Ibanez RG652AHM-NGB Prestige

I have played guitar for about ten years and have gone through various models and goals with my playing. I have own/borrowed several guitars for band rehearsal, gigs (between 10 to 500 people) or just for practicing to see what i like. I am very picky, and have a hard time settling for a specific type of guitar that feels "off" in the slightest way and therefore switch a lot. Then I bought this.

The quality of this guitar is what first impressed me. Everything from the tuning stability, to the knobs are all crafted with care. I normally get sweaty hands during a gig, and the knobs and five-way switch are all extremely easy to grip and use regardless. One downside I can find is the trem bar, which can be quite difficult to put in, and sometimes becomes a bit clunky or rough to turn and therefore can be in the way when using the controls below it if your playing requires fast volume swelling or something similar. All of the options with the switch are very useful. I play many genres of music and none of the sounds this guitar can create have disappointed me so far. This thing can make everything soft blues to extreme metal sound good!

But most importantly, it feels like nothing else I've ever played. The thickness and scale of the neck, the fret height and the smooth transition from string to bridge all together makes playing this guitar as easy as spreading butter over some toast. Your hand can just slide up and down the neck without effort, yet it feels firm when you pluck a single note or try a large bend. It has incredible sustain, and it is very easy to reach all over the fretboard. It is also very light and flat, which certainly helps when playing longer gigs as other guitars can become quite heavy.

In conclusion, this is the best guitar I've ever owned. It is of an extremely high quality built by professionals, sounds very good with extreme versatility, and feels like an extension of your own mind while playing. The only downside I might have is the trem bar, which of course is not required to be put in, or I just perceive it my way because i like to strum quite near the bridge pickup. I recommend this guitar for everyone from professional musicians to beginners, and look forward to playing it effortlessly for many years to come.

This being a prestige (made in Japan) the build quality is perfect. Everything is just the way it should be and I didn't expect any less from the japan factory. And 1500 euro you get an amazing guitar and a a heavy ass case that's like 200 euro aswell, so I think I got my moneys worth.
The tone is great. It is easy to see why Ibanez puts the Tone Zone and Air Norton. For my taste they are a little to undefined, wish doesn't mean they sound muddy, I just wished they were a little more defined, like bareknuckle juggernauts or something more for the djenty stuff. For classic metal, rock, cleaner stuff, etc. it all works thanks to the 5way switch with coilsplit.
The floating trem ads a little bit of its own sound and I recommend thinking if you really need it, cause it does make mechanical noise, it does make bands harder, it is a bitch to restring, tune down or intonate, it does all the bad things floating trems do, but also all the good things. So everything it does, an original german floyd rose would do aswell, so it in no way is Ibanez fault, its just how floating trems are.
For me I think the hardtail version would have ben better.
(you can return the product for 30 days after arrival, so if you really don't like it you can always return it and get the hardtail)
If you have sweaty hands the stain on the trem might come of as it did on mine and the natural colour is exposed. This does not impact feel at all, and personally I kinda like it, it shows how you pick and gives it personality.
The trem arm can just be popped in and out ( the first time it might be a little harder to put it in)(pun intended) and comes with 2 extra washers.
The frets aren't crazy rounded but very comfortable and well polished.
Sadly no locking tuners, wish I understand since it has a locking nut. I would have liked the comfort though (hardtail version has gotho locking tuners)
It's a stunning guitar with a nice finish and sometimes I just sit there and admire it for a bit. It's simple (3 piece plain maple top) but has it's sharm.

Final thought:
It's a great guitar and if you want the real rg experience, japanese, edge trem, all that stuff its the right guitar for you.
If you want something a little more modern by ibanez and dont care if its built in indonesia, there are the 2022 rg guitars with stainless steel frets and neck trough that are also a little cheaper (if you buy the case seperatly they are pretty much the same price) that might be just right for you

Been dreaming about this guitar for several years until I've finally got it and, man, it was worth it! It's in my hands for two weeks already and I can write down some thoughts, both positive and negative.
So, positives first:
1) Thank you, Thomann! Before ordering guitar I was mentally prepared for 1-2 month wait, until the package would be in my country (Kazakhstan), but no, delivery took only 13 days!
2) Neck. Very slim, satin feel. As was said in previous reviews, this neck is build for shredders (though I'm not a shredder myself);
3) Tremolo bridge. This was my first axe with a floating bridge, and I had second thoughts about tuning stability on them (up to the degree I almost considered purchasing a fixed-bridge model). This bridge holds tuning stability very well!
4) Sound versatility. 5-way switch gives you a ton of options, and pickups are good-sounding, for my taste;
5) Overall craftmanship. The looks, the gear, the paint, the woods - just amazing and catches your eye. It would be even more good looking with golden hardware, in my opinion. But, alas, the craftmanship also catches your fingers, which leads us to the negatives...
Negatives:
1) Frets. A real bummer, don't know what happened at the factory in Japan, but these frets don't quite reach to the level of a Prestige rank guitar. Fret edges can literally cut your fingers. I'm pretty sure this is not a wide issue, but I can't wrap my mind around the fact that these frets passed QC at the factory. Had to give my guitar for additional polish here in Kazakhstan;
2) Why, Thomann? As I said in "positives" section, delivery was very fast. Guitar came packed in Thomann carton box, inside was Ibanez box, then the case with a guitar. No damages, but the first time I opened the case I was looking at an exceptionally looking guitar with a) missing locking nut piece (turned out it somehow got unscrewed and was inside the case); b) rattling G string machine head (turned out the nut was not firmly tight) and c) torn plastic bag, which contains multitool and tremolo arm. Nothing really critical, but got my mood down for a short time.

Nonetheless, this is a perfect looking and great sounding guitar, and finally I've got it in my hands.