# New Ibanez Iron Label models



## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 19, 2021)

New Xiphos and Iceman models. A 7 string Xiphos with a trem... Colour me interested.


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## diagrammatiks (Jun 19, 2021)

Ibanez hq. guys. That xiphos shape is popular now.


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## Floppystrings (Jun 19, 2021)

The Iceman looks pretty cool.

Does anyone else kind of miss the clean look of active soap bar 7 string pickup?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 19, 2021)

DUDE THAT ICEMAN WTF WTF I NEED IT NOW

Wes Hauch this is your fault and I fucking love you


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 19, 2021)

Also realised that Iceman is a 7 string. 

Not a fan of the illegible tree branches logo, but well played Ibanez.


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## trem licking (Jun 19, 2021)

Xiphos has a decent trem now too, bonus


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## kevdes93 (Jun 19, 2021)

Is it a trick of the light of does the iceman have a big giant contour reminiscent of the early Tosin proto?


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 19, 2021)

kevdes93 said:


> Is it a trick of the light of does the iceman have a big giant contour reminiscent of the early Tosin proto?



The new Iceman is contoured.


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## diagrammatiks (Jun 19, 2021)

xiphos fans
where are the prestiges


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## TheBolivianSniper (Jun 19, 2021)

I drool


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## Matt08642 (Jun 19, 2021)

That iceman is dangerously cool looking


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## atimoc (Jun 19, 2021)

I'm getting the feeling that either Ibanez themselves really hate the Destroyer or its reissues have sold very poorly in the past, since it seems this series would have been the perfect chance to finally bring a Destroyer back to their lineup. The Xiphos looks very cool though.


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## Aliascent (Jun 19, 2021)

The 6 strings xyphos is perfectly spec'd, now to wait until it's available on Thomann ￼


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## StevenC (Jun 19, 2021)

@lewis time to pay up


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## Grindspine (Jun 19, 2021)

SOMEONE beat me to it!!!


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## manu80 (Jun 19, 2021)

F..k yeah
Thats finally the xiphos iron label that was released almost 10yrs ago?
I’m in !


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## Grindspine (Jun 19, 2021)

Floppystrings said:


> The Iceman looks pretty cool.
> 
> Does anyone else kind of miss the clean look of active soap bar 7 string pickup?



No, I greatly prefer the covered humbucker direct mounted look; it is less routing and gives the pickup a smaller footprint. Good to see no silly pickup rings on 7 stringers though.



Bloody_Inferno said:


> Also realised that Iceman is a 7 string.
> 
> Not a fan of the illegible tree branches logo, but well played Ibanez.



I always wanted to have a black metal album called "pile of twigs" in that illegible style! I mean, being lost in a Scandinavian forest is about as black metal as it gets!


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## MASS DEFECT (Jun 19, 2021)

I would reaalllly be disappointed if that Xiphos doesnt have a reversed headstock.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 19, 2021)

Floppystrings said:


> The Iceman looks pretty cool.
> 
> Does anyone else kind of miss the clean look of active soap bar 7 string pickup?



Is this stockholm syndrome?


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## Spicypickles (Jun 19, 2021)

Man, just came here to post about these. Ziphos models look dope as fuck


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## Masoo2 (Jun 19, 2021)

hell yeah


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## Grindspine (Jun 19, 2021)

XPTB720 | X | ELECTRIC GUITARS | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

Ibanez updated the product page.


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## MASS DEFECT (Jun 19, 2021)

Necrophagist fans rejoice!


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## StevenC (Jun 19, 2021)

Weird that they're tuned down to A from the factory but still 25.5"


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 19, 2021)

Do kinda wish they went all-out and did a 26.5'' scale length like most everyone is doing now, but at least it isn't a short scale like the old one.


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## Grindspine (Jun 19, 2021)

StevenC said:


> Weird that they're tuned down to A from the factory but still 25.5"



I would have been ecstatic about a 26.5" scale on the xiphos 7, but I have an RG that I keep tuned down to A with those 11-64 string gauge strings. Shorter scale, up a string gauge, works for me. I go back and forth between my RG and RGD enough that it only takes me a few seconds to adjust between them since it is only an inch difference.


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## Grindspine (Jun 19, 2021)

I am noticing that there has been no attention to the two basses on the left. It pretty much looks like a black finish SR multi-scale and BTB with Bartolini pickups though. Anyone see anything special about those other than the paint job?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 19, 2021)

Grindspine said:


> I am noticing that there has been no attention to the two basses on the left. It pretty much looks like a black finish SR multi-scale and BTB with Bartolini pickups though. Anyone see anything special about those other than the paint job?



Only other thing I can see about the BTB is the body wood and ebanol frets. It's the only one with SS frets too, but the rest of the BTB line also has SS frets. The SR also has the same 35.5'' - 34'' scale length, but it looks like this is pretty much an SR505 but with fanned frets, making it the most affordable multiscale bass they make atm.


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## Randy (Jun 19, 2021)

Nice Tartarus, bros.


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## Hollowway (Jun 19, 2021)

Now that’s the way you murder out an entire lineup. I’m going to have a hard time resisting the xiphos 7. And just when I felt good about my Jackson Warrior Pro 7 purchase….


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## Perge (Jun 19, 2021)

The more pointy guitars, the better!


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## USMarine75 (Jun 19, 2021)

Ah yeah proper RHS too.


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## Edika (Jun 19, 2021)

Lately I've been tempted by several guitars and have come close, really close ordering a few. I managed to stop myself several times, even though I proclaimed that if x model came it out with z specs I'd buy it the moment it came out.

If these are also reasonably priced I'm in big trouble as I want the 6 string Xiphos, the 7 string Xiphos and the 7 string Iceman! I was actually considering grabbing the Jackson 7 string warrior pro this summer! But that goes on the back burner!


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## Dayn (Jun 19, 2021)

I wish for a world where the Halberd was included in this lineup.


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## Zhysick (Jun 19, 2021)

I guess LTD's Black Metal line is messing with Ibanez sales...


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## gunch (Jun 19, 2021)

Scuimez with glowing red eyes


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 19, 2021)

Zhysick said:


> I guess LTD's Black Metal line is messing with Ibanez sales...



Pretty much what came to mind.  Did so well that ESP continued to expand it and even piqued Ibanez's interest.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 19, 2021)

2011: "Ugh, more black guitars from Ibanez."

2021: “Fuck yeah! Black guitars from Ibanez!"


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 19, 2021)

Edit: i need


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## Gmork (Jun 19, 2021)

Im gonna cry and puke. They announced a Xiphos ironlabel but only in 6 and 7 string. Like..... REALLY IBANEZ?!? Just gonna stop there.... No 8?
Kinda crushed to be honest. Id rush out and order an 8 INSTANTLY.
I feel like a bunch of us have been begging for it forever.
(oh and btw same deal with the fireman i believe)


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## nickgray (Jun 19, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> 2011: "Ugh, more black guitars from Ibanez."
> 
> 2021: “Fuck yeah! Black guitars from Ibanez!"



Seriously though, black glossy guitars just disappeared. And just simple glossy finishes in general. Nowadays it always has to be a stained veneer, and satin finishes are presented as something premium. Even Prestige RGs have veneers or some kind of weird finishes these days.

Same with LTD - there was a time when they had tons and tons of glossy black guitars. Now they only really have that weird Black Metal series in satin black and one pickup.


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## Gmork (Jun 19, 2021)

Holy shit that promo vid was intense!!!! Lolol but omg.... I wish there was a xiphos 8 (like many of us have been begging for)


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## MrWulf (Jun 20, 2021)

That Xiphos 7 is nice. Would be an insta buy if it had ss frets. But if the price is reasonable i might just buy it and have it refrets instead


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 20, 2021)

mmm me want 7 string iceman


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## possumkiller (Jun 20, 2021)

Ugh so close. Where's the rosewood, dot inlays, and V pickups?


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## possumkiller (Jun 20, 2021)

And y no bolt on??


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## Hollowway (Jun 20, 2021)

Gmork said:


> Holy shit that promo vid was intense!!!! Lolol but omg.... I wish there was a xiphos 8 (like many of us have been begging for)


Yes, but we both know it wouldn’t come with a trem. So we need to get our Tartarus orders in instead!


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## Hollowway (Jun 20, 2021)

possumkiller said:


> Ugh so close. Where's the rosewood, dot inlays, and V pickups?


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## Mathemagician (Jun 20, 2021)

Bummed the 7 string Xiphos has a trem. But these additions are nice. And that Iceman - thank you Wes Hauch!


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## maliciousteve (Jun 20, 2021)

Took them long enough to release a 7 string Xiphos like that!

I do wonder how expensive these will be, because I'd love the Iceman or 7 string Xiphos.


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## Chiba666 (Jun 20, 2021)

Buy buy warrior hello xiphos


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## Edika (Jun 20, 2021)

Anyone has any info on price? I just saw a French site advertising the 6 string Xiphos for €1900 and my excitement dwindled quite a bit. I hope that is a typo and not the actual price!

The BTB of the series is advertised as SS frets so why not the guitars? And why the B in the name, as XPTB720, without being a baritone? Honestly I don't mind the non SS fretwork 25.5" scale but here's hoping prices will be closer to the Black metal LTD series.


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## Zhysick (Jun 20, 2021)

Edika said:


> Anyone has any info on price? I just saw a French site advertising the 6 string Xiphos for €1900 and my excitement dwindled quite a bit. I hope that is a typo and not the actual price!
> 
> The BTB of the series is advertised as SS frets so why not the guitars? And why the B in the name, as XPTB720, without being a baritone? Honestly I don't mind the non SS fretwork 25.5" scale but here's hoping prices will be closer to the Black metal LTD series.




https://www.livelouder.co.uk/product/ibanez-xptb620-bkf/

https://www.rockland-music.de/iron-label-xptb620-bkf-black-flat.html

Maybe that will cheer you up

And the B... maybe for Black? That's the only thing that makes sense... specially considering the T is not for Trem since the Iceman has a T also and there is no trem on that model... ok, whatever, Ibanez doing what they do best...


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## AxeHappy (Jun 20, 2021)

T typically stands for neck through with Ibanez models.

Happy to see more pointy shapes come out of Ibanez. These particular models are very not for me, but I hope they sell well enough that the line is continued and expanded.


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## Antiproduct (Jun 20, 2021)

Zhysick said:


> And the B... maybe for Black? That's the only thing that makes sense... specially considering the T is not for Trem since the Iceman has a T also and there is no trem on that model... ok, whatever, Ibanez doing what they do best...


XP is the name of the Series, Xiphos. There is actually only one XP Xiphos and it's hardtail but there is also a hardtail XPT. T stands for neckthrough in this case as AxeHappy already said
Ibanez names are usually Series->number that sometimes has some indication on feature -> suffix like T for tremolo for example
So this seems to be a new derivate of the series and I agree with you that B most probably stands for black


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 20, 2021)

Ibanez naming conventions are functionally useless these days, since it changes with the model and series as far as numerics vs. when everything followed the same formula, but that stopped almost two decades ago. 

So picking apart model names isn't as useful as it once was.

Back when you knew an RG550 was going to be a mid tier RG with Ibanez pickups in an HSH configuration, a pickguard, and a trem, you knew what you were getting based on the price lists, you never even needed to see the actual catalogs.


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## Spinedriver (Jun 20, 2021)

nickgray said:


> Seriously though, black glossy guitars just disappeared. And just simple glossy finishes in general. Nowadays it always has to be a stained veneer, and satin finishes are presented as something premium. Even Prestige RGs have veneers or some kind of weird finishes these days.
> 
> Same with LTD - there was a time when they had tons and tons of glossy black guitars. Now they only really have that weird Black Metal series in satin black and one pickup.



Exactly. Years ago I bought an LTD that had a satin finish and you could barely look at it without leaving a streak of some kind on it. After selling it off, it was pretty much a done deal that I wouldn't be abuying another one any time soon. That's why it's kind of disappointing that whenever something new that looks kind of interesting, it turns out that it's ONLY available in a 'satin' finish.


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## Edika (Jun 20, 2021)

Zhysick said:


> https://www.livelouder.co.uk/product/ibanez-xptb620-bkf/
> 
> https://www.rockland-music.de/iron-label-xptb620-bkf-black-flat.html
> 
> ...



That's a lot better for sure. They say these also have a gig bag included so I wonder if they'd be like the premium semi hard cases.


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## profwoot (Jun 20, 2021)

Spinedriver said:


> Exactly. Years ago I bought an LTD that had a satin finish and you could barely look at it without leaving a streak of some kind on it. After selling it off, it was pretty much a done deal that I wouldn't be abuying another one any time soon. That's why it's kind of disappointing that whenever something new that looks kind of interesting, it turns out that it's ONLY available in a 'satin' finish.



It seems like this might be changing? I love my Mayones Regius Core and plan to never sell it but it's got an obvious glossy spot on it (in the pinky-anchoring region; don't judge me) and has since I'd had it for a couple weeks. Satin finishes are still pretty new in the scheme of things so I'd guess folks would figure out a more durably unglossy finish and thought I'd heard a couple brands who already had to some degree.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 20, 2021)

profwoot said:


> It seems like this might be changing? I love my Mayones Regius Core and plan to never sell it but it's got an obvious glossy spot on it (in the pinky-anchoring region; don't judge me) and has since I'd had it for a couple weeks. Satin finishes are still pretty new in the scheme of things so I'd guess folks would figure out a more durably unglossy finish and thought I'd heard a couple brands who already had to some degree.



Keep in mind, even steel will polish and gloss up with regular contact. That's just how it is. While some are using harder finishes to try and retain the flat look, the harder you go the more brittle the finish.


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## Breeding The Spawn (Jun 20, 2021)

Wes Hauch playing the IC7.


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## Zhysick (Jun 21, 2021)

Frostod said:


> XP is the name of the Series, Xiphos. There is actually only one XP Xiphos and it's hardtail but there is also a hardtail XPT. T stands for neckthrough in this case as AxeHappy already said
> Ibanez names are usually Series->number that sometimes has some indication on feature -> suffix like T for tremolo for example
> So this seems to be a new derivate of the series and I agree with you that B most probably stands for black



Oh yes, of course, I forgot, same with the RGT where the T stands for neck thru...


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## stinkoman (Jun 21, 2021)

Sweet water has pre-order for xiphos 7 for $1399 and the iceman for $1299


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## Jeff (Jun 21, 2021)

stinkoman said:


> Sweet water has pre-order for xiphos 7 for $1399 and the iceman for $1299



 $1400 for an MII guitar, with Ibanez’s (lack of) QC. No thanks.


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## maliciousteve (Jun 21, 2021)

The price has put me off. Over £1200 here for a MII Guitar with an Edge Zero II bridge? No


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## manu80 (Jun 21, 2021)

Indo are becoming so expensive ...


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## Perge (Jun 21, 2021)

stinkoman said:


> Sweet water has pre-order for xiphos 7 for $1399 and the iceman for $1299



Got an email from them this week saying they were going to be raising the prices on most of their models soon, and to call and lock in anything I KNOW I'm getting, even if it's not in stock, before the prices go up. 

These guitars being some of the newest models they've posted, maybe the price hike is already accounted for on the new Iron Label stuff? If not, you can literally get a brand new prestige 7 for a couple hundred more, and those come with a hardcase. My pointy guitar GAS won't let me pass this up long term, but man is the Davidson WR7 looking a bit better then it was in the like 12 hour span between these being announced, and prices dropping lol.


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## Gunnar (Jun 21, 2021)

Does anyone know if Ibanez will release more new models this summer?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 21, 2021)

Perge said:


> Got an email from them this week saying they were going to be raising the prices on most of their models soon, and to call and lock in anything I KNOW I'm getting, even if it's not in stock, before the prices go up.
> 
> These guitars being some of the newest models they've posted, maybe the price hike is already accounted for on the new Iron Label stuff? If not, you can literally get a brand new prestige 7 for a couple hundred more, and those come with a hardcase. My pointy guitar GAS won't let me pass this up long term, but man is the Davidson WR7 looking a bit better then it was in the like 12 hour span between these being announced, and prices dropping lol.



Price increases typically hit in the fall.


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## Perge (Jun 21, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Price increases typically hit in the fall.



And that's fair, just went back and the text is 

"I wanted to personally let you know that we are expecting price increases on many of our brands in the coming weeks. These increases are due to shipping, production, and supply chain issues in the music retail and manufacturing industries."

Coming weeks could totally be the equivalent of "soonTM" and marketing bull, but if it's in the next month or so, they might not even have any of the new Iron labels in before the price change.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 21, 2021)

Perge said:


> And that's fair, just went back and the text is
> 
> "I wanted to personally let you know that we are expecting price increases on many of our brands in the coming weeks. These increases are due to shipping, production, and supply chain issues in the music retail and manufacturing industries."
> 
> Coming weeks could totally be the equivalent of "soonTM" and marketing bull, but if it's in the next month or so, they might not even have any of the new Iron labels in before the price change.



There are definitely some pretty significant increases coming across the board, larger than usual even. 

Just giving some context as far as timing. 

They usually hit after the "rush" of summer, but can be as late as the new year depending on how the brand and it's distributors do thier accounting.


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## Wucan (Jun 21, 2021)

manu80 said:


> Indo are becoming so expensive ...



I played an Indo LTD EC-1000 and I was blown away by the build quality, it had that luxurious feeling you get when you hold higher end Gibsons... it's certainly not about where it's built but the standard the guitar is held to. I don't trust Ibanez at those jacked up prices, the IL line is very inconsistent.

They are even going cheap with the specs here - no SS frets, simple wiring, same old hardware/pickups/EZ2, one single finish... and it'll still run you as much as an ESP LTD MH-1007, which is speced waaay better while almost certainly having better QC... while Jackson is still running their boring-spec Soloist 7's for under 1K.

It's like an Ibanez rep read SSO threads begging for the Xiphos/Iceman to return and figured we're an easy bunch to impress.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 21, 2021)

You're definitely paying the "not-a-common-shape-tax" on these, make no mistake.


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## Wucan (Jun 21, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> You're definitely paying the "not-a-common-shape-tax" on these, make no mistake.


Seems like it what it boils down to. What they'll do next year, slap Paul Stanley's signature into the Iceman and charge $300 extra?


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## Phlegethon (Jun 22, 2021)

On one hand, they're gonna be expensive in spite of the fact that they're MII, and non RG shaped. On the other hand I hope enough people buy enough of the iceman and xiphos to keep them around. Not digging the matte black finish on literally every part of them but that's a minor gripe.


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## Hollowway (Jun 22, 2021)

Ibanez aren’t idiots. I’m sure they’ve done their market research to know how to price these. It’s really about what people WILL pay, rather than what we think people SHOULD pay. It’s the same as when you order a PME FB from Kiesel, and it costs way more, as an upgrade, than it does from other luthiers. It’s because people are willing to pay it. 

I’m a little nervous about the QC on these, but I’d MUCH rather have a xiphos 7 than yet another super strat 7. I basically just want something unique. But for someone just wanting their first 7, these might not be the best bang for the buck.


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## KentBrockman (Jun 22, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> 2011: "Ugh, more black guitars from Ibanez."
> 
> 2021: “Fuck yeah! Black guitars from Ibanez!"



Too true.

These days, they've gone too far in the opposite direction with some of the crazy Prestige finishes. I prefer the plain finishes (or FM when I can find it) with the black headstocks but Ibanez aren't doing Prestiges like that anymore.


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## Dooky (Jun 22, 2021)

nickgray said:


> Seriously though, black glossy guitars just disappeared. And just simple glossy finishes in general. Nowadays it always has to be a stained veneer, and satin finishes are presented as something premium. Even Prestige RGs have veneers or some kind of weird finishes these days.
> 
> Same with LTD - there was a time when they had tons and tons of glossy black guitars. Now they only really have that weird Black Metal series in satin black and one pickup.


Yeah, I never complained about the number of guitars being available in black - because black guitars are my favourite. But I've have been complaining about the lack of gloss black options of late. Most black guitars are the satin black - which isn't exactly a deal breaker for me, but I do much prefer good ol' gloss black. Maybe I'm getting old and all the cool kids are buying flashy burl tops thus forcing manufactures to focus of said flashy finishes.


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## Aliascent (Jun 22, 2021)

I thought it would priced closer to LTD's black metal line, but the 6 strings xiphos is 300 to 400€ more.

Not a bad price overall (and I should be able to pay in 4 installments through paypal) so I'll be grabbing one next month.

Not sure why, but it feels like it won't be available for long.


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## Miek (Jun 22, 2021)

can't wait to grab a used iceman 7


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 22, 2021)

Dooky said:


> Yeah, I never complained about the number of guitars being available in black - because black guitars are my favourite. But I've have been complaining about the lack of gloss black options of late. Most black guitars are the satin black - which isn't exactly a deal breaker for me, but I do much prefer good ol' gloss black. Maybe I'm getting old and all the cool kids are buying flashy burl tops thus forcing manufactures to focus of said flashy finishes.


I think matte black looks great...until it's covered with greasy finger marks and has a shiny patch from the picking hand. 
I really like 'galaxy black' for Ibanez, but because it used to be so popular I've ended up with three RGs in that finish, which is a bit boring. At least each has differences in scratch-plate and/or inlays, so they aren't identical (2550Z, 652FX & 655).

My flashiest guitar is a 2007 XPT700 (Xiphos) in 'red chameleon'. Definitely not subtle and would look out of place in most band settings (often described as looking "very metal", but actually looks quite "glam"), but I love it.


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## torchlord (Jun 22, 2021)

Grindspine said:


> XPTB720 | X | ELECTRIC GUITARS | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars
> 
> Ibanez updated the product page.


It's weird that they went with A standard tuning on a 25.5" scale. They should have went with a longer scale.


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## c7spheres (Jun 22, 2021)

Dooky said:


> Yeah, I never complained about the number of guitars being available in black - because black guitars are my favourite. But I've have been complaining about the lack of gloss black options of late. Most black guitars are the satin black - which isn't exactly a deal breaker for me, but I do much prefer good ol' gloss black. Maybe I'm getting old and all the cool kids are buying flashy burl tops thus forcing manufactures to focus of said flashy finishes.


 
It'd be interesting to see what one of these matte black finishes looks like with gloss sprayed over it. Don't thiink I've ever seen that.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 22, 2021)

angryification said:


> Too true.
> 
> These days, they've gone too far in the opposite direction with some of the crazy Prestige finishes. I prefer the plain finishes (or FM when I can find it) with the black headstocks but Ibanez aren't doing Prestiges like that anymore.


There are plenty of about on the used market, plus Genesis if you want new (although I wouldn't get one because of the tilt-joint). FM with matching headstock is really nice.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 22, 2021)

c7spheres said:


> It'd be interesting to see what one of these matte black finishes looks like with gloss sprayed over it. Don't thiink I've ever seen that.


Sprayed before or after it's been handled? 

I've avoided buying black matte because I've heard it's near impossible to clean them without buffing up the finish.


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## Randy (Jun 22, 2021)

c7spheres said:


> It'd be interesting to see what one of these matte black finishes looks like with gloss sprayed over it. Don't thiink I've ever seen that.



I think it comes out satin-y. 

Satin is a dull shine with shallow-ish look. Flat is, well, flat. A layer or two of gloss should look shallow-ish with a maybe a little more luster.


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## c7spheres (Jun 22, 2021)

Randy said:


> I think it comes out satin-y.
> 
> Satin is a dull shine with shallow-ish look. Flat is, well, flat. A layer or two of gloss should look shallow-ish with a maybe a little more luster.


 That sounds cool too. Protect it from smudges and still get some stainy looks. Deep gloss for that magnifying effect would be cool too.


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## Dooky (Jun 22, 2021)

c7spheres said:


> It'd be interesting to see what one of these matte black finishes looks like with gloss sprayed over it. Don't thiink I've ever seen that.


Check out Waclaw Vogg's (from the band Decapitated) Iceman's. He has a couple of gloss black Icemans (6s and 7s), with white binding and a single humbucker in the bridge. They look amazing IMO.


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## Oneirokritikos (Jun 22, 2021)

How heavy are the Xiphos models? No idea what this "okoume" wood is...


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 22, 2021)

Oneirokritikos said:


> How heavy are the Xiphos models? No idea what this "okoume" wood is...


It's similar to mahogany and, along with khaya (African mahogany) and sapele, is sometimes sold by guitar manufacturers as "mahogany".

Okoume sounds very warm, which will serve to balance out the brightness of the maple neck-thru.

I have one of the original X-series Xiphos (2007), which is maple neck-thru with "mahogany" wings (will never know the specific wood species). It's noticeably heavier than a basswood RG, but comfortable to play.


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## trem licking (Jun 23, 2021)

Okoume is soft junk wood, just like basswood. About the same hardness on the janka scale


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## eaeolian (Jun 23, 2021)

Floppystrings said:


> The Iceman looks pretty cool.
> 
> Does anyone else kind of miss the clean look of active soap bar 7 string pickup?



No. I don't miss that shitty compromise by EMG at all.


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## eaeolian (Jun 23, 2021)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Is this stockholm syndrome?


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## Miek (Jun 23, 2021)

torchlord said:


> It's weird that they went with A standard tuning on a 25.5" scale. They should have went with a longer scale.


If it had been a 26.5 or a 27 I would have already foolishy preordered the Iceman.


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## Oneirokritikos (Jun 23, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> It's similar to mahogany and, along with khaya (African mahogany) and sapele, is sometimes sold by guitar manufacturers as "mahogany".
> 
> Okoume sounds very warm, which will serve to balance out the brightness of the maple neck-thru.
> 
> I have one of the original X-series Xiphos (2007), which is maple neck-thru with "mahogany" wings (will never know the specific wood species). It's noticeably heavier than a basswood RG, but comfortable to play.



Thanks for the info; I saw someone mention on Reddit that it suffered from a bad case of neck dive, can you confirm?


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## craig-sansum (Jun 23, 2021)

Damn it no hardtail xiphos


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 23, 2021)

Oneirokritikos said:


> Thanks for the info; I saw someone mention on Reddit that it suffered from a bad case of neck dive, can you confirm?



The Xiphos balances similar to Explorers, in that you have to ride them high and put your picking arm on the top "fin" to balance it out. Play them low and they usually dive pretty bad.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 23, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The Xiphos balances similar to Explorers, in that you have to ride them high and put your picking arm on the top "fin" to balance it out. Play them low and they usually dive pretty bad.


"Pretty bad" is an understatement haha!. The Xiphos is so comfortable to play sat down though - basically moulds to me in normal or classical position.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 23, 2021)

Oneirokritikos said:


> Thanks for the info; I saw someone mention on Reddit that it suffered from a bad case of neck dive, can you confirm?


The original release (with narrower bevels) had poorly positioned strap buttons. They're on the back face of the body, instead of the side edges, which allows the guitar to dive down like a see-saw as the buttons spin inside the strap holes. This was soon corrected (with wider body bevels added at the same time), by moving the strap buttons to the same positioning as the new release has. It will still be neck heavy, but if you follow MaxOfMetal's advice you won't have to constantly support the neck with your fretting hand.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 23, 2021)

torchlord said:


> It's weird that they went with A standard tuning on a 25.5" scale. They should have went with a longer scale.


They've also tuned the 6-string version to D standard on a 25.5" scale...which is the same (minus the low A string). My old XPT700 (also 25.5") has been my D standard guitar for years, with lighter low strings than Ibanez is sending these out with (10-46 instead of 10-52). 25.5" RGs are very routinely used in much lower tunings than D, so I don't really see the issue.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 23, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> They've also tuned the 6-string version to D standard on a 25.5" scale...which is the same (minus the low A string). My old XPT700 (also 25.5") has been my D standard guitar for years, with lighter low strings than Ibanez is sending these out with (10-46 instead of 10-52). 25.5" RGs are very routinely used in much lower tunings than D, so I don't really see the issue.



The Korn sigs have shipped in A standard for over 20 years now, and no one seems to bat an eye.


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## jl-austin (Jun 23, 2021)

I still think a lot of the neck dive could be solved with ebony (plastic) tuner buttons. Those add quite a bit of "dead" weight to a guitar. 

I'm okay with the price, it's Ibanez, I was honestly expecting $1499 for the 6. I am okay with the specs, Okeme is not junk wood, I have a body made out of it on a Charvel. I am on the fence on the edge pro II. I don't live my life on the whammy bar, so I think it would probably be okay with me, although I can get better from Jackson/Charvel and LTD for that price. 

The thing that I am most on the fence with is, the ship date. If it is 6 months to a year, no thanks. It is just too wild of a guitar to buy on a whim and hope I like it 6 months from now.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 23, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The Korn sigs have shipped in A standard for over 20 years now, and no one seems to bat an eye.


Maybe that's the problem - they assume any 25.5" 7-string in A standard will sound like Korn.


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## Miek (Jun 24, 2021)

a 27 or 26.5 iceman would've secured my instant involvement but i get why thats not what they went for


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## Andromalia (Jun 24, 2021)

Hollowway said:


> Ibanez aren’t idiots. I’m sure they’ve done their market research to know how to price these.


In general, you shouldn't assume that because a company is big, it won't make mistakes. History is full of commercial blunders and failures from big companies. (You just have to check the car market, half of the cars are commercial failures lol)


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## Dayn (Jun 24, 2021)

Andromalia said:


> In general, you shouldn't assume that because a company is big, it won't make mistakes. History is full of commercial blunders and failures from big companies. (You just have to check the car market, half of the cars are commercial failures lol)


That's true, though if it's a choice between Ibanez and your typical SSO member when it comes to deciding what will be commercially successful, I think I can make a pretty safe bet with those odds.


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## eaeolian (Jun 24, 2021)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The Korn sigs have shipped in A standard for over 20 years now, and no one seems to bat an eye.



Seriously. People are always like "why does your B string sound good?" on my 25.5" 7s.

Because I have good tone.


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## Oneirokritikos (Jun 25, 2021)

Lighter strings = crunchier tone. Use a light touch, people !


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jun 25, 2021)

Miek said:


> a 27 or 26.5 iceman would've secured my instant involvement but i get why thats not what they went for


Ya know..I'm not an Ibanez fan and it's been well documented around here...but a 27" Iceman I'd definitely go check out.

But what do I know. I'm still bitter about the Halberd no longer being a thing.


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## Hollowway (Jun 25, 2021)

Andromalia said:


> In general, you shouldn't assume that because a company is big, it won't make mistakes. History is full of commercial blunders and failures from big companies. (You just have to check the car market, half of the cars are commercial failures lol)


That’s true. In fact, what you’re saying is usually what I say.  I caught myself on the other side of the argument on this one. But yeah, there are oodles of poor marketing and product decisions made by big companies, so that’s an excellent point.


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## Hollowway (Jun 25, 2021)

Why yes, I DID just decide to spec out a murdered out Balaguer in 8 string format, just for kicks. Right down to the satin black back of neck. Tempted to click the Buy Now on this!


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## gnoll (Jun 26, 2021)

Oneirokritikos said:


> Lighter strings = crunchier tone. Use a light touch, people !



no thats lame


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## John (Jun 26, 2021)

After seeing a variety of questionable at best burst color choices, burls, and whatnot as of late, it's nice to a return of sorts to a simple blacked out guitar with no extra frills. 
That being said, throwing in a Destroyer would've been nice and that's a missed opportunity.


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## SlamLiguez (Jun 26, 2021)

As someone who sat comfy with a Falchion and Xiphos, it's almost obligatory I get the seven to round out the family. Nix the tone, slap an 81/85, maybe new tuners, I can't wait.


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## Spicypickles (Jun 26, 2021)

Hollowway said:


> Why yes, I DID just decide to spec out a murdered out Balaguer in 8 string format, just for kicks. Right down to the satin black back of neck. Tempted to click the Buy Now on this!
> 
> View attachment 94920


Not much more than the Ibby, go for it!


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## BusinessMan (Jun 26, 2021)

Hollowway said:


> Why yes, I DID just decide to spec out a murdered out Balaguer in 8 string format, just for kicks. Right down to the satin black back of neck. Tempted to click the Buy Now on this!
> 
> View attachment 94920



That's soooo 2005 of you


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## KentBrockman (Jun 27, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> There are plenty of about on the used market, plus Genesis if you want new (although I wouldn't get one because of the tilt-joint). FM with matching headstock is really nice.



Oh definitely. I have 5 in the room next to me. 

The black headstock + coloured body is unbeatable for me.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 27, 2021)

angryification said:


> Oh definitely. I have 5 in the room next to me.
> 
> The black headstock + coloured body is unbeatable for me.


I overlooked your signature before. I have:
2x RG2550Z (Galaxy Black & Galaxy White - with plain black headstocks)
RG652FX (Galaxy Black with Galaxy Black headstock)
RG655 (Galaxy Black with Galaxy Black headstock)
S2170SE (swirled ebony top with plain black headstock)
RG8520 (sodalite FM top with matching FM headstock)

What colour is your RG3120? I'd been keeping an eye out for one in Twilight Blue for years, because it's my favourite Prestige finish (blue is my favourite colour and FM looks incredible), but any I found looked more 'abused' than 'used'. Back in January, I caved and bought a J.Custom RG8520 in sodalite (dark blue).


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 27, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> I overlooked your signature before. I have:
> 2x RG2550Z (Galaxy Black & Galaxy White - with plain black headstocks)
> RG652FX (Galaxy Black with Galaxy Black headstock)
> RG655 (Galaxy Black with Galaxy Black headstock)
> ...


+ XPT700 in Red Chameleon with a matching headstock


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## Hollowway (Jun 27, 2021)

Spicypickles said:


> Not much more than the Ibby, go for it!


I actually already have a Tartarus 8 FR, and was going to o a more superstrat version, but I may have to just roll with another Tartarus like this.


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## KentBrockman (Jun 28, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> I overlooked your signature before. I have:
> 2x RG2550Z (Galaxy Black & Galaxy White - with plain black headstocks)
> RG652FX (Galaxy Black with Galaxy Black headstock)
> RG655 (Galaxy Black with Galaxy Black headstock)
> ...



I have two and they are both the Twilight Blue color. However, aging/exposure to light have turned them into this really neat. greenish-blue color (one more than the other). One of them had been beaten to hell by a previous owner but all the damage is to the finish only and I will get it re-finished...eventually.




Pictures are here






Essex Recording Studios have listed their on Reverb...for $3k. It looks like be in perfect condition.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 28, 2021)

angryification said:


> I have two and they are both the Twilight Blue color. However, aging/exposure to light have turned them into this really neat. greenish-blue color (one more than the other). One of them had been beaten to hell by a previous owner but all the damage is to the finish only and I will get it re-finished...eventually.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the heads up, but that's more than I paid for my brand new RG8520 (with ability to choose my preferred FM top).

I miss being able to get a used Prestige in excellent condition for £400-500


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## Br00tal420 (Jun 29, 2021)

Reminds me of the Uppercut series. Me likey....


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jun 29, 2021)

Br00tal420 said:


> Reminds me of the Uppercut series. Me likey....


Another run of Prestige models with BKP would be nice!

The last X-series (Xiphos, Iceman & Destroyer) was replaced by Iron Label, so this "Iron Label X-series" makes perfect sense.


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## KentBrockman (Jun 30, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> Thanks for the heads up, but that's more than I paid for my brand new RG8520 (with ability to choose my preferred FM top).
> 
> I miss being able to get a used Prestige in excellent condition for £400-500



Oh yeah, definitely don't buy it. 

I found my 2009 RG1527 for $700 with shipping (~500 GBP at the time - in February of this year). Haven't seen many prices like that...hopefully things cool down a bit


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## vilk (Jul 1, 2021)

Ikebe Osaka has a floor model of that 7 string xiphos. I haven't really been interested in 7 strings for a while but now I'm really into Revocation and if that guitar balances alright and doesn't neckdive I'm gonna buy it. Maybe I can still play Empty by Emperor lol
Actually even though I've owned a couple 7's in the past they were both baritone scale. This would be my first "normal" 25.5, maybe it will feel a little more playable to me.


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## Oneirokritikos (Jul 2, 2021)

vilk said:


> Ikebe Osaka has a floor model of that 7 string xiphos. I haven't really been interested in 7 strings for a while but now I'm really into Revocation and if that guitar balances alright and doesn't neckdive I'm gonna buy it. Maybe I can still play Empty by Emperor lol
> Actually even though I've owned a couple 7's in the past they were both baritone scale. This would be my first "normal" 25.5, maybe it will feel a little more playable to me.


Please report back if you try it!


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## vilk (Jul 2, 2021)

Oneirokritikos said:


> Please report back if you try it!


I promise I will... I just hope someone doesn't buy it first because I'm not headed to that area until the last week of the month.


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## torchlord (Jul 19, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> They've also tuned the 6-string version to D standard on a 25.5" scale...which is the same (minus the low A string). My old XPT700 (also 25.5") has been my D standard guitar for years, with lighter low strings than Ibanez is sending these out with (10-46 instead of 10-52). 25.5" RGs are very routinely used in much lower tunings than D, so I don't really see the issue.


If you play normal Korn-like riffs you likely wouldn't see a problem, but if you play speed metal having floppy strings will make it more difficult to play fast because the extra tension helps keep things under control when you go down a whole step in your tuning. If you go with 25.5 scale and and up the string gage to compensate you tone gets uber bassy which can be a issue to some guitarist. 

You might eventually have issues with your guitar neck running large strings too, my Universe's neck according to the luthier said he couldn't compensate with the truss rod any more because the neck was fighting against and told me he had to heat set the neck in order to make things right again. I believe it was cause I was using big thick strings to make up for loss in tension.


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jul 20, 2021)

torchlord said:


> If you play normal Korn-like riffs you likely wouldn't see a problem, but if you play speed metal having floppy strings will make it more difficult to play fast because the extra tension helps keep things under control when you go down a whole step in your tuning. If you go with 25.5 scale and and up the string gage to compensate you tone gets uber bassy which can be a issue to some guitarist.
> 
> You might eventually have issues with your guitar neck running large strings too, my Universe's neck according to the luthier said he couldn't compensate with the truss rod any more because the neck was fighting against and told me he had to heat set the neck in order to make things right again. I believe it was cause I was using big thick strings to make up for loss in tension.


What gauge strings were you using when it became an issue? I've never used anything thicker than 12 gauge (for B standard on a 25.5" RG).

People have different definitions of "floppy strings". I play 9 gauge in E standard, yet it seems most of the advice on this forum for selecting string gauges for low tunings would give a tension equivalent to 11 gauge in E standard - massively overkill. I find going up a single gauge for each step down works well, with only very minor setup adjustments needed, on a 25.5" scale Ibby.
I really don't play Korn riffs. I was drawn to buying an XPT700 because of Necrophagist


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## Vyn (Jul 20, 2021)

I posted this in another thread, however the Xiphos 7isn't 25.5", it's a fuck up on Ibanez's part. I have one and it's at least 26.5". I'll post some measurements.

EDIT: I'm completely fucking wrong, they are 25.5", I just measured 324mm from the nut to the 12th fret, x2 is 648mm which is 25.5" Nevermind. Felt longer than that though for some stupid reason


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 20, 2021)

Vyn said:


> I posted this in another thread, however the Xiphos 7isn't 25.5", it's a fuck up on Ibanez's part. I have one and it's at least 26.5". I'll post some measurements.
> 
> EDIT: I'm completely fucking wrong, they are 25.5", I just measured 324mm from the nut to the 12th fret, x2 is 648mm which is 25.5" Nevermind. Felt longer than that though for some stupid reason



Most of this stuff is based on our own perceptions and unconscious (and sometimes conscious) bias. 

Which isn't to say there isn't a difference between a lot of stuff fundamentally, but it's importance is often weighed by the above.


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## Perge (Jul 20, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> What gauge strings were you using when it became an issue? I've never used anything thicker than 12 gauge (for B standard on a 25.5" RG).
> 
> People have different definitions of "floppy strings". I play 9 gauge in E standard, yet it seems most of the advice on this forum for selecting string gauges for low tunings would give a tension equivalent to 11 gauge in E standard - massively overkill. I find going up a single gauge for each step down works well, with only very minor setup adjustments needed, on a 25.5" scale Ibby.
> I reall





Vyn said:


> I posted this in another thread, however the Xiphos 7isn't 25.5", it's a fuck up on Ibanez's part. I have one and it's at least 26.5". I'll post some measurements.
> 
> EDIT: I'm completely fucking wrong, they are 25.5", I just measured 324mm from the nut to the 12th fret, x2 is 648mm which is 25.5" Nevermind. Felt longer than that though for some stupid reason


Glad to see you tested it. Now it's just normal GAS


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jul 21, 2021)

Vyn said:


> I posted this in another thread, however the Xiphos 7isn't 25.5", it's a fuck up on Ibanez's part. I have one and it's at least 26.5". I'll post some measurements.
> 
> EDIT: I'm completely fucking wrong, they are 25.5", I just measured 324mm from the nut to the 12th fret, x2 is 648mm which is 25.5" Nevermind. Felt longer than that though for some stupid reason


If you mean the neck feels longer (rather than the fret spacing feels wider) I completely get what you're talking about, as that's how my XPT700 feels compared to my RGs when played sitting down. I believe it's because the "curve" in the body that sits on your leg (does it have a proper name?) is about 2-3" closer to the bridge on a Xiphos compared to an RG - resulting in the headstock being about 2-3" further away. An RGs curve is between the bridge and neck pickups - closer to the neck than the bridge. A Xiphos curve is roughly in line with the bridge pickup.


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## bostjan (Jul 21, 2021)

Glad to see the return of this shape, even if there's no way I'd be in the market for something like that in the near future.


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## THEBOTTOMLINE (Jul 21, 2021)

I just ordered a 7 string xiphos. I love my green 6 string and when I saw the new one in stock, i had to jump on it.


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## vilk (Jul 21, 2021)

Vyn said:


> I posted this in another thread, however the Xiphos 7isn't 25.5", it's a fuck up on Ibanez's part. I have one and it's at least 26.5". I'll post some measurements.
> 
> EDIT: I'm completely fucking wrong, they are 25.5", I just measured 324mm from the nut to the 12th fret, x2 is 648mm which is 25.5" Nevermind. Felt longer than that though for some stupid reason


Could you pretty please do a NGD??


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## Vyn (Jul 21, 2021)

Neon_Knight_ said:


> If you mean the neck feels longer (rather than the fret spacing feels wider) I completely get what you're talking about, as that's how my XPT700 feels compared to my RGs when played sitting down. I believe it's because the "curve" in the body that sits on your leg (does it have a proper name?) is about 2-3" closer to the bridge on a Xiphos compared to an RG - resulting in the headstock being about 2-3" further away. An RGs curve is between the bridge and neck pickups - closer to the neck than the bridge. A Xiphos curve is roughly in line with the bridge pickup.



Yeah, I've discovered this comparing it to one of my extended scale V's, the V feels shorter because the inner part of the V is almost where the end of the floyd is, where on the Xiphos there is a bit more material.



vilk said:


> Could you pretty please do a NGD??


It's on the to-do list, gig tomorrow which I'm madly practicing for, after that I can start catching up on NGD's!


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## Neon_Knight_ (Jul 21, 2021)

Vyn said:


> Yeah, I've discovered this comparing it to one of my extended scale V's, the V feels shorter because the inner part of the V is almost where the end of the floyd is, where on the Xiphos there is a bit more material.


Ah, I mostly play mine in standard position, not classical. Feels longer either way though


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