Richie Kotzen auctions original Ibanez guitars
Wow. Some shred guitar history is up on the auction block: two of Richie Kotzen’s original Ibanez guitars. They’re being sold on Richie’s website – below is some info from the listings. Hit Richie’s site for more info and to bid.
“This is the Ibanez guitar Richie played on his first cd. 90% of the solos were played on this guitar. Comes with Hard Case. Back neck plate is missing as you can see in the photograph.”
NAMM 2012: Year Of The Sea Foam Green
One thing that really, really stood out to me at NAMM this year was the prevalence of Sea Foam Green. It’s not quite blue, it’s not quite green, but it’s definitely cool this year. Hell, Steve Vai seems to like this shade so much that it features on his new signature Ibanez Jem70V Premium model and his new Carvin Legacy III amplifier. See?
NAMM 2012: Ibanez M8M Meshuggah 8-string
You’ve asked for it for years, and I even spoke with Meshuggah about it over a year ago, and Ibanez has finally done it: a Meshuggah signature 8-string, the M8M. And boy have they done it right. These guitars are built by Sugi, the fast-becoming-legendary shop behind the ultra-premium Fireman, the Joe Satriani ‘Black Dog’ edition and the 20th Anniversary Universe which came out a few years ago. List price on this puppy? $7,999.99 USD, but who knows? If this goes well, perhaps we could see a lower-priced version produced at a different factory with more affordable specs. Check out the pics at the end of the post. Phwoar.
The M8M features an alder body with five-piece maple-bubinga neck with through-neck construction, and a 29.4″ scale length. Ibanez’s Mike Taft tells me these guitars are absolutely top of the line, and they could have opted to make them bolt-ons instead but if you’re going to do it, you might as well go all the way, hence the through-neck construction. They also feature a Lundgren M8 humbucker, a very expensive, non-production pickup. Again, this is one of the reasons the price is so high, but if you want to play what Meshuggah play, this is the pickup! The Schaller Security Locks are a nice touch too.
NAMM 2012: Ibanez Premium Jem70V
This year Ibanez has introduced a Steve Vai signature Jem in the Preimium line. Premium axes are made in a factory in Indonesia which Ibanez has an ownership stake in. Check out pics of the new axe from the NAMM floor at the end of this post. Nice, huh?
The Jem70V is in Sea Foam Green, and it features Steve’s signature DiMarzio Evolution humbuckers, an Ibanez Edge bridge, basswood body (like the earliest Jems), rosewood fretboard with full vine inlay (colour-matched to the body and headstock), and a 5-piece maple/walnut JEM Premium neck. The neck is very much a Jem neck, not simply a Wizard shape with a floral inlay on it or anything, and the fretwork is spectacular. I know some players are hesitant to check out Indonesian instruments because they might associate them with lower-cost lines, but the Ibanez Premium range is much closer to J Custom quality than Prestige. If you’re an Ibanez geek like me you should find that pretty exciting.
NAMM 2012: Ibanez Jem Evo!
New from Ibanez this year: the 25th Anniversary Ibanez Jem Evo! It’s a replica of Steve Vai’s legendary Jem, complete with all the details: mismatched control knobs, tape on the neck pickup to stop the string getting caught under there when you pick too hard, new-looking neck compared to the smashed-up body, Edge bridge, and of course Evo’s infamous neck joint crack (cosmetic only, in this instance, I hope). This guitar comes with certificate of authenticity, special hardshell case, and a silver DiMarzio strap custom-made for this release. With an RRP of over $10,000 it’s not cheap, and with only 100 guitars being produced (all of which are already sold to dealers) they won’t be easy to find.
NAMM 2012: Ibanez NAMM 2012 signing schedule
Ibanez NAMM 2012 Signing Schedule (subject to change or cancellation based on artist schedule)
Friday January 20th
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Fieldy, Munky (Korn)
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Andy Timmons, Tony MacAlpine
4:00pm -5:00pm
George Benson
Saturday January 21st
11:00am – 12:00pm
Nick Hipa, Josh Gilbert (As I Lay Dying), Francesco Artusato (All Shall Perish), Jeanne Sagan (All That Remains), Ryan Leitru (For Today)
1:30pm – 3:00pm
Steve Vai, Joe Satriani
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah), Tosin Abasi, Javier Reyes (Animals As Leaders), Ken Susi (Unearth)
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Mick Thomson (Slipknot)
Sunday January 22nd
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Paul Gilbert
John Scofield Australian masterclass tour
Here’s a rare opportunity to catch the legendary John Scofield and maybe even pick his brain, as he graciously suggests you do in the video below. Thump Music, the same folks who brought you Steve Vai’s recent Aussie masterclass tour, present John Scofield in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
More info and ticket sales here!
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I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat and The Brag. I started I Heart Guitar in 2008. I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18 (I'm 33 now). I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week) and a setup tech. I live in Melbourne, Australia. You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube.
You can email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com