Ibanez: RGIR20FE

I gave the new Ibanez RGIR20FE a go, it's a wonderful guitar for the money. Features-wise, this RG is, em, a typical RG without the frills. Non-locking features mean the guitar is less hassle & more play, especially for us gain-hungry, distortion devouring bandits, the EMG60/80 pairing is indeed the guitar at heart. How does this guitar perform tone-wise? Like a typical EMG-equipped guitar; very metal-inclined growl nothing stellar when it comes to cleans but do we need to remind ourselves why we want one of this pedigree in the first place? For cleans, really? Rather rhetorical.

The QC is perhaps Ibanez's best in the non-Japanese range, even beating the Premiums in the details. I need to see more units to comment on consistency but I'd reserve that for another chapter. Do you wish for a stutter volume effect or maybe an immediate volume kill after play? That's what the kill-switch there is for. Being a tone fan (of sorts), I'd prefer a tone control over a another volume feature. During the 30min test period, I only reached for the kill-switch once & that's only to ensure its functionality. The default action here is of a utilitarian affair; neither too low nor too high. More importantly, it didn't get in the way of good playing. I'm loving the blank fretboard, not sure if newbies would feel likewise.

Let's see now, for $799, you get a fixed bridge Ibanez RG & pair of EMG pickups at the helm. The next comparable model in the Ibanez range is an RGA42 with a slightly different body theme but featuring in-house pickups- which one would you choose? :-)

Thanks to Swee Lee Bras Basah for the testing treat- thanks Yadni!