used for just about everything from Pink Floyd to Metallica via Iron Maiden and blues.

    I'd be confident that it could be used in any situation* without compromising anything.

     

    *Unless you specifically want a tele/strat country-esque twang, and even then you can still get in the ball psrk.

     

    Make sure you're comfortable changing the strings on a double-locking trem system if you do go that way. If you're unsure ask me and I can talk you through (I did a thread on how to do it, but I can't be arsed to find it).

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BucketBucket Frets: 7751
    Thanks, the interwebs seem to suggest Jap or USA made pre 2000.
    I'm pretty sure USA-made are very rare.

    Pretty much any Japanese-made RG from 1987 right up to now is likely to be good. Fucking marvellous guitars.
    - "I'm going to write a very stiff letter. A VERY stiff letter. On cardboard."
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • vizviz Frets: 10647
    I think all pointy guitars are great at their price points. Stunning value. Ok the signature models probably get a bit pricey at the top end, but even them second hand represent reasonable value because they drop by half rrp the minute they leave the shop. So I don't think you can go wrong with one if it's in good nick.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26464
    Before you do that, you owe it to yourself to try one of Jaden's Series 2 guitars. I seem them as kinda of Ibanez Prestige+++. Comparing the two, there's not really anything a Prestige does that Jaden's guitars don't do better.

    Budget-wise, you can usually pick a Series 2 up for around the £550 - £600 mark second hand..
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.