Another "When's your signature Ibanez guitar coming out?" thread

[Mack Addy]

Dude, this HAS to happen. I am running at wit's end here trying to find a guitar that some company makes that most closely matches my tastes and requirements in a guitar. In all of my time I have spent researching what all is available versus what features the guitar players out there have with their custom guitars, you and I are the closest match when it comes to tastes in guitars in an overall comparison of functionality, style, and features. The only two things I would want different from your guitars (suggesting I had the miraculous power of persuasion) are a mahogany neck instead of maple and an original Floyd Rose bridge, but I can live without both since the ZR is actually just as stable. Or maybe an Edge Zero so we can have the benefits of the ZR but with the feel of a Floyd? Ehh??

And don't let them skimp out on only releasing a six string version, or even worse, not having their Japanese hands build them. Your guitars deserve the Team J Craft logo on the backs of their seven string headstocks. You know it just as much as they do.

So I come to you, Chris Broderick, in pure humbleness and desperation. I need a seven string guitar worthy of the upmost best in tone and functionality. I am willing to do whatever I can to make this happen. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

 

[cjbmw4]

you could do what i did and spec out a suhr that gets close to broderick specs. I ordered a modern in trans white with black binding and an ebony board with matching reverse headstock. Should be cool.

 

[Mack Addy]

That's cool dude. I checked out what Suhr had to offer and priced out a guitar I would want. The MSRP ended up being close to $6,000 and it didn't even have an Original Floyd Rose, the Duncan/Dimarzio pickups I would use OR a seventh string!! Not only that, I refuse to order something from a company I know virtually nothing about and can not have direct, face-to-face communication with the builders. I appreciate your suggestion, but I must give this a big "heeeellllllll noooooo" for myself.

<rant>
Why is it so difficult for me to find a seven string guitar with a mahogany body, nice figured maple top with a dependable tremolo and NOT have active pickups? I mean seriously.. I'll even concede and go for an RGA427 from Japan if I absolutely have to and just figure something out about swapping the electronics for real pickups if Hoshino would just release the damn thing for the USA market instead of just Japan.

I will consider this Ibanez's last chance to redeem themselves as the true kings of seven string guitar. I mean Schecter is beating them out on available seven string models for fuck's sake. SCHECTER!! Chris, if you are reading this and are getting even the slightest chuckle out of it, I thank you for taking the moment to read my guitar snob ramblings and will hope you can hook a fellow seven string brotha up here. Hoshino USA will obviously listen to you.

</rant>

 

[ducd996]

Unfortunately a nice seven string to those specs are going to either cost you more, or be more of a custom job where unless it's a small builder you'll have little interaction with the folks doing the job. I have an RG1527 and that's a nice guitar, but yeah, I know the feeling of wanting a really nice ultra high end guitar with a sweet classy looking flame or quilt in a seven string that I don't have to custom order. Ibanez is probably smart enough to recognize that there is a market, but most likely doesn't see the supply/demand working in the favor of taking something like that to mass production. I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to get Chris to put out a lower end model to support the demand without the production costs of their higher line up like the prestige or the J Customs. They even put something out last year that was close but slapped a black matte finish on it.

As a business they probably see less of a demand when the technical ability of the player rises. Christ, there's been a Noodles Ibanez signature guitar for 10yrs and Herman Li and his counterpart (Sam?) each have signatures. I'm willing to be the Matt Blanchand (sp?)(and I like Shadows Fall) hasn't sold crap and he has two models out. And we could collectively name 100 guitarists in 20mins with signature guitars that can't play to the technical fortitude or cover as many genres as someone like Chris but in saying that, they probably all had to sacrifice what they'd really want in a high end guitar for what becomes a business equation of cost vs. margin against an unknown sales forecast.

Seriously, how cool would it be to be able to walk into a store and see a trans white 7 or 6 string guitar in first place with a Z-trem, scraped binding, reverse headstock and nice pickups? In fact, when was the last time any guitar store had an Ibanez in stock that was high end- that's another story. I waited 12 weeks for the 1527 and had to order it.

In the end, common sense tells me that there will be a Broderick signature. I just hope for Ibanez's sake they put some real value into it and make it ultra high end as a reflection of the guy who has bled Ibanez for way too long to not have an ultra badass signature to his exact specs, not only to get the attention it would deserve, but as a testament to what he brings to guitar playing and the folks (like me) who would buy one immediately for a few thousand beans.

 

[trickae]

man I just came accross this thread now. I'm craving one badly! I would seriously go nuts if it came with a Jcustom logo and plain fretboard so I could put custom inlays in that.

Tempted in the mean time to get a suhr modern - white cocobolo with pau ferro neck (Guthrie Govan neck)
http://www.suhrguitars.com/images/exotics/hi/Exotic_Modern_Cocobolo_01.jpg
http://www.suhrguitars.com/images/exotics/hi/Exotic_Modern_Cocobolo_05.jpg
http://www.suhrguitars.com/images/exotics/hi/Exotic_Modern_Cocobolo_06.jpg


OP - if you're after a nice mahagony bodied flame top 7 string ibanez - why not check out the ibanez J Custom 8527z. It meets your criteria and is a Jcustom as well. One of the finest 7 strings I've ever played. Could only be topped by the white 7 string Broderick sig series ( I would hope). There's a certain japanese simpsons character on the bay that can hook you up with one fast.

Put Aftermath's into them and they sound killer.
Not a fan of the edge zero's as I'm old school and like the feel of real Floyd roses.

 

[trickae]

Unfortunately a nice seven string to those specs are going to either cost you more, or be more of a custom job where unless it's a small builder you'll have little interaction with the folks doing the job. I have an RG1527 and that's a nice guitar, but yeah, I know the feeling of wanting a really nice ultra high end guitar with a sweet classy looking flame or quilt in a seven string that I don't have to custom order. Ibanez is probably smart enough to recognize that there is a market, but most likely doesn't see the supply/demand working in the favor of taking something like that to mass production. I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to get Chris to put out a lower end model to support the demand without the production costs of their higher line up like the prestige or the J Customs. They even put something out last year that was close but slapped a black matte finish on it.

As a business they probably see less of a demand when the technical ability of the player rises. Christ, there's been a Noodles Ibanez signature guitar for 10yrs and Herman Li and his counterpart (Sam?) each have signatures. I'm willing to be the Matt Blanchand (sp?)(and I like Shadows Fall) hasn't sold crap and he has two models out. And we could collectively name 100 guitarists in 20mins with signature guitars that can't play to the technical fortitude or cover as many genres as someone like Chris but in saying that, they probably all had to sacrifice what they'd really want in a high end guitar for what becomes a business equation of cost vs. margin against an unknown sales forecast.

Seriously, how cool would it be to be able to walk into a store and see a trans white 7 or 6 string guitar in first place with a Z-trem, scraped binding, reverse headstock and nice pickups? In fact, when was the last time any guitar store had an Ibanez in stock that was high end- that's another story. I waited 12 weeks for the 1527 and had to order it.

In the end, common sense tells me that there will be a Broderick signature. I just hope for Ibanez's sake they put some real value into it and make it ultra high end as a reflection of the guy who has bled Ibanez for way too long to not have an ultra badass signature to his exact specs, not only to get the attention it would deserve, but as a testament to what he brings to guitar playing and the folks (like me) who would buy one immediately for a few thousand beans.

There is a market for high end guitars which ibanez has realized. For the 100 artists that aren't tehcnically adept - we have satriani, vai and paul gilbert having signature models coming out ever so often with excellent specs.

Jcustoms have a high international demand and collectors such as myself jump through several hurdles trying to get them here.

 

[Stormwatch]

I'm pretty sure Chris has a signature Jackson due out soon.