NGD: Ibanez J-custom RG8420ZD

[zf]

So, I picked this beauty from the customs office the other day - too bad my camera's broken so it's down to the webcam ;)





It's a 2008 Ibanez J-custom RG8420ZD: http://www.ibanez.co.jp/japan/archive/product_news/2008j_custom/RG8420ZD.html. Jem-style vine inlays and jack placement. Black Onyx color with flamed maple top (really elegant and even understated in real life.) Excellent (and great-looking!) cosmo black hardware by Gotoh.

This is, without a doubt, the best guitar I've owned and definitely one of the best, if not the best, I've ever played :)

The neck is everything you'd expect in an Ibanez. Comfy and fast. Plus the velvet touch (or whatever they call it) finish is great, love the natural feel of it. I've avoided guitars with floating trems for a while now, but this one has the Edge Zero bridge with the Zero-Point System, which provides more tuning stability than other FR-type bridges I've tried before. Double-stop bends - no problem! The fretwork is really, really nice, as is the fretboard with the inlay and all.

It came stock with Duncans (Jazz for the neck and Custom 5 for bridge) and I'm looking to replace them with BKPs. They are actually not half-bad, but I only want the best for this guitar :) Besides, I have an old Washburn with cr@ppy stock pups, so the SDs will find a new home there.

The guitar's got a mahogany body with (not too thick) maple top. Rosewood fretboard and 5-piece maple / walnut neck.

I'm looking for versatile pickups (aren't we all). Good cleans from the neck, and some fluid solo sounds as well. As for the bridge, I need a modern metal tone that retains clarity and has great harmonics. Nothing too scooped. I play some Opeth-type full chord stuff with some atmospheric metal elements thrown in (bands like Amorphis and Insomnium spring to mind), but also some fast and tight riffing (think Soilwork, Killswitch Engage). Oh and there are some Sikth-influences sneaking in, thanks to this forum, hehe ;)

I've always wanted Warpigs just because they seem and look so friggin awesome :) But perhaps there are better options for me, sound-wise?

Thanks for any input!

Btw, you can check out my band's music at http://www.last.fm/music/Embreach - The Residue and Shadow's Song being perhaps the most representative of our style.

[Roobubba]

not completely sure about the inlays, but aside from that, I have nothing but really really good things to say about that guitar. AND - it's SHINY!

Looks like a contender for Painkiller or possibly Nailbomb set, methinks.

Roo

[Nolly]

Congrats dude, J-customs are excellent guitars!

Sounds like a ceramic Nailbomb bridge with the standard AV NB neck would be a great choice.
The Cold Sweat set, not sure why people seem never to mention the CS bridge, but it is fantastic. From what I've gathered from Tim, the ceramic Nailbomb is exactly the same thing as the Cold Sweat bridge, just with more winds. I have a double screw pole CS in the bridge of my Blackmachine at the moment, and it is amazingly clear, open and tight.

[dave_mc]

badass, j-customs are great. :)

[Adam.M]

Mmmm, tasty!

[zf]

Cheers guys! I already have a ceramic Nailbomb in my Jackson Dinky and it's great. Alder body vs. the mahogany one in Ibanez so they have a different character to them. Painkillers sound good too. As always, I'll let Tim have the final word :)

[mecca777]

That's an incredibly beautiful guitar. Other people will have more to say about which BKPs to put in it; I just wanted to say that I think whichever set you go for, they should be white. The Jemsite V-RG creator agrees with me. :D

[warpthrone]

Thats an awesome looking guitar mate.

[zf]

That's an incredibly beautiful guitar. Other people will have more to say about which BKPs to put in it; I just wanted to say that I think whichever set you go for, they should be white. The Jemsite V-RG creator agrees with me. :D

Hehe, the white ones don't look too bad, actually! Just not sure if they're METAL enough ;) Let's see.

[Johnny Mac]

Lovely looking guitar there! Yes cold sweats are a great choice!