Are S270, S370, S470 all the same guitar w/ diff features?

RafRey · Sea Monkey Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 10

Okay, no battle here. Obviously you hold the power. Cheap model or not, I just wanted some info. Didn't mean to bruise ya...

By the way, where is the line drawn between cheap models and not-cheap (?) models? Does this mean that questions regarding certain models of Ibanez guitars must be qualified?

Is the SZ320 considered cheap? I do have a few questions about that one. And it is new, so I am assuming there is information available. Should I start a new thread (or look for an existing one) regarding the SZ320?

Thanks!

SRXThunder · Posted: Fri May 02, 2003 6:50 pm Post subject:

I think your fine here, RafRey. VWall would be more apt on what's what with guitars, but here's a good rule of thumb (with any brand of guitar). Guitars fall into 1 of 5 catagories MIA (Made in America), MIJ (Made in Japan), MIM (Made in Mexico), MIK (Made in Korea), or MII (Made in Indoneisa). If a insturment manufacturer produces a guitar from America, Japan, or Mexico then you can rest assured that they are coming from factories owned by the company and that the quality of product being distributed meets the company's guidlines. Guitars manufactured in Korea or Indonesia are *normaly* contracted out. This means, for example, that Krammer Guitars, Fender Squirers, and low end Ibanez guitars could all come from the same factory in Korea. The only difference being in the finishing when the factory puts the sticker on the head stock.
Now, as far as the other 3...most companies that still produce guitars in the U.S. only make their high end or hand made guitars here. So anything coming out of the U.S. should be of that company's highest quality. The down side to that is price. You will pay premium price for any guitar that has a Made in U.S.A. sticker on it. *Sometimes* you are better off going with an MIJ or an MIM because you get almost just as much bang for the buck at a signifigantly lower cost. An example of this would be Fender. I just purchased a Fender Standard Jazz Bass 5 string for $459.00. The bass is MIM. The same bass, MIA, would run me about $1200.00. I played both types before I made the purchase, and there was a difference in the way they played, but not a $750.00 difference.
As far as MIJ vs. MIM, it depends on opinion. For starters I don't think Ibanez has a Mexico plant so it's not something you'll have to worry about. But in case you ever run into it, it breaks down like this. All MIM parts are made in the U.S., shipped to Mexico, assembled and finished, then shipped back. To *my* knowledge all company's that produce in Japan make the parts, assemble, and finish all in the same plant, then ship to where ever. It boils down to personal opinion on this issue. I would own a Fender MIM before I would own a Fender MIJ, but there are others that will tell you it's the other way around.
So, to answer your question about quality. MIK is the lowest, MIM/MIJ, then MIA (in most cases). Now, when dealing with Ibanez *I think*, and VWall will probably need to clairify on this, but I think that some MIJ Ibanez guitars are actually higher end then the U.S. Customs. Like I said, I'm not 100% sure of that.
In the end though, it all boils down to how much money you have at the time you go to buy and if you like the way it plays. Hope that helped.
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vwall · Posted: Fri May 02, 2003 9:46 pm Post subject:

MIJ Ibanez are about the top of the line...
Id take an MIJ RG550 over a USA strat any day...

Even most of Ibanez USA models are actual built in Japan and then assembnled or painted in the usa.
Some specific models were actually subcontracted out to be made, Like the USRG series and the American Masters.

So as far as Ibanez is classified, its about a Tie on the MIJ and MIA instruments.

I would defintaley avoid any guitar that is MIK or made in China (ya missed that one Dan) or MII.
But if you're on a budget, your better of with a used MIJ guitar from ibanez than the newer MIK ones.

S540's can be had for the 2-300 mark and thats really good considerring you're getting Edge trems and mahogany bodies...

Same thing with the MIJ RG series accept they are all mostly basswood bodies....
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SRXThunder · Posted: Sat May 03, 2003 6:29 am Post subject:

You don't like the basswood bodies, V? I perfer the alder or ash myself, but from what I've heard (test driving gear, not word of mouth) the bass wood is a little brite for my personal taste, but I wouldn't rule it out because I could adjust that with strings, EQ, and SABDDI. What's your take on them?
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vwall · Posted: Sat May 03, 2003 9:35 am Post subject:

I have several basswood guitars...

And several alder and ash...

But the basswood only sounds good with certain pups..

Thats why the basswood jems are all stocked with PAF pros, blaze and breed pick ups and the Alder jems are only stocked with the Evolution pups..

Theres a limitation to sound quality in combining certain pup output mv
& DC resistance.
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SRXThunder · Posted: Sat May 03, 2003 10:58 am Post subject:

Really? That I did not know. Another pebble missed.
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vwall · Posted: Sat May 03, 2003 1:36 pm Post subject:

Yes, there are many pebbles in life..
make sure you entertain the fruity ones at some time as well. Cool

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SRXThunder · Posted: Sat May 03, 2003 5:03 pm Post subject:

Don't eat the brown acid!
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RafRey · Sea Monkey Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 10

Thank you both very much for the info. I always had reservations regarding MIK guitars in the past, but do you think that the quality has gone up at all recently?

PRS makes their Santana SEs in Korea, and we all know how picky he is. Unless of course he's doing it purely for the $$$!

I am considering the SZ320, which is made in Korea, but I LIKE it!

Thanks!

SRXThunder · Posted: Sun May 04, 2003 7:17 pm Post subject:

Raf - I started playing in '85. Back then there was no way, no how you would *ever* purchase a guitar made in Korea or IndoChina. Since then the quality has gone up, but so has the price. The way I look at it is not so much how much it costs, but what kind of value am I getting.

The SZ320 retails for $500. No guitar made in Korea is worth five bones, period. But I did find a few places on line that carried it between $370 and $385. Now, if it's a "high end" Korean model (Yes Scott, I know that's an oxymoron.) then yeah, maybe 350 or 375. But ask yourself "What else can I get for that type of cash?" I was in a pawn shop a few weeks back and the guy had a used Jackson on the wall for $425. So that is one thing you have to look at. The most important thing to look at though is you. Do you like the way it plays? I mean really *like* the feel? Do you like the tone? Effects and amps can only do so much, if you're not happy with the insturments clean tone you will never be 100% satisfied with it, regardless of how well it plays. Finaly, how do you feel about the deal you got? Do you feel you got the best deal you could of? If you can answer yes to those questions then you're good to go and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. This is all just my opinion, mind you. One piece of advice I would give you is this...don't settle on one model, settle on how much you have to spend. Walk into the guitar shop and tell them you want to play *every* guitar they have in your price range, plus and minus $25 -$50, depending on how well you can negotiate (i.e. Let's say I had $400 to spend, I would play everything within the $350 - $450 price range). If you have an amp and effect pedals, take those with you as well. Play only out of your amp, using your pedals, don't let them try to make you play out of their stuff. Divide the guitars up into 2 groups, the ones you like the feel of, and those you you don't. Once you've done that you narrow it down by tone until you find what you're looking for. I've played a thousand basses in my time and no 2 have ever played or sounded the same. And believe me, when you find the right one it'll stick with you a long, long time. I have the urge to go into my 1971 Gibson EBO story, but I'll save that for another time. Wink

Good luck, and posts some pics once you decide
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