GAS: NLNSSMLCGD – Ibanez Limited Edition for 2011 Showcase Model RG Extreme Shredding Machine

DLM

No Longer New Super Silly Mid-Life Crisis Guitar Day!

Ibanez RG2011SC-BC for short. No that's not my WiFi password.

As you can see from my appallingly bad Potatocam™ pics, I've had this a bit now. I decided that I couldn't post about it earlier because I have a connection to the store I bought it from, and the deal didn't quite go down as planned.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4430/36916330556_251b1878d1_b.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4351/36963015651_42b41b3ea1_b.jpg

Here's the official page for the tech spec and better photos: http://www.ibanez.co.jp/ShowcaseModel2011/RG30F/

You can also watch Francesco Artusato demoing it in a slightly different finish that looks like Galaxy Black (that has added sparkles), but this Austrian chap's video ultimately sold me it as a real guitar, not just a gimmick:

Just a couple of observations from the little playing I've got in so far:

The neck is far thicker than the toothpick on my '91 RG550 (that I really like), but that's also OK. I'd imagine it's needed for stability.

I got shot of the Edge Zero gubbins from the back straight away so I can flutter properly and yank notes up a perfect fourth.

It came with 10s and a stupidly good set-up, so I've persevered with that as an experiment, but I'm sure I'll end up back with 9s at some point.

The neck position on the 5-way sounds a lot more convincing and usable through my roaring valve amp than it does at home through the Tech 21 TM10.

With my fairly large paws there's not that much fancy stuff you can do beyond the 24th fret, but there are some nice high notes to be grabbed up there that remind me of Steve Morse's harp harmonics. Still, it's nice to bend up to an A or a B.

TLDR: Yes, it has 30 frets. No, there is no neck pickup. "Pls explain: wat is neck pickup?" (In this case, neck pickup simulated by circuit and 9v battery.)

IIRC, @Bucket @Vibetronic and @Carlos have 30-fret Ibanezzezz too.

thomasross20

amazing thread title! Looks a beast.. just like the player!

Ravenous

Phwoar very nice.

There's a member here who has one in red. (Can't remember who' maybe he'll show up.)

The "neck pickup simulator" is an interesting idea I've never noticed before...

carlos

I have a red 550xh. I put a tone zone and a chopper as hs. I use the 25+ frets as mostly reference for harmonics: pinch, harp, natural. I guess you can use them for the occasional note but not for runs. 

Bucket

Ravenous said:

Phwoar very nice.

There's a member here who has one in red. (Can't remember who' maybe he'll show up.)

Possibly me.

https://i.imgur.com/xFqDjfG.png

It's in the pile of guitars to get rid of, but it's the one I'm least keen to part with. It's awesome. Still, open to offers...

DLM

Yay! I thought I'd get a LOL (at least one), as we no longer have Facepalms.

@Tigger That's its official name! Just look at the link to the Ibanez site I posted. "Extreme Shredding Machine"! How could I not get one?!

Were I only that sort of player, I'd take it to a blues jam or a jazz session....

Vibetronic

nice one Yeah, I do indeed have one. I want to change the pickup though, it's a bit too muddy for me. Might see if it's possible to do something about the simulated neck pickup and put something proper in there, but doubt it's possible given the lack of space (or worth doing anyway, not sure how tonally different that's going to be on this thing). Good idea taking out the edge zero nonsense, hadn't even thought of doing that so that's my next thing to do. I think the black finish on yours suits it better btw

earwighoney

DLM said:

TLDR: Yes, it has 30 frets. 

It needs more frets.

DLM

@Vibetronic What do you have in the bridge position at the moment? The RG550XH didn't come stock with branded pickups, so that's the usual sensible upgrade as with almost all Ibanez. As the neck pickup simulation starts with the sound from the bridge pickup, if you put something better in there, you'll benefit in the bass position too.  

They did the RG550XH in a non-sparkly black like my RG2011SC, too:
https://www.promusictools.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1352x901/bd5be3e4bffe87df985139cc5e5c836c/i/b/ibanez-rg550xh-bk-stock.jpg

I did also find this funky refin, though:
https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--dx9aIPr5--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1440114852/ejwbdmjnbbaif2eqq4sq.jpg

@earwighoney Wis'd. Guitars with more than 27 frets are really not common, though. And the access often isn't as well thought-out as with these Ibanez. Here's an example: http://www.ftp-mayones.pl/guitar/setius_divebomb_xtrem/Mayones_Setius_Pro_Dive_Bomb_XTrem_36_Custom_Shop_B01.jpg

Those top frets are so close together that it's going to be really hard to play up there.

This is even dafter:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RyLgZis35zw/TPPZxcSsjqI/AAAAAAAAACo/hCLyRAALXgs/s1600/esp_m-36_1.jpg

earwighoney

DLM said:

That guitar needs more frets. 

Vibetronic

DLM said:

@Vibetronic What do you have in the bridge position at the moment? The RG550XH didn't come stock with branded pickups, so that's the usual sensible upgrade as with almost all Ibanez. As the neck pickup simulation starts with the sound from the bridge pickup, if you put something better in there, you'll benefit in the bass position too.  

it's an INF4 - piece of shit really. Given it took me about 17 years to upgrade the pickups in my Charvel, I'll probably get round to this in 2031 or so

I really like the old Washburn EC guitars too...think those were 27 and 29 frets. They did a couple of new models more recently in the Parallax range I think. 

Dan_Halen

...oops, wrong thread.