Ibanez RG2228

The Ibanez RG2228 is the world's first mass-produced eight string electric guitar.^[1] It debuted in 2007 at the Winter NAMM Show. In 2025, Guitar World included the RG2228 in its list of the 50 greatest pieces of guitar gear of the century so far, crediting the guitar's popularity among tech metal guitarists with inspiring rival companies like ESP, Jackson, and Schecter to release their own extended-range models.^[2]

Ibanez RG2228
Manufacturer	Ibanez
Period	2007–2016
Woods
Body	Basswood
Neck	Five-piece maple and wenge
Fretboard	Rosewood
Hardware
Bridge	Fixed Edge III-8, double-locking
Pickup	EMG 808
Colors available
Galaxy Black[1]

Specifications

Basic Information

• Scale Length - 27" (Baritone Scale)
• Neck Length - 685.8 mm
• Neck Material - Five-piece maple and wenge
• Body Material - Basswood
• Fingerboard - Rosewood with dot inlays
• Frets - 24 Jumbo Frets
• Bridge - Fixed Edge III-8, double-locking

Pickups

Neck and Bridge Pickups:

• Name - EMG 808
• Type - Active Humbucker

Strings

String	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Factory Tuning	F1	A1#	D2#	G2#	C3#	F3#	A3#	D4#
Standard Gauge	.065"	.054"	.042"	.032"	.024"	.016"	.011"	.009"

Notable users

• Tosin Abasi - Animals as Leaders, until Ibanez created his own signature 8-string model.
• Dino Cazares - Fear Factory, Asesino and Divine Heresy
• Ihsahn - Emperor, Thou Shalt Suffer and Peccatum
• Tony MacAlpine - Tony Macalpine band
• Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström from the Swedish tech-metal band Meshuggah use custom Ibanez eight-strings of a similar aesthetic design to the RG2228.
• Scott Hull - Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, (formerly) Anal Cunt
• Justin Lowe and Trent Hafdahl - After the Burial
• Misha Mansoor - Periphery
• Timfy James - Hacktivist
• Josh Martin - Little Tybee
• Herman Li - DragonForce