Ibanez RG 4080 RV

Neck Pickup: Dimarzio Evolution Neck, DP158 BK
Bridge Pickup: Dimarzio Evolution Bridge, DP159 BK
Switch: 5-way selector
Neck: Super Wizard
Bridge: Lo-Pro Edge
Obs.: vintage "Prestige" inlay at the 24th fret

In 2011 I have found an RG Prestige selling on the OLX website in Portugal, and I bought it for 417 Euros shipping included. It was a 1997 Prestige model (at the time i didn't even knew what "Prestige" meant), with a "Prestige" inlay at the 24th fret, and it was mine all mine! Apart from my first experience with an Ibanez RG 320FM body and a really bad chinese neck, it was my first real Ibanez ever. For several years I hated Ibanez headstock design compared to the ESP headstock, but while aging I got used to it, and today I find it cool.

But what model is it?! Several days of research and no information... I've created an account on a Ibanez blog, and finally someone sent me more info about it, and told me it was an RG3180. Very close, same year and color, but it isn't! The 3180 has a flamed maple top and this one has a quilt maple top. Years later while unscrewing the neck to ship it to my friend José Pereira (Fratermusic) so he could do a Sunburst refinish, I have discovered the inscription "RG4080" inside the neck joint. It was there all the time!

It's a high-quality made in Japan guitar, super thin original Wizard neck, fast and comfortable, and for the first time I really had a neck where I could reach the 24th easily !IbanezWiki helped me a lot by the way! According to the blog it has never been on a catalog, and it's quite rare.

These are the original photos of that 2011 listing:

 

 

 

 

 

The seller told me it was a floor model that he had bought new. The store was having trouble selling it because at the time 1500 Euros in Portugal was quite expensive, and finally several years after being there they made him a cool discount. But he turned to playing drums, so he had no use for it then.

 

Being young(er) and foolish I've decided to make a vynil sticker (it was my job as a Designer at the time) with an "Ibanez J Custom" inscription for the refinished headstock, too small in fact, and obviously fake :) Here's the picture which inspired me and a mockup I did at the time.

 

Replaced the pickups for 2 Dimarzio Evolutions and my good friend Bruno Marques wired them for me. Here are the final pics: