S470 Review

Wizard II neck. Maple Neck. Mahogany Body. 22 Jumbo Frets. Rosewood Fingerboard. ZR bridge.

Features:	9.2
Sound:	9.2
Action:	9.3
Reliability:	8.9
Impression:	9.4
Overall rating:	9.2
Users rating:	7.9
Comments:	50

overall: 9.6

Featured review by: LastRockShow, on april 27, 2004

Purchased from: Firehouse

Features: This is a 2003 S470 from Ibanez. It has a smooth top that won't leave fingerprints, so you won't have to polish it much. This guitar includes locks and a whammie bar, so it won't go out of tune. It has 2 humbuckers and one single coil pickup, which gets in the way a little when palm muting. That is probably the only downside to this guitar. It has an extremely thin body, neck, and has jumbo frets for easy chord/solo playing. It has 22 frets and the indication marks that show which fret you're playing make it a bit more stylish. Also, it's light, so your shoulder/neck area won't get sore after playing it for long periods of time. The strings are a good distance away from the neck which makes for easy bending/vibrato. Overall, aside from the palm muting problem which I got used to the first week anyways, this is an excellent guitar for a large variety of music. // 10

Sound: My general style is AC/DC/Led Zeppelin classic rock. I wouldn't recommend this guitar for classic rock music though, because you can probably find much better for about the same price. It will do classic rock, though, and quite nicely too. I'm usually skipping from classic rock to hard rock to grunge, and this guitar will satisfy you in every category. This guitar is probably for you jack-of-all-trade guitarists who play a wide variety of music. The acoustic sound could be better (not that its bad, just like most Ibanez guitars) but I like the Gibson model acoustic sound better. It's awesome with distortion and leaves little to be desired. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: This is going to be short. There was nothing wrong with the guitar when I bought it and there is nothing wrong with it now. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Ok, this is where this guitar shines. This guitar will withstand constant live playing, the strap buttons are solid (so no dropping your guitar on stage :P), and it is entirely dependable. I would go to any gig without a doubt in my mind that this guitar couldn't handle it. The ratings can't go high enough, this is a very perfect guitar for live playing. What can I say? // 10

Impression: This pretty much matches my style of music. I've been playing for a long time now, and this is pretty much my favorite guitar. The best thing about it is how thin the body is, it's extremely nice to have a guitar so slender. I recommend this guitar to anyone who's interested in music that's distorted, or music that doesn't involve PERFECT acoustic tone. Like I said, it has great acoustic ability, just not the best. I hook this up to a DigiTech RP200 effect pedal, and the two combined are heavenly. I compared this one to a Gibson, and I just couldn't get over how flexible the sound of this guitar was. The only real flaw (as I have mentioned many times in this review) is the middle single coil pickup (just lower it and it will be fine). If it were stolen or lost, I would by it back again in a heartbeat. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 02, 2005

Purchased from: Musiciansfriend.com

Features: This guitar that I bought was made in the year 2005. It features 22 frets, the fretboard is a smooth, thin, jumbo fret which makes it extremely effortless to play lead and chords. The headstock it tilted back for better sustain. This one that I bought has a glossy black finish to it which makes it a beautifully attractive guitar in every occassion. There is a ZR locking tremolo (Zero Resistance) strapped on this axe. The thing is so freakin smooth it is unbelieveable. I could dive-bomb this thing so low to where this thing touches the pickup. It has a H-S-H pick up configuration, 2 knobs for volume and tone and a 5 way Switch for access to a numerous amount of tones. // 10

Sound: The sound of this guitar just makes you want to slap yourself to see if you are dreaming, I ain't kidding once I picked up this thing I ain't want to put it down. I play alternative, heavy metal, acoustic, rock, and jazz. And this guitar fits every single one of those category with ease. This axe runs through a 1975 Music Man tube amp, o my sweet Jesus! This sound comes out like a choir of angels singing. Trust me it's beautiful. The neck pickup is terrific for acoustic, the middle of great for a bluesy tone, and the bridge is uberly good for leads. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Ibanez techies are uberly great. The guitar came out in a perfectly set up axe. It was even tuned close to a tuned guitar. The finish it this guitar is beautiful just take good care of it to keep it look great. The action on this guitar is so low that it is effortless to press the strings down. I ain't lying. I have 6 other guitars (Yamaha, PRS, Hammer, Schecter, Fender, and another Ibanez) this is by far the lowest action and the best feel. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think that this guitar will last a very long time because the hardware and wood seems to be made from such good material. The wood for the fretboard is the same wood that is made on the more expensive models, the wood of the body is the same as the wood made on Gibson's guitar, mahogany. the ZR tremolo is made from die cast metal. the black finish it beautiful. by the way tell me a finish that would last if you play a lot on it, if you could tell me because I ll buy it. I think I can probably smack someone across the head with this guitar and it will still stay in one piece. I'm just worried about the other guy's head because this guitar is so thin it would probably slice the guy's head in half. // 10

Impression: The only flaw of this guitar is that if you don't buy it you ll miss out on a lot of great tone and blah I don't know what else to say about this thing. I could list and list for 8 weeks. I have spent 2 months of 4 hours a day, 6 days a week (that's like close to 200 hours) researching to see if this was the perfect guitar for me, I'm dead serious. Why so long? I didn't actually go play this axe in the store so I had to make sure that I was buying the right stuff, I had $500 to spend and I didn't plan on buying a piece of crap. So if you are an online buyer I guess this would be your guide. By the way check out Ibanez.com for more info! // 10

overall: 7.6

Reviewed by: monkey_dancer, on september 20, 2007

Price paid: $ 549

Purchased from: Sound Control

Features: This guitar has 22 jumbo rosewood frets, which, combined with the thin Wizard II neck, make it very easy to play. The finish does get fingerprint marks very easily, which is a little annoying, but not really important. The body is mahogany and the neck is maple. The Ibanez ZR tremolo system is great, with that and the locking at the nut it doesn't go out of tune for about a month or two. When I first bought the guitar, I had a little trouble palm muting, as I used to rest my hand on the bridge, but that just took some getting used to. The guitar has two humbuckers and a single coil (too many pickups for my taste, I just don't find it necessary to have 3) and a 5-way pickup selector. I like the fact that the volume and tone knobs are far enough away from the strings so that I don't hit them while playing, which I do with a lot of guitars. Also, it is very light and thin, which is great for playing live. // 8

Sound: I mainly play poppy rock and alternative/post-punk stuff in my bands, but often play other things (a lot of RATM, Muse, neil young, + other stuff). I've tried using it for most genres (bar metal, because I just don't really like it) and I haven't found anything it doesn't sound good doing. In the future, I would like to upgrade the pickups, but for stock pickups they are pretty good, except for the neck pickup, which sounds very muddy and muted. Another bad point is that it has virtually no sustain. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought this second hand, and the people at the shop restrung it for me (it had been out in the shop for a while). They set the strings up perfectly (although I must admit I'm not at all fussy about things like that). The humbuckers don't stay in place at all, and always drop down, which is a bit annoying sometimes. The guitar had one chip in the finish when I bought it, but since then has not sustained any damage at all. It seems very solid. The tone knob does crackle a lot when turned, but that hardly counts as a problem. Also, when playing without an amp, something rattles, but I like it, because it boosts the volume, and because of the guitar's size, it is very quiet otherwise (I hardly ever use an amp at home). // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is great for playing live. I use it all the time and have never needed a backup. Nothing has deteriorated at all since I bought it (about a year ago) and it was second hand then, so I'm sure it can take a lot. The strap buttons were reasonably solid, but they were coming a bit loose so recently I removed them, filled in the holes and put in some new Schaller ones, with strap locks. The finish scratches fairly easily when I use a metal plectrum, but it's hardly noticeable and I don't really care. Otherwise, it's fine. // 7

Impression: I play lots of things, and this guitar is a great match for everything I do, because of the ease of playing, its weight and size. I've been playing for 4 or 5 years and I use this with a Boss OD-3 bass overdrive pedal, an Ibanez PT-5 multi-effects pedal and a DigiTech Whammy pedal. If I lost this, I would definitely get something else, because there are undoubtedly better guitars around, and I could afford more now, but this is a great guitar. When I bought it I tried a lot of other guitars, but this just felt the best instantly. // 8

overall: 10

Reviewed by: Kotie, on april 18, 2005

Price paid: $ 474

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: This guitar is probably one of the best I've ever played! It was made in 2003 (I'm guessing) and it has 22 jumbo frets. It features cool inlays on the fretboard that you could compare to "squiggily lines" I guess. It has a textured finish so you won't really need to polish it. Also, it has a 5-way switcher, which is very nice to give the pickups a good mix. It's extremely thin which makes it easier to go faster up and down the neck. Overall, this is a most excellent guitar that deserves a 10/5! // 10

Sound: As is with most Ibanez guitars, the sound is flexible to many styles of music. I play everything from acoustic rock to heavy metal and this works perfectly. I run it through a Line 6 212 amp and it sounds amazing. I usually leave it on the bridge humbucker when I'm playing metal, the single coil when I'm playing acoustic, and the neck humbucker when I want that messy electric guitar sound. Also, the tuning locks and the whammie bar are most excellent and lots of fun to mess around with when you are just getting the hang of your guitar. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Everything was perfect. One thing though (and it may just be my strings) is that the guitar sort of plays off-pitch on the higher notes of the G-string. I didn't notice it until just a couple weeks ago (and I've had this guitar for 2 years) so it is probably just that I need to replace the strings on my guitar. It still plays better than almost any guitar I've ever played. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Yes, this guitar is perfect for live shows. I would definitely take this to shows (and I have) without a backup guitar. The finish hasn't worn down after two years of constant shredding, so I'm positive it's gonna last a long time. This guitar is solid and completely reliable. // 10

Impression: I play everything. I have a solo project where I play acoustic, one band that plays punk, and one that plays metal, and this is exactly what I was looking for. I've been playing for 4 years now and I own some Random effects pedals and a Line 6 212 amp. I own an ESP MG-750 and a KH-2 Kirk Hammet Signature with all of Kirk's specs, and this guitar probably matches up to it for a much lower price. I love this guitar's sleek body, and if it were ever stolen, I'd definitely get another one. This guitar can be explained in a word: perfect. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on november 10, 2005

Purchased from: Distributor

Features: The Ibanez S470 is made in Korea. The neck is made of maple with a real nice Rosewood fretboard. It has 22 frets, with a very fast Wizard II neck profile, nice and slim. The body is Mahogany, in your typical Superstrat shape but when I picked it up, it seemed alot smaller and thinner than it was on the shelf. Mine is in a powder blue finish, I personally like it over the boring black finish. The wiring is 1 Tone/1 Volume pot and 3 pickups (INF1, INFS1 single, INF2). It has Ibanez's Zero Resistance floyd rose. There is documentation on how to properly restring the bridge, to adjust it for string gauge changes and how to lock the nut accordingly. Kudos to Ibanez for that. It came with a semi-long cable, documentation and a few Allan keys for tuning and whatnot. My only beef though, is that they didn't give any sort of case or bag just a box as opposed to my friend's Godin Freeway Classic. // 9

Sound: When I was deciding on getting either this or a SZ520, I tried both. The SZ sounded kinda bland to me, and not quite complete. The S was the exact opposite, it sparkles when played clean. Growls when in overdrive and bites when distorted. I currently play the guitar with a Roland Cube 30, it sounds really good. I can get a '60s-esque sound like The Who and Hendrix, a sound that would remind a person of John Petrucci and all in between. Even sounds good unplugged! The sound is deep sounding, since the body is Mahogany. Sounds like a big heavy guitar but isn't! The neck and bridge humbuckers (INF1 and INF2) sound good but the middle single coil (INFS1) is kinda noisy. All of them sound good clean, and really good distorted. From time to time, I wonder how it would sound with newer pickups but the stock pickups are good enough for recording, with the only exception of the single coil alone with a noise gate. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: I got my guitar straight from the distributor, which was pretty lucky. So, when I got the guitar, it was the same way that the store would receive them, so there's no modification what so ever. The action is really low, not low where it buzzes but a sweetspot low. Perfect for shredding. The guitar was received with zero scratches, dents or dings. Although one thing I had seen was that the guitar's frets were not all polished, and seem as if they could use a filing. Electronics wise, the wiring's flawless: the pots don't crackle nor does the Switch and there's no interferance except from the single coil (which is a given). The tuning pegs are very smooth. I had overtuned the guitar several times by mistake because I wasn't used to tuning pegs that smooth as opposed to my acoustic. The finish on the guitar, I love it. It's well-done, it's not like most finishes which are solid colors or translucent tops. Finish was flawless and is really hard. I have to give this section an 8 because of the frets. I got a lower end cheaper acoustic which had better dressed frets. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Is this guitar dependable? Oh hell yes. The guitar needs to shown considerable amount of force for it to be damaged. Like most moderately good to high end guitars, it's meant to be played live and last a long time. If I were gigging, I would definately use it without a backup. The strap buttons are installed really well. When I have it on with a strap, it feels solid. Without any modifications, messing around and decent care, it would last a really long time. Definately road worthy. // 10

Impression: The music I play, is in a large range. I play from classic rock to metal and it handles it all well. The guitar can do anything, just with some EQ'ing on the amp and it's good to go. The trem is really something. Pulling it up and pushing it down, it doesn't detune easily and is really smooth. They call it Zero Resistance for a reason. The guitar's mahogany body makes it sound like a big and heavy guitar, but it's really light. If a guitar that you treasured was stolen from you, I can imagine what you would do with that person to get back. If I were to buy the product again, not knowing what it came with: I would ask if it came with a case and a demo on how to restring and tune a Floyd Rose guitar, the first time is generally the most frustrating. The case wasn't so much of a big deal for me since I had a gigbag already, and I'm not going to bring more than one guitar with me at a time. Don't let these two things let you not try the guitar. Just be advised that there is no case. Most importantly, try the guitar before buying. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on december 21, 2005

Price paid: $ 275

Purchased from: Too Many Guitars (Tucker)

Features: It's a 2003 Korean made guitar, 22 jumbo frets, rosewood fretboard, mahogany body, red rock finish, double cutaway carved body, Ibanez floyd rose bridge, passive electronics, 1 volume and one tone knob, 5 way pickup selector, H/S/H. Came with a hard case and 5 packs of strings and a cable. // 8

Sound: I play alot of ZZ Top and it sounds great for that, I use a Danelectro Grilled Cheese Distortion pedal and it sounds awesome through my Tranzamp G30. Almost no noise out of the single coil puckup. It's got a really fat sound, and a great variety of different tones/sounds. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The action was pretty good from the factory but I lowered it a little to find out that 2 frets were a bit too high. No biggie. Everythings good here. The finish is a little delecate. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is great for live performances, the hardware seems like it should last about 10 years (maybe). Good strap buttons, I would probly gig without a backup with this guitar, the finish chips easily but it doesn't rub off. // 8

Impression: I play alot of blues rock and metal and this guitar suits it perfect, I've been playing for 3 or 4 years, I own an Ibanez EX360, a custom Strat copy I built, a tranzamp G30, a Fender Princeton 65W with a DSP, and some other stuff. I have no regrets about buying this guitar, if it were stolen I would find it and murder the theif. I love everything about this guitar, my favorite feature is probly the floyd rose or the neck pickup (which has lots of potential if you raise it up a little). I wish it had a second tone knob just for the middle pickup. It's a great guitar. // 10

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: quantum leap, on february 22, 2008

Price paid: $ 585.6

Features: July 2007 Ibanez S470, made by Cort Guitars in Korea. It's got a 3-piece bolt-on maple Wizard II neck with 22 frets and a rosewood fretboard. The body is solid mahogany with a metallic black vinyl finish. It has a typical superstrat-type body, but with rounded horns and a gorgeously-thin body. It has a Zero Resistance double-locking tremolo unit with the Ibanez Zero Point System (like the Hipshot Tremsetter). It has three pickups in a HSH configuration; the neck is an Ibanez INF1 Ceramic Infinity-1 Humbucker, middle is an Infinity 1 Ceramic Single Coil and the bridge is an Infinity 2 Alnico Humbucker. These are controlled by 2 knobs, master volume and master tone, and a 5-way blade switch. The tuners are Standard Gotoh designs, they don't need to be locking because of the locking tremolo. I bought it brand new, so all it included was a bag of allen keys for the tremolo and a cable, but I already have everything else, amp, tuner, bag etc. Frankly, I don't think Ibanezs missed anything off this instrument bar a neck-thru. // 10

Sound: I play progressive rock and metal, mostly Afi, Muse and Dream Theater, and the guitar suits my style perfectly. I knew I needed neck and bridge humbuckers after getting some good sounds out of the neck pickup on my Squier Strat. This is my first guitar with humbuckers (and a locking tremolo, thin neck and mahogany body, too) and the sound I can get is amazing. I can finally whack the Gain dial on my Laney HCM30R up full and hardly hear anything. There's some very quiet buzzing from the amp, but I guess this is normal. Pickup switching is noiseless. Then, when I actually strum, I get some very rich and warm sounds from the bridge pickup, with a sharp, cutting tone. The neck is less so, with a soft rumbling tone that suits palm muting well and is good for backing chords. The single coil is brilliant, sounds excellent on clean, and I had to have an SC because when I tried out my mate's RG (with humbuckers) with a chorus effect, then my Squier's singles, I prefer the sound of a chorus effect on the singles. The three pickups give a wide variety of sounds, and there is great modding and upgrading potential in the guitar. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The action on this guitar was set up very well, nice and low. I was able to pick it up and play it the moment I got it out of the box (it was almost perfectly in tune, too). My only complaint about the ZR bridge is that you cannot adjust the action per string, it's just the whole bridge up and down. The pickups are perfectly placed, and the bridge, man, it's good! This is my first guitar with a floating bridge, and Ibanez have made things so easy. The ball-bearing joints prevent the bridge from drooping when you change strings, keeping it level. The bridge is adjusted with a simple thumbscrew on the rear of the guitar, it's recessed, so it's impossible to nudge by mistake. The screw adjusts the string tension immediately without even removing the trem cavity cover! The Zero Point System catches the trem when you release the whammy bar, and pretty much ensures tuning stability. Even if you break a string, the rest of them will stay in tune for you to finish your song! Finally, the intonation, I haven't tried this yet, but it looks amazingly simple. I've heard that the Cosmic Black finish on the pickup rings and bridge can tarnish, and unfortunately that's already happened on the rings, but I think the patterns look kinda cool. Meanwhile, the bridge looks as new. Nearly top marks here. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Most assuredly, this guitar is a gigging instrument. Thin and light, with plenty of toys onboard. The construction is solid, neck is joined securely and it is very comfortable to hold. Even the jack socket is great, very strong clips and the angle of the socket mean your lead is unlikely to fall/be pulled out on stage. The entire guitar feels like it was build to last, nothing moves, everything is solid. The ZR trem will endure many years of playing, and you can even lift the entire guitar solely by the whammy bar and it'll stay in tune. The strap buttons are kinda small, so I'd defintiely put on strap locks before playing live, but the buttons themselves feel solid, and my strap hasn't fallen off yet. I wouldn't gig without a backup just out of sheer paranoia, for the rare occasion that I do break a string. I'd have a spare guitar waiting just to make sure I could continue playing if that happened, cos it'd take me a few minutes to restring owing to the locking tremolo. However, since this guitar has a stopbar, the other strings should stay in tune even if I break one, so I might be able to get away with not using the backup if I did. The vinyl coating is very thick, and polishes to a very smooth, reflective Shine, the Shine that made me fall in love with my Squier Strat. It's gorgeous, and feels like it will last years. // 9

Impression: As said above, my main music tastes involve Afi, Muse and Dream Theatre. I also like power metal, like Dragonforce, and after hearing that Herman Li started on one of these guitars, I knew I'd found the right match. The sound is pretty good, though I'll probably get a new amp at some point, perhaps a Marshall and a better distortion system, alongside a chorus pedal. I've been playing since January 2007 (well, May 2007 on electric), and though I'm not particularly good, I still love it. It's a guitar I can improve on. I wish I'd had the opportunity to try it out before I ordered it online, but unforeseen circumstances stopped me, so I had to use the internet. I also own the afforementioned Laney HCM30R 30w solid-state amplifier, alongside my amazing Fender MD-20 1w battery-powered mini-amp and my Korg 105od Classic Overdrive distortion pedal. My first guitar was an acoustic, but my first electric was a Squier Strat Affinity, and the upgrade has shown me that, although the Ibanez is an excellent guitar, my Squier is still a good one, as I can go back to playing it easily. If the Ibanez was stolen, I would track the guy down and steal it back. I couldn't bear the thought of my gear in someone else's hands. Failing that, if it broke, I'd get another one without a second's thought, though if I had more money I might get an S Prestige just for the Japanese quality. I love the finish, the action, the pickups and the bridge, so pretty much everything. There is nothing to hate about this guitar, though maybe a small dislike that the body is so thin that when you sit down it digs into your leg after a while. Otherwise, my favourite feature is the action, so low and smooth, with the frets much taller than my Squier, so it's much easier to play, especially with the trademarked thin Ibanez neck. I've compared this with one mate's RGT, which has a painted thru-neck that feels thicker than this, but the finish makes it unnaturally smooth, so I prefer the wooden back of this neck. I've also played another mate's RG Prestige, which is very similar in many ways, but mine has a mahogany body whereas his is basswood, so with the right amps, mine probably sounds better. The S470 is visually, functionally and sonically stunning. I love this axe. And at £320GBP, it's an ideal first/second electric guitar. Highly recommended. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: randall_truscot, on may 02, 2005

Price paid: $ 513.5

Purchased from: Pongettis

Features: It's a 2004 S470. 22 jumbo frets. Thin neck. Light and comfetable mahogony body. It's gotta ZR trem which is an excellent trem forheavy whammy use and returns the pitch very well. It's got H-S-H pickup configuration. // 8

Sound: This guitar is perfect for every genre, the 5-way selectable swith is great to get all kinds of different cleans. I use this with a Behringer GMX 212. The guitar does everything I want it to do, plus more. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: When I bought the guitar is was setup perfectly. The guitar did not have any flaws. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The guitar is very reliable, it still stays to pitch after days of heavey whammy use (dive bombs, harmonic sqeauls) I would and have gigged witht his guitar and its excellent, hasn't let me down yet. // 10

Impression: I paly metal and this guitar is perfect, the guitar also sounds great with blue settings. I have been palying for 2 years now. If it were stolen I would definatly buy this guitar again. I love how the neck is so easy to play on and how thin is it, it's fantastic! I compared this gutiar to the Ibanez JS100 and this guitar gets better cleans and has a better trem on it. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: The Jin, on april 28, 2004

Purchased from: Tom Lee Music, Hong Kong

Features: This guitar is resonably small and extremely thin which I find extremely handy and stylish. It has 21 Frets and has a 5 way pickup selector which gives you access to a HUGE amount of tones used in combination with the tone dial. It has a volume dial placed so its easy to suddenly adjust volume while playing achieving a graet fading sound. It has a Floyd Rose which holds strings in very well and even if the top bit of the string is cut, it keeps the guitar is tune, and the string in place. The neck is extremely thin, and jumbo frets which provides effortless fretboard work. My guitar came with a bag, tools, and a cable. // 8

Sound: My style is mainly hard rock, some metal (that I can play) some alternative goth, and rock'n roll. It suits me perfectly because this guitar was made especially for live rock performances. thats why this guitar has such a high quality tremelo, but sometimes it gets in the way when you rest your hands and palm mute. I use this guitar with a Fender Frontman 15R which I think is a great durable amp. I haven't tried the amp with any other guitar and the sound on my guitar is extremely clear on non overdrive and sometimes you can get a slightly damp tone, or you can get an extremely noisy hard sound. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Nothin was wrong with my guitar, simple as that. Everything fresh and clean as it was fresh off the line. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I'm pretty sure I could go into a gig without a back-up guitar, but I use extra light strings which snap easily. It is an amazingly durable guitar, or maybe it's just cause I treat it like a king. The finish is amazing, no scratches that are noticable. // 10

Impression: I think this guitar is perfect, durable, and it didn't cost too much, it was 3800 HK dollars, you do the math (3800 divided by 8) gives you a rough idea of the price in US bucks. If it were stolen or lost, I probably would buy it again as it would be boring, I might want to get a Gibson, or maybe an Ibanez JS1000. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: TJM2482, on december 13, 2007

Price paid: $ 300

Purchased from: Craigslist

Features: My S470 is the quilt top version, made in 2004. There's 22 frets, a rosewood fretboard over a thin maple neck. The body is mahogany. The bridge is the acclaimed ZR double locking bridge. Pups are passive, and you're given one volume and tone knob, and a 5-way Switch to control the HSH pickup configuration. The pups are the basic Ibanez stock ones. Regular, non-locking tuners. I bought mine used, so it was just the guitar. // 10

Sound: I play a general style of hard rock, with metal and classic rock tones here and there. It fits pretty well, a humbucker in the bridge/neck really helps for hard rock and metal, and the middle single coil while coupled with the humbuckers makes for good classic rock tones. I'm currently running it directly into my Peavey 40 watt XXX combo. It's not very noisy, unless I have the gain cranked and I'm right next to the amp, which is the case for most guitar. The sound is pretty damn full, a smooth rich tone for anything rock. The variety is actually pretty good, the bridge gives you a heavy tone with bite, the neck gives you a smooth thick, warm tone, and single gives you a tone of bluesy bite. Combine them and you have a massive array of tonal possibilities. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought the guitar used, and the action was high, strings were rusty, all that type of stuff. I had my guitar teacher properly set it up, which made me like the guitar a whole lot more. I've adjusted the pickups many times, right now they're just about right. The guitar itself doesn't have any real flaws, except for a couple nicks and scratches from the previous owner. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think that this axe would stand up well for live playing. The hardware seems to be getting dirty, but after a cleaning it should look as good as new. The strap buttons don't seem too sturdy, so I would probably recommend strap locks. I think the finish is pretty good, sans a few scratches from usual playing. // 9

Impression: I play hard rock/classic rock/metal, and it's a great match. I've been playing for about two years, and I have an Ibanez GSA60 (reviewed). I wish I had had it set up immediately, instead of waiting awhile after getting pissed at the action and overall feel of the guitar. If it were stolen, I probably would just save up for a higher end guitar, but I would go for this axe again if there price was right. I love the thick mahogany tone, the H/S/H pickup configuration, the tuning stability, and the action. I hate the Ultra thin body (I'm a big dude) and the inlays. I basically bought this because it was only $300, and there wasn't much else better for the price. I wish it had Dot inlays, and a slightly thicker/bigger body. // 9

overall: 9

Reviewed by: Dreamtheater,SG, on march 03, 2008

Price paid: $ 651.42

Purchased from: Music Line

Features: // 9

Sound: At first when I saw this thin mahogany guitar I had my doubts, but when I plugged this baby in it almost blew the roof of. The neck pickup is perfect for rhytm work although it may be a little too muddy/dark. The single pickup and bridge are one of my favs about this guitar, the single coil is perfect for a bluesy yet spanky kind of tone perfect for ZZ top-like songs. The bridge pickup is perfect for my kind of genre namely everything from Hard rock and hair metal to the extreme intrumental forms (Vai, Petrucci, Satch). The cleans are bright and the distortion created by my Boss MT-2, BD-2 and Roland Cube 30 is just wicked. Overall the sound is perfect for instrumental and progressive music and quiet good to give good old classics more punch to it. The only downside that the combo of single and humbucking pickups doesn't really come ourt that well. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The action on this guitar was perfect, I used it at a gig the day after I got it, which I normally never do but it just rocked without even hesitating, the ZR-bridge kept the guitar in tune and still does. The finish is really eye-catching, my S470 is in the Iceblue version and it's just beautiful, just like the special S-inlays. The body is very smooth and light which makes it easy to play, the wizard neck is just magical, your fingers just fly over them. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I used this guitar during 5 gigs, and it has never failed me. It stays in tune throughout an entire gig of 1 hour and delivers a fantastic sound. The hardware seems to be of very good quality, seen ass it is one of the "cheaper" Ibanez guitars. I usd this guitar without a backup and I will continue doing it, it just feels like a pro guitar. // 9

Impression: As said before I mostly play hard rock and hair metal like Whitesnake and Deep Purple. However in my private play I tend to go more to the G3 kind of music and this guitar delivers it perfectly, I can get anything from Satriani to Vai to Petrucci. The pickups are very bright but with a decent amaount of distortion really boosts a solo, it adds something extra to it. To be honest I bought it for the gorgeous looks but I fell in love with it's sound, I also have an Epphone Les Paul Standard and Washburn X16 and this Ibanez S470 is still my main axe. A really reliable, sexy, eye-and earwhopping allround guitar. If it were stolen I would find the bastard who stole it and kill him and his family. Professional quality for a decent price. // 9

overall: 7.8

Reviewed by: Ichimaru, on december 07, 2007

Price paid: $ 768.6

Purchased from: Rockers

Features: I'm not sure of the year but this guitar is Korean-made. It has 22 jumbo frets with 'S' shape fret markers on a rosewood fretboard. Mahgany body, which is pretty nice. The finish is 'Ice Blue' although to me it looks slightly green and is really sparkly. It has a Strat-style body but the body is a lot thinner than that of a start, making it comfortable and easy to play. This guiter features Ibanez' ZR tremolo system. This is a double-locking tremolo system with ball-bearing for extra stability. 5-way pickup selector with all passive (Ibanez infinity) H/S/H configuration. // 10

Sound: This guitar is seriously versatile. It can get an immense range of tones, everything from jazz to heavy metal. Unfortunately the pickups weren't really right for me though, so I took them out and put in some EMGs. With those babies in, you can do anything, sweet mellow stuff like Santana right up to Dimebag's longest squeals, it has great sustain. The neck position provides a very warm tone while the bridge has a higher output and gives a more crunchy, but doesn't sound so great on the clean channel. Pretty decent for stock pickups though. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: The action was pretty difficult to adjust right. It would either be miles away from the fretboard or giving loads of fretbuzz, but got that sorted with a simple setup. The electronics worked perfectly, whoever did those did a great job, even if it was just a robot, kudos to the robot. The pickups were adjusted nicely but then that's really about preference and it's not difficult to change. However the plates around the humbuckers were oxidised pretty bad, I could change them but I think it looks pretty cool so I'm not really that bothered. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've had some serious problems with htis gutar, despite having only had it for a couple of months. The first is that the threads on the bolts in the nut got worn, and as such it won't stay in tune when the tremolo is abused like it normally does, so I need to have the nut saddle replaced. Secondly is that that fret wires higher up on some of the treble strings got tiny dents in them that cut the note off when you try and bend at any affected fret. Apparently this needs a fret dressing to take care of it. The tremolo arm doesn't sit that well in the hole, the thread isn't tight enough so it rattles slightly. however the finish is rock solid. I've given this guitar quite a beating and the finish hasn't even taken a scratch. I would confidentely use this for a gig without a backup, although it wouldn't be a great idea to play without one in any situation. The strap buttons are on there real tight and they aren't gonna come off any time, though I always use a strap lock. // 4

Impression: I play mostly heavy metal but I'm branching out ino other areas like blues and jazz. The sound is a little thick for blues, but that's be expected with humbuckers. For other stuff, it's decent but with the EMGS it's amazing, they ar strongly recommended if you buy this guitar. I use an EMG 60 in the neck and an 81 in the bridge. Before buying I compared it with a couple of ESPs in the same price range but I found them to be far inferior, even the pickups. The EMG-ESP pickups don't hold a candle to the Ibanez infinity pickups, don't be fooled by the illusion of them being EMGs. I would probably buy this again if it was stolen but I might go for something with a fixed bridge and is a little less high maintenance. // 8

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: Sergeant Rock, on march 01, 2008

Price paid: $ 315

Purchased from: Pawn shop

Features: // 9

Sound: Incredible sound. I like metal, classic rock, modern rock, jazz and blues. It sounds great with all of those. My amp isn't the greatest, but I have played it on a Marshall half stack and it sounds awesome. The sound varies from bright to full if you have a good amp. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Very easy action despite being a bit high. My fingers slide under the other strings when iI am bending sometimes. Pickups were a little high when I got it but can be easily adjusted. All hardware is in great condition (although I have heard that the gold starts to wear off after a while) there wasn't a scratch on it when I got it. Selecter Switch was a little loose but was easily fixed. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Could easily make it through a concert (even Dillinger Escape Plan) as I said before, the hardware will begin to fade but not for a while.Strap buttons are very wide and hold even my cheapo Fender strap without much problem. Very thick finish, will definitely last a long time. // 10

Impression: I have been playing for About 2 years, self taught. I wouldn't call myself a guitar expert, but I can tell this is an amazing guitar. Although I would protect it with my life, if it were ever lost or stolen I would most certainly try to find another one. It is a discontinued product so it won't be easy to find another one. I love everything about it but I'd have to say my favorite feature is the 22nd fret. It's always nice to be able to go one note higher. // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: im_atheist, on february 29, 2008

Purchased from: SoundControl

Features: My S470 is a 2006 model (made in Cort, Korea). Being a 2006 model it has the wave inlays (unlike the '07/08 models with oval inlays) on a 22 jumbo fret, 3 piece maple bolt-on Wizard II neck, the neck is what I love most about this guitar, it's satin finished so your hand glides up and down the neck. Also it's just the right thickness for my hands. The body is made of solid mahogany which provides a nice warm sounding tone perfect for hard rock/metal. The pickups are Ibanez Infinity (which I am intending to replace with DiMarzio's) and are in a H/S/H configuration with a 5 way spliter. This gives the S470 an array of tones perfect for any type of music that I play, usually classic rock through to thrash metal. The bridge is a ZR with a ZPS backstop, this bridge is one of the best double locking bridges on the market and unlike conventional double locking trem's uses ball bearings instead of a knife edge so the action of the trem is always smooth and effortless, the only downside is due to the thickness of the body, the trem cavity isn't routed very deeply (bear that in mind). The finish is Ice Blue, which I much prefer over the gloss black, as it doesn't look tacky, and shines in the sunlight. // 10

Sound: I play my S470 through a Laney LC50 Mark II all tube amplifier and due to it's pickup configuration (H-S-H) and 5 way selector I'm able to get a wide variety of tones. I play stuff from Megadeth to Pantera to Hendrix to Led Zeppelin (as well as some Red Hot Chili Peppers) and through my amp I can safetly say the S470 covers these tones without a shadow of a doubt. Also the whammy bar makes use for some fun Dimebag style tricks when you whack the Reverb on the amp up. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: the action on the S470 is typically Ibanez, low which is useful for soloing and complicated licks, but generally the S470 was perfectly setup out of the box. I've had it a year and never had to retune once (except when changing strings). The finish on the body is stunning, it's Ice Blue which is kind of a sky blue colour but sparkles under light (not like the Daisy Rocks more like when light reflects off water). The finish, the inlays and the neck made me fall in love with the S470 as soon as I saw and played it. // 10

Reliability & Durability: As with all mid-range to high range Ibanez guitars, the S470 is solidly built. I've bought guitars before and when I got home I've had to adjust the action or the bridge but with the S470 I could play it as soon as I got home. It's withstanded the rigours of gigging however I would have a backup guitar due to the lengthy process of restringing a guitar with a double locking trem' system. The ZR trem system has withstood all the crazy abuse I throw at it and still manages to give smooth and effortless feel as well as staying in tune. // 9

Impression: This is the guitar that has fuelled my Ibanez obsession. The craftsmanship, action, looks and playability are perfect, no complaints about it. I'm looking to buy an S series Prestige for the thru-neck and DiMarzio pickups which are the only downsides that the S470 has. I chose the Ibanez S470 over a Jackson JS30 Kelly and a Schecter C1-FR and I think I made the right choice. // 8

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: Seahawk, on april 05, 2006

Purchased from: MusiciansFriend.com

Features: Mine is a 2005, Korean made. The Wizard II neck is extremely sweet. Just a light touch is all you need to get clean, clear notes. Easily playable into the upper registers thanks to the cut-aways. Just one volume and one control with a 5-way selector, so you can't run both humbuckers simultaniously. Came with a great instruction booklet for setting up the ZR Floyd Rose bridge and some allens for adjusting string height and locking down the strings at the top bridge. Once the strings are locked down, fine tuning is done using hand screws located on the main bridge, a very nice feature. // 10

Sound: The factory Infinity pickups are awesome and quite loud. When I Switch guitars I have to turn my amp way down before hooking this guitar up or my cats all piss at the same time. I run it through a Korg effects board, Peavey 400 watt concert amp and two Peavey P215's. The humbuckers are silent but the single coil has some low level noise that can be treated by using higher end cables. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Mine was fairly well set up at the factory; all I had to do was tune it. The intonation was pretty much dead-on. Tuing was a bit of a challenge at first because I hadn't ever tuned a guitar with a floating bridge. As the strings tighten, the bridge floats and effectively "loosenes" the strings you've already tuned, so you have to just keep tuning until the combined string tension reaches equilibrium with the bridge. Once that's done, lock down the strings and fine tune using the bridge screws and it's set. I thrash fairly hard, dive on the trem, etc. and it seems to stay in tune very well. No flaws throughout. I'm still using the factory settings for string action, which is on the low and fast side of the scale, for two reasons. First, the bridge still scares me, so I'm reluctant to start adjusting it. Second, the factory action is where I want it anyway, so I'm in no hurry to mess with it. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I haven't played it enough to properly rate it for durability but there are no readily apparent areas of concern. The Wizard II neck could have a bit more clear coat on the back-side perhaps, but I regularly polish it and use Finger Ease so there's very little friction. I'm giving it a 9 rating here, based on nothing more than liking it over-all. // 9

Impression: When cows start quacking I'll expect my electric to sound like an acoustic; until then I'll just Switch guitars if that's the sound I want. This is a killer electric and it sounds like a killer electric. All kinds of electric. It handles the "touchy feely" solo's and arpeggio's like a fine work of art, but I think it really wants to shred and powerchord it's way through time. It definitely excells at running hard, racing through "Crazy Train," screams through anything "Linkin' Park" and cries like a baby on "Sweet Child O' Mine." The mid's and low's are have plenty of crunk so singing the blues is well within it's range. I have been playing off and on for around 35 years and have too many other guitars to mention here, but suffice it to say this S470 is my dream date. Unlike the amp used by Spinal Tap, this scale only goes to 10, otherwise I'd gladly give it an 11. // 10

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: tobythechimp, on november 11, 2005

Purchased from: GTR Huddersfield

Features: I bought this guitar little over a month ago, it is a 2005 model in ice blue. It has a Korean origin and was inspected by my good freind, factory guy I think. It comes equipped with 22 jumbo frets (beautiful) a mahogany body and of course what others have said about the pickups etc. There is a slight problem for palm muting but it is easily over come (practice). // 10

Sound: My personal style of music varies really. I love blues and I love metal. Thus this guitar being perfect for me, you can stick a wee bit of over Drive on it place it on the neck pickup and listen to it purr all night, or slap the old distortion on and give it some welly. However I do disagree with earlier comments about the clean sound not being so good, I personally love it. All personal taste I suppose. It is honestly the most versatile guitar I have ever played. I have being playing for nearly three years now and have progressed exremely quickly (there is a guy living down the road form me that has played in a band for 20 years and I am better than him). I have given this to a freind of mines dad who works in a studio, he played it and offered to buy it off me. That's how great this guitar is. So versatile. I'm one of these sad acts that has nothing better to do on a hungover saturday than to go to the local shop and play all the gibsons etc and this woops all of their asses. Amazing. Sums it up nicely. However, there are one or to gliches with the pick ups not being to everyones taste as they are not Seymour Duncan or DiMarzio, you might wish to change yours. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Tremelo bar-well as it is a floating trem there is the problem of the tuning (as you tune one string higher the one above goes flatter, this is because it floats and moves) one way round this is to tune all strings slightly sharp and then lock it, then fine tuning on the bridge, abit of time and care is needed but after this it will not let you down. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar rocks whether in the house or on the stage. I've played blues gigs and rock gigs with is. It has never let me down. Backup? What backup! However in the unlickely incident of a snapped string have a spare guitar as they arent quick to restring, tuning takes a while too (as I have explained), but it will never go out of tune ever or hasn't yet anyway. Withstands dive bombs, bends vibrato everything. Fantastic finish (not sure of the boffin name) but hasn't shown a mark yet. // 10

Impression: It matches perfectly for any type of music and I mean any. I also own a BC Rich (don't ask me why. Old mosher days). I did not know much about this guitar, only I like Ibanez and this looked cool I played it in the shop for 2 hours! I also have a Fender Strat (who doesn't) but I like my guitars to be different (hence the BC Rich) so I broke away from the norm of Fender and Gibson, and hey presto found the best guitar I have ever played. If it were stolen or lost I would cry and kill the bastard who dared rob my guitar. And also buy a new one. I compared it to another Ibanez and a Gibson Les Paul Studio and this annihalated them both on shear quality and price. // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: Pi_Guitar, on december 20, 2005

Price paid: $ 299

Purchased from: SuperPawn

Features: My Ibanez S470 was bought used from SuperPawn, supposedly manufactured somewhere around 2002-2004. It's got a Floyd Rose tremolo (not the newer ZR) and AH1/AS1/AH2 pickups in HSH, controlled by a 5-way blade selector. 22 frets, 1 volume pot and 1 tone pot, and locking nuts. It's in a superstrat style with a double cutaway for easy access to the upper frets and its body is made out of mahogany, but is surprisingly light due to the thinness. Mine came in a midnight blue finish. From a pawn shop, so no accessories really, except there was supposed to be a third-party hard case included (didn't come), and SuperPawn has still to contact me back about this. // 9

Sound: The sound from this guitar is amazingly versatile. I’ve been told that it doesn’t have the most excellent clean sound, and that is about right, but it certainly isn’t anything to be disappointed of, it’s still pretty good. The distortion is plenty rough when you want it to be and just the variety of sounds possible out of it is great. I play a pretty diverse set of music and so I was looking for a guitar that could satisfy all those genres and this one fit it perfectly. I’m not sure how it would do with better pickups, the current ones are just the stock kind, but I’m fine enough with the ones now that I don’t feel like going through having to replace them. The whammy bar on this guitar works just as it should and the locking nuts help to keep it in tune as well. Yes, tuning can be slightly more time-consuming with the locking nuts, but if you’re going to use the tremolo at all, it helps a ton. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Well to start, as I said, this guitar was used and from an online pawn store, so I didn’t expect much from it when it got here. I got what I expected pretty much, but in some cases it came in better than I’d prepared for. The strings were cut and the bridge was missing several screws, but those were relatively short fixes. It took me two hours to finish setting up the guitar on my own and it only suffered from some minor functional problems before I fixed it, though now there’s only a few little annoying things on it: the tone pot is a little noisy when moving it, and occasionally about 2/5 of the Switch positions are a little crackly when you Switch into and out of them. Cosmetically the finish is nearly perfect, even when they said it might have insignificant scratches on it and such, it came just fine. The finish doesn’t scratch very easily at all and I could trust it to stay that way. The strap buttons are solid and the rest of the action was fine pretty much. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Well I haven’t had much of a chance to test it yet, and I don’t really intend to anyway, but from what I’ve seen of it, it should be able to withstand most anything you can dish out. The finish doesn’t scratch very easily at all and I could trust it to stay that way. The strap buttons are solid and none of the rest of the hardware is loose or feels dodgy. I would definitely trust it to live playing and though it’s always better to be on the safe side, it could also probably be relied upon without a backup. // 9

Impression: Overall I’d recommend this guitar to just about anyone in a heartbeat. It suits my style perfectly, which is pretty diverse, and so it should do well enough for most other people like me. And though there might be more specialized guitars that would do better for more focused players, for the price and versatility, I would find it very hard to find a guitar to beat it. I love it, fantastic guitar. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: teckmaniac, on april 12, 2006

Price paid: $ 695.4

Purchased from: boston roadhouse

Features: It was made in 2006 in korea, it has 22 frets with a very large chunky neck scale which I really like, but might not appeal to someone with smal hands, you have been warned! It is a solid top with a really nice satin orange paint job, that doesn't show fingerprints and will make you stand out from the crowd, so its great in my book. The body style is Superstrat, with an excellent floyd rose tremolo system. You get one volume and one tone control with a 5-way pickup selector. The pickups are in the H/S/H configuration and are all Ibanez pickups. The tuners are locking, no accesories except an allen key with it. // 9

Sound: This guitar is superb, it'll play absolutley anything you through at it, the single coil is really cutting and great for blues, the neck humbucker is great for squealy pinched divebombs and Vai/Gilbert style soloing, and the bridge humbucker gives a real meaty rythm section. I'm running it through an RP50 effects pedal, it gives a really wide variety of sounds, depending on the pickup. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The action on this guitar was really good, the pickups were all just right, and the neck fit into the top like a glove. There were absolutly no flaws whatsoever I could find. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar would stand world war three, so live playing comes easy to it. The hardware seems like it'll last longer than I will, as do the srap buttons. I would probably have a backup at a gig, due to the floyd rose tremolo, as if a string broke, I would be comletely buggered other wise. The finish is very good. // 9

Impression: I play anything from blues to metal, and this guitar meets me there. I have been playing just over a year. If this was stolen, I would definately buy another one in ice blue, shortly after shoving the thieves head up his own armpit. I love absolutely everything about it. My first guitar was an Encore Less Paul copy, which compared to this, wouldn't rate 1. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 09, 2007

Purchased from: Sound Control, Leicester

Features: I had my guitar ordered straight from the Ibanez manufacturer and it came within a weak. It has a very thin, 22 fret neck and an extremely thin mahogany body which provides amazing tone for a thin guitar. It has a ZR double-locking tremelo bridge which provides flawless tuning. It packs two humbucking pickups and one single coil pickup which provides an amazing range of tones. // 9

Sound: I am primarily a metal/hard rock musician so, obvisouly, an Ibanez was at the top of my list of guitars to buy, and I haven't have loved the distortion it provides when used with my Marshall amplifier. However, I am also partial to an occasional blues session and this guitar adapts brilliantly to the different styles of music yet one must remember that this guitar is, first and foremost, a metal guitar. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The action on my Ibanez was absolutely perfect for what I needed. There was no tiresome setting up to be done once it had arrived, I just tuned it up and let the music roll! My Ibanez came in flawless condition and much quicker than I had anticipated and the pickups were set up perfectly, as well. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar and quite possibly, the perfect Live guitar. It has a very thin, light body which means that it won't put a strain on your shoulder during a set and I have been thrashing my Ibanez ever since I got it and absolutely nothing has gone wrong with it. The strap buttons are absolutely solid so there's no need to worry about dropping your precious Ibanez on the stage floor. I have used it for many-a-gig with my band, and also my solo career and I haven't needed to use another guitar ever. // 10

Impression: This a perfect guitar for the musician Who is partial to all kinds of genre of music, be it metal to blues, hard rock to classic rock. I have been playing for about 2 and a half years now and this guitar is perfect for my style of playing, if I break this guitar (which I'm sure it could withstand anyway), I'd quite happily go out and buy it all over again. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 04, 2007

Features: 2006 korean made, mahogany body, decent Ibanez infinity pickups, zero point resistance vibratio bridge (way better than the low-end edge). Came with a short 1, 5 m angled cable and 3 hexagonal wrenches. No gig bag, no other accesories. Nothing much to say here that wasn't said above. // 7

Sound: The neck pickup is okay, but I find it too muddy. It has a rich dark tone, great mid-bass response, but the mid-higs are cut off. The bridge pickup would be fine if it had no noise. The single coil mid pickup is completely useless, I find it too 'plucky'. It doesn't even try to sound acoustic, but like something inbetween the quack of a Stratocaster and the twang of the tele. positions 2 and 4 of the Switch offer great highs, at the expense of tone. Cannot be used clean, unless one adds a fattening effect such as the chorus. The sound is good, quite versatile. I play jazz, classic and experimental noise rock. The humbuckers have high resistance, resulting in tremendous output, but still lack the nerve needed for some metal genres. The bridge pickup also is very fenderish in tone, but fails to get an decent 30's jazz tone, unless one chooses to migle with his amp and fx quite a lot. Overall, I find the sound bright-and cristal-clear, but with a hint of warmness from the mahogany body. However, it could be fuller with a new set of pickups. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The action is set too low by defauilt, resulting in fret buzz and impossibility to do 1-tone bends over the 14th fret. The intonation is badly off the scale, and like any floating bridge guitar, it's cumbersome to set. Rising the bridge will solve the fret buzz, but will become quite annoying to play, since the pressure needed to push the strings will increase. I find this the most unpleasant aspect of this guitar. Furthermore, one will need to do a lot of other minor adjustments (to the vibratio system, btw I refuse to use the term 'tremolo') once he or she starts rasing the bridge. The finish is low-end and cheap, like most koreean made. My guitar is a metallic ice blue, and the colour is nothing like I've seen on the internet (it has a slight tint of green, making it a little cyan). The paint is quite thick, and it won't easily show scratches. However, I fear that the rich glossy lacquer used might cut off sustain. There aren't finish flaws that I'm aware of, but considering it's price range, one would expect that it could look better than any cheap 200$ guitar. Despite this, the unique S inlays are a plus aestetcally speaking. // 8

Reliability & Durability: The hardware is low-quality. I have played it for an year, and at every one week, I have to adjust the nut that fixes the vibratio bar in the body. This is my biggest annoyance. Futhermore, the metal is not iron, it's a shiny crappy alloy, that has little resistance to tension, and I fear that in 3 or 4 months time I will dig a hole through it since the nuts n bolts are constantly decalibrating. The strap buttons are made from the same crappy metal, but I guess it's okay here, since there is no metal-metal contact. The ZR system is a marketing gimmick. If you want your guitar not to stay out of tune while a string breaks, you have to activate the ZR system which implies to reroute the springs on the back so that the tremolo cannot be used. Very intelligent, but I didn't pay the money for a fixed bridge guitar. At least the could've taken this out from the ads. // 5

Impression: I'm giving this guitar a bad review since there are a lot of annoyances to it that make it owning a pain. It is nice to have it to play once or twice, but if you decide you want to buy one, go for the >1000$ ibanezes. The zps system is great, but the low-quality everything in this guitar will bring up your expenses through the roof. As a general advice, do not buy any floyd-rose type guitars less than 800$, unless you are certain it will withstand abuse (providing that you wish to do so, which is more than certain). // 7

Comments

[ironmaidenrulez]

this is used by herman li out of dragonforce

[bradbradbrad]

Nope, he uses a S570.

[Skater Punk Guy]

I've got this guitar, it's great. and i think he does use one of these.

[Iceman_x2]

Yeah he does he used one when i saw him play in Phili... Good guitar i got one and its my fav....

[danielrobbyshor]

yeah herman li does use this guitar, it says so on the ibanez artist roster thingy on ibanez.com

[last_biscuit]

Nope herman li has indeed used S470s, he said so in an interview with Total Guitar (ive forgotten the issue number)

[This_Kidd]

this guitar is perfect except for 1 thing. the inlays, whats up with them!!!!!

[SublimeGuitar]

If you can get a model before 2000 they have regular pearl dot inlays.

[Skater Punk Guy]

what's wrong with the inlays, theyre cool. i prefer them to boring old dots

[seek_&_destroy]

gah would someone tell me what the neck joint is?? the ibanez website doesn't even say...

[Mahoru]

I think it's set-thru or bolt-on, don't remember.

[guitar extra]

plus, a while back these guitars were made in japan but there made in korea now, dont know whether to buy a jackson cos there made in japan,japanese guitars are supposed to be the best

[Mahoru]

In general, they are, except for American brands that also produce some models in Japan, like Fender or Jackson. But well... IMO the only American brand at the same level as Ibanez and ESP is PRS!!!

[CustomCustom]

its a bolt on neck without a metal plate and rounded off to a contoured shape thats 90% like a neck-thru guitar. I was given a Prestige S1520 with older Edge LoPro trem Id ike to try a ZR out, but the lo pro is awesome as always. The first thing I noticed is playing the high E string above the 12th fret is heaven, the tone is so round and full without any "screechy" tones that afflicts so many Floyd guitars. The QM1 and QM2 pups are part of it Im sure, its tonally better than my US Hamer but the Hamer has a very trebly JB in the bridge which is coming out soon due to the overdose of treble.

[High_o]

to the first guy, how does a pickup get in the way when palm muting?

[Mahoru]

Maybe he palm mutes from under the strings, or something! lol

[Gu!tarN00b]

Hey, is this guitar still available ? I can`t seem to find it on Zzounds of Musician`s Friend...

[BlairC]

ok im looking into buying an S470 and i was wondering if you can switch the tuning of your guitar without having to re adjust the Zero Point system aka whammybar/Bridge evrytime?

[littlegrantyboy]

hey guys, im looking into buying a 2nd guitar and i was wonderin how this guitar would do with a Marshall TSL60 JCM2000 'cos iv got a Gibson SG Special too and i need something within my price range...should i get this?

[guitar extra]

Hi every1, can any1 tell me what type of ibanez s series this is??? it has a very nice neck on it and is in a very nice colour, heres the website..... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1300659
34783 thanks every1!!!

[guitar extra]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1300659
34783

[CodeMonk]

I just bought one of these tonight (well, layaway, will pick it up next week).
I spent well over 2 hours on the music store today. I have been to several others over the last few weeks (been looking around for new guitar for the last few weeks).
This one had all the features I wanted. Had a Floyd Rose and some Dimarzio pickups. And it was the color I wanted.

It felt perfect for me, neck is very nice, weight and feel are very comfortable.

[highway_star]

anyone struggling to find this for sale its because its being discontinued (a new model the S670 is coming out). So keep looking, you could get a great end of line bargain!

The guy asking if you can change tuning (drop D?) without adjusting the trem system - wishful thinking my friend!

[Doofag]

I own it

Its fantastic

Get new pick ups

[party_on_wayne]