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Ibanez J Custom RG8520 Electric Guitar - Brownish Sphalerite

Solidbody Electric Guitar with African Mahogany Body, Maple Top, Maple/Wenge Neck, Macassar Ebony Fingerboard, and 2 Humbucking Pickups - Brownish Sphalerite
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Item ID: RG8520BSR
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Ibanez J Custom RG8520 Electric Guitar - Brownish Sphalerite
Price:$2,999 and 99 cents
Special Financing - Ends Aug 2, 2026. $84/month with 36 month financing*

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Ibanez J Custom RG8520 Electric Guitar - Brownish Sphalerite
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Price:$2,999 and 99 cents
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This High-end Ibanez Has It All

The Ibanez RG8520 has it all — looks, tone, playability — and then some. Its resonant African mahogany body is capped in beautiful AAA flamed maple. Its 5-piece Super Wizard neck provides a just-right feel, while a J Custom fret edge treatment infuses its bound ebony fingerboard with the ultimate in smooth playability. Experience incredible clarity, power, and fast attack, thanks to the RG8520’s DiMarzio Tone Zone and Air Norton humbuckers. Maintain perfect intonation while bending, twisting, and dive-bombing, courtesy of a Lo-Pro Edge vibrato bridge/tailpiece. A member of Ibanez’s high-end J Custom line, the RG8520 features an eye-grabbing tree of life fingerboard inlay and Cosmo Black hardware.

Incredibly fast J Custom Super Wizard neck

Ibanez Wizard necks are thin and built for speed, and they enable effortless playability and comfort. The RG8520 takes that design to the next level with its 5-piece maple/wenge J Custom Super Wizard neck. The just-right feel provided by this neck encourages lightning-fast runs, arpeggios, and hammer-ons. Capping the neck is a 24-fret Macassar ebony fingerboard, loaded with jumbo frets that are perfect for big note bends. Beyond that, the RG8520's frets have been given Ibanez’s Prestige edge treatment, delivering the ultimate in smooth playability.

DiMarzio dynamic duo delivers expansive sonic range

There’s no denying the massive range of tone that you can get out of the Ibanez RG8520's duo of DiMarzio pickups. First, there’s the DiMarzio Tone Zone at the bridge — a hot humbucker with a super-wide dynamic range. It’s a perfect complement to the RG8520's DiMarzio Air Norton at the neck, which is deep, warm, and remarkably clean, with just the right amount of brightness for chimey chord work. You’ll love this ultra-flexible pickup set.

Lo-Pro Edge bridge for maximum expression

Whether you palm mute with precision or simply have a wild strumming style, few things are worse than getting hung up on your bridge during a furious performance. Guitar players at Sweetwater all agree the Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge bridge gets out of the way of your playing while still serving up maximum expression and tuning stability. You’ll barely know it’s there, thanks to its streamlined profile and recessed fine tuners. And locking studs give you additional tuning stability.

Ibanez RG8520 Features:

  • Resonant African mahogany body topped with beautiful AAA flamed maple
  • 5-piece maple/wenge J Custom Super Wizard neck provides a just-right feel
  • Bound ebony fingerboard with Prestige fret edge treatment delivers the ultimate in smooth playability
  • DiMarzio Tone Zone and Air Norton humbucking pickups yield clarity, power, and fast attack
  • Play expressively while maintaining your tuning stability with the Lo-Pro Edge vibrato
  • Eye-grabbing tree of life fingerboard inlay and Cosmo black hardware

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape RG Custom
  • Body Material African Mahogany
  • Top Material AAA Flamed Maple
  • Color Brownish Sphalerite
  • Neck
  • Neck Material 5-piece Maple/Wenge
  • Neck Shape Super Wizard
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 16.92"
  • Fingerboard Material Bound Macassar Ebony
  • Fingerboard Inlay Tree of Life
  • Number of Frets 24, Jumbo
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Nut Width 1.692"
  • Nut Material Locking
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece Lo-Pro Edge
  • Tuners Gotoh
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup DiMarzio Air Norton Humbucker
  • Bridge Pickup DiMarzio The Tone Zone Humbucker
  • Controls 1 x volume, 1 x tone
  • Switching 3-way toggle pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings .009-.042
  • Case/Gig Bag Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: RG8520BSR

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Reviews

Mostly Great
A good playing instrument. Beautiful, very high quality build. The look of the wood grain on the top varies wildly depending on your viewing angle. The pictures on the website don't really show the beauty of the top. Very flat fretboard on a thin neck. The negatives are that the selector switch is directly in the way of my hand and I have to be careful not to hit it with my hand and change pickups accidentally. The pickups, though I like them overall, seem a little bland at this price, however the coil tapping does create a good single-coil sound (and I don't like single-coils).

I'd buy it again. A beautiful, classy, well-made instrument that I'm enjoying playing.
Music background: 30+ years lead guitarist, drummer, artist.