Ibanez RG A622XH Prestige | Review

Ibanez RG A622XH Prestige | Review

MSRP: (UK) £1799 / (US) $2499

Nick Jennison reviews the Ibanez RGA622XH —  a shred guitarist's dream! Its Wizard HP neck offers exceptional playability. Crafted from African Mahogany, it produces a rich mid-low end. With 27 frets and a deep lower horn scoop, it's ideal for lead players. The DiMarzio pickups deliver a huge sound, and the Macassar Ebony fretboard adds sustain. The Lo-Pro Edge bridge ensures tuning stability. Coil-tap switch for tonal variations, Luminlay dots for stage use, and Gotoh machine heads for precision. 

In recent years, Ibanez has "grown up". Their highly acclaimed AZ series took the hyper-specialised, ultra-pointy shred machines the legendary Japanese brand is known for, shaved off the sharp edges and beefed up the neck shape to produce a guitar that will still shred like nobody's business but is much less single-minded. Yes, the AZ is a thoroughly modern and grown-up Ibanez for modern and grown-up players. 

You know which guitar ISN'T? The RGA622XH Prestige. It's a bonkers instrument that proudly takes the shred-til-you're-brown-bread attitude of the RGs of old and turns it up to 11 - or more accurately, 27. Yes, dear reader, this is a 27 fret Ibanez RG, for when your insane chops cannot be confined by a mere 4 octaves of range. It's a Wizard HP (read: very thin and very flat) neck profile, with a satin finish and 5-piece maple and walnut construction for maximum stability, and the 27 enormous frets are perfectly level. This means you can get the action so low that it practically plays itself, and it's not far off that straight from the factory. It's like it's double-daring you to bust out the Shawn Lane licks.

Pickups are the classic '90s Ibanez pairing of DiMarzio Tone Zone and Air Norton, although in this case, the neck pickup is the Air Norton S - a single coil sized dual blade version of the classic bubbly neck humbucker, offset to make way for those extra frets. I'll be honest, it does suffer somewhat from being so far away from that neck pickup "sweet spot", but it's still a very cool smooth lead voice that flatters fast picking and legato lines. The Tone Zone on in the bridge position is absolutely massive sounding, with a ton of low end and rolled-off highs. It's a very fun tone to play, and while it lacks a little character with both coils engaged, it's dark voice makes for a very convincing coil split tone. The split middle position is easily the best clean tone this guitar has to offer, with shades of the classic "Images & Words clean".

The silliness continues with the Lo-Pro Edge tremolo. This well-respected unit is one of the most sensitive and gargle-y trems ever produced, with a streamlined design that offers more comfort under the right hand and better balance for all of the dives, wobbles, screams and flutters that you want from a guitar like the this. It's rock solid both in feel and tuning stability, has a massive range of pitch travel in both directions. Hit the 27th fret and pull all the way back on the bar and you'll get a high B with ease - assuming your strings can handle it!

The Ibanez RGA622XH Prestige is a joyous celebration of shred lunacy, and I absolutely love it. This is a guitar for the boldest and most brazen of shredders, and if your chops are up to the task you can expect a hugely rewarding playing experience. 

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