Ibanez 2022 discussion.

[Neon_Knight_]

Didn't they initially sell pretty badly?

They can't have sold too badly, as they kept them going for 4 or 5 years (which is not a short production run for a specific model) and then launched a standard line version that has survived the test of time.
Plenty of other designs were phased out far quicker or only make sporadic appearances in the Ibanez catalogue.

 

[død]

I remember there being a ton of them going around the ESP boards ~15 years ago, they were pretty sought after among the metalcore crowd.

 

[cardinal]

Didn't they initially sell pretty badly?

Because no Edge trem (at least that's what I grumbled to myself).

 

[Alberto7]

I'd been hoping for a return of RGA Prestige for a couple of years now. I was tempted by an RGA8420-SDE last year, but the RG8520-SDE I bought instead was a better price and more similar to the Twilight Blue RG3120 that I've never found in good condition + fair price.

Your photo got me googling to look up what specific model it was and then I stumbled across this on Reverb...happy NGD to me!

Well, HNGD for me in advance, too
I managed to haggle the price of an RGA121 down below the 1k USD mark, which is more of a symbolic success than a financial one for me

Can't wait.

Sadly, I'll still keep an eye on this thread to see if I'm gonna have to sell any gear this year for a new Ibanez though hopefully not...

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Well, HNGD for me in advance, too
I managed to haggle the price of an RGA121 down below the 1k USD mark, which is more of a symbolic success than a financial one for me

Can't wait.

Sadly, I'll still keep an eye on this thread to see if I'm gonna have to sell any gear this year for a new Ibanez though hopefully not...

What finish is the RGA121?

 

[Alberto7]

What finish is the RGA121?

I specifically wanted the natural finish with the maple cap. I think they call the finish NTF.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I specifically wanted the natural finish with the maple cap. I think they call the finish NTF.

Good choice!

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Didn't they initially sell pretty badly?

First year, 2005, they did very well, enough to keep around, but the decline was sharp and by 2007 they weren't moving. They were axe'd in 2008, but they had enough left over parts to due a very small run of RGA321Fs for first quarter 2009.

I purchased two RGA121s on closeout from Guitar Center in late 2008 for $600, marked down from $1200. They stuck around for months at that price.

That's one of the reasons they became so popular, Ibanez was pretty much giving them away in the end.

They can't have sold too badly, as they kept them going for 4 or 5 years (which is not a short production run for a specific model) and then launched a standard line version that has survived the test of time.
Plenty of other designs were phased out far quicker or only make sporadic appearances in the Ibanez catalogue.

Ibanez spent a lot on those, they weren't going to let them go without a fight.

 

[Chri]

First year, 2005, they did very well, enough to keep around, but the decline was sharp and by 2007 they weren't moving. They were axe'd in 2008, but they had enough left over parts to due a very small run of RGA321Fs for first quarter 2009.

I purchased two RGA121s on closeout from Guitar Center in late 2008 for $600, marked down from $1200. They stuck around for months at that price.

That's one of the reasons they became so popular, Ibanez was pretty much giving them away in the end.

I distinctly remember ogling them at the $600 price on Musician’s Friend. I knew there was no way I could get one, being a jobless teenager in 08, but I swear I would go and stare at that page every day

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

First year, 2005, they did very well, enough to keep around, but the decline was sharp and by 2007 they weren't moving. They were axe'd in 2008, but they had enough left over parts to due a very small run of RGA321Fs for first quarter 2009.

I purchased two RGA121s on closeout from Guitar Center in late 2008 for $600, marked down from $1200. They stuck around for months at that price.

That's one of the reasons they became so popular, Ibanez was pretty much giving them away in the end.



Ibanez spent a lot on those, they weren't going to let them go without a fight.

Okay good I wasn't mismembering. Like yeah I know they became popular and everyone was using them for awhile, but it seems like that was after it was discontinued and they were on clearance for the price of a brand new Schecter Hellraiser or LTD Deluxe.

 

[jl-austin]

I remember them starting getting expensive at the end of their run (at least list prices).

Part of the problem is they never changed them up from year to year. Except for the H model, they didn't do anything for the line.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I remember them starting getting expensive at the end of their run (at least list prices).

Part of the problem is they never changed them up from year to year. Except for the H model, they didn't do anything for the line.

It was hard to make changes when you don't move enough to replace the old stuff with the new stuff.

Stock was running 18+ months surplus at one point. Dealers aren't going to bite.

 

[jl-austin]

It was hard to make changes when you don't move enough to replace the old stuff with the new stuff.

Stock was running 18+ months surplus at one point. Dealers aren't going to bite.

What was going at that time? Was 7 strings all the rage? I seem to remember that the market wasn't really going for those types of guitar at that time?

 

[MetalDestroyer]

What was going at that time? Was 7 strings all the rage? I seem to remember that the market wasn't really going for those types of guitar at that time?

2009 was metalcore on an Eclipse time IIRC

 

[Alberto7]

2009 was metalcore on an Eclipse time IIRC

Unfortunately. The music was great, the guitars... eh.

Then Misha and Tosin came around strong in around 2010 and the rest is history

 

[DCM_Allan]

... Not yet in the Ibanez site...

maybe will be released by april or later

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

What was going at that time? Was 7 strings all the rage? I seem to remember that the market wasn't really going for those types of guitar at that time?

I'm going to assume since it was 2006 - 2009, it was peak EMG-loaded fiddle > TS9 > 5150 > Mesa 412 era. Everyone wanted a 24-fret guitar in black or red guitar with EMGs.

 

[DEUCE SLUICE]

I distinctly remember ogling them at the $600 price on Musician’s Friend.

That’s when I got mine! Sold it last year to consolidate, but it took that long to come across a guitar I liked more. (An AZ!)

 

[død]

I'm going to assume since it was 2006 - 2009, it was peak EMG-loaded fiddle > TS9 > 5150 > Mesa 412 era. Everyone wanted a 24-fret guitar in black or red guitar with EMGs.

LTD EC-1000 Deluxe, baby! EMGs, abalone, 24 frets, came in both red and Black back then.

 

[DiezelMonster]

For any of my Ontario, Canadian forum friends, I placed an order for ALL new models at the store I work for.

ETA possibly end of 2022 early 2023.

Ouch.