I have a Jackson of some species although I don't know exactly what. I got it secondhand for 400 quid (I know when to break my principles - it's a truly amazing guitar) and new it would cost 700. A friend of mine has a £900+ Ibanez prestige and I actually hated it. It seemed dull and sludgy in comparison to the sweet action and neck of my technically inferior Jackson. My floyd rose goes deeper, my pickups are better EMGHZ or whatever they are, the action is lower. Possibly because he keeps his guitar in poor condition - strings all gunked up and so on. Another friend has a £400 RG470 which he blazes on and he favours my guitar with a princely nod. I think the player helps a lot, but Jackson - for what I've played - beat Ibanez. Though I want an Ibanez because they're so damn sexy. If ever I had to make love to a guitar, Ibanez would be the way to go.
Ibanez are idolized mainly, I think, because the mighty Vai and Satch endorse them. The thinking goes that if Steve Vai likes Ibanez, everyone should. But then Steve Vai would be godlike on a £40 strat ripoff so it doesn't matter.