Ibanez S470

I guess this beauty is a 98 model, i cant find it anywhere in the 99 catalogues. Made in Japan. It has 22 frets with a WizardII neck. I love the solid mohagany body. it has no finish which is really my style, just plain awesome woodgrain. One volume nob and one tone nob. it has a H/S/H pickup setup with a V1 at the neck and a V2 at the bridge with a S2 in the middle, all DiMarzio pickups. thinline body style, developed by the man, Joe Satriani. Floyd rose tremolo with ibanez Lo-TRS design and locking tuners. Came with tweed hardshell case. what a steal it was.

Suits me perfecto. Hard rock, Classic rock. its kinda like an effects processor in itself because of all the different sounds you can get out of it. I usually use a peavey 112 bandit that sounds great but it isnt mine. And i use a Zoom GFX 7070 for effects. Sounds great all around. Not as low of a sound as i would like but comes with great crunch. Great mid sound and highs though.

Plays awesome like it is. but needs to be re-setup. hasnt had a tune up by a pro in a year or 2 i am sure. Little bit of corrosion on the hardware and a little rust. everything still works fine though. wish it came with allen wrenches that fit it because i think everything on it is metric, stupid japs.

Great live. will last forever if taken care of properly because it has so many extra features like the floyd rose. No finish. dont care about scratches as long as i make them. Great big strap buttons. will never fall off. very dependable. would use with back up just in case it catches on fire from a weird pyro show.

bought used.

been playing it for a few months, never really tried to keep up its play and appearance but it doesnt need any. Greatest guitar i have ever played. Just plays awesome, and it doesnt look like a strat, very light. Very unique sound and versatality. wish it came with some allen wrenches that fit it.

I think it was made in 99, it's their current S470 model. 22 fret rosewood fretboard wizard II neck. two Axis humbuckers (made by Dimarzio and used in the Joe Satriani models also) at the neck and bridge, S-1 single coil in the middle. passive electronics. This guitar is a SOLID mahogony body. I especially like the design of bolting the neck straight to the body. I have hated other Ibanez guitars which were thin, basswood and toneless, but this guitar has that coveted magahony/humbucker sound. It has the Ibanez LO-TRS locking trem. The neck is smooth and playable like an Ibanez, but a little thicker than the wizard I making it more solid and toneful, but still very sleek

I play in a prog-metal band (www.ProfaneOath.com) and it excells due to the large palette of sounds. Great cruch on the bridge humbucker, pristine clean on the 4 position (halfway between bridge and middle) and the single coil (middle) The neck humbucker has a great singing Les Paul lead sound -not quite the sustain of a set neck, but still great sounding. The middle single coil is somewhat noise (which is to be expected for single coil) but I have a good gate in my Digitech 2120 artist preamp. great versatile guitar

well, I don't know how it was set up, I had it re-setup for DGCFAD tuning (down 1 step) and it is great, still very good action. The neck joint is very solid and the guitar has a very solid feel. The Volume pot is very noisy while being adjusted but stops screeching once adjusted...somewhat of a bummer, but I mess with the tone knob more and it doesn't do this

Use it live every show, seems very durable. I sweat on the finish alot but it always polishes up to new looking. Strap buttons are great design cause they are bigger and less likely to drop. We have one backup ( a jackson ps2) for both guitarists, I haven't needed it.

Never dealt with Ibanez.

great versatile guitar, not the thin, toneless hair band guitars that some expect from Ibanez. Wish it had 24 frets, but really

I think it was made in 99, it's their current S470 model. 22 fret rosewood fretboard wizard II neck. two Axis humbuckers (made by Dimarzio and used in the Joe Satriani models also) at the neck and bridge, S-1 single coil in the middle. passive electronics. This guitar is a SOLID mahogony body. I especially like the design of bolting the neck straight to the body. I have hated other Ibanez guitars which were thin, basswood and toneless, but this guitar has that coveted magahony/humbucker sound. It has the Ibanez LO-TRS locking trem. The neck is smooth and playable like an Ibanez, but a little thicker than the wizard I making it more solid and toneful, but still very sleek

I play in a prog-metal band (www.ProfaneOath.com) and it excells due to the large palette of sounds. Great cruch on the bridge humbucker, pristine clean on the 4 position (halfway between bridge and middle) and the single coil (middle) The neck humbucker has a great singing Les Paul lead sound -not quite the sustain of a set neck, but still great sounding. The middle single coil is somewhat noise (which is to be expected for single coil) but I have a good gate in my Digitech 2120 artist preamp. great versatile guitar

well, I don't know how it was set up, I had it re-setup for DGCFAD tuning (down 1 step) and it is great, still very good action. The neck joint is very solid and the guitar has a very solid feel. The Volume pot is very noisy while being adjusted but stops screeching once adjusted...somewhat of a bummer, but I mess with the tone knob more and it doesn't do this

Use it live every show, seems very durable. I sweat on the finish alot but it always polishes up to new looking. Strap buttons are great design cause they are bigger and less likely to drop. We have one backup ( a jackson ps2) for both guitarists, I haven't needed it.

Never dealt with Ibanez.

This guitar is a 1999 S470 with a Jewel Blue finish. It has AX1 and AX2 humbuckers with a single coil in the middle(HSH). It is made in Korea with 22 frets. It has 1 tone, 1 volume, and a 5 way selection. Check out how they do that stuff at their page. It also has a Floyd Rose which i hate because it is a drag to tune and you have to be careful with it.

The 2 Hums sound BEAUTIFUL. Neck is awesome for blues and the Bridge is awesome for Metal. It is the 2 extremes. I have a Marshall VS65 that sounds beautiful with it. Everything sounds perfect when in tune.

It was set up perfectly in the factory then it got screwed once i put on the 1st set of strings.

It lasted a good 2 months before the setup went down. There is one scratch, but that is from a belt.

N/A

It was a good guitar for a while, get a different one unless youve been playing with Floyd Rose before because i cant maintain this one.

This is a Korean made guitar. Solid mahagony body, maple neck (supposed to be one piece, but the head looks like a different piece of wood spliced on) rosewood fingerboard, 22 jumbo frets, 5 way switch, nice metal tuners, floyd rose tremolo, h-s-h configuration. Guitar is rear routed, which means no ugly pick guard. All of the hardware is metal, which is great. The outlet is in the best spot possible, beneath the volume knobs.

The neck is wide, but shallow. In another words, it's wide enough that you're not bumping the other strings very much when you bend a note. But it is not thick like a baseball bat. From the side, the neck is very narrow, from the front it is very wide. Awesome Wizard II neck.


No case included, no strap, no extras. That's why it gets an 8.

This guitar can fit any style, even with the factory pick ups. The guitar on the top humbucker setting has warm and rich low sounds, with out being muddy or bassy. At the same time, the mid's jump out nicely and the highs aren't harsh or tinny. Makes for great leads.

The single coil pick up is rather quiet. It does give a nice 50's sound. A little on the twangy side of things, much like a classic fender.

The bridge pick up sounds great. It isn't as warm as the neck pick up, which allows for a little crunch.

With the 5 way pick up, you can produce any sound you want out this thing. That's what you want. Once, Ted Nugent accused Eddie Van Halen of sounding so good because of all of his equipment. So he tried Eddie's rig, and sounded like Ted Nugent playing through Eddie's equipment. What I mean to say is that you have to develop your own style, you can't sound like someone else using their equipment. This guitar will allow you to explore in all sorts of tones and sounds, and you can make things sound good the way you play.

The pick-ups have volume discreptancies. They need some work as far as that goes and then it'd be perfect. It is quiet, and as I said before can produce any tone you want.

I play every music style. This is the first electrical guitar that I have played that can handle the tones of classical music!!!! I normally play everything from SRV to Pantera to you name it. But when I want a challenge, I play classical, and this electrical handles it great.

I bought the guitar used, so I don't know about the factory settings. Everything is still in great shape. No flaws noted. The neck is wide enough that you don't run into the other strings while playing, which is great.

The guitar is solid mahagony, maple neck, all metal tuners and nut. I would use this guitar in a in a gig. I would always use a back up in case of a broken string however, other than that I would use this without a back up.

I have been playing for over 10 years. I've played everything from original 60's model fenders to les pauls to pawn shop specials, and anything else you can think of. This is an awesome guitar. I would buy this guitar again.

If you want to try and be your own musician, this is the type of instrument I would suggest. It is versitile.

Not to mention, any other brand of guitar at this level of quality you would have to pay $2000.00 easily.

The only knock that I have heard is that the guitar is not American made. Neither is a Porsche........

Well..i don't know about the year, but i'm pretty sure it was made in japan or some oriental place over sea's. Its got 22 jumbo frets. H-s-H. 1 tone and 1 volume. 5 way switch. locking nut and floyd rose trem......pretty much fully loaded...

well the neck and the single coil sound bad ass for clean chorused play...but can be to bassy for distorted play...the bridge is good for both clean and dist play and sound great if your into the 80's metal midy crunch sound.....so i took out the bridge and put in a powersound ..... power sounds are surpisingly heavyer than shit ....they sound good for stuff like korn or deftones

perfect. only the bridge is so sensitive that tuning from d to e makes the rest of the guitar go way outta tune so...its my d guitar

its like a rock only the front strap lock came loose the first day i got it...but i fixed it...

i'm gonna give it a ten......becouse its got the best tunners i'v ever felt (gotoh) and the fretboard is the smoothest, AND its sounds bad ass...so bla bla bla pretty good guitar......

Not sure what year, but all I know is that it looks slick and feels even better to play. Fantastic finish, great colour (Jewel Blue).
This is my first "fairly expensive" guitar, and I am amazed at the weight of it, the contours of the body and the way it just sits on you - kind of like a good woman.

I have so many tastes - mainly rock/metal/blues - and this guitar was the king for versatility! I had the choice of the Ibanez or a Strat, and this won easily.
Sounds even better using a Marshall, and a BOSS Metal Zone pedal!

Brilliant!

Action was a little too high for me at first, but that was quickly rectified. I havn't found anything else annoying yet......

The only thing that pissed me off was that I was constantly breaking strings - however, that was just down to me (again) 'cause I wasn't stretching them propaly (prick!)

Apart from that it rocks!

Never tried. Nice web site though - www.ibanez.com - takes a while to download though.

I've been playing 4 years, and I have slowly started to build up my hardware. As I said before - this guitar rips going through a Marshall 100 Watt, BOSS Metal Zone, as well as being played clean.

A real head turner.

Japanese made. 22 fret. Volume and Tone pots.I think it is an early 90's model. Sweet Jewel Blue finish. Same specs as any other. Rosewood fretboard, mahogany body, H-S-S pick ups. I bought it from the music store I used to work at. I was considering another Ibanez, a Ferrari Red RG570, but this one just blew me off. I've always been a weight freak. I'd rather sacrifice "tone" for playability and only a Parker(that I also own)is more playable than this guitar. Outstanding sustain in minimized body. Great.

I play metal. Kinda very aggressive palm muted stuff. I need some really full sounding distortion and very clean mid-range sounds.

The factory pick ups were not what I was expecting. I had to change them to a DiMarzio Steve's Special bridge, a HS-2 single(the Sweetest Single coil of them all) and an Air Norton. So now I have some pick ups that don't get lost in the processor's signal path. I love the clear sounds and when it gets down to distortion, this baby rocks!!

So, a pick up change brought this beauty back to life. evrything else was OK.

Factory setting was ok. But, you know, everybody's got a different style, so I changed to a lower action. Pick ups were fine. The routing was well done. Flawless. I love the frets. It's been like 6 years now and, even though I played this baby for 1 year with my old band and I've been playing an hour or so daily, fret wear is minimal. Also, I had to replace the five position switch to a DiMarzio. Also, broguth the wiring to normal. Humbucker, humbucker+single, single. I need it that way and it sounds perfect.

It's been 6 years now. The only complaint is the neck. I had to set it up a couple of times, but it remains a pleasure to play. Also, I live in a warm enviroment, so I take care of it a lot. Strap buttons were changed to a DiMarzio locking strap. No broken strings, even though I play palm mute most of the time. I'd probably shoot for a gig with this one only.Hardware is in perfect condition

I tried to get some info from Ibanez, as for some spare parts, in case I needed them, either USA or Japan. No response at all. I used email and fax.I don't know how can they do these quality instruments and left the customer on his own. High complaint on this one.

I've been playing since 1990. I purchased this one on 1994. I own also two Ibanez Jem(BSB and DBK), a Parker Deluxe, an Ibanez S 7 string(my other baby) and this one. This S470 was my first and I think I'm gonna die with it.I love the playability, tone, comfort and sound.As i said before, I am a weight freak. No other guitar(except for the Parker) may deliver all these features into one compact, sweet sounding guitar. I am also considering to buy those old Desert Yellow models just like Gambale's, just for the sake of it.

My guitar is a 97' model and was made in Japan i believe. 22 fret neck w/ jumbo frets and a rosewood fretboard. The neck is made of maple. nice mahogany body w/ a H-S-H pickup configuration. has an ibanez floyd rose double locking trem, one vol. and one tone control.

I play punk, metal, but i am also starting to learn jazz and blues. It has a great full sound, and its very versatile. i also have a fender strat, but this sounds much better. im really happy with the pickups, except for the single coil, which sounds pretty winpy, so i dont use it much. also id be happier if it had more sustain; i think part of the problem is because of the floyd rose trem, but it still sounds really good

mine was set up very well. the action was awesome, and i found no problems. The finish was done nicely; i love how the guitar looks.

havent had any problems so far; everything seems like it will last. Id definitely take it to a gig w/o a backup. The only complaint is when i opened it up, i noticed that the tremelo was connected to the body through 2 nails drilled into the wood. This kinda scared me cuz if the trem has too much tension, it could split the wood, even though i doubt it. im not sure if all tremelos are built in this way, but if so, they should find a sturdier way

havent dealt with them

ive been playing for 3 years, and i have a fender standard strat and two amps, a 15 watt peavey, and a crate gfx 212. I love everything about this guitar and if it were stolen id take my fender, hunt him down and shove the fender up his @$$.

This model, made in japan, has 22 medium gauge frets. The body is mahogany with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. It is a 92 model, black, with gold hardware. Tremolo is non-locking standard type with locking Ibanez tuning keys.The body is saber shape; a strat type profile that balances really well.It has a H/S/H pickup configuration with a 5 way pickup selector with a tone and volume control.

This guitar suits my playing style very well. A style that is hopefully, my very own (at least that is what I am told). I can be lumped into the "shredder" category, I guess. I run this guitar through a '65 Fender Bassman (not a shredder machine i know, but it suits me just fine) with various effects as needed. My sound with this VERY lightweight guitar is HUGE! The options are almost limitless with the amount of different tones I can produce with this ax. The tone and volume controls are very complimentary with the H/S/H configuration. The standard tremolo works just fine for me, as I am not into the dive-bombing thing that much (have a Floyd equipped Ibanez for that). This guitar is very special too me as I traded a piece of junk Kramer that would not even hold a tuning,no matter what adjustments i made to it that cost me $75.00, for this $850.00 guitar from a Mr. Know-it-all Music shop rip-off artist who has since gone out of business (we all know him) AND whom I told the guitars worth too!Oh well, i tried telling him.

I didn't buy this instrument new, so I don't know of the factory set-up. I got it home and adjusted the truss rod and tremolo saddles and pickups to my specs and it played just fine after that. this guitar was in mint condition when I purchased it for almost nothing. Any flaws that are indented on it are my fault. The only problem I have with it are the Ibanez locking tuning keys, which are a completely different beast than the Wilkinsons. Any repairs involved removing the strings are welcoming damage to the keys when an inexperienced repair person attempts repairs. Make sure your repairman knows how to re or un-string you guitar if equipped with this type of peg.I almost installed Wilkinson locking keys on this guitar but I thought, "why bother. I do my own repairing".if you cannot repair your own guitar, I suggest swapping out the keys.

I've used this guitar in live situations several times and have never had a problem with it. No broken strings even. The hardware and finish take a lot of abuse and still hold their own in strenous guitar workouts. This guitar is my #1 and a replacement would take some searching.I've taken this instrument without a backup several times and will continue to do so. It is a very versatile instrument in my book, but that is just personal preference.

I've never had to deal with Ibanez before as i do all my own repairs and mods.But this guitar hasn't needed any mods or repairs yet and i have owned it for 5 years now.

I've been playing for 20 years now and this guitar is my #1 as I've said before. Les Paul? nah. Strat? nah. I got em and don't use em! Ibanez is notorious for putting out guitars of the same model with one sounding great and the other sounding like a giant piece of Godzilla crap! Fortunately, I got the great one. I haven't found any guitar that rates a 10 so i give this one a........

This guitar was made in Japan and is a 99. Standerd features like 5 way selector, 1 volume and 1 tone. It has a H/S/H configuration which is good because you can get a lot of different sounds out of it. 22 fret bolt on maple neck w/rosewood fingerboard. I really like the feel of the neck because it is SLICK!!! you can burn on this guitar and the rosewood is really smooth, probably cuz its so fake. Mohogony body and LO-TRS2 trem.

I play everything from jazz to blues to metal and it COULD suit these styles, but is mainly a rock & blues guitar. The humbuckers aren't really great, but they put out enough sound to make shit happen. If you want to make it sound good, get a tube amp and put some DiMarzio Steves Special on the guitar.

This thing was shit when i picked it up. The trem was all out of wack, the nuts had been striped so i couldn't replace the strings. There is one thing I need to point out about locking trems, they are really nice, but if one string breaks, it will throw it out of alignment and then you need to loosen or tighten it when you replace all the strings. other than that, it was all good.

I guess you can rely on it. everything seems somewhat solid (remember that it's japaneze guitar :(

I wouldn't know

I have been playing for 5 years and I don't really like this guitar. I could be so much better and I could get a much better AMERICAN made guitar for a little more cash. I ended up taking it back. But I guess if you want this guitar then get it. If you can, get one like it but made by Jackson (jacksons are better eventhough they are made an japan). All in all I guess it could be a good guitar especially for a beginer.

I just bought a 2000 Ibanez S470QS, and here is what it has to offer: quilted sapere wood top, on a mahogany body | trans black finish | oval mother of pearl fret markers | low TRS Floyd Rose Trem | black chrome hardware | wizard II neck | locking nut | H/S/H pickups (AH1, AS1, AH2) | carved top strat style body | jumbo frets (22) So you can see it has a lot to offer for $599- my only complaint is that the trans black finish is so dark, it is tough to see the beautiful quilted sapere top... oh well, I know it looks good

I would say I play mostly a rock/blues set, but I love the crunch of metal too. The pickups are not that hot (good enough for me, driving a 50W Line6) but they are really quiet, can get real deep and balsy ing the bridge, and bright and bluesy in the neck. The single coil is kind of neglected by me... it sounds pretty weak. Overall I am happy with the range of tones and variety of sounds this guitar puts out, a professional would undoubtedly opt to install active pickups.

I bought the thing from Sam Ash of Edison NJ, and it was not that bad of an experience. I got it set up right off, and it was wonderfull- low action, great intonation, and no complaints about the trem (which I may never be able to tune on my own). No complaints about the pickup heights, or the finish (it is absolutely beautiful). Since I bought it new, and had it set up right away, I really have no poor criticism to deal in this category.

This guitar would definitely withstand live performance. The hardware is great- the tuners are no-namers but the nut locks, and the bridge is as I said a low-TRS Floyd Rose, which is awesome. I would definitely not gig without a backup, just because of the Floyd Rose trem. The strap buttons were a little small, sturdy, but small... so I installed a pair of JD straplocks which are excellent. The finish is flawless, but I really can't comment on how long it might last, I have no idea... but the way I take care of my guitars I would say it will last for many, many years. The neck is a solid four bolt, and the locking nut is steel I guess, good stuff.

You get a one year warranty from Ibanez. I have not contacted, or needed them yet.

I have been playing about three years now, and in addition to this guitar I own a terrific '96 Mexican Strat (my first love) that I bought new. I love having both guitars, from the sharp quack of the single coils on the Fender to the lack-of-hum robust sound of the Ibanez in bridge position... If I had the cash I would buy either again, definitely. I love the finish, the action, the locking trem, the humbuckers, and the body of the Ibanez. I hate the trem handle, the single coil pickup in the middle, the locking nut (for tuning reasons- drop D is out of the question in a short amount of time), and the old strap buttons (too small). I guess I wish it had stronger active pickups for the long run, but I am satisfied now. I was considering a Jackson DR3, or a cheap ESP in addition to this, but I am happy that I got a good deal on the right guitar for me. As for Ibanez, I have heard nothing but good stuff about them and their equipment, and I have found nothing to challenge these rumors so far.

I bought it off some dude on ebay...I'm not sure what year it is...but it looks like a early 90's decked out light-weight Ibanez 470S with a tune-o-matic bridge, beautiful transparent maple top, mahogany body, black chrome hardware, H/S/H with EMG Hum's and an ibanez S2 Single Coil. I'm not sure what model EMG's they are, but they're active, and they're nice, and very bright. Whoever had it before me though, disconnected the single coil, so now i have sort of a kill switch on the guitar. It's pretty cool but I'm going to reconnect it to see what it sounds like. The neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard. It has Gotoh 6 in-line tuners. Oh yeah, and straplocks.

I love it. The EMG's put out some great sound. I play alot of different styles, from blues to metal, punk to hardcore....pretty much anything cept country. It suits me perfectly and when i hook up the single coil i'm sure it will be even more versatile. The Humbuckers are clear as hell and they are loud! No noise what-so-ever! I play through a puny little Fender Princeton Chorus. Don't get me wrong, it's a great amp, but it's weak. It sounds beautiful clean or distorted....give it a 10

I got it used, but when i got it, the action was a teensy bit high, but other then that there are just a few small things. There is a slight buzz if i hit the low strings really hard, and there is 1 fret that buzzes but that's no big deal and i can fix that in a minute. Hardware is in perfect shape, no noise from the selector, no rust, straight neck, the body was in great shape other than 2 dings at most the size of the face of a AAA Battery. Really good shape. A+

Seems really solid. Hardware looks good. Great finish. I don't play it with a backup for the sole reason that i can't find another Ibanez S with a fixed bridge and EMG's and stuff. Very dependable.

Never dealt with Ibanez.

I've been playing for about 7 years now i think...I have a '97 Ibanez RG7 series...the seven string with a floyd. I like to change tuning frequently and with the floyd changing tuning takes at least 10 minutes to unlock, unscrew the back,tune, adjust the bridge, retune, adjust the bridge, and then retune, screw the back in, and then re-lock. It's a pain, and with the fixed bridge it takes 10 seconds to switch tuning. I also have a Gibson Les Paul, which is more comparable to the Ibanez as they both have tune-o-matics, etc. The only thing i'd like to do, it maybe put a rolling nut on it, just for fun, and change the single coil pickup, because i heard Ibanez single coils suck. But i don't know that for a fact yet. Overall A++++++.

made in Korea,h/s/h pickup config.floyd rose locking system, medium jumbo frets, teal green, the stock pickups are ok , it uses the axis line of pickups, wizard II neck, I think its a 1996 or 97.

I play grunge, punk shit and it sounds pretty good for that. I use it with a crate gx-140d it sounds pretty kickass. The single coil pickup really sucks it is one of the worst single coils I have ever used. The neck pickup is pretty nice it is really bassy. The bridge pickup is to twangy for my taste. the stock humbuckers are ok but arent high output at all so i am replacing them with duncans. after that i think it will definetly be one of the best sounding guitars i have ever heard.

factory setup was awful! every string buzzed, the pickup selector is very noisy, the pickups were not adjusted, strings were crap locking system was almost touching the body of the guitar. The finish is great though, and it has held up wonderfully, except lines on the finish from the pick. Once you get everthing set right it sounds great.

Deffinatley great for live playing, it is so light you can jump around and go nuts, some people said they didnt like the tuners, but I think they are really nice. Finish is a bit thin and may wear out in the next 5 years. Strap buttons are pretty solid but they have slipped a few times. I wouldnt use it at a gig without a backup.

never did anything with the warranty, and never had any problems

Ive been playing a while and I love this guitar, i have had it a long time now and I will never get rid of it. Once I replace the pickups it will deffinatley sound a thousand times better than my fender 89 American deluxe. If it was stolen I would buy an S-custom same guitar just better features.I gave it an 8 but with new pickups I give it a 10.

souped up model which I bought for 400 bucks (that included a hard case...a better deal cannot be found!) that was 2 humbuckers (the bottom one being a Damazio) and a Floyd Rose tremolo system. The Damazio just makes it oh so crunchy when I need it to be. It's got 5 pickup positions along with both a volume knob and a tone knob.

I like to play everything from funk to hardcore to trippy stuff to just blues/rock. This guitar is way more versatile then my Strat...and way faster too. My fingers seem to be able to move where and when I want them too. I just have to remember to take it off the Damazio humbucker pickup when I want a clean sound...it doesn't sound good for clean tones (the other 4 positions work fine clean).

It really is a thing of beauty. Dark, slim, sleak...just gorgeous. The bridge is set perfectly and, like I stated above, my fingers seem to glide over the bridge with the greatest of ease.

Not 1 problem so far and I have had it for about 4 months. As durable a guitar as I have seen.

I have not had to deal with Ibanez yet.

I have only been playing for about 5 years now, but I feel like this guitar has allowed me to reach a whole new level. It is a little heavier then most guitars I have played but it's not a big deal.
I play it through my 75 watt Fender Champ-110 amp, along with a bunch of pedals (flanger, delay, metal zone, wah, and auto-wah). I have to be careful not to use a lot of effects with the custom Damazio humbucker because it tends to overpower them. Not a big deal.
Retails at 819, I got it for 400 with a case...now THAT'S a great deal!

This was made in Korea at time that is unknown(I bought it used). It had some tarnishing on the pickup rings and some wear discoloration on the two pickup selector screws, but its all replacable. Besides that it was in very good condition and came a the greatest price I've ever seen it for. I bought it in back to cover its solid mahagony body thats fat in the middle and declines going out towards the sides which are flattened. Its looks almost exactly like Satriani's JS signature models except the sides are rounded instead of flattened. The neck is a Wizard II, maple with 22 fret fingerboard and 6 inline tuner Ibanez pateneted headstock. The tuners are pretty good but they proved to be worn out and will soon be changed. Its a Hum/Single/Hum p/u configuration fitted with three Asis p/u's, 1 tone and 1 volume, and a special 5 way selector(same as a strat but coil taps to the inner coils of the hums at position 4 and 2). It has a Ibanez LoTRS II locking tremolo that can bend both ways and also a standard locking nut. These type of trems and nuts make tuning very unpleasant.

I play lots of styles like surf, oldies, and blues, but i really like using it for older punk like Black Flag and some older metal like Sabbath. I play the guitar through a Crate GX212, a DOD dual 15 band EQ, and various effects pedals. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th postions have a nice strat like twang and sound to them. The 1st position sounds like a pretty basic bridge humbucker. It can get down pretty good and also can get a nice raunchy sound with the tone at 0. The neck pickup is pretty clear and smooth but not the best I've heard. I am going to coil tap both hum's pretty soon to get that single coil strat sound.

When it arrived, it was not set up very well or atleast not to my specs. The trem had to be raised to make the action higher and the pickup heights needed to be adjusted as well besides that is was fine. The finish was really great too.

This is a very reliable guitar, but I would have to bring a backup because when it breaks a string then I have to loosten the locking nut and the string clamp screw and then retune it because of the trem. So that means unlocking each nut. But thats what goes along with have a tremolo and locking nut. It is very durable too. The sencond day I had it, it fell out of my car because it was on a little hill and went down the hills rough concrete surface and only served 3 scratches on the back and a small dent near the top horn of the back also.

It didn't come with a warranty because I bought it used but hopefully I will never need to call Ibanez about a problem anyway which I really doubt I will

I've been playing for about 4 years and this is one of my guitars which will be very depressing to part with. It is oh so fresh. If someone stole it then I'd try to find another but with a price as low as I got it for.

The features are all you can ask for in a standard kick ass electric guitar, my fave's being - The mohogany body, the floyd, the h/s/h combination

Sounds awesome, Great deep rich beefy meaty tone.

I love the black finish, looks great on the countour body

Im not sure, so far so good

Ibanez sucks as a company, not customer friendly, they can suck my twinle toes

Im selling it as of 11/26/99 contact me if you want it, its brand new!! noisetrip@mailcity.com

this guitar was made in Korea. (probably in sum sweatshop) it has 22 frets it would be better if it had 24 frets mofo. its a really thin guitar its nice. But changing strings is a PAIN IN THE ASSHOLE BITCH!! like yer mom

it sounds awesome, but the middle coil hummed a little and was weak like yer mom

the shit was alright when i got it like yer mom

this guitar held very long like yer mom

warranty last only fer 1 year like yer greasy mom

the guitar was pretty cheap compared to other companies. Its a really rock hard guitar like yer mom.

See previous submit.

As mentioned in my first submit, I put Seymour Duncan Holdsworth buckers in BOTH positions even tho they're bridge pickups. I also put a Duncan hotrail bucker in the single (middle) position. Sounds great: Crisp, bright clean sounds similar to Vai's clean sound(s). The holdsworth pickups really bring out the true tone of the mahogany body. Totally rippin sounds. BUT, I believe that your rig (amp) is at least 60% of your sound if not more. After 25 years, I finally have a rippin rig.

See previous submit.

See previous submit.

See previous submit.

I had to add this entry in here after receiving and email regarding my previous entry: After replacing the bridge/nut and pickups, and dressing the frets, this guitar is worth every penny I spent. I currently recorded some older stuff that I wrote about 10 years ago (been playing for about 25 years now) and this guitar is just SMOKING HOT. plays incredible, sounds even better. Actually too hot for me (well, almost). I'm trying to go for a smoother Holdsworth tone and feel (I have a very strong legato style) and this guitar just brings me back 10-20 years to my VH days. You cannot help but go balls-to-the-wall when this thing is in your hands. Sheer BLISS. If it had 24 frets, I'd give it a 10.

Made in Korea in 1999. 22 frets, solid body. Two Ibanez Axis humbuckers, AH1 and AH2, and one Ibanez Axis single coil, AS1, organized H/S/H. 5-way pickup selector. One volume, one tone pot. Very thin, beveled mahogany body, maple neck (Wizard II style--ultra thin and wide, with a truss rod), rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. BIG wide frets. Double-cutaway body, reminiscent of a strat, but extremely thin and beveled. Ibanez Floyd-Rose floating bridge (Lo-TRS Trem II). Standard (high-quality) Ibanez tuners, locks at the nut and bridge. Fine adjustment thumscrews at the bridge (I love them). This guitar is so thin it almost feels waif-like, but it's made of mahogany and has a truss-rod, and actually ends up being one of the sturdiest instruments I've ever played. It's absolutely the most comfortable guitar I've ever played, as well, without question. I would have preferred more than two pots, but this guitar already has the greatest variation in sound I've ever heard in a single guitar, so complaints really aren't warranted here.

I play everything from Eric Clapton to 311. This guitar amazes me with its wide gamut of sounds. I also play a Gibson LP-style for my bluesy moods, but it never could live up to shreddy distortion. My S470 generally can do anything the LP-style can, but handles screeching leads and feedback like a CHAMP. The single-coil can be a bit gritty or scratchy, and tends to hum a bit, but after all-- single coils are supposed to sound like that, and I like it. This guitar is all about character. I generally play through one of the humbuckers and the single coil at the same time. The only gripe I have about the instrument is the tone pot, which is basically pointless. 3/4 of the travel sounds the same, and the bottom 1/4 only serves to make your sound muddy and flat. I honestly don't use it. The selection of pickups alone gives you more tonal flexibility than I could imagine anyone ever using, but it won't hurt to have a good EQ handy if you're really picky. The mahogany body gives the guitar a wonderful resonant quality I have yet to hear in any other instrument. It's honestly got the widest gamut of sounds, and generally is the best sounding guitar I've ever played, but I'll take off a point for the lousy tone pot.

I bought the instrument from Guitar Center. It was set up very well, very very low action with just a perfect feel. If the sound of this instrument isn't enough to make you fall in love with it, the feel will be. It's comfortable sitting or standing, it's got a nice solid weight, and it's sturdy as a rock. The big, wide and extremely thin neck, along with the low-profile frets, make this guitar extremely quick and responsive. The woodworking, routing, and finish were all superb, with the exception that the finish in the recessed output jack is a bit thin-- but since you never see it anyway, it doesn't really matter. The hardware seems sturdy, but does tend to tarnish pretty quickly. This doesn't affect functionality, and only barely affects form. Unfortunately, Ibanez also chose to use cheap plastic covers on the back over the electronics and tremelo spring assemblies-- they're simply screwed in on top of the wood surface, rather than being laid in flush, and they definitely detract from the aesthetics of the otherwise very elegant body. This kind of construction would not be acceptable if it weren't on the back of the instrument. Also, the edges of the plastic tend to grab bits of polishing cloth and debris, and I generally need to take them both off to really clean the instrument. Also, I've tried a variety of strings, but just can't use tens on it. This guitar is designed for low action and agility, and using heavier-gauge strings just destroys the feel I love so much. The frets are so slight that I really can't feel them "through" heavier strings the way I'd like to. Once again, this guitar is all about agility, and this guitar really needs light strings. I can't stand anything but tens on my Gibson, but I can't stand anything but nines on my S.

The pickup selector is a bit too easy to move, and sometimes gets bumped out while I'm playing hard. The electronics are extremely reliable. I'm a little disappointed by the construction of the tremolo spring assembly, because the tensioning mechanism is nothing more than two wood screws screwed into the mahogany. If the body wasn't mahogany, I wouldn't trust the threads to hold under the stress of the springs. The tuning locks and saddles are very sturdy, but apparently too many people have a tendency to overtighten everything. You only need finger-tight pressure to lock the saddles, or the tuning locks-- anything more might cause damage to the instrument. This is the first guitar I've had with locking tuning, and the nut locks are a bit annoying because locking them immediately pushes all your strings sharp 15-20 cents. You basically have to coarse-tune the instrument 20 cents flat, lock the neck, and fine-adjust to get it into tune. However, once tuned, it stays perfectly tuned for as long as you'd ever care to leave a set of strings on it, even in moderately different climates. I'm very impressed by the tuning system. The Floyd-Rose bridge is honestly a pain in the ass when you want to change string types or gauges, but if you're happy with the same type of strings, it's a breeze to change them. The strap buttons are very solid, and are strap-lock ready. I trust them. This guitar is extremely solid, despite it's very thin form factor. I would trust it in just about any situation, but I'm also generally a bit more cautious with my instruments than a lot of guitarists.

Never dealt with them, one year warranty on most everything but careless abuse.

I've been playing two years. I own this S, a Gibson LP-style, and a cheap acoustic. I usually play through a Crate GX-130C 130 watt 2x12" stereo combo amp. I use a Boss ME-30 multieffects pedal for everything exception distortions, and a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone for distortion-- but I mainly play clean. I would definitely buy this guitar again and again and again-- nothing else in the price range even comes close to its combination of performance and feel. I've spent hours in different stores playing tons of guitars, and this one really does come out on top for me. I played about three dozen Fender, Peavey, Hamer, etc. guitars in a serious comparison, then decided to pick up the Ibanez S-- and I forgot all about the others within a matter of minutes. Yes, it's that good. I hate nothing about it, and my favorite feature has got to be the Wizard II neck-- just feels superb. I only have a few very minor gripes about the instrument, and it's almost silly to even complain about those things; it's the best-sounding, best-feeling guitar I've ever -played-, much less owned. It's a wonderful instrument in almost every conceivable way.

1998 Model. 22 fret. Jewel Blue. 1 volume knob, 1 tone knob, 5 way pickup selector. H-S-H pickup configuration with Ibanez's AH series pickups. REALLY thin body, big frets (not jumbo, but big. Standard tuners, locks at base of head. Floyd Rose Trem, floating bridge.

This guitar just has a great tone. The bridge pickup sends a great signal and sounds great with a Metal Zone pedal. The neck pickup gives distortion TONS of bass, or gives you some great clean tone. The single coil in the middle is good for clean tone as well, but sounds best when used in combination with the neck pickup. My only complaint: The tone knob is useless. You have full dull or full bright, but that's just how all Ibanez tone knobs are.

The guitar is set up very well strait from the factory. The action is good, but I lowered it a bit more. You can't lower it too much or you start getting fret buzz. I havn't found a flaw yet execpt that the pickup selector will shake the strings if you pound on it too hard.

Construction wise, I don't think anything could hurt this thing. Cosmetically, I'm not as impressed. I've only had it for a month and the paint is already being scratched off by the plug hole. If you don't bang into much stuff when you're playing, you shouldn't have a problem. I'd use it without a backup, but I tend not to do much jumping around when I'm playing. The 8 is because I'm not convinced that this finish is going to last too long.

I think the warranty is for a year. I havn't had any contact with them yet.

This is my first electric, but I've known people that have had them for a while and this one seems to be pretty good, but definatly not the best ever.

Don't know what year but the guitar was fresh out of the box from Guitar Center. Pickups (H/S/H) are same as used on the Joe Satriani model. Color: black with really cool looking blackish chrome hardware. 22 frets, Lo-trs tremolo, wizard neck, 5-way PU selector switch, and a single tone and volume knob.

Play modern blues, 80's shred, classic rock riffs, and a little bit of everything else. The stock tones are great. The bridge PU could be a bit more intense for screaming stuff but I think you'd loose something else at the other end. A little bit of outboard overdrive (TS9) and everythings OK. I play live thru a Line 6 Flextone and DI for recording using a Digitech 2120 Artist and can get just about any sound I can imagine, except...... I have a Les Paul Classic Premium Plus with re-issue PAF and PAF + PU's. There's something magical about this axe cracked up to scream out Gary Moore type leads. But the Ibanez is much more versatile.

The action out of the box was great. I lowered the bridge a bit to facilitate smoother tapping and thats been it. You couldn't play a more comfortable guitar whether standing, sitting, or propped up in bed. This thing is butter.

I've owned the axe for about a month and have no complaints. I don't gig anymore so I can't comment there but I have been pretty brutal playing wise and the guitar keeps up just fine. Time will tell more here.

I've been playing for 25 years and have owned many Ibanez guitars thru the years. I was using the Les Paul and a Texas Special Strat but decided to re-visit some of that "great" 80's Satriani / Vai style of playing. For this you can NOT beat an Ibanez. During my visit to buy this axe, I messed with comprably priced, Jacksons and ESP's but the Ibanez blew em away. Best under $600 axe I could've bought.

Year: 1998 - Manufactured in Korea - 22 frets, Mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard. Solid small-strat style carved body. Pickup config: H/S/H AH1 humbuckers and an AH1 single coil. Hardware is black chrome Ibanez Floyd Rose (I'll get to this later!). Tuners are Ibanez. Great neck, plays like my old Charvel. A lot of features that for the most part are good, except for the Ibanez Floyd Rose bridge - made from junk soft metal. I gave it a 7 here because of it's features.

The pickups where okay, they were the AH2 humbuckers, and the AH1 single coil in the middle. A bit weak compared to the holdsworth model Duncans I dropped in it. I'll speak for the AH pickups it came with. My rig is: an ADA MP1 preamp, into a Yamaha SPX-90 signal processor, into a Quadraverb +, then into a Mesa Boogie 50/50 poweramp with 4x12 30w celestions. Awesome rig, it makes any guitar sound great. Good clean sounds, almost strat like. Great chunk tones too.

The guitar wasn't setup very well. I had to have the frets dressed, and now it plays like my old Charvel did. Great neck, thin and a bit wide. The tuners kinda suck. The Ibanez Floyd Rose is a total piece of crap! The metal is soo soft! After 2 weeks the pivit points on the bridge were all chewed up! And forget about using DR strings on this because the metal in the clamp (nut) is lowsey too. It doesn't clamp! The strings slip right thru. I stripped 2 screws thinking it was me. Pissed me off! My main gripe is this Ibanez Floyd Rose. Granted, I'm brutal on the thing - I have a Holdsworth/VH/Steve_Morse/Vinnie_Moore style (in this order too), and I can play, and a guitar without a bar is like a day without sunshine for me. But this bridge sucks! It will not "return to zero" if you pull up or dive down. you have to tune it to either way, and finish your bar work in that direction to keep it in tune. Low rating here cause it wasn't setup properly, and the bridge/nut metal sucks.

I love the neck. Again, it reminds me of my old Charvels. That's really why I bought it. After dumping another $300 into it (Fret dessing, Schaller Floyd, Duncan pickups), it's excellent. The only thing that bothers me is that it wasn't made in the USA. gotta give it a low rating here cause of the orignal bridge, but now it's truely awesome.

Ibanez is responsive, but I gotta rate this kinda low here because when I called them about the bridge, they wanted me to send the WHOLE guitar back to them so they could replace the bridge. HELLO? I can send the bridge back and they can send me a new one! But I didn't want the same one anyway so I blew it off.

Ya basically get what ya pay for here folks. The neck is awesome, the body has good rear routing and a very nice black finish. Because of the neck I got the action REAL low and nice with NO buzz. Plays great. BUT, the original bridge/nut sucks. Total ammount spent on this guitar was about $800. With that, I rate it at 8 or 9. But my real rating is based on the original setup and hardware.

I have a 1998, korean-made Ibanez S470. It has a carved strat style mahogany body, and a 22 fret maple/rosewood, WizardII neck with an angled headstock. The electronics consist of 2 Ibanez Axis series passive humbuckers (AH1,AH2), and 1 Ibanez Axis series single coil (AS1). The controls- 1 volume, 1 tone, 5 way switch. The output jack is in the body, kinda like a strat. DEEP DISH. All the hardware is anodized cosmo-black. As for the hardware, it has 6 in line diecast machineheads, Schaller straplok-ready strap buttons, and a Lo-TrsII double-locking tremolo system. Really low action and hardly any buzz.

This guitar is perfect for hardcore, tight distortion. Yet it also does surprisingly well in the middle, single coil position. You may hear a little hum on the single coil, but other than that, it sounds great. I run it through a Rocktron Chameleon multi-effects processor, and then out a Fender Stage 112 SE. That specific combination produces the tightest, heaviest distortion i've ever heard. Excellent tone! Great harmonics!

When I got the guitar, it was set up perfectly. No buzzing, great feel, perfect action. LOW! Everything was in it's best possible shape. NO FLAWS!

This guitar will definately withstand live playing to the fullest extent. Everything on this guitar will last. Do you know why? Because it's an IBANEZ. I would always bring a backup guitar though, but it would most likely be an Ibanez.

In conclusion, I would like to say buy this guitar, it will bring you years of enjoyment if you take care of it. Even if you don't, it'll still last a LONG TIME. The whole line of Ibanez guitars are great. So if you're in the market for a new guitar, check this one out.

It has a mahogany body, maple neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, dot markers, Lo TRS II bridge,locking nuts, 2 humbuckers and a single coil pick ups.(AH1,AS1, AH2). 5 way toggle switch, 1 volume knob 1 tone knob, blackish, almost bronze hardware. Nice size frets, thin neck and thin strat style body, 22 frets. I have an SR300DX Soundgear bass in Jewel Blue, and I got this guitar in Jewel Blue also. I LoVE THE COLOR! The guitar is super thin, and the neck is SUPER THIN, simply the most comfortable guitar I've ever played.

This guitar is great. I play mostly just rock, or nice picking songs. I am a BASS player, not a guitar player, but I am wanting to get better at the guitar. It does sound great compared to a stratocaster...many people like the stratocaster's sound, but it's your opinion. The pickups are nice and clear, sustain is awesome!

The action is the best I've tried. It plays very easily like CRAZY easily! I've tried strats, RG 220, and RG320. (Can't afford a high model, then get an RG 320, they're ok too, just the S470 is way better)Guess I can't say much, but I know a good guitar when I try one. Everything looks high quality. All guitars do feel different even if you are buying the same model, you should test it out yourself.

Everything looks very solid. Good stuff.

Never dealt with customer support, I hope I never have to..and I probably won't with this guitar

No complaints with this guitar. It's solid, smooth, very nice. No complaints. I got this guitar so that I wouldn't have to get a new one when I'm better. I tried msrp 399dollar Strats, and they suck!

It has a mahogany body, maple neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, dot markers, Lo TRS II bridge,locking nuts, 2 humbuckers and a single coil pick ups.(AH1,AS1, AH2). 5 way toggle switch, 1 volume knob 1 tone knob, blackish chrome hardware. Nice size frets, thin neck and thin strat style body, 22 frets.

It suits my music style good. I play alot of rock and metal, pantera, metallica, megadeth, VH. I am playing it thru a peavey bravo 112. and a Jim Dunlop crybaby, and a dod tech 4. Its noisy on the single coil pickup. It has nice sounds except for the bridge pickup. The bridge pickup is muddy. So i am replacing all my pickups with EMG's for flaming demon crunch. it plays really smooth, its perfect for EVH finger tapping.

it was set up from the factory like shit. The action was was terrible. the strings kept buzzing up against the frets. The pickups were way low. The bridge was un even too. the tone knob is a little loose. other than that everything was good on it. I had it set up at the Berkley Music Stand. They really know there shit good. They adjusted everything that could be adjusted. It plays sweeeeeet now.

This axe would definitly withstand live playing. It has fell lots of times out of the little crapy strap buttons. And i rip on it all the time and it stays in tune. So its also very durable too. The jewel blue finish is good enough to last. I would use it on a gig without a backup. The only problem is the hardware. I had it for about 4 months and the hardware started to oxidize and rust. Now a year and a few months later it is lookin like crap, the bridge is turning a blueish black color and around the pickups,the black has totaly rubbed off. Now its chrome. And i recommend getting bigger strap buttons or strap locks.

i e-mailed Ibanez and no response 2 weeks later.

i own my S-470 and a dimebag Washburn, fender stratocaster. If it were stolen or lost i would run out and buy another. i love the thin body and neck and big frets. I compared it to some other jacksons and fenders and other ibanezs. compared to this their necks were like tree trunks. For an overall i would give this piece of lumber a 9. It sounds and plays great. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

A 1997 Model. Jewel blue finish. 22 frets, Rosewood fingerboard, solid mahogany body, Ibanez Lo-trs II bridge(like original floyd), Ibanez Axis pickups HSH config. 5 way switch with 2 pots - vol/tone. I give the features an 9 because there really isn't much more I could want to add to this guitar.

Its sound is very different to my Ibanez RG550. It's not a hotrod tone, but more a Fender stratocaster with a floyed and Humbuckers. Its round. The neck pickup is nice, and I think I'll be leaving it in, but the bridge pickup has a PAF tone. Very little overtones, and a scratchy bass, like going into a Marshall JCM900 head direct with a strat. I'll be changing this pickup in favour of a Dimarzio Tone Zone - Tighter, bassier, and much more overtones. BTW, I play through a Marshall Aniversary LM head and Cabinet and I work my sound around that only. No effects. Considering the size and weight of this 'tiny' guitar, it a wonder it has such bass and full tone. I think it must have something to do with the Mahogony wood of the body. As I said before, I also have an Ibanez RG550 and its body is 2x the size in every respect, and it has a totally thin tone. Its got a Basswood body like the Steve Vai Jems. I definitly prefer Mahogany now!! The 9 I'm giving here would be a definite 10 if it were not for the dodgy Bridge pickups craptone.

The action was what I call good. Not ultra low so you can play fast but not 'feel' the notes, but not too high either - so you have to say little prayers just before taking a bendy solo. The only adjustment I made was to the springs one the Lo -trs II trem. Some crazy bastard had the whole thing lop-sided, so I leveled it out.

The S470, even though looking thin, small and fragile, is really a solid guitar. My main axe is my RG550, and I really only got this for a backup, but slowly though surely, the S470 is becoming my axe of choice. The neck is alot thicker than the RG550's waaaaayyyyy thin original wizard neck.

Ive dealt with the boys at Ibanez a few times before. Ok, I had problem with the finish on my RG550 ( candy apple ), so I sent the body into to the Australian distributer of Ibanez to be replaced. It took 6 months !!! I was appauled! It was replaced with a nice new one, but come on! 6 months is crazy. On the other hand, I have e-mailed Ibanez USA a few times to find out information such as the dates my guitars were made etc.. and they gave me a prompt and thorough reply each time. I'm going to give this 10, even though the screwed me around for 6 months. They will help and most certainly they are willing to answer questions.

Shit, Im going to give it 10. The only gripe I had was with the Bridge pickup, but everyone who hears it says its perfect. The Ibanez S series and beautiful guitars that feel fantastic - especially when standing up with a strap on. The are lightweight and sleek. Don't be put off by the size of them. Plug one in and you'll see what Im talking about when I say the Mahogany compensates for the slim construction. Mahogany rocks!

W/ gig bag, Made in Mid 90's, 22 frets, Mahogany w/ maple neck & rosewood fingerboard, 1 vol, 1 tone, 5 way, HSH, Metalic Blueish, S body style (shaped like PRS but not really), Ibanez Floyd Rose (Lo-Trem III or something?). Gave it a 9 because it doesn't have the accoustic bridge a.k.a. Parker Fly (does anybody really use that screechy piezo garbage? Just get a $69 accoustic guitar used, it will sound better).

I looked at one of these new back in 1996 and was unimpressed by the sound. The other thing I noticed is that the paint on the guitar was still wet (very new & very bad for tone). I compared it to my Fender Lone Star and thought the Fender blew it out of the water. About two months ago I saw one used in a local shop and decided to try again. This particular one was pure magic. The tone was tight and articulate, yet powerful and throaty. The humbuckers sound wonderful and the single coil sounds more like a strat than my Lone Star. The sustain is literally double that of the Fender (honest to God!!). This is the best guitar I've ever heard.

The action was slightly too low when I got it (used). I raised the action just slightly and then changed over from 9's to 10's because thats what I'm used to. If you have never tried a wizard (Ibanez) neck with a Floyd Rose, you should! String bends are much easier and allow you much more expressiveness.

I'm always careful with my stuff and don't live gig often (who am I kidding: NEVER!), so I'm not the best person to ask. I think it will last me a lifetime. It looks very well built.

Didn't try to contact.

I've been playing for at least 8 years and had at least twice that many guitars. I never thought I would say this (and I waited two months for some of the euphoria to wear off), but I think I'm going to sell my Fender Lone Star. I don't see me playing it ever again. Anybody want a 50th anniversary Fender Lone Star?

Great neck/bridge humbucker pickups (not-so-great middle single-coil pickup), 5-way selector, tone control, very nice hard-shell case. Floyd Rose bridge. 22 frets. Great mahogany for incredible sound! You can pull that wammy bar up and push it down pretty far, too! The wammy bar is the kind you can twirl around like Steve Vai and it doesn't strip the nuts or anything (a problem I had with my strat).

This guitar has the best sound i've heard so far in any guitar, probably even better than the Ibanez JS1000. Only reason I can't give it a 10 is that the middle single-coil pickup is really weak and doesn't sound too great at all. But the neck and bridge pickups couldn't get much better, just about as good as the Dimarzio Evolution pickups (which are my favorite).

My action was a tiny bit too high but it was assembled by the store, and it was a piece of cake to fix.

I'd need a backup guitar, but only because of the Floyd-Rose tremolo makes it REALLY hard to replace a string if one breaks. Everything else about the guitar is 100% reliable.

swap the middle pickup and you've got a perfect guitar. Better than the JS1000 (joe satriani signature ibanez) because of the 5-way selector, and the neck is as good as the js1000. The fine-tuners are a LOT easier to work with than the Ibanez RG model. Also it's one of the best looking guitars I've ever seen. I wouldn't mind if it had 24 frets, though.

Features: Locking nut, bridge 'micro-tuners', lo-trsII spring-set tremolo, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, mahogany body, 5-way positions switch, single-coil in neck and bridge position, humbuck in center, 's' body is thin, beveled, and vaguely strat-shaped. The S470 is a model below the S540, the 470 has dot markers instead of the nasty wedges on the neck of the 540; that is why I opted for the 470. It actually has a bit more involved hardware than I normally care for, although it is good hardware... that is why the 8 in this category.

The tone the mahogany body gives is excellent; I have played it simultaneously through the same rig as someone playing a PRS. When we were on note for note, it sounded like one guitar... impressive considering the price difference in the two. Switched to the neck pickup it is rhythm ready; the bridge pickup is brighter, but more mellow -- good for single note and lead work. I play a lot of arpeggiated chords and note work (imagine a mix of classical guitar style with early Cure chez 'Pornography'), the neck and fretboard are a dream. It is quick and easy to play; very forgiving. I run it through Boss stomp-boxes and an Ibanez TS-9 tube screamer into the clean channel of my amp, using a Yamaha REV100 to add reverb. I have been very satisfied with the sound I get from this guitar with this setup.

The body is well made and routed, but the finish near the recessed jack is so thin you can see the wood in a little crescent edge. I forgave this minor flaw and bought it anyway... The set-up and action was adjusted by a guitar tech when I bought it; it has stayed set since though. Overall it is well constructed.

This guitar seems pretty solid, although I would not want to drop it despite the hardshell case... I am pretty much a traditionalist when it comes to guitar design and am not sure I trust all that fancy hardware yet. ; ) I do routinely gig without having a backup. I am more worried about having to change a string on stage than actually having the guitar itself fail.

I think the warranty is a year. The only contact I have had with the company was to date another Ibanez guitar I have. They got back to me quickly, I hope their repair dept is as helpful.

I would like this 'S' body and electronics without the nut lock. I have an Ibanez TC620 that has a bird's-eye maple and rosewood neck that is to die for. I have even thought about trying to switch that neck to the S470, but that would just be asking for trouble. I do like the 'Talman' neck design better than the 'Wizard' design, but the mahogany 'S' body has dreamy tone.