Mid Range Ibanez Recommendations Part 2

This year, is a good year for Ibanez lovers. This is a year of change. This is a year where players get choices which they normally don't on previous years. This is a year of Ibanez willingness to break out of it's norm shell and try something different. Lastly, this is the year which Ibanez offer to players out there, a choice of different tone wood, without causing a big hole in out pocket.

Part of this year's brilliance, I present to you the Ibanez RG470AH, a mid range Ibanez that isn't made with Basswood. Instead, this model sports a Swamp Ash body in beautiful natural satin finish. What makes this change so enticing then? Well, Ibanez has long been making RG from Basswood for it's mid range guitars which includes the famous RG550. There is nothing wrong with the mid range dominant Basswood and neither is it a bad tone wood for a guitar. However, not everyone of us likes Basswood or rather, few of us would like to have the option of some tonal differences. Swamp Ash offers more resonance across all frequency and might appear punchy to some. This is the exact difference compared to mid range dominant Basswood.

Coupled with this year's innovation is the introduction of the new mid range Ibanez Vibrato Tremolo bridge, the Edge Zero II.The new design provides tuning stability and gives the player the option of taking out the Zero system turning the bridge into a full floating tremolo. The bridge also has the advantage of buttery smooth action of pulling up and whamming down while the locking studs, which are once again being introduced with this new bridge, providing superior tuning stability.

For the uninitiated, Ibanez created a bridge that has a lot of tuning stability problems known as the Edge III(There are more which I shall not mention). For a list of the Ibanez Tremolo Vibrato bridges, click here to find out more about the different types of Ibanez Tremolo Vibrato bridges.

Ibanez also did a slight revamp on their Wizard II neck shape and equipped with this guitar is the Wizard III neck. It feels similar to the Wizard II however, with the exception of the extra meat at the sides, giving it a chunkier feel. Even though it is chunkier at the side compared to the Wizard II, it does also however feels "thinner" than the Wizard II due to the flatter back. Think of it in terms of a Thin U shape vs a Thin D shape profile. However, this is by no means a baseball bat neck of the Gibson and is by all means very shred-able.

It also features a 400mm radius (16") which is in my opinion the perfect balance for easy chording and scaling. 43mm nut width (the others being 42mm) provides a wider width for the neck giving sufficient string spacing for fast scale runs. Coupled with the maple neck is the rosewood fretboard which are slotted with Jumbo frets which allows almost effortless note fretting.

As usual with all the mid range Ibanez RG line are the pickups. The Ibanez INFs are pick ups with high output but gets really muddy and thin with high gain. As bad as I deemed them to be, they aren't totally unusable. Compared to guitars of similar price bracket, the pickups do sound way better. However with a pickup swap, this guitar will be a decent workhorse for professionals or professionals wannabes.

Generally, the production line from Ibanez's Indonesia plant has proved the test of time and is still producing great quality instruments of the price bracket. If you are in for a change, for something different from the typical Basswood Ibanez, do try one of these at your local Ibanez distributor today. You might just bring home a new member for the family.

Ibanez RG520QS "傷(Kizu)"

"傷(Kizu)" is probably the only one of my Ibanez guitars that doesn't follow my Dimarzio Evolutions configuration. The story started out with my friends giving me a Seymour Duncan Customs pickup for my birthday present in 2010. That is such an evil gift. Anyway, the rationale being, I wanted to build a guitar that might sound like Hizaki's(ヒザキ) guitar, which is an ESP Horizon III fitted with Seymour Duncan Jazz and Customs. But I didn't want an ESP guitar as I felt that the shape of the neck wasn't really to my liking.

At around the same time, there was an ebay auction of an RG520QS, my favorite non prestige RG model of all time. It sports a mahogany body with the standard Made in Japan Ibanez specs. So, after thinking it through, I bought it and had it shipped all the way from the United States to Singapore. When it arrived, I took a look at the guitar's condition and I nearly fainted. There were paint chips around the headstock and the neck had dings all over. The body of the guitar was sand out of shape and the sides of the quilted sapele veneer was being sand away. I knew I had to put my DIY skills into work again.

First thing I did was to dismantle everything and start with the most important part of the guitar, which is the neck. The dings were actually quite extensive and so, I decided to just refinish the neck, to my all favorite hand rubbed Tru-Oil finish. I removed the dings via the steam with hot iron and sand down the raised grain method. After that, I proceed in removing all the clear coat for re-coating of the neck. The neck was being refinished with 4 coats of hand rubbed tru-oil (for guides of doing this please click here)and being buffed down with rubbing compound for that baby butt smooth satin feel.

The next thing to tackle was the body. I initially re-sculpted part of the body with AB Epoxu and repainted the body with a black burst to cover up the veneer which the previous owner sanded away. However, that didn't turn out too well as rattle can sprays can only get me that far. Not to mention, the humidity of Singapore prevents the paint from drying rock hard. At about the same time, someone was selling a RG520QS body in Jemsite, condition almost intact save a few minor paint chips. After thinking about it, I decided that buying that body is way worth it than redoing up the current one, which I kind of hated. So, I bought the body, had it shipped all the way from United States to Singapore and began assembling the guitar.

At about the same time, I bought the neck pickup, Seymour Duncan Jazz from my local Seymour Duncan distributor, Davis GMC. The guitar was then quick assembled with all the hardware installed. I've also added a push pull coil tap pot for more tonal versatility. Mahogany and split humbucker actually gives of a pretty nice twang. The pickups being Alnico 5 based, is less hot compared to Dimarzio Evolutions ans is a tad bit too much on the highs. I've always been a lover of Ceramic based Pickups but this guitar gives me the option of a different tone on different days.

The neck, which is a Super Wizard neck measures 17mm on the first fret and 19mm on the 12th fret with a flat radius of 430mm and sports a Bulbinga stripe which isn't there for cosmetic reasons. It acts as a separate piece of hardwood to counteract the neck tension, therefore making it more resistance to neck warping. The thin profile of this guitar coupled with the flat radius of the fretboard makes shredding really easy. The action is set to a super sick action of 1mm on the 12 fret allowing players the lightest touch possible next to a scalloped neck. Due to the flat radius, players are also able to do high note bending effortlessly without choking the notes halfway.

The guitar got it's name "傷(Kizu)" mainly because the amount of scars it went through before I refinished it to a condition I am satisfied with. "傷(Kizu)" simply means scar in Japanese. In addition to the Seymour Duncan Customs and Jazz pickups, the guitar is also equipped with the Orange Drop and Treble Bleed mod.

Ibanez RG520QS "傷(Kizu)" Specs neck type: 3pc Made in Japan Super Wizard neck with Bulbinga Stipe fingerboard: Rosewood with dot inlay body: Transparent Rootbeer Mahogany body with Quilt Salepe Veneer fret: Jumbo frets bridge: Ibanez Original Edge Bridge neck pu: Seymour Duncan Jazz bridge pu: Seymour Duncan Customs Neck Specs Scale: 648mm/25.5" a : Width at Nut 43mm b : Width at Last Fret 54mm c: Thickness at 1st 17mm d : Thickness at 12th 19mm Radius: 430mmR

Seymour Duncan Jazz Neo classical by Adrian Goh

Ibanez Custom Jem 570 "紫心姫(Shishinhime)"

"紫心姫(Shishinhime)" started out as an Ibanez RG570SA which I've gotten for myself during my trip to Oklahoma USA. I bought this from Ebay and had it shipped over to my hostel in Oklahoma. I wanted an all original RG with super Wizard neck and Original Edge tremolo at that point of time.

I took the liberty of ordering a set of Dimarzio Evolutions while I was there, and had them fitted in once I was back in Singapore. There are no better place to buy Dimarzios. The guitar electronic parts were in bad shape and had to be given a total overhaul. All electronic parts are being changed into Gotoh while Orange drop and treble bleed mod is being added, as per all my other guitars. The guitar later went on being the same way for the next 2 years, without major change or whatsoever.

Recently, there is this seller on Ebay who was clearing his store of all the OEM Jem bodies that he has ever made. One of them is this one featured in the photo. It's made of Alder, Flame Maple and Purple heart. Now, how rare is that? Without second thoughts, I bought it and gave it 4 coats of Tru-Oil finish, bring out the luster of the wood. Unfortunately, the Purple heart, which was purple when it arrived has oxidized and faded to a dark brown shape with a hint of purple. Nonetheless, the body still looks awesome.







The good thing about the OEM Jem body is that it doesn't require me to dowel and redrill the neck. It actually fits like a glove. However, the things that I had to do was to sand down the router marks and fill up the wood chips with the wood dust i acquire from drilling the tremolo claw and stud holes. Especially those caused by routing.

This unique combination of wood gave the guitar a tone that is high on the treble side yet, thanks to the alder wings, it gives off tight and deep lows. This balance out the reflective harshness of the 2 hardwood, maple and purpleheart. Evolutions also sings beautifully with this body as it retains the warmth of the neck and the hotness of the bridge while at the same time being balanced out by the tone wood of the body, making it sound less muffed up compared to basswood.

The neck measures 17mm on the first fret and 19mm on the 12th fret with a flat radius of 430mm and sports a Bulbinga stripe which acts as a separate hardwood to counteracts the neck tension, therefore making it more resistance to neck warping. The thin profile of this guitar coupled with the flat radius of the fretboard makes this guitar a shredder's dream. The action is set to 1mm on the 12 fret giving players the lightest touch possible next to a scalloped neck. Due to the flat radius, players are also able to do high note bending effortlessly without choking the notes halfway.

This guitar got it's name from the purple heart body it sports. "紫心姫(Shishinhime)"means "Purple Heart Princess" in Japanese. As purple heart is a rare timber being used for guitar building, it seem that this would be the only fitting name for the guitar.

Ibanez Custom Jem 570 "紫心姫(Shishinhime)" Specs neck type: 3pc Made in Japan Super Wizard neck with Bulbinga Stipe fingerboard: Rosewood with dot inlay body: Alder, Maple and Purple heart with Hand Rubbed Oil Finish fret: Jumbo frets bridge: Ibanez Original Edge Bridge neck pu: Dimazio Evolution Neck bridge pu: Dimazio Evolution Bridge Neck Specs Scale: 648mm/25.5" a : Width at Nut 43mm b : Width at Last Fret 54mm c: Thickness at 1st 17mm d : Thickness at 12th 19mm Radius: 430mmR

Ibanez RG520EXQS "青鮫牙(Aosamega)"

"青鮫牙(Aosamega)" started out as a RG570EX neck I purchased from a guy who got it from Tom Lee music Hong Kong. Apparently, Tom Lee was selling Ibanez necks. I had a chance to try out an old RG550 and was deeply addicted to the super thin profile of the original wizard neck. At that time, I just bought Aohimaru "青火丸" and decided to just swap the neck over.



After swapping the neck over for a short while, I decided that I actually like the profile of the Made in Japan Wizard II neck and would prefer to keep the guitar as it is. I proceed in switching Aohimaru "青火丸" back to what it was, reinstalling the original neck.

I began hunting all over Ebay for a MIJ RG body and I happened to chanced upon a silver RG520 Body which was supposedly a RG520QS body, made of mahogany. I haven't own a mahogany bodied guitar up till that point and decided to try it anyway, considering that how rare it is at that time to get a Mahogany bodied RG.

I took a gamble, bought it and sanded it down. True enough, it was really a RG520QS, with that Quilted Salepe Veneer. I was astonished. This body later went on to house Ibanez RG(5)270DX "Frankenstein" . The body and neck has a colour mismatch but all is good for the time being. The guitar was then fitted with Dimarzio Evolutions (Since they are my all time favourite Pick ups). Surprising enough, the Evolution paired up nicely with the Mahogany. The warmth and the Treble of the Mahogany body paired up evenly with the Mid bass overdose of the Evolutions.

Recently, I've been surfing around for another guitar body to match up the color of the neck and eventually found a RG520QS that is in blue. The quilt on this body isn't as nice and more subtle but nonetheless, I wanted to retain the mahogany tone within this guitar. I went ahead and bought the guitar, transferred everything over and hence, "青鮫牙(Aosamega)" was born.

As all the parts used to construct this guitar are made in Japan parts, it is technically a made in Japan Guitar. Japanese craftsmanship is still evident in this guitar, in terms of the wood routed, painted and precision. The neck is actually an Ibanez Super Wizard Neck, the thinnest neck Ibanez has ever made and I would believe the thinnest among all electric guitars.

The neck measures 17mm on the first fret and 19mm on the 12th fret with a flat radius of 430mm. There was once, to my horror, I found lacquering flaking off the neck. I am pretty particular on stuff like that and I decided to just sand off everything, and refinished to my favourite neck finish. Hand rubbed oil finish. The neck has aged to a golden hue thus far but nonetheless, baby butt smooth. My favourite part about the Super Wizards is that it also sports a Bulbinga stripe at the back and not because of cosmetic reason. The Bulbinga stripe acts as a separate hardwood that counteracts the neck tension, therefore making it more resistance to neck warping.

This guitar got it's name "青鮫牙(Aosamega)" from the way it looks. "青鮫牙(Aosamega)" means Blue Shark Fang in Japanese. RG570EX necks are fitted with mirror shark tooth inlays and since the color of the guitar is blue , I decided to just call it Blue Shark Fang. In addition to the Evolutions, the guitar is also equipped with the Orange Drop and Treble Bleed mod.





Ibanez RG520EXQS "青鮫牙(Aosamega)" Specs
neck type: 3pc Made in Japan Super Wizard neck with Bulbinga Stipe
fingerboard: Rosewood with dot inlay
body: Transparent blue Mahogany body with Quilt Salepe Veneer
fret: Jumbo frets
bridge: Ibanez Original Edge Bridge
neck pu: Dimazio Evolution Neck
bridge pu: Dimazio Evolution Bridge

Neck Specs
Scale: 648mm/25.5"
a : Width at Nut 43mm
b : Width at Last Fret 54mm
c: Thickness at 1st 17mm
d : Thickness at 12th 19mm
Radius: 430mmR

Mid Range Ibanez Recommendations Part 1

RG370DX


Whenever I am being presented with questions from eager guitar players or potential rock stars in training on which mid range Ibanez I will recommend to them that would last them a long while, without a shout of a doubt, The RG350/370 is the first thing that comes to my mind. Take note that I will only recommend those that are equipped with the Edge Zero II bridge but not those that comes with the Edge III. The ones with Edge Zero II bridge are the ones that are made from 2011 onwards. For the uninitiated, Ibanez created a bridge that has a lot of tuning stability problems known as the Edge III(There are more which I shall not mention). For a list of the Ibanez Tremolo Vibrato bridges, click here to find out more about the different types of Ibanez Tremolo Vibrato bridges.

RG350EX


The Ibanez RG350/370 features a Wizard III neck, sporting a thin profile of 19mm on the first fret while 21mm on the 21 fret. The difference between the Wizard III and the previous non Japan made Wizard II will be the extra meat at the sides of the neck, giving it a chunkier feel. Now, even though it feels chunkier compared to the previous incarnation, it does also however feels "thinner" than the Wizard II. Think of it in terms of a Thin U shape vs a Thin D shape profile. However, this is by no means a baseball bat neck of the Gibson and is by all means very shred-able.

It also features a 400mm radius (16") which is in my opinion the perfect balance for easy chording and scaling. 43mm nut width (the others being 42mm) provides a wider width for the neck giving sufficient string spacing for fast scale runs.

Often favored by shredders, the rosewood or maple fretboard also comes slotted with Jumbo frets which allows easier note fretting.

RG350M YE


The guitar comes equipped with a Basswood body which is being used by many famous guitar virtuosos as their main choice of wood such as Paul Gilbert, Joe Satrani and John Pettrucci. Basswood is deemed as a neutral sounding wood giving a lot of potential to the voicing of the pick ups. Additionally, Basswood is lightweight and is perfect for Floyd Rose tremolo equipped guitars, allowing the player to withstand hours performing on stage with the guitar strap on.

Lastly, what differentiates this model from it's previous incarnations is the more than decent Ibanez designed Edge Zero II bridge comes equipped with this Guitar. Not only does it provides tuning stability, it also provides the player the option of taking out the Zero system turning the bridge into a full floating tremolo. The bridge also has the advantage of buttery smooth action of pulling up and whamming down while locking studs, which are once again being introduced with this new bridge, providing superior tuning stability.

The only downside of this model is the pick ups that it comes installed with. The Ibanez INFs are pick ups with high output but gets really muddy and thin with high gain. As bad as I think they are, they aren't actually totally unusable. Still much better compared to a lot of mid range pick ups out there. However with a pick up swap, this will turn the story around making this guitar scream with high playability.

I personally believe that even though the guitar is made in Indonesia, the quality control of the Indonesia Ibanez plant is good and in fact superior to most Korean and Chinese plant. This guitar has very well the potential to be the new Holy grail of the mid range Ibanez guitars, like the RG550 which has rock the planet of our yesteryear.