Welcome to the Wired Guitarist Ibanez RG752 Prestige review!  Ibanez has a long history of building high-performance Japanese guitars for players that require both an extremely comfortable and playable guitar, and the widest array of tones possible from one instrument. This 7 string specifically embodies that mantra, while adding even more design appointments perfect for the modern guitarist. A model with almost identical specs to this in a 6 string is also available, the RG652AHM.

Features:

The RG752AHM features::

Ash Body
Bound Birdseye Maple Fretboard
Wizard-7 Profile 5-piece Maple/Wenge Neck
All Access Neck Joint Bolt On Neck Construction
17″ Radius
25.5” Inch Radius
24 Jumbo Frets with Prestige Fret End Treatment
Lo-Pro Edge-7 Bridge
Cosmo Black Hardware
Dimarzio PAF 7 Pickups
1xVolume, 1xTone Controls
5-way lever pickup switch (Series, Parallel, and Split, hum cancelling in all positions)
Transparent Nebula Green Burst Finish Over Ash
Transparent Natural Finish On Back
Satin Neck Finish
Locking Nut
This guitar has a fantastic combination of traditional RG and modern tone machine appointments, all in the industry-standard Prestige format.

The Lo-Pro is my favorite locking tremolo unit of all time, with fantastic stability. Bending to accompany your tremolo work is a breeze on the jumbo Prestige frets.

The figuring on the wood on these models also makes for a very aesthetically balanced guitar. The aggressive shape is perfectly offset by the birdseye board and transparent ash body.

The Wizard 7 neck profile is the purest iteration of Ibanez’s “thin and flat” mantra. Soloing and tapping is a breeze due to the large radius, and the thin neck makes playing comfortable, but is well rounded to prevent cramping over extended play sessions.

Tone:

This is where this instrument truly shines, and that’s saying something given its playability.

I almost categorically prefer baritone scale lengths on sevens. I’m particular about the performance of my mids, and my clarity overall, and that’s something that 26.5”+ will always deliver. These however, come at the cost of a more difficult to play instrument, especially for soling and wide chord shapes, and generally a larger and heavier instrument as well. There’s always going to be a tradeoff there.

Except the RG752AHM.

The second I picked up this guitar I was amazed by the clarity. Ash is a very light wood with a clear midrange, and a bolt on maple neck adds even more snap and attack to that. The Low B (Or I even tried it in Ab!) resonates perfectly, for a no compromise 7-string tone.

This is also due in large part to the pickups. Dimarzio PAF 7s were a great choice for this guitar. They’re very well defined and hi-fi sounding pickups designed to cut through in a mix, while also being relatively neutral, tonally. They’re a perfect blank slate to sculpt tone on, from modern metal, to prog, to classic tones, and even pop music.

The switching makes a big difference as well, believe it or not. Ibanez’s 5 way switching is legendary for not just taking the easy way out with simple splits. It has all 3 full humbucker positions, as well as a split, hum-cancelling inner coils, and parallel-wired neck pickup. Some of my favorite tones are using the split position for mid-gain percussive tones, the parallel neck for chimey cleans and leads, and the bridge, obviously, for high gain.

Build Quality:

Made in Japan Ibanezes have been an industry standard for value for 30 years. The perfect overlap between cost-effectiveness and high end quality. There are in fact guitars with slightly better fit and finish, though they cost 2-3 times as much. As a long time player of many of those extreme high end brands such as Mayones, I still wind up owning and playing Ibanezes more frequently than almost any other brand. You won’t find any amateur flaws on these guitars.

The AANJ heel is the metric against which all modern bolt-ons are measured. It provides the ultimate in fret access while maintain a very tight and secure neck pocket.

One of my favorite things about this guitar is the fretwork. Prestiges require zero fretwork out of the box and actually rival some boutique luthiers.

The finish is very good as well. The trans is executed very accurately so you can see the grain in great detail. The color choice also accentuates the light-colored natural ash and maple very well, with the Wenge stripes providing contrast on the back. I always like to check the headstock to see how well it matches the body and the finish is identical on both, really bringing the aesthetic together.

Final Verdict:

This guitar is for the modern player looking for a wide tonal palette. The wood choice is immaculate, delivering sparkly cleans, and clear distortions. The pickups cover all ranges of playing styles, and retain clarity even at 25.5” scale.

My favorite thing about this guitar is that it is good at everything. It shreds, it chugs, it chords, and it cleans. If you’re looking for an all-brutal, all the time guitar, you could find one slightly better. If you’re looking for an all-clean, all the time guitar, you could find one a tiny bit better. If you’re looking to spend twice as much money, you could find one built a little better, but you will not find a 7 as consistently good at everything as the RG752AHM anywhere near this price range.

The quality is top notch and there are few better ways to spend $1500.

We are authorized Ibanez dealers, and can set you up with the Ibanez you’re looking for at the best price possible. Check out our current stock here.

10-8-10

This article was written by Kyle Karich, our editor located in Florida.

 

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