NGD - RGT42FXQM-TGB

[screamndemon69]

No big suprise here, alot of you already knew from some of my previous posts I was getting this one.
Here's a brief introduction that I'm sure alot of you can relate to


One day a couple years ago I picked up and played an RGT42fx (flat blk with green wedge inlays) in this small music store locally and liked the neck shape and over all feel of the guitar. They were asking more than I wanted to part with at the time so I passed but I always thought about that guitar. A couple years later (last week) I finally ran across a NOS on a "scratch and dent" list for far less than the first one I played at the local store.

I ordered a new M100c case with it. This is the first blue interior molded Ibanez case I've ever had strangely enough. It's nicer than I thought it would be and has a great fit. Anyone know what year Ibanez started using them instead of the old black interior ones?

I did find it humorous that the guitar and case shipped to me in the same large box but both were boxed seperately inside the large box. Gotta love big online super stores.


I haven't logged in much time yet with this guitar but my first impressions are very favorable.


OK, on to pics. I'm no photographer so bear with me here.

[screamndemon69]

The neck feels nice, not as thin as an orginal Wizard but thinner than an Ultra. The frets ends need a touch but they aren't bad. I wasn't expecting MIJ Prestige frets but again, these aren't bad. The woodgrain looks nice on the rosewood and the offset dots are one of my more personal favorite place for dots. I didn't realize the back was going to look similar to my RGT3020, see-thru black finish showing the 5pc maple walnut neck running thru the mahogany wings of the body. SWEEEEET.



The binding is a nice touch and the matching headstock veneer looks tight. There is a corner on the Ibanez logo that is lifted. It is hard to see but it is the very bottom left corner of the Z. The logo looks clearcoated over so it is a little odd I thought. Maybe a very small touch of super glue and clear fingernail polish will clean it up. This might be the reason for the "scratch and dent" price I paid. It is worth the discount to me if that's the case since this will be a stage guitar anyway.




You can see the thin venner, it looks nice (on top) but most likely doesn't do much for tone.



The Infiniti 1 and 2 pups aren't horrible pups by any means, but they lacked a little with cleans but excelled for crunch and dirty. Overall, they just didn't have enough power to hold the sustain of the notes. I opted to drop the stock pups for a Duncan JB in the bridge and a Dimarzio S1 (PAF Pro) in the neck, one of my prefered combos in maple/mahogany guitars. I installed them fairly easily but the 5way switch isn't exactly right. I'll open it back up in the morning and swap a couple wires (the 4 position almost drops out completely) and have it playing right as rain in no time.
I tightened the tuners, a couple had a minor wiggle, par for the course. I then dumped the factory strings and oiled the neck thoroughly prepping it for some fresh 10's. I believe this is a NOS '06 model so I wasn't even going to bother tuning the stale factory set.

[screamndemon69]

Here it is with the neck oiled, new strings and change of pups:




5pc Wizard II feels so much nicer than lots of other necks I've played.



Sitting in a corner of my living room:



The top isn't bad, I wasn't holding my breath on getting a fair top, I think I got lucky

[screamndemon69]

I have to say that if MIK keeps improving like this, as much as I would HATE to see ANY production get moved to Korea from Japan, they are getting closer and closer to MIJ every year IMHO. If they are ever given the same woods and parts and train up a few people in Prestige fret finishing, it might not be the end of the world as I know it I know I should bite my tongue but I'm just trying to give my impression as best I can. Just take it with a grain of salt since I'm not the expert Rich is.

Just my 2cents on my new guitar, first new guitar for '08. I get to play it this weekend at 4 different gigs (it'll be a busy weekend ) and post more info or findings, if there is anything new to report. In the meantime, I also need to start collecting parts for the Piezo mod I want to try on this guitar. There will be a set of Ghost Saddles heading my way soon to get the project underway. Can't wait!

~Bones

[CosmicDebris]

That Flame top is mighty purty.

[rty13ibz98]

todd, i am SOOO jealous. i have wanted that guitar since they came out with it. drop an AN/TZ combo in it and i'll be on my way to florida to snag it from you(that and your rgt3020). you got a cool top on yours, too. if it had direct mount pickups instead of the pickup rings, that guitar would be on par with the prestiges you got.

rich

[screamndemon69]

Thanks guys, I know it's not a nice AAA quilt or anything so it doesn't look as "deep" and has limited angles to catch the top just right but it still is far nicer than I expected. The color is odd to say the least, looks a little brown in certain lights/angles and even a greenish look in other angles/lights.

I can't wait to start drilling away for the Piezo mods

Originally Posted by rty13ibz98

todd, i am SOOO jealous. i have wanted that guitar since they came out with it. drop an AN/TZ combo in it and i'll be on my way to florida to snag it from you(that and your rgt3020). you got a cool top on yours, too. if it had direct mount pickups instead of the pickup rings, that guitar would be on par with the prestiges you got.

rich

I'm actually suprised you haven't nabbed one yet Rich. I saw your post raving and drooling over this model from a little while back. You are right about direct mount pups being the way to go over the rings. I will say the hardware color is pretty cool, I've not had this color on anything from Ibanez before now.

Even with a couple VERY minor flaws and the need for a little touch on the frets ends (again, very minor touching up) it will definitely hold it's own with heavier strings and new pups installed against some of my nicer Prestige models. It is a little odd that the closest Prestige model to this is 3x the price but there aren't any Prestige versions of a fixed bridge RGT. This is as close as Ibanez gets until you hit the trem equiped $2249 RGT320 .

I think if this model was given a small amount of extra bench time from the factory on the frets ends, IBZ/Dimarzio or IBZ/Duncan pups stock and a REAL maple top (at least 1/8"), I believe it would be a HUGE seller if handed over to the Japanese shop to produce under the TJC branding. In the $1400-$1500 street price range Ibanez would have trouble keeping up with production IMHO. To sum it up, even w/out the nicer stock pups or thick maple top, bang for the buck is definitely to be had on this current model IMHO.

I'll post how it performs this weekend when I get to pop its cherry onstage in front of 1000's of people. I love breaking in a new axe, it will be fun but taxing to play so many shows in a short amount of time (4 shows in 3 days) and in the midst of it I have to coach a band Sunday morning before going off to play the 4th gig . I need to rest up

Cheers gang and thanks for the kind remarks.

~Bones

[jb4674]

Originally Posted by CosmicDebris

That Flame top is mighty purty.

That's quilted, not flamed

Jimmy

[screamndemon69]

Originally Posted by jb4674

That's quilted, not flamed

Jimmy

Look at his eyes bro, they are only half opened, easy mistake

[LonePhantom]

That is a very nice looking axe, congratulations.

[rty13ibz98]

Originally Posted by screamndemon69

Thanks guys, I know it's not a nice AAA quilt or anything so it doesn't look as "deep" and has limited angles to catch the top just right but it still is far nicer than I expected. The color is odd to say the least, looks a little brown in certain lights/angles and even a greenish look in other angles/lights.

I can't wait to start drilling away for the Piezo mods




I'm actually suprised you haven't nabbed one yet Rich. I saw your post raving and drooling over this model from a little while back. You are right about direct mount pups being the way to go over the rings. I will say the hardware color is pretty cool, I've not had this color on anything from Ibanez before now.

Even with a couple VERY minor flaws and the need for a little touch on the frets ends (again, very minor touching up) it will definitely hold it's own with heavier strings and new pups installed against some of my nicer Prestige models. It is a little odd that the closest Prestige model to this is 3x the price but there aren't any Prestige versions of a fixed bridge RGT. This is as close as Ibanez gets until you hit the trem equiped $2249 RGT320 .

I think if this model was given a small amount of extra bench time from the factory on the frets ends, IBZ/Dimarzio or IBZ/Duncan pups stock and a REAL maple top (at least 1/8"), I believe it would be a HUGE seller if handed over to the Japanese shop to produce under the TJC branding. In the $1400-$1500 street price range Ibanez would have trouble keeping up with production IMHO. To sum it up, even w/out the nicer stock pups or thick maple top, bang for the buck is definitely to be had on this current model IMHO.

I'll post how it performs this weekend when I get to pop its cherry onstage in front of 1000's of people. I love breaking in a new axe, it will be fun but taxing to play so many shows in a short amount of time (4 shows in 3 days) and in the midst of it I have to coach a band Sunday morning before going off to play the 4th gig . I need to rest up

Cheers gang and thanks for the kind remarks.

~Bones

hey, todd, the reason i haven't gotten one comes down to 2 words: GOT MARRIED. dropping over $300 nowadays has been EXTREMELY difficult to do. that guitar is on the list, but it'll take clever plotting. not like when i was single and i could buy a guitar a month if i felt like it.

rich

[screamndemon69]

Originally Posted by rty13ibz98

hey, todd, the reason i haven't gotten one comes down to 2 words: GOT MARRIED. dropping over $300 nowadays has been EXTREMELY difficult to do. that guitar is on the list, but it'll take clever plotting. not like when i was single and i could buy a guitar a month if i felt like it.

rich

I hear ya Rich, I got (GULP!) engaged recently and it is tougher and tougher to buy stuff now. I got her a nice ring (aqua marine stone) but not the real nice rock yet (solitaire diamond) so I'm treading rough ground at the moment buying any new guitars until she gets the real ring.

"Clever plotting". Nice way to put it

I was on edge waiting for UPS to show up before my fiance, she was on the way home from work and the UPS driver showed up literally like two minutes before she got home. I was unboxing and stashing boxes like a mad man to get rid of the evidence. I felt like I was in that scene from Pulp Fiction when they were trying to clean up Marvins brains from the interior of the car before his wife got home.

I was doing great until I started taking these pics and she happened to walk thru the room where I had it setup and saw it in the new blue interior case (she noticed the case more than the guitar, if I had shot these pics in a UV1000c or a black interiored M100c I would have been in the clear ) and said, "Is that a new guitar?", I was like, "Umm, aaa, yes. I'm selling another one to cover it though so I'm not really spending anymore $", quickest thing I could say to try and cover myself, even though I had the money to spend without having to sell anything. She then got a little more curious and asked, "which guitar are you selling and do you already have a buyer for it?". Man, she is getting tougher to get stuff by these days. I held up my IC400 and told her it will be finding a new home shortly (now I HAVE to let it loose....soon ). Oh well, it doesn't get ANY playtime anyway.


BTW- the JB and PAF sound HUGE in this guitar. It has thick tone for days with these pups and the set of 10's strung up on her. This weekend is going to be a blast to play it.
~Bones

[jb4674]

She's just your fiancee and she's already busting your chops about money? damn dude, I sense lots of arguments in your future, so you might want to have a talk with the future mrs. and let her know that guitars are your main addiction.

My wife is cool with me buying stuff, because I try not to overspend and I really don't have any other outlet (although lately, my son is my main outlet ). One thing I have noticed that is so cool is that he'll sit with me on the couch and stare ay my JS1000 and talk to it and smile at it.

It's a really good thing that I told my wife that I bought the crystal planet for him and that it would be his when he was old enough to play.

Jimmy

[ToneGOD]

Love the color, congrats!

[southpaw_lefty]

Awesome looking axe, man. I really like the look of the fretboard too, offset dots with the binding. Nice...enjoy!

Those almost look like graphite saddles?

Originally Posted by screamndemon69

I did find it humorous that the guitar and case shipped to me in the same large box but both were boxed seperately inside the large box. Gotta love big online super stores.

Yep, I ordered a guitar online with a M100C that came the same way. I stupidly thought they would put the guitar in the case. NOT!