Same hardware + different body = different sound? - IBANEZ RGA42 vs. IBANEZ S521
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- Michaels´s Music Lab - Episode 1
I was looking for a replacement for my Epiphone Blueshawk and found these two nice Ibanez models. I was wondering what difference it would make to have a different body with the same hardware. Here´s the answer - I hope you enjoy it!!
All riffs are recorded and mixed free of effects as compressors & EQ´s so that everyone can apply his own settings and compare for himself.
Please leave a comment what you would like to see next time!
In case you are interested in the gear I use in this video:
Ibanez RGA42FM
Ibanez S521MOL
Egnater Rebel 30 212 Combo
Steinberg UR22 MKII
AKG P420
Alesis Crimson
Cordial CSI guitar cable
Cordial CPM mic cable
Art Tube MP Studio V3
D´Addario EXL 110 10-46
Dunlop Formula 65
GHS Fast Fret
Warwick Rockstand 5
Dunlop Tortex 1,14
Arturia MiniLab
Thank you for sharing, liking & subscribing :)
Produced by Michael Lewicki
Music by Dr. Elastic - Bad Hombres
info@4k-shots.com
/ dr.elastic
/ michal4kshots
/ michaellewicki85
/ dr-elastic
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SPECS:
neck type Wizard III Maple neck (bolt-on)
body S521MOL Mahogany body
body RGA42FM Mahogany body with flamed maple top
fretboard Rosewood fretboard w/Off-set white dot inlay
fret 24 Jumbo frets
bridge Fixed bridge
neck pickup Quantum (H) neck pickup (Passive/Ceramic)
bridge pickup Quantum (H) bridge pickup (Passive/Ceramic)
factory tuning 1E, 2B, 3G, 4D, 5A, 6E
string gauge .010/.013/.017/.026/.036/.046 - D´Addario XL
hardware color S521 Cosmo black
hardware color RGA42 Black
scale 648mm/25.5"
width (nut) 43mm
pickup selector 5-way switch
controls 1 volume/1 tone
price ≃ 400 €
Egnater Rebel 30 212 Combo
Copyright by Michael Lewicki
probably should have tuned up first
MH5tube sorry, what do you mean exactly? The guitars are in tune :)
To my ears they both sound like they're not in tune. Great video still.
Neko Q thank you for your comment - they are both tuned, they were just not perfectly intonated - straight out of the box :)
ahh... that makes sense. :)
Thank you :) Btw - I hope you enjoy my next clip about fidget spinner and an eDrum as well ;)
You say that "both tuned, they were just not perfectly intonated". Shouldn't you have fixed that BEFORE you made this video? Its like tuning AFTER the gig.
Thank you, finally someone doing a straight forward comparison. The repetitive 'tune' being played is a far better way to compare the two rather than playing random riffs through unknown effects/amps. Will admit though, does sound slightly out of tune. Everyone says the material doesn't make a difference but I can actually hear a subtle difference between the two, thank you for the vid.
Phil Uniacke thank you for watching and commenting Phil, I really appreciate it! I will take more care with the intonation on the next vids. And yes, I can here a difference too. Have a great day Phil 🙂
I prefer the s series sound
The rg is shaper bit more trebble in its sound. I love the s series looks and sound ✌️
You made these two beautiful impeccably made and amazing playing tone machines sound like piles of floppy sonic feces... Ibanez should ban you from reviewing their gear, it’s bad for business for THEM! Why would you not intonate and tune pre video? That being said… Great job on production, great video quality minus the sounds coming from the guitars out of the amplifiers.
Thank you Kam for your lovely comment. tbh IBANEZ actually really likes my videos. Furthermore I can assure you, that both guitars were tuned properly :) Maybe you like my next video better: czcams.com/video/hOFWrDEKyBY/video.html - Have a great day!
4K Shots, Kam is right. The video production is nice but the guitar sounds are terrible. Even the clean tones have fuzziness to them, and It may be in tune to you and whatever instrument you used to tune them, but in this video it doesn't sound like it.. Take a listen to some other CZcamsrs... you'll find it hard to deny.
I have to agree. I was stunned hearing lack of tuning.
I too was stunned by the lack of either good tuning or intonation. Very poor sound indeed.
@@4KshotsMichaelLewicki when did ibanez said that? you sure?
i dont care about the tune.. i just want to hear the difference.. nice comparison bro!! rock on!!
I have that exact RGA42 (color and all), it's a beautiful instrument, would definitely recommend!
Excellent choice Prismen - have fun with it!
I've been learning on a super super crappy starter guitar and i just bought the S521. I'm so excited to play it!
Aaww that's great! It's an amazing guitar 😎 make some awesome music with it 🤘
Update?
Saber series will always be my all time fav guitar ever
Great choice Danny - I love the body of the 7-string saber :)
I silmply fell in love with Ibanez S521 MOL, I entered a local shop to buy another guitar, but this model was simply saying to me "buy me buy me" and I couldn't resit. Sounds great, feels hot, and the wooden finish is great.
I can only recommend this guitar.
You´re absolutely right, it really is an awesome guitar - everyone who can, should give it a try. I can see why you took it home :) Btw: The finish is a lot like on my SR505 which has developed a really nice, bit darker color after 13 years
Nice wooden finish but does color goes off with a finger nail or pick scratch ? Thank's.
It was a great idea put these beauties against each other. It was interesting to hear them. I have always been S fun. This time it proved to be better for me again.
It would be good to see much more similar videos.
To me, the RGA has an ever so slight fuller sound. Interesting since I am debating on buying that exact RGA model as I sit here. Got an SD Hot Rodded pup set to use in it sitting here. Time to finish shopping I guess. Thanks for the demo.
I just played that RG and I know for a fact it doesn't sound like crap
sounds like the RGA have brighter sounds. maybe due to the flamed maple top.
Mark Modi thank you, indeed that was my impression as well :)
What flamed maple top ! Even higher end Ibanez prestige models carry only a thin photo maple veneer ......
That's what it's called: www.ibanez.com/products/eg_detail17.php?year=2017&area_id=3&cat_id=1&series_id=10&data_id=296&color=CL01
Is the capacitor on the tone-knob the same and are the values the same? If not that can make a difference in the high frequencies.
Chryptopher Many different owners of this particular guitar model (the RGA) have stated how this guitar is bright.
Considering that these guitars have probably been purchased through different guitar stores/companies, the strings are probably not set at the same height on all of those guitars.
Has to be something else.
Someone else commented about the tone and volume pots maybe playing a big part in that role. I havent looked up those specific specs on either guitar in this video, though.
Can’t go wrong with the S521 but the RGA is great too! 🤘🏻
great work. you are a scientists and this is the lab you are working from.
Thanks mate - that was the intention :)
I have the lefty version absolutely love it definitely modding it
Sounds great, how did you mod it?
Just bought an RGA42FM, and it's my favorite guitar now. Love the neck, love the tone selection on the 5-way switch. Love the lightness, even if the S bodies are lighter. I like the through the body strings, which produce nice sustain vs the standard Strat and Floyd Rose bridges on my other guitars. I like playing an arched top super Strat.
Thanks for the demo. I don't care if the guitars weren't intoned properly, because I know I can fix that. And I haven't fixed it yet either (still stretching out the strings and generally letting the guitar settle out of the box).
great idea for comparison, but terrible sound in both cases and not properly tuned, pity...
Thank you. S-series! ))
Rga does sound a little brighter. But looking at the s521 as my back is buggered.also top marks, no bullshit effects.
Then I would go for the S521, it´s just so so light! Maybe you can set the pickups a bit higher and get more sound - they were a bit lower than on the RGA ;) And thank you, I hope you enjoy the next epiode as well - czcams.com/video/hOFWrDEKyBY/video.html :)
Thanks for playing same tune with both guitars! I wish more comparison reviews were like this.
I really like this comparison, but you definetly should intonate the guitars in advance and maybe speak more clearly.
Thank you! All done in the latest episode, enjoy :) czcams.com/video/hOFWrDEKyBY/video.html
A very good comparison! Really like the production quality and your work, which one do you prefer better?
Thank you very much - I really appreciate that :) I like the RGA a bit more, which one is your favourite?
I like the RGA one too, that white binding makes the guitar look hella sexy *.*
So true - it looks just awesome! And it makes the guitar look so valuable. I have no idea how they put that together for this price!!
Thank you for making this video, exactly what I am looking for. My ears says to get the RGA but my back insist to get the S ...my wallet is not saying anything yet. Lol. Cheers!
I have a S 770 in poplar burl... I hated the floating tremolo, impossible to keep it in tune past the first few strums.. very disappointed with it..I put blocking in the bridge cavity and locked it in place... turned it into the best guitar I have....
Excellent work man. Good tone test. Best Regards!
IBANEZ RGA42 just seems brighter with more bite. Both have same the exact same pickups, but RGA has Jatoba fretboard different as it isn't S521's rosewood and a RGA flamed maple top giving it little brighter sound. Wood does make a difference in tone and what resonates into the pickups. For the money, I would go RGA42. For Ergonomics and lightweight - S521 - Seymour JB bridge, a 59 in neck. That should give it the bite and clarity it lacks.
In 2 days Im buying the rga42fm.Its going to be my first Electric guitar,i m fucking Hyped
Congratulations!! Great choice - I wish you an awesome time with it!!!! Let me know if you have any questions regarding your rig :)
Trying to decide between these two models..I think I’m leaning more towards the rga42fm. I already have two other rg’s
Hey man, I'm really torn with these 2.
I really like the S Shape, but because of the unfinished wood, does it feel a bit "Cheap"? Compared to the RGA's blue color with white bindings?
Howdy 😎 actually not at all imo. It feels really nice and natural 🤓
Sounds Really Great Playing & Comparison Between The Ibanez RGA42 & Ibanez S521 Guitars Here!! I Have The Ibanez S521 Guitar In The Blue Turquoise Finish!! Play & Sounds Really Awesome!! A Very Light & Not Heavy Guitar Too!! :)
Thank you so much Big Will! I really appreciate it 😊 Very nice choice on the finish of your guitar, it was unfortunately not
available anymore here in Germany. I couldn´t find any video of it on your channel, maybe you could present it?
521 sounds muddy compared to the rg, planning on a 521, have back issues.
Guitars with meranti body (like the S521) the body wood will have ALMOST no effect on the tone. It will >80% depend on the type of pickup used, thickness of the guitar pick used, and ofcourse the player.
is the s series neck heavy? I mean will it always tend to tip over when its on your lap and you arent holding the neck?
Not really. It's still very comfy and well balanced imo
@@4KshotsMichaelLewicki thank you for the fast answer!
@@bas5984 You´re welcome :)
Dude i fucking loved my RGA42FM. I put a hipshot bridge and locking tuners, along with the SD Nazgul/Sentient set on it. Man i toured that guitar since the week they came out to very recently lol Definilty a bang for your buck if you put a few strategic upgrades on it.
So you think there was a difference in the sound? I like my s521, but looking at RP 421.
Just a very small one 🤓
Been playing guitar for 10+ years now. I like the look of the S521, I know it's a low budget guitar esp for Ibanez but how important is that really?
why do they sound so muddy?
I’m really surprised. I expected the RG to sound purer but in every case but the solo the S Body sounded clearer whereas the RG to my ears sounded muddy.. I prefer the sound of the S Body…
Love the video man. Great detailed look. I have a s370 and I love it. I may be trying to get another ibanez soon I want ss frets on the next guitar I buy. Subbed
The S definitely sounds that bit better
Hi, did someone weighted the ibanez s531 mol? Have some backpain and need a lightweight guitar
Hi, unfortunately totally forgot about it... Backpain was the reason for me to get in the first place. It is a real lightweight compaired to the rga. Good luck 🤘😎
is the intonation off or are they just out of tune?
This comparison needs to be redone with all of that addressed
How much does the S521 weigh?
Nice video. How's the balance on the s521? Is the neck heavier than the body?
in your honest opinion. which one should I get. I like the lighter one.
Then go for it, it´s an amazing guitar ;) and it sits a bit easier on your lap than the RGA
@@4KshotsMichaelLewicki awesome. my shoulders hurt playing heavy guitars. so lighter is better
how heavy is the rg compared to s521?
Told myself I dont need this but after watching this, Im reconsidering on possibly buying this based off your playing here! Killer tone! Ive been into active pick ups lately but with that guitar and passive pick ups, it makes the chugging heavy! Now I have a decision to make!
Which is heavier, and which lighter? What's their weight?
The S is lighter and the RGA is a tiny bity heavier. Unfortunately I can't tell you the specific weight as I do not own them anymore. Maybe you can check them out in your local guitar store. Let me know if you wanna know anything else 😎
@@4KshotsMichaelLewicki I found out: the S is 2.38 kg, the RGA is 3.3 kg.
@@bambeeification Good job :) have fun with it.. Really cool guitars imo 😎
I have the RGA42FM!
Michał, myślisz, że RGA42FM jest godna uwagi? Teraz posiadam GRG121DX, ale chcę przejść na wyższy model w rozsądnej cenie ;)
Witam! Myślę, że RGA42FM to świetna gitara za tą cenę, ale ona nie jest o dużo lepsza niż twoja obecna gitara. Polecam spróbować RGA42FM w sklepie i porównać ją z twoją gitarą. A może lepiej zainwestować kase w lepsze przetworniki? Ja, na przykład nadal lubię grać na mojej Ibanez Gio do dziś: czcams.com/video/hOFWrDEKyBY/video.html ;)
I got the blue one, Nice guitar but the stock Humbuckers sound very bright..
This was a well done comparison. There is a diffrence but it is very little and I can't even say which one I liked better.
Ibanez S521 needs some Seymour Duncans in it - BLAH on sound and muddy. The RGA has bite and way better tone.
Great review
Thank you miertjie :)
RG 42 best body sound
Not same pickups, s521 inf4 inf3, rga42 quantum
Looks like RGA42FM was not tuned just to make S sounds better. Or is your amp broken? Cuz something is really wrong here.
I've seen the rga42 advertised as rosewood but says jatoba ont he website.
Your fingerboard are really dark for jatoba though.
Are they dyed darker or older models ?
Jatoba will darken up a lil with fretboard conditioner or lemon oil
May i know which is lighter in weight?
Kaiz yeo yes shure :) The S model is lighter
Don't worry out of tune or intonation its a punk attitude 😊! Great video comparison
Grazie mille fratello! You're god dem right 😎🤘
Hey, does the back side of the RGA42fm blue lagoon look cheap?
Hey Ahnaf, actually not at all. It looks like an open pored finish, just like underneath the binding. It feels good and is visibly at around 01:19
Bareknuckle juggernaut pickups would sound sick on the RGA421FM.
Ahnaf Tajwar so true, i hope somebody already tried that :)
wow ! crazy that you mentioned that. I was literally thinking the same thing when i saw the rga being played. i thought to myself man this guitar would look and sound great with some juggernaut pickups.
S521 sounds and look better i think
How much lighter is the s521 compared to both rga/rg guitars? I've got no back problems or anything, but being a 5'5 girl, I'm a bit worried about the weight. IE, my epiphone sg g310 is pretty heavy to me
I got the iron label six6dfm and it is extremely light. I am a strong dude but still this thing is extremely light but man does it sound heavy!
S521 is awesome super light don't hesitate
i love these comments. So adamant that the guitars are in tune. He's probably right and literally everyone else is hearing it wrong.
Good effort though. Can i please EQ your amp for you and have you re-do this video? I know this video is 3 years old... did you plug this into a $100 crate from 1992?
Sold! On the s ty
Seriously NEVER want to hear that again, I feel punished.
i think this is actually the worst guitar tone/intonation I have ever hard lmao. This is definitely torture.
Sounds like the S has alot less gain!
ayeapprove indeed. Also the pickups are a bit lower by factory. This might be influencing it a bit.
hi what is the exact weight of both? thanks
Bro, What's the weight for both?
RGA42FM
I think the RGA has a richer tone, which is most likely due to simply having a more massive body.
Two other things I thought of that would perhaps make a test like this a bit easier and more definitive, if you try one again. One is, perhaps play something less labor intensive. Simple letting the chords ring out some to give you some rest, minus a monotonous pedal tone, will truly help us judge tone, sustain, volume difference, etc. When you are playing that palm muted rhythm figure, with a fast tempo, it can be more difficult to really tell a big difference, since the sounds don't truly have time to completely form. If your goal was to simply go for a metal/rock type sound, where palm muting and faster tempos are commonplace, I understand. If you think about it though, what tends to make songs of those genres stand out from the rest is whenever they slow down, get melodic, and you can appreciate the ambience, textures and tones more. One last thing, if you don't have a high-quality mic, that can really pick up on the subtle differences in the sounds, you might hear it one your end, but we likely won't hear much difference on out TV speaker or computer speaker. My TV is my computer monitor for example and doesn't have the greatest speakers, but they are bad and probably better than many lower end computer monitor speakers.
Should only beginners buy the Ibanez S521MOL? Or advanced players could buy and play comfortably? Like, I don't get it when people say beginner guitar, while giving a review. Why wouldn't advanced player buy it? When comparing with a Prestige, would a player be slower playing S521 than playing a Prestige? If we don't mind pickups, electronics, and tuning pegs...?
Not at all. At least not in my opinion. I think everyone should feel comfortable and soundwise fine. And that's it. All of my guitars are cheap to midrange. I don't own any prestige guitars. I prefer a lot of different sounds and feels and therefore I sometimes switch to different pickups or simply just better potis and it already works for me.
Nothing against prestige guitars. And of course "expensive" ingredients are often stronger, shinier or easier to handle, but I don't like thinking about the price when I play an instrument. "Good" sound doesn't come from just the guitar itself. Neither does it come from half rotten vintage guitars.
Hooray! Other than reverb--a necessity to me--no damn compressor or distortion pedals to defeat the purpose of a video about the "native" (natural?) sound of a guitar's pickups! Hmmm...my ear prefers the RGA. The S's pups sound under-powered/wound and just muddy--unless it's a reflection of the amp (which it very well COULD be).
Thank you for your comment :) I prefer the RGA as well, it´s just a bit more guitar. I hope you like the next episode as well: czcams.com/video/hOFWrDEKyBY/video.html
Please enjoy and have a great day :)
No ale plakat to masz zaje....sty :)!
Rga has more chunky sound
Indeed, I think the S521 sounds a bit finer
The ibanez s5 series and s6 series have the same stuff basically but the s5 is cheaper . Should I get a 5 or 6, I like the s series
The S Series is indeed great and you´re also right with the specs, there is no big difference besides the maple top, which could make the s6 a bit spankier. Can you check them out in a store maybe? Then you´ll know for sure which one is the right for you, I really hope this helps Williaem :)
4K shots! Thanks for the feedback ! My main guitar is an epiphone LP studio and I put in emg 81/85s my self .
I played the ibanez s621qm and absolutely loved it . I just don't have $500 for another axe haha
I play a lot of metal and blues , and most of the blues guys play fenders and a couple gibsons .
I want to be different and roll with an ibanez because I like ibanez and it fits my style of a mix of metal/blues
You´re welcome Williaem :) That´s a good choice! The perfect combination actually. And yes, I love Ibanez too, I recently bought an SR300 and it´s just so soo good!! If you don´t have it at the moment, then maybe waiting just a little bit more is an option? I wanted my LTD EC400 so bad while I was still studying, that I saved money for almost 2 years until I could afford it. Or of course checkin out the s521 which is almost the same guitar with a natural touch (feels great Imo). Let me know how you decide and have a great weekend !!
4K shots! I can get a brand new s621qm natural vintage finish for $450. I think I'm gonna do it .
Today lol
That's a terrible sounding distortion. Like a battery powered amp dying
I can assure you that no batteries were harmed during the filming of this clip.
Learn how to record the sound first...
Will you show me how? Thank you so much!
You deserve much more views men! The quality, production of the video is super clean! I would just say that the riffs where boring tbh
Thanks you so much for your honest opinion bro :) As I´m actually preparing the next episode that´s good to hear - I will consider that!
Pozdrawiam :)
Czesc :)
Mol better in dirt, rg in cleans
Okidoke, thanks vonHell!
RG is a lot brighter
Sean Holtz yeah, i think it's the maple top
4K shots! That and the wood may have been aged for the RG, however I think the s series is good for metal cause of the darker sound giving it a little thicker bass sound
Sean Holtz: ha, that's a very good point Sean. And the rga is maybe a bit more versatile. Greetings from germany btw :) michael
25 jumbo frets huh...??
I applaud the effort man but this was hard to watch...maybe tune up next time.
out of tune thats low af
Sooo much mud.
Why would you review a guitar with the amp settings dialled all the way up?! You’re guaranteed to have a shit sound and it gives the viewer no idea if the guitar sounds any good!
sounds like someone is metal dying...
Sorry, I don´t get it - have a great day anyway!
rga sounds better
I think so too Demir 😊
@@4KshotsMichaelLewicki i maybe buy it 🙂
Sorry for my english haha
Well, you can´t go wrong with that guitar Demir - have fun! :)
@@4KshotsMichaelLewicki thanks 😃
Pick my rga up tomorrow it’s the dragon burst one
Grausam👻
this bloke could make a 10 grand guitar sound like shit
Yep . . . and definitely NOT in tune.
different pickups for different body
Focus Hi! Actually they both have the same pickups :)
Boooooooooooring!
I´m sorry to hear that Judson, what would you like to see?
Is this supposed to be a joke? 😂 Do you know how to tune a guitar ?
Что за дрисня...и нестроевич. Жуть.
aaaaaand subscribe!
Dito :)
I think the RG42 is a little out of tune brother
Horrible sounding guitars!
not in tune
Difference is your one guitar is out of tune..😊😂
Horrible tone! These guitars deserve a higher quality test, please!