Ibanez RG350DX Guitar Review

Ibanez, as a brand, is known for often being able to surpass many other lines in both quality and overall value. Since the company itself is founded and based in Japan, there is often lower prices for manufacturing. With this advantage, Ibanez can produce some very high quality instruments at prices that won't break the bank. One example of these guitars is the Ibanez RG350DX. Let's take a closer to see if it lives it up to Ibanez's trademark value.

Features: The body of the Ibanez RG350DX is, like most of its mid range instruments, made of basswood. It is the same wood used on many Fender products, and gives the guitar a comfortable contour and good sustain. There is one trademark finish available with this guitar, and that is stark white with a matching white pickguard. It is nicely glossed, and is very attractive, even with somewhat stark contrast from the hardware. The neck is bolted onto the body, and is made of maple wood. Additionally, the neck has a design termed Wizard II, a specialty of the Ibanez brand. The fretboard, meanwhile, is made of rosewood. On it are twenty four jumbo frets and specially designed shark tooth inlays. The bridge of the Ibanez RG350DX is the trademark tremolo. All of the hardware, including the tuning heads, bridge, and control knobs, is black painted metal. It is certainly a stark contrast to the white glossed finish, but manages to work nicely. Electronically, the Ibanez RG350DX is pretty unique. It has three Ibanez brand pickups, including a humbucker in the neck position, a single coil in the middle position, and another humbucker in the bridge position. Also, there are volume and tone control knobs along with a five way selector switch.

Playability: The Wizard II design of the neck is an excellent quality for those looking to shred up and down each of the twenty four frets. It is among the smoothest and easiest to play for metal and hard rock genres. Also, the basswood body is well contoured and lightweight, allowing for very comfortable playing.

Sound: Honestly, it is commonly held among many players of the Ibanez RG350DX that the pickups, though varied, could have a little more edge. The Single coil is a bit thin, and the neck position humbucker can be muddy at times. But on a positive note, the tremolo system works beautifully and the bridge humbucker really screams.

Overall: If you're a fan of guitars specially made for metal and hard rock, and are looking for mid level price and high quality, the Ibanez RG350DX is a good choice. It sounds good, looks good, and plays better. You can find the RG350DX in music stores for around $400.