Ibanez RG4EXFM1 Guitar Review

Ibanez has a unique ability among guitar brands to offer some combinations of hardware and electronics that are hard to find. It is a quality that many guitarists, especially those who are trying to develop their own signature style and sound, appreciate greatly. One example of these guitars that have unique combinations is the Ibanez RG4EXFM1. Despite the unnecessarily complicated name, let's take a closer look at it to see what it has to offer.

Features: The body of the Ibanez RG4EXFM1 is solid, and made of basswood. There are two finishes available including transparent blue and grey. Both, in a feature different from many other Ibanez brand guitars, have a flamed maple top. It's very reminiscent of the Gibson line of guitars, and looks nice on the RG4EXFM1. The neck is bolted onto the body, and made of three separate pieces of maple wood. The fretboard, meanwhile, is rosewood, which honestly doesn't look all that great with the blue finish. Regardless, there are twenty four jumbo frets total on the fretboard with custom Ibanez shark tooth style inlays. The bridge is of the Edge III design, which is known among most guitars for being able to keep the strings in tune. The tuning heads, meanwhile, are die cast metal and black. Electronically, the guitar has a humbucker in the neck position, a single coil pickup in the middle position, and a second humbucker in the bridge position. Also, there are volume and tone control knobs and a five way selector switch.

Playability: Ibanez necks are known among guitarists of all genres for being very fast and very thin, and the Ibanez RG4EXFM1 is no exception. The basswood body is extremely comfortable, and has the soft contours and light weight necessary for extended playing.

Sound: The bridge humbucker is an IBZ Inf4 model, and has a strong ability to scream with pinch harmonics and higher end solos. The middle single coil pickup, meanwhile, has the bell like tone of a Fender. And the neck position humbucker can crank out very crunchy rhythm tones that fit very nicely for power chords.

Overall: The Ibanez RG4EXFM1, in a word, is versatile. Its three pickups have a combined sound that's hard to top in its price range. And, in classic Ibanez style, it has great playability and a solid build. You can find the Ibanez RG4EXFM1 in music stores for about $450.