Ibanez dudes!

[Great Dane]

Hey guys,

So I'm going to Peru this summer and was planning on buying a guitar here (in Denmark) to leave there. My brother suggested to buy one down there instead.
I found this Ibanez for sale down there:
http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.pe/MPE-19009649-ibanez-jem7v-steve-vai-_JM
It's about 500 dollars ...

1. Is it fake?
2. Is it worth it?

I'm not that familiar with Ibanez so I thought I would ask around 

[FC]

Looks legít but it is probably a good copy. Just go to the stores in Miraflores off of Larco. I did see quite a few Ibanez guitars there ranging from entry to mid level. They have a bunch of other cool guitars too, you'll be surprised. Also in Miraflores (by Los Pinos) is the Yamaha store if you are interested, they make some cool guitars.

[Great Dane]

Thanks for the info 

I'm looking at a lot of guitars (in Peru and here) to see if I can find something good 

[Great Dane]

My father is going to check out some of the guitar stores in Peru to see if there is something worth anything. Meanwhile I have spent the day checking out some used guitars for sale here in Denmark.
Here are my options (the ones I liked the most and where cheapest compared to price from new):

1. Ibanez SAS32EX


2. Godin LG HB


3. Schecter Ultra III


4. Gibson Les paul special Double cutaway


Any of this that are great, or that are so bad I should stay away from?

[FC]

As far as Ibanez goes I like the S and RG/RGA/RGT series. On a budget I would get one of these:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-RG321-Electric-Guitar-102952926-i1147796.gc



http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-S420-Electric-Guitar-105805725-i1499766.gc



I've had both and they play fantastic. I still have an RGT.

[Gilks]

That's definitely not a real JEM. Considering it only has one picture of the body was enough to make me suspicious. But the pick guard isn't aligned properly, the monkey grip is completely wrong in proportion, the bridge cavity isn't as neat as on a real one...

EDIT: Also I can stand by the ones FC posted. The first is an EXCELLENT guitar for the money. It was less than my RG350DX and played much better, sounded better too because it was mahogany and not basswood. The SAS32EX is a steer-clear for me. Every one I've played was terribly cheap, and all of my friends who owned them (about 6) all ended up with huge issues with them in the first year. Mostly the trems are shite in them, giving you problems even if blocked off. Electronics are meh, pickups are terrible.

If I were you, I'd buy one at home and take it there. Peru's reputation with guitars is highly questionable.

[FC]

Peru's reputation with guitars is highly questionable.

Just out of curiosity, how did you come up with that?

[Gilks]

My buddy's family is Peruvian. They go down every summer to spend with relatives and every time he goes to guitar stores just for kicks. He's been to at least a dozen or so different ones in the past two years and he said there's loads of fakes. He sent me pictures once, and he was right, lots of Ibanez and Gibson fakes. You just have to be careful when buying from South America. I know from personal experience Guatemala is the same way. Brazil and Argentina from what I hear are much better to buy from.

[Chris]

The best one is the one that plays the best when you try it out.

[SecretWeapon]

The best one is the one that plays the best when you try it out.

I have to agree with this 100%. If you asked me 2 months ago if I thought i'd ever buy a Jackson Dinky I would have said hell no. But while tooling around the music shops a couple weeks ago I stumbled on a Dinky that just blew me away. The sound, playability and looks (fit and finish) rival guitars that cost $700-800 new in stores and I only paid $160.

I'm not kidding, I haven't touched my #1 guitar (Gibson Les Paul Studio) since I brought the Dinky home.

So yeah, go to the store and play some guitars. You can look at pictures on the internet all day long but it all comes down to the exact guitar you get. A fun and informative way to kill a few hours is to go into a shop and try to play every guitar, or at least one of every kind.

[Great Dane]

Done ... the Ibanez is removed from my list.
If I am carrying a guitar all the way to south america it better be good 

Boy, it sucks to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere (no guitar stores nearby  )

[Gilks]

Done ... the Ibanez is removed from my list.
If I am carrying a guitar all the way to south america it better be good 

Boy, it sucks to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere (no guitar stores nearby  )

If you do get an Ibanez, get that RG321, the mahog clear finish one. Honestly such a great guitar, my student has one and I've always been jealous of it. I may get one still actually, now that I think of it... would defs be worth it. But play one first.

[Great Dane]

Okay, thanks for all the info guys.

I'm deeply grateful 

I'll keep you informed of what I get 

[Great Dane]

Done ... the Ibanez is removed from my list.
If I am carrying a guitar all the way to south america it better be good 

Boy, it sucks to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere (no guitar stores nearby  )

If you do get an Ibanez, get that RG321, the mahog clear finish one. Honestly such a great guitar, my student has one and I've always been jealous of it. I may get one still actually, now that I think of it... would defs be worth it. But play one first.

So the RG321 is a good choice? 

[Franky G-String]

I second the notion.  The RG321 is an excellent Ibanez for the money.  I've played several of them and they were all great.  I have played other low end Ibanez guitars that had issues with the fret ends being jagged, so I'm not going to say some of the RG321's don't possibly have the same problems.  Just try before you buy if you can to make sure you're not getting a "lemon" and I think you'll be happy with your purchase.