Ibanez GRGM21 Mikro Guitar Review

Every once in awhile, guitar makers will come out with a line that doesn't seem to make much sense. It may have a weird combination of hardware and pickups, it may have a gimmicky paintjob to mimic a musician that wasn't too popular in the first place, or it may be just plain weird. Ibanez's GRGM21 Mikro is a definite example of this. Its selling point is that it is built on a smaller scale than regular guitars, making it perfect for younger children trying to learn or guitar players who need one on the go or to practice with. Let's take a closer look at it to see if the convenience is well placed.

Features: The body of the GRGM21 Mikro is made of basswood, much like most of Ibanez's entry level models. There are three finishes available, including glossed red, black, and white. All come with a black pickguard, and all are pretty basic. Regardless, they do look attractive in comparison with some other guitars in the entry level market. Instead of the regular 24 inch scale, the Ibanez GRGM21 Mikro is built on a 22 1-5 inch scale. This means the maple neck's rosewood fretboard and twenty four frets are much thinner than what would normally be expected. Additionally, the GRGM21 Mikro has shark tooth pearl inlays. The hardware on the guitar, including the tuning heads and the bridge, is all chrome. In what I suppose is an effort to save a little on production costs, the tremolo system available on most bridges made by Ibanez is lacking with this guitar. Electronically, the Ibanez GRGM21 Mikro has two humbucker pickups, volume and tone control knobs, and a three way selector switch.

Playability: The odd measurement of this guitar really hurts its playability. Out of the factory, the setup is, according to many users, borderline terrible. Intonation may need to be corrected, action might have to be adjusted, and a string change is likely in order. Otherwise, the Ibanez GRGM21 Mikro is very nice to play. It's comfortable, lightweight, and the neck is smooth but firm. The only real troublesome part about the neck, again because of the short length, is that the frets are unnecessarily close together.

Sound: Considering the Ibanez GRGM21 Mikro is designed for beginners, it has a very nice sound when playing what it was designed for. New players tend to focus on power chord type songs and the Ibanez GRGM21 Mikro is suited perfectly for them. It provides that crunch many learners are looking for.

Overall: If you're looking to buy a younger musician his or her first guitar or need to get an instrument you can carry around easily and beat up, the Ibanez GRGM21 Mikro is a good choice. But for others, it is probably better just to go with a regular sized guitar. You can find the GRGM21 Mikro in music stores for about $130.