Ibanez RG321MH (Indo)

I was at Standard Value today, Mike has the RG321MH in stock. Somebody decided to buy this guitar & I managed to get a closer look at the instrument while Mike was doing a pre-purchase set up. I had come across this model earlier this year at Swee Lee & was impressed with the overall QC manifested by the Indonesian factory hands. The fact that the subsequent batch of guitars procured by Standard Value maintained the impressive QC standards, implies that the good people over at the Indonesian plant had good supervision in this aspect, consistency is also a key reflection of what the instrument has to offer. I own the pre-2008 Korean make & the following are some comparison notes:

• Fretboard edges are superbly finished. The Korean model did manifest an equally high standard of finishing but it's quite evident that some extra steps had been taken with the Indonesian version as the edges are stain-free as well
• The mahogany used for the body has close-grained pores, compared to the Korean. Is this better per se? It's not quite aparent but a close-pored plank gives off a tighter punch (bottom end) to the discerning ears (please do not stethescope your guitar body to convince yourself). Ditto the fretboard wood, much lesser dry spots seen on the Indo units.
  
• The nut of the Indonesian is also well slotted- the models I've tried (since March '08), which include the RGRs are all good production materials, minimal choking noted.

There's been much fanfare with Korean guitars but as proven here, having instruments made elsewhere does not sacrifice production standards, in fact, it's been one-up with the Chinese & Indonesian Ibanez makes.