Description
Review of the Ibanez RG MiKro GRGM21 Solid Body Electric Guitar in Metallic Purple
The Ibanez GRGM21MMPL is a short scale solid body electric guitar with a 22.2 inch scale, two humbucking pickups, a maple neck and fingerboard and a fixed bridge, finished in metallic purple. The listing is explicit that it is built to the same standards as the rest of the Ibanez GIO series and that the shorter scale is the only intended difference. It is aimed at younger players, at anyone with smaller hands and at guitarists who want a compact instrument for travel or writing.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 22.2 inch scale length. This is a genuinely short scale, over three inches shorter than a standard electric. The frets sit closer together and the strings are under lower tension at pitch, which changes what a small hand can reach and how hard it has to press.
- Two humbucking pickups. Humbuckers use two coils wired so their hum cancels while their signal adds, giving a quieter, thicker and higher output sound than single coils. This is the layout built for rock and heavier styles.
- Fixed bridge. No tremolo means no pivoting hardware to knock the guitar out of tune, which is the right choice for a beginner instrument and unusual on a guitar aimed at rock players.
- Same construction, materials, setup and inspection as the full size GIO range, according to the listing. That is a specific claim rather than general marketing language, and it separates this from guitars that are small because they are cheap.
- 5.7 pounds, which is light enough that a young player can stand with it comfortably.
Cons
- The Amazon bullet describes a basswood body while the specification table lists the body and back as poplar. Both are light, soft, even grained budget timbers and the audible difference on a solid body electric is small, but the listing does not agree with itself.
- The table records the pickup configuration as “H” while the same listing says two humbucking pickups, which would be H-H. The description is the more plausible of the two.
- The table lists a maple top material on a solid body guitar. The bullets describe maple for the neck and fingerboard rather than a separate maple top, so this field appears to be misapplied.
- A short scale changes string tension, so a standard gauge set will feel slacker here than on a full size guitar. Some players compensate with heavier strings, which the listing does not mention.
- Nothing is included. No bag, amplifier, cable, tuner or strap is listed.
Detailed Product Description
The defining specification is the 22.2 inch scale. Scale length is the vibrating length of the string between the nut and the bridge saddle, and it governs two things a player feels immediately: how far apart the frets sit, and how tight the strings are at a given pitch. Shortening the scale from a standard 25.5 inches to 22.2 brings the frets noticeably closer and drops the tension, which is why short scale instruments are recommended for younger players and for anyone whose hand struggles to stretch across the lower frets. The wider question is covered in the guide to guitars for small hands.
The body is a solid double cutaway. Whether it is basswood or poplar, both timbers are light and soft, and on a solid body electric the wood contributes far less to the sound than the pickups and the amplifier do. The neck is maple with a maple fingerboard, a stiff and stable pairing, and the fingerboard is sealed rather than open pored, so it feels slicker than rosewood under a moving hand.
The pickups are Infinity R humbuckers, described in the listing as high output. High output means a stronger signal into the amplifier, which pushes the input stage harder and produces distortion sooner. That is a deliberate design choice for the styles this guitar is aimed at. The bridge is fixed, the strings are nickel, and there are six of them.
The listing makes a point of saying this is not a toy and that it shares the inspection and setup process of the full size range, which is the claim that distinguishes it from the many small electrics built purely to a price.
What Comes with the Product
- The RG MiKro GRGM21 electric guitar in metallic purple
Nothing else is listed. No amplifier, cable, gig bag, strap, tuner, picks or spare strings is included, so a first time buyer will need at minimum an amplifier and a cable before the guitar produces any usable sound. What is genuinely worth buying alongside is covered in the guide to guitar accessories beginners need.
Who It Suits
This suits a younger player of roughly nine to fourteen, an adult with small hands, or an experienced guitarist who wants a compact instrument to keep to hand. It is a better long term purchase than most small electrics precisely because the short scale is the only compromise, rather than being one of many.
It suits less well a full size adult who wants their main instrument, since the shorter scale will feel cramped for large hands and the string tension will feel loose. It also suits less well a complete beginner buying nothing else, because there is no amplifier here. Worth comparing are the Ibanez GRGM21MCA in candy apple, the Squier Mini Stratocaster and the LyxPro EGTL30CW 30 inch electric. The wider selection sits in the electric guitars section, and size guidance for younger players is in the guide to what size guitar for a child.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after every session. Nickel strings corrode from skin oils, and a cloth kept with the guitar is the cheapest maintenance available.
A maple fingerboard is sealed with finish rather than left open pored, so it needs no fretboard oil. Wipe it dry and leave it. Oiling a sealed board does nothing except leave a residue.
Store the guitar in a bag or on a stand rather than leaning it against a wall. A short scale guitar is lighter and topples more easily than a full size one, and the headstock is what breaks.
Tips and Recommendations
Consider a slightly heavier string gauge than usual. Short scale instruments run at lower tension for the same gauge, and moving up a step restores some of the firmness under the fingers without making anything harder to fret. The trade offs are set out in the guide to guitar string gauge.
Choose the amplifier deliberately, since none is included. For home use a small amplifier with a headphone socket is more useful than a loud one, and the reasoning is covered in the guide to guitar amp wattage for home practice.
Check the intonation at the twelfth fret when the guitar arrives. Short scale instruments are less forgiving of intonation errors than long scale ones, because the same absolute error is a larger proportion of the string length.
Product FAQ
What is the scale length?
22.2 inches, which is considerably shorter than the 25.5 inches of a standard electric guitar.
What is the body made of?
The Amazon bullet says basswood and the specification table says poplar. Both are light budget timbers, but the listing does not agree with itself.
How many pickups does it have?
Two humbuckers, according to the description. The specification table records the configuration as “H”, which understates it.
Is an amplifier included?
No. Only the guitar is listed, so an amplifier and a cable will be needed.
