Hi Sir Alex!
I totally agree about the quality thing. I had an an S-series just like yours, but probably a lower model. S470 MIJ, Mahogany body. It sounded great even if it was stock and it played like a dream. I tried other MIJ RG's that came out later and I was really disappointed. However, I keep my RG7420 MIJ 7-string because it sounded so amazing after a pickup change. I would like to try your good sounding guitars sometime though. It may change my opinion about my currently owned guitars.
However, I think that companies these days try to cope up with the economy too (sometimes it's not the best thing to do but they have to, to survive in the tough market) so they make lower end models that people can afford. Can you imagine if RJ guitars never existed? The Philippine music scene would never have boomed like it did because nobody would be able to learn how to play as fast. So it depends on what their target market is. They still probably cost cut but at least they're not totally unusable. So I guess that they we should compare your good sounding guitars to the ones at par in price and make. Maybe your call would be to the high end ones initially.
Let me know if we could tone party sometime.
Rob 
Rob, I can go to your house anytime so you can compare using your equipment.
I do recognize the importance that Ibanez's role but they just don't produce good sounding guitars.
In my experience at Swee Lee, I pointed out that the CHEAPER sounding Jackson Soloist sounded much much better the Thrice the price of MIJ Ibanez Herman Li and TWO Herman Li's at that.
With regards to the guitars I have, they are best that can be at their respective price range and above. 3 out of my four guitars were selected by the best EARs in the music business. The fourth was a Suhr Modern that I specifically picked from Mannys New York back in June 2008. It beat the Tom Andersons, Gibson Custom Shops, Fender Custom Shops, Dean USA made guitars, PRS Ten Tops, etc. The Manny's people were kind enough to let me test all their high end guitars for almost five hours on a suhr badger. And the Mannys guys also felt it was the best sounding guitar in their inventory at that time. I mean the Suhr modern at US$3k beat their US$5k and up guitars.
Just two weeks ago, I tested a Nik Huber and it fell short of the Baker in terms of response but... I do believe as Cliff has stated that Nik Huber is getting better at it.
Unlike a lot of people on this forum who will say that whatever you have is ok and kanya kanya, I am the type of person who will tell you whether a piece of gear sounds bad whether cheap or expensive so that you don't have to waste your money on it. Just as I did in Singapore two weeks ago, spend 5 or more hours testing a large selection of guitars, I also spent an equal amount of time at 30th Street Guitars, Matt Umanov, and Chelsea guitars testing the most expensive guitars on earth and I will tell you that a great majority also sound bad. My rule will always stick -- about 98% of ALL guitars sound bad.
