Ibanez Gurus, Hope can help me

R

reez_rock

New member
Bros,
Hope can give a quick opinion on this. I got this guitar as a trade recently. But can't seems to find more info on it online. It supposed to be an Ibanez RG350M. But I never see nor find similar piece with this finish online.

IMG_0138.jpg


IMG_0136.jpg


IMG_0137.jpg



- Is this legit?
- I kinda suspect it's a franken(neck from 350M, Body from other model). If yes, how can I check. Is there any serial number on the neck slot?I don't have tools nor knowledge to remove the neck. So if this is the way to check, I will ask a shop to do.



Thanks so much in advance :)
 
The body shape, placement of the knobs, pickup rings and the pickup switch looks legit enough from the photos. Classic sharp horns, volume knob a little too close to the strings (for me at least, hahaha!) and the 2 screws flanking the pickup switch. Perhaps its a custom job? The finish does look quite stunning though. Some things you can do to check the authenticity of the body:

1. RG3XX series have almost always had basswood bodies, which are extremely neutral in sound and thus allow the pickups to have a major say in tone. Try out a range of tones with your preferred gear and take a listen. If those are stock pickups (INF series), they should have flat, uninspiring cleans and screaming, but slighltly muddy and undefined crunch tones when playing rhythm. The pickups sound best for screaming solos.
2. Basswood in general is less dense, so expect the body to be quite a bit lighter than a similar sized mahogany body (an RGT42DX would be the best comparison, i happen to own one) and lighter than an alder body. Knock on the wood and feel the vibration through it. It should be less resonant due to the lower density (indicating looser binding of the wood fibre strands).

These 2 methods are subjective to experience though. Best to find a true Ibanez guru to check. I've no experience removing the neck (my RGT42DX is neck-thru body) so i won't venture there. Some other things i can propose:

1. Get a closeup, high-res photo of the info on the headstock (i can't read it very well) to ascertain the age of the guitar. Get another closeup of the bridge itself. Older RG350Ms had the EDGE III trem. Newer ones have the EDGE Zero II. The bridge in the photo looks like neither, from what i can make out. More like an original or licensed Floyd Rose. Another clue it could've been a custom job. Although why anyone would prefer a Floyd to an EDGE trem is beyond me.
 
its a RG350M neck on a random body, might not even be ibanez really. nice top though i'd be inclined to think its a photoflame and not a real top..could you get a pic of the side?

heavily customized as well, theres no way that bridge is any edge/lo-trs variant made by ibanez. same for the knobs..
 
ibanez+RG350MZ+ver+2011.png

this is the current RG350M- note the pickup combination & bridge type. the guitar in your pic sports an RG350M neck, but not the body. if you think you want a re-fund (bec it's not an RG350M inits entirety), you have a very strong case.

IBANEZ_RG320FM_AM.jpg

did Ibanez ever manufacture a dual humbucking RG in the RG350M price bracket? yes- the RG320 above is an example.
 
TS, if you are very particular about having a legit 350M from the deal, then I think it's best to check with the seller.

Always better to check and do research before buying.

Frankenstein or not, the important aspect is that it's a guitar that you like and it can inspire you to play better or maybe even write good music. IMO, This matters most.

Cross breeds and not always a bad thing.
 
Guys I'm the previous owner of this. I didn't know about this problem myself and appologize to reez_rock bro. However he confirmed me that the body is from a RG 320fm. I have taken the necessary measures correct this mistake on my part. :) and make sure this doesn't happen to me again. I feel cheated as well.
 
stevo said:
Guys I'm the previous owner of this. I didn't know about this problem myself and appologize to reez_rock bro. However he confirmed me that the body is from a RG 320fm. I have taken the necessary measures correct this mistake on my part. :) and make sure this doesn't happen to me again. I feel cheated as well.
Click to expand...

Kudos on ur part, bro. :-)

Out of curiosity, where did u buy the cross breed from? Another softie?
 
Thanks a lot of all the inputs. Yes, Stevo has been very responsible on this. I am sure he wasn't sure about the guitar either.

Btw, I personally find that the yellow rg350m is really pretty(I love bright color guitars) :)
 
stevo said:
Guys I'm the previous owner of this. I didn't know about this problem myself and appologize to reez_rock bro. However he confirmed me that the body is from a RG 320fm. I have taken the necessary measures correct this mistake on my part. :) and make sure this doesn't happen to me again. I feel cheated as well.
Click to expand...

Kudos on your part
:)
 
stevo said:
However he confirmed me that the body is from a RG 320fm.
Click to expand...

FM = flame maple- with reference to the pictures in this thread, that could not be a maple top. flame maple has a stripey look. the guitar in question has a 'contour' type patches implying it's an ash top instead. Ibanez did manufacture a limited-period RG320FA; baswood body + ash laminate top:

$(KGrHqJ,!i4E-)cU)z6dBP51qqo3P!~~48_72.JPG
 
If it is indeed an RG320FA (which 90% of the evidence points to), i still scratch my head as to why anyone would want to swap an original/licensed Floyd for am EDGE trem. Unless the stock trem was broken.
 
maybe the rg320fm was dismantled and its parts were sold separately and the previous owner (before stevo) purchased only the body.

I think the finish looks great but the "flowery sticker" on the pickup seems abit off haha

subversion said:
Some people don't believe in Edge bridges. Either that or the body was a blank upon acquisition.
Click to expand...
 
the first few incarnations of the RG320FA also sport the dreaded LO-TRS II bridge. we cannot rule out the fact that the prior owner removed that one in place of a more desirable model.
 
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