The Yamaha RGX and RGZ electric guitar

Electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

s Series are manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation and bear a close resemblance to the Ibanez RG

Ibanez RG

The Ibanez RG series has the maximum subtypes of guitars under the Ibanez Electric Guitar catalog and a popular series of Ibanez electric guitars produced by Hoshino Gakki. The Ibanez RG was originally designed as a derivative of Steve Vai's JEM\Universe series and released in 1987. Manufacture of...

 series, the Jackson Soloist

Jackson Soloist

The Jackson Soloist is an electric guitar model by Jackson Guitars officially produced since 1984 . Jackson was essentially the pioneer of the "Superstrat" design...

 and other "superstrat" enhanced copies of the Fender Stratocaster

Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...

. These Taiwan-made instruments were introduced in 1987.

RGX Series guitars often have 24 or more frets and a bolt-on neck

Bolt-on neck

Bolt-on neck is a method of guitar construction that involves joining a guitar neck and body using screws as opposed to glue as with set-in neck joints. The term is a misnomer, introduced mostly by Fender whose guitars traditionally had "bolt-on necks". Real bolted joints are uncommon in guitar...

. Some high-end models use a neck-through-body design. Some come with Yamaha active pickups, two single coils and one humbucker.

Most of these instruments were generally known as RGZ, including the RGZ820R, a custom plaid graphic model with two humbucker

Humbucker

A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...

s and a Floyd Rose licensed locking tremolo, played by rock guitarist Blues Saraceno

Blues Saraceno

Blues Saraceno is an American rock guitarist, composer, and music producer who currently resides in Los Angeles California. Saraceno was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine, at the age of 16, which assisted him in releasing instrumental recordings on an independent basis...

.

The RGX guitars were upgraded in 2003 with a 3D headstock sporting a 3+3 tuner layout and a piezo bridge option for acoustic-like tones. Famous endorsees of the RGX/RGZ guitars included Blues Saraceno and Ty Tabor

Ty Tabor

Ty Tabor is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the progressive metal band, King's X....

 of King's X

King's X

King's X is an American hard rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band's lyrics are largely based on the members' struggles with religion and self-acceptance...

, who got his namesake RGX-TT and RGX-TTD6 signature models in 2000.

See also

• Yamaha electric guitar models
  Yamaha electric guitar models
  The is a multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments, motorcycles, power sports equipment and electronics.- Yamaha electric guitars :...
  
  
• Superstrat