Lorcan Ward
7slinger
![1f54daae0c523d9d005ab352a4035e71.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1f/54/da/1f54daae0c523d9d005ab352a4035e71.jpg)
All I know is the Ibby copy someone got her years ago is what got me interested in custom guitars in the first place.
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I don't think you're the first person in here to not care about copying.I don’t care about copying at all.
Just thought I’d throw that out there.
Whoa..... be right back, gonna go start some plans to build a custom RGA.![]()
All I know is the Ibby copy someone got her years ago is what got me interested in custom guitars in the first place.
SameWhoa..... be right back, gonna go start some plans to build a custom RGA.
![]()
All I know is the Ibby copy someone got her years ago is what got me interested in custom guitars in the first place.
Whoa..... be right back, gonna go start some plans to build a custom RGA.
Let us know if you find someone willing to actually do it. I'm looking for someone to make a duplicate of my main axe. I was talking with Ran guitars about doing a copy of my custom and they would no longer do an Ibby headstock so I was going to ask them to do something close which I could later modify into the shape. I was saving up for it when all this went down, so bitter sweet that I luckily didn't lose any money. Let us know if you find someone willing to actuallyy do it. I went to my original builder, Ron Blake, but he since retired from full builds. I was definately the first person I know of to have an Rga like these built. At least 5-6 years before any LACS or Rga models were released. I'm not not bragging, just saying, It was the only one on the internet or that I ever heard of for years, then they started popping up once Ibby released them. If anything Ibby copied meWhoa..... be right back, gonna go start some plans to build a custom RGA.
I say copy. None of these companies will make a guitar like this. They are all custom. If they refuse for over 20 years now to make these guitars then it's not copying, it's filling a need in the market. I think it's stupid that companies can even copyright their headstock shapes. As long as it is not sold as something it's not, then it shouldn't be protected, imo. Especially Ibanez, they didn't care when they ripped off Gibson and they won't make any options available either. I've been saying it for over 20 years, and they never come out with something that checks all the boxes, at any cost. stop making so many damn guitars with weird stuff (like a 7 string bass where the bottom 2 strings are fretless) and start giving me real quality options I can use. I should be able to just order the parts I want at least and build the guitar I want, dare I say like Keisel, No let's not even start on that subject now! I swear, i'm not trying to start trouble. Tone wood! just kidding.I don't think you're the first person in here to not care about copying.
I meant making one myself.View attachment 68476
Let us know if you find someone willing to actually do it. I'm looking for someone to make a duplicate of my main axe. I was talking with Ran guitars about doing a copy of my custom and they would no longer do an Ibby headstock so I was going to ask them to do something close which I could later modify into the shape. I was saving up for it when all this went down, so bitter sweet that I luckily didn't lose any money. Let us know if you find someone willing to actuallyy do it. I went to my original builder, Ron Blake, but he since retired from full builds. I was definately the first person I know of to have an Rga like these built. At least 5-6 years before any LACS or Rga models were released. I'm not not bragging, just saying, It was the only one on the internet or that I ever heard of for years, then they started popping up once Ibby released them. If anything Ibby copied meThe closest thing at the time was an ESP. It's an Ed Roman (I know, let's not start on an Ed Roman rant please) built by Alan Dreher and Ron Blake. Ron did many customs for all the big names, they even did ghost builds for the LACS and never got credit because they are ghost builds. The man is a master and it was really sad to hear he doesn't do full builds any more. I think he's in his mid 70's now. Here's some pron. It's a black Limba Body, 3pc hard maple neck, full double edge system and hardware from an rg2027xvv made in 1999 a year before they were released, with EMG's , ebony fretboard and custom inlay. The neck profile is even nicer than the rg2027xvv was. 20 years later, It is still solid, though it has some battle scars, every one of which I kicked myself in the ass for, but this is a player guitar. I refuse to put it in a glass box and stare at it, that would be guitar abuse, but I do need a backup for it, so anyone who knows of a godd luthier that will do this, please tell! Also has a french polished ebony vaneer headstock, it's a 3/4" maple flame top with a thick ebony vanneer on the headstock to. View attachment 68474
Weirdly enough that has the deeper cutaway contours I've only seen on the Broderick LACS. Wonder if they modeled it after that.
That RGA is one super classy guitar. I think the best thing about small builders is that you could ask someone to imitate an existing design, but make it your own in the ways you want. I don't think Ibanez lost any customers due to RAN. If anything, smaller luthiers' unique takes on their designs should serve as an R&D/market research platform and a promotional tool for the bigger brand. If someone made amazing variations of existing Ibanez designs in a smaller shop, and people would be interested in them, it would be easy for Ibanez to just take the formula and apply it on production guitars the next year.
Anyway, now I want a black RGA with white binding...