What's an IRG?

moro · #1 01-14-2005, 12:31 PM

I just found this in Ishibashi's used section. Apparently, it's an IRG-760 AM.

I'm guessing "AM" is "amber maple" or something but what's an "IRG?" I've never seen that before.

I love how this thing looks--the orange finish with the pearloid pickguard, black pickups, and the offset dots. Very nice.

marianozz · #2 01-14-2005, 01:48 PM

wow, that thing is just beautiful

darren wilson · #3 01-14-2005, 02:11 PM

Is it just me, or does that pickguard look like an add-on? Why would Ibanez make a guitar from the factory that is rear-routed and has all three pickups direct-mounted, but then slap a pickguard on that needs to have openings cut for pickup height adjustment and the pickup selector switch?

Perhaps the "I" in "IRG" is a typo? Maybe it's just an RG-760 variant that's had a pickguard slapped on it.

The Euphor · #4 01-14-2005, 03:58 PM

Ishibashi RG?

pawel · #5 01-14-2005, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darren wilson

Is it just me, or does that pickguard look like an add-on? Why would Ibanez make a guitar from the factory that is rear-routed and has all three pickups direct-mounted, but then slap a pickguard on that needs to have openings cut for pickup height adjustment and the pickup selector switch?

Exactly what I thought - still a nice guitar though!

horstausmforst · #6 01-14-2005, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Is it just me, or does that pickguard look like an add-on? Why would Ibanez make a guitar from the factory that is rear-routed and has all three pickups direct-mounted, but then slap a pickguard on that needs to have openings cut for pickup height adjustment and the pickup selector switch?

There was a late '90s reissue run of 760 and 770 series in europe with flamed tops, quantum pickups, offset dots and aanj. Looks like one of those, alhough the ones I've seen so far had a blue finish and the hardware color was like the hardware on the BSB jem.

I'm pretty sure the pickguard is an original one; afaik some of the FP and BFP jems and the 'original' 770 series in '92-'93 had a clear one exactly like that (of course in hsh-config, but also with the pus direct mounted into the body), while older models had the pus mounted to the pickguard.

Neat axe!

scanlan75018 · #7 01-16-2005, 01:54 AM

Some J Customs are also called IRG...

I thought it was standing for "limited model" or something like that...

bpd111 · #8 01-16-2005, 02:27 AM

What's an IRG? In a word: UGLY.

It does look like someone said, "Hey, let's slap this perloid pickguard on this beautiful, flamed RG. Won't this look good?"

Really, I don't know what to say. If Ibanez did that, I'd be dumbfounded. That guitar should NOT have a pickguard on it. Next thread...

Mo Fo · #9 01-16-2005, 10:50 AM

yeah, you don't cover exotic wood with a pickguard!

TheOrangeChannel · #10 01-16-2005, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo Fo

yeah, you don't cover exotic wood with a pickguard!

Tell that to Tom Anderson, James Tyler, Gerard Melancon, and John Suhr....

**jono** · #11 01-16-2005, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheOrangeChannel

Tell that to Tom Anderson, James Tyler, Gerard Melancon, and John Suhr....

Damn, someone beat me to it!!!

I think this is just an RG760 reissue from a couple of years ago, and yep like horstausmforst said I've only seen them in blue till this one.

Cisco Kid · #12 01-16-2005, 11:57 PM

The large hole around the selector is indicative of an aftermarket pickguard ... a poor one at that ... definitely not something from the factory (I would hope not

)

moro · #13 01-17-2005, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cisco Kid

The large hole around the selector is indicative of an aftermarket pickguard ... a poor one at that ... definitely not something from the factory (I would hope not

)

Um, you mean like on all Jem77s?

pawel · #14 01-17-2005, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moro

Um, you mean like on all Jem77s?

Agreed, at first i thought it was aftermarket too, but it's just because I'm not used to seeing non-clear pickguards like thiis one. But the 77's have identically cut guards...

Soloist · #15 01-17-2005, 03:11 AM

The IRG is just an ishibashi variant of the RG760FM, which came out just before they discontinued the RG770FM, if I remember correctly the standard RG760FM's had black or perhaps it was that tinted grey/silver pickguard that is on the RG550EX. In its current form I would say that that IRG is not very appealing, the pickguard just looks wrong, though you could put a pickguard on there from a RG550EX/2550EX and make it like the standard RG760FM (which look pretty nice).