Ibanez J-Craft?

[mrp5150]

J Craft is just the name that goes on the guitars built at the Fujian plant. The J Custom line is built separately by Ibanez best luthiers, but still come out of the same plant as the MIJ Prestige.

Yes, Prestige are not handmade. J Customs are handmade... jemsite.com forums has a whole thread on this where a guy from the company responds and explains. I think the "Team J Craft" thing may just be marketing after all...

Steve

That would be my guess. I'm pretty sure my RGA121 had that logo on it and it was a $600 guitar. There's no way the same guys who build the J-Customs built those too.

 

[Digital Jams]

Ibanez contracts out to Fujigengakki for all it's MIJ guitars, both the Prestige and the J-Customs. Handmade or not, though I'm sure the J-Custom bodies and necks start life on a CNC machine. Hoshino/Ibanez themselves don't build production guitars, only prototypes/one-offs and endorser customs, they hire factories to make them.

Team J-Craft = Fujigengakki.

The necks and bodies are CNC created, nothing wrong with that as each neck will be the same.

 

[~Abstract~]

Ibanez contracts out to Fujigengakki for all it's MIJ guitars, both the Prestige and the J-Customs. Handmade or not, though I'm sure the J-Custom bodies and necks start life on a CNC machine. Hoshino/Ibanez themselves don't build production guitars, only prototypes/one-offs and endorser customs, they hire factories to make them.

Team J-Craft = Fujigengakki.

The necks and bodies are CNC created, nothing wrong with that as each neck will be the same.

But is it still "handmade" then?


Just a semantics question.

 

[Toshiro]

Ibanez contracts out to Fujigengakki for all it's MIJ guitars, both the Prestige and the J-Customs. Handmade or not, though I'm sure the J-Custom bodies and necks start life on a CNC machine. Hoshino/Ibanez themselves don't build production guitars, only prototypes/one-offs and endorser customs, they hire factories to make them.

Team J-Craft = Fujigengakki.

The necks and bodies are CNC created, nothing wrong with that as each neck will be the same.

Never said there was anything wrong with it, but I'm pretty damn sure they use the same CNC equipment to make both lines. The J-Customs are probably hand-finished, get better attention to detail, and get the best pieces of wood.

Used to be J-Customs were limited to 24 pieces. Used to be Prestige guitars got hand-finishing. Neither is what it used to be. When they made the whole MIJ line "Prestige" that badging meant less, IMO.

 

[Digital Jams]

Ibanez contracts out to Fujigengakki for all it's MIJ guitars, both the Prestige and the J-Customs. Handmade or not, though I'm sure the J-Custom bodies and necks start life on a CNC machine. Hoshino/Ibanez themselves don't build production guitars, only prototypes/one-offs and endorser customs, they hire factories to make them.

Team J-Craft = Fujigengakki.

The necks and bodies are CNC created, nothing wrong with that as each neck will be the same.

But is it still "handmade" then?


Just a semantics question.

This is my take on "handmade"............

Things like carve tops should be done with grinders, bodies shold not have robots buffing them and each coat should be buffed, frets should be hand pressed, final radius work should be by hand, etc.....

Necks should be CNC created so you know for a fact that you will like the shape, I have two guitars from the same builder that were suppost to have the same shape and they are not.

 

[PeteLaramee]

I think the Prestige and the J-Customs are made by the same guys (Team J-Craft), but to different specs.

 

[Tone Zone]

CNC machines are the best way to go period for any company, to create neck and bodies. Besides being practical, they ensure consistency from one guitar to the next. Now, from that point it's up to the manufacturer to determine the extent of the hand finishing methods and overall attention to detail.

 

[SFW]

Thanks for the input guys! I'm going to pick the guitar up tonight. It's a 2005 neck-thru model, with a five piece neck and ash body sides. Natural finish. HH configuration. It has the Team J Craft sticker on the back of the headstock, and comes with a J Craft labled case. I'll post some pictures when I get home with it. Again, thanks for the help!

Joel

 

[SFW]

Picked the guitar up. I found a keeper. The neck is to die for. I'll take some pics tomorrow. It has a wonderful low mid growl to the tone. I'm stoked!

 

[CaseyCor]

Mine is a J-Craft, not a J-Custom (RG770DX Reissue...). Even so, it plays better out-of-the-box than any other guitar I've had. The quality on it is impeccable and (sadly) much better than any of the Gibson SG's I played before deciding to buy it. It's my first Ibanez and definitely won't be my last.

Speaking of which, I'm seriously lusting after the bad-ass yellow one sah5150 has for sale

I love your guitar I wanted a red one, and couldn't find it. Ended up with a 1991 RG770DX in Laser Blue. 2 months later, they reissue them

 

[Bishop5150]

I love mine. It's my main guitar.

 

[PeteLaramee]

I love mine. It's my main guitar.

I have two of those and they are my #1 and #2. Of course, I refinished them so they aren't blue anymore.