The RG450DX Ibanez Electric Guitar Review

I was looking for an Ibanez electric guitar, on my favorite guitar buying site, ebay, and came across this RG450DX. From spending time in guitar forums I have come to understand that Ibanez makes guitars that are highly regarded by heavy metal guitarists. I put a bid in at around 11:30 PM eastern time, 10 minutes before closing, for $275.00, and ended up high bidder.

The Ibanez RG450DX I believe has been replaced by the RG350DX, RG370DX, and is no longer made. I'm thinking it may be a higher end guitar because I've seen them sell for $700.00 on crack bay. The body design is very similar to a strat, with a five way switch, one tone control, and one volume control. The tone control functions in all five switch positions. There are two humbuckers and a center single coil. The Ibanez electric guitar sports a licensed floyd rose tremolo bridge, and nut.

Switching is as follows, and this mimics all present RG's. Position one: neck humbucker, two: inside neck humbucker, middle pickup, three: Middle pickup, four:middle pickup, inside of bridge, five:bridge humbucker. The neck is a 24 fret number with classic Ibanez inlays, body has a quality finish. Other than the perloid pickgaurd, which isn't my style, the guitar is well built.

How does it play, you yell? This guitar is fantastic, the neck pickup is amazingly clear for a humbucker, it's got plenty of pop, yet does not come across as muddy, it's quite warm as well. Any of the three positions two, three or four, offer up an ultra clean tone in slightly different variations. Not surprising the middle coil by itself is a little noisy, and weak, compared to the humbuckers. The bridge position is pure overdrive that screams heavy metal. I was cranking out some AC/DC riffs at low volume that jumped out of the amp.

This guitar does nothing but give me a big smile when playing it, especially when I think of the price. I'm keeping this thing forever, and I highly recommend owning one of these or it's newer cousins. You can play almost anything with the Ibanez, and whoever said these are just for metal heads is just plain wrong. Get one today, you won't be disappointed.

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