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Ibanez RGT42BP review
RGT42BP is an interesting and unique electric guitar from Ibanez. First of all it's a neck through, second of all it's equipeed with Edge Pro II, third of all it's made in Korea, not China nor Indonesia. Basswood body and maple neck make this guitar suitable for almost any style.
Tuning stability 9/10
The neck is a 5-pc Wizard II and in fact it is reliable in terms of tuning stability. The bridge is a medium price Ibanez bridge, it offers satisfactory tuning stability even after years of usage. Fine tuners are more precise than those in Edge Pro III. Blocking the bridge makes the perfect tuning stability.
Acoustic sound 8/10
The acoustic sound quality of RGT 42 is high. Not only is it loud and full, most of the notes sustain for very long. Some of the notes make the bridge resonate more which affects their tone and sustain. Overall long sustain. Damping bridge springs cures some problems.
Electric sound 9/10
First impression on the pickups is that they don't have much power, however the sound fits nicely into almost any mix. They're not bad for stock pickups, however the sound would surely benefit from some more definition.
Finish 8/10
Flawless, beautiful. The only thing that does not fit is the INF2 pickup spacing which is a fixed bridge spacing (50mm instead of 52mm).
Neck 8/10
Comortable Ibanez neck with easy access to higher frets because of the neck-through construction. What's interesting is the width at last fret - it's only 56mm where most Ibanez necks are 58mm wide.
Table 1 Ibanez RGT 42 BP neck dimensions
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Width at nut | 43mm |
| Width at 24th fret | 56mm |
| Thickness at 1st fret | 19mm |
| Thickness at 12th fret | 21mm |
| Fingerboard radius | 15.75" (400mm) |
Features 9/10
Regular features with powerful pickup switching system and good quality bridge which doesn't require cutting ball ends from strings.
Balance 10/10
Like any other RG series Ibanez RGT42BP is well balanced. Whether you're sitting or standing with this guitar it's always in the right position to play.
Weight 9/10
RGT 42 is a pretty heavy guitar. Not as heavy as BC Rich NJ Bich, but still.
Price 8/10
Price around 550 euros new. If you can find it used for 300 euros, don't hesitate long.
Specification:
- 24 frets
- 25.5" scale
- Wizard II neck, 5-pc maple/walnut, neck-through
- Basswood body
- Ibanez Edge Pro II bridge
- Ibanez INF1, INF2 humbucker pickups (HH)
- 5-way switch
- Volume pot
- Tone pot
- Finish - Black Pearl
- Year of production - 2004
- Country of production - Korea
