Adivce needed: Ibanez Prestice RG1570

Cleric

Hi guys

I'm a left-handed guitarist, so I battle to find instruments. I saw a second hand Ibanez Prestige RG1570 with EMG pick-ups going for R3000, which I'm considering. I already have an Ibanez RG470, which I enjoy and suits my band's style.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Is the RG1570 that much better than the RG470?

Shot!

Cleric

No one? Is there not one guitarist here with an RG1570?

IceCreamMan

Seems like the lefties are crawling out of the woodwork lately ,,excellent ..its time we stand up and be heard ...pun yes.

The 1570's sure are nice , made in japan as i remember. I would say 3clip is a fine price for it so go and give it a twirl.

You dont state whcih RG470 model you have .,.the older ones were made in japan and are prolly on par with the 1570 or ever better.

Malkav

Cleric wrote: Does anyone have any advice for me? Is the RG1570 that much better than the RG470?

It will be a metric shit ton better. The difference between normal Ibanez and Prestige is enormous, it's quite a strange business strategy though. For R3k that guitar is an absolute steal, you probably wouldn't find it for under R9k new and then it would probably need a pickup change as almost all Ibanez guitars do...

IceCreamMan wrote: You dont state whcih RG470 model you have .,.the older ones were made in japan and are prolly on par with the 1570 or ever better.

The RG470 isn't likely to stand up next to the RG1570, even if it were a made in Japan model. I have an RG390 that's made in Japan and it doesn't hold up next to my RG1527. Even when a large amount of their production was Japanese there were still major distinctions regarding neck finish, frets and wood quality between the affordable Japanese instruments and the Prestige ones. If you got an RG that's japanese and from the 80's then that's a different story entirely ?

Cleric

Thanks for the input guys. Pretty sure my RG is from the early 2000s, so nothing really special about it. Any thoughts on the fact that it's pick-ups have been replaced with EMGs?

IceCreamMan

Chad Adam Browne wrote:
Cleric wrote: Does anyone have any advice for me? Is the RG1570 that much better than the RG470?
It will be a metric shit ton better. The difference between normal Ibanez and Prestige is enormous, it's quite a strange business strategy though. For R3k that guitar is an absolute steal, you probably wouldn't find it for under R9k new and then it would probably need a pickup change as almost all Ibanez guitars do...

IceCreamMan wrote: You dont state whcih RG470 model you have .,.the older ones were made in japan and are prolly on par with the 1570 or ever better.
The RG470 isn't likely to stand up next to the RG1570, even if it were a made in Japan model. I have an RG390 that's made in Japan and it doesn't hold up next to my RG1527. Even when a large amount of their production was Japanese there were still major distinctions regarding neck finish, frets and wood quality between the affordable Japanese instruments and the Prestige ones. If you got an RG that's japanese and from the 80's then that's a different story entirely ?

Careful here ... the 1570 nomenclature guitars (old 570 series) were retailed for as low as 400 pounds at some point so not sure just how prestige the 1570 is to use an expression.

i suggst you get the model no and research this particular guitar an your rg470. Some of the 470 issues were top class with top class bits an pieces

Malkav

IceCreamMan wrote: Careful here ... the 1570 nomenclature guitars (old 570 series) were retailed for as low as 400 pounds at some point so not sure just how prestige the 1570 is to use an expression.

You're thinking about a very very long time ago...My RG1527 Prestige was bought for R7k back in the day, to get one now is probably R16k or thereabouts...

Also there are still differences between the old good quality 80s ones like the RG550 and the prestige RG1550 (which people often mistakenly believe is the former's modern counterpart). I highly doubt that the RG470 in question would be one of these gems as they were only introduced in 1992, in other words after the "golden" years.

If the guitar is from the early 2000s it'll have 00 serial number, or at least the first two numbers on my Ibanez' always reflect year of manufacture.

Cleric wrote: Any thoughts on the fact that it's pick-ups have been replaced with EMGs?

I'd consider saving up to replace them and all their electronics as a part of the cost of the guitar, but I hate EMGs and feel they are sterile and lack dynamic. This is not everyone's opinion of EMGs though so you may just very well like them, I can guarantee that will be better than the crappy V pickups it originally came with however.

I return to my previous statement, at R3k that is a steal.

Cleric

Thanks Chad. I think you've convinced me. Now I just need to clear it with the wife, trying to explain why I'd need another guitar when I have a "perfectly good guitar" that looks pretty much identical to the new one, baring the prestige logo.

DaFiz

Cleric wrote: I just need to clear it with the wife, trying to explain why I'd need another guitar when I have a "perfectly good guitar"

d'Ya think she'll understand...? ???

Highway-Chile

Just buy it and remember these words as you go through life young man............. It is much easier to ask forgiveness, than it is to get permission!!!

LOL....... commit to memory china!

? :roflmao: :dance:

Anyhow......lol Cleric, about those EMG's...... they are very nice pickups and some guys even use them for metal...Zakk does. One thing they do is even out the notes all up and down across the fretboard......no more dead notes or some louder than others etc and they are very quiet. If you were doing a Satriani type style or Petrucci etc they could be very nice. I have a set of SA's in one of my "Strat's" and they are super....for sure the regularly noisy Strat becomes dead quiet. They do not lack dynamics as someone mentioned in fact quite the opposite but I cannot say this is true for humbucker style EMG's.

EMG pickups can also really bring a cheap guitar alive. They are super pickups and are not cheap at all. I think they're phenomenal for serious studio work.

However they do have a different character to regular passive humbuckers, some say they lack character but this is incorrect. Either way it's a teenzie weenzie amount of difference........ but will be enough to notice between them and if you plug a regular passive HB guitar into your amp, right after the EMG's to compare. So...IF....that is super important to you....it might end up bugging you down the road.

My advice would be, if you buy the guitar, to leave them in and forget about them...if you get the sound you like then it's a done deal-don't let current trends or brand name wanking, myths and fallacy etc etc influence you. Go by how YOU like your tone and screw everybody else.

If they are bothering you, then my take would be that they will be awesome in a second guitar, just not your main cooker. I don't know your style and ability etc and I am also not on top of the current trend in metal humbucking pups....... not that this should be an issue. For me I like Gibson 57's or Burstbuckers and Dunlop Antiquity's ..... none of which I have...LOL..... but I want them. All my guitars with aftermarket HB's have Di Marzio Super Distortion (that I had potted) and Di Marzio PAF's. I dislike them...too muddy.

There are so many pickups to choose from. Perhaps suss out what your favorite guitar players use and go that route.

But if you get some other pickups for the 1570 then maybe put the EMG's into the 470.

I found this..........

The Ibanez RG1570 is an RG series Prestige electric guitar model introduced in 2003. It replaced the classic RG570 model first issued in 1989, now under the Prestige label and with the new Edge Pro tremolo.
In 2005, the RG1570 was revised with a five-piece neck and new neck profile and some visual updates like hardware color and inlays.

The RG1570 was discontinued in 2009 but returned in 2010 as the new RG1570Z featuring the Edge Zero tremolo. Various other models have been based on the RG1570 including a couple of limited edition models. The RG1570L is the left-handed version and the RGR1570 is an RG1570 with a reverse headstock.

IceCreamMan....... LOL....can you exlain 3clip....... I've not heard that one before. I get it means thousand but tell me more. ?

Max

3clip means 300

IceCreamMan

Max wrote: 3clip means 300

in my slang 3 clip is 3 thousand.

Not sure how it entered my vocab but no doubt thru one of my mates or something like that

Aphelion7620

If you're wanting a high gain sound (I'm assuming that from the EMG's), the try Dimarzio Deactivators. High gain, much better dynamics than EMGs IMHO. Obviously it's a matter of opinion, but the bonus is you won't have to do any modifications for a battery pack with the Dimarzios.

I think a lot of people tend to find Ibanez stock pickups to be the something that it is worth replacing almost immediately. I find them to be decent, if a little indistinct. Am currently deciding on replacing the pickups in my RG7620 as well, deciding between a few different ones currently...

IceCreamMan

I gonna reiterate my point here..Some of the RG 470's were made with top class kit ...... same pups/electronics as the 1570 ..so i aint saying there will that much of difference between the guitars but 3 clip for the 1570 is a great deal.

Go try em both and decide from there

Malkav

IceCreamMan wrote: I gonna reiterate my point here..Some of the RG 470's were made with top class kit ...... same pups/electronics as the 1570 ..so i aint saying there will that much of difference between the guitars but 3 clip for the 1570 is a great deal.

The RG570 has the V series pickups, which are crap, the RG1570 has the same pickups as stock and they're still crap. So electronic wise there isn't much difference but who cares they're still shitty pickups ? As for the rest of the matter I actually can't stress enough how much better the neck will be on the RG1570, it will put the RG570 to shame. Prestige necks are just unbeatable and though the RG570 may be nice to play, the RG1570 was released with a 5-piece neck that has a different profile and if it's prestige means it'll be coated in that velvetouch thing they do which makes the neck feel unfinished even though it's not and means that you get all the pros without having to treat them ? The place where the RG570 wins is that it has the originial edge pro or lo-pro edge depending on which year it's from, so bridge wise if you want the same stability you'll have to put locking stud inserts in the RG1570, and if you're not a particularly violent with your use of the trem it won't even matter.