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Ibanez RGR321EX
List: $650
Have you been floored by the simplicity, playability & singing good tones of the RG321? Well, this 2007 sees the introduction of an RG321 variation- a reverse headstock RGR321. In addition to this quirk, the RGR features a gloss body finish, a pair of designed-by EMG humbuckers, basswood body & a 3-way pickup toggle switch.
Construction/ fit/ finish
Unlike its regular headstock sibling, the RGR321 is a native of Indonesia. This RG isn’t one enhanced GIO model by virtue of its country of origin. You’d do well to inspect this ware closely & fault the manufacturer for whatever unbecoming finishes on board- there are none. The contentious element here proves to be the rather pale fretboard (hinting at budget grade rosewood) but no excessively dry patches are detected.
On the flipside, the 4-bolt (screws rather) cavities display a bare finish, the natural basswood hue is clearly visible here; should the screws be flushed against the body’s surface & not worked into body enthusiastically, this nudity would be invisible. So is there a cost cutting exercise in terms of finishing? As the situation would suggest, this remains internal, nothing too visually repulsive.
Upon handling, the RGR is rather massive (despite sporting a basswood body make) alluding to the finish which adds on to the substantiality in weight, a marked difference from its satin finished, more light weight sibling, the RG321. The headstock/ neck/ body binding is a touch of class at this price point.
All’s good on this front.
Rating: 9/10
Playability/ tone
With pertinent apprehension, the reviewer wishes to assure all interested parties the superb playability of this guitar. The very impressive neck built & finish serves to be the primary attraction. If you are new to the Wizard II neck profile, be informed that it’s a meatier manifestation of the thin Wizard neck but remains every bit as playable. This is the second Indonesian Ibanez I played which features an excessively smooth, satin finished maple neck rear. Some players would find this annoying because that powdery feel deprives you of grip.
The reverse headstock requires a little adaptation, especially so for players who are accustomed to the top-side tuner location, be it an Ibanez guitar or others. Confession- this reviewer actually snaps his low E string while tuning, owing to this sheer confusion (last tuner near the headstock tip- usually a high E).
If you are an avid satin finish devotee, the gloss finish here would conjure some reasonable misgivings of a loss in midrange response; this is where the designed by EMG (DBE) pickups come to light. Despite being a pair of passive units, these DBEs display tonal characteristics of their EMG HZ cousins. There is a generous midrange bite which mixes well with the rather bassy default tones. Keeping this in mind, this guitar is better off driven than clean, the latter setting here is at best, mediocre. Nevertheless, if you roll off the RGR’s volume control & proceed to activate both humbuckers simultaneously, there is a substantial blues-crunch response which your BOSS Blues Driver would be at home with. For all things drive-intense or high gain, the RGR321 is simply the guitar for the job.
**Tone test euipment:
-Randall RG75 amp
-Ibanez ValBee amp
-Roland Micro CUBE amp
-BOSS DS-1
-BOSS Blues Driver
-EHX Little Big Muff
-EHX NANO Metal Muff
-Digitech Death Metal
-Behringer GDI21
-Ibanez TS7
Rating: 8.5/10
Conclusion
Is the RGR321 a budget MTM2 derivative? Forgive the looks but the latter guitar sports a gloss neck rear as well as a pair of Ibanez’s own V (covered) pickups- making it (sorry Mick Thomson fans) less stinging, drive-wise & very different in feel. The RGR’s string-through body ensures a healthy sustain in the mix. For a more expansive tonal offering, owners would do well to swap the toggle switch for a 5-way option.
Thumbs up to the distributor for making this guitar as affordable as its regular headstock version. The fantastic feel & tone would attract players who are in for an affordable guitar which isn’t short of class.
Rating: 9/10
Likes:
• Playability/ feel/ tone
• Simple features
• Price
Dislike:
• Finish anomaly at guitar’s rear (minor)
Worthy competitors:
• Hamer Californian CX2
• LTD M50
