Ibanez Electric Guitar Rg Series For Sale (2024 Update)

There is plenty to like about this guitar, and I got it for the features I was looking for: locking tremelo, 24 frets, fast neck, 5 way pickup selector, and nice looks. My first impressions of the guitar was slight disappointment with how sloppy Ibanez was. The tops and bottoms of the frets needed to be beveled as they were pretty sharp, there was a noticeable nick on the fretboard, and there was a black smudge on the back of the neck. None of those was a huge deal. The main two issues I have with the guitar are that the middle pickup, the single coil, has such low output that the middle three positions are much quieter than the neck or bridge pickups alone. I do like the tone of the single coil in conjunction with the humbuckers, but those positions are somewhat useless considering how quiet they are, and I have ordered a humbucker to replace it. The single coil alone (middle position) has too much noise AND is too quiet. Not a big deal to replace a pickup, but why they are selling it this way, I'm not sure. The second issue is the volume control. Instead of a gradual swell, there is a sharp dropoff in volume at one point in the rotation of the dial, making it pretty much useless other than having it full on or all the way off. I am not sure if that is fixable, but if it is, I'll need to have that done as well. All that said, if the guitar had not arrived in such sloppy condition and the two problems were resolved, I'd give this guitar 5 stars.hickory spork

The Ibanez RG 450 or any of the RG's are with the exception of the factory p/u and electronic. capable of becoming one of the best performance guitars to own. The base Ibanez Floyd Rose system is fiddley but, after learning how to adjust/tune quickly becomes appreciated for holding tune no matter the severity of attacks you use with the tremolo. The Wizard(ll or lll ?) You would need to go to custom built to exceed the easy play and comfortable frets you will find on and RG. This recent RG450 I upgraded to equal the higher priced models by adding the De Marzio Tone Zone (B), Air Norton (N). And instead of going with the True Velvet. Added the Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack for the middle position and added better electrics to even out the upgrades.. End result; This guitar plays and sound equal to guitars costing over $1,000.00!! Good bones! Yes this can be played well and many will find happiness with this as stock., and, will perform well against the competition dollar for dollar!ikeus

I used to own an '89 Ibanez VBK JEM that I regrettably sold to buy a gaming pc. I wanted to get a newer entry level RG so I could have a floyd,HSH superstrat in E standard. I've had this RG for long enough to know it's a keeper. This thing has the same feel and vibe of my old JEM! Minus the monkey grip and other features obviously. The neck feels fantastic and I only had to do very minor setup adjustments to my liking. I would have liked a rosewood or ebony fingerboard but of course this is the lower end model. The Jatoba feels good under the fingers, similar to rosewood but with a slightly lighter shade to it. Like most guitars you buy online mine came desperately needing some good oil and cleaning. The Jatoba fingerboard seems to require a bit more lubrication than rosewood. The neck binding is done well, not perfect but to a good standard. I do wish the trem was an Edge lo-pro… But again, this is the lower priced model. There is nothing wrong with the Edge tremolo, it stays in tune well with whammy bar abuse but it is one of the bulkier Original Floyd Rose style bridges. The stock Quantum pickups are among the best stock Ibanez pickups I've tried. They are hot but versatile. However I did swap them out with the classic Dimarzio Air Norton/Steves Special combo and a True Velvet middle. I do believe a higher end Ibanez will obviously sound better than this but for the price it really is hard to beat! Well done Ibanez and AMS!Nevin

Overall: I bought this brand new from zZ! It came quite swiftly. It was packaged good and no damage was observed! The guitar was not ready to play right out of the box. I had to adjust the bridge and the truss rod. Once I changed the strings, and got the guitar set up…I was really surprised how good it actually plays! The neck is one of the best feeling necks that I have ever played on! It is slim and fast. The finish on this guitar is really nice! I got the red sunburst. It's a poly finish and very pretty! The craftsmanship is really good for a mid priced guitar. The hardware is really nice and quite durable! I like the fixed bridge. The tuners are really good and it stays in tune well! The electronics are good. Decent Pots and knobs! I was surprised how good the pickups sound! I use a Blackstar HT40 Club amp, and this guitar sounds great through it. The guitar has a five way switch that allows for humbucking and coil tap sounds! The tonal options are very versatile. You should be able to use this guitar for Any genre you want to play! I really am pleased with this guitar! It looks great, plays awesome, and is very versatile. I wouldn't hesitate to take it on the road as my main guitar…it's that sweet. You get a lot of guitar for a very good price!Michael

Right out of the box this guitar was setup and ready to shred. I love the Wizard III neck and the Pearl Black Fade Metallic looks so good. I've been an Ibanez player since 1999 and played many models. The RG421 is up there with the best of them. The Quantum pickups are excellent, so no need of changing them. I own many RGs and this one has become my go to guitar for any style of music. I can't put it down. Well worth the price. Thanks Ibanez for another good sounding quality guitar, and AMS for the quick ship!Louie

I received my guitar today. Blue Metal Chameleon. I love it. It sounds great. No flaws, great packaging. Just a great guitar at a great price.John

Sound: The stock pickups sound great especially with high gain. Nice crunch and break up. Features: For me the reason that I bought this model is that it is the least expensive way to get a real Edge tremolo. I can do subtle things with the Edge that I can’t do on an Original Floyd Rose. The bar is easier to position and it stays where ever you put it. As long as the torsion bushings on the bar aren’t worn out, the pop in bar is neither too tight or too sloppy. Value: This guitar is worth every penny. Manufacturer Support: I did not use Ibanez customer service and I did order half a dozen sets of torsion bushings, but had to order them from different places. The Wow Factor: I love the color of this one, Desert Sun Yellow. Overall: In the last 2 months I’ve bought 5 different Ibanez guitars, both lower and higher price. I must say that this guitar is the most bang for the buck out of any of my 21 guitars that I own.Got more than 200 bucks off on mine as it was sold as a slight blemish. When the guitar arrived, I noticed it did have a hairline crack in the paint on the bass side at the neck pocket. That was the only flaw I could find and it probably would have happened anyway if I would have got a “new” one.This is the shreddiest guitar that I have. The only thing that I had to address is that the 6th fret was a little proud. Other than that the fret job was good. All the frets were shiny and smooth and no fret sprout.This is the guitar that is at the price point where if you spend more money, you aren’t going to get much better. And the fit and finish were top notch.Scott

Overall: This guitar was a total impulse buy and I’m so glad I bought it! It’s easily worth twice the price of it. Can’t get too many mid tier guitars that are neck thru with decent pickups and a 5-way switch that has a fast and slim neck at this price. I mostly play baritone 6 strings and 7 strings but I needed a 25.5” scale for drop C and this is perfect for it with 10-54 strings. I did upgrade the nut with a Graphtech tusq nut and Hipshot locking tuners with knurled tuner buttons and looks even more badass while staying in perfect tune! I have an Ibanez rgib6 Iron Label 28” baritone and this is up there with that as far as quality and playability. The stock pickups aren’t bad at all and definitely surprised me cuz that’s usually the first thing I’ll change in an inexpensive guitar. As you can see by the other reviews people say it’s a great guitar and they’re not lying so if you’re on the fence about getting it then go for it! You won’t be disappointed at all and if for some reason you are then zZounds has a return policy within like 30-45 days so you won’t be stuck with a guitar you don’t love.Josh

I've been playing this guitar the RG470AHM for about 6 months now. I'm very impressed by the blue moon burst it looks like a prestige level guitar. the ash body gives it very decent sustain. I see people complain that the rg370ahm got the edge zero 2 and we got the standard DL tremelo But I can't complain because if set up correctly it holds tune great and does it job well. The block on the tremelo appears to be steel which is nice from I hear. I haven't deemed fit to change anything yet due to it being set up perfect for my needs and working well. The quantom pickups do very well and give both decent cleans and take well to distortion. I had to dial them in to my preference due to the sounding a little foggy. That being said this guitar can be easily upgraded. By upgrading the pickups for Seymour or Duncan's. Also you can upgrade the tremolo itself or jus replace the whole thing with a tremelo that fits the guitars route. Also by upgrading the block to brass and the tremolo claw for a locking tremolo claw. May also put inlays in the neck to give it the more prestige look. In my opinion this guitar gives you premium product for a great price . Nice wood work on mine great finish and easily upgradeableyugi-JD

Absolutely gorgeous guitar with a great sound! Pictures don't do it justice. Metallic look is far more beautiful than the photo shows. Sound is full and not the least bit "tinny" as some guitars of this value can sometimes be. Affordable, beautiful and great to play. Couldn't ask for more. The payment plan is soooo helpful when you're living hand to mouth. Thank you AMS and Ibanez for a fantastic product and a very happy gifting experience.Amelia

Overall: Took me 2-1/2 years but I finally ordered this through zZounds on a blemished deal. Don't know if it matters or not but I waited 24 hours before opening. Well packaged. All accessories, tools, owners manual. Maple fretboard perfect. Small Crack in clear coat on body at neck joint. No worries. Paint missing where neck bolts to body. As I said blemished I understand. Time to tune. Ouch!!! Play 10 minutes retune, play 10 yeah you get the idea. Pick ups and bridge are not any where close to specs. Finally get days off from work. Now I'm no guitar smith but when I have time I can figure it out. New strings 9-42 NY/XL. Bridge alignment, tonation, adjust pickup height, slight neck adjustment, adjust tremolo springs. Totally amazing!!! Night to day. My old RG450 has the INF pickups and these quantums sound so much fuller. Sounds amazing through a Orange crush 20 and a Boss Mk100. Country, rock, metal, hair metal this thing is amazing!!!Donnie

After really enjoying playing an RG standard at GC, I decided I wanted a Japanese Ibanez. This guitar is gorgeous. You open up the case and it's a plush red velvet contrasting perfectly with the sexy nebula green burst. It is incredibly easy to play! Has a perfect balance slung over your shoulder or resting on your thigh. They didn't cut any corners with this instrument. Pros: – Black chrome hardware looks slick – Neck very thin and flat. Not just for shredding! Strips of walnut add a touch of elegance. Satin finish makes this a fast neck. Jumbo frets feel great. The birdseye fretboard is gorgeous. Locking tuners are robust. Stays in tune like a boss! – Very clear difference in pickup output from neck to bridge. Bridge gets nice and dirty when the volume is up – Pickups are a bit hotter than I expected, especially the tone zone in the bridge, but dialing down volume cleans them up very nicely (when you want them to be clean). I'm guessing the hot pickups are for shredders, who are a target Ibanez consumer. The parallel mode is a sweet addition allowing pickup to sound like a single rather than a humbucker – Pickups have dimarzio embossed on them, but it's subtle and not visible from a distance- branding isn't as obnoxious as on seymour duncans – Volume and tone knobs are knurled making them easy to turn with just a touch and resistance is light and smooth. Great gradual effect (doesn't just jump from 100% to 10% when you turn the knob only a tiny bit) – Action can be set super low and bridge is very comfortable to rest your palm. No sharp saddles as on some tune-o-matics – Amazing custom-molded guitar case that looks sexy and has a hard plastic outer shell. Form-fitted for this guitar – Guitar comes with a multi-tool with everything on it, even a short metal scale Cons: – The fret markers are just dots, not inlays – Doesn't come equipped with straplocks – Pickup selector feels cheap compared with the rest of the hardware, but has authoritative action otherwiseMegatron

This guitar is beautiful and its sound is fantastic,neck is awesome and fretboard is great,pickups are good…but it is Very Heavy,I'd say around 10 pounds and also the body is too chunky and therefore not comfortable to play.Maybe this guitar will be good fit for a large player. I returned it today and got me another Ibanez. Guitar center were very helpful,they are alright!Andy

Took this model and the Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHMFX for test rides. I ended up keeping this one. The Prestige is a better instrument, but not nine bills better. They play very similarly. The DiMarzios in the Prestige sound better, sure-but you can add those to this one later if you'd like. Honestly, I'll probably just keep the Quantum pickups in it-they sound fine. Love the creative 5-way switching and the volume and tone work as they should. Tuning stability is spot on. Mine even came set up well. The wood is not the cosmetic grade that the more expensive models have, but I bought it to play in bars and small venues-not to look at it. The body is three pieces. That being said, it's more attractive than an affordable guitar has a right to be. The ash does make it brighter than your standard RG, but that's what I was looking for. I'd recommend it to anyone that's not a cork sniffer and needs a solid instrument they can use without fear of breathing on it.TG

This is an absolutely stunning instrument! A real workhorse guitar with a versatile set of tones thanks to the pickup switching and coil tap options. As a baritone scale length guitar, it is designed for lower tunings whilst maintaining string tension and it does this very well. The Fusion Edge pickups combined with the Ash body give it a brighter sound than you might expect, but excellent clarity even when driven. Having played the early Iron Label guitars, this model is several steps ahead in terms of quality and playability. LOVE it!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Overall: I read some of these negative reviews and can't understand what they're talking about. This guitar is probably the best guitar for $200 I ever played , right out of the box it was setup perfectly. All I did was tune it , I've even got the same strings it came with. Which I normally change whenever I get a new guitar. The tuners are unbelievably tight , this guitar barely goes out of tune even if it has been sitting for weeks. Also I never attached the whammy bar , so I can't speak on that throwing it out of tune. Since I have over a dozen guitars I don't usually play it daily , but when I do it always makes me glad I purchased it. This is a very versatile guitar , I play mostly metal and this thing shreds. But I also play blues and it sounds just as good as my custom strat. I bought an Epiphone SG special in the same price range and let's just say the setup is night and day , the tuners absolutely sucked , "already replaced them" and the intonation was off. It was a mess , I've already put it on Craig's list and bought a G400 Pro instead , 10x better quality and setup , but I digress. I've got many high priced guitars but always go back to the GRX , the playability and neck feels so comfortable to play. The only thing I'm going to do eventually is throw in a Seymour Duncan humbucker and I'm definitely keeping this guitar. I don't know how Ibanez can sell this for $200 and keep the quality , but I'm certainly not going to complain. Whether you're a beginner or experienced this guitar delivers. Definitely will be purchasing another Ibanez down the road.Mike

Sound: Does not have the cleanest sound due to the picks. Putting the right pedals and effects in line and cranking up the distortion makes it an awesome beginner / intermediate metal guitar. Features: For the price the materials feel great. Ease of Use: It sounds great on my Fender Champion 20 or Positive Grid Spark amp. Not the cleanest tone but a great metal sound and extremely easy to play. Quality: It feels made well, especially in the $200 range. I feel like this is one I'll have for years and once I get better definitely see this is a good platform for future mods. Value: This guitar is excellent value and at this price an amazing guitar. Manufacturer Support: I have not dealt with Ibanez. The Wow Factor: I must admit the aesthetic. It's extremely hard to find good looking purple color-based guitars. If I could dream up what I want a guitar to look like this is it. It helps that its quality is awesome. Overall: I love this guitar. Purple is my favorite color and a hard one to find good guitars in. It looks great. It feels great and I have yet to find any significant issues with it. No problems with the frets or fret buzz. Action is easy and low. It sounds great with my Positive Grid Spark amp. The pickups sound great. The HSH setup is very versatile. Not the greatest with clean tones like my Stratocaster, but amazing with the right effects.Josh

Overall: Thanks again zZounds for fast, efficient service and your awesome payment plans! I've literally done the 'Pay To Play' thing with you guys about a dozen times now; I have some nice equipment that I would've had to save up for, or had to forego completely because of cost. Your return policy is awesome: the very few times I've ever gotten a defective product, you either replaced it promptly or refunded my money. Outstanding!!!Now, to the Ibanez AM 53: I am truly amazed at the quality that is present in this guitar for the $299.00 cost! First, lets hit the basic, "must-haves" for a playable & enjoyable guitar: 1. Truss rod adjusted properly; Yes! 2. Frets level, no dead spots, no sharp ends; Yes! 3. Electronics function quietly & correctly; Yes! 4. Decent, playable strings from factory; Yes! 5. Smooth, well-executed neck; Yes! Subjectively, I find the 'Matte Gloss' type of finish on this guitar beautiful. The finish is also objectively very easy on the hands, as the back of the neck is smooth, and easy to move around on. I find the sound from the pickups to be very good, especially at this price range. To my ears, they do lack a bit of 'sparkle', maybe, but it's not anything to complain about at this price! In fact, when I finally get around to changing pickups (if I do), they will cost approx 2/3 the cost of the whole guitar! The pickups sound good both clean and distorted, and with the Volume knob all the way up, along with the Tone backed down a bit gives a decent amount of 'growl' for a guitar of this style, especially into a decent tube amp. This guitar even sounds decent played purely acoustically: I love not necessarily needing to plug in just to try out an idea; I can get the feel of an electric while having a semblance of the sound of a real acoustic. My friend has an acoustic guitar amp, and I can't wait to hear it through that. Overall, easily one of the best purchases of a new guitar I've ever made. Highly Recommended!Jeffrey

The Ibanez Artcore Expressionist Series is an exceptional line. The AG95 was over sold by Ibanez and a new one, (NIB) w/tags is now hard to find. I bought one of the last from Munro Music In NY – a wonderful music store to do business with. There were currently only a few remaining in The States and Munro Music had one. I bought it and I Love it. Never played a guitar with flat-wound strings, so I thought I'd give it a try. Very smooth with tons of tone and sustain. The body is not as big as a Byrdland and overall easier to handle. The electronics are clean with plenty of roll-on room. The 22 frets on the AS93 are a bit easier to access than the AG95. But, if you want a Gibson Byrdland and can't quite afford one, you can't go wrong with this guitar. Absolutely exceptional.practicalityplus_01

These Ibanez jazz archtops are mind-blowing excellent bang-for-buck value. Now all i've got to do is learn to play the thing, :)) watch out Joe Pass here i come! There's only room for one Joe in this here town. (Seriously, the guitar arrived perfectly set up action-wise, yes, slightly out of tune, detuned during transit, but once corrected, what a beautifully crafted instrument even though the top and back aren't genuine hand carved, but who cares? Not me. The way it plays and sounds both unplugged and plugged in is simply stunning. Man, I love it… Ibanez, you guys are tops! :))Josh F.

Overall: I read some of these negative reviews and can't understand what they're talking about. This guitar is probably the best guitar for $200 I ever played , right out of the box it was setup perfectly. All I did was tune it , I've even got the same strings it came with. Which I normally change whenever I get a new guitar. The tuners are unbelievably tight , this guitar barely goes out of tune even if it has been sitting for weeks. Also I never attached the whammy bar , so I can't speak on that throwing it out of tune. Since I have over a dozen guitars I don't usually play it daily , but when I do it always makes me glad I purchased it. This is a very versatile guitar , I play mostly metal and this thing shreds. But I also play blues and it sounds just as good as my custom strat. I bought an Epiphone SG special in the same price range and let's just say the setup is night and day , the tuners absolutely sucked , "already replaced them" and the intonation was off. It was a mess , I've already put it on Craig's list and bought a G400 Pro instead , 10x better quality and setup , but I digress. I've got many high priced guitars but always go back to the GRX , the playability and neck feels so comfortable to play. The only thing I'm going to do eventually is throw in a Seymour Duncan humbucker and I'm definitely keeping this guitar. I don't know how Ibanez can sell this for $200 and keep the quality , but I'm certainly not going to complain. Whether you're a beginner or experienced this guitar delivers. Definitely will be purchasing another Ibanez down the road.Mike

There is a lot to say about this guitar. First of all, it's a great electric guitar for it's price range. I like the versatility it offers with 2 Humbuckers and 1 Lead pickup. So many tones are possible and with the whammy bar- even more. I'd watch using the tremolo system too much because the strings could go out of tune. I love to practice and create songs on mine. With the way the bridge is set up and the string-thru-body design, I am able to get the strings in tune in no time and the strings tend to stay in tune longer- even longer than my more expensive Jackson! The pickups give me a clear and great tone also. The only thing that I will change about the guitar is the strings…(I'd like to put on D'Addario's NYXL .09/.42) Looks like I'll be playing an Ibanez for a long time.Chaz

Sound: Does not have the cleanest sound due to the picks. Putting the right pedals and effects in line and cranking up the distortion makes it an awesome beginner / intermediate metal guitar. Features: For the price the materials feel great. Ease of Use: It sounds great on my Fender Champion 20 or Positive Grid Spark amp. Not the cleanest tone but a great metal sound and extremely easy to play. Quality: It feels made well, especially in the $200 range. I feel like this is one I'll have for years and once I get better definitely see this is a good platform for future mods. Value: This guitar is excellent value and at this price an amazing guitar. Manufacturer Support: I have not dealt with Ibanez. The Wow Factor: I must admit the aesthetic. It's extremely hard to find good looking purple color-based guitars. If I could dream up what I want a guitar to look like this is it. It helps that its quality is awesome. Overall: I love this guitar. Purple is my favorite color and a hard one to find good guitars in. It looks great. It feels great and I have yet to find any significant issues with it. No problems with the frets or fret buzz. Action is easy and low. It sounds great with my Positive Grid Spark amp. The pickups sound great. The HSH setup is very versatile. Not the greatest with clean tones like my Stratocaster, but amazing with the right effects.Josh

I always liked the Ibanez instruments and products. This guitar for the money has a great sound, is light and small, very practical for people with small hands, or for children. Playability is nice, the pickups are good, hardware is good. It's versatile also for all types of genre's. Ideal for rock and metal, shreds real nice. If you're looking for a good but inexpensive guitar, this one is a good purchase. It's not only for beginners, it's for all level players.John

Classic Ibanez body shape, neck, tuners and lightweight, like a scaled down Soundgear (SGR) series only sans the unnecessary active bass junk. Knobs are solid metal, not cheap plastic ones found on other low end Ibanez basses. Only thing bass needed out of box was intonation set. No neck adjustments needed and no significant buzz. Strings are round wound (my pref). Would not recommend this bass if you think you need (tone killing) flat wound. I'm not aware of anyone making flatwound strings for a 28.6" scale bass. Note: scale length of this bass (28.6") is shorter than typical short scale (30"). The strings on it are proprietary (Ibanez). You might be able to make some cut down long scale strings work (pain, wouldn't recommend) but the proprietary Ibanez strings are the way to go. MF doesn't sell them for some reason. You can find them online for a very reasonable price online. Buy a couple of extra sets. Pickups are jazz bass style and config (two volumes + one tone) which is my pref. I had zero issues with tone or volume controls. Pickups are all passive. Yah! And tone sounds great, classic jazz bass tones available including a nice Jaco-ish tone with 100% bridge pickup and tone rolled way down. Be wary of review comments from guitar players that don't play bass and buy this bass and suddenly have a lot of opinions about what this bass should and shouldn't be. This bass does not need the bridge, pickups, tuners or electronics replaced to make it a "pro" instrument. All this bass needs to be a "pro" instrument, is a "pro" player playing it. Tone is in your fingers. I highly recommend for beginners and I think experienced players will dig it as well, especially those that appreciate shorter scale instruments.mark5211

Just an all round excellent guitar. Great action, tone is fantastic and looks absolutely fantastic with the Matt sea green foam look.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I didn't buy mine through Musicians Friend but I recently bought mine and I'm madly in love with it. First off it looks nothing like the pictures here. The grain pattern is wildly different from this picture. It's gorgeous. Everyone I show it to falls in love with it. Also the roasted maple neck is way darker and looks so sexy. If you're expecting a traditional Ibanez playing experience this is not your guitar. The neck is super thick but crazy comfortable and easy to play on. I hear everyone comparing it to a Fender modern C neck but it feels way more like a Les Paul neck or to be exact it feels exactly like the PRS SE Holcomb whereas it has a wider 20' radius on it so the two feel almost identical. Yes you can absolutely play fast on it. It's smooth, it's fast, it's amazing. Ok now I'm not sure if you're familiar with Suhr but I think somebody at Ibanez bought one and suddenly took instant inspiration from it because the two Suhr are alike (see what I did there? Lol). I mean come on the knobs are even the same lol. Which those knobs are really fantastic. If you like to fiddle knobs and flip switches when you play these are definitely killer too use from the top grip and overall feel of them. When comparing this to a Suhr does it feel like a $5k Suhr? No, of course not but it really does come close. The thing I like more about the Ibanez though is the tremendous versatility if the ten different pickup combinations via the two switches. There's not a single tone that you can't get with this guitar and it does it amazingly well. It definitely does metal but at the same time I beats the majority of single coil tones I've gotten from Tex Mex loaded USA strats. This guitar does it all. Another thing that really surprised and impressed me was the amount of resonance and sustain.The Guitar and Gear Addict

This is a very versatile guitar and is able to cover all of most guitarist needs. The roasted maple neck is perfect for this guitar. The pickups are very balanced and play clean very well. The pickups have enough output to play high gain or distortion if you need it. You can get a single coil Strat like tone with this guitar. With the selector switch and the added series / paralel switch you get 10 different tones. Limitless possibilities for a guitarist.deepspacecowboy111

Great looking guitar and sounded good out of the box. I'm just learning guitar and was very happy with it over all. My brother has a band and has played guitar for years and he was impressed with it. He said he would take it from me if it wasn't a left handed guitar. looking forward to learning how to play itcalwayne

I'm just learning how to play guitar. This is a well made instrument. My brother plays guitar and said if I didn't learn to play it he would use it in his band. The sound was good and the finish is greatcalwayne

Bought this guitar for the jazz songs we do in our band. It's also great for the blues. Powerful pickups. Played great right out of the box.dale57strat

masterfully crafted all prestige guitars are amazing this one sounds amazing and I love the big e/f string hole on the backcj

Overall: I am a big fan of the RG guitar series by Ibanez, and I've wanted to dive into 8 string playing for the metal and tapping options. I must say the trickiest thing about this guitar is just finding out how to make tones (probably the same for most 8-strings). You really just have to cut out the bass a bit. Aside from the learning curve of tone-making, the playability and the coil tap are amazing features on this. The neck is quick, like most RG's, and the finish is more interesting than a normal, matte black. This thing is one of my favorite guitars to play!Eduardo

Came in original unopened packaging. Pristine condition! Very pleased with the purchase and how it shipped. The guitar plays beautifully, too.VINCENT

The MCO ibanez represents years of detail and refinement for the player at heart. If your looking for something to hang on the wall for art…..this is not it! This guitar was made to play your ass off on! Best guitar I’ve ever owned! I will never sell!Johnny

I've got a fanned fret Ibanez bass so I wanted a fanned fret guitar for my collection as well. Owning 6 Ibanez guitars and basses, I knew that the RGD61ALMS would be a high quality instrument. All I can say is WOW !!! The action was a bit high when I got it, but after a few adjustments (after 40 years I can do these things myself) my guitar plays perfectly. And the Fishman pickups are AWESOME ! The push/pull volume knob works like a coil splitter without the 60 cycle hum. They're very powerful, but if you're playing through a tube amp, all you have to do is cut back on the volume knob and they clean right up. Glad I ordered mine early from Musician's Friend 'cause all of the other sites don't have them in stock yet.Iggy

I had a feeling that the fan frets on a guitar would help with a malformed fretting hand and this guitar does so. I'm able to play with less problems and I'm pleased with the construction/features of this Ibanez Axion.Dave

Musím říct, že pro mě bylo překvapením jak dobře se na tuto kytaru hraje, zvlášť když uvážím příznivou cenu. Dalším velkým pozitivem je i výbava: Fishman Fluence Modern je prostě bezkonkurenční, mechaniky Gotoh, zámky Schaller atd. Nutno podotknout, že velmi statečně drží i při solidním podladění a při použití tenkých strun (9-46), problémy jsem zaznamenal až při Drop A#….Miroslav

All the things I will say here are just my opinions, because everybody's hands and ears are different. But, having said that, I do feel qualified to give an insightful review having worked full time in a guitar repair shop through much of the 90's. I was originally just going to buy a backup guitar for my Ibanez 7-string that I use onstage. But then I thought, why not have a little fun and push myself out of my comfort zone? I can stiil play all the same songs I play on my 7-string. So why not? I could tell right away I liked the design of RG8 (from the strighter-string pull headstock to the flat-mount bridge) better than the Schecter8 in the same price point. The RG8 came with D'Addario .09-.64 strings on it, and it felt very similar to playing a .10-.46 set of strings on a standard scale length guitar, bends and slides were no problem (as well as slapping and popping the lower strings). But plan on putting a heavier strings on this axe if you want to go any lower than F#, a .10-.74 set works well for chords and rhythm riffing. the RG8 sounds and plays almost more like a short-scale bass in this configuration, and rings out better as well. Ibanez seems to know where to give you the biggest bang -for the-buck, and thankfully, it seems to be in the construction of the neck. I have never seen a guitar in this price range with a five piece neck, that's for sure. The neck seems very stable and is either unfinished or has a very light sealer on it, it feels nice and satin-y, but I'm unsure how well this neck would do in extreme temperature changes. But, having said that, mine hasn't moved at all, even after a string change with a different brand and gauge. Of course, that means they need to skimp a little in other areas on the guitar, and the most obvious of course, are the pickups and electrontics. The stock pickups have a fairly clear tone and are little lower output than I was expecting (when compared to my 7-string with a Dimarzio Evolution in the bridge position). Luckily, these are easily replaceble, and not difficult to find at all. Seymour Duncan and EMG make perfect retro-fits for this guitar. I did disconnected the tone control from the volume knob, and it does actually make a small diffence in clarity in the tone. The tuning keys are of the no-name variety, and seem to work well, but the heavier strings I installed just barely fit through the hole in the key, and I thought I detected a small amount binding in their rotation afterwards. The 27" scale works well for keeping those lower notes clear and is really not that noticable for me except maybe in the lower regions of the neck (This is another reason I like the Ibanez design…Schecter has a 26.5" and LTD has a 25.5").I'm sure I will upgrade the pickups and electronics in the future, but overall, I'm excited about playing this guitar and the additional creativity it will bring.Locknutmonster

This guitar made me not only hate extended range, but music as a whole for a while. Ibanez as a brand is absolutely phenomenal, and I have been a fanboy of them since the moment I picked up guitar. This guitar delivers virtually nothing I expect from Ibanez – even the gio line. The rg8 series is plagued with shoddy craftsmanship, atrocious fretwork, horrendous out-of-box playability, and they just FEEL disgusting in the hand. An unfinished neck =/= an utterly raw neck. Such has been the case with each of the 6 individual rg8s I have played – when porous, grimy feeling, roughly sanded, horribly profiled necks that seem to fight your fretting hand with a samurai's zeal meet mile-high action that can only be nominally corrected due to atrociously leveled frets, the experience of playing an Ibanez RG8 can be likened moreso to the experience of trying to play a fretted shamisen. If ungodly fit and finish, horrible feel, and the flat plate bridge haven't turned you completely off, the disgustingly poor pickup choice should seal the deal. There are many things that these pickups aren't – but I can confirm that they are without character, flat, unimpressive, and unbalanced. Their response to gain is practically null. I have never enjoyed a tone that has come out of an rg8. tl;dr? run for the hills. or buy the entry level Jackson 8.mamasrockstar

I bought this for my 10 year old son. Left handed version. He loves it. Plays it everyday. The guitar looks and sounds great. I'm not a guitar expert but it seems to be good quality and good craftmanship.Will

I purchased the guitar as a back up guitar having purchased an Epiphone from AMS. I've had it about one month but have not used it much because I am waiting for delivery of a hard case. Not much information about which one fits a left handed Gio but found the W250 Ibanez case that should work. AMS did not have the case and ordered it from another company and still waiting for delivery. Not sure about expectations yet but I would likely change the pick-ups but otherwise its hard to tell whether this is an inexpensive or expensive electric guitar. Pretty satisfied right now.Rod