# Thoughts on Wes Hauch's new Iceman?



## Pat (Jul 16, 2020)

I'm personally not a fan of the Iceman shape, but to each their own. 

Sound like I'm bashing it, but is it just me that thinks the body is really badly bookmatched?

Interesting bridge though - are those fine tuners after the saddles?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 16, 2020)

Like it.

I dig the locking setup, but the finish isn't my thing.


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## Fenceclimber (Jul 16, 2020)

I love the Iceman shape, a Lo-Pro bridge and perhaps another finnish on that bad boy and I'd be GAS'ing hard for one. Hopefully, Ibanez will give him some sort of a production model signature.


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## Pat (Jul 16, 2020)

I think the finish is putting me off. I prefer the grey one he has with floyd


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## KnightBrolaire (Jul 16, 2020)

bookmatching is fine. 
I hate the finish and the zebra neck pickup though. 
His other 7 string iceman is way cooler.


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## shupe13 (Jul 16, 2020)

I'd take it.


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## Anquished (Jul 16, 2020)

I prefer his other one but I definitely wouldn't say no to this one.


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## r3tr0sp3ct1v3 (Jul 16, 2020)

If it sees production I will get one


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## Pat (Jul 16, 2020)

KnightBrolaire said:


> bookmatching is fine.
> I hate the finish and the zebra neck pickup though.
> His other 7 string iceman is way cooler.


You think? The whole right side looks darker than the left to me, and you can't really see any horizontal flaming on the left side. Maybe it's just the photo.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 16, 2020)

Pat said:


> You think? The whole right side looks darker than the left to me, and you can't really see any horizontal flaming on the left side. Maybe it's just the photo.



That's not what bookmatching is.

You take the top, cut it thickness wise (like butterflying a steak) and then open it like a _book_.

That looks like it was done. 

I'd wait to see some better pics before declaring shenanigans.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jul 16, 2020)

Pat said:


> You think? The whole right side looks darker than the left to me, and you can't really see any horizontal flaming on the left side. Maybe it's just the photo.


symmetrical figuring on bookmatched tops can be very dependent on lighting and how the light hits the high/low spots of the grain. I've had guitars that were perfectly bookmatched but in certain lighting only one side pops. case in point:


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## elkoki (Jul 16, 2020)

Me like it.


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## Lorcan Ward (Jul 16, 2020)

Not really digging it cause of the hardware but looking forward to what he does with it.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 16, 2020)

Interesting to see he went with only 22 frets.


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## Musiscience (Jul 16, 2020)

Wes is such an amazing player, he could be sticking 7 strings on a weed eater, and him playing it would make me think it's the greatest sounding thing ever and drool over it.

I think it looks really classy though! Although it would be even better with a black neck pup.


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## oracles (Jul 16, 2020)

The finish and the colour mismatched pickups make this a hard no from me.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 16, 2020)

Dude's a Dimebag fanboy so I wonder if inspirations came from one of his guitars.


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## Carl Kolchak (Jul 16, 2020)

Is there a pic of said Iceman?


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## SpaceDock (Jul 16, 2020)

Finish fail


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## Adieu (Jul 16, 2020)

Yeah, ok


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## Vyn (Jul 16, 2020)

Pure sex. Ibanez needs to hurry up and give either Wes or Vogg an Iceman sig.


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## exo (Jul 16, 2020)

GREAT concept, definite “miss” on the execution......


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## A-Branger (Jul 16, 2020)

Love Icemans and love that this time went for the 4+3 headstock and not 7 inline (as every Iceman should be *cough Sam Totman *cough) 

but man that finish  

hate that natural with black burst. It makes the natural maple looks green  any other color maple would ahve been fine with the black burst, but natural nope, is not my thing. Some people like it, I much rather leave it with no burst

other than that is beautiful


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## Quiet Coil (Jul 16, 2020)

About the only thing I love a clear-to-black burst on is black korina/limba. On just about everything else it tends to look, well, like this.


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## Shawn (Jul 16, 2020)

Saw it posted on Instagram earlier today. I actually love this.


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## mastapimp (Jul 16, 2020)

Pat said:


> You think? The whole right side looks darker than the left to me, and you can't really see any horizontal flaming on the left side. Maybe it's just the photo.


Yeah, I'll agree with Knight on this one. I have a Kotzen tele that has a pretty good bookmatched flame maple top that is difficult to photograph. Depending on the viewing angle, all the flames can disappear on one side or the other and it appears lighter.


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## Spicypickles (Jul 16, 2020)

I think it looks dope as fuck. Antigua burst.


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## BusinessMan (Jul 16, 2020)

It’s kinda ugly tbh. Much prefer that last one he had. That natural finish one or whatever. And I agreee with the vogg iceman sig dye.


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## 77zark77 (Jul 17, 2020)

I like it. Something reptille


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## MaxAidingAres (Jul 17, 2020)

The trippiest part is the 22 frets..


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## Pat (Jul 17, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Dude's a Dimebag fanboy so I wonder if inspirations came from one of his guitars.


I reckon you're right. I think that's why he went for a rail design on his Jupiter pickup, like the Dimebucker.


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## Carl Kolchak (Jul 17, 2020)

It that bridge commercially available atm?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 17, 2020)

Carl Kolchak said:


> It that bridge commercially available atm?



ABM makes (made?) one.


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## Velokki (Jul 17, 2020)

Not really a fan. It's ok, but there's so much lost potential here.

Imagine how badass that Axe would look with a mean red finish, similar to the Dustie Waring's PRS?





Or for that matter - matte-see-thru black with gold hardware? Or just a purple, green or cyan flame top?

There are so many alternatives that are just much tastier... it's a shame such an impeccably tasteful instrument is put together with such a bland finish.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 17, 2020)

He talked more about it on his FB page. 27'' scale, ash body, maple neck, rosewood board, ABM ToM Bridge/tailpiece. The 22 frets were intentional to keep the neck, hardware, and pickups balanced with the 27'' scale.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jul 17, 2020)

this pic shows off the figuring better.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 17, 2020)

People are shitting on the top but honestly the biggest nope for me is the oversized offset dots.


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## jephjacques (Jul 17, 2020)

I don't love the burst but the world needs more Icemans (Icemen?) so I can't hate

although once I realized the lower horn was Literally A Penis I couldn't unsee it


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## KnightBrolaire (Jul 17, 2020)

jephjacques said:


> I don't love the burst but the world needs more Icemans (Icemen?) so I can't hate
> 
> although once I realized the lower horn was Literally A Penis I couldn't unsee it


_Big horn energy_


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## Zado (Jul 18, 2020)

He'll likely grow tired of either this model or the Ibanez partnership and will join Dead, Jackson, ESP. Or will start fishing.


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## Carl Kolchak (Jul 18, 2020)

KnightBrolaire said:


> _Big horn energy_


Not a widely acknowledged fact, but the Iceman's "horn" is, in fact, an antenna specifically attuned to attract tremendous tone.


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## Frostbite (Jul 18, 2020)

Does it look green to anyone else or am I having a stroke?


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## runbirdman (Jul 18, 2020)

I saw it on Twitter and absolutely loved it. I’m curious as to why he didn’t load his new signature neck humbucker in it though.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jul 18, 2020)

Frostbite said:


> Does it look green to anyone else or am I having a stroke?


adjust your RGB boi. 
that shit ain't green


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## Spicypickles (Jul 18, 2020)

It has a tinge or green, like a soldier fresh from Bastogne in WWII with a tad of trench foot. 
For real though, I do see the slight green


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## chipchappy (Jul 18, 2020)

did a few color wheel samples just out of curiosity. No where close to green. every variant I tried. 

Also, nice guitar, huge improvement from that ugly ass Schecter his name was tied to a few years ago.


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## Reinholderx (Jul 19, 2020)

I don't mind it, not a fan of the zebra pickup or the color (like a weird olive burst). Also think if I were going for the locking bridge thing I'd may as well go full trem. I really wanted the J Yuenger White Zombie Sig Iceman when they came out and would still prefer that one I think.


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## Vyn (Jul 19, 2020)

Zado said:


> He'll likely grow tired of either this model or the Ibanez partnership and will join Dead, Jackson, ESP. Or will start fishing.



He's been with Ibanez for quite a while now, I think this has been the longest he's been with a single brand.


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## kamello (Jul 19, 2020)

cool specs, and that's definitely my favorite not-superstrat shape ever, but man that color is "meh"


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## Zado (Jul 19, 2020)

Vyn said:


> He's been with Ibanez for quite a while now, I think this has been the longest he's been with a single brand.


More than 2 weeks would be the longest already


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## I play music (Jul 19, 2020)

I like the finish, scale and hardware but not the iceman shape and 22 fret. If this was an RG XL it would be perfect.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 19, 2020)

Vyn said:


> He's been with Ibanez for quite a while now, I think this has been the longest he's been with a single brand.



Yeah, this is like his 3rd or 4th LACS he's gotten (if you see in the beginning of the video he also has a black Destroyer) so I think for once he's happy.


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## couverdure (Jul 19, 2020)

Zado said:


> More than 2 weeks would be the longest already


He's been with Ibanez for over three years now. The first official mention of him being an artist was in January 2017 when Alluvial release their debut album, which was months after Schecter released his signature model and left shortly after.
https://twitter.com/ibanezofficial/status/817506044456800257


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## Carl Kolchak (Jul 19, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah, this is like his 3rd or 4th LACS he's gotten (if you see in the beginning of the video he also has a black Destroyer) so I think for once he's happy.


This is, I believe, his second custom shop Iceman?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 19, 2020)

Carl Kolchak said:


> This is, I believe, his second custom shop Iceman?




The FR one is the first. This one is his second Iceman he says. Like I said, he also had a Destroyer at the beginning that I'm preeeeeety sure is a custom.


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## Velokki (Jul 19, 2020)

couverdure said:


> He's been with Ibanez for over three years now. The first official mention of him being an artist was in January 2017 when Alluvial release their debut album, which was months after Schecter released his signature model and left shortly after.
> https://twitter.com/ibanezofficial/status/817506044456800257



I briefly met him @ Euroblast 2016, October. He was with Ibanez then already.

I still wonder what happened with the Schecter thing. He seemed to be very excited about the guitar back then. And also excited about possibly releasing a version with a Sustainiac pickup and all.
If I could get a Seafoam Tele with a Sustainiac... man, money would be transferred yesterday!


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## Jon Pearson (Jul 19, 2020)

I dig it, but I dig pretty much everything Wes does, so grain of salt and all that. Honestly I'm more hoping we see the 7 string version of his pickup(s) become more available, they are doing a non-custom shop run for 6 strings but I'd like to get some more Jupiters for all my 7s, they just sound so damn good.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 19, 2020)

Velokki said:


> I briefly met him @ Euroblast 2016, October. He was with Ibanez then already.
> 
> I still wonder what happened with the Schecter thing. He seemed to be very excited about the guitar back then. And also excited about possibly releasing a version with a Sustainiac pickup and all.
> If I could get a Seafoam Tele with a Sustainiac... man, money would be transferred yesterday!



I'd always assume that there were some issues where he wanted to do certain specs and Schecter was like "nah". I guess Schecter didn't see him as big of a seller as Merrow or Loomis. And then Ibanez probably persuaded him by saying they'll make him whatever he wanted. 

I think around the same time Chris Garza left for Ibanez as well,


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## cip 123 (Jul 19, 2020)

Velokki said:


> I briefly met him @ Euroblast 2016, October. He was with Ibanez then already.
> 
> I still wonder what happened with the Schecter thing. He seemed to be very excited about the guitar back then. And also excited about possibly releasing a version with a Sustainiac pickup and all.
> If I could get a Seafoam Tele with a Sustainiac... man, money would be transferred yesterday!


I believe they sent him some guitars, as backup/replacement etc I'm not sure but he wasn't very happy with them so left pretty soon after.


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## Mathemagician (Jul 19, 2020)

Vyn said:


> He's been with Ibanez for quite a while now, I think this has been the longest he's been with a single brand.



IIRC he also played Ibanezs for a long time before being with schecter. As in his own personal collection had a bunch of ibanez that he’d play on, not even sponsored gear. 



I play music said:


> I like the finish, scale and hardware but not the iceman shape and 22 fret. If this was an RG XL it would be perfect.



So a different guitar altogether.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 19, 2020)

Mathemagician said:


> IIRC he also played Ibanezs for a long time before being with schecter. As in his own personal collection had a bunch of ibanez that he’d play on, not even sponsored gear.


Never knew that. Makes sense why he'd jump to Ibanez almost immediately. I knew he had a bunch of Deans in his arsenal, but never knew about the Ibanezes. Guess they were waiting for him to make a bigger name for himself before they took him on board.


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## I play music (Jul 19, 2020)

Mathemagician said:


> So a different guitar altogether.


Yes hahaha the Iceman lower horn looks like a penis, once you see it you cannot unsee
I must say I'm very curious about the bridge and I like Dimebuckers so I might like the pickup also. 
So I wouldn't buy this as a sig model because of the Iceman shape but sure as hell would I like to try out that bridge and humbucker. Otherwise I would not have bothered to comment here.


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## Vyn (Jul 19, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Never knew that. Makes sense why he'd jump to Ibanez almost immediately. I knew he had a bunch of Deans in his arsenal, but never knew about the Ibanezes. Guess they were waiting for him to make a bigger name for himself before they took him on board.



Ibanez are like that. They prefer for an artist to be reasonably established before taking anyone on


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## cip 123 (Jul 20, 2020)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Never knew that. Makes sense why he'd jump to Ibanez almost immediately. I knew he had a bunch of Deans in his arsenal, but never knew about the Ibanezes. Guess they were waiting for him to make a bigger name for himself before they took him on board.


He wasn’t really a big name when he jumped, he’s still not a huge name even in metal. 


He jumped to Ibanez cause he’s always actually liked Ibanez, he took other deals for the same reason we all would, someone’s giving you a deal to play guitars. But he’s always like Ibanez hence the reason he probably never actually stuck to a brand, they weren’t Ibanez.


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## Carl Kolchak (Jul 20, 2020)

cip 123 said:


> He wasn’t really a big name when he jumped, he’s still not a huge name even in metal.



A little OT, but doesn't it seem that the lone Youtube shredders are the real "stars" now in terms of sales generated? If that can be agreed on then people like Hauch and Merrow are, given their combined numbers of vids watched, pretty big.


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## cip 123 (Jul 20, 2020)

Carl Kolchak said:


> A little OT, but doesn't it seem that the lone Youtube shredders are the real "stars" now in terms of sales generated? If that can be agreed on then people like Hauch and Merrow are, given their combined numbers of vids watched, pretty big.


Yea in a way I suppose, in terms of bans he's never been in anything huge. But like you say him and Merrow both pull big numbers on youtube, which is as good a marketing as any gig.


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## I play music (Jul 20, 2020)

Carl Kolchak said:


> A little OT, but doesn't it seem that the lone Youtube shredders are the real "stars" now in terms of sales generated? If that can be agreed on then people like Hauch and Merrow are, given their combined numbers of vids watched, pretty big.





cip 123 said:


> Yea in a way I suppose, in terms of bans he's never been in anything huge. But like you say him and Merrow both pull big numbers on youtube, which is as good a marketing as any gig.


Especially now where no gigs exist 
But seriously, when I go to live concerts I sometimes am not even able to figure out what gear they are using (also don't care too much usually), like from the distance every super strat looks the same so at least with me touring musicians don't trigger a lot of sales
On Youtube where you see the instrument up close in its beauty the probability to get me interested is way higher


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## Thomas Mims (Mar 4, 2022)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Dude's a Dimebag fanboy so I wonder if inspirations came from one of his guitars.


Disrespectful scum, all hail Wes


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 4, 2022)

Well that was a pointless necrobump.


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## Tree (Mar 4, 2022)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Well that was a pointless necrobump.


But now that begs the question, who is the scum to which he is referring?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 4, 2022)

Tree said:


> But now that begs the question, who is the scum to which he is referring?



Probably me, for daring to insult him by calling him a "dimebag fanboy", even though Wes is a self-admitted Dimebag fanboy.


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## Crungy (Mar 4, 2022)

I'm late to the party not having seen Wes' Iceman and keeping the necrobump going, but holy shit that thing is fucking amazing. 

Fucking hell I wish Ibanez would make stuff like that more regularly.


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