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James... « Great with a pickup swap »
Published on 09/03/11 at 09:14These are a great value for quality. You get an actual edge tremolo. Japan made quality and hardware. In my opinion these are some of the most well constructed guitars in the world. In fact I would argue that you would have to pay 3 times the cost to find a better made guitar. They are just that good. It has the traditional RG body with basswood. Wizard neck. You know the drill. 24 frets. HSH pickups. It's a shred machine.
UTILIZATION
Arguably the best feeling guitar I've ever played. The neck is a dream. Also, the hell carve is a great improvement over the old RG design. It's one of the best designed instruments of all time I think. Great feel and look. Weight is good. It's just near perfect for a shred guitar. The electronics are solid. Best of all The Edge bridge is possibly the best trem ever built. I hate to sound so ecstatic about this guitar, but I have played a lot of super strat types and the RG is by far the best feeling one out there.
SOUNDS
Here is where it falls short. I use a number of amps, but typically I like to play my RG's through a Splawn quick rod or a Mesa Stiletto. Here's the deal though. The stock IBZ pickups are pretty much unremarkable. Are they horrible. No. They sound decent but they lack character. Ibanez designed these to attempt to be all things for all players and the result is a bland and confused sounding set of pickups. For some players they will be okay. It really depends on whether you know what sounds you want. Personally I like flavor so I change them out in every RG I buy.
A lot of guys who with the Tone Zone/Air Norton combo in these, which is fine. Personally I find them a little bit bassy in the rosewood necked RG's. In my RG I have a Super 3 and a Breed neck. They compliment each other pretty well. Fairly high gain pickups. It really depends on what sounds you want, however I've found that the RG's just sound better with Dimarzio's and particularly high gain pickups. With the stock pickups I give it a 5. With good replacements it's an 8 or 9.
OVERALL OPINION
The value here is unbelievable. If you are a metal/hard rock player, you can't do better for under $1600. I mean that. It's a stripped down player's axe. With a pickup switch it's unbeatable. The fretwork is great and the craftsmanship an hardware is top notch. I've owned 4 or 5 of these and they're all great. Go pick up a used one for a few hundred. You won't regret it.
UTILIZATION
Arguably the best feeling guitar I've ever played. The neck is a dream. Also, the hell carve is a great improvement over the old RG design. It's one of the best designed instruments of all time I think. Great feel and look. Weight is good. It's just near perfect for a shred guitar. The electronics are solid. Best of all The Edge bridge is possibly the best trem ever built. I hate to sound so ecstatic about this guitar, but I have played a lot of super strat types and the RG is by far the best feeling one out there.
SOUNDS
Here is where it falls short. I use a number of amps, but typically I like to play my RG's through a Splawn quick rod or a Mesa Stiletto. Here's the deal though. The stock IBZ pickups are pretty much unremarkable. Are they horrible. No. They sound decent but they lack character. Ibanez designed these to attempt to be all things for all players and the result is a bland and confused sounding set of pickups. For some players they will be okay. It really depends on whether you know what sounds you want. Personally I like flavor so I change them out in every RG I buy.
A lot of guys who with the Tone Zone/Air Norton combo in these, which is fine. Personally I find them a little bit bassy in the rosewood necked RG's. In my RG I have a Super 3 and a Breed neck. They compliment each other pretty well. Fairly high gain pickups. It really depends on what sounds you want, however I've found that the RG's just sound better with Dimarzio's and particularly high gain pickups. With the stock pickups I give it a 5. With good replacements it's an 8 or 9.
OVERALL OPINION
The value here is unbelievable. If you are a metal/hard rock player, you can't do better for under $1600. I mean that. It's a stripped down player's axe. With a pickup switch it's unbeatable. The fretwork is great and the craftsmanship an hardware is top notch. I've owned 4 or 5 of these and they're all great. Go pick up a used one for a few hundred. You won't regret it.