Ibanez RG470 Review

History:

Purchase: Bought slightly used in 1999. Paid about $350

Pros: It's light, the low strings are easy on the fingers, narrow neck is easy to work with.



Cons: What I don't like? Grab a cup of coffee folks, there's going to be some reading here. Let me say first off that I'm not very good with a guitar. I've messed around with them since Jr. High (I'm 32 now) but knew I'd never be really good, and just don't put a lot of effort into practice. I mainly just hack-out songs from tabs when the mood strikes. With that said: - Tremola system. Out of about 10 electrics with tremolas that I've owned (including some pretty cheap ones - Cort flying V for example), this is the absolute worst. I can't keep this thing in tune for anything. I don't even put the whammy bar on anymore for fear of bumping it and knocking it out of tune. I don't use the fine-tuning knobs for the same reason.. just a slight bit of pressure and it's worse than when you started. - Low strings. Even though it makes playing easy in standard tuning.. tuning down 1/2 step (which seems to be around 1/3 of the rock songs out there) makes for a buzz on several strings that has made me put the thing back in it's case. - Tone control seems more like a fine-tune volume knob.. it doesn't seem to do much with tone at all, other than on the high end. - plug comes loose constantly, even after locktighting the lock nut.

RG470 Quality: Quality is about what you'd expect at this level for a strat. It feels fairly solid, but be careful with it.. the finish chips easily.

Ibanez Summary: I had a second-hand Magnum Les Paul clone that I bought for $50 in high school (they were about $150 new) that could run circles around this thing. The second worst musical investment I've probably ever made. (the first being a $40 keyboard)

Rating of this product: 2

This Ibanez Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: Fly Boy

Date: 2001-12-12

Usefulness Rating: 2.14286 out of 5. 7 reader(s) voted.