Help!!! What ibanez rg model to choose????

Right now I am playing a BRONZE(cheap?!?) BC Rich Mockingbird guitar. Which, for the 100 bucks I paid for it, has proven itself to be somewhat of an awesome guitar. I have progressed more in the past 3 months since I have gotten this guitar than I have in the 10 years I have played. I feel that I have already outgrown this guitar in the sense that the tone it provides is not suitable to the style of playing I now want to produce (neo-classical metal, progressive metal, etc). I would like to know what guitars out of the Ibanez RG line would most suit the styles of metal I would like to play (i.e Dream Theater, Yngwie, Older Metallica--not friggin St. Anger---we all know that they can succeed in any genre of metal though..., Dimmu Borgir, not to exclude any other more melodic or symphonic metal music out there). I learn how to play new styles and methods with relative ease, as I was a classicaly trained bassoonist for 7 years. So the real question is what Ibanez guitar will be the most flexible for all of these styles of music for the buck. Be forewarned that I am a cheap bastard! I can only spend about $300 dollars to get the guitar, but the mods can be done over time... I really feel that it is time to get a guiar with the following:

1: fast neck with jumbo frets ( 24 duh!!)
2: Good locking tremelo system (floyd rose?!?)
3: decent lasting body wood
4: somthing that is worth upgrading and good upkeep

Right now I have found these Ibanez guitars on closeout/ and or within my budget. Please feel free to make suggestions or comments regarding the following:


RG370DX
RG320QS what body wood it is really? basswood or mohogany???
RG350DX I hate the color and shape, but who cares! if it plays well.
S370? don't know if it is locking trem or not or if 24 fret

Look, I don't really care if it has sharkfin inlays, but would rather have them, and I don't really care how it looks (unless the RG350DX [ugly?!?!] is the ****) Right now I am a bedroom guitarist and don't plan on playing live until I am blazing fast.

I would really like some feedback on this, as I am itching to get the next guitar. Hopefully, Azrael will respond to this as well, since he got me to learn to play tocatta and fugue in dm on guitar (I liked to experiment when I had to learn organ, and that was one of my favorites). He has alot of experience to share and I hope he shares some with me in this issue. I am not set on getting an Ibanez guitar, but I have played a few of the RG series, and for the price they are solid guitars. Again, My budget is limited!!!! THanks Guys, hope to hear from you soon!!!

Dont be that much of a cheap bastard.

If you get the 370dx(with those sharktooth inlays)which is the best of what you listed there,you will run into a few things.

1.The trem is the edge pro II(or low TRS)... made with crap parts and just not as effective as the regular edge pro or Low pro.If you were to upgrade it would cost you at least 120$ if not 170$.

2.The woods the guitar is made from arnt all that great.Forget the mahogony body.You CANT feasibly upgrade a guitars wood.The finish is also most likley cheap and FAKE if it looks flamed or quilted(a photo top...although I dont think the 370dx has that).

3.Hardware,pickups and overall workmanship WILL be poor compared to any higher model.Uprading these will set you back even further.

By the time your finished,you will still have the same guitar,but with upgrades... it will still have close to the same value,and the orginal cut and construction of the guitar will still be there.

My advice would be to get a prestige model.Just overall better guitars.Go to guitartrader.com and take a look at the prstige models.Compare specs with the lower RG line.Youll see what I'm talking about.the RG1220 is around 450$ but its a large leap above the 320dx.Even the highest end regular RG model(the 570 I think)dosn't compare as well to the prestige models.The prestige RG's are still RG's,but to a higher standard.Its worth the little extra money.

IF you really want an Ibenhad, save your pennies and play the BC Rich a little longer, and pick up either a Paul Gilbert model (around $550-600) or a JEM (a lot of used ones on ebay going around $700)
The only RG I have ever really liked is my Nuclear Yellow one I got in 87.

I've been playing RG gutiars for a while. I guess technically the PGM and JEM models are better (i've played and owned both), but as far as cost goes...I still say go with an RG. My favorite was the RG560, which was the 570 with a HSS pickup configuration, very cool. But alas they don't make that anymore.

Basically, if I were you, I'd find a used 570 or 550 (570 for the rosewood fingerboard, 550 for the maple), then just swap out the pickups for whatever pickups you like (stock Ibanez pickups aren't all that great in my experience), and you have a pretty good ax.

And if you are into the JEM type guitars, you can pretty much turn an RG into something as functional as a JEM for half the price!

But, if you're interested in JEMs still, I suggest you wait a couple of months. I think Ibanez is about to release yet ANOTHER JEM model (as described by Steve Vai on a DVD recently), a new one may screw with teh used prices, it tends to.

And if you're really stuck on buying a new guitar, and you are choosing betwen an RG, JEM of PGM, but still want to stay on budget, I'd say the PGM is the best bet, as they're fairly inexpensive new.

Why do you want an Ibanez anyway (or do you guys own a Ibanez)?

Ibanez has given me 2 fantastic acoustisc guitars, I wouldn't trade them for the world, but electric I just dont see why a allot of people want Ibanez.

The BC Rich your playing is the cheapest BC Rich available btw, but then again it has proven its worth to you, as you told us. Why dont you get yourself another BC Rich, Bronze is the cheapest serie, you can get much better ones just 1 step up in the price (for about $400-500 you get yourself a nice platinum serie)

Metallica arnt playing Ibanez, I thought Dimmu played BC Rich, and John Petrucci does play Ibanez

Petrucci plays Carvin.

But what does that have to do with anything?

You can play pretty much anything you want on any solidbody guitar with humbuckers.

Also, as far as prestige models vs. non..

The RG570 is no longer in production. Its now called the 1570. They call the 1570 a prestige model, but the thing is, the 570 (although it didn't have the prestige name), was EXACTLY the same as the new RG1570.

I don't know much about buying used guitars as far as what to look at and problem areas for older Ibanez models, but there is guy in town who has a few 80's and early 90's ibanez models (I know of at least one which is a prestige model). I have a crappy Crate G60XL amp that I am trying to get rid of and he told me that he would take a trade and $100 bucks for a canary yellow ibanez prestige that looks like it is in halfway decent shape. What should I look for as far as problems on these guitars. The neck on this particular guitar looks rather dirty and well used on the back, but appears straight and the frets look decent as well.

Err..

I knew that. I was talking to a guy about tony macalpine on irc at the time I posted that, and Carvin just came out :P

But yes, Petrucci did play Ibanez guitars, had a custom model if I recall.

You should keep you B.C Rich and maybe upgrade it. EMG or Seymour Duncan pickups and maybe change the neck! My friend probably had the most s*** guitar ever built and he done it up. I think it was a Stagg, and he's got EMG pickups on it and he changed the neck to a Ibanez prestige neck.

I've played some S*** hot guitars in my time but that has to be one of the best! BUT!! one thing to remember, its ALOT of work and it'll cost ya abit! Not as much a new guitar.

Darren.

I definately plan on keeping the B.C, as it is a fixed bridge attempt (all in one bridge and talipiece). I wish I had the money to upgrade the pup's, but is the guitar really worth it?? The neck is good, although the medium frets are not my style, it is not warped or worn at all and is very fast! (rosewood BTW). The agathis body (is it plywood?!?!?!?!) has no dents or even scratches so I plan on using this as a backup since the cheap tuning gears manage to stay in tune. The pups are muddy, but I never planned on playing this guitar as my #1. The reason I want an Ibanez is beacause of the quality control, (whether it be Korean or Japan model) as it is still better than other import QC checks (I've heard Jackson has American QC checks, but I don't believe that wholeheartedly). If/When I get my Ibanez, I will take the pups from that and put the, in my BC. I am glad that everyone put in there 2 cents in reference to the RG models, but I cannot afford the prestige models unless they are used. Are the stock lower model RG's that bad compared to what I have (Bronze B.C Rich) and the prestige models. I can afford to put in an extra $100 here and there if I go ahead and get the lower RG's. As a side note, I have been working on speedy 2 octave major scale runs... does anyone have advise on whether to use the altenate fingering patterns starting on pattern 1:

_356 E or the standard fingering as far as metal leads??
_356 B
_235 G
_235 D
_135 A
_135 E

I think Ibanezes are great guitars. I've had 3 of them so far. My first was a korean EX-series which was a great bang for the buck. My second was a japanese 540R Pro which was a beutiful axe I wish I never sold. Currently I'm having a RG770 Deluxe loaded with DiMarzio Evolutions and that one I'm going to keep. All of them have been late '80's to early '90's guitars and all of them I've bought used.
I suggest you looking for a used (or new if you can afford it) japanese RG. Older 500 or 700- series or newer 1500- to
3000- series prestiges. As for the Prestige you mentioned I have a little doubt that it is a Prestige. They started making them 1996 and back then the only model was the all-green 3070. Their prices were above $1500. Only the newer ones which replaced the older 500- series (now called 1550 and 1570) are so called cheaper Prestiges. That canary yellow color indicates that it's originally a late '80's 550 or 450 with a replacement neck. Doesn't matter though as I'm sure it's a great guitar. If you like Ibanez then you should get one. Someone like Jacksons, some Deans and some something else. From where I look at it, they're not better or worse one compared to another, just different. For me it's always been Ibanez and I have to say that if it's in your mind that Ibanez is the one you want then that's what you should get. The decision is only yours and no-one elses. I've played them all and I always end getting back to Ibanez no matter what everyone else says I should get.

There..sorry for the long post

They had yellow 570s, and 270s also I believe.

He's right though, go for the ones made in japan, the quality is quite a bit better. Especially if you check ebay, theres alway a couple good 550s or 570s floating around there (or if you're lucky, and a bit strange like me, 560s).