Ibanez RG5EX1 Guitar Review

Ibanez is nearly unmatched in the world of hard rock and metal guitars. As a brand, they are designed to provide the highest quality available at lower prices than the competition. Additionally, they are specifically fashioned to be able to provide the best hard rock and metal capabilities in order to maximize shredders' playing. One example of this is the Ibanez RG5EX1 guitar. Let's take a closer look at it.

Features: The body of the RG5EX1 is made of basswood, a common quality found in mid range guitars. The basswood is known for being an affordable wood providing nice tone and sustain. There are two finishes available for the Ibanez RG5EX1, including grey and flat black. Both are, for lack of a better word, flat. There is little depth to the finish, but for a musician that likes hard edged looks, it fits nicely. The neck is bolted onto the body, has three pieces, and is made of maple. The fretboard, meanwhile, is made of rosewood, has twenty four jumbo frets, and has specialized "shark tooth" shaped pearloid inlays. The headstock, unlike most others in the Ibanez brand, is reversed, with the tuning heads on the bottom. The bridge on the RG5EX1 is branded "Edge III" by Ibanez, and is tremolo style complete with a whammy bar. Electronically, the guitar has a humbucker in the neck position, a single coil pickup in the middle position, and another humbucker in the bridge position. Also, there are volume and tone control knobs and a five way selector switch to help its player take full advantage of the tonal opportunities the varied pickups offer.

Playability: It's clear what Ibanez's purpose was in the design of this guitar, and most of its others. The neck is designed extremely thin, which will take some getting used to. After the acquaintance is finished, however, you'll find it helps in making quick runs across the length of the neck. Additionally, the twenty four jumbo frets allow for solos in pitch ranges that are relatively hard to get to with other guitars. And, of cours, the body of the Ibanez RGEX1 is made with very deep cutaways to allow you to access each fret with ease.

Sound: The sound of the RG5EX1 is easy to sum up into one word. That word is heavy. It's a guitar designed for one hundred percent metal. So, of course, it won't exactly shine with clean or softer rhythm tones. If you're looking to play jazz or blues, steer clear of the RG5EX1 and the Ibanez brand in general.

Overall: If you are an aspiring shredder, hoping to one day be among the greats like Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen, the Ibanez RG5EX1 is an excellent place to start. It sounds great as is, and with a few pickup upgrades can grow along with you as a musician. You can find the RG5EX1 in music stores for about $400.