The new arrivals include the Axiom Series, signature basses from Gary Willis and Adam Nitti, and Altstar acoustics.
Anaheim, CA (January 4, 2019) -- Ibanez Guitars recently announced a host of new models for 2019 that will be debuted at the NAMM show. Here are some highlights.
Acoustic
AC150CE
The Artwood series is the embodiment of what might be called the Ibanez āmodern approach to tradition.ā Cutting-edge woodworking technology enables Ibanezās luthiers to reproduce the sophisticated bracing techniques of one-of-a-kind instruments of yesteryear. While tradition is obviously the hallmark of the Artwood series, Ibanezās decades-long search for the ultimate in acoustic tone has contributed to design alterations that give Artwood a voice all its own. The Grand Concert body shape of the AC150CE, along with the solid Sitka Spruce top, delivers player comfort along with an enormous frequency range that offers wave after wave of shimmering highs along with tight mids and a full-bodied low end.
LIST: $599.99
Altstar Line
Ibanez is proud to introduce the Altstar series of acoustic guitars. Modeled in the image of the quintessential Rock & Roll sprit, the AltStar is an acoustic guitar with the soul of its electric cousins, not only visually, but in design as well. The idea was to build an instrument for players who may have just started playing electric guitar, but want to explore the world of acoustics but maintain a familiar feel while doing so. Every Altstar has a Spruce top, Sapele back and sides, and a Maple neck topped with a Laurel fingerboard, combining to generate a bright and present tone. The Altstar also comes equipped with an Ibanez AEQ2UT on-board preamp and an onboard tuner, making it more than capable in a live performance situation.
List: $449.99
Basses
SR500E, SR505E, SR505EL, & SR506
These feature an Okoume body which offers a warm and fat low end. The thin, sturdy and stable Jatoba/Walnut neck offers superior playability when combined with the extended neck joint, making the upper frets easily accessible. These basses are equipped with BartoliniĀ® BH2 pickups in a dual-coil style configuration with a lower resonant frequency, providing a balanced, warm response with a tighter bottom end and a fuller midrange. The Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ features a 3-way mid-frequency switch, allowing for precise tonal control (250 Hz, 450 Hz, and 700 Hz) and an EQ bypass switch for passive-only operation. When the EQ bypass is activated, the treble tone control knob becomes the global tone control for the passive circuit. The B500 bridge (B505 & B506 on 5 and 6 string) has adjustable saddles for string spacing adjustments, answering every bassistās individual string spacing demands, no matter the playing style. The saddles can be adjusted +/-1.5mm, and the neck-joint truss rod access allows for quick and easy neck adjustments. The SR Series continues to satisfy the vast needs of bass players, exciting them with the SRās smooth and fast neck, lightweight body and perfectly matched electronics.
SR500E - List: $866.65
SR505E - List: $933.32
SR505EL (Left Handed) - List: $999.99
SR506 - List: $999.99
Watch the company's video demo:
Gary Willis 20th Anniversary Signature Bass
It has been two decades since Ibanez introduced the first Gary Willis Signature bass, the GWB1, in 1999. We are extremely pleased to introduce the Gary Willis signature anniversary model, the GWB20TH, to celebrate our long and fruitful relationship. The GWB20TH is full of of Garyās signature details such as a fretless fingerboard, finger ramp and special shaped machine heads. On top of those familiar GWB features, this anniversary model is unique unto itself. The Ash top/Basswood body provides sparkling highs and a well-balanced tone. Additionally, the beautiful TQF (Tequila Sunrise Flat) finish enhances the gorgeous Ash grain.
LIST: $1,599.99
Adam Nitti ANB205 Signature 5-String Bass
Ibanez is proud to introduce Adamās stunning new signature bass, the ANB205. The ANB205 has a lightweight Swamp Ash body which produces sparkling highs and rich harmonics. The back side of the lower horn has an extra scoop, borrowed from the Ibanez SRās body shape, which enables easier access to higher fret positions without stress. The Maple neck and fretboard provide crisp, bright highs and strong upper midrange.Adam selected Bartolini 59CBJD pickups for his new signature bass. These āClassic Bassā pickups are passive designs that feature an extended and more resonant frequency range. The pickups have far more āairā and definition at the top end without sacrificing lows and low mids.
LIST: $2,666.65
Electrics
Axion Label RGA61AL-IAF
The new Axion Label series is designed for metal, but offers exciting possibilities for any adventurous players after a next-level axe. Axion Label Guitars feature forward-thinking designs in sound, playability, and looks that take your performances to new heights. Arm yourself with the Axion Label and get ready to break some new ground. The RGA61AL-IAF features a Flamed Maple top with Nyatoh body in a new stunning Indigo Aurora Burst Flat finish, giving the model an otherworldly color scheme. The Macassar Ebony fretboard provides a tight low end with quick response and the extremely rigid, super-thin and ultra-playable Nitro Wizard 5-piece Panga Panga/Walnut neck substantially increases sustain. The Sub-Zero treated frets can stand up against the hardest riffing and string-bending. The luminescent side dot inlays make it easy for players to perform on dark stages and match the dazzling luminescent Ibanez headstock logo. Bare Knuckle Aftermath pickups deliver a bright and wickedly expressive tone, transmitting a quick bottom-end response for picking and fast riffing along with a dynamic midrange and precise high-end articulation. The coil-tap switch unleashes the Aftermath pickupās full output (for a modern voice) or a lower output signal (for a vintage tone). The Gibraltar Standard II enables the optimal transfer of each stringās vibration. The GotohĀ® locking tuners provide tuning accuracy and allow for quick, efficient string changing and the Schaller S-Lock strap lock pins hold a strap securely but make it easy to put the strap on and take off quickly. The RGA61AL-IAF represents a new level performance for the modern guitarist.
LIST: $1,791.10
Watch the company's video demo:
RG5120M Prestige
The Prestige series employs a combination of cutting-edge manufacturing techniques and old-world Japanese craftsmanship. The 2019 Prestige lineup adds something new to attract the contemporary players who are always seeking something new. Develop your range, tone and technique with these new high-performance Prestige guitars. To create guitars that are truly exceptional, Ibanez carefully developed the new modern specifications of the new RG5000 series. This line features Stainless Steel frets for a bright tone, long durability and smoothness, a rigid 5-piece Maple/Wenge neck; a beautiful wood grain fretboard, Made-in-Japan Luminlay side dots and the most cutting-edge pickups.
List: $2,533.32
Watch the company's video demo:
Artcore Vibrante Series
Full of good vibes and vitality, the Artcore Vibrante brings another bold flavor to the long-established Ibanez hollow-body Artcore series. Vivid in both color and tone, the Artcore Vibrante (Spanish for Vibrant) offers a unique take on the typical semi-hollow body image. The AS63 features a standard semi-hollow body construction that generates a a warm, full tone without any feedback. The Ibanez AS63 is the most simplified model the AS series has to offer, bringing the joy of owning a quality semi-hollow guitar to everyone for an amazingly affordable price. The combination of its lively appearance, white dot inlays, and a pearloid pickguard produces a unique visual theme that ties in well with the classic body shape. The AS63 unites function and eye-grabbing looks to offer a great choice for any guitarist.
List: $482.21
Watch the company's video demo:
For more information:
Ibanez
Genuine, dynamic Vox sound and feel. Plenty of different tone-sweetening applications. Receives other pedals as nicely as a real amp.
Can get icy quick. Preamp tube presents risk for damage.
$299
Tubesteader Roy
tubesteader.com
The Roy is an exceedingly faithful Vox box that brings genuine tube dynamics to your pedalboard.
This is an interesting moment for amp-in-a-box pedals. It used to be novel to have a little box that approximated the tone signature of an iconic amp. Nowadays, though, modeling pedals and profilers can give you many digital emulations in one package. Nevertheless, there are still worlds of possibility in pedals that copy amp topology in discrete formāparticularly when you add a real preamp tube to that mix.
Thatās what Montreal builder Tubesteader did with the Roy, their entry in the Vox-Top-Boost-AC30-in-a-box race. The Roy is a 2-channel preamp and overdrive built around a 12AX7 vacuum tubeāa design gambit that is relatively uncommon if not totally unique. The tube makes the Roy look much more vintage in spirit at a time when sleek, black Helixes and Fractals are overtaking stages. In some ways, it looks like an antique. It can sound like one in the best way too.
Riding the Tube
āThe Roy comes in a handsome brownish-red enclosure, with an unsurprising control layout. The rightmost footswitch turns the pedal on and off, and the one at left switches between the identical channels. Each channel has an output volume and gain knob; the controls on the right are assigned to the default channel, and when you tap the left footswitch, you engage the left-side control tandem. The treble and bass controls between the two volume and gain knobs are shared by the two channels, but a post-EQ master tone cut control, which rolls off additional treble frequencies, is mounted on the crown of the pedal beside the power input. The input and output jacks occupy the left and right sides, along with a 3.5 mm jack for external operation. The Roy runs at 12 volts and draws 350 mA, and the included power supply can be reconfigured easily for a range of international outlets.
Tubesteaderās literature says the pedalās tones are generated via a high-voltage transistor in the first gain stage coupled with the 12AX7, which operates at 260 volts. That preamp tube is nested at the top of the enclosureās face, underneath a protective metal āroll barā. Trusty as it looks, when there is a glass element on the exterior of a pedalās housing, thereās an element of vulnerability, and transporting and using the Roy probably requires a more conscientious approach than a standard stompbox.
Royal Tones
Compared to the Vox's own Mystic Edge, an AC30-in-a-box from Vox powered by Korgās NuTube vacuum fluorescent display technology, the Roy feels warmer, and more dynamic, proving that the 12AX7 isnāt just there for looks. The Mystic Edge could sound positively icy compared to the Royās smooth, even breakup. The Roy is very happy at aggressive settings, and in my estimation, it sounds best with output volumes driving an amp hard and the pedalās gain around 3 oāclock. That recipe sounds good with single-coil guitars, but with a P-90-loaded Les Paul Junior, it achieves roaring classic-rock greatness. Iāve always felt Voxes, rather than Marshalls, are better vehicles for dirty punk chording. The Roy did nothing to dissuade me from that belief. And the pedals' midrange punch and bark in power-chord contexts lent authority and balance that makes such chords hit extra hard.
Though the Roy creates many of its own tasty drive tones, it really comes to life when pushed by a boost or overdrive, much like a real amp. When I punched it with a Fish Circuits Model One overdrive, the Roy was smoother and less spiky than a cranked AC30, yet there was plenty of note definition, attack, and the harmonic riches youād turn to an AC for in the first place. A JFET SuperCool Caffeine Boost also brought additional depth and color to the output and broadened the pedalās voice.
If youāre most comfortable with a real Vox amp, the Roy is a reliable and familiar-feeling stand-in when managing a different backline amp. In at least one way, though, the Roy is, perhaps, a bit toofaithful to its influenceās design: Thereās a lot of treble on tap, and itās easy to cook up tinnitus-inducing frequencies if you get too aggressive with the treble control. Noon positions on the cut/boost tone knobs sound pretty neutral. But I found it difficult to push the treble much past 2 oāclock without wincingāeven with the tone cut control set at its darkest. (This quality, of course, may make the Roy a good match for squishier Fender-style designs). The relationship between the Royās treble and bass controls also takes time to master. The two donāt just add or boost their respective frequencies, but also add or subtract midrange, which can result in intense and sudden gain-response changes. As a general guideline, a light touch goes a long way when fine tuning these frequencies.The Verdict
The Roy isnāt exactly a bargain at $299. Then again, this Vox-in-a-box can stand in for real-deal Top Boost tones and the 2-channel design means you can move between an ACās chimey cleans and ripping cranked sounds in a flash. If youāre squarely in the Vox amp camp, youād be hard-pressed to find a more authentic means of achieving that range of clean-to-crunchy sounds.
Some names youāve heard, others maybe not. But they all have a unique voice on the instrument.
Intermediate
Intermediate
⢠Open your ears to new influences.
⢠Understand how to create interlocking rhythm parts.
⢠Develop a new appreciate for the rhythmic complexity of Wayne Krantz, the effortless bebop of Biréli Lagrène, and the driving force that is David Williams.
The guitar has been a major factor in so many styles of music over the last 70 years, and any experienced musician can tell you that playing any one of those styles with authenticity takes countless hours of dedication. As we learn the instrument, we seek out music that we find inspiring to help guide us toward our voice. The legends we all know in the guitar pantheon have inspired millions of players. In my musical journey over the years, Iāve always been thrilled to discover unique musicians who never attained the same recognition as their more famous counterparts. With so much music at our disposal these days, I thought this group of guitarists deserved a little more spotlight. The inspiration and knowledge they have provided me were paramount in my development, and I wouldnāt be the player I am without them.
BirĆ©li LagrĆØneās Bombastic Bop
Standards was the first jazz guitar record I really listened to, and his playing on this entire album is devastating. There is so much groove, joy, and ferocity in every note. The way he lays ideas out on the fretboard made a lot of sense to me, his rhythms were intentional and clear, and it was surprisingly easy to dig into as a rock guitarist at the time. He has an extensive catalog of jazz, gypsy jazz, and fusion records with some of the best in the world, and heās also a killer bass player who can sing just like Frank Sinatra! Ex. 1 is over the first eight measures of āStella by Starlight.ā I stole so much vocabulary from this solo that I can still play bits from memory 20 years later. LagrĆØneās treatment of two-measure chunks to play his ideas was significantly helpful. Whether it was an engaging rhythmic phrase, constant eighth-notes, or just cramming in as much as he could, I stopped worrying so much about catching every chord change after I learned this one.
Ex. 1
Stella by Starlight
Old-School Swing!
George Barnes is a unique jazz guitarist who was a contemporary of Charlie Christian, Johnny Smith, and Django. A significant part of his early work was writing and arranging for radio and television, for NBC, and he also wrote the very first electric guitar method book in 1942. A friend in Austin gave me two CDs of his: a collection of his playing from the Plantation Party radio show and an overview of his octet recordings. The octet recordings sound like unhinged cartoon music with guitar and orchestral instruments and are highly enjoyable. Ex. 2 is a line I lifted from a recording of him playing āAināt Misbehavin.ā It was one of the hippest endings I have ever heard on a jazz tune, and although I canāt find the recording anywhere, I still use it all the time. I love the intention in George Barnesā playing. Swinging and mischievous, he always sounds like he was having fun.
Ex. 2
The George Barnes Sextet - Lover, Come Back to Me
āThrillingā Rhythm Solos
David Williams is one of the greatest rhythm players of all time. He is responsible for most of the memorable guitar moments on Michael Jacksonās records, and all his parts have an infectious nature. He is the primary reason I got interested in rhythm guitar, and he is still an inspiration on that front. One of my favorite examples of his playing is the breakdown in Michael Jacksonās āThrillerā (where Vincent Price does the rap). His signature thunderous right-hand approach to single-note rhythm parts is in full effect, and the natural accents between the two rhythm parts are infectious on their own but weave perfectly together. Ex. 3 is my interpretation of two interlocking parts in this style. Heās said in interviews that his concept as a player was to develop ārhythm solosā that could stand out front in a song, and this is a perfect example of that.
Ex. 3
Thriller
(Better than) Average Riffs
Though Hamish Stuart is most known for being an original member of the Average White Band, the singer/guitarist/composer/producer also did extensive work with heavyweights such as George Benson, Paul McCartney, Chaka Khan, and Aretha Franklin. Though AWB was still working until 1983, Hamish was doing sessions with various artists as a sideman in the early ā80s, including this excerpt from āMove Me No Mountainā off Chaka Khanās Naughty from 1980 (Ex. 4). Iāve always loved the interplay between these two parts, range-wise and rhythmically. The lower pick line hits some unusual 16th-note placements, and the higher dyads have a churn to them that is amazing. Both parts together feel different rhythmically from anything I have ever heard but sound so cool and unique.
Ex. 4
Chaka Khan - Move Me No Mountain
Wayne Krantz
Wayne Krantz is one of those guys that hit me like a lightning bolt. Upon hearing him, I felt like I had āpermissionā to play more with the fingers of my right hand, use jagged and intentional rhythms, and above all, to play more naturally. Wayne has always played like himself. His control over rhythm and articulation alone is legendary, not to mention the vast body of unique work he has created. Ex. 5 is an excerpt from the only solo I ever learned of his, from āInfinity Splitā off 1999ās Greenwich Mean. I love this solo because it is incredibly engaging rhythmically and melodically, but almost 100 percent inside the harmony. This solo taught me more about rhythmic placement and articulation than anything.
Ex. 5
Wayne Krantz - Infinity Split
Though I could only grab a certain percentage of these guysā āvocabulary,ā learning these parts over the years helped me find my sound. The result was an attempt to emulate some of their musicality in my way, rather than outright imitating them. Anything you hear that grabs your interest is probably worth sitting down and figuring out. While we might not mention the guitarists above alongside Hendrix or Van Halen, they have all done their part to put a brick in the cathedral, furthering music, and the instrument.
What if you could have the best of bothāor multipleāworlds? Our columnist investigates.
This column is a fun and educational thought experiment: What if I took inspiration from the well-known Fender amps out there, combined the best from them, and applied a few of my own twists? After all, this is how amps developed. I read somewhere that āFender made the first Marshall, and Marshall made the first reissue Fender.ā It's funny, because it's true: The Marshall JTM45 was based on the narrow-panel tweed Fender Bassman 5F6-A.
Before we start, Iād like to share my respect for the real entrepreneurs who get into the gear industry. The financial and commercial challenges are of existential magnitude, and I can only imagine the complexity of scaling up production lines. For now, letās start with the easy part: designing the amps of our dreams.
The Smarter Deluxe Reverb
The idea behind this amp is to enhance the black-panel Deluxe Reverb by making it simpler, yet more versatile. First, weād need an extra 2 cm of cabinet height for better clearance between the output transformer and the magnet of a heavy-duty 12" speaker. The extra ambience and fullness from the slightly larger cabinet would be appreciated by many who find the Deluxe too small on larger stages. Iād offer both 2x10 and 1x12 speaker baffles of birch plywood that are more durable than MDF particle boards.
For the 2x10 version, there would be simple on/off switches on the lower back plate to disconnect the speaker wires. That way, players could disable one speaker to easily reduce volume and headroom, or select between two different sounding speakers. Also, these switches will enable super-easy speaker comparisons at home. There would be a 4- and 8-ohm impedance selector based on a multi-tap output transformer that is the size of a Vibrolux Reverb 125A6A transformerāone size bigger than the DeluxeĀ“s 125A1A. This would tighten up the low-end response to accommodate the bigger cabinet.
Like the Princeton Reverb, the amp would be single-channel with reverb and tremolo, but with only one input jack. I would keep the Deluxeās tone stack, and add a bright switch and a mid-control with a larger 20-25K mid-pot value instead of the Fender-default 10K. This would enable players to dial in many more tones between a scooped American sound and a British growl. The power amp section is 100 percent Deluxe Reverb, which would allow 6L6 tube swaps without the need to change anything else. The full power of the 6L6 will not be utilized due to the lower 6V6 plate voltages, but it gives you some extra headroom. To reduce costs and complexity, I would use a diode rectifier and transistors in the reverb circuitry, like the modern Blues Junior. This saves two tubes and creates less trouble down the road. The tremolo would be based on the Princeton Reverbās bias-based tremolo circuit, since it sweeps deeper than the Deluxe Reverbās optoisolator tremolo.
The Bassman Pro Reverb
My second amp would be a large, warm-sounding amp with preamp distortion abilities. I really like the Vibro-King and tweed Bassman 5F6-A circuit designs, where the volume control is placed alone before a 12AX7 preamp tube stage and then followed by the EQ section. This means that a high volume-knob setting allows a strong signal to enter the 12AX7, creating a distorted signal at the tubeās output. This distorted signal then enters the bass, mid, and treble pots afterward, which can lower the still-distorted signal amplitude before the phase inverter and power amp section. With this preamp design, you can achieve a heavily cranked tone at low volumes based on preamp distortion and clean power amp operation. This trick is not possible with the typical AB763 amps, where the volume and EQ work together at the same stage. If you set the volume high and the bass, mids, and treble low, they cancel each other before hitting the next tube stage.
āThis amp could do it all: pleasant cleans and distortion at both moderate and loud levels.ā
I would use a Pro Reverb-sized 2x12 cabinet for this amp, with the output impedance selector and speaker switches I mentioned earlier. The amp would have dual 6L6s in push/pull, and a Super Reverb-sized 125A9A output transformer for a firm low end at 40-watt power output. I would go for cathode bias in this amp, for a compressed, low-wattage, tweed-style response, to add even more dirt next after the hot preamp section. There is only one jack input into the single channel, with reverb, tremolo, and full EQ controls (bright switch, bass, mid, and treble). Since this would be a more costly amp, Iād use a tube rectifier and tube-driven reverb. This amp could do it all: pleasant cleans and distortion at both moderate and loud levels. It wouldnāt stay loud and clean, though. For that, we would need a third amp, which we will maybe get back to later.
Iād be excited to hear your thoughts about these amps, and if I should follow my dreams to build themI would use a Pro Reverb-sized 2x12 cabinet for this amp, with the output impedance selector and speaker switches I mentioned earlier. The amp would have dual 6L6s in push/pull, and a Super Reverb-sized 125A9A output transformer for a firm low end at 40-watt power output. I would go for cathode bias in this amp, for a compressed, low-wattage, tweed-style response, to add even more dirt next after the hot preamp section. There is only one jack input into the single channel, with reverb, tremolo, and full EQ controls (bright switch, bass, mid, and treble). Since this would be a more costly amp, Iād use a tube rectifier and tube-driven reverb. This amp could do it all: pleasant cleans and distortion at both moderate and loud levels. It wouldnāt stay loud and clean, though. For that, we would need a third amp, which we will maybe get back to later.
Iād be excited to hear your thoughts about these amps, and if I should follow my dreams to build them!
After surviving a near-death aortic dissection onstage, Richie Faulkner shredder has endured some health challenges. In this exclusive video, he opens up about how the cardiac event impacted his mental health both on- and offstage.
During Judas Priest's the Louder Than Life 2021 performance at the Louisville-based festival, lead shredder Richie Faulkner suffered an aortic dissection onstage. (It's worth noting, the steadfast professional finished the "Painkiller" solo before ending the setāan amazing feat.) He was rushed to the nearby University of Louisville hospital that saved his life. (Serendipitously, the hospital was only a few miles from the festival grounds.)
Faulkner fully recovered from the near-death experience but has endured other health setback stemming from the aortic dissection resulting in several issues including his right-hand coordination and strength. He's powered through the last 3+ years of performances and only now is open to talking about the difficulties he has playing the technical rhythm parts and how that's impacted his mental health both on- and offstage with the massive metal band.