NGD: Ibanez RG2228

[WhiteLightOfDeath]

I saw this on Sam Ash and Guitar Center during the July 4 sale. They had a price drop from 899 to 799 or something. So I called up Guitar center and they weren’t budging on shipping OR tax. So I called Sam Ash, and they were much more reasonable...[.especially when a salesman messes up your order on a Tuesday and they freeze up your charge card for fraud, till you clear it, and then you have to wait a day to try to process the order, but then its the Fourth of July and you cant do it, lol!!! So it ships out Saturday!....anyhooooo]

So I got them down to 700 and that was that. I love this guitar. I already threw in the EMG 81/85 and let me tell you something, there either is an 18v mod or an RPC or boost or something in this axe because when i hit the bridge pickup, its like a Lundgren....I swear, its very very HOT very active

This guitar is nearly perfect to me. I love the bridge, which is missing a fine tuner that i ordered, i love the neck (its like a wizard but with an extra bit of wing), i love the galaxy black paint which has no scratches i cant beleive it....over all this guitar is 8.5/10....only reason its not a 9 is because the missing fine tuner and a half point for some guitar rack rash around the neck...you know guitar shopS...EVERYONE wants to try the 8 string and they get mad they cant play it so they throw it back on the rack lol jk

I’m very happy with this buy man. I dont think I could’ve found a better one, and I’m glad i didnt hesitate to try to work with Sam ash on July 4. in fact, i am now a Sam ash customer and I rather shop there than guitar center (who hires too many pricks and I’d guess lead guitarists lol)

I really really love the EMG 81. I cant beleive it man, i never thought that I’d say that. More importantly i think this team j craft rg2228 is the best 8 string I’ve touched besides the M80M, which by the way, has a similar neck, but the Japanese team j craft neck is just a little nicer to me

(How can i find out if this guitar was modded from the bridge to the neck, because its almost double the output once i hit the bridge?? Maybe the neck has an 18v mod and the bridge is stock?)

Enjoy the pics even though my lighting is the best, sorry about that

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Congratulations dude!

I've owned a bunch of 8s at this point, and while these might not be perfect for everyone, there's just something about them that "works".

Sort of like how some of the older 7s, like the RG7620 are more capable and "special" than their meager spec sheet would let on.

Doesn't hurt that you practically stole the thing from them. Good job!

 

[WhiteLightOfDeath]

Congratulations dude!

I've owned a bunch of 8s at this point, and while these might not be perfect for everyone, there's just something about them that "works".

Sort of like how some of the older 7s, like the RG7620 are more capable and "special" than their meager spec sheet would let on.

Doesn't hurt that you practically stole the thing from them. Good job!

Hey thanks max
You have no idea how much that means coming from you, I value your opinion immensely !

YESSSSSS!!!! My first ERG post is great success!!!!so happy right now

 

[Rosal76]

Congratulations on your new guitar. I'll be getting a new 8 string, hopefully, pretty soon. First 8 string for me, also. Funny enough, it will also be a Ibanez and it will also be from Sam Ash. The model I'm looking at isn't a Prestige, though, but one built in Indonesia. I much rather have a Prestige but it's my first 8 string guitar, so. Hopefully, if I do get it, I'll have good success/be happy with it as you did with your Prestige model.

 

[Selkoid]

Damn that looks clean! I've been eyeballing them on some of the big sites, kind of hard to tell what kind of shape these guitars are going to be in considering how big the manufacture window is. Does anyone have any experience with the titanium neck rod variant and the older ones without? Killer guitar man!!

 

[Daf57]

Totally agree with Max - the 2228s are special. Congrats on a great deal on a great guitar!!!

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Damn that looks clean! I've been eyeballing them on some of the big sites, kind of hard to tell what kind of shape these guitars are going to be in considering how big the manufacture window is. Does anyone have any experience with the titanium neck rod variant and the older ones without? Killer guitar man!!

I have one of each. You wouldn't know the difference if it wasn't for the sticker on the back of the headstock.

 

[WhiteLightOfDeath]

Damn that looks clean! I've been eyeballing them on some of the big sites, kind of hard to tell what kind of shape these guitars are going to be in considering how big the manufacture window is. Does anyone have any experience with the titanium neck rod variant and the older ones without? Killer guitar man!!

It’s a gamble for sure but I called and asked them to take it off the rack and describe it to me. Dude said there was barely any damage and I took his word for it. It’s literally so clean I can’t beleive it .... and max can you give us some history on the 2228. I didn’t know ther was a KTs rod in there . I thought someone or some worker put that on there because I had to peel off an inventory stock sticker that was covering it. Damn I feel like I found hidden ERG TREASURE. Or should I say ARG lol bad joke I know

 

[MaxOfMetal]

It’s a gamble for sure but I called and asked them to take it off the rack and describe it to me. Dude said there was barely any damage and I took his word for it. It’s literally so clean I can’t beleive it .... and max can you give us some history on the 2228. I didn’t know ther was a KTs rod in there . I thought someone or some worker put that on there because I had to peel off an inventory stock sticker that was covering it. Damn I feel like I found hidden ERG TREASURE. Or should I say ARG lol bad joke I know

From 2007 to 2009 they didn't have KTS Titanium rods, but from 2010 on until being discontinued in 2016 it had them.

The RG2228A, the passive pickup version of the RG2228, built from 2012 to 2013, always had them.

They did away with the rods on the RG2228s replacement, the RG852.

 

[Leviathus]

Awesome axe, always loved this model. HNGD!

 

[vilk]

I used to have one of these. It's a cool guitar. I wish more guitars had fixed floyd rose double locking systems.

 

[Grindspine]

RG2228 with an 81-8 sounds awesome! That was a good deal for one needing just a bit of TLC.

You cannot really expect anyone to budge on tax; it is illegal for them to skip tax after all the stupid law changes this year.

 

[noise in my mind]

I have a 2014 rg2228 in white with the maple fingerboard. I replaced the bridge 808 with a Duncan Blackout. It rules pretty hard, and like Max said there is something special about these guitars. I too have played and gone through many 8 strings and this model is my favorite. The neck is just so "right" on these.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

RG2228 with an 81-8 sounds awesome! That was a good deal for one needing just a bit of TLC.

You cannot really expect anyone to budge on tax; it is illegal for them to skip tax after all the stupid law changes this year.

It's not that they don't pay tax, or shipping for that matter, they just discount the items for that amount.

I'm not sure if they still do it, but Guitar Center had that as a discount in their system for decades. You didn't need a manager or anything. Just ask for a better price and that was always the go-to.

So if sales tax where you are is 6%, they'd just give you a ~6% discount on the item. You're still paying tax, but on a smaller principal that once it's added in it gives you roughly the pre-tax price.

Shipping is the same way. If it costs them $20 to ship, they just give you a $20 discount.

 

[jephjacques]

always buy a 2228

 

[WhiteLightOfDeath]

It's not that they don't pay tax, or shipping for that matter, they just discount the items for that amount.

I'm not sure if they still do it, but Guitar Center had that as a discount in their system for decades. You didn't need a manager or anything. Just ask for a better price and that was always the go-to.

So if sales tax where you are is 6%, they'd just give you a ~6% discount on the item. You're still paying tax, but on a smaller principal that once it's added in it gives you roughly the pre-tax price.

Shipping is the same way. If it costs them $20 to ship, they just give you a $20 discount.

They just refused dude
Sam ash was way cool
Guitar center manager Justin Johnson actually said to me, “I wasn’t paying attention when you told me about the guitar you got at Sam ash, i was just trying to figure out if i could match 700....and I could, but then its 68 tax and another 19 for shipping”

After i told him i was going. With Sam ash, he actually emailed me back and said “well ours is a better deal, its not missing a fine tuner and it has an OHSC so enjoy your guitar”

And i was upset because i asked him about a July 4 discount on some monitors, instead he just ignored me, so i told him, “WHAT DO YOU WANT DUDE?” And he left me alone lol

GC is not cool. Max you said it everything was correct, from the history to the policies at the store

Times are a changing for guitars.....thank god the traditional buying and selling of guitarist to guitarist is still alive nad well thanks to this wonderful, amazing, unparalleled site

Thanks so fo

Thank you max

AND thanks for all the congrats dudes

 

[Fred the Shred]

2228's are fantastic workhorses, and while they were on the pricey side on this side of the pond, you can get some amazing bargains - that is one of them.

 

[WhiteLightOfDeath]

I have one of each. You wouldn't know the difference if it wasn't for the sticker on the back of the headstock.

Max,why do you have two 2228? Or do you mean over the course of life you’ve had two?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Max,why do you have two 2228? Or do you mean over the course of life you’ve had two?

I've owned four at different points and currently have two.

Like I said they're great guitars for what the they are and I got them cheap enough and they go for cheap enough that I'm not pressed to sell them. Besides, being "boring black guitars" the wife doesn't realize there are two.

I actually haven't played them since I moved much of my gear from storage to my new house. But after talking about them so much in this thread, perhaps it's time to dust them off.

 

[WhiteLightOfDeath]

Besides, being "boring black guitars" the wife doesn't realize there are two.

Ahahahahahahaha ROFL