With crisp contours and ergonomic design, the Ibanez Standard RG421EX-TCM Transparent Crimson Fade Matte is the perfect workhorse for modern rock and metal.
For the RG421EX's nimble design, Ibanez relies on a meranti body with razor-sharp lines that maintain an optimally balanced position on both the strap and the thigh. Wide cutaways and the All Access Neck Joint also grant unhindered access to the high registers of the bolt-on maple neck in the flat and fast Wizard III profile.
The Ibanez Quantum humbuckers of the Standard RG421EX provide a convincingly powerful and dense high-gain sound without compressing too much. Accordingly, the electric guitar is ideally suited for blues rock to metal, whereby versatile timbres can be realized via the 5-way switch. On the hardware side, the Standard RG421EX-BKF Black Flat is also fully convincing and comes with stage-ready parts in the form of an Ibanez F106 bridge and precise die-cast tuners.
If you’re looking for an entry level guitar that looks the business and sounds great, then look no further. For the price you’re getting a guitar that looks and sounds more expensive. Visually the matte finish and crimson fade look flawless. The pickups are surprisingly good, definitely better than expected, this guitar practically begs you to shred until your fingers drop off. At this price point you expect some compromises, the nut is cheap plastic, and the pickups can sound a bit muddy / lacking in character. In my opinion any beginner would feel satisfied with this guitar, and when you outgrow it, could make a good base for modding, I’ve got my eyes on a GraphTek nut and bare knuckle passive pickups!