Ibanez SV5470

Mine is a 2009 SV5479fDSB, the "deep sunset burst" finish over flame maple. The body is Mahogany, and like all ibanez solid bodys, the maple top is more of a laminate than a true "top".

It has a 5 piece maple neck that's a little thicker than the usual Ibanez Wizard, and Ibanez's version of a Wilkenson Trem ( with roller bearings instead of the usual knife bearing ), locking tuners, and a built-in tremelo stabilizer ala hipshot.

I could not find exactly the guitar i wanted, so i decided to get one with the woods and bridge i wanted, and fix the pickups in the aftermarket. I have no idea what the stock pickups sounded like, as had them replaced immediately.

I was a little suspicious of the stock wiring, although with the stock humbuckers ( one coil alnico, one ceramic ) it might have made sense, so i had this changed as well.

I've never heard the stock pickups, but i'm very happy with the interaction of the tonewoods and the aftermarket pus i installed.

the set up was ok, but the strings got bound in the plastic nut. The only way to make a floating trem/locking tuners work is if you have a god nut, so i had always intended to get a bone nut installed.

Otherwise, the setup was lovely. The "Zero Point System" on the tremelo really keeps it stable.

the hardware is top quality ( excepting the nut, which i had replaced ) and the fit and finish is top notch.

I've had no interaction with Ibanez

I'd replace this guitar with another just like it. Now that i've got the pickups i wanted and the aftermarket nut it's exactly right.

I'm giving it a 9 out of 10 because in theory it would have been nice to get exactly what i wanted from the facory

Well, finally I've solved the tuning stability problem. As easy as put some lube on the nut, saddles and ball bearings. Now the guitar has a very good tuning stability, even after some trem abuse. Because the bad factory set-up i give only 6. Ibanez should set up much better a guitar of this level. After my own set up, the rating is a 10, but it has been not funny and i've been worried some weeks until I've found the solution...

As updating of my first review, I'm having problems with the trem.Tuning is not stable if you use the trem, even in ligth use (forget dive bombing), and I have to retune very often the guitar

Mine is a SV5470A in Black Blonde finish. Made in Japan in 2009. It has 24 jumbo fast frets, Ash top,Mahogany body, Rosewood fretboard, 5 way selector plus push-pull volume pot for switching between HSH or SSS pick up configuration. Also has a great Ibanez SynchroniZR trem, new true duo pickups,autotrim locking tuners. etc,etc.You can get more information at
http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world
If this guitar has a piezo system, I'd rate 10.

I play in a pop and rock cover band. We play songs from Beatles to Metallica, including Pink Floyd, Lenny Kravitz, Led Zeppelin, some Spanish Pop, Joe Satriani, Deep Purple, U2,Police etc.etc. As you can see, I need a lot of different sounds. With the 3 pickups and the single coil switch, i have 9 different pickup configurations. In combination with my Marshall JVM 410(12 sounds from superclean to Mesa Boogie insane gain and 2 master volumes) and my TC-Electronics G-System, I own a very powerful backline to do the job. It sounds very very convincing from a Metallica really heavy metal sound to clean sounds "alla Fender", and everything in between. Maybe in the studio, you'll choose a Stratocaster to record some cleans or blues sounds, or a Les Paul for some rock sounds, or an ESP with EMG's for some metal sounds, and for sure I'd do the same, but in a live situation is a very very versatile guitar and sounds great in every style.

The factory set up is not very good. The action is high for my taste, but is not difficult to adjust, lowering a little the bridge.
After this, is a very comfortable guitar, with the typical fast Ibanez fretboard. No finish flaws. Well finished and a really beautiful guitar IMO.I'd rate only 8 because of the bad factory set up.Once you have set it up ok, it would be a 10.

I own only three weeks ago,but an ibanez guitar of this price, I suppose is a pro instrument, so i think it will be my fault if something breaks. I usually put new strings 2 or 3 days before an important gig, for not worry about the guitar,and until now,never have a problem with my other guitars, but I always carry another guitar and sometimes even another amp as a back up. Gigging is a complex world, and you never know what will happen....

Never deal with them

I play guitar 26 years ago, but giggig only the last 7 years. I own a Stratocaster Highway, Ltd Eclipse 1000, Squier Telecaster, and until 3 weeks ago an Ibanez RS1010 Steve Lukather signature from 1984, that some son of a ***** stolen me after a gig. Beacause of this I buyed this new guitar. Also have a Marshall JVM410, a TC electronics GSystem for FX, and a Laney TT100 212 for stereo purposes and as backup.If were stolen or lost (I hope no !!!)without no doubt I'll buy another. It would be wonderful if Ibanez install a piezo in this guitar!!!

Thin S series Mahogany Body with Flame Maple Top, 24 Fret Wizard Prestige Neck, both the neck and the body are bound with white binding. Finished in Transparent Blue. The finish is really great. Not your average Ibanez finish.

The bridge is the new SynchroniZR bridge, which is pretty cool. I play all styles of music, as well as instruct guitar, so I needed a bridge system that allowed not only the ability to adjust tuning on the fly, but a system taht can also act as a floating trem when I need it. The SynchroniZR does all of the above, and its super easy to adjust for lighter/heavier strings. The system allows for easy tuning for gigs and lessons alike.

The SV5470 also included auto-trim locking tuners, which add to the stability of the tuning. It sure beats having to unlock the nut every time you want to tune. And even in some serious trem-bar action, the tuning is very stable.

I really like the Wizard Prestige neck profile. It's been a while since I have played an Ibanez, but it seems like it has a much better feel than the RG wizard necks.

The new Ibanez True Duo Blast pickup system has proved very versatile. Again, I play a variety styles of music, so I needed a pickup system that I could get all kinds of tones out of. The True-Duo system really is a great system. And I know that factory Ibanez pickups don't have a fantastic reputation. With the H-S-H standard combo, you get all those rock tunes. pull up the volume control, and you get all those single-coil tones. Yeah, it's not exactly a stratocaster, but its so close that it warrants not carrying multiple guitars to gigs.

Again, the True-Duo Blast pickup system really is a versatile system. I currently play through a Mesa Boogie Roadster, a Marshall Plexi, and a Marshall Vintage Modern, all behind an extensive pedal board. The Roadster is my go-to head for live applications, and the guitar sounds great through this head. My main guitars are PRS Custom 24, Gibson Les Paul, and an 80's japanese Strat. The Ibanez SV5470 covers the tones of these guitars quite nicely in live settings.

The guitar is great for a variety of styles. VERY VERSATILE.

I hate factory setups. They never really are that great. And I use 10-52 strings, so all of my guitars have to be setup anyway. The guitar was easy to setup with my strings of choice. It was easy to get that low Ibanez action.

The finish is cool. The transparent blue finish has a nice hue and the flame top is real mellow. I personally hate a tiger-striped top. And I have to say that the S series body is super comfortable. It looks like it would be a light guitar, but don't let the body fool you. It has a nice weight to it. Not Les Paul heavy, but it isn't cheap guitar light.

I didn't catch any factory flaws. The guitar even ships with a great hardshell case. The guitar was fantastic right out of the case.

So far, seems very reliable/durable. Played a handful of live shows and I use it for my guitar instruction, and I've had no problems as of yet. The new SynchroniZR bridge seems durable and reliable enough.

I always replace strap buttons with some sort of locking system. I recommend everyone do the same. Drop your favorite guitar once, and it changes you forever.

The SV5470 is a very dependable guitar. But NEVER gig without a spare guitar. NEVER!

I haven't had to contact support for anything.

Warranty is standard Ibanez warranty.

I've been a serious musician for about 11 years, and been playing for around 15. Owned more guitars and gear than I care to admit to.

I've owned a few Ibanez guitars in the past. The first was a cheap beginner. The next was an RG350DX, which looked cool, but the pickups were horrible. What I thought was my last straw with Ibanez was a PGM30, which the Paul Gilbert Signature with the tremolo. This guitar was AWFUL. It had the thinnest tone of any guitar I have ever owned. I loved the look and feel, but even after numerous pickup changes, the guitar never came alive. And it was a SIGNATURE MODEL. I was DONE with Ibanez. Or so I thought....

I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with the Ibanez SV5470. I really thought I was done with Ibanez guitars. It has become my go-to guitar for live applications. The tone is good, the feel is good, and it is versatile enough to cover a wide variety of styles. I believe that a pro should own a handful of guitars for recording and the like, but it's much better to have a couple of guitars that you can take to a gig that will cover what you need. The SV5470 does that.

My PRS custom 24 is the closest in versatility to this guitar. I like the trem system on the Ibanez better, and the 25.5 scale makes it easier for me to dig out the harmonic squeals. However I still love my PRS, but I find myself grabbing the Ibanez more and more. I really love the feel of the neck and the S Series Body.

Would I buy another one if it was stolen or lost? You bet. It's a great guitar. It's a little more costly than your average Ibanez guitar, but its WELL worth it. Try one out.