Ibanez RG5320 Cosmic Shadow Review + Full Mix Demo | Unsponsored | My Favorite Guitar!
62Ibanez RG5320 Prestige Cosmic Shadow unsponsored guitar review and full mix demo. This is my favorite guitar! I will try to be as objective as possible but this thing rocks!
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00:00 Unsponsored review of my favorite guitar
00:19 Summary of talking points
Looks
00:38 Unique finish and classy look
00:57 Double cut RG shape with forearm contour
01:11 Binding ages quickly
01:34 Pickups and hardware color - hardware finish wears easily
Specs and Body Feel
01:49 Fast overview of common specs
02:11 Mahogany body is heavy than ash, basswood, but not the heaviest guitar
Feel and Playability
02:42 RG forearm cut feels great sitting or standing, square body stays in place
02:57 No contour/cutaway on back of bottom horn
03:14 More points on playing sitting down and standing up
03:33 Neck profiles slightly vary between prestige guitars
03:45 Story on how this is my favorite neck, between J. Custom and PIA thickness
04:26 Plays better than instruments double the price
04:51 Comparing to other RG Prestiges at this price point
05:12 Modern thin D neck profile
05:39 Stainless steel frets are smooth and durable
05:53 Ebony is smooth but keep it conditioned
06:06 Minimal setup was required
06:20 Played guitar so much the neck bolts came loose
Misc
06:32 Output jack location
07:00 Lo Pro bridge stays in tune but the bushing on the bar fails over time
07:41 Doesn’t come with locking tuners
Sound
08:12 Stock pickups work excellent in a mix
08:48 Coil split is usable
09:00 Overview of controls
The Verdict
09:08 Would I recommend this guitar?
09:15 Price point and diminishing returns in quality
09:33 Easy playing for all day use
09:51 All components come together to sound good
10:01 Unique looks
10:07 Lower tier prestiges are good but if you’re on the fence, get this
Vs. an Evertune-equipped Guitar
10:41 Would I recommend this over an Evertune guitar?
11:18 Feel of fighting springs
11:39 Have to retune every now and than but overall an easier playing experience
Conclusion
12:31 Final conclusion
12:40 Please consider liking and subscribing. Thank you!
Demo song
12:57 Bridge rhythm intro in front of synth chords
13:05 Bridge rhythm, neck cleans, synth chords, bridge leads
13:22 Throw in some bridge palm mute lead
13:30 Neck clean break
13:32 Bridge guitar solo
13:48 Power chord outro
13:52 Split coil neck clean actual outro
14:02 Cat time
The Ibanez RG5320 Prestige is an impressive guitar. It has all the modern features including metal-oriented passive pickups, stainless steel frets, an ebony fretboard, and a mahogany body. It even comes in an attention-grabbing yet classy finish. This guitar has been a joy to play and has only required some minimum maintenance over the past 3 years of ownership and heavy use.
The mahogany body itself isn't too heavy - definitely much lighter than a Les Paul. The simple RG body shape is a joy to play standing up or sitting down. If you're a fan of thin or carved top guitars, this will of course take some getting used to, but it is a very easy guitar to play.
This guitar has my favorite neck profile. Not favorite in that I would pick it, but favorite in that it somehow brings out the best in my playing. It feels more like a D shape than the other Prestige guitars I have from this price point, and those come about 90-96% close to this neck in terms of playing feel, but this one still remains the best.
The stock pickups, while generally surrounded by negative sentiment online, I find they sound amazing in a mix. I have no plans of changing these out as they seem to always just work.
Would I recommend this guitar over something with an Evertune? Short answer is yes. While I'm a big fan of the Evertune bridge, when it comes to easy playing feel and less resistance and strain against the hands, this provides for the better playing experience. Because the guitar is high quality, it doesn't need to be tuned that often. Although in recording scenarios it's always good to check tuning frequently.
Overall this is an incredible guitar that hits at the perfect point of cost and value. It is by no means an inexpensive guitar but in this case, you do get what you pay for.