IBANEZ.... Team J Craft ?

[metalj]

Anyone know what "Team J Craft" is?

Also specifically what is the difference between that and a regular Ibanez?

Just what we need, another marketing sceme from a guitar maker to confuse us.

So is it like....

FENDER - squire
GIBSON - epiphone
ESP - ltd
PRS - se

IBANES - jcraft?

Thanks to anyone who knows any specs or info.

Im extremely needy this week.

 

[metalj]

Ok with much research on the net, it seems there are alot of different opinions on this. That is why I was asking here as a way to gather and ponder more data.

This is what a Tech Rep at MusicianFriend.com says about it.

"Team J Craft simply refers to the custom shop team in Japan that builds the Prestige line. Team J Craft guitars are not typically cheaper. They can vary in price quite a bit. It just depends on the materials and features."

Based on the prices on Ebay, it seems the JCraft stamped guitars are priced lower for some reason.

Im looking at the "Prestige" line of Ibanez. Some are now Made in Korea, Some are made in Japan. looks like a stamp or branding if you will to mark which guitars are made in Japan, thus the "J" in the name.

Buyer beware I guess.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

I'm a bit of a recovering Ibanez dork, so...

They introduced the "J Craft" designation a couple years back, as sort of a branding for their Prestige line. I believe all the J Crafts are built in Japan, but I haven't checked lately so I can't say for sure.

MOST of the Prestige guitars are made in Japan - the exception is the S series which had been shifted entirely to Korea, but I believe within the last year or two they've started making the top of the line S's in Japan again.

The good news is the quality of Korean guitars in general has increased by leaps and bounds in the last five or so years. I've played Korean Schecters that are just spectacular (though, they have some finishing, particularly with the fretwork which was what impressed me the most, done in the States), and Ibanez guitars from Korea are worlds better than they were when I first started playing Ibanez. The rule of thumb had pretty much always been "don't touch anything below the 5XX series," like a RG550 or a S570, but these days I've played RG370's that were totally useable. That said, the Japanese Ibanez guitars are definitely better instruments, partly by spec and partly due to fit and finish.

Now, the J Custom line, on the other hand... Man, the RG7CST I used to own was one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever played, and the fit and finish seems to have actually gotten better since 1999, when that one was made.