Customized Ibanez RG 6 String

My First Ibanez which I purchased in 1995 was an RG450DXLB (laser blue), which I have since extensively modified. I basically bought it because of the color. I didn't know much about Ibanez at the time except the fact that all of the guitarists I had ever seen really abuse a tremolo and keep perfect tune used one (Petrucci, Satriani, Vai, Gilbert). Up until that point I had been pretty anti-tremolo, being as I could never get the things to stay in tune. After seeing Dream Theater live and on video, I knew that not only did I want one of these, but that I needed one. I tried out a few and was pretty much determined I was going to buy an RG270DX, which was the same guitar as this, but not fancy, plain black, no inlays, etc. I decided to shell out the extra bucks for this model though, since it was pretty.

I soon discovered however why this model was 600 bucks, but they sold other models for a grand plus. After about a month, the tremolo arm wouldn't tighten. So, I ordered the arm and receptacle for the Lo-Pro Edge tremolo (it came with the Lo-TRS II tremolo...aka CRAP), and that fixed the immediate problem. I soon got bored with the stock wiring, so I began to experiment. I had tried many different combinations of switches, 3-way, 5-way, individual toggles, push-pulls, etc. I finally realized that John Petrucci's wiring scheme was the most useful and versatile, and it eliminated all the garbage pickup selections that you never use. Rhythm tone (bridge humbucker), clean tone (single coils), and Lead tone (neck humbucker). It was about the time I settled on the wiring that the guitar began to disintegrate.

At this point I had turned the pickguard pretty much into swiss cheese, but it was still functional. However in late 1996, the tuners broke. I know this sounds rather odd, but during a string change, they just literally fell off of the guitar. I had never tightened them to break them or anything, they just broke. However, despite the fact that the guitar had a warranty, it didn't cover the tuners (go figure). So I figured I could begin my task of making the guitar blue and chrome, as opposed to blue and the black chrome/gunmetal look it currently had. So I bought a set of chrome Schaller tuners (real tuners).

I had also done some research and determined that I really wanted to get a Lo-Pro Edge tremolo for it. In a few weeks following, it changed from want to need. I apparently "wore out" the knife edges on the TRS trem. Apparently they weren't designed to hold up to the abuse of a wanker such as myself. So I ordered a Lo-Pro in Chrome. However, when it arrived, it came in black chrome/gumetal. Even Scott at Guitars Etc. was a bit befuddled, since we specifically ordered it in chrome. So he contacted the Ibanez rep and he came in. He stated that the Lo-Pro didn't come in chrome. I stated that the latest Steve Vai Jem models had them, as well as some of the Joe Satriani models. He agreed, but he said they're not for sale. So I replied with so, you make them, but you don't sell them. He said yes. So, I said that my only option is to buy a Jem and take the bridge off of it. He said that was an option. So I said that basically if I'm not Steve Vai or Joe Satriani, that I'm not getting one of them in chrome. His response was, basically.

Thus began my love/hate relationship with Ibanez. So I ended up buying the gunmetal one, out of necessity, not desire. In effort to make the guitar a bit nicer, I had attempted to make the pickguard chrome by painting it chrome. It worked fine until I tried to lacquer it. It became a nice dull gray and it was not what I wanted at all. Although it worked.

Soon following, I got the guitar autographed by Dream Theater (Derek era unfortuately, but still pretty sweet). I then painted the trem cavity and I had it acrylic coated to protect the autographs, but it soon started peeling. So I shellacked it, and soon that started to peel. So I (temporarily) retired it and took it apart and hung it on the wall. For a brief period of a few months this made my Kramer my main axe, until I bought the Universe.

In 2006 I purchased a Mahogany/Sapele body from a 2000 RG520QS for cheap on eBay. It was extremely dark blue so it didn't completely match, so I soon had it repainted with genuine Corvette blue paint to closely match the original "Lazer Blue" still on the headstock. Also around this time I purchased a set of cosmo black tuners from a 2001 Ibanez Prestige. This restored the "Factory Ibanez" look of cosmo hardware. Not the look I wanted, but at least it all matched!

To top it off after the guitar was repainted, I loaded it with blue Dimarzio pickups, a Steve's Special at the bridge and an Air Norton at the neck. Complete with the "Petrucci" wiring scheme, I now basically have a Mahogany bodied version of a JPM.

In about 2009 I installed a Tremol-No, to make teaching in alternate tunings easier. Also in 2010, I won the Sam Ash "Best In Shred 2010" contest at the store level, and I put the engraved control cavity cover from my prize (a 2010 RG370DX) onto this guitar. This guitar gets used nearly every day for giving my lessons, and has made it's presence on many of my recordings and the many sessions I do with HardKandy records. It is my go-to 6 string.


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