Which is the better brand (for guitars)

Dean or Ibanez?

I know these are 2 random companies but I have reason behind it.

why didnt you made a POLL? anyway, im not that much into equipement, but ive heard more about ibañez than about dean.

I was just at guitar center joking about ibanez.

Get a dean

Dean all the way.

depends on the model you want

I agree with Case211. It really depends which model and what you can afford.

I'm all for ripping on Ibanez cause they're overrated but so is Dean and B.C. Rich(although they've gone downhill).

It's safe to say that entry Ibanez guitars are better than entry level Deans but from there Ibanez just gets stale no matter how expensive. Plus, in my opinion Deans have better tone and character than Ibanez.

So if you have lets say $400, look in to a good Ibanez.

If you have a good lot of money then buy a really good Dean or you could get a good Jackson for $500. ESP also makes decent guitars but they'll cost you.

League is right. The beginner guitars are amazing. I got a starter package form ibanez back in the days, and I still play on it until i will soon get my next guitar. But it won't be an Ibanez again. But the starter one had a perfect setup, and it was almost "stage-able"

The more expensive ones I'd go for Dean

sorry about not making a poll and the 2 models I'm looking at are

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Dean-VX-Electric-Guitar-104309497-i1150761.gc

or

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-RG350EX-Electric-Guitar-518909-i1397686.gc

the thing is I can afford the Dean like next month, But if I choose to get the Ibanez I won't have that kind of money till Christmas sooo...yea

I personally like my ibanez because it is a good change from a regular strat, and it is a vintage guitar from 1989

but all the deans that I have played around with in guitar center are very comfortable to play and sound really good, but the new Ibanez just don't do it for me either.

neither.
(even though Gilbert makes an Ibanez sing)
not trying to sound snarky (please don't take it that way)

but
i'm just a looong time Fender man (Mustang, Tele, Strat , Strat 12-String (really) , + more Mustangs and Tele's

when i wanted (and needed) a 'do anything' guitar (synth, piazio(sp?)-under neck , GR Midi (18pin) jack, etc, for Mersh-Work i got sold on Godin (damn fine Ac-Gits as well ... think Tommy Emmanuel) and snagged the 1st year LGX-Pro .. i love it, but its always back to the Tele, when possible.

if i could have any guitar made(elec) ... Anderson Guitars "Tele" w/ F-hole + chambered body... (Friz plays one (Tele), as does a pal o' mine, Hector Qirko (strat version)

what a neck! what tone!! o m g !!!

the only dean ive played is a resonator guitar so i cant really say which is better.

resonator as in acoustic, metal Resonator ala Son House???

yea the kind with the metal deelee on the front

That's a tough decision because they're very different guitars(still they are Heavy Metal guitars)

I would bet the Ibanez RG is more comfortable and the pickups are better. Dean is probably made in Indonesia while Ibanez is probably made in Japan.

Tough one I would say if you're going use the guitar for practice and small gigs then get the Dean.

If you're going to drop tune or really play precision shredding metal then get the Ibanez.

I doubt that Dean has bad tone because most of the their guitars have good midrange crunch. They also have a flat tone, which I like for rhythm, but that is subjective to ones opinion.

If I where you I would save the money on the Ibanez and buy Either a used high end Dean or Jackson for about $400.

REMEMBER that older guitars are usually better because of the manufacturing locations and processes. My old Jackson is at least 3 times better than my newer one.

i totally agree, I played an Ibanez RG 350(I think) in Guitar Center for about 30 minutes or so and thought it was nice, but then I played my guitar when I bought it for about the same amount of time and thought that it was so much better. something about the quality of work going back 20+ years seems to be a huge difference

so pretty much you guys are recommending I get a $400 Dean or Jackson, right?

I just don't get why some of you guys put down Ibanez. Satriani, Vai, Gilbert, Alex Skolnick, they all use Ibanez.

its more about the feel of the instrument...if you like it, great, if not, oh well, they will all feel a little bit different

I'm not a huge fan of either. But I would go with Ibanez based on one guitar I played recently. (By one guitar I mean one in specific, I've played several Dean guitars and just about every Ibanez guitar, except the acoustics.) The Ibanez DTT700 is perhaps one of the most awesome guitars I've played as of late. It even compares to my beloved ESP's! The D Activator X pickups on that guitar are freaking unbelievable. They have so much output it's just rediculous. But at the same time I was able to dial in some seriously awesome tones that would rock anyones world. The DTT700 is quite a hefty instrument, but hey, when you have a guitar with such a thick beautiful tone and sustain that will let your notes ring for as long as you dare to hold a note, who cares how much it weighs. Seriously, holding a note on that guitar is like have a staring contest with a goldfish-they don't blink. It also helps that the guitar looks pretty bad ass. Check it out http://ibanez.com/ElectricGuitars/model-DTT700.

That would be my fault.

Well I always thought they were overrated for exactly the same reason. Any Custom shop guitars are different than their regular line guitars.

My favorite guitarists play Dean, Jackson, Gibson, and ESP. Randy Rhoads almost single-handedly started Jackson with his design and concept and he is very popular but I don't like Jackson because Rhandy used it. I like it because

A.Their guitar necks are compound radius which I feel is perfect.
B.The use Seymour Duncan HB4(JB4)These are my favorite with Dimarzio Super Distortion.
C.Their guitar shapes are awesome.
D.The quality is really good.

One of my favorite guitars is the Fender Strat and I bought it because of the price(no other reason) but it's distinct tone is my favorite clean sound. Another guitar I like is B.C. Rich "Rich Bich" (old ones) they have really good tone and they look awesome.


I will ADMIT that along with Charvel the IBANEZ is the best large scale production stripped down high gain guitar.
1.Quality
2.Pickups.
3.Neck(I don't like it but its good quality)

I think most of the things made in Japan are of good quality.

the only 'sure-fire' way to pick out a guitar was outlined by my 2nd Git-Teacher back in 76 or so....

this works:
(Via Terry R.I.P.)
__this takes TWO__
1- put a blindfold on (really)
2- find the cleanest amp and place it on the cleanest setting. no FX.
3- have you friend/teacher(etc) hand you a guitar plugged into the chosen amp.
4- do this until you have narrowed the "i like that one(s)" to 3 or four planks.
5- Repeat step 3 with the guitars you've 'narrowed down'.
6- make up yer mind... OR ...try again

when you make up your mind ..stick to it!
if the price = more than you can afford.....save up for it
-
if the price = LESS (or exactly) what you can afford.....buy yer friend a few beers with a smile and a new(or used) guitar.

and remember above all, that when you boil it (sound) all down .. Tone(etc) resides in Fingers 1st , then wood and wire.

IE:
i own/have owned , many a 'pricy guitar' (PRS's, 72 Strat, 53 Gold-Top, Les, etc etc) but to my hands and ears my 300-buck 2007 *"Mexi" (modded w/ DiMarzio Hot-Rails) is my 'go to' guitar 8 times out of 10 ... I like The Godin LGX Neck but it is heavy as hell, lol, and i still do my own load in/out, lol)

in the end, its like love -- you dont find it ; it finds you

cheers!
Cs

*=(Tele made in Mexico)

Mexican Strats and Teles many times are better in their tone, same as Jackson's that are made in Japan.

Yesterday I went to Guitar Center and tried a Standard U.S. Strat that was over $1100 and it sounded horrible compared to a standard Mexican Strat that was about $400.

I also like my guitars broken in.

hammer meet nail; nail meet hammer ;~)



i'm also with ya on that one.. especially acoustic gits (though Maton & Godin are popping out Aces anew somehow)