Ibanez RG370DXGP Electric Guitar

July 31, 2007 by Jo Minor 


Now here’s a neat looking guitar at a reasonable price from a reputable source. Ibanez is one of the top names in rock electric guitars, and the RG series is one of their most popular. The Ibanez RG370DXGP comes in your choice of a black and red stripe design or solid black. It features three pickups - a single coil pickup in the middle position, flanked by humbuckers at the neck and bridge.

This selection gives you all sorts of sound options. The Infinity 3 pickup at the neck gives you the tone you need for chording and playing rhythm and has ceramic magnet construction. In the middle position is an Infinity Single3, which is of Alnico magnet construction. It is a high output pickup that works with the humbuckers in the split position. Finally, at the bridge, the Infinity 4 humbucker, with Alnico magnet construction, gives you brilliant, warm lead tones with good harmonics.

The company that makes Ibanez electric guitars began in Japan in 1900 and was called the Hoshino Gakki company. Originally they distributed musical instruments for sale in Japn, but by 1935, they began to manufacture their own instruments. They had been importing guitars from the Spaniard, Salvador Ibanez, a famous luthier who lived from 1854 to 1920. Hoshino bought out the name when the Ibanez workshop in Spain was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in the thirties.

Enter Harry Rosenbloom, who was hand-crafting guitars in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. These were called “Elger” guitars. Rosenbloom began distributing Ibanez guitars in North America in 1965. Together Rosenbloom and Hoshino Gakki decided to move the headquarters of the business to the US so that they would not have to have “made in Japan” associated with them.

Ibanez guitars of the early 70’s were very much like popular Fender, Gibson and Rickenbacker guitars. They were well made, but made more cheaply so the prices were lower. When they cut into the sales of the larger companies, Gibson sued Ibanez over headstock design. After settling out of court, Ibanez began designing their own.

Some characteristics that began to show up in their guitars were radical body shapes, high output pickups, slim necks, and flat fingerboards. In other words, they began making guitars that would appeal to heavy metal rockers. Ibanez has also consulted with several well known musicians about guitar design. These musicians include Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, George Benson, and others.

The RG designs of Ibanez guitars are what could be called “superstrats” because they have a body somewhat similar to the comfortably designed Fender Statocaster, but they include powerful humbucking pickups. The RG370DXGP electric guitar is made of basswood which is lighter than mahogany, but not so light as alder. It is light and comfortable for long gigs. You also have your choice of an interesting graphic design in red, black and white, or solid black. The striped version is definitely an eye-catcher.

Advantages: The price of the Ibanez RG370DXGP is definitely among the best of its advantages. The pickups are pretty good for stock pickups, and with both humbuckers and single coil options, you can produce a wide range of tone. Therefore, this is a versatile guitar for a lot of different styles of music. The Wizard II neck is extremely thin and flat, making it a wonderful guitar for tapping and shredding.

All in all, it is a very good value for a beginner or intermediate player. Even an advanced player who needs to watch his pennies would probably enjoy it, too.

Disadvantages: Some people have problems with the Edge III bridge. It can be tricky to keep it in tune, and if you palm mute with it, you can get the notes to bend up, which might not be what you want.

Specs:

  • Basswood body

  • 3-piece maple neck

  • Wizard II neck profile

  • 25.5 inch (648 mm.) scale length

  • 43 mm. wide at the nut

  • 56 mm. wide at the last fret

  • 19 mm. thick at first fret

  • 21 mm. thick at the twelfth fret

  • Fingerboard radius of 400

  • 24 jumbo frets

  • Bound rosewood fingerboard

  • Shark tooth inlay

  • Black hardware

  • IBZ INF3 humbucking pickup at the neck

  • IBZ INFS3 single coil pickup at the middle position

  • IBZ INF4 humbucking pickup at the bridge

  • Edge III bridge and tremolo

Want to watch a string change on an Ibanez electric guitar with a floating tremolo bridge? Check out this You Tube video.

Here is some general information about choosing an electric guitar. You will find out about different woods used in the body and neck, different pickups, and different neck styles, among other things.

And here is an article on how to set up your own guitar, how to adjust the truss rod and the action and all of that.

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