Ibanez S470DXQM Quilted Maple Electric Guitar reviews
76 People rated this product :
9 out of 10
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"Beyond Sweet"
Feature:
Mine came with a very nice case, 4 allen wrenches, and a (cheap, like always)10 foot cord.
This is one of the best built axes I've ever bought, plain and simple. Fit and finish are excellent, and the only tweaking needed was a slight intonation adjustment. The ZR tremolo is an amazing bit of engineering! While it took a little bit of studying, (the manual could be clearer) once I got it figured out it was time to be amazed. This thing has not slipped out of tune yet, at all. The fine tuners on it could be a little easier to grip, they're too smooth. Overall, I absolutely love the ZR! It's a well thought out and executed piece of equipment, and it definitely does it's job well. The choice of woods is classic, and the body shape of the S lets the tonal characteristics of the wood shine through without straining your shoulder. I got the Blue Moon Burst finish, and with the quilted maple top, and black chrome hardware, it is one gorgeous axe!!
Quality:
As I said in "Features", fit and finish are excellent. There were no loose screws or parts, and the only adjustment it needed was a slight tweak to the intonation. The action was set perfectly for me. the Blue Moon Burst finish is gorgeous, and I found no flaws in it at all. Overall feel is very solid, and well built. I expect this axe will handle anything thrown at it, and age gracefully. There's a reason there's so many old Ibanez's out there, they're tough.
Value:
Buying a Ferrari for the price of a Kia would be a good metaphor for the value of this guitar. Easily outperforms guitars costing 2-3 times as much, and looks better while doing it as well.
Desirability:
Beautiful finish, sexy body shape, state of the art tremolo...What more could ya ask for? Oh, and the ladies think it's pretty, too!
Sound:
The '07's have Infinity 1 (neck) Infinity Single (mid) and Infinity 2 (bridge) pickups instead of the Powersound pickups. I've found the S470 to be extremely versatile in tones. The humbuckers are warm and expressive, with excellent clarity and note definition. NO MUD! The single coil in the middle mates nicely with the humbuckers, and gives a spanky tone on it's own. Playing the S470 through my Peavey ValveKing 100 I can get sparkling clean to snarling crunch to super saturated high gain, and they ALL sound great. We play Beatles, CCR, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, SRV, Megadeath...practically every kind of rock and blues out there, and I have yet to find one that I can't use this axe for. My only quibble would be that the neck pickup MIGHT be a little dark sounding for me, but that hasn't stopped me from using it at all!
Ease of Use:
Ibanez is known for making great playing axes, and this is no exception. The neck is fast and easy playing, with low action and no buzz. Very straightforward controls mean you don't need to fiddle around much to find your sound. The ZR tremolo is no harder to work with than any other locking trem, once you get it setup. Changing strings is standard locking trem stuff. My lone clomplaint is with the manual. As is typical with manuals translated from Japanese to English, it can be confusing and unclear at times. This one got me in a critical area, ZR Trem setup. I finally had to rely more on the diagrams, but they were mislabeled at points as well! I got used to strange Asian to English translations a long time ago, so it doesn't surprise me at all anymore. It can actually be amusing at times!
Support:
I guess they'll be good, haven't needed them yet.
Overall:
This one isn't going anywhere! It's the perfect combination of looks, sound and playability. I've been looking for an axe like this for years, trying all kinds along the way. When you find "IT", at that kind of price, you hang on to it. I would like to get another Ibanez in the same style, different color, maybe different pickups for variety. I bought this over an ESP/LTD EC400VF because of the trem and the light weight, though I've been a huge ESP lover for years. I couldn't be happier with the choice, though I still may buy the ESP! I may get another Ibanez instead, we'll see.
Submitted: 7/23/2007
Style of Music: Rock, Heavy Blues and Metal
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7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Modern Royalty"
Feature:
The ZR Tremolo is DEFINITELY a step up from any Floyd Rose, or even Ibanez's own Lo- Pro Edge system. Thanks to the new design, which involves a system with two smaller springs to keep the floating trem fixed at one point and a tension adjustment, as well as a ball bearing pivot system instead of the traditional knife edge. All those factors make for the most solid trem I ever lay my hands on. You can lay your right hand palm on it and play staccato rythms, and it just won't move!But as soon as you grab the bar, it will respond. It also has more mass than the flimsy Floyds, thus improving sustain. Wang bar enthusiasts, beware : this system is not only an improvement in stability, but also in accuracy. When used (as mentioned before : it'll stay where it is when not using the bar), it'll have you working a bit harder, as it responds to even the slightest hand or finger movement; this no doubt due to the ball bearing pivot system, which is more unforgiving than the knife edge. When testing this guitar before purchase, my pinky trembled a bit from pulling up the bar, and the tremolo just followed the movement. It's just that good! Good enough to have you go back and woodshed on all your wang bar techniques. The best tremolo system I ever played with, no question!
Quality:
The guitar was in great condition when I bought it. I always inspect everything on every guitar I buy (not that I do every week ;-)), and this one was just impeccable. It had two control stamps on the backplate, which means this baby survived an inspection before leaving the factory. Made in Korea just got a whole different meaning : excellent value for money!
Value:
You would NEVER, EVER suspect this was a factory built instrument. It's just SO good! The used woods are excellent, the finish is impeccable, no loose screws, no bad potmeters... When this line will be terminated, I dare say that the value of these guitars will go up. In 10 years time, these babies will be much sought after. Get one while you still can. On second thought, don't. I want 'em!!
Desirability:
Sex appeal? If this baby turned into a woman after playing, it would be a catwalk model! The quilted maple looks so good, and the brandy brown finish just make this guitar shine! That's why I tried it out in the first place. Of course, looks aren't everything, but it has everything else; otherwise I wouldn't have bought it, no matter how gorgeous it looked.
Sound:
The pickups yield a very pronounced and clear sound. It has depth, balance and definition. WHat more can you ask from a pickup? The inbetween sounds with the single coil make this baby sound like either a strat (in the bridge-middle position) or a tele (neck-middle position) when played clean. Pink Floyd fans, beware! This axe will have you playing David Gilmour's clean parts for hours, Eugene! Overall, the sound is tight and clear, even when heavily distorted. The only snag, in my opinion, is that they're a bit hot. I'm not a fan of hot pickups, because they tend to distort too easily, and it's the pickup that brings it on, not the amp. If Ibanez could make these babies available with less output, I'd be in Guitar Heaven! For now, I just screwed them as far down from the strings as I could get away with, without losing definition and sustain. That'll do nicely for now.
Support:
Never had to...
Overall:
This guitar is no better or worse to me than all my other guitars. I bought them because of their distinctions, and all have their purpose. When I will buy another guitar, it will be for the same reasons, or to back up the ones I have (when touring, you can never be prepared enough if something goes wrong with your gear!). Since I own both a Strat and an Les Paul, and I have a great sounding and looking work horse, I would venture into other sounds : Tele, ES-335, Rickenbacker...
Submitted: 3/7/2004
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7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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