Low rider

Another re-string weekend. I have since equipped all my extended scale Ibanez with a set of 11s. This is my RGD2120, one of the best in terms of construction & value-for-money. I have no obligations to keep all RGDs in my possession to the same tuning. This one is in D.

The only letdown were the default Ibanez pickups which had been removed & replaced by the Seymour Duncans you see here: 59/Custom (b) / Pearly Gates (n). This pickup was conceived to churn out lesser lower end responses so naturally, we would instal one in a guitar with an already massive low end response such as the typical Les Paul. Having this in the RGD was a bit of a risk because an Ibanez RGD has very little similarities with a Gibson Les Paul. However, this guitar is about belching out lower end frequencies to begin with so my take on the situation here is that it should work well; a bright pickup with a string A5 magnet handling lower tunings. True enough, the TB-16 was up to it with lots of clarity to spare. That SH-PG1N there works wonders for solos if you wish to avoid excessive rounder top end in the neck position.

So that's pretty much how the Sunday went with a glorious distorted bottom end by a guitar that was meant to deliver just that. Not forgetting the Rugby World Cup matches in between.

Here's wishing everyone a good week ahead. 👍

Ibanez RGD2120: Duncanized

I got my Ibanez RGD2120 Duncanized late last year, but Beez did a fine job as usual- 59/Custom (bridge) + Pearly Gates Plus (neck).

The 59/Custom is a great pickup, it possesses the vintage warmth as well as a commanding distortion voicing. I had it in my S970 & accidentally did a de-tuned idea while I was playing & it sounded splendid. So I thought it would (big gamble) do well in a longer scale instrument like my RGD2120 & presto- it does mighty fine! The Pearly Gates is slowly becoming my preferred pickup in terms of solo applications. This is my second PG, the first one still resides in my S420.

With the times

Just 2 of the 4 bolts/screws from my Ibanez RGD2120. One of them is visibly shorter than the other as Ibanez's all-access neck heel sports a relief so this necessitated the difference. This isn't an excessive praise for the manufacturer but I still believe Ibanez is one of the flag-bearers when it comes to little innovations in  making our lives more pleasant.

The Swiss-army-like wrench is also the sign of the times; if you own/have handled an Ibanez before, those flimsy, thin, semi-invisible wrenches would have fared better given a better grip & Ibanez did just that. The manufacturer included this tool & I am personally grateful that it happened; I am less clumsy handling this one than those individual wrenches.

Ibanez: RGD2120 (Part 2)

I had some spare time before the FA Cup kicked off last night so I gave my RGD2120 a fresh set of strings. Before the news strings came on, I managed to snap a pic of the in-house V7/V8 Custom pickups. I find them perfectly acceptable for now; maybe I'm too overwhelmed by the tone of Seymour Duncans, I failed to appreciate those non-Duncans which sound equally appealing. Anyway, I find the RGD2120 absolutely top notch when it comes to QC but you know how the small things elude the careless eyes- take a look at the bridge V8 on the right. That's not quite a quality assembly there; note the gap between the coil bobbins. A minor niggle in an otherwise superb assembly.