Ibanez 2014 NAMM Thread

[rockstarazuri]

I don't know what all the skepticism is, I've always heard complaints about people wanting hardtail Ibanez Prestige models. And now when we finally get them in production people start saying it's too similar to something that was in production before

I don't even play Ibanez primarily anymore, but people are right if the RGA series was as popular as people make it out to be back when it was in production, we might have seen much more in the way of it's expansion as a series. These new Gibraltars also feel just fine and they fix my issue that every single RGA I owned had. It acted like a floating trem and whenever I went into Drop D I had to fine tune everything else because the bridge would move. It's honestly the reason I stopped playing them.

But I'm pretty excited, this all looks like they're listening to a broader customer base now. Just know, that if you honestly like a model and want them to stay in production and breed more models, BUY THEM. Ibanez has no incentive to keep anything in production that doesn't move.

I can honestly say that Burgundy 7 String Prestige grabbed my eye, and the 721fm looks incredible of course. Can't wait to see the rest!

Indeed. My unbiased review of the RGA bridges : The older RGA121 and 321 with the Gibraltar Plus bridges acts a bit like a floating trem when you detune. Plus, its a pain to setup the action. You would have to loosen the strings first to avoid damaging the post screws when adjusting the action. It's also a bit large and the finish rubs off quite quickly. Also you would have trouble fitting in thicker strings in the bridge. That said, I love my RGA to death.

Design and functionality-wise, I think they fixed it with the new Gibraltar bridges.

 

[skcidrgross]

Hope they start using more ebony on the fretboards!

 

[Adam Of Angels]

Hope they start using more ebony on the fretboards!

This is what I was/am expecting for this year, since the Iron Labels have it (presumably) and Rich Harris mentioned being very surprised by this year's lineup.

 

[aneurysm]

I'll still probably go with a Schecter as my next purchase since I'm in the market for a 26.5 inch 7-string, but if Ibanez puts out a solid color non-black 26.5 hardtail 7 it's going to be a hard choice. Seriously, I love bright, obnoxious colors. Solid neon green, purple or blue Ibanez's looks amazing. All my guitars I have are black which gets boring.

I totally agree with you, for me it´s a hard choice beetween the Banshee 7 or the blue Iron Label 7!

 

[Sepultorture]

just my two cents on the new gibralters

they are quite comfortable, i got to try one out on the new S8, and it def fixed the BS with the older gibralter standard bridge.

so if i had my options i'd go with the new gibralter for sure

now the only REAL difference between that and the tight end and the tight end R is that saddle height adjustments is slightly different (one screw verses two) and the tight end has a locking screw to prevent saddle wiggle

and i've tried both bridges, still prefer the tight end R bight a slight margin but i wouldn't be pissed about playing a prestige with the gibralter

also again everyone keep in mind not everything has been revealed yet, so hold your horses till more comes out

 

[Watty]

^ you forgot the aesthetic factor. The G's are straight up ugly.

 

[CloudAC]

That's a matter of preference to be honest. I don't find them very ugly at all. If anything, can't you agree its a step in the right direction?

I mean last year and the year before especially there was very little in prestige hard tail 7s and 8s. This is a solid improvement if you ask me.

More options is always a good thing. And for the love of god I MUST own that S8. Gorgeous.

 

[imnotnollynollynolly]

THose new bridges look fine to me My god, that 721fm is perfection.

 

[Xaios]

^ you forgot the aesthetic factor. The G's are straight up ugly.

That's a matter of opinion. I quite like how they look, personally.

 

[gigawhat]

Oh my sweet Jesus. In for an Orange 7 string fixed bridge prestige. Holy shit, I am excite!

 

[BigPhi84]

Oh my sweet Jesus. In for an Orange 7 string fixed bridge prestige. Holy shit, I am excite!

Someone said that that particular guitar was a one-off prototype.

 

[rockstarazuri]

I think the Gibraltar's look is starting to grow on me, doesn't look too bad to me.

If it's that bad, one could always remove it, fill in the holes and replace it with Hipshots or something it doesn't seem to be much work to modify the guitar

 

[Jake]

That's a matter of opinion. I quite like how they look, personally.

same here, I'd prefer the Gibralter plus like on my rga121 but the new one is better than the old one.

I also don't like hipshots so there's that. But this is just my personal opinion.

 

[OmegaSlayer]

I don't like bridges when you see the springs aestetichally...can't help it *shrugs*

 

[jl-austin]

Okay I got back from my Ibanez dealer. Here is what I saw. I am not associated with any dealer. And I don't care if anyone believes me or not.

1. 7 string RGD with Tightend bridge. 26.5 scale (duh). BLANK EBONY fretboard (no inlays). Bareknuckel Aftermath 7's. In the invisable shadow finish. Street $2099

2. 6 string FR, tightend brigde. 25.5 scale (I think), blank ebony fretboard (no inlays), Bareknuckel aftermath 6's, It was black, might have been invisible shadow also, don't remember the price but it was around $2000 street.

3. Ibanez prestige RG 6 string with pickguard, HSH pickups, Dimarzio pickups (Tone Zone, true velvet, and air norton, if I remember right), with an Edge tremolo, 3 colors, oragne metallic, galaxy black and the new cobalt blue (that has already been shown). $1199

4. all the prestige RG fixed bridge guitars that have already been shown. No orange 7 though, Just Black and that wine color (for fixed).

5. My favorite, 7 string prestige with lo-pro edge 7, Dimarzio PAF's in blue cobalt and galaxy black, $1299.

6. Korn, there are 3 new Korn guitars, a standard line Munky and also Head, Munky is the one that has been shown, Head is an RGD looking guitar with a black body with white (?) splatter (chrome hardware, I thought it looked REALLY cheap, even though I really like Head). No scale length listed. Then there is a "Prestige" Korn, it was blacked out, with no specs, to be announced. Probably the one with the red pickups, but I don't know for sure.

7. two new 9 string guitars, I'm sorry, I didn't look at the stats. Sorry guys. They are both RG's, probably similar to the standard RG8, and then an Iron label 9 PROBABLY. Both were black only.

8. TONS of new 8 RG's. I did not look at the specs of them all, but they did have 3 new prestige RG 8's that were somewhere around $1200, didn't look at the stats, again sorry guys. They did not have the fixed bridge edge III RG8 bridge though, it was a gibaltar design. Basically like the prestige fixed bridge 7 strings. White, black and a natural finish model.

9. 25th anniversary PGM, Basically a flame top fireman with humbuckers, it has been shown on these forums also, $1200 (probably indo).

10. A lot of new S's, the prestige stuff was REALLY expensive though, like fixed bridge for $1700 and V7 and V8 pickups, I am like, huh? They must have REAL maple tops. The S tremolo guitars I seen had the edge (or lo pro edge 7), no new prestige ZR tremolo guitars this year.

11. a 30" scale "crossover" looked like an SR bass with a tightend bridge. Really strange, will need to read more about that later.

And a lot more other stuff, A TON of new stuff, I would say Ibanez's biggest year in a VERY long time. And I do mean A LOT more.

 

[ZXIIIT]

6. Korn, there are 3 new Korn guitars, a standard line Munky and also Head, Munky is the one that has been shown, Head is an RGD looking guitar with a black body with white (?) splatter. No scale length listed. Then there is a "Prestige" Korn, it was blacked out, with no specs, to be announced.

 

[BigPhi84]

9. 25th anniversary PGM, Basically a flame top fireman with humbuckers, it has been shown on these forums also, $1200 (probably indo).

My guess would be China since the previous Fireman's (Firemen?) have all been produced there, save for the super expensive one.

 

[CloudAC]

oh sheeeeet number 1 made me start drooling

 

[Captain Butterscotch]

I don't really play 8's too much (or 7's for that matter) but if an RG9 was as cheap as an RG8, I would definitely buy one. How could I pass that up?

 

[jl-austin]

The prestige looked like it was the black model with red pickups, but it looked like it was done with one of those virtual RG makers and then blacked out, so who knows.