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Kramer NightSwan
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
VS
Playability
78
Sound
77
Build
59
Value
76
Score
71
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Playability
77
Sound
82
Build
77
Value
79
Score
79
FIND IT ON:
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Kramer NightSwan vs Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium

Reasons to Get
Kramer NightSwan over Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium

Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Retainer Bar
Yes vs None
Assists you so tuning doesn't change when locking the nut
Neck Profile
C-Shaped vs Wizard III
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups
HHX vs HH
High output warm tones without a neck pickup
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Edge
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium over Kramer NightSwan

Decorative Top
Poplar Burl vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Wizard III vs C-Shaped
Thin neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Coil Tap vs None
Lowers output of humbucker coil to create a single coil sound
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Bolt-On
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs HHX
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Bridge
Edge vs Floyd Rose
Intense vibratos with more features than a Floyd Rose
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
79 vs 76
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Kramer NightSwan vs Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 vs DiMarzio The Tone Zone
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Basswood
Different Body Wood
Headstock
R6 vs 6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Kramer NightSwan vs Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Locking
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the Kramer NightSwan's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Kramer NightSwan has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Kramer NightSwan is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Kramer NightSwan is the better choice.

The Kramer NightSwan meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Kramer NightSwan
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Kramer NightSwan Overview

  • From Kramer's 2022 Original series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Hard Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: (/)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose 1000 Series Tremolo bridge
  • C-Shaped Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Kramer Deluxe 14:1 Ratio tuners
  • Weight between 7.15lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.85lbs (3.6kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium Overview

  • From Ibanez's 2022 RG series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Poplar Burl top
  • American Basswood body
  • 7pc Maple/Walnut neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DiMarzio The Tone Zone (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DiMarzio Air Norton (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Edge bridge
  • Wizard III Neck-Through neck
  • 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Gotoh machine heads tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Woods Used in the Kramer NightSwan

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium

Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.

Winner: Kramer NightSwan.

Pickup Configuration

The Kramer NightSwan has an HHX configuration while the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium has HH pickups.

HHX means there's no pickup in the neck position. It's a rare pickup combination. It gives you high output with a warm tone for hard rock with a bit more versatility than single-pickup guitars. You'll have to be careful not to set the middle pickup too high if you want to avoid hitting it with your pick.

On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Kramer NightSwan's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium gives you 5 switch options while the Kramer NightSwan gives you 3. This means that the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Tap.

Coil Tap is similar to Coil Split but it works a bit differently. Instead of completely cancelling one of the coils of the humbucker, it only cuts part of the output once activated. Some people believe this gives the split pickups a more real single-coil sound.

Kramer NightSwan pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Kramer NightSwan's switch options
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Kramer NightSwan
Pickups 85
Sustain 70
Versatility 67
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 77
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 77
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 82

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Kramer NightSwan compares to the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Locking nuts. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

However, only the Kramer NightSwan has a retainer bar for the locking nut, which is a helpful addition. Without it, the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's strings will change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'll have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly.

Winner: Kramer NightSwan.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

In this comparison, the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Kramer NightSwan's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

On the other hand, the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's is a Edge. This is a double-locking tremolo system designed by Ibanez. It's a tremolo inspired by Floyd Roses but with its own design improvements, like a push-in arm, better-positioned fine-tuners for more right-hand comfortability, replaceable knife edges, and more mass for more sustain. These bridges offer tons of versatility, but they also require more work than simpler tremolos to set up.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Kramer NightSwan's are Kramer Deluxe 14:1 Ratio while the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's are Gotoh machine heads

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

The Kramer NightSwan has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

On the other hand, the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium comes with Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.

Winner: Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Kramer NightSwan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Coil Tap Pickups
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Tremolo
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Kramer NightSwan
Quality of materials 41
Features 65
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 59
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
Quality of materials 75
Features 80
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 77

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Kramer NightSwan Nut Width
Kramer NightSwan Nut Width
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium Nut Width
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.7mm (0.068'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Kramer NightSwan's Scale Length
Kramer NightSwan's Scale Length
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's Scale Length
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium has the longest scale: 25.5". The Kramer NightSwan is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Kramer NightSwan Neck Profile
Kramer NightSwan's neck profile
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium Neck Profile
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Kramer NightSwan has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

The Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium, on the other hand, has a Wizard neck. This is thinner than most C-type necks. It won't get in your way if you want to play fast solos. It's not as slim as 'Super Wizard' necks, so it might fit you better if you don't like ultra-thin necks.

Fretboard Radius

Kramer NightSwan Fingerboard Radius
Kramer NightSwan's Fingerboard radius
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Kramer NightSwan's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Kramer NightSwan.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium favors large hands more than the Kramer NightSwan. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Kramer NightSwan:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Kramer NightSwan Frets Size
Kramer NightSwan's Frets Size
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium Frets Size
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium's Frets Size

The Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Kramer NightSwan's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Kramer NightSwan
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 80
Playability 78
Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 100
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Kramer NightSwan vs Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
General Kramer NightSwan Ibanez RGT1220PB Premium
Brand: Kramer Ibanez
Year: 2022 2022
Configuration: HHX HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Original RG
Colors: Blue Brown
Left-Handed Version: Yes No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany American Basswood
Bridge: Floyd Rose 1000 Series Tremolo Edge
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Neck-Through
Tuners: Kramer Deluxe 14:1 Ratio Gotoh machine heads
Fretboard: Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: Hard Maple 7pc Maple/Walnut
Decoration: White Pearloid Dots (size varies) in Ping Pong Configuration Acrylic & Abalone block
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: C-Shaped Wizard III
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 16" 15.75"
Nut: Locking Locking
Nut Width: 41.3mm (1.625'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio The Tone Zone (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: DiMarzio Air Norton (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Tap
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 0 1