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
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.
Seven previously-unheard Bruce Springsteen records will be released for the first time this summer with āTracks II: The Lost Albums,ā coming June 27.
A set spanning 83 songs, "The Lost Albums" fill in rich chapters of Springsteenās expansive career timeline ā while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist. ā'The Lost Albums' were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,ā said Springsteen. āIāve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. Iām glad youāll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them.ā
From the lo-fi exploration of āLA Garage Sessions ā83ā ā serving as a crucial link between āNebraskaā and āBorn in the U.S.A.ā ā to the drum loop and synthesizer sounds of āStreets of Philadelphia Sessions,ā āThe Lost Albumsā offer unprecedented context into 35 prolific years (1983-2018) of Springsteenās songwriting and home recording. āThe ability to record at home whenever I wanted allowed me to go into a wide variety of different musical directions,ā Springsteen explained. Throughout the set, that sonic experimentation takes the form of film soundtrack work (for a movie that was never made) on āFaithless,ā country combos with pedal steel on āSomewhere North of Nashville,ā richly-woven border tales on āInyoā and orchestra-driven, mid-century noir on āTwilight Hours.ā Alongside the announcement of āThe Lost Albums,ā a first look at the collection also arrives today with āRain In The Riverā ā which comes from the lost album āPerfect World,ā and encapsulates that projectās arena-ready E Street flavor.
āThe Lost Albumsāwill arrive in limited-edition nine LP, seven CD and digital formats ā including distinctive packaging for each previously-unreleased record, with a 100-page cloth-bound, hardcover book featuring rare archival photos, liner notes on each lost album from essayist Erik Flannigan and a personal introduction on the project from Springsteen himself. A companion set ā āLost And Found: Selections from The Lost Albumsā ā will feature 20 highlights from across the collection, also arriving June 27 on two LPs or one CD. āThe Lost Albumsā were compiled by Springsteen with producer Ron Aniello, engineer Rob Lebret and supervising producer Jon Landau at Thrill Hill Recording in New Jersey.
For more information, please visit brucespringsteen.net.
Tracks II: The Lost Albums
LA Garage Sessions ā83
1. Follow That Dream
2. Donāt Back Down On Our Love
3. Little Girl Like You
4. Johnny Bye Bye
5. Sugarland
6. Seven Tears
7. Fugitiveās Dream
8. Black Mountain Ballad
9. Jim Deer
10. County Fair
11. My Hometown
12. One Love
13. Donāt Back Down
14. Richfield Whistle
15. The Klansman
16. Unsatisfied Heart
17. Shut Out The Light
18. Fugitiveās Dream (Ballad)
Streets of Philadelphia Sessions
1. Blind Spot
2. Maybe I Donāt Know You
3. Something In The Well
4. Waiting On The End Of The World
5. The Little Things
6. We Fell Down
7. One Beautiful Morning
8. Between Heaven and Earth
9. Secret Garden
10. The Farewell Party
Faithless
1. The Desert (Instrumental)
2. Where You Goinā, Where You From
3. Faithless
4. All Godās Children
5. A Prayer By The River (Instrumental)
6. God Sent You
7. Goinā To California
8. The Western Sea (Instrumental)
9. My Masterās Hand
10. Let Me Ride
11. My Masterās Hand (Theme)
Somewhere North of Nashville
1. Repo Man
2. Tiger Rose
3. Poor Side of Town
4. Delivery Man
5. Under A Big Sky
6. Detail Man
7. Silver Mountain
8. Janey Donāt You Lose Heart
9. Youāre Gonna Miss Me When Iām Gone
10. Stand On It
11. Blue Highway
12. Somewhere North of Nashville
Inyo
1. Inyo
2. Indian Town
3. Adelita
4. The Aztec Dance
5. The Lost Charro
6. Our Lady of Monroe
7. El Jardinero (Upon the Death of Ramona)
8. One False Move
9. Ciudad Juarez
10. When I Build My Beautiful House
Twilight Hours
1. Sunday Love
2. Late in the Evening
3. Two of Us
4. Lonely Town
5. September Kisses
6. Twilight Hours
7. Iāll Stand By You
8. High Sierra
9. Sunliner
10. Another You
11. Dinner at Eight
12. Follow The Sun
Perfect World
1. Iām Not Sleeping
2. Idiotās Delight
3. Another Thin Line
4. The Great Depression
5. Blind Man
6. Rain In The River
7. If I Could Only Be Your Lover
8. Cutting Knife
9. You Lifted Me Up
10. Perfect World
Bruce Springsteen - Tracks II: The Lost Albums Trailer - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.The guitarist-of-all-trades runs us through his formidable live rig.
Rhett Schullās a busy guy. Between being one of the most prolific YouTubers in the guitar sphere, working as a trusted hired gun, and creating his own original music, including last yearās EP The Early Days, heās an avid cyclist. Just a week before we met up with Rhett at Eastside Bowl in Madison, Tennessee, for this Rig Rundown, he was slated to ride a 100-mile race in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Those plans were dashed when 70-mile-an-hour winds stoked a wildfire near town and burned just over 26,000 acres. But the show must go on: The next night, Schull played a gig in town, a special release for people reeling from a brutal natural disaster.
Schullās a certified gear aficionado and tone wizard, so PGās Chris Kies headed to Eastside Bowl to have him walk us through his current live rig. Check out the Rundown here, and stay tuned; Schullās got more music coming later this year.
Brought to you by DāAddario.
Special Serus
Schullās wife pointed out this Novo Serus J hanging on the wall of a guitar shop back in 2017, and it was love at first strum. Made from tempered pine and loaded with Amalfitano P-90 pickups, plus sporting an unmissable pink sparkle polyurethane finish, itās a real looker, and one of Schullās favorite guitars.
Third Man Thumper
After Schull did a video on the Fender Jack White Pano Verb amplifier, Fender sent him a Jack White Triplecaster Telecaster, part of his signature series of gear with Fender launched last year. Schull calls it one of the most versatile guitars he owns, with each of the three pickup options virtually splitting it into three separate guitars.
Firebird-Watching
This beauty from Gibsonās Custom Shop came to Schull following NAMM in 2020. On tour, he needs something with humbuckers and something with single-coils. Then, he thinks of whatās exciting him. These days, itās this Firebird V, which doesnāt have a typical Firebird tone, but cuts closer to something like a Telecaster at times.
Rockin' Two With a Two-Rock
Schull runs two amps onstage, but he doesnāt run them in stereo; he believes the stereo image doesnāt translate as well in a live situation where listeners are spread across the speaker systemās field. With this Two-Rock Classic Reverb Signature and an AC15-ish David Edwards Apollo, Schull gets a ābroadbandā sound set for big, fat clean tones, like one giant amp on the edge of breakup.
Fun fact: Edwards surprised Schull with the Apollo when Rhett went to Florida to work on some videos.
Rhett Schull's Pedalboard
Schullās 2024 EP is very effects-heavy, so he commissioned the pedalboard-whisperers at XAct Tone Solutions to build him this double-decker station based around an RJM Mastermind PBC/6X switcher. Some of the stomps, like the Chase Bliss Mood, are activated by MIDI, and all the different sounds from each songāfrom intro to chorus to bridge to finishāis set up in the RJM. If Rhett wants to go off script, he can hit the function button, which lets him engage pedals on a one-by-one basis. A Line 6 HX One is a āwildcardā pedal in this rig, filling in gaps as needed.
In addition to those machines, the rig includes a Chase Bliss Dark World, GFI System Synesthesia, Hologram Electronics Chroma Console, Boss Space Echo RE-202, GFI System Duophony (which mixes the Dark World and Synesthesia), Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MkII (used for boost, EQ, fuzz, or overdrive depending on the song), Old Blood Noise Endeavors Beam Splitter, Source Audio ZIO, Memory Lane Electronics Tone Bender clone, and a Mythos Argonaut. A mysterious Japan-made Noel dirt pedal, finished in striking red and gifted to Shull by JHS Pedalsā Josh Scott, rounds out the collection. Utility boxes include a TC Electronic PolyTune3 Noir, Lehle Little Dual, a pair of Strymon Ojai power supplies, and a bigger Strymon Zuma supply.
Sterling by Music Man introduces the Joe Dart Artist Series Collection, featuring the Dart I, II, and III basses.
The original Dart I features the Sterling-shaped body with a single humbucker and volume knob. The Dart II, featuring the beloved Ernie Ball Music Man Caprice body, swaps the humbucker fortwo single-coil pickups, each with its own volume knob for precise, hum-free control. Completing the trilogy, the Dart III is a short-scale StingRay bass with a split single-coil pickup and single volume knob.
A blank canvas, the bass collection embodies the no-frills philosophy of the original Ernie BallMusic Man designāeverything you need and nothing you donāt. All three basses are equipped with passive electronics, Ernie Ball flatwound strings, and are available in Natural or Black finishes. No tone knobs here.
āJack Stratton and I are thrilled to team up once again with Sterling by Music Man to build affordable versions of the three best basses I've ever held in my hands. The JoeDart I, II, and III represent three different sounds and feels, three different eras of bass,and three different shades of my own work as a bassist,ā said Dart. āThe feel of these instruments is incredible, and the quality would be remarkable at any price point.ā
This is a special āTimed Editionā release, only available for pre-order on the Sterling by MusicMan website for two months. Each bass is made to order, with the window closing on May 31st and shipping starting in September. The back of the headstock will be marked with a ā2025Cropā stamp to commemorate the harvest year for this special, one-of-a-kind release. A gig bag will be included with each purchase.
All basses are priced at $499.00
For more information, please visit sterlingbymusicman.com.