Ibanez MTM1 Mick Thomson signature

OK, so normally when someone on the forum gets a new guitar, there is the inaugural NGD post to go along with, but I could'nt be arsed frankly. So, I chose to review my new beast instead. Apologies for bad pic btw...

[Plug: bought it from the guys @ machinehead.co.uk, excellent service and nice blokes, would buy everything from there if I had more money, rock on guys ]

The first thing that gives the guitar away is the "blood red" paint job with black binding, which looks AWESOME! However, at very close inspection the binding looks almost green, which is weird to say the least(must be the clearcoat). secondly you're basically cockslapped by the SEVEN inlay, which, however unsubtle, looks good on the inlay-free fretboard. Of course there will be the usual people who will say it looks bad, but I disagree, sorry. The whole colour scheme works nicely with the black hardware, which is a tasteful black, unlike that god-awful "black nickel" finish ESP have started to adopt. Why?

While on the matter of hardware, I should probably say just how great the edge pro III fixed bridge is. All the tuning stability of an FR, with ten times more sustain- great! The fine tuners were a bit stiff at first but a dab of WD-40 sorted that out nicely. The bridge is very comfortable under the hand when muting, too, which is something sometimes overlooked by some bridge manufacturers like kahler and gibraltar. The double locking construction is predictably good, but I am disappointed that you don't get that little allen key holder on the back of the headstock like you get with an RG . The tuners are nothing to write home about sadly, simple die-cast Ibanez tuners- big woop(!) Strangely, Mick's actual guitar has a transparent red lacquer on the tuners which makes them look metallic vermillion in colour (succint Slipknot reference there ) which I wish they'd put on this model, it looks cool!

Electronically it's amezzin'! I got the one with EMGs, specifically an EMG 81 (N) and an EMG 85 (B). Uber high output pups create, as Ibby say, a wall of sound, and the mahogany body and double locking bridge make sure that wall stays up! Sooooo fawkin' hardcore! Typically high wiring standard with very very tiny amounts of hum but that's as to be expected from EMGs. Single vol. knob, 3 way pup selector, nothing special there tbh... Just solid quality all round really. High quality output jack is a nice touch by Ibby, though

Neck thru construction and 5 pc. maple/walnut wizard II neck + mahogany body (+EMGs) = SUSTAIN!

Typically fast, tastic and beautiful 5 pc. wizard II neck rox mine and everybody else's sox. The neck joint is smooth and seamless and all round lovely to play, and overall the build quality is top notch. It comes from Ibby's korean factory, which surprised me because it honestly is of prestige (japanese) standard! The truss rod copes nicely with my fat 0.013-0.60 strings and drop D -1 1/2 tuning (B-F sharp-B-E-G sharp-C sharp), which is unsurprising seeing as how that's what it was made for (although so many guitars don't live up to their detuning promises).

It has'nt gone wrong yet and I doubt it will. Gotta say my favourite axe by a mile, Thanks Ibanez!