Members Dr. Scottie C Posted September 22, 2013 Members Share Posted September 22, 2013 The year was 1987.I was just a kid at my nearest music store, Marion Music, in Marion OH.I stopped in with my dad to get strings and dad wanted a D or C key harmonica.In 1987, smoking at the music store was commonplace.We walked in, and the Ibanez sales rep and the store employees were putting out these "new" guitars that they just picked up....In front of me on the walls and on the floor lied more RG 550's, 770's, and Jem's than I can ever remember seeing in one place anytime thereafter.....The sales rep was a nasty old chainsmoker in a suit that look like he had slept in it for a week....I heard him tell the staff in this local mom and pop store."You mark my words ....in 5 years, the only guitar companies left will be Fender & Ibanez."Well....I don't know if that happened....but Ibanez were pretty damn popular for awhile....BECAUSE.....they mastered the art of artist endorsements before anyone else did.Anyway....with that said...... if you have a Ibanez, and you aren't ashamed...... post some pics !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted September 22, 2013 Members Share Posted September 22, 2013 I'm not ashamed: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted September 22, 2013 Members Share Posted September 22, 2013 Not mine but I desparately want one of these discontinued SZ's. PM me if you want to sell me yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr. Scottie C Posted September 22, 2013 Author Members Share Posted September 22, 2013 billybilly wrote: Not mine but I desparately want one of these discontinued SZ's. PM me if you want to sell me yours. That is sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gitter Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 Dr. Scottie C wrote: BECAUSE.....they mastered the art of artist endorsements before anyone else did. Totally not true. Had nothing to do with endorsements, everything to do with serving a legitimate market need that nobody else was serving. If anything, their endorsement model was self-fufilling since so many great guitarists were alreay playing on them at that time... They attained such popularity at that time BECAUSE music was in a point of transition that demanded it's own unique aesthetic. Fenders and Les Pauls were very old hat. Big hair was in. Shred. Neon Pink. Distortion. Ibanez rose to meet the cultural challenge and won. It was indeed the first time that Japanese guitars had an identity all their own, instead of simply being knock-offs of the American version or, during this strange period on the late 70's and early 80's, massively superior to anything being made in America yet still of proprietary foriegn design. Quality wise, they're as good as anything else. Not my picture but this is one I play on regularly for anything that requires crunch. ... with a few pickup modifications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr. Scottie C Posted September 23, 2013 Author Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 No way Gitter....Ibanez 1986 catalog looks ancient with old dinosaurs and C-list players.The 1987 was a 4 page nothing pamphletEnter 1988....Ibanez secured contracts withSnatchVaiGilbertGambaleVinnie MooreGeorge BensonFender grabbed deals with the same year with...Clapton & MalmsteenIn 1990, Fender grabbedBeck, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray VaughanMeanwhile, a battered and beatin Gibson....was keeping their fingers crossed that Slash and his top hat would create a renaissance for their all but forgotten products. Gitter.... the late 80's were all about the artist endorsements.Were 1988 Ibanez products superior to Jackson products? Nope.... but Ibanez had the star power...made a major difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members noisebloom Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 I ain't ashamed!!!!1! Here's my 2001 RG7321. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lonnie99 Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 SZ320 http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z30/Guitarlon/IMG_0537.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Floyd Rosenbomb Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 1987 Rg550, still in great shape with original Edge trem. I bought it a few years back out of LA. I think the pickups are stock. The pickups are very good actually, the bridge pickup could us a little more umph, but an OD/distortion pedal takes care of that. Some people see the pointy horns and can't get past it, I see that looong maple neck, pickup versatility, great trem, and I fall in love. Ibanez set a new standard in 1987 with these guitars, not only were they an evolution in design, but the level of quality on these guitars was impressive. I remember playing an early RG when I was younger, it blew me away, I felt like I was holding alien technology. Awesome kits to explore and play music on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jigowatt Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 I have this ATK bass that I like a lot. I had an Ibanez AW500 acoustic that was a seriously good guitar also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted September 23, 2013 Moderators Share Posted September 23, 2013 billybilly wrote: Not mine but I desparately want one of these discontinued SZ's. PM me if you want to sell me yours. Me too, now have an Ebay permanent search on for one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seven58 Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 Not ashamed at all. There is also an addition to my Ibanez family not pictured, an '83 Roadstar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kayd_mon Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 AS73 SR305 bass Ibanez makes excellent stuff, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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