# Ibanez Quest guitars vs Strandberg



## nightlight (Jul 4, 2021)

Could these be better than Strandberg offerings?

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/model/q/

Same hardware and everything, so I guess it boils down to manufacturing. EDIT: Scratch that, their own hardware too.


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## tian (Jul 4, 2021)

https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ibanez-2021-models-headless.345560/


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## mogar (Jul 4, 2021)

Provided they can keep the QC up to par, Ibanez is really gonna struggle to keep these in-stock. Especially considering this is the first sub $1k headless from one of the larger manufacturers. Only thing I'm questioning is the weird fanned fret models. Lost opportunity to do multi-scale imho, but really can't say until I try one.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 4, 2021)

If these are on par with typical Ibanez "standard" series MII or MIC quality they'll already be better built than most Strandbergs.


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## odibrom (Jul 4, 2021)

mogar said:


> Provided they can keep the QC up to par, Ibanez is really gonna struggle to keep these in-stock. Especially considering this is the first sub $1k headless from one of the larger manufacturers. Only thing I'm questioning is the weird fanned fret models. Lost opportunity to do multi-scale imho, but really can't say until I try one.



They are NOT fanned fret, they are 8 degrees SLANTED/ANGLED frets. Frets are still parallel to each other, scale length is still the same per string, just "offset"...


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 5, 2021)

odibrom said:


> They are NOT fanned fret, they are 8 degrees SLANTED/ANGLED frets. Frets are still parallel to each other, scale length is still the same per string, just "offset"...



I've come to terms with the fact everyone is going to call this fanned frets. It's easier that way. It's like correcting everyone on the difference between a tremolo and a vibrato bridge. No. Worth. It.


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## Quiet Coil (Jul 5, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's like correcting everyone on the difference between a tremolo and a vibrato bridge. No. Worth. It.


Coil tap vs split - but yeah, that ship done sailed.

If Ibby does (multi)scales in the same ballpark as Strandberg and figures out what they want to do with pickups, I could definitely see them giving Ola a run for his money.

I’m just very dubious that these’ll make it to a 3rd wave that might introduce new features.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 5, 2021)

Quiet Coil said:


> Coil tap vs split - but yeah, that ship done sailed.
> 
> If Ibby does (multi)scales in the same ballpark as Strandberg and figures out what they want to do with pickups, I could definitely see them giving Ola a run for his money.



Nah, Strandberg is a lifestyle brand. You don't compete on specs with that.


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## Quiet Coil (Jul 5, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Nah, Strandberg is a lifestyle brand. You don't compete on specs with that.



True. Speaking for myself though, the price tag wouldn’t deter me if I actually liked the neck - and Ibanez is kind of my safe bet, especially since I never buy new unless I have the option for an easy return or exchange.


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## FromTheMausoleum (Jul 5, 2021)

Honestly if the hardware on the Quest is as good as their headless bass hardware these will be great and only lead to better things if they hit the prestige line.


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## mbardu (Jul 5, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I've come to terms with the fact everyone is going to call this fanned frets. It's easier that way. It's like correcting everyone on the difference between a tremolo and a vibrato bridge. No. Worth. It.



There's no hope.
Even serious dealers and retailers are calling them multiscale lmao 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/QX54QMBSM--ibanez-qx54qm-blue-sphere-burst-flat

Even though there's a big " _*Scale length: 25.5"*_ " right there


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## diagrammatiks (Jul 5, 2021)

I think all the pre-orders are already sold out. 
lot's of people have been waiting for a straight scale affordable headless really.


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## Hollowway (Jul 5, 2021)

The price on these things is the biggest surprise, IMO. I think they're making a move for market share or something, because that really caught me off guard.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 5, 2021)

Hollowway said:


> The price on these things is the biggest surprise, IMO. I think they're making a move for market share or something, because that really caught me off guard.



They're expensive in the context of being standard series, which are usually a 1/3 to 1/2 as much, but yeah, they're definitely cheap enough to not be a huge risk for a lot of buyers and be a legitimate challenge to the cheapo MIC stuff we're seeing on online marketplaces.


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## NeglectedField (Jul 5, 2021)

Weird comparison to make. You're talking different levels of specs and considerably different price ranges. I suppose the idea of the Ibbies isn't terrible if you're on a sort-of budget and/or just want to test the headless waters.


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## possumkiller (Jul 5, 2021)

I thought the . and * was part of the name?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 5, 2021)

possumkiller said:


> I thought the . and * was part of the name?


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## FromTheMausoleum (Jul 5, 2021)

NeglectedField said:


> Weird comparison to make. You're talking different levels of specs and considerably different price ranges. I suppose the idea of the Ibbies isn't terrible if you're on a sort-of budget and/or just want to test the headless waters.


But like, Strandberg quality control is worse at double the price. ??? The main thing strandberg has is the endurneck patent and it's honestly not that wild or special of a neck shape.(I think Bowes does the asymmetric neck thing better as it's more smooth and more extreme) 
I hope Ibanez pushes Strandberg to actually attempt to compete instead of just using their patents as crutches. 
But, fanboys do fanboy things.


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## diagrammatiks (Jul 5, 2021)

FromTheMausoleum said:


> But like, Strandberg quality control is worse at double the price. ??? The main thing strandberg has is the endurneck patent and it's honestly not that wild or special of a neck shape.(I think Bowes does the asymmetric neck thing better as it's more smooth and more extreme)
> I hope Ibanez pushes Strandberg to actually attempt to compete instead of just using their patents as crutches.
> But, fanboys do fanboy things.



it's actually just 600 dollars more.


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## narad (Jul 5, 2021)

diagrammatiks said:


> it's actually just 600 dollars more.



Yea, it's just like 60-80% more.


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## diagrammatiks (Jul 5, 2021)

narad said:


> Yea, it's just like 60-80% more.



still not really double


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## StevenC (Jul 5, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> View attachment 95180


Even I've given up on the .*


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## laxu (Jul 5, 2021)

IMO anything is better than Strandberg when it comes to headless. Their design is flawed to me in several ways:

Bolt on heel sticks very far up the neck.
Bridge height adjustment is imprecise and a complete nightmare to operate.
Bridge intonation adjustment is a pain in the ass.
Endurneck is needlessly angular. I have a smoothed out version of this on my Skervesen and it's much less obvious and far more comfortable.
The Ibanez bridge design looks better in this regard and so does the neck heel.

I am not in love with the body design and feel Strandberg's looks better. The Ibanez that looks best to me is the mint green Q54 with the tele-ish pickguard. That to me is the only good color choice here.


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## FromTheMausoleum (Jul 5, 2021)

diagrammatiks said:


> still not really double


Indonesian Strandberg cost anywhere from $1500~ to $3000~ USD to say their pricing in general is double the Ibanez $1000~ price tag isn't far fetched.


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## diagrammatiks (Jul 5, 2021)

FromTheMausoleum said:


> Indonesian Strandberg cost anywhere from $1500~ to $3000~ USD to say their pricing in general is double the Ibanez $1000~ price tag isn't far fetched.



come on man you're arguing weird semantics now. If you want a Strandberg you can get one for 1500.

I can spend 1000 dollars at McDonalds if I wanted too. doesn't make McDonalds more expensive then ruth chris


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## Perge (Jul 5, 2021)

diagrammatiks said:


> come on man you're arguing weird semantics now. If you want a Strandberg you can get one for 1500.
> 
> I can spend 1000 dollars at McDonalds if I wanted too. doesn't make McDonalds more expensive then ruth chris



I mean, we're talking individual items here. The MOST expensive q series you can get is $1200 dollars. The LEAST expensive strandberg is $1500, with MOST models sitting around $2200, and easily going over $3000. I don't see how this is even an argument lol. Seems peoe don't like it when you point out how little value you're getting out of a strandberg at cost now.


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## USMarine75 (Jul 5, 2021)

Not to mention just about any retailer will give you 10-20% off of a new Ibanez order. So I literally paid half of what a Strandberg costs. To me it's a no-brainer.


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## oracles (Jul 5, 2021)

Most Strandbergs are hot garbage in my experience, at all tiers and price points. The Japan made ones seem to be the only ones that aren't awful, but their pricing makes them uncompetitive. Unless you need the Endurneck, there's pretty much no reason to buy a Strandberg when everyone else is doing headless better.


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## Wolfhorsky (Jul 5, 2021)

As for the Ibbys body shape... for me it is an ergonomic fail, missed opportunity to make nice cutout for the thigh to play in classical position. My 2cents. Those Ibby horns could grow on me, but the lack of this cutaway... Boden body shape is great imho. I don't care for the rest of strandy


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## gunch (Jul 5, 2021)

Quiet Coil said:


> Coil tap vs split - but yeah, that ship done sailed.
> 
> If Ibby does (multi)scales in the same ballpark as Strandberg and figures out what they want to do with pickups, I could definitely see them giving Ola a run for his money.
> 
> I’m just very dubious that these’ll make it to a 3rd wave that might introduce new features.



The Japanese love Strandbergs and that Nito dude so these will fly over there


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## diagrammatiks (Jul 5, 2021)

Perge said:


> I mean, we're talking individual items here. The MOST expensive q series you can get is $1200 dollars. The LEAST expensive strandberg is $1500, with MOST models sitting around $2200, and easily going over $3000. I don't see how this is even an argument lol. Seems peoe don't like it when you point out how little value you're getting out of a strandberg at cost now.



got it. All morsels are now 5000 dollars in all conversations. Makes sense to me. 

see you back here when the axion and prestige of these ibanez’s come out.


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## nightlight (Jul 6, 2021)

oracles said:


> Most Strandbergs are hot garbage in my experience, at all tiers and price points. The Japan made ones seem to be the only ones that aren't awful, but their pricing makes them uncompetitive. Unless you need the Endurneck, there's pretty much no reason to buy a Strandberg when everyone else is doing headless better.



I don't know about that. I have a Swedish custom shop 8, anyone who's played it raves about it. And even though it's 26.5-28" scale, it is really easy to play.

Do agree about the bridge height and intonation mechanism though. It's a bit imprecise and tricky to turn that screw to the right height. But once it's set, you're good.


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## laxu (Jul 6, 2021)

nightlight said:


> I don't know about that. I have a Swedish custom shop 8, anyone who's played it raves about it. And even though it's 26.5-28" scale, it is really easy to play.



Having owned a Boden OS 8 LE and now own a Skervesen Shoggie 8 with a 26-28" scale, that .5" surprisingly makes a big difference. The Skervesen is far more pleasant to play on the higher strings.


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## NeglectedField (Jul 6, 2021)

FromTheMausoleum said:


> But like, Strandberg quality control is worse at double the price. ??? The main thing strandberg has is the endurneck patent and it's honestly not that wild or special of a neck shape.(I think Bowes does the asymmetric neck thing better as it's more smooth and more extreme)
> I hope Ibanez pushes Strandberg to actually attempt to compete instead of just using their patents as crutches.
> But, fanboys do fanboy things.



I honestly had no idea of the Strandberg QC issues, to be honest


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## Hoss632 (Jul 6, 2021)

I'd likely give the Ibanez a try before a standberg. Pretty much any strandberg I've heard sounds terrible. Regardless of the pick ups or rig used. They just sound hollow and thin. Plini is about the only person that makes them sound amazing. Not to mention the affordability of the ibanez stuff as well.


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## bzhang9 (Jul 6, 2021)

The Ibby QC is to be determined but damn thats some good specs for the price (assuming decent pickups)


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## nightlight (Jul 7, 2021)

I honestly think the Strandberg price for Indonesia-made guitars is ridiculous. Usually when you outsource products from overseas, it becomes cheaper.

But in Strandberg's case, they became more expensive. I have tried an Indonesian (or South Korean) Boden and it wasn't half bad. But the price is eye-watering. 

You could have asily get a Japan-made Prestige or a second hand made in Poland Mayones or a Skervesen for that price.

That said, I don't think my guitar sounds hollow. In fact, it's quite resonant and the tone is amazing for an eight, it's like a piano when you play clean.


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## eclecto-acoustic (Jul 7, 2021)

I was tempted to wait on the purchase of a headless on hearing rumors of this release, but the early mock-ups made me move along. I bought a Strandy that, despite some of the more exaggerated reports here, is gorgeous and really well made. I'm jacked that Ibanez did do this, but I'm also glad I went the way I did. A proper gentle fan (I also don't get the slant fret thing...) and styling more along the lines of what they did with the basses and I would have been weeping at my bad judgment.


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## laxu (Jul 7, 2021)

nightlight said:


> I honestly think the Strandberg price for Indonesia-made guitars is ridiculous. Usually when you outsource products from overseas, it becomes cheaper.
> 
> But in Strandberg's case, they became more expensive. I have tried an Indonesian (or South Korean) Boden and it wasn't half bad. But the price is eye-watering.
> 
> You could have asily get a Japan-made Prestige or a second hand made in Poland Mayones or a Skervesen for that price.



At that price point they would have to be pretty much perfect. I bought a South Korean made Boden OS 8 LE and it was such a complete lemon that it amazed me it passed QA. It just had so many flaws on it and giving a shitty gig bag with it at over 2000 euros was just insulting. Really soured me on the brand and I've played some very well made Japanese Strandbergs. They were just too expensive to buy unless you live in Japan or can avoid any customs taxes/VAT etc.

There's nothing particularly wrong with Indonesian made guitars. My Schecter Coupe hollowbody and Ibanez BTB33 bass are incredibly well built. But neither costs anywhere even close to Strandberg. 

Strandberg's pricing is weird. The Boden Standard 7 vs Original 7 has a price difference of 645 euros for what seems to be a higher grade flame top, swamp ash body and Fishman pickups. Not having name brand pickups on a 1750 euro guitar is also iffy.


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## Ralyks (Jul 16, 2021)

As someone that consider themselves a Strandberg guy... I'm very likely going to try the QX527 when it comes out.


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## TimmyPage (Jul 16, 2021)

Aside from every other complaint or nitpick, I think that the Ibanez will 'win' by default in popularity and sales, and the biggest factor is simply your ability to access or try out the guitar. 

I've seen one Strandberg in person ever, and it was being played by a touring artist. There are dozens of Ibbys in every single guitar store in my area. I know my favourite local shop has already ordered some Q models and I'm excited to try them.


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## Jeff (Jul 16, 2021)

Quiet Coil said:


> Coil tap vs split - but yeah, that ship done sailed.
> 
> If Ibby does (multi)scales in the same ballpark as Strandberg and figures out what they want to do with pickups, I could definitely see them giving Ola a run for his money.
> 
> I’m just very dubious that these’ll make it to a 3rd wave that might introduce new features.



Ibanez already will give Strandberg a run for their money, since they'll be selling a Cort-made guitar for what it's actually worth.


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## diagrammatiks (Jul 16, 2021)

Jeff said:


> Ibanez already will give Strandberg a run for their money, since they'll be selling a Cort-made guitar for what it's actually worth.



they selling a hard tail nickel fretted headless for like 500 dollars less then the Strandberg?

man you guys are going to feel all weird and shit when the Axion premium black label versions of these come out.


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## Perge (Jul 16, 2021)

diagrammatiks said:


> they selling a hard tail nickel fretted headless for like 500 dollars less then the Strandberg?
> 
> man you guys are going to feel all weird and shit when the Axion premium black label versions of these come out.


Which, if pricing stays consistent, will still be less expensive then an equivalent strandberg. Bring on the flat black iron label 7 version please.


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## mbardu (Jul 16, 2021)

diagrammatiks said:


> they selling a hard tail nickel fretted headless for like 500 dollars less then the Strandberg?
> 
> man you guys are going to feel all weird and shit when the Axion premium black label versions of these come out.



Both "hard tailed" and "nickel" are weird arguments. First of all, it's not cheap nickel like you're implying. Jescar's EVO gold actually cost _more _than most stainless steel frets so you could make the argument the Ibanez has the "premium" spec here. Some people also prefer fixed bridge over trem. And 500$ is not nothing - it's literally _half the price_ of the Ibby.
So yeah, add to that the large brand footprint and large availability and social media campaign, and they will give Strandberg a run for their money. Not saying Strandberg will go out of business or anything, but it would be very surprising if the Qs did not sell _a lot _more.


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## Jeff (Aug 3, 2021)

diagrammatiks said:


> they selling a hard tail nickel fretted headless for like 500 dollars less then the Strandberg?
> 
> man you guys are going to feel all weird and shit when the Axion premium black label versions of these come out.



Gold Evo, and the closest Strandberg is $1600. So for $600, you get a funky neck and SS frets. Yay. Still overpriced.


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## Adieu (Aug 3, 2021)

What the hell?

Quest was already a guitar brand in the late 70s or early 80s


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## SpaceDock (Aug 3, 2021)

I have an OS7 that I have kept longer than any other guitar I own. It play like a six and is just amazing, I know other have got lemons before. I do think the prices for new Strandbergs are insane and while I really want to get one of the Quest models, I think I will hold out a while.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 3, 2021)

SpaceDock said:


> I really want to get one of the Quest models, I think I will hold out a while.



Yeah, never go in early on new Ibanez. Let them work the bugs out first.


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## Spicypickles (Aug 3, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Yeah, never go in early on new Ibanez. Let them work the bugs out first.



Indeed. Same with automotive or anything for that matter. I work for a tier one supplier for the big 3 (Chrysler, Ford, GM) and some of these programs for future vehicles haven’t even launched and we’re already on 15+ revisions of the original product. They have no idea what will actually hit the Streets and once they do, another 40 revisions will follow until all the kinks are worked out


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## Jeff (Aug 4, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Yeah, never go in early on new Ibanez. Let them work the bugs out first.



While that's a valid concern, their headless basses are fantastic right out of the gate.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 4, 2021)

Jeff said:


> While that's a valid concern, their headless basses are fantastic right out of the gate.



It's more of a general rule of thumb, and can be applied to most mass market guitars aimed at the budget segment.


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## bibliomecha (Aug 4, 2021)

I prefer the Ibanez hardware from what I can see. Seems like it uses the Hipshot style headless design where there's a regular adjustable saddle with the string ball-end holder underneath. 
I own a Strandberg and I've had issues with a particular part of the tuner getting wear over time due to the design (thankfully they are happy to send replacements). It's also more time-consuming to adjust the intonation should you wish to do so.


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## Jeff (Aug 5, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's more of a general rule of thumb, and can be applied to most mass market guitars aimed at the budget segment.



Yes, $999. Budget.


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## Ralyks (Sep 12, 2021)

So does anyone know when the Quest models are coming out? Closest I've seen is a vague October.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 12, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> So does anyone know when the Quest models are coming out? Closest I've seen is a vague October.



If you really hunt for one and go with a big box retailer you might see one by the end of the year if you put in a pre-order.

Supply chain is bananas right now.


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## CanserDYI (Sep 12, 2021)

Jeff said:


> Yes, $999. Budget.


For inflation, yes. I would consider a 1000 dollar guitar a budget guitar. Not super budget, but with today's economy and supply chain the way it is, Japanese Ibanez are now in the 2k range, versus what 13-1400 or even cheaper like they used to be? While 1000 bucks is still a decent amount of money, your average 1000 dollar guitar is going to be an indo/Chinese made and probably have a few corners cut to keep cost down. Luckily, were in the best time we've ever been for manufacturing, so that buys you way more guitar than it used to, so you'll probably get a much closer value to 1000 bucks than you used to 10 years ago before prices inflated.


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## Ralyks (Sep 12, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> If you really hunt for one and go with a big box retailer you might see one by the end of the year if you put in a pre-order.
> 
> Supply chain is bananas right now.



Yeah, I went ahead and put a preorder in on a QX527PB after that.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 12, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> Yeah, I went ahead and put a preorder in on a QX527PB after that.



The goal is "end of year", but the flex goal is first quarter 2022. 

That's one of the reasons that NAMM is getting pushed into next summer, brands are afraid they're going to "lap" themselves and have new models announced prior to 2021 stuff shipping.


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## tian (Sep 12, 2021)

I placed a preorder on an Ichika at Sweetwater the week they were announced and the ETA I was given was Sept/Oct but haven't gotten an update since. With delays only having gotten worse since, I'm considering receipt by end of year as lucky.

Although you can see at Sweetwater they received at least one Ichika for pictures and demo purposes but there's nothing for any of the other Quest guitars.


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## th365thli (Sep 12, 2021)

Huh. I've got a Strandberg Prog model and it's pretty flawless. Stacks up very well against my prestiges and J Custom. And it sounds nice too. Maybe I should leave this thread?


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## eclecto-acoustic (Sep 12, 2021)

th365thli said:


> Huh. I've got a Strandberg Prog model and it's pretty flawless. Stacks up very well against my prestiges and J Custom. And it sounds nice too. Maybe I should leave this thread?



New Standard owner here. We can stay here together and not tell anyone.


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## novocaine (Sep 13, 2021)

new ICHI10 owner here. i also have 3 strandbergs - a classic, a sarah 6 and a old washburn production 7.

objective and measurable observations. ibanez is lighter. tuning hardware takes less effort, keeps strings in in tune longer (pleasantly surprised by this, it keeps tuning really well). the default pickups when compared to the classic strandberg model is much superior.

subjective observations. body is much more comfortableto play, feels thinner and curves better against the body. i have a bad back, degenerated discs so i can't play long periods without feeling pain. also, i play in the classical position. the ibanez allows me to play longer without pain.


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## Ralyks (Sep 13, 2021)

th365thli said:


> Huh. I've got a Strandberg Prog model and it's pretty flawless. Stacks up very well against my prestiges and J Custom. And it sounds nice too. Maybe I should leave this thread?



Nah, I’m a Strandberg guy too. My Fusion Neck-thru is my go to guitar. I just wanted to try one of these out and kind of diversify. I’ll probably end up with a Kiesel Vader at some point too.


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## Musiscience (Sep 13, 2021)

th365thli said:


> Huh. I've got a Strandberg Prog model and it's pretty flawless. Stacks up very well against my prestiges and J Custom. And it sounds nice too. Maybe I should leave this thread?



Since I received my Prog 6 I almost haven’t even played my PRS or Mayones. Just like it so much. It’s basically flawless so you’re not alone in your opinion.


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## Ralyks (Sep 13, 2021)

So I order my Ibanez QX527PB through Zzounds. I have them a call to see if they had any idea when it might be released. Guy on the line said next shipment date is suppose to be October 16th. So here’s hoping.


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## Mathemagician (Sep 13, 2021)

Hollowway said:


> The price on these things is the biggest surprise, IMO. I think they're making a move for market share or something, because that really caught me off guard.



I assume that’s definitely the goal. As far as pricing I would consider it if I was in the market to test the waters. 

I legit bought (and subsequently sold) a GOC headless 7 string just to test out the general specs of a headless. I like that headless in general seemed very light, had a small body, no neck dive, and was overall quite comfortable. I learned that I was generally indifferent to fanned-frets and would probably like a headless straight scale seven. Also super easy to carry/travel with. But hardware quality matters and the GOC bridge was awful. 

In some ways they look super cool, in others they look hella dorky. That’s part of the charm though. But they give off “big music theory nerd” vibes, lol.


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## novocaine (Sep 14, 2021)

novocaine said:


> new ICHI10 owner here. i also have 3 strandbergs - a classic, a sarah 6 and a old washburn production 7.
> 
> objective and measurable observations. ibanez is lighter. tuning hardware takes less effort, keeps strings in in tune longer (pleasantly surprised by this, it keeps tuning really well). the default pickups when compared to the classic strandberg model is much superior.
> 
> subjective observations. body is much more comfortableto play, feels thinner and curves better against the body. i have a bad back, degenerated discs so i can't play long periods without feeling pain. also, i play in the classical position. the ibanez allows me to play longer without pain.



With pictures:


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## tian (Sep 16, 2021)

Had a quick email convo with my Sweetwater rep and the latest estimate is late January availability. Seems there's a few dealer and influencer guitars floating about but most stock is still a ways out.


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## bzhang9 (Sep 16, 2021)

no doubt Ibanez will have the better price to specs/quality value
strandberg fanboys will always fan
but at this price ibanez will eat up a huge market share from strandberg and kiesel
for sure the more metal oriented models will come out later, MIJ versions in the 2k range to truly rival kiesel/strandberg, as well as a proper fan option most likely


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## Velokki (Sep 16, 2021)

I can't understand this absolute hate for Strandbergs. I mean, I've only ever played one (the one I own), but it really is great. I guess I just got really lucky, cause the frets feel like stainless and intonation is laughably good. BKP Nailbombs that the previous owner put there complement the guitar perfectly. Sure, a lot more money than these Ibanezes, but hard to believe they should be so shitty. I do also know many players who adore their Strandbergs, so what's the deal with them being all shit all of sudden?


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## Dayn (Sep 16, 2021)

Velokki said:


> I can't understand this absolute hate for Strandbergs. I mean, I've only ever played one (the one I own), but it really is great. I guess I just got really lucky, cause the frets feel like stainless and intonation is laughably good. BKP Nailbombs that the previous owner put there complement the guitar perfectly. Sure, a lot more money than these Ibanezes, but hard to believe they should be so shitty. I do also know many players who adore their Strandbergs, so what's the deal with them being all shit all of sudden?


Many people who have gotten one have had some QC issues. They are also absolutely priced at a premium that their Indonesian build quality can't really sustain.

That being said, as a Strandberg owner, I fucking love mine. The frets are perfect, and there were minor QC issues which were fixed under warranty very easily. The finish is a bit too transparent and looks a bit green instead of black, but otherwise, I love mine. Based on similar costs for equivalent instruments, the premium was like 20% to get the headless multiscale floating bridge option that I couldn't get elsewhere.

Very happy Strandberg owner here. Wouldn't buy another one.


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## vilk (Sep 16, 2021)

odibrom said:


> They are NOT fanned fret, they are 8 degrees SLANTED/ANGLED frets. Frets are still parallel to each other, scale length is still the same per string, just "offset"...



Question: what is this? Why would someone do this?

Is it to make the higher frets easier to reach on the thinner strings? 

Does this make the guitar easier to intonate? Or harder?

Sorry this is my first time realizing that some guitars with slanted frets are not multi-scale.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 16, 2021)

Velokki said:


> I can't understand this absolute hate for Strandbergs. I mean, I've only ever played one (the one I own), but it really is great. I guess I just got really lucky, cause the frets feel like stainless and intonation is laughably good. BKP Nailbombs that the previous owner put there complement the guitar perfectly. Sure, a lot more money than these Ibanezes, but hard to believe they should be so shitty. I do also know many players who adore their Strandbergs, so what's the deal with them being all shit all of sudden?



Speaking for myself, I was an early fan/adopter and at just about every step of the way I've been disappointed in the guitars (quality, pricing, availability) and the decisions and directions the brand itself has made and moved towards.

What was at first a fairly fresh, forward thinking, product driven guitar "system" is now a boring, stagnant lifestyle brand.

And, I can't stress this enough, the guitars are pretty bad. I've been through double digits from multiple generations and factories, and the overarching theme is they don't care about quality or attention to detail. Even the better of what I've gotten has needed near full hardware rebuilds. At <$1k it would be acceptable, at $1500+ it's a bummer, and at nearly $3k it's inexcusable.

There are good ones out there, for sure, I'm just tired of throwing $2k+ to wind to find them. The platform just isn't that special to me. If I wanted to do that, I'd just get a Gibson.


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## narad (Sep 16, 2021)

vilk said:


> Question: what is this? Why would someone do this?
> 
> Is it to make the higher frets easier to reach on the thinner strings?
> 
> ...



Supposedly ergonomic. Shouldn't have any effect on intonation if the bridge is designed appropriately.


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## laxu (Sep 17, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Speaking for myself, I was an early fan/adopter and at just about every step of the way I've been disappointed in the guitars (quality, pricing, availability) and the decisions and directions the brand itself has made and moved towards.
> 
> What was at first a fairly fresh, forward thinking, product driven guitar "system" is now a boring, stagnant lifestyle brand.
> 
> ...



This is exactly how I feel about Strandberg as well. The Japanese made ones I saw and tried were really well made and appropriate for their price tags. But the ones made in China, South Korea and Indonesia seem to be of more varying quality based on people's reports (and owning a Korean made Boden) and just seem expensive for their price point, even if they use custom hardware and have features not found on other brands' guitars coming from those same factories.

To me they have diluted their brand while not improving their design which has easily fixable issues. They have a great looking body shape but that's about where it ends. Even right from the start people were complaining about the quality of the maple tops on the Boden series which is partly the satin finish but mostly just picking low grade figuring on them and not using finishes that make them stand out.

Initially I really wanted to root for Strandberg because they were offering something different on the market.


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## bzhang9 (Sep 17, 2021)

Velokki said:


> I can't understand this absolute hate for Strandbergs. I mean, I've only ever played one (the one I own), but it really is great. I guess I just got really lucky, cause the frets feel like stainless and intonation is laughably good. BKP Nailbombs that the previous owner put there complement the guitar perfectly. Sure, a lot more money than these Ibanezes, but hard to believe they should be so shitty. I do also know many players who adore their Strandbergs, so what's the deal with them being all shit all of sudden?



thats the thing, you had one and it was good, but so many people have had issues so we can only conclude it is not consistent enough for the price. expensive guitars that are not of high enough quality get why is it hard to understand?

I have had 8, I would say half of them were really good and worth the price. Other common issues were fretwork, pitiful tops, minor fit and finish

at similar price point you would be hard pressed to find one bad kiesel or prestige out of 10


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## nyxzz (Sep 17, 2021)

i got an indo berg refurb direct from strandberg and other than the pickups being wired wrong...(which they fixed for free, still stupid though and crazy for a 1300 dollar guitar) it's a great guitar and the ergonomics are unbeatable for me. i have a history of rsi and left shoulder issues though, so im sure that makes me biased, but it's my go to guitar now and is good enough for me to sell off some other really nice much more expensive guitars and not miss them. i guess i got lucky. i really really like the endureneck though so im sure thats a factor. i couldnt find anything wrong with the guitar other than the wiring issue and im pretty meticulous. ymmv though, only one ive ever played.


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## AltecGreen (Sep 18, 2021)

tian said:


> Had a quick email convo with my Sweetwater rep and the latest estimate is late January availability. Seems there's a few dealer and influencer guitars floating about but most stock is still a ways out.



Ikebe Gakki in Japan has several models in stock right now for immediate delivery. They just tweeted out the availability.


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## gunch (Sep 18, 2021)

People were 10/10 mad about the parallel frets when they're a separate model from the normal ones?


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## tian (Sep 19, 2021)

AltecGreen said:


> Ikebe Gakki in Japan has several models in stock right now for immediate delivery. They just tweeted out the availability.


That makes a lot of sense as I assume the big holdup for availability in the US comes down to freight being held up by... everything.

I don't know the specifics of import guitar freight shipment but it must be a logistical nightmare to make sure the guitars don't get stuck on a ship outside port for a month like a lot of stuff right now.


----------



## AltecGreen (Sep 19, 2021)

tian said:


> That makes a lot of sense as I assume the big holdup for availability in the US comes down to freight being held up by... everything.
> 
> I don't know the specifics of import guitar freight shipment but it must be a logistical nightmare to make sure the guitars don't get stuck on a ship outside port for a month like a lot of stuff right now.


Actually, I think Ikebe has a deal with Ibanez. They seem to be the only store in Japan that has them in stock right now. Ikebe was part of the original promotion when these were first announced. They had a pop-up store inside the new Shibuya store and had Ichika come out for an event. They also had the guitars for demo at that store.


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## SCJR (Sep 20, 2021)

Dayn said:


> Many people who have gotten one have had some QC issues. They are also absolutely priced at a premium that their Indonesian build quality can't really sustain.
> 
> That being said, as a Strandberg owner, I fucking love mine. The frets are perfect, and there were minor QC issues which were fixed under warranty very easily. The finish is a bit too transparent and looks a bit green instead of black, but otherwise, I love mine. Based on similar costs for equivalent instruments, the premium was like 20% to get the headless multiscale floating bridge option that I couldn't get elsewhere.
> 
> Very happy Strandberg owner here. Wouldn't buy another one.



It's such a convoluted mess at this point and I've seen so many variations of this argument in a bunch of threads and to me it boils down to this: A couple of years ago I broke my left hand in three places and my main gig is writing on a steno machine all day. It left me with three beautiful guitars that just physically killed to play, especially after a day of work. Always thought they looked interesting but never considered one until I was forced to look into alternatives. Headless was the first step and the endurneck was intriguing enough to warrant taking a shot. The leg carve was a great bonus too, a less common feature than I think is generally talked about but it is not lost on me that it might have no value to others.

The first one I ordered was an absolute dog and earned the reputation you see reflected in here; the second is my current guitar, and minus a fret dress to fix an upper fret on the high e, I have no complaints and it's pretty much all I play; and the third was somewhere in between. The first and third have since been sold off with no regrets.

To me it comes down to the distinction between design and execution. I think the design works. I have no issue with the neck heel and a neck-through eliminates that argument, though it does not come cheap. I have no idea why they went that way with the saddles. Think flathead screwdriver when they should have gone with a Phillips head. That would allow you to make a more precise adjustment for string height, though once I learned a few things the hard way and dialed the action in it's been set and forget. If there is a reason for them not doing that, it's beyond me.

Sorry for the novel. But what I mean by design vs execution is I like the design well enough, but there are just too many lemons. It's simply not worth it, IMO, to search for one worth your time QC-wise if you don't have an injury that you're working around or you just simply aren't in love with it in the first place. They're flat out overpriced and I see little argument against it. In fact, they get harder and harder to defend every year. And that's not even bringing up the basses. I mean who is paying that? Probably why you barely see them. 

The guitars have the potential to be pretty damn good. The company itself, unfortunately, is a quite unfunny joke.


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## Ralyks (Oct 2, 2021)

Scary thing when getting a new, well paying job: not only did I preorder the Ibanez QX527PB, but I recently got a Strandberg Standard 7 Poplar Burl from the Guitar Center run, and I just ordered a Boden Masvidalien to have for a D standard/Drop C guitar.... Sooooo I'll be able to do comparisons soon


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## Ralyks (Oct 23, 2021)

Update: I will NOT be doing comparisons soon. It looks like Zzounds went from October 14th, to sometime in November, to.... The end of May.
Gotta love the supply chain issues ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


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## gunch (Oct 23, 2021)

I think about how Ola Strandberg was going to make his design open source then didn't and I'm always just like 

What a dick move, man.


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## tian (Oct 23, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> Update: I will NOT be doing comparisons soon. It looks like Zzounds went from October 14th, to sometime in November, to.... The end of May.
> Gotta love the supply chain issues ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


Huh, but ZZsounds claim to have the Q52 and Q54 in stock. Not surprised the slanted fret models are so delayed but I figured the ICHI10s would be first to market in the US because of demand. Really wide range of estimated ship dates on the various models but of course nothing specific for the ICHI. Every aspect of the supply chain must be a total nightmare. This holiday season is going to be odd.


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## LordHar (Oct 26, 2021)

My Q54-BKF arrived yesterday evening having ordered it the 9th of July. First quick impression is that I'm really liking it.


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## Ralyks (Oct 26, 2021)

Update part deux: Now Zzounds is telling me my order is part of the batch that will arrive November 4th, and the May thing was for anyone who ordered one as of last week. At this point I'll wait until Nov 4 - 5 and see where it stands.


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## AltecGreen (Oct 26, 2021)

I just checked and I see every version for sale in Japan. It looks like a batch of Ichika models arrived late last week.


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## Jeff (Oct 26, 2021)

tian said:


> Huh, but ZZsounds claim to have the Q52 and Q54 in stock. Not surprised the slanted fret models are so delayed but I figured the ICHI10s would be first to market in the US because of demand. Really wide range of estimated ship dates on the various models but of course nothing specific for the ICHI. Every aspect of the supply chain must be a total nightmare. This holiday season is going to be odd.



Few days later, and Zzounds is now saying backordered, and not available until late December.


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## Jeffrey Bain (Oct 26, 2021)

gunch said:


> I think about how Ola Strandberg was going to make his design open source then didn't and I'm always just like
> 
> What a dick move, man.



Didn't he though? At least the endur-neck portion I thought at least for a while was available for other builders to utilize but I could be mistaken


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## /wrists (Oct 26, 2021)

i'm not a fan of either manufacturers - specifically i didn't like the old prestiges that had the edge 0 mechanism 

i also don't love the headstock for ibby's 

i still really want to like ibanez but have not found one that i am in love with


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## Slaeyer (Oct 26, 2021)

Jeffrey Bain said:


> Didn't he though? At least the endur-neck portion I thought at least for a while was available for other builders to utilize but I could be mistaken



You're not. I actually downloaded the material for the endure neck and purchased a license to build one several years ago...


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 9, 2021)

Sweetwater rep says my Q54 should be here sometime in January


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## Ralyks (Nov 10, 2021)

Zzounds now looking like May again.
I'm about to just get a Strandberg Prog NX at this point.


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## HoneyNut (Nov 10, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> Zzounds now looking like May again.
> I'm about to just get a Strandberg Prog NX at this point.



Heh


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## josh1 (Nov 14, 2021)

Has anyone received their Ibanez yet? Zzounds shows 3 models in stock. I preordered the Ichi but I'm pondering the idea of going with one the in-stock models available.


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## Dooky (Nov 15, 2021)

Well, I honestly thought I'd never see the day.
I have gone from having a deep hatred for headless guitars, to hatred, to contempt, to dislike, to distaste, to indifference, to curiosity, to trying one in the store, to buying one.
I spotted a QX527 at my local music shop, thought it looked interesting so had a play. Amazing guitar. Love everything about it (including the slanted frets). I've gone from only liking tradish metal/shred guitars to a total headless convert (will always love, own and continue to buy tradish metal/shred guitars though).


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## tian (Nov 17, 2021)

Dooky said:


> Well, I honestly thought I'd never see the day.
> I have gone from having a deep hatred for headless guitars, to hatred, to contempt, to dislike, to distaste, to indifference, to curiosity, to trying one in the store, to buying one.
> I spotted a QX527 at my local music shop, thought it looked interesting so had a play. Amazing guitar. Love everything about it (including the slanted frets). I've gone from only liking tradish metal/shred guitars to a total headless convert (will always love, own and continue to buy tradish metal/shred guitars though).


How's chording with the slanted frets? Noticeable/problematic at all?


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## Dooky (Nov 17, 2021)

tian said:


> How's chording with the slanted frets? Noticeable/problematic at all?


It doesn't hinder my playing or take long to get used to at all. I do find they make chording on the low frets (closer to the non-existent headstock) a bit easier. I've had issues with my left wrist due to a past injury and the slanted frets seem to allow me to hold my wrist in a more natural position. As I get older and more decrepit it may end up being the only guitar I play! Lol... I'm only 39 though... all down hill once I reach 40 though


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## tian (Nov 17, 2021)

Dooky said:


> It doesn't hinder my playing or take long to get used to at all. I do find they make chording on the low frets (closer to the non-existent headstock) a bit easier. I've had issues with my left wrist due to a past injury and the slanted frets seem to allow me to hold my wrist in a more natural position. As I get older and more decrepit it may end up being the only guitar I play! Lol... I'm only 39 though... all down hill once I reach 40 though


Appreciate the feedback! I've currently got a preorder for an ICHI but have been really tempted to switch the preorder to a QX54 and try out the slanted frets so I've been scouring for opinions on what people think of them.


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## josh1 (Nov 17, 2021)

I have the Q54 at home waiting for me to unbox. One more hour to go...


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## Mathemagician (Nov 18, 2021)

How are the tuning heads when playing seated in classical style? Does your right leg mess with the tuning at all?


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## josh1 (Nov 18, 2021)

Mathemagician said:


> How are the tuning heads when playing seated in classical style? Does your right leg mess with the tuning at all?


Just got it unboxed and currently in classical. The tuners are very tough. They won't move unless you want them to. And let me say this neck and board are gorgeous!


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## josh1 (Nov 18, 2021)




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## Ralyks (Nov 19, 2021)

Are the humbuckers like EMG size? Or would the guitar need routing to drop an EMG or Fishman in there?


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## josh1 (Nov 20, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> Are the humbuckers like EMG size? Or would the guitar need routing to drop an EMG or Fishman in there?


You can definitely fit an EMG or whichever pickup you like.


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## Ralyks (Nov 20, 2021)

Aaaaand now my card has been charged and Zzounds has shipped. Boy, this has been all over the place.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 21, 2021)

I have a black Q54 coming soon, still have the seafoam green on order with sweetwater but I just had to get my hands on one of these.


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## tian (Nov 22, 2021)

Moved my Sweetwater preorder from an ICHI to a QX54 and was told to expect March, which is oof... but I'm excited for it.


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## Ralyks (Nov 23, 2021)

Looks like my 527 will be here Monday. Unfortunately because of my work schedule and having to send it to the PO Box, I may not see it until Wednesday.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 24, 2021)

Got the black Q54 yesterday played it a little just to get a feel for it and make sure nothing was wrong it. Didn't get a whole lot of time cause I had just came back from a funeral. From 10 minutes of playing it tho it feels pretty good for an indo guitar less than 1k usd. No sharp fret ends, no crackly pots (even tho I'm swapping the pups) will have to take some time to set it up. Pickups are great for that polyphia/math rock kinda sound and anything in that orbit. They handle tech death decently but could use more attack but for what you get and the variety of sounds from bone stock the pups and switch they come with, it's a great value. The gig bag it comes with is also pretty well made too.

Now I'm even more excited about the seafoam one I have on order, will post some pics when I get home


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 25, 2021)

Pics as promised:




Spoiler













Spoiler













Spoiler













Spoiler













Spoiler













Spoiler













Spoiler


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## josh1 (Nov 25, 2021)

JoshuaVonFlash said:


> Pics as promised:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Pics don't work :/


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 25, 2021)




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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 25, 2021)

josh1 said:


> Pics don't work :/


Should work now, never linking from google photos again


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## josh1 (Nov 25, 2021)

JoshuaVonFlash said:


> Should work now, never linking from google photos again


I agree about the pickups. I'm going to need to switch out the bridge for something more "metal". I love everything else about it but compared to my Jackson with EMG's, it doesn't match up in my opinion. I literally only play hardcore punk so these Ibanez pups ain't doing it for me lol.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 25, 2021)

josh1 said:


> I agree about the pickups. I'm going to need to switch out the bridge for something more "metal". I love everything else about it but compared to my Jackson with EMG's, it doesn't match up in my opinion. I literally only play hardcore punk so these Ibanez pups ain't doing it for me lol.


I have a set of fluence singles (SSA+SSP) and an alnico modern I'm going to put in it. Should be a fun project to put together.


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## Dooky (Nov 25, 2021)

I've found the stock pickups to be really quite good. I'm enjoying them a lot so far. Over time I might consider trying something different. But I've been very surprised by how good the stock ones are.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Nov 27, 2021)

I have the guitar's electronics gutted except for the bridge ground and noticed one problem I thought I'd share. The 5 way switch that comes with the guitar isn't a 4P5T "superswitch". It's Ibanez's own switch for the stock pup wiring system. Might be obvious to someone who knows what they're doing but it caught me off guard and delayed my pup install until Monday.


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## ScottThunes1960 (Nov 27, 2021)

Captain Hindsight says to get in the habit of taking a photo of the selector switch connections before you unsolder everything; so you’ll have a frame of reference for which contacts the start and finish wires are soldered to once you put in the new switch or pickups with different color codes.


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## Ralyks (Dec 1, 2021)

So I'm on my way out the door so I need to mess with it more later, but here we go.


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## Jeffrey Bain (Dec 1, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> View attachment 100649
> 
> So I'm on my way out the door so I need to mess with it more later, but here we go.


That looks awesome. Got a good one it seems!


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## manu80 (Dec 1, 2021)

they should do thet seven in 6....


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## AltecGreen (Dec 1, 2021)

There's a used Ichika model in Japan for ¥62800 or around $557 USD.


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## Tree (Dec 2, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> View attachment 100649
> 
> So I'm on my way out the door so I need to mess with it more later, but here we go.



Is it just the lighting and angle, or is that top super flat and two-dimensional? The whole surface of the guitar looks bizarrely flat actually. None of the in person photos I've seen of these are the same, which is to be expected with a burl, but still.


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## Ralyks (Dec 6, 2021)

Tree said:


> Is it just the lighting and angle, or is that top super flat and two-dimensional? The whole surface of the guitar looks bizarrely flat actually. None of the in person photos I've seen of these are the same, which is to be expected with a burl, but still.



Sorry for the late response. Yes, it's pretty flat. Especially compared to my Strandberg 7 with a poplar Burl. They're complete opposites in that way.

Anyway, this thing is pretty excellent. Haven't had too much time with it with life being hectic since, but it plays great. Have it tuned for Bb/Drop Ab. Since I've been playing Strandbergs with their fanned frets, the slanted frets took all of 3 seconds to adjust. Still deciding how I feel about the pickups.


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## Tree (Dec 6, 2021)

Ralyks said:


> Sorry for the late response. Yes, it's pretty flat. Especially compared to my Strandberg 7 with a poplar Burl. They're complete opposites in that way.
> 
> Anyway, this thing is pretty excellent. Haven't had too much time with it with life being hectic since, but it plays great. Have it tuned for Bb/Drop Ab. Since I've been playing Strandbergs with their fanned frets, the slanted frets took all of 3 seconds to adjust. Still deciding how I feel about the pickups.



No need to apologize at all! Thanks for the info. I am pretty keen on nabbing one of these once they become more available. I love Ibanez and I love headless, so it's a no-brainer. It's not my absolute favorite headless design, but I figure they'll eventually come out with some variations on shapes if these do well enough to warrant it. 

I've never had any trouble transitioning either to, or from fanned frets, so I don't anticipate this being much different.


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## ArtDecade (Dec 6, 2021)

Tree said:


> I figure they'll eventually come out with some variations on shapes if these do well enough to warrant it



Headless guitars are such a tiny niche that I think this will be a one and done for Ibanez.


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 6, 2021)

ArtDecade said:


> Headless guitars are such a tiny niche that I think this will be a one and done for Ibanez.



I don't know, these are selling really well, above expectations actually. While I don't see any significant changes any time soon, these will probably be around for at least another couple years apparently and are already slated for at least one refresh.


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## Tree (Dec 6, 2021)

ArtDecade said:


> Headless guitars are such a tiny niche that I think this will be a one and done for Ibanez.







MaxOfMetal said:


> I don't know, these are selling really well, above expectations actually. While I don't see any significant changes any time soon, these will probably be around for at least another couple years apparently and are already slated for at least one refresh.



What he said^

These did phenomenally well considering how niche headless-s are. (true they are still niche to the majority of guitar players). They're so commonplace in the progressive (all neo-prog type bands) and technical death metal scene. They're hardly unique and weird to most people now.

I took my Kiesel Letchford in to get a quote for a trade at a local store earlier this year and the dude instantly guessed it was a Vader just from looking at the gig bag.


----------



## ArtDecade (Dec 6, 2021)

Tree said:


> They're hardly unique and weird to most peope now.



Never said that. I just said they are niche - and they are. Glad to hear they are selling well though.


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 6, 2021)

ArtDecade said:


> Never said that. I just said they are niche - and they are. Glad to hear they are selling well though.



Ibanez likes to have a solid footing in niches like this. It's just one of those things they've sort of always done to some degree. 

Historically, they've always found good returns by being a "big fish in a small pond" so they try to keep up with niches, though they were pretty late to the party here, hence throwing all kinds of stuff at the wall and pricing aggressively.


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## Tree (Dec 6, 2021)

ArtDecade said:


> Never said that. I just said they are niche - and they are. Glad to hear they are selling well though.



Didn't meant to imply that you had said that. I meant it more as a general statement. Either way, I'm hopeful that we'll eventually see more from Ibanez. Likely not anytime soon, but within the next few years maybe.


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## IwantTacos (Dec 6, 2021)

Headless are a niche if you talk about how much interest there is compared to all guitar players. 

but among younger players there’s definitely enough interest to make a profit.


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## Dooky (Dec 6, 2021)

I agree that they are niche, but I believe there will come a time that they are not. As I said in my original post in this thread, I NEVER thought I'd buy one. Due to my old man (I'm nearly 40), traditionalist metalhead mentality; I hated them. That very gradually reduced over the years and then I saw a QX527pb in my local store. I had a play of it cos it looked interesting and I was immediately won over. I think that will happen to more and more people over the next few months/years. Would be surprised if they don't remain a mainstay for Ibanez for many years to come.


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## jaxadam (Dec 8, 2021)

Dooky said:


> I agree that they are niche, but I believe there will come a time that they are not. As I said in my original post in this thread, I NEVER thought I'd buy one. Due to my old man (I'm nearly 40), traditionalist metalhead mentality; I hated them. That very gradually reduced over the years and then I saw a QX527pb in my local store. I had a play of it cos it looked interesting and I was immediately won over. I think that will happen to more and more people over the next few months/years. Would be surprised if they don't remain a mainstay for Ibanez for many years to come.



I’m in a similar vein. I never cared for headless, but I was in a band in the 90’s and the other guitarist had a Steinberger. I thought it was the most ridiculous, unmetal thing there could be.

Well, lo and behold I played it, and found myself playing it more and more. It felt great and sounded huge for a guitar that felt like it weighed 3 pounds. I feel like these new offerings by Ibanez would scratch that itch.


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## yan12 (Dec 9, 2021)

They are no joke, just played the 6 and 7 yesterday at DCGL. Not my cup of tea and they felt like a toy, but I was amused with the weight...very light. I see the allure and would consider buying one.

They punch above and are selling fast...DCGL can't keep them in stock. Jason seemed to think there might be a Japanese version next year.


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## USMarine75 (Dec 9, 2021)

yan12 said:


> They are no joke, just played the 6 and 7 yesterday at DCGL. Not my cup of tea and they felt like a toy, but I was amused with the weight...very light. I see the allure and would consider buying one.
> 
> They punch above and are selling fast...DCGL can't keep them in stock. Jason seemed to think there might be a Japanese version next year.



Maybe I should have purchased from DCGL. I preordered the day they went up on Sweetwater and my expected delivery in mid January.


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## CanserDYI (Dec 9, 2021)

Personally, I'm not a headless guitar fan, but I do not think this is a fad. I think they'll be here to stay. They stay in tune very well, theyre comfy, theyre light, travel easy, theyre not gimmicks anymore as headless hardware has gotten very very good. I don't think you'll see country music stars up there with a Vader or a Boden, but I think it will start seeping into the mainstream very very quickly after these last few years.


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## Musiscience (Dec 9, 2021)

CanserDYI said:


> Personally, I'm not a headless guitar fan, but I do not think this is a fad. I think they'll be here to stay. They stay in tune very well, theyre comfy, theyre light, travel easy, theyre not gimmicks anymore as headless hardware has gotten very very good. I don't think you'll see country music stars up there with a Vader or a Boden, but I think it will start seeping into the mainstream very very quickly after these last few years.



Entirely agree with this, for all the advantages mentionner above. Whatever your flavour of headless is, they are very comfortable to play on and carry around. Still love my Boden after months with it at this point.


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 9, 2021)

USMarine75 said:


> Maybe I should have purchased from DCGL. I preordered the day they went up on Sweetwater and my expected delivery in mid January.



In my experience, DGCL tends to get some stuff spooky fast. Like, I have no clue. They got my AZ7 nearly two months before Sweetwater. They must have a GREAT relationship with thier reps. Not surprising as they're always kick ass when I deal with them.


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## sojorel (Dec 9, 2021)

I tried one of the Ichi sigs in a store the other day and thought it was really good.

Now I'm torn between buying one of those and getting a BKP cobra set to put in it, OR, I can buy a used Fender Elite telecaster for around the same money. 

I'm sure the strat is built far better, but the Ichi is no slouch either.

What do you all think?


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## Musiscience (Dec 10, 2021)

sojorel said:


> I tried one of the Ichi sigs in a store the other day and thought it was really good.
> 
> Now I'm torn between buying one of those and getting a BKP cobra set to put in it, OR, I can buy a used Fender Elite telecaster for around the same money.
> 
> ...


Between those two choices, unless you really want a headless design, I’d go for the Elite Telecaster. I find that Telecasters almost always have that special mojo. 

If you want both a telecaster type of sound and a headless in one, the Strandberg Salen might be up your alley. Might not sound exactly like a Fender would, but close enough.


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## TheBolivianSniper (Dec 10, 2021)

Headless xiphos when, I've been looking at the pointy Legator headless things which sell ridiculously fast for stupid money used and they're never in stock anywhere. A more metal version of the Q would most likely go the same way if not faster based on how fast the iron label Xs go. If they could put out a headless trem that you can go apeshit on like a floyd I'd try one but until then I remain in the headstock camp.


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## yan12 (Dec 11, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> In my experience, DGCL tends to get some stuff spooky fast. Like, I have no clue. They got my AZ7 nearly two months before Sweetwater. They must have a GREAT relationship with thier reps. Not surprising as they're always kick ass when I deal with them.



DCGL gets guitars way before anyone else. They already had 2 Alexi customs go through and a host of others...They have some of the oldest and most respected relationships with these companies and they get the goods.

I have seen guitars there 6 months ahead of other places.


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Dec 14, 2021)

Got this last week


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## Stiman (Dec 14, 2021)

How do the single could sound?


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## Jeffrey Bain (Dec 14, 2021)

JoshuaVonFlash said:


> Got this last week
> 
> View attachment 101097
> View attachment 101098
> ...


Fretboard on that is amazing. The shape is growing on me more and more


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Dec 14, 2021)

Stiman said:


> How do the single could sound?


A bit hotter than what you'd expect from a standard SC. I really like the way they sound in the 2 and 4 positions with and without the dynamix switch engaged. Without the dynamix switch engaged you get a more traditional thinner glassy sound and with it engaged you get a fatter hum cancelling tone since it's mixing the coils.


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## works0fheart (Dec 14, 2021)

I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, but damn those Ibanez's are ugly lol. 

I'll give one a try to see how it plays but that thing is an eyesore to me.


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## Wolfhorsky (Dec 15, 2021)

works0fheart said:


> I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, but damn those Ibanez's are ugly lol.
> 
> I'll give one a try to see how it plays but that thing is an eyesore to me.


That scooped lower horn grew on me. But the upper horn looks so out of place imho - it's too bulky. Also I would prefer an ergonomic cutout for the leg instead of silly concept of two strap buttons on the body's arse. I use straps even when I sit down, so this concept is not appealing to me.


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## trickae (Jan 2, 2022)

works0fheart said:


> I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, but damn those Ibanez's are ugly lol.
> 
> I'll give one a try to see how it plays but that thing is an eyesore to me.



I agree, I hate the bridge cut away. They could have taken this opportunity to revist the Reb Beach bridge cutaway. Otherwise it's fine. I guess the price point is what makes it attractive.


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