IBANEZ JPCS12 PROMETHEUS

"PROMETHEUS"

Take only a passing glance at this hand-crafted RGA, and that might be all you think you’re looking at. However, there is much more going on with this instrument than meets the eye. Some features, like the Roasted Maple neck, Flamed Maple top, and Madagascar Rosewood fretboard are obvious and apparent, but the Japanese Custom Shop built this guitar with some subtle one-off features that could easily go unnoticed. First, the archtop of this RGA is more dramatic than those on the production models. The guitar also has a 50mm-thick body, 6mm thicker than a production RGA, along with a fatter “C” shaped neck. The combined effect of both characteristics is a thicker, heavier sound, while still preserving plenty of articulation and clarity. Other custom features specific to this instrument include a 12”- 16” compound radius, a nitrocellulose finish, stainless steel frets, the newly designed Gibraltar Elite bridge, and Y.O.S. “Smoggy” humbuckers. The end result of all this custom sculpting is an RGA that’s far more tonally flexible and covers more sonic ground than most production models but remains a faithful ode to this Ibanez fan favorite.

THE DEEPER MEANING

The luthiers at the Japan Custom Shop decided to increase the body thickness of this RGA by 6mm. They also opted to go with a thicker “C” profile neck to give the guitar a heavier sound with enhanced low-mid range and a more robust sounding low-end response.

FLAME OUT

While the front of this RGA is stunningly figured, the back of the instrument also injects a heavy dose of figured wood aesthetics with a phenomenal Roasted Flamed Maple neck. The neck is 5pc construction and features two Rosewood stringers in between the Maple.

NITRO CHARGED

Wanting to add a more classic feature to what is otherwise a super-modern guitar, the choice was made to apply a nitrocellulose finish over the Flamed Maple top and Mahogany body. The finish is thinner than a modern polyurethane, which allows the wood to resonate more freely. Additionally, as the guitar ages, the finish ages as well, providing a vintage, played-in look that is so popular among many players today.

JPCS12 - "PROMETHEUS" BUILD INFO

• Neck: 5pc Roasted Flamed Maple / Rosewood
• Neck Width: 43mm @ Nut, 58mm @ 24th Fret
• Neck Thickness: 22mm @ 1st Fret, 24mm @ 12th Fret
• Grip Shape: Fat C
• Fingerboard: Madagascar Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 12”-16”
• Inlays: Mother of Pearl
• Side Dots: Luminlay
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Neck Joint: Bolt-On
• Body: 1pc Honduras Mahogany
• Top: Flamed Maple
• Pickups: Y.O.S. Smoggy
• Tuners: Gotoh MG-T locking
• Bridge: Gibraltar Elite
• Includes Hardshell Case & Certificate of Authenticity