RGA121 Review

The RGA121 has a 24-fret thin, flat and fast Wizard Prestige neck, a Gibraltar Plus bridge, and Ibanez pickups. Pickups and pickup placement provide the hard-edged cutting tone needed for heavy rock.

Features:	8.6
Sound:	8.4
Action:	9.8
Reliability:	9.4
Impression:	9.6
Overall rating:	9.2
Users rating:	7.3
Comments:	30

Featured review by: unregistered, on july 31, 2006

Price paid: $ 948

Purchased from: LA Music

Features: This guitar is pretty basic when it comes to features. It's got a massive fixed bridge, 1 volume/1 tone control. The body is made of maple/mahogany, which provides some nice sustain. It's got the typical Ibanez 3 pc Wizard neck and thats about it. It's a solid guitar, but could have a few more features. // 7

Sound: This guitar is awesome sounding, I play all kinds of metal (Dream Theater, Rhapsody, Maiden). As I said, the sustain is great. My only complaint is the IBZ 7 stock bridge pick up, really muddy sound with no definition, but it can be easily replaced (once I get the money). The neck IBZ 8 pickup is great, awesome for shredding. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: I can't really tell you how it was set up from the factory, the shop I bought it from set it up for me, and did a great job. Everything on this guitar was perfect. The finish is very nice, its like a solid hunk of wood. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This feels like a very solid guitar overall. The hardware seems like it'll last a long long time. I'd definetley use this guitar for a gig without a backup, it seems very well made. The finish looks to be very durable, though I worry about the wood getting stained after repeated use. // 9

Impression: I play metal, and this is the perfect match for me, Ibanez knows their metal. I've been playing for around 4 years, and own a BC Rich Warlock and Squier Strat (crap) and this guitar blows them both out of the water. In the event that this was stolen, I would replace it. Its such a solid/good sounding guitar, and plays so well. // 9

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: S0up, on march 01, 2007

Price paid: $ 899.99

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: I'm a simple person when it comes to guitars. It has just one volume knob, one tone knob, a 5 way selector Switch, low action, Gibraltar Plus bridge, the Wizard 1 neck, and DiMarzio made V7/V8 pickups. The body is made of mahogany, the top is made of maple, and the fretboard is made of rosewood. The hard shell case that comes with it is also very nice and form fitting. Probably one of the best cases I've seen. It's a pretty straight forward guitar with no gimmicks. // 10

Sound: I play strictly death, melodic, and progressive metal and in my opinion the pick ups that come with the guitar are crap, but I bought the guitar with complete intentions with putting active EMGs in it. Once I had the EMGs installed it sounds great. Yet, because of the pick ups that come with the guitar I'm going to rate this section low. The V7/V8 pick ups are muddy and have no bite. The guitar is not noisy at all though for a low action guitar. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: It's an Ibanez Prestige guitar which is hand crafted in Japan. So the factory set up is great. Have no reason to get it fixed anytime soon. Everything fits in the guitar well and the input jack sits inside the guitar, which is a big plus in my book. The rosewood fretboard feels amazing. It feels almost as if you're pressing down on something that isn't solid. The over feel of the neck and the guitar is great. Real smooth and very sleek looking as well. The bridge is also very nice and never had a tuning problem, even with the down tuning I play in. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've had no problems durability wise. No problems with the finish or anything at all. They installed the input jack so it won't get loose and the bridge is very stable. Playing this guitar Live suffers no problems and the strap buttons are screwed in very well. I would never put strap locks into this guitar. It's a J-Custom! What do you expect? // 10

Impression: Great, great, great guitar. I've been playing for about 8 years and this is the best guitar I've bought. Once I had the pick ups taken out I was amazed by how great the guitar became. The feeling of the neck of the guitar is definetly what attracted me to this guitar and is still my favorite feature. If the guitar was to be stolen I would replace it in a heart beat. On a side note though, if you own this guitar and wish to get active EMGs isntalled you will need a 3-way selector slider, and to route the pick ups a bit. Don't route the pick up hole on the guitar, just take some sand paper and take of a hair's length on the pick ups themselves. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: Resurrected22, on november 26, 2008

Price paid: $ 900

Purchased from: Drumcityguitarland.com

Features: This guitar is pretty basic. It's got a gilbraltar fixed bridge, 1 volume/1 tone control. The body is made of maple/mahogany, which provides some nice sustain. the neck is super thin and damn near impossible to get sticky. even when your sweating your fingers never stick to it. // 9

Sound: I play a lot of metal and hard rock stuff and it's perfect for it. I run mine through a marshal stack and mess around with a Line 6 spider 3 when warming up or goofing off. the sound is amazing and the stock pups are not to bad. I think they sound really good clean. thinking about replacing them with some duncan blackouts though. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Not sure about how it came from the factory. the place I ordered it from set it up to my specs to it was spot on. I like this fixed bridge more than any other I have played. the intonation never goes out. I went from Standard tuning to C tuning with a dropped C to A and the intonation is still spot on. Pickups were adjusted perfect and the finish is amazing. I love the violin flat but heard that it scratches easily so I got the cranberry sparkle one. It's really nice and tough to scratch. there were no flaws what so ever. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is a beast and very well put together. I was interested in the Prestige because I heard there quality is amazing and for the money this is the sturdiest and highest quality Ibanez I have played. The hardware is extremely solid and straps perfect as well. This guitar took me the longest to break in but after that it's amazing. The action is very very low and I have 12-56's on this baby. Everything is extrememly well put together and you get a free case with it. The case is hands down the best I have ever seen and I never order a guitar without getting a hardshell case for it. If your looking for a simple yet amazing playing shred machine then this is a really nice buy. You will not be dissappointed. // 10

Impression: This was the first Ibanez that I bought which actually met my standards. I have been playing for about 8 or 9 years, and had many different guitars from Ibanez. The craftsmanship is amazing. I love the way you can fly up and down the neck. It's truly a work of art. If it were stolen I would replace it with the violin flat finish and just try to be careful not to ding it. Like pups are pretty much that jack of all music styles in my opinion. they can do a little of everything but being that I play most metal I will be replacing them soon. I was thinking about getting this or the RGA321 and just could spend that extra dough for more less the same guitar. This guitar is amazing and a joy to play. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 03, 2008

Purchased from: Guitar Village

Features: This Ibanez was made in japan which is a plus, it has 24 jumbo frets I believe, it is the Violin Flat version which is a red finish but you cn still see the wood. It has a 5pc Wizard Maple/Walnut neck and a Mahogany body, the bridge is a Gibraltar Plus bridge. The Pickups are the V7 and V8 both humbuckers, they are suppose to be made by dimarzio I think but don't count on that. 5-way selector, there is no locked trem on this guitar as it has no trem bar which makes sense. I bought this from Guitar Village and they provided me with a Ibanez Prestige hard case which I must say is pretty damn good, however there was no strap in there just a 'Manual'. // 8

Sound: Well I mainly play Metal and hard rock and I feel this is perfect, I own a Gibson SG and Jackson Charvel also and I have to say this guitar is my favourite. The neck is probably the smoothest, fastest neck I have ever tried but I was expecting that as it is a Prestige Neck. I play Extreme, Testament, Megadeth, Metallica, Paul Gilbert stuff and it's perfect for it. I am using a Marshall 100DFX and a MT2 with it and it sounds perfect for hard rock and metal, The neck pickup is great for lead runs and fast shredding, I feel the bridge pickup is pretty good as well seen as quite a few people slate it, I personally found it decent. The guitar is versatile, it sounds great on the clean channel as well as a distorted one and I think it would fit many styles such as Jazz for example. Metal riffs sound great on this guitar too, any Metallica, Megadeth stuff is just right. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar came in tune and set up very well, the action is low and pretty much perfect which I found great seen as my previous guitars had a fairly high action. The pickups were set up fine, the guitar had no flaws at all and I'm still using the strings they put on, whatever they are they sound good. I feel that it had been well looked after at guitar village as there is no scratches or marks, and I have heard that it's not hard to mark this guitar due to it's natural finish. The bridge was also fitted perfectly, infact the bridge is a real nice part of the guitar it's easy to play metal riffs on it and it sounds great. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I reckon the guitar will take Live playing and I certainly would have this as my first choice if I was playing Live. I think the hardware will last but I have only had it for a month so difficult to say, the strap buttons are very solid. I would take a backup guitar to a gig but that's just because I believe in doing that as anything could happen, but I would depend on this guitar and it would always be my first choice for a gig. The finish is fine right now but as I say there has been comments that the finish does wear off at the back, I personally haven't experianced this yet. // 8

Impression: It fits rock and metal perfectly, it would also fit death metal and or any heavy stuff especially if you throw in some heavy gauge strings, it would sound amazing with the Gibralter bridge, it would be fine for jazz as well though it's versatile for sure. I have been playing almost 3 years now and there are a fair few guitars in my house including Gibson Les Paul, Fender Korean Strat, Charvel, Gibson SG, Washburn Acoustic and this Ibanez is my top choice, it has the best neck iv ever played. I knew a fair bit about the product before buying by reading a lot of reviews and I also called up Guitar Village and had a chat, I will say though do not be swayed by the negative comments on the bridge pickups (the V8 'I think') because it can be a little noisy but it still sounds great. If it was stolen or lost I would definately replace it, it's something I need now. I love everything about it really, I originally thought about getting an Ibanez with a locked trem but when I saw this I had my mind fixed on it and I'm happy that happened. It was difficult for me to find a store which had this guitar so I could try it, but I just tried other similar Ibanez's as they had similar specifications, I liked them quite a lot as well infact I am quite a fan of Ibanez now. However Overall, it was a great purchase, the case rocks and I would never sell it, it's brilliant. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on september 15, 2008

Price paid: A$ 1800

Purchased from: Online store

Features: This is a beautiful Japanese made guitar, with the fantastic Ibanez wizard prestige neck. It's a pretty simple package with one tone and volume knob, but that's all you really need for this guitar! The body is awesome, just a big bit of solid wood -like how all guitars should be! For the fret hungry it has 24 Jumbo frets with inlayed Pearl dots. The bridge is also a simple but effective Gibraltor Plus bridge, removing all the complications of a Floyd Rose. Tuners are Gotoh and pretty good, can't complain. Comes with a custom made, great fitting J-Team case. // 9

Sound: I generally play lead on this guitar and it works well with heavy riffs and solos. But I tried using it in a Jazz band and the tonality was a bit of a let down coming out with a muddy and unrich sound on the V7 pickup. The V8 on the otherhand was too sharp and bright. This guitar works best and is made for metal thrashing songs, where it sounds brilliant! So unless you play more of the heavy genre's don't go for this gat. I use this Gat most days with a mean Fender amp, but I tried it with this beastly Line 6 the other day. Whoa. Hard core sounds brother. Watch out. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The RGA121 was pretty well set-up coming straight from the factory to my hot little hands. Everything was just perfect! As it's a wood finish, the natural wood lines were a bit of a gamble. But every one of these guitars look great. I choose the Violin Flat and maate it looks good! The guys at the Japan factory know how to make these guitars well, so it was just spot on when it arrived. 12 months on and pretty much everything is still pretty tight. The neck is by far it's best feature, I've never played on a better neck! it's absolutely quality. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I definitely use this guitar for Live playing, No Doubt that this is always my first choice. I take risks so I don't bother with back ups anymore. My other gat I installed strap locks so I was sweet when I did a guitar swing, but I've found in this guitar that the strap buttons are well screwed on I wouldn't dare chuck them in. They're a nice size so I've actually never found a reason to install strap locks. The finish is mint, and hasn't worn off after my usage of 12 months. // 10

Impression: This guitar is pretty Stellar for it's price, nice and simple. But definitely effective. I played quite a mixed variety of music and this gat seems to fit mostly heavy stuff best, fortunately that's what I love the most. I've been playing for about 6 years, dabbling between lead, rhythm, classical and jazz. Love all the styles, but I get the most excited about playing lead and rhythm cos I get to use this gat. I would definitely replace this gat in the blink of an eye if it were to disappear. I love the look and the ease of playing it. Only thing I mildy dislike is the pickups but that can be sorted easily if I can be bothered. I looked at Gibson SGs, ESPs, LTDs, teles, strats and jacksons before I picked this one. Definitely worth it. // 10

Comments

[fullmetaltrash]

what bridge is that?

[mistique_007]

I am Highly Impressed .....Whats the Exact Cost

[Robert_Terry]

fullmetaltrash wrote:

what bridge is that?

if you read the 1st couple of words on the page
"Gibraltar Plus bridge"

[Padenbang]

Ibanez guitars rock. This guitar looks pretty simplistic but with those pickups and ibanez's power it probably has pretty awesome sound! Rock On!!!!!

Checked.

And No posting positions.

[Deadeye_X7]

I have an RG 370DX myself. Not quite the same, but mine's got a floyd rose. Comes with Ibanez infinity 4 pickups *drools* it's got hella good tone although they're not emg's... And it's black

[orangeacid]

Are gilbratars the ones that mimic the feel of Edge bridges? I've heard good things about them... They feel quite nice, or so I hear.

[Dizzy772]

I have a 7-string Washburn WG-587V with the sametone/vol knobs and the switch, it also has the two upper and lower pickups, but mine has a fifth one in the middle too

[Wooden_Pints]

I own one of those.

Actually it's the exact same oas the picture.

I have to say it's one of the best guitars i've ever played.

[#1 nirvana fan]

i have an ibanez S470DXQM and have had a few problems, but probably very unlikely ones at that. this review was quite helpful, and i think that its a beautiful guitar. i dont see why they didnt put a floyd style trem for that much money, but other thatn that sounds like a great guitar.

[Arkane]

I own this guitar, and i can officially say that i have no need to own any other guitar after playing this thing for a couple years. This guitar is perfect for metal..wizard necks are king.

[SolaceMarine]

Deadeye_X7 is right
those INF 4 pick ups are great
they give you a great clean tone when you need it too
i recently saw a used guitar with those in it, i hated the body and the neck of the guitar but i bought it just for those pick ups

[ArcherTheVMan]

i love RGs in their every form.

[naked snake]

i think the guitar is great ive got a roadstar 2 series ibanez and it is a rock great for all types of music especially blues and rock. im not totally into the wood body as it makes the guitar look a tad cheap and basic but id put my money on that it is better than my roadstar 2 anyday

[Ollie_Geet]

This guitar just takes the biscuit
I played on it in a guitar shop in liverpool, england and i was just amazed!
i will be definately getting this guitar
this is perfect for metal!!! the wizard neck does just kick ass!!!
its so easy to get them long "killswtich" stretches in.

[AtrumArx]

I played this guitar last night. It was amazing. I'd have no problem purchasing it if I had the money.

[rockon200]

o yes cant wait to get my hands on one of these beasts! just orderd one , come on witht the shredding! please someone give me some feedback on the pickups though because i hav heard quite alot of critisism about them, and if i should look to upgrade them? and by the way if anyone wants to buy one the cheapest deal that i found was on imuso.co.uk, £530 inculding prestige hard case

[wesania]

check it out a guitar center... tell them you found it for about 680.. thats how much i got mine for with the case

[ItsJustChange]

yehaa, Im going to by one of these next week!

[RG_FANMAN]

Yo! Is $650 good for one of these new? Found one at GC for 650 in natural flat.

[ZippoTragedy]

$450 w/o Case.
$650 w/ Ibanez J-Team Case.
(Case rocks - highly recommended)

Picked this up tonight. Very impressed.
Finish is natural - makes custom paint jobs easier.

Solid AAA Maple top gives this axe plenty of sustain.
PUP's - eee, ok - not horrible, not fantastic.
(Passive, for starters)

PUP selection is really a function of style, preference and amp type. If you're using a high-gain tube amp (5150, Road King, JCM800) etc. - you don't need super high-gain PUPs - you'll get some nice tones with lower output PUPs in some instances (lower doesn't mean whimpy).

Neck is slick - same neck as on JEM777. Very fast.
Tone is good - sustain is excellent (AAA maple top).
I was impressed to see the actual layering of the woods - the maple top is quite thick (1+ inches).
Action is outstanding.

I found the tone to be a bit brighter than some of my other guitars (obviously different PUPs involved). It took a little getting used to (tonally).

Body profile is shaped - which is a huge plus.
The first thing that strikes you when holding this guitar is it's extremely playable and light...Width of the body is perceptually smaller than most other guitars in its class - especially due to the shaped back, which contours nicely to your body.

I picked up the guitar on the cheap @ GC - $450.
Kind of comical that the Prestige J-Team case was an additional $150 - but, yes, it's that nice. Highly recommended.

May buy a second one and mod it for giggles.
Obvious mod would be PUP change - X2N or Tone Pro - kind of undecided - especially on what to pair with them.

5-Way selector switch is nice.
Hope there's not a huge problem swapping PUPs with the 5-way.

I actually like one tone knob and one volume - I control all that stuff on my amp pedals, so why complicate things even more. Simple is good.

8 / 10 (Recommended)


Best $600 I've spent in a long time.

[donfeliz]

is the bridge height adjustable? it seems like it is but Im not positive.....

[primitive]

the RGA121 is like the exact guitar of matt bachand of shadows fall. but in diff. pick-ups, he use EMG's
and the massive gibraltar bridge is great for low downs. he also had this guiatr with EMG's on it.

[Resurrected22]

donfeliz wrote:

is the bridge height adjustable? it seems like it is but Im not positive.....

yep

[darkeskater]

What is the neck? Neck through? Set? Bolt-on? I've been trying to figure that out, but I haven't found anything that says it. Since I never get on here, just email me at [e-mail]

[saint_berzerker]

darkeskater wrote:

What is the neck? Neck through? Set? Bolt-on? I've been trying to figure that out, but I haven't found anything that says it. Since I never get on here, just email me at [e-mail]

Bolt on....nice shaped heel, no bulky block neck joint.

[saint_berzerker]

Best guitar I've ever had, and I've had a few. Better than my Japanese RG550. Prestiges are just flawless.

[SPBY]

I've played the Matt Bachand guitar, the RGA121 is much better and the emg's in his guitar sound terrible. i did play the less expensive version of it so the type of bridge could effect its tone, but i think that even the stock pickups on the RGA sound better than Bachand's guitar.

[primitive]

ey spby maybe your not comfortable playing on standard d. coz the mbm (matt bachand model) is factory tune on that or maybe the 9 volts of the emg has drained because that guitar is very good and expensive you said you play the less expensive the diff of the other it is made in japan like the rga 121. by the way the rga 121 is the blueprint of the mbm1.

[Parkesie959]

#1 nirvana fan wrote:

i have an ibanez S470DXQM and have had a few problems, but probably very unlikely ones at that. this review was quite helpful, and i think that its a beautiful guitar. i dont see why they didnt put a floyd style trem for that much money, but other thatn that sounds like a great guitar.

Some people don't like tremolos. *Cough*Paul Gilbert*cough*