Ibanez RG421 Mahogany (MOL) Body (left); Ibanez RGA42FM, Blue Lagoon Burst Flat (right)
In my opinion two of the most important things to look for in a great beginner electric guitar is quality in the craftsmanship and versatility both in sound and playability. While there are many guitar makers that are offering these traits in their line of student and starter guitars and for this I am going to focus on two Ibanez models – the RB and the RGA models – from the Ibanez standard series.
The Ibanez RG and Ibanez RGA models are familiar looking guitars commonly referred to as super strats. This comes from their double cutaway appearance similar to the Fender Stratocaster. However, both of these models from Ibanez sharpen their lines to give them a more modern appearance.
The Ibanez RG421 is a simple looking well thought out guitar. It features a mahogany body and a bolt on maple neck with rosewood fretboard. The neck is a fairly slim and fast playing. While this neck is not perfect for everyone, many student or beginner guitar players will benefit from its easy playing feel. In addition to the comfortable feeling neck the deep double cutaway provides excellent access to the upper frets. The RG421 has two humbucker pickups and a five way pickup selector. This means you have five different sounds to access from the pickups. Three of the positions give you the full warm and thick sound of the humbuckers and the other two are coil taps which provide a single coil sound for that bright articulate snap. These tonal options are great for student and beginner guitar players just starting to discover what tones they enjoy.
The Ibanez RG and Ibanez RGA models are familiar looking guitars commonly referred to as super strats. This comes from their double cutaway appearance similar to the Fender Stratocaster. However, both of these models from Ibanez sharpen their lines to give them a more modern appearance.
The RGA42FM is very similar to the RG421 but it features slightly more rounded edges and most notably a flame maple cap on the mahogany body. This adds a beautiful visual in the Blue Lagoon Burst and Dragon Eye burst colors. The maple cap also provides a bit more treble presence to the guitar tone. Neck woods and profile are the same as the RG421 providing the same ease of play. Both guitars feature jumbo frets and hard tail bridges.
These guitars are very well made for the price point with overall good fret work and fit and finish. I have been focusing on the benefits of these guitars for the beginner or student players however; these features will appeal to many players that are looking for a great instrument.
~Mike Gray, The Twelfth Fret
