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Ibanez RGT220A
List: $3,950
Why should you get excited with another floating/ locking 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 attractive top isn’t quite 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 top notch. New for 2005 (the 220A supersedes the 2020A), 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 (non-locking) units & the floating vibrato bridge over at the body 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 in this department.
Rating: 90%
Playability/ Tone
When the reviewer first handle this guitar, it’s akin to cradling an IKEA kitchen chair; the body & neck are devoid of the final lacquer overcoat which promotes a super-bare feel (think: Yamaha Mike Stern). 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 bright sounding tone. The default action was well set up to induce speed.
However, the RGT’s primary eminence is its posterior; flip the guitar over & you’ll see a bolt-free neck/ body domain. Ibanez has wisely contoured this portion for ultimate access to the upper frets. In fact, one can even stretch one’s digits to reach the neck humbucker! There’s a cult following of this immaculate upper fret access which prompted Ibanez to manufacture a more budget friendly version in the guise of the RGT42/ 32.
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.
Clean tone fans would most likely delegate their preference to the neck humbucker which manifests more liveliness & readiness to the chorus effect.
Tone test equipment:
• Amp: Peavey JSX (through a JSX 4x12 cab)
Rating: 88%
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 where high drive is concerned. One would wonder what makes this guitar bear such a hefty price tag considering its predecessor (RGT2020) was not even $3K to begin with. The RGT220A is a variant of Ibanez’s through-neck construction, others being the RGT320 & the mid-priced RGT42/ 32. This guitar will probably be dismissed for its arguably distasteful finish even before it is auditioned; death by prejudice. All in all, the RGT220A is a superb player but the average guitar slinger would somehow prefer the glossed up version (RGT320) for a less dent-prone experience.
Final rating: 89%
Likes:
• Ultimate upper fret access
• Unfinished, played in feel adds to comfort
• Reliable/ functional bridge unit
• Visual candy
Dislikes:
• Price
• Pickups falied to manifest a true DiMarzio livery
