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Ibanez TC420

Summary
Manufacturer URL http://www.ibanez.com/
Features 8.1 (14 responses)
Sound 7.6 (15 responses)
Action, Fit, & Finish 8.0 (15 responses)
Reliability/Durability 7.9 (14 responses)
Customer Support 8.8 (5 responses)
Overall Rating 8.1 (15 responses)
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Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 07/17/2007 at 03:04pm by Kevin

Features : 9
gloss black w/pearloid pickguard. interesting old jazzmaster style body. nice 22 fret neck. single volume and tone controls and a 3 way switch that looks like an old Fender 5 way. I got this guitar several years ago. switched the pickups out for an old set of Gibsons (500t and 496r) to make it scream better. not a fan of tremelos, so I had to adjust the bridge to sit against the body.

Sound : 9
I play mostly heavy music and this guitar gets it done. had it set up and stobe tuned for C standard tuning. combine that with a Mesa DC-5, and you've got one monstrous sound.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
factory set up was okay, but the strings were WAY too light. replaced 'em with a set of Zakk Wylde GHS boomers (11-70). guitar was new old stock, so it was in perfect shape when I got it.

Reliability/Durability : 10
the tuners aren't the greatest in the world, but they serve their purpose. I've had it for 7 years and it's been beaten up a bit, but still tickin'.

Customer Support : No Opinion
never deal with the manufacturer because I rarely ever get new gear. this one is long out of warranty, so I'd just fix it myself if it needs work.

Overall Rating : 9
been playin' about 12 years now, and this is my favorite of all the axes I've had. it's got the look, feel and sound that I need. if it ever got stolen, well...let's not think about that.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 04/15/2007 at 11:55pm by john

Features : 7
tc 420 black maple neck rosewood fingerboard, two weak humbuckers ,

Sound : 6
will change out the pickups should sound a lot better, in stock set up
sounds ok a little muddy

Action, Fit, & Finish : 6
got action down much lower than it was , intonation set up dead on
nice frets all at the same level no high ones, pots are crap as is
the 3 way switch

Reliability/Durability : 7
seems like it will stand up well with time

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 7
saw this sitting in someones room with missing strings dirty and neglected, asked them if i could take it home and put new strings
and set it up for them, after doing so found out i liked the guitar
will offer them 100.00 for it i am sure they will take it , nice little
guitar will change the bridge pickup and pots should sound good then
plays real nice now , dont think i would pay some of the prices i have
seen in the other reviews but for 100.00 to 200.00 very nice guitar
ps have gotten a lot of guitars telling people i will string and set
up there guitar for free and then make them an offer , try it you will
only be out a 4.00 for the strings and you will get a lot of nice guitars


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: USD 200 USED
Submitted 03/19/2007 at 10:06pm by celt_rock

Features : 10
I own a TC630 and wanted something with humbuckers so I bought this on eBay for $200 delivered. My 630 is an MIJ, this is an MIK, and this is still my main guitar. Yes it doesn't have tuners as nice as the 630 (yet I don't have severe tuning problems), yes it doesn't have as pretty a neck (still feels just as good), but it's still my number one. My MIJ is prettier but my MIK does EVERYTHING I need (well... except that).

I like the chrome knobs, the pearloid pickguard (white over a black body), I love the solid feeling neck and the beautiful sounds I get out of this guitar. I've used it for jazz, rock and celtic music. Even the sound engineer at the last recording session said "man, that's a really nice sounding guitar" with more than a hint of surprise in his voice.

Sound : 10
Read above, I love this guitar

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
Read above, I love this guitar

Reliability/Durability : 10
Read above, I frikkin' love this guitar

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never needed it. Have I mentioned that I love this guitar?

Overall Rating : 10
I just realized that myself and every other glowing reviewer are probably shooting ourselves in the foot. If everyone finds out how great these guitars are, we won't be able to find them on eBay any more for the steals we've been getting them for! I bought an orange creamsicle TC630 one once on eBay for under $200 then sold it to make a little extra dough back in 1999. I'm kicking myself in the a@* for that stupid move.

Anyone want to sell a creamsicle Talman?


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: $330 (AUD) used
Submitted 05/23/2006 at 08:26pm by Mike
Email: mikejmeehan<at>hotmail dot com

Features : 9
Korean built, 2 h/b model. Strat style non-locking trem bridge, 3 way switch, volume, single tone knob. The way the tone knob and output jack are both seated on tht big chunk of chrome is VERY cool. I wouldn't have thought that anything aesthetic could have been done with an output jack, but Ibanez have done it. Pearloid scratchplate, basswood=light. Weird kind of half Jaguar, half-everything-else shape- very cool. 3-a-side cheap but ok tuners.

1 thing- the shape of the headstock- begins to go out in shape at the first fret, whereas most guitars it happens above the nut. So if I go to play chords where a couple of strings needs to be pressed at the first fret (which fortnuately there are very few of) I have difficulty moving my hand to the first fret, because the headstock has started to get wider. But that's the only blemish in the design.

Sound : 5
I have NEVER seen such a wide stock pick-ups vs after-market pick-ups gap in my life. The original pick-ups are muddy, noisy and no definition. Just horrible. I put a couple of Japanese Gotoh pick-ups in it (that I got for $10 for the pair! gotta love ebay!) and now it's a tone machine. In particular the bridge Gotoh has a huge sound, very wide in response and no noise. It beats me why Ibanez built such a great guitar and, for the sake of probably $20, put cheap pick-ups (ie. the thing that actually creates the sound!!!) in it.

I'm using the Talman/Fender Cyclone/Fender Lead 1/G&L tele into a stack of Boss, Carl Martin and Mxr pedals into a Roland Jazz Chorus 120 or a Fender Super 210 tube amp.

Rating is for stock pick-ups.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
This is my second Talman- I did own a Japanese 520. As far as I can see there is no difference in production quality between them. Mine is probably 10 years old- the solder joins, the fret work, paint etc is all perfect. Got it 2nd hand so can't say what it was like out of the factory. Korean Ibanez are fantastic. All of my Fenders have scratchy pots or jacks etc.

Reliability/Durability : 10
So far, I don't think I've played it live once- there's always 1 guitar that just wins before the gig. But in reality, a practice in a sweaty band room for 4 hours, is a better judge anyway. I don't think anything is going to give me any trouble. Haven't had a single problem with it.

Customer Support : 7
Ibanez are another faceless multi-national but the website and their service (and most of all their pricing!) are far superior to Fender, Gibson et al. The perenial problem of neglecting any info about discontinued stuff on their website exists. I've probably owned 10 Ibanez over the years and never needed customer support anyway.

Overall Rating : 9
It's a travesty that Ibanez put such shocking pick-ups in these. After the pick-up change, it's one of my favourites. It can definitely cut it next to my other USA and Japanese guitars and is so easy to play. I so badly want to give it a 10 but just can't with those stock pick-ups in it. But a great guitar.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $150 used
Submitted 05/26/2004 at 09:32pm by Steve
Email: ashiseyesgrewcolder<at>hotmail dot com

Features : 7
Ibanez Talman, I don't know the year. Late '90s I'm guessing. Anyways, TC420 = dual humbucker model. Strat-like chrome bridge, Korean-made guitar (don't let that dissuade you). Basswood body, warmer than alder, brighter than mahogany. H/H, passive chrome-covered humbuckers. Probably Ibanez Axis HBs or some other of their brand. Neck is a smooooooooth satin-finished maple with rosewood fingerboard, tuners are crappy foreign no-names. 25.5" scale. 3 way switch, 5-way would've been better, but I'm a picky asshole. Bought used, so it came with nothing. A STEAL DAMMIT, A STEAL!!!! Best $150 I ever spent. Great, comfortable body style...light but solid. My favorite guitar probably that I own.

I bought it stock, but already had mods in mind. Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge, Schaller tuner replacements, and a push/pull coil split on the volume knob. Great ideas, if I say so myself.

It has not many bells & whistles, but is good at what it is...simple, solid guitar. I give it a 7 because of this.

Sound : 6
I play a lot of music. I like ambient soundscapes, and brutal noise. I play a lot of experimental/hardcore/noise/ambient/classical/indie music. Like if Glenn Branca, Efrim from GYBE!, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Arab on Radar, Greg Ginn from Black Flag, and their ilk had children, and each grabbed a guitar. You get the idea.

Anyways, stock: the guitar is noisy under distortion. Nice cleans and a nice sound overall, but expect it to be a little noisy. Warm, nice slightly overdriven fuzzy tone and such. Good stock pups, not great, and for players like me, NOT usable.

I play with volume through a Mesa Mark IV Short Head>>>Marshall 1960B 4x12 Cabinet, so I installed a JB in the bridge. Smart move, made the guitar wonderful. Thick and warm, diverse with the coil-split. I would recommend it. I really dig the neck pup, so it's staying. Great cleans in any position.

Stock: 6, Modded: 9...just what I wanted.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 7
Bought used, set up wonderfully. Pickups fine, neck straight. No sharp edges, good workmanship. Great for a Korean guitar. No problems. Tuners NEEDED replacement, as I just can't stand retuning every four chords. Schallers solved my problem.

Finish pretty on body and neck. I like it a lot...good good stuff.

Reliability/Durability : 8
My main guitar. Will withstand a lot, has already. Banged it around, held up, no nicks/dings/scratches or anything even. I think the finish is fairly mediocre, nothing special, may flake, may not. Basswood is a very soft wood, so if you want cosmetic beauty (you weirdo, just play the fucking thing :)) you'll have to be careful.

I would depend on it, but I wouldn't gig with no backup, because shit happens.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with Ibanez, but they have a bad rep. Whatever.

Overall Rating : 8
I've been playing a few years. I also own an Ibanez SF420, a Jasmine Takamine acoustic (with 5-strings, tuned D-G-D-G-G), and a soon-to-arrive Conrad Dan Armstrong copy. I dealt with Dipinto to get this guitar, and he was extremely helpful and knowledgable. Recommended, buy his stuff. Support Dipinto damn you!!! Anyways, I love the guitar. It's my baby. My down-low, noisy indie rocker. If it were stolen, I'd be pissed, but of course I'd mellow out and look for another one. They frequently pop up on EBay cheap, I often ponder dropping another hundred or so to get another Talman model. I don't hate anything about it. It's simple, yet great. I love the way the neck feels. Along with my SF...best two necks I've ever played. EVER. Chunky, yet thinner than a fat-ass boat neck. Anyways, I bought it because I dug the look (previously owned a Fender Jaguar, sold it because I didn't want to bang around a $600 guitar I bought to keep stock. Sold it to a dude in Germany) and I thought it was original...hadn't seen many before. And that's important to me.

So get one if you want one, I did. And I still adore it.

Email me with any questions about the guitar, or my other guitars/gear. If my knowledge (hah) will help you in making a decision, then I'll be glad to offer some insight.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: $450 (NZD) used
Submitted 11/20/2003 at 02:08am by Clint Tierney
Email: clinttierney<at>inspire dot net dot nz

Features : 8
Korean made, 22 frets, same as everyone elses I guess....

Sound : 10
Sounds absolutely brilliant now - I replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan SH-55 Duncun custom and its absolutely come alive! I've never trusted Ibanez's stock pickups - great guitars, crap pickups. I've owned several Ibanez's and the first thing I've always done is replace them. Now my Talman has a nice bitey classic rock/blues sound - kind of like a Les Paul except with more bottom end, clean or distorted. I play a variety of music, mainly classic rock covers and a bit of Jazz. Actually the stock neck pickup's quite good (did I just say that??) for a warm, clean, booming jazz sound....

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
I think the star of the show here has to be the neck - nice and fast with a satin finish. I hate glossy over-lacquered necks. I brought my Talman second hand from a local guitar tech so it was really well set up. The trem unit has four springs in it so it sits flush against the body, the action is nice, intonation excellent, and I don't seem to have the same tuning problems everyone else experiences. I've also had the body refinished in black with a purple metallic pearl underneath. Very nice...

Reliability/Durability : 8
I've had it a year and no problems thus far. Time will tell I suppose...... I never gig without a backup!

Customer Support : 8
Never dealt with them personally but I find the techical pages on their website very helpful indeed.

Overall Rating : 9
I've been playing for about 20 years now and my current lineup includes this guitar, Fender Strat US std, and a Takamine EF-341SC acoustic. All this (apart from the acoustic) goes into a Peavey Classic 50 2/12 amp with minimal effects used. I brought this guitar as an alternative to the strat sound and I'd say its one of the best value guitars you can get your hands on. If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another one if it came up at the right price, otherwise I'd buy another of Ibanez's many models second hand. You can't really go wrong with Ibanez's - good solid workhorse guitars at a great price and they're really playable too! Just change the damn pickups!!


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $200 used
Submitted 09/27/2003 at 10:49pm by Corold
Email: alfador17 at yahoo<dot>com

Features : 7
My Talman was made in Korea. It looks like a sparkly yellow green color, so I named him Sprinkles. Sprinkles has 22 jumbo frets, solid top. He has two humbucker pickups, a three way selector switch, plus a volume and a tone knob. I'm pretty sure he has passive electronics but with his ego, you'd swear it was active. His body style is similar to a jaguar, but different. He has a tremolo bridge, but no nut locking. I don't use the tremolo bridge anyway.

Sound : 9
I like to play a lot of punk. Offspring, Lunachicks, the Crowd, Agent Orange, etc. Noodles from the offspring plays a Talman, and thats one reason why I bought Sprinkles. I switched to Sprinkles from a Samick SG clone, and the first thing I noticed was how much deeper the sound was. There is a major constrast between the two pickups and I like that. I use a Zoom505II pedal and a peavey bandit 112. Everything sounds really great together.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
I bought Srpinkles used, but his neck is in top condition. The action is perfect. It feels really low, but there's no fret buzzing or anything. The neck didn't need any adjusting at all. The intonation was a bit off, but thats only because I adjusted the bridge for better use without the tremolo arm.

Reliability/Durability : 8
Like I said, this guitar was used. It does show a bit of wear, but it doesn't feel like its going to fall apart or anything. The hardware and strap buttons are solid, although parts of the hardware are a bit rusty. I always bring a backup when playing gigs, but thats only becasue of occasional string breakage. It's a lot easier to just switch guitars then to try and replace a string during a show.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing Sprinkles for a few months now, and it's been great. I would definately look for another Talman if it got stolen. It might be cool if it had a single coil pickup in between the two humbuckers. Well, actually. . . I wouldn't want to be too much like Noodles.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: 400 (canadian)
Submitted 07/14/2003 at 02:04pm by Do
Email: willwreck at hotmail<dot>com

Features : No Opinion
see other reviews. its all the same.. made in korea. bla bla....

Sound : 5
i play old school punk rock, and experimental rock. Im using a Tech 21 XXL and Boss HyperMetal plugged into a peavy classic chorus 212. The sound of the guitar is flat, dull, and did suit my learning times.. but now its over. after using it for 5 yrs, i gotta to change my guitar cause i find it to be really dull. i hate the hang of it. the look is cool, but dont get fooled by it. the pickups sound awfull. the bridge is crappy, it always needs retuning, and all the screws are loose because the wood of the body is cheap. i have tried other guitars, and this one is good for a beginner ONLY. never buy one if you seek a rich sound cause you will be strongly deceived. BUT if you only have a few bucks and are looking to learn the guitar, then its a good choice, ibanez still makes good guitars. only you will hate this one after a while. believe me. i wouldnt dare changing the pickups cause its the whole guitar i find to be dull. all parts are shitty.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 3
poor quality wood!!! the set up at the factory may be good, but the parts used are bad. pickups. bridge, frets, tuning keys, the plastic thingy that holds the strings at the top of the fretboard. everything is shitty about it. oh! and the pickups keep unscrewing!!! they fall inside the guitar.. always need to remove pickguard to place them back, TOTALLY SUCKS

Reliability/Durability : 3
i wouldnt dare taking it on stage. im afraid it would fall apart. and i already had to redo the wiring inside once cause the electronics are badly done. thought the finish is really good, it wont wear off easily.. but who cares.. looks isnt important. the strap buttons have fell off too. i hade to stick them with duct tape! lol i would only use it on a gig as a third backup.

Customer Support : No Opinion
no idea.

Overall Rating : 2
i have played for 8 yrs. and i would never buy another TC420 again!! i like the shape. i hate everything else about it. compared to a fender telecaster, the talman is a piece of rotted shit. Who wants to buy? im selling it lol


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $227 used
Submitted 12/14/2002 at 02:03am by Anonymous

Features : 9
Im not sure of the year on this, 22 frets, made in Korea. bah, every review above this has the exact same specs.. everything seems pretty decent in the features dept. not decked out with great stuff, but it seems solid. No reason for a fishman pickup, coil splitting, etc. anyways.

Sound : 6
I use this guitar mostly for playing overdriven sounds and it has a decent jazz sound as well. I use a Laney gh150c head with a 4x12 80w celestion cabinet. At first the thing would not stop feeding back with even the slightest bit of distortion.. it was absolutely awful, If anyone else is having this problem.. and by the looks of it.. many of you are... Pot your pickups or take em to the shop and have them potted, its definetly worth it. Took me about 2 hours and a few dollars in wax. It sounds great now. If the pickups were potted at the factory this would be an easy 10, but considering most people arent gonna unsolder their pickups and dip em in hot wax for a couple hours to make em sound good it gets a 6

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
The paintjob is great. solid clearcoat, everything lines up well. no buzz, great action. Damn thing wont stay in tune, but new tuners are in order for this thing.. I would have to say that if you're looking for a great playing, cheap guitar that you actually want sink an extra 100 bucks into, you'll definetly come out on top of the deal.

Reliability/Durability : 8
I would feel comfortable playing this live, mainly because of the good sound it produces, but I would bring along a backup incase of a string breaking, Its absolutely a bitch to restring any guitar with a floating bridge. My samick artist series would be sitting beside it. built like a brick shit house, and can suprisingly reproduce about any sound you'd like with 3 lipstick pickups.. although not as cost efficient as the ibanez.

Customer Support : No Opinion
N/A

Overall Rating : 9
If it were stolen I'd definetly look into another one.. but I wouldn't look forward to potting the pickups and replacing the tuners. These are my only 2 gripes. Everything else is great.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $300.00
Submitted 03/25/2002 at 07:41am by Sara T

Features : 10
Mine is gloss black with white pickguard--Basswood body-rosewood/maple neck---2 humbuckers--whammy bar. Neck is extremely smooth and fast-

Sound : 10
Mainly play metal/classic rock--Bon Jovi-Rhoads--AC/DC. Play it thru a Fender Frontman 15G. Sound is excellent- Dark and full.Quiet humbuckers. For some reason finger tapping really sounds good on this guitar.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
Guitar was recommended and set-up by an area pro. This guitar is a dream to play. Finish is excellent-frets beautiful.

Reliability/Durability : 9
Guitar is tough--it fell a couple times and no problem--Heavy whammy bar action will knock it out of tune somewhat.

Customer Support : 9
Have not had to deal with Ibanez but nothing has gone wrong.

Overall Rating : 10
It's playability-tone and classic looks will make this guitar a classic. I have already seen a lot of people looking for these on the web. I don't know why Ibanez stopped making them- It won an award for the most innovative guitar of 1995!!


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $250
Submitted 01/24/2001 at 12:10pm by kevin

Features : 8
Black finish with white pearl pickguard and chrome hardware. two chrome covered hummers and a double action tremelo bridge. tinted maple neck w/rosewood board. 22 frets. cool ass retro body style almost exactly like a jazzmaster. decent tuners, but they will be replaced soon by locking tuners.

Sound : 8
I wanted one of these ever since I saw one 4 years ago in a store because they look awesome. When I found out that one of my favorite guitarists (Noodles from the Offspring) is a big fan of these guitars, I wanted one even more. Finally got one about 2 months ago, I snagged one from the AMS scratch and dent list. I wasn't expecting to find it since they'd been discontinued and was expecting it to be kinda funky looking (being scratch and dent) but apparently it was just new old stock that had been sitting around for a couple years because it looked brand new. Anyway, onto the sound. I was disappointed at the output of the pickups. I was expecting a little more punch but oh well. I'll switch 'em out for some dimarzios pretty soon and that should make it much better. However, if you turn the tone knob all the way down it gets a groovy stoner rock tone the reminds me of Fu Manchu.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
This was the part I was worried about when I bought the guitar. I knew it had a tremelo on it and I don't dig them too much so I was hoping I could fix it to not have it be a problem. I was able to do just that. The original set up of the bridge was double action (pull-push) and that sucks for rhythm because it's damn near impossible to palm mute one a bridge like that. Plus, it came with *cringe* 9's on it and when I put a set of DR 11's on it pulled the bridge way up. To solve this I simply took it to Guitar Center and had two more springs put on it and tightened the claw a bit. now the back of the bridge sits flush with the body of the guitar. this makes it much easier to play heavy palm muted stuff on this guitar.

Reliability/Durability : 9
My experience with Ibanez guitars is that they can take a beating and still sound great. I have another Ibanez electric (hot rodded GAX70) and it's been beat all to hell for the last three years and still tears ass. I expect this guitar to last a long time.

Customer Support : No Opinion
never dealt directly with Ibanez. I do all the work on my guitars myself or take them to a tech if I can't figure it out.

Overall Rating : 9
Good looking, solid guitar. right now it's mainly a practice ax, but I'll probably put it into stage rotation as soon as I replace those pickups. I'm very impressed with Ibanez guitars. For the price and quality, they're unbeatable.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $250
Submitted 10/02/2000 at 04:52am by Jeff
Email: jeffress at usc<dot>edu

Features : 8
Made in Korea, basswood body I believe. Volume, tone control, 3-way pickup switch. H/H pickup configuration. Stock pickups I think are Super 59s. Floyd-roselike bridge. Rosewood neck, medium frets. Body style is a cross between a Fender jaguar/mustang/strat. I got mini in a really pretty mettallic blue/green color. Nothing sticks out in features, just your standard for an electric guitar so I'll give it an 8.

Sound : 10
Well, seriously, when I first bought this guitar, I admittingly purchased it because of it's beautiful looks. Damm, when I first saw it hanging there in the guitar store, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the perfect cross of all the guitars that I like (jaguar, strat). Plus, i like the two humbucker configuration which was something that I was lacking at the time (my only other guitar is a single-coiled Fender Jaguar). Anyways, I immediately plugged it into a Mesa-boogie amp and tested it out. The sound was nice. Very nice humbucker sound. I didn't get to really test it out too well, but for a price of $250, I couldn't resist. Anyways, upon taking it home and testing it some more, I didn't quite like the sound. I guess it was initially because I wasn't too used to the humbucking sound, which is more fuller, bassier than a single-coil. But still, I knew it was a little more than that. Somehow, it sounded a little flat, dull, muddy, and just too tame from what I thought a humbucking guitar would sound like. The clean sound was actually a little too muddy for my taste, and with distortion, it didn't give that crunch that I wanted from a humbucker. Ah well I thought, it looks damm nice though. So for the next couple months I played my Jaguar more often than this guitar. However, when the time presented itself, I decided to swap out the stock pickups for some Seymour duncans. I put a 59 in the neck, and a JB in the bridge. I also put in a push/pull tone knob so I could split the JB. Well when I took it home and plugged it in, WOW! what a huge difference good pickups makes. This is my first time dealing with swapping out pickups, and I must say, it was WELL worth it. Huge difference in sound. First off, the sound is much brighter to my tastes. Not single-coil bright, but a nice, middy, evenly balanced, and full responsive bright for the bridge pickup. And for the neck, beautiful vintage tone. I especially like using both pickups while the JB is split. It give a really cool dry, sound good for rough, ska-like tones. Anyways, just this modification made a huge difference. And with distortion, I found harmonics jumping out all over the place, and sustain and tone that just didn't exist with the stock pickups. Needless to say, it didn't sound tame to me anymore, but had so much more drive to it. Geez, this is starting to sound like a review for pickups or something. Anyways, before the mod, i'd give it a 7 but after, a good 10 for your humbucking tones.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Factory setup was good. Absolutely flawless and beautiful finish. Decent hardware and wiring.

Reliability/Durability : No Opinion
This is the funny part. Well the biggest reason that I didn't play this guitar as much when I first got it was because of an incident I had with my girlfriend (now-ex) that involved this guitar. During a argument with my girlfriend, she got all crazy and stuff and grabbed this guitar (which was sitting on its guitar stand) and slammed it into the ground, stepped on it, and the went on kicking my fender jaguar. sucks doesn't it?? Afterward, I inspected this guitar and noticed no noticable damage, that is until i played it. I noticed, to my horror that the rosewood fretboard, from the nut all the way to the 3rd fret, was separated from the alder(i think) neck. Strange cause it was really only slammed from its guitar stand onto a padded, carpeted floor. Not dropped from a two story building or anything. Maybe it was just that, or maybe the guitar wasn't built too properly. Who knows?

Customer Support : 10
Well, I took it back after a long delay, and with a little good convincing and some good lying (hehe, the warranty doesn't cover damages that are done purposely to the guitar) I got it fixed with no charge. You can't even tell the demise that this guitar has been through now.

Overall Rating : 8
After getting it fixed, I got those pickups put in it, and this is probably my main guitar now. That is maybe until I get my Jaguar fixed. That guitar has some serious adjustments needed on it. My only gripe now is the bridge. Its way too flimsy and NEEDS to be blocked. I just need to get off me ass and take it into a tech to get that done. I seriously don't know why the bridge is like that. When you bend a string, you effectively detune all your strings at the same time cause of that wierd floyd-rose assembly. But it's cool, you can do divebombs and stuff. Also, because of this problem, this guitar has serious problems staying in tune. Pretty annoying. But hell that can all be fixed. I also want to get a nice graphite nut put into it to replace the existing one. It's cool though. I love this guitar, and I consider it my poormans PRS. I'm determined to make it a kick-ass guitar playing wise, cause looks-wise, it kicks-ass! I imagine once I get all the kinks worked out, this guitar will be and easy 10.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $460
Submitted 06/25/2000 at 12:08am by Bob
Email: libuttir at lafayette<dot>edu

Features : 9
I believe this is a 1997, made in Korea. It has 22 medium frets on a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. The neck is sort of Strat-like. The body is solid basswood and is sort of like a Fender Jaguar, or Tornado (or whatever that new one is called). It's a double cutaway and is slightly offset. The pick guard is white pealroid. This model has two Super 58 pickups which are chrome covered. They are selectable by a three way switch. The finish is metallic red. It had a Strat-like floating tremelo. Tuners are somewhat cheap, but functional. Mine came with a hard case and a hex wrench.

Sound : 8
I like the sound of this guitar. I play metal and the likes and it suits me fine. It doesn't look like a metal guitar, but it works fine with the rights amps and effects. I used it through a Sovtek Mig 60 and a little Crate practice amp. It sounds pretty full. The stock pickups are pretty good although the bridge pick up feeds back horribly at high gain settings. I use a Tube Screamer, Cry Baby, Big Muff and Boss delay, flange and chorus and they all sound pretty good through this guitar. I am very happy with this guitar. I did replace the bridge pickup with a Gibson Tony Iommi pickup today haha and it made a huge difference (see reviews of that pickup). Feed back was gone. Using both neck and bridge pickups together sounds great. You can hear more of a difference rather than when using two Super 58s. Back to the subject, as is, I will rated the sound on original configuration.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Well, I lowered the bridge so that it doesn't move anymore. I lowered the mounting posts and tightened the springs. In turn I had to adjust the action etc. But it was pretty nicely setup when I got it. The finish is a real eye catcher. The bright metallic red and the pearloid pickguard with chrome is flashy, but not tacky. I fell in love with the looks of this guitar the minute I saw it. One of the saddles had a ding in it that caused my strings to snap a lot, but I took it back and they gave me a new saddle. There was a small crease that can be seen at certain angles where the two pieces of wood are glued together, but it doesn't concern me that much. Pickup selector switch is a bit noisy. Chrome knobs a nice touch. I like them a lot.

Reliability/Durability : 9
This thing seems pretty tough. I've had it for 4 years and it has yet to fail me. When I opened it today to install the new pickup, all of the solder joints looked secure. Hardware is good. The finish is great. Beautiful and well done. I'm careful with my gear, but it's hit corners of desks and such and i finally got my first ding in it this year and boy was I pissed. I'd replace the strap buttons with locks, but I would do that on any guitar just to be safe. The hardware is still just as shiney as ever. I actually have a TC630 as a backup/second guitar. I love me some Talmans.

Customer Support : No Opinion
The warrenty is one year. I hear that Ibanez customer supports is bad. If their web page is any indication, I'm not surprised. My warrenty is over so I'd take it somewhere else anyway.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing about 5 years now. I had a Squire Strat and was in the market for something new. I was going to get a Standard Strat, but this caught my eye and I was hooked. I had seen an ad in Guitar World but the picture didn't do this justice. Like I said earlier, I also own a TC630 with three lipstick pickups which I may get around to reviewing. I really like the feel of this guitar. I don't have the best guitar playing fingers, but the neck is a good size for my hands. I like the different look it has. Sort of like the guitars I mentioned, but with a touch more class. The only thing I would ask for is a true fixed bridge, not a tremelo. Overall, I love this guitar. If it was lost or stolen I would cry. They don't make these anymore. I'm pretty sure this specific one (TC420, metallic red) was only made for a year. I would definately try to find another one. Change that bridge pickup and you are golden.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $400
Submitted 08/26/1999 at 01:50am by matt mccray
Email: sk8ratboy<at>hotmail dot com

Features : 10
I think this is a 98 model with 22 frets. It's a laminated top that was korean made. There's a three-way selector switch with a H/H pickup configuration. The pickups are ibanez made super 58's with passive electronics. Maple neck, basswood body, and rosewood fret board. The body style looks kind of like a fender jag. The bridge has a floating vibrato system with a string thru block on it that i don't really use. I wanted something with a tune-o-matic bridge or a stop tailpeice but the price was right and I got everything I wanted except that. Came with a cable and the case and a few tools. The neck is thin with medium frets.

Sound : 10
I play punk and hard demented stuff like limp bizkit and korn. So far, this guitar has done everything I've asked it to do. It's sounded clean and jazzy in church to down and dirty when i'm playin with my band. This thing is simply amazing. I've been playing guitar for four years and the only thing i've heard that sounds better than this guitar is a les paul. I play through a vintage rat distortion pedal and a crate gfx212 amp. The sound in the neck position is a clean sound that i could use for jazz if i ever got into that. I've had no problems yet with the sounds. I love the bridge pickup. This guitar has shown me that it can sing like an angel or scream like a demon.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
I had some problems with this guitar at first. But once i got it set up to play, it's been the best guitar i've ever purchased. The nut was messed up and i had to have a new one installed. But other than those problems, it's been great. I have it set up with a really low action so i can pull down chords quick and easy. THe finish is flawless. It's a finely crafted instrument.

Reliability/Durability : 10
I used to have a fender jazzmaster which i used as my main guitar with a fender strat and an ibanez artist as my backups. I picked this up with the notion of replacing the strat, But it soon became my main guitar. The hardware has been built to last. I've banged it up on a few occasions and where the strat would have been trashed, this guitar has come back for more. I do a lot of thrashing and it has never fallen off once. The finish has withstood all i've put it through so far and i've probably played thirty or forty gigs with it. I can depned on this thing like i would depend on an oak tree in a storm. It's solid and it's not going to break. I have used it as my only guitar. I've only broken strings on a few occasions and that's the only live probalems i've had with it.

Customer Support : 10
I've never had to deal with ibanez. But they seem like just another big corporation. I get it fixed at my local music store and at my tech's house. It's still under the warranty but i wouldn't send it in unless osmething drastic happend to it. The warratny is for a year.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playin for four years and i've owned a fender strat, a jazz master, and an ibanez artist. This guitar has put them all on the shelf. There is really nothing i've wished i've asked before i bought this guitar. I've gotten much more than what i wanted out of this guitar. If this guitar were stolen or lost i would definetley buy it again and probably track down the guy who stole it and smash my fender strat over his head. I love the shape, the sound, the thin neck, pretty much everything about it. Although, i do hate the bridge. I wish it was a stable one instead of the floating one that came with it. I'm probably gonna get it blocked off. My favorite feature is the thin neck radius which makes this guitar an ease to play. I don't know what the other guys that reviewed this guitar were talkin about cause this is one excellent guitar. Ibanez has outdone themselves once again. I'm getting a seven string soon, but i'll probably still use this as my main guitar.


Product: Ibanez TC420
Price Paid: US $375
Submitted 01/29/1999 at 09:34pm by Pat O'Neill
Email: poneill<at>execpc dot com

Features : 3
Very cheap bolt on, I'm guessing plywood body. Trem, 3-way switch, I think the p/u's were humbuckers but they fedback an awful lot. Pretty descent grover tuners. Way too thin of a neck

Sound : 2
Horrible, I've never owned a guitar that fedback this badly. Played it through a number of amps, it always sounded bad. Not much of a sound difference between neck and bridge p/u. I play rock and alternative and I'm still puzzled by what kind of music this guitar is good for.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 2
This was about the worst factory set up I've ever seen. I spent about 2-3 hours setting this thing up so it was playable (and I've set up a lot of guitars). Finish was black with a white pick guard, finish was very thin and cheap. I had to block the trem/bridge to keep it in tune. Swtching p/u's with selector switch was a noisy process.

Reliability/Durability : 2
I got rid of this guitar after 6 months, I would never take it on stage unless we were going to be doing tribute to the Shaggs. I would trust Bill Clinton more than I would trust this guitar.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Didn't own it long enough to find out, I bought it because I saw Westerberg playing one, obviously his was a custom job because there is no way e would ahve taken this guitar on stage.

Overall Rating : 1
I'm sure there are worse guitars out there other than this one, I've yet to find it. Don't be sucked into buying one of these because you see one of your favorite bands playing one in a video, the guitars in videos aren't plugged in. I also know for a fact that the lage act bands that do play these live are also playing custom jobs and not shelf models. If you can't tell I hated this guitar, the only good thing about it is the palce I bought it from gave me a good trade in dollar towards another guitar

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