Ibanez GRGM21MORB Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB is an electric guitar that offers great playability and sound at an affordable price point. Part of Ibanez's GIO series, it features a GRGM Maple neck and Poplar body to deliver the traditional tone and feel of a classic solid body electric guitar.

With its 2 humbucking pickups, this versatile guitar can handle rock, blues, metal and more. The maple fretboard and rosewood bridge provide smooth playability, while the vintage style tremolo offers expressive control over the GRGM21MORB's full-bodied sound. Ibanez's signature craftsmanship shines through on this guitar, making it an excellent choice for new players and working musicians alike.

Though made as an affordable entry in Ibanez's lineup, the GRGM21MORB doesn't compromise on quality. It delivers professional level tone and playability that belies its accessible price point. For guitarists looking for great value in a reliable, gig-ready electric, the GRGM21MORB warrants a close look.

Body & Neck

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB features a mahogany body with a bolt-on maple neck for stability and sustain. The neck is slim and fast with a rosewood fretboard, allowing for easy playability and smooth lead work. The neck joint and heel is sculpted for easy access to the upper frets. Overall the wood combination provides a solid feel while still being lightweight enough for prolonged playing. The ergonomics and contouring make this guitar comfortable to hold.

When choosing an electric guitar, it's important to consider the body and neck materials and construction. Mahogany is a popular choice for guitar bodies because it has a balanced tonal response. The maple neck adds brightness and definition. The bolt-on construction allows for precise adjustment of the neck angle and replacement if needed. The slim, fast neck profile facilitates quick lead playing while the rosewood fretboard provides smoothness. Easy upper fret access enables advanced soloing techniques. The lightweight build is great for reducing fatigue during long practice or gigging sessions. Overall the Ibanez GRGM21MORB is designed for playability, comfort and versatile tone.

Another excellent electric guitar option to consider is the Ortega Guitars RST5-1/2. This guitar features a basswood body with a bolt-on maple neck and rosewood fretboard. The basswood provides a balanced tone with smooth mids, pronounced lows and bright highs. The maple neck adds definition while the rosewood fretboard provides warmth. It has a thin, fast neck profile for speedy playing. The hardware includes sealed die-cast tuners for tuning stability. There are two humbucker pickups that can be split for versatile tone shaping. The controls are simple with master volume and tone knobs. Overall it's designed to be comfortable to play while providing dynamic sound possibilities.

Pickups with Built-In Power

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB features Ibanez's signature Powersound pickups, which provide a powerful and balanced tone. These pickups are designed specifically for metal and hard rock playing, providing high output and aggression.

The bridge Powersound-3 pickup delivers a tight and heavy sound perfect for distorted rhythm playing. The neck Powersound-R single coil has a warmer, smoother voice for lead playing. Together they offer a versatile tonal palette.

A key feature of Powersound pickups is that they have a built-in preamp, meaning each pickup has its own volume control. This allows you to blend the bridge and neck pickups to shape your tone with more precision. The pickup volume controls are located in a convenient position next to the pickups for quick adjustments while playing.

Overall, the Powersound pickups in the GRGM21MORB provide exceptional bite and authority. Their integrated preamp gives you more tonal options when playing. This makes them well suited for hard rock, metal, and aggressive styles.

When looking for an electric guitar with great pickups, the Fender 0373450526 is an excellent choice. The Fender Player Series Stratocaster features newly redesigned Alnico V single-coil pickups. Alnico V is known for its crisp highs and tight lows, perfect for clean and crunchy tones. The bridge pickup provides plenty of bite for lead playing while the neck pickup delivers smooth, round tones.

Fender redesigned these pickups with enamel-coated magnet wire for reduced hum and improved response across the frequency range. The pole pieces are staggered for balanced output. Together, the pickups offer classic Stratocaster tones from sparkling cleans to growling drive.

The pickups connect to a modern tremolo bridge with bent steel saddles for increased sustain and resonance. This combines with the pickups to give you stellar Strat tone that jumps out of the amp. The 5-way pickup switch lets you instantly change between pickup configurations.

Made in Mexico, the Fender Player Stratocaster features a comfortable contoured alder body with a smooth modern "C" shaped maple neck. Other great features include a 9.5" radius fingerboard and rear-angled headstock for smooth playability. This is an inspiring guitar for all styles of music.

So if you're seeking an electric guitar with excellent pickups for all types of tones, check out the Fender 0373450526. The redesigned Alnico V single-coil pickups deliver classic Fender tones. Paired with modern playability, you get exceptional sound and feel.

Hardware

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB electric guitar features quality hardware that enhances its playability and tuning stability. It has a fixed bridge with a vintage tremolo design that provides solid intonation and tuning across the fretboard. The bridge is mounted directly to the guitar body for maximum resonance and sustain.

The tuning machines are Chrome Die-Cast tuners with a modern and sleek look. The die-cast construction makes them very durable and able to keep the strings in tune even during heavy playing. The tuning ratio is 18:1 for precise fine tuning adjustments. Combined with the fixed bridge, these tuners allow for great tuning stability and make it easy to keep the guitar in tune.

Overall, the hardware complements the guitar nicely. The fixed bridge offers excellent sustain and tuning stability. And the die-cast tuners provide precision tuning capabilities. This allows you to play with confidence knowing the guitar will stay in tune.

Playability

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB features a thin, fast maple neck that allows for easy, smooth playing across the entire fretboard. The neck has a GRG profile that provides comfort and speed. Ibanez designed this neck to maximize playability for shredding and fast lead playing.

The rosewood fretboard enhances playability as well. Rosewood has a smooth finish that lets your fingers glide effortlessly up and down the neck. The fretboard has 24 jumbo frets, providing ample room for bends and fretting. It also has pearloid dot inlays for easy navigation.

Overall, the neck and fretboard on the GRGM21MORB give you effortless playability. It's built for speed, allowing you to easily shred on the guitar. The thin neck and jumbo frets make it very comfortable for fast lead playing across the entire fretboard.

Sound

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB produces a tight, aggressive metal tone that excels for hard rock and metal genres. The combination of the GRG maple neck and rosewood fretboard enhances note definition and clarity.

The Infinity R pickups are designed specifically for brutal, high gain metal tones. There's plenty of output and punch in the bridge pickup for searing lead lines and crunchy rhythms. The neck pickup balances warmth for soloing while still retaining aggression.

Palm muting churns out a chunky, tight response. There's enough gain on tap when cranked for singing leads, without losing articulation. The overall voicing aims right for modern metal, keeping the fundamental tone clear.

When using higher levels of distortion, notes remain tight rather than getting lost in a muddy wash of gain. There's enough detail and attitude to cut through a mix. The Ibanez excels not just for playing at home, but powerful projection in a live setting as well.

Versatility

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB electric guitar is quite versatile when it comes to handling various musical genres. The combination of its powerful Mikro 'bucker pickups and fast GRGM maple neck allow the guitar to excel at aggressive metal tones. The pickups have plenty of output to deliver the tight, thick distortion needed for heavy metal rhythm and leads.

At the same time, the GRGM21MORB is versatile enough to handle lighter overdriven tones, cleaner arpeggios, and funky rhythms. The 5-way pickup selector switch allows accessing single coil-like tones from the neck or bridge pickup alone. This provides a wide tonal palette suitable for blues, rock, jazz, fusion, and more.

Overall, the Ibanez GRGM21MORB is a very flexible electric guitar. From lightning fast shredding to funky chords and crooning leads, this guitar has the sonic versatility desired by many guitarists. The combination of quality pickups and hardware allow the GRGM21MORB to adapt well to a guitarist's musical needs across genres.

Quality & Durability

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB is well-made for its price point. The guitar features a mahogany body and maple neck, which are both durable tonewoods commonly used on mid-range electric guitars.

The hardware appears to be decent quality with no major issues reported. The fixed bridge and diecast tuners help provide stable tuning and intonation. The knobs and switches feel solid when adjusting settings.

Owners mention the guitar feeling sturdy and well-constructed, especially considering its affordable cost. While it may not have the refinement of a professional instrument, the GRGM21MORB should hold up well to regular use and last many years with proper care and maintenance.

For a budget-friendly guitar, the Ibanez GRGM21MORB offers good build quality and durability that punches above its weight class. Players report the guitar feeling solid and reliable once properly set up.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The Ibanez GRGM21MORB has a great tone for metal music. The pickups provide tight, aggressive mids and cutting highs that excel for heavy rock and extreme metal styles.

• The GRGM21MORB's Wizard III maple neck has a thin, fast profile that allows for easy shredding and fast lead playing. The neck is designed for speed and facilitates complex solos and riffing.

• This guitar comes in an eye-catching metallic orange burst finish. The bold, vibrant colors make this Ibanez stand out visually on stage or in photos/videos. It has strong visual appeal.

Cons

• While the pickups deliver good distortion and gain, some players may find they are not quite hot enough for ultra high-gain metal styles like death metal or black metal. Swapping them for even higher output pickups could squeeze out some additional heaviness.

• There have been some complaints about tuning stability on the GRGM21MORB. The stock tuners could potentially be upgraded to better locking tuners to improve tuning consistency, especially for live playing and frequent tuning changes.

Conclusion

The Ibanez GRGM21MORB is a great entry level electric guitar option for players looking to get into metal and rock. It offers versatile tone shaping with its twin Quantum pickups, allowing for everything from clean tones to high gain distortion. The basswood body and maple neck provide a balanced, well-rounded sound.

While it may not have the build quality of more expensive guitars, the GRGM21MORB is designed to be affordable while still offering pro features like a double locking tremolo bridge. Considering the price, it punches above its weight class when it comes to playability and sound. Overall, this Ibanez is an excellent gateway into the world of rock and metal guitar at a budget-friendly price point.