Up for sale, a 2005 Ibanez Prestige RGA121TKF in perfect working order, complete with the original molded hardshell case. This rare, finely crafted Ibanez was produced at the Fujigen factory as part of Ibanez’s upscale Prestige series; this particular first-year RGA model sports a Transparent Black Flat finish, part of a limited non-catalog run produced by Ibanez exclusively for Musician’s Friend.
Tonewoods include a mahogany body with a carved, arched 16mm maple top, a five-piece maple/walnut Wizard Prestige neck, and a thick slab rosewood fretboard. The stock pair of humbuckers are an IBZ V7 and a V8; the V7 in the neck position is tight and notably bright, perfect for dynamic chording, and the V8 at the bridge is slightly higher output, offering ample warmth while staying articulate, with plenty of harmonic complexity. The Master Volume knob also doubles as a push/pull global coil tapl, delivering single coil snap and shimmer. This Ibanez weighs 7lbs 12oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, slinky action, and spot-on intonation.
The five-piece maple/walnut neck has Ibanez’s Wizard Prestige profile, a very slender D-shaped carve with generous shoulder in every register and faintly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .720” deep at the 1st fret and .810” at the 12th. The thick slab 24-fret rosewood fretboard has a 16” radius, and the stock jumbo fretwire is practically perfect, with plenty of meat and well-rounded crowns. This guitar plays cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the nut measures a full 1 11/16” in width. The headstock sports an upgraded set of Gotoh locking tuners which turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch.
All of the electronics function as intended; the wiring harness has been modified with a killswitch button where the Tone knob previously sat, and the pickups are governed by a three-way selector switch and a Volume control which doubles as a push/pull coil tap. The Gibraltar Plus bridge, introduced alongside the RGA guitars in 2005, has a toploader hardtail design with large block saddles.
The Transparent Black Flat finish, a limited edition non-catalog option produced exclusively for Musician’s Friend in 2005-06, has a matte feel and exposes the porous grain of the mahogany body. Cosmetic wear is limited to some tiny finish chips and nicks along the lower bout body edge and on the back, as well as a limited area of buckle worming on the back central to the waist. The smooth satin finish on the neck profile is flawless.
The original Ibanez Prestige-branded molded hardshell case with form-fit red plush interior is included, along with the original pair of strap buttons (a pair of strap locks have been installed).