I’m a big fan of the Ibanez RG. For me, this series has always been something special: a comfortable body, a thin neck, fast response, and that unmistakable character that works perfectly for rock, metal, shred, and technical music.
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My First Ibanez Guitar
My first Ibanez guitar came into my life around 2006. It was an RG170DX in a strange pale khaki color. Honestly, that was exactly the kind of color I did not want at the time. But the seller did not have any other Ibanez RG models available, and my desire to buy an RG was stronger than any doubts. The color did not stop me.
I was a teenager, and that guitar felt like a real shred machine to me. The comfortable body, the very thin neck, the feeling of speed and control – it all seemed absolutely fantastic. Of course, over time, I wanted to improve the sound. I felt like the only thing missing for complete happiness was a pickup upgrade, and that is exactly what I spent the next couple of years doing while I owned that guitar. Those were great times.
But I always wanted to try other, more serious models. I could not afford a Prestige back then, although the dream was already very specific – the Ibanez RG1527. Yes, the seven-string RG1527. But I did not get there right away.
My Experience with the JS and How It Compared to the RG
The next guitar in my personal Ibanez story, completely by chance, was a Korean-made Joe Satriani JS100. Black, with the original hard case. In terms of shape and character, it was not exactly my kind of instrument, but at the time I was listening to a lot of Joe Satriani, so it was hard to pass it up. The quality, comfort, and sound of that guitar were very good.
At one point, I had both the RG170DX and the JS100 at the same time. Back then, I was playing in different bands: one was metal, and the other was a rock band. Those two guitars covered different needs really well, and I still remember that period fondly. It was a time of experiments, rehearsals, my first serious impressions of different instruments, and a constant desire to keep moving forward.
Dreams Come True: My First Ibanez Prestige – RG1527
Over time, I grew as a musician, and I wanted more. Then one day, my long-time dream of owning a Prestige finally came true. I saved up some money, sold two of my guitars, and bought an Ibanez RG1527 Royal Blue from one of the coolest guitarists I knew at the time.
It was a true Prestige guitar: a seven-string RG1527, with the bridge pickup already replaced by a DiMarzio Evolution. The original Prestige Team J Craft hard case with red velvet inside, the feel of a real professional instrument – all of it made a huge impression on me back then.
It is hard to put into words how cool and inspiring that was. That guitar was the one that led to a new project for me, in the style of instrumental, technical, melodic metal, now with a seven-string tuning. I still remember those emotions very clearly. For me, it was not just a new instrument. It was a move to another level.
The RG1527 stayed with me for about five years. During that time, I came to understand very well why Ibanez Prestige guitars are so highly valued. It was a comfortable, fast, stable, and inspiring guitar. It suited exactly the kind of music I wanted to play during that period.
Guitar Experiments and Return to the RG
Later, I started experimenting with other brands as well, especially the Music Man John Petrucci models. But Ibanez always stayed close. Through my work, many different guitars passed through my hands, and Ibanez guitars showed up very often. That gave me a much better understanding of the differences between series, years, countries of production, models, and the feel of different instruments.
Years later, I still have an Ibanez Prestige RG1570 in my arsenal. Sometimes I swap it for an RG2550, and sometimes interesting models from the S, RGA, and RGD series come my way. As you have probably already understood, I am drawn to classic rock and metal guitar designs: comfortable, fast, aggressive, but still versatile enough.
Why I Still Love the Ibanez RG
What can I say after all these years? I still love Ibanez RG. Yes, sometimes these guitars may lack a certain “fatness” in the sound that you can get from Gibson, Music Man, and some other instruments. But thanks to their incredible comfort, ergonomics, fast necks, and overall feeling of control, many Ibanez models still remain among the best options for me.
This is especially true of the RG series. For me, the RG is not just a body shape or a model name. It is a whole era, a personal story, my first bands, my first experiments with sound, the dream of owning a Prestige, my seven-string period, and many years of interest in Ibanez instruments.