subversion
Moderator
Ibanez RGT220A
List: $3,950
Why should you get excited with another floating-bridge Ibanez guitar, especially with one this costly? It’s another shred RG, isn’t this one too many? To the uninitiated it’s just another Ibanez on the rack, the outline looks a little jaded by now but looks can be deceiving. The RGT is a neck-through construction, whose front is not the highlight of the attraction.
Construction/ fit/ finish
This RGT hails from the Prestige range which is devoid of any unbecoming craftsmanship & the entire construction, fit & finish are simply unrivalled. New for 2005, is the rosewood laminated headstock, which of course adds zilch to tone but contributes to the unfinished feel of the guitar in whole. Tuners in this RGT are trustworthy Gotoh units & the floating vibrato bridge is Ibanez’s current best- the Edge Pro model.
If you are new to the through-neck guitar construction, it simply means that the neck & body’s centre piece (where the pickups are fitted) originates from a single piece of wood (maple). The rest of the body constituents are attached to this centre spine. Since the manufacturer has opted for a bare finish on this guitar, the contrasting wood hues & grains are really acquired taste, but the finish left no marks of amateur application & the joints feel very flushed to the touch. One prestigious guitar indeed.
Playability/ Tone
When I first handle this guitar, it’s like cradling an IKEA kitchen chair; the body & neck are devoid of the final lacquer overcoat which makes the guitar feel super-bare. There’s no colour stain on this RGT either, it really adds on to the nudity here. However, that’s not the point, what you get with this finish type (or the lack thereof) is a played-in feel which adds to handling comfort. Unplugged, the ash body wings make their presence heard, the RGT has an inherently brightness, more pronounced than alder/ mahogany. The default action was well set up, it’s simply speed inducing.
However, the RGT’s eminence is its posterior; flip the guitar over & you’ll see a bolt-free neck/ body domain. Ibanez has wisely chamfered this portion for ultimate access to the upper frets. In fact, one can even stretch one's fingers to reach the neck humbucker! There’s a cult following of this immaculate upper fret access, prompting Ibanez to manufacture a more budget friendly version of it in the guise of the RGT42.
The default DiMarzio IBZ pickups are simply above average but they still lack the polished top end this brand name is renowned for. Under loads of distortion, the humbuckers are stellar, very harmonic laden but the bridge pickup suffers from bass deficiency, making this guitar overtly bright if you leave the amp EQ on neutral settings.
Last say
The RGT220A is a super player, no qualms about that. It’s an epitome of spectacular, modern, craftsmanship & possesses great returns tone-wise. However, I am penalizing this guitar for its steep asking price, considering the fact that the model it supersedes, the RGT2020, is not even $3K to begin with. The RGT220A is a variant of the through-neck construction, others being the RGT320 & the budget friendly RGT42. This guitar will probably be dismissed for its arguably distasteful finish even before it is auditioned: death by prejudice. The RGT220A is a guitar befitting its Prestige tag, a little excessive but never a dud.
Positive notes:
• Ultimate upper fret access from an Ibanez guitar
• Unfinished played in feel, very comfortable
• Default pickups are well voiced to match the guitar’s inherent resonance
• Reliable/ functional bridge unit
• Very appealing overall looks
Demerits:
• Price
• Pickups are not pure Dimarzios at this asking price
• Lacks a solid/ lacquer finish- why the excessive asking price?
