Description
Ibanez’s GRGR221PA is a splash of Aqua Burst colour wrapped around a body built for hard riffing and fleet finger work. A vivid poplar burl art grain top stretches across an okoume core, the swirling figure preserved beneath a thin polyurethane clear coat so every ripple of grain shines through. Okoume sits tonally close to mahogany, grounding the guitar with firm low mids, while the poplar burl veneer adds a hint of brightness and unmistakable stage presence. The carved RG arch sets the picking arm at a relaxed angle, and deep body bevels keep weight down so marathon rehearsals feel lighter than they look.
The neck follows the fast-hand formula that has defined Ibanez since the eighties. A single piece of maple is shaped to the slim GRG profile then bolted to the body with the company’s All Access heel, leaving upper frets fully exposed. Depth measures just 19.5 mm at the first fret and 21.5 mm at the twelfth, a sleek carve that invites sweep picking runs and wide-spanned chords without resistance. A bound purpleheart fingerboard adds a touch of warmth under the top strings, while twenty-four medium frets sit proud enough for easy bends yet stay smooth under rapid slides. Reversed white sharktooth inlays point toward the headstock, a classic RG cue that helps the eye land on position markers at speed.
Electric voice comes from a matched pair of IBZ-6 humbuckers. Their ceramic magnets deliver tight bass response and crisp high mids, tracking staccato palm mutes and legato leads with equal authority. A five-position blade unlocks series, parallel and coil-split combinations: full neck warmth, glassy neck parallel, both coils together for balanced rhythm, inner coils for single-coil snap, and full bridge bite for cutting solos. Master volume and tone pots sit low to the body, leaving a clean sweep path for heavy downstrokes and pick scrapes.
Hardware is durable and fuss free. The F106 hardtail bridge anchors strings through the body, adding sustain and letting each saddle move independently for precise intonation. Ten-point-five-millimetre spacing keeps alternate picking tight without crowding, while sealed Ibanez tuners hold pitch against aggressive bends and double-stops. A black plastic nut trims setup cost yet stays reliably in tune, and factory D’Addario 10–46 strings arrive in standard tuning ready for drop alterations. From its bold top to its slick neck the GRGR221PA offers a gateway into the raw speed and tonal versatility of the RG family without straining the wallet.
