# MAXXAS - A Division of Ibanez (pics, infos, discussion)



## ibanezgitarrero (Aug 14, 2013)

Dear Ibanez fans,

I would like to share my MAXXAS collection with you. It comprises all seven available model and color combinations plus, as the icing on the cake, the prototype of the 29-fret MX5BK. It all started out in October 2004 when I got my first MX and the set was finally complete in mid 2011.







In case you are not familiar with the MAXXAS, here is a short portrait.


designed by Rich Lasner (later also Yamaha, Modulus, Peavey, Line 6 and currently Vox)
marketed 1987 thru 1989
four models in the catalogs:
--> MX2 --> massive Honduran Mahogany body, Maple/Rosewood neck with 22 frets, HH pickups IBZ USA by DiMarzio, Ibanez EDGE with Top-Lok III and BackStop system; full series production in three colors FB, BP and RR
--> MX3 --> semi-hollow Honduran Mahogany body, Maple/Rosewood neck with 22 frets, HH pickups IBZ USA by DiMarzio, Ibanez/Gotoh HQ Tremolo with Gotoh Magnum Lock tuners and graphite nut; full series production in four colors FB, CR, MA and BH
--> MX4 --> semi-hollow Maple body, Maple/Rosewood neck with elongated 29 fretboard and oval inlays, one bridge humbucker, fixed bridge; only prototype stage (none ever proven to exist in real life outside the catalogs)
--> MX5 --> semi-hollow Maple body, Maple/Rosewood neck with elongated 29 fretboard and oval inlays, one bridge humbucker, Ibanez/Gotoh HQ Tremolo with Gotoh Magnum Lock Tuners and graphite nut; two prototypes exist, SB and BK
unique headstock shape with MAXXAS logo and subscript "A Division of Ibanez"
a custom built MAXXAS with snakeskin finish caught Steve Vai's attention in 1986, led to a cooperation with Ibanez and eventually to the creation of the JEM


Here's a group shot of my 7-piece set (one of each series production model) plus the MX5 prototype in the center.







The separate models - my "magnificent seven". The result of a 6 1/2 years long treasure hunt.

*MX2FB* - Fountain Blue






*MX2BP* - Black Pearl






*MX2RR* - Ruby Red (signed by Steve Vai)






*MX3FB* - Fountain Blue






*MX3CR* - Cranberry Red






*MX3MA* - Magma






*MX3BH* - Black Hole







And last but not least the crown jewel::

*MX5BK* - handmade prototype built by Saburo Imafuku (Fujigen Gakki, Japan), 29 frets, one humbucker, HQ Tremolo






The design is not everybody's favorite, in other words, few Ibanez models are more divisive. For some the design is too far out and the headstock looks strange; others are fascinated by the pointy-yet-round body shape, the clever construction details and the 80's flair with a hint of space age. As for myself, I am really into these beasts, as you can tell.  I first got aware of the MAXXAS series in the late 1990s when it was already (almost) forgotten and over the years I grew into being a real aficionado.





Here is the catalog literature 1987..1989.


1987 dealer sheet MX2, USA








1987 four-page brochure MX2, USA












1988 dealer sheet MX3, USA








1988 two pages in the EU catalog






1989 four pages in the EU catalog












1989 two pages in the USA catalog










Here is some background information.

MAXXAS - A Division of Ibanez. In the year 1986, a space-age guitar design emerged from the minds and hands of Rich Lasner and his Ibanez custom shop team Mace Bailey and Leon Reddell. It was a MAXXAS prototype that convinced Steve Vai to cooperate with Ibanez - the rest is history. Because of the out-of-the-ordinary design, Ibanez' mother company Hoshino was too afraid that a shape like this would hurt their main brand Ibanez, so they came up with the special name (and the special headstock, too).

The model designations and features are pretty clear as listed above. However, it has never been more difficult to get a clear picture of the color codes - a lot of confusion is out there! There are some fantasy color codes roaming the interwebs, for example "Pearl Red" or "Maroon", but these are not documented in the literature. They appear to be self-made synonyms for the colors listed below and should be avoided. There are also pictures of pastel-like mint green MX guitars on the web, but the assumption is that these are just FB guitars photographed using early digicams, i.e. with poor image sensors or insufficient color fidelity. Here are the actual color codes:


BH = Black Hole. Burst effect finish, green on the outside with dark overspray towards the middle. Green neck finish without burst. Sighted on MX3 and also mentioned for MX3 in the literature (with the typo "Black Hall" instead of "Black Hole").
BK = Black. High-gloss flat black. Sighted on one single MX5 (prototype) and one single MX3 (Meinl collection, paint prototype?) and mentioned for MX3/MX4/MX5 in the literature.
BP = Black Pearl. High-gloss black with pearl effect. Sighted on MX2 and mentioned only for MX2 in the literature.
CR = Cranberry Red. Sighted on MX3 and mentioned for MX3 in the catalog literature.
FB = Fountain Blue. Blend of ice blue, mint green and light turquoise, with a metallic effect. Sighted on MX2 and MX3, mentioned for MX2 and MX3 in the literature.
MA = Magma. Burst effect finish, strong red on the outside with dark overspray towards the middle. Red neck finish without burst. Sighted on MX3 and mentioned for MX3 in the literature.
RR = Ruby Red. Dark, strong red with a metallic effect. Sighted on MX2 and mentioned for MX2 in the literature.
SB = Silky Blue. Sighted exclusively on one single MX5 (prototype) and mentioned for MX4/MX5 in the literature.


The MX was the very first guitar from Ibanez to feature the All Access Neck Joint (AANJ) with four separate screws and no metal plate. This design was revolutionary and definitely ahead of its time, and it took quite a while until it was introduced on most of the other models, starting from the early 90s. With the MX's deep cutaways, the upper frets are very well reachable and it leads to believe that MAXXAS stands for "Maximum Access" but this is not the case, according to designer Rich Lasner. On MX2 and MX3, the neck is mounted to the body by two regular neck screws and two threaded screws reaching in threaded inserts. Thus, the actual neck heel reaches deep into the body, right under the pickup cavity. This concept was also used on the Vinnie Moore signature guitar, some Artfield models such as the AFD5 and some Saber models in the late 80s.

Besides the biggest difference in construction (solid versus semi-hollow body), tremolo and machine heads equipment, There are some subtle details that set the MX2 apart from the MX3:


The MX3 has a recessed electronics cover plate with 4 screws, underfilled with foam rubber, while the MX2's plate is not recessed and mounted with 8 screws.
The MX3 has a rectangular cutout in the spring cavity cover plate for string access to the vibrato block.
The MX2 has a 1-layer truss rod cover, while the MX3 has a 3-layer cover with a different shape, slighty bigger since there is no cut for the string retainer screws.
The overall length of the MX2 is about 1/2 cm larger due to its locking nut.

So how does it play? The MAXXAS is not your typical Ibanez Superstrat. It's totally different from all other Ibanez guitars I have when it comes to overall feel and sound. Somehow, you can scent that the quality is top-notch and whoever made the guitar has put some extra love and care into it. Along with the Artfield series, I would call the MAXXAS line both high-end yet experimental. Ibanez created a radical new body design which both features pointy horns - very popular in the mid to late 80s - and amorous curves at the same time. Thanks to the long upper horn, the optimal balance could be preserved. Both strap buttons are mounted to the back side due to the body's thinness. Speaking of thinness - note the MAXXAS neck profile must be the thinnest Wizard ever. But for some reason, the MX series was not very popular and did not sell well. It was introduced in 1987 but clouded heavily by the great success of the JEM, the revamped RG and all three of the new Roadstar Pro designs that made their debut in the same year. In 1988, the EDGE-equipped MX2 was already gone, and 1989 only one MX3 model was still featured in the catalog.

Today, we can look back on an important piece of Ibanez history and when we pick up an MX, we can either shred away on the in-your-face Mahogany rock axe MX2, or enjoy the light-weight feel and unique tone of the MX3 with its quick attack and great sustain.



Well guys - that's it from my side. What do you think? Does anyone else here on ss.org happen to own a MAXXAS?


----------



## s4tch (Aug 14, 2013)

You must have the nicest MX collection on Earth, man. Thanks for the thread, you deserve all credit.


----------



## Malkav (Aug 14, 2013)

Always dug these guitars! Stunning collection dude!


----------



## elrrek (Aug 14, 2013)

Didn't one of the guys in At The Gates play one of these in the video for "Blinded By Fear"?


----------



## ibanezgitarrero (Aug 14, 2013)

elrrek said:


> Didn't one of the guys in At The Gates play one of these in the video for "Blinded By Fear"?


If you mean Anders Björler, that's true, he owns a MX2 as far as I know.


----------



## Symb0lic (Aug 14, 2013)

Fantastic collection man, incredible that you have the full set!


----------



## Fred the Shred (Aug 14, 2013)

That's is a fab Maxxas collection right there. Nice one!


----------



## JPMike (Aug 14, 2013)

That's a stellar collection. Really interesting guitars, I have never played one and quite rare to come by.


----------



## Michael T (Aug 14, 2013)

You suck !!!!

But seriously, sweet collection. Im a huge Ibanez Saber fan and have been trying to track down a Maxxas for a few years.

Kudos


----------



## BucketheadRules (Aug 14, 2013)

That's brilliant!

That MX5... oh my.


----------



## BigBaldIan (Aug 14, 2013)

Thanks for sharing and for the history lesson on a somewhat overlooked part of Ibanez's history.


----------



## Daf57 (Aug 14, 2013)

Congrats on such an excellent collection!! Very impressive!


----------



## ibanezgitarrero (Aug 14, 2013)

BucketheadRules said:


> That's brilliant!
> 
> That MX5... oh my.


Glad you like it. Here are some more pictures.










































As for the Ultrasonic pickup - I replaced it with a Häussel custom made humbucker. That took the guitar to another level, tonewise.


----------



## 77zark77 (Aug 14, 2013)

Stunning collection ! Congratrulations x100 ! 

I really like the Maxxas shape, I'm jealous
Let me know if you're looking for a heir


----------



## Bloody_Inferno (Aug 14, 2013)




----------



## Metal-Box (Aug 14, 2013)

Nice collection! I remember these back in the day and thinking WTF? 

I wonder if these were an inspiration to ESP for their Horizon III design.


----------



## craigny (Aug 14, 2013)

Wow those are awesome...GAS


----------



## XEN (Aug 14, 2013)

I've always loved those. I got a chance to play one a couple of decades back and it was really that good of a guitar. Thanks for sharing!!


----------



## DISTORT6 (Aug 14, 2013)

WOW! I've never seen so many of those in one place. 
Great collection.


----------



## technomancer (Aug 14, 2013)

Very cool collection


----------



## yingmin (Aug 14, 2013)

ibanezgitarrero said:


> ...few Ibanez models are more divisive. For some the design is too far out...


I find this statement to be so very, very sad.


----------



## Metal-Box (Aug 14, 2013)

I remember seeing them in the catalogs as a 15 year old kid and thinking they were bo-bo Ibanez guitars.


----------



## BrailleDecibel (Aug 14, 2013)

Never heard of that brand before, but that's a pretty sweet collection you've got there! I'd love to see one in a 7 or 8-string configuration, that'd be pretty awesome to see.


----------



## ibanezgitarrero (Aug 15, 2013)

At one point in time, I had three MX2FBs and made a triple group shot.


----------



## Malkav (Aug 15, 2013)

^ That's hot...

I mean having one is cool, having twins must be incredible, but triplets...That's just debaucherous right there


----------



## straymond (Aug 15, 2013)

that black prototype...

I... I just...





There's a rocket in my pocket.


----------



## s4tch (Aug 15, 2013)

Just sayin', our humble OP is selling a beautiful MX3MA on ebay.de. Unfortunately, I can't afford it ATM, but I hope it would stay in the ss.org family. Such a character: 






Check the other MX's reflections on the upper horn


----------



## ibanezgitarrero (Aug 15, 2013)

s4tch said:


> Just sayin', our humble OP is selling a beautiful MX3MA on ebay.de.


Yeah, I couldn't advertise it here, since I'm a newbie and don't have 100 posts and all - but it's true what you write. I currently have two MX3MAs and one is for sale.



s4tch said:


> I hope it would stay in the ss.org family.


That would be great!


----------



## source field (Nov 29, 2013)

there is quite some MAXXAS-vibe in the new EBMM Majesty


----------



## Hollowway (Nov 29, 2013)

Holy cow, how did I miss this thread the first time around?! This is quite possibly the best thread I've seen on here. So much history, such an awesome collection. I have a whole new respect for Ibanez and that designer seeing how early a lot of concepts were developed. We tend to think of AANJ as coming much later, and a guitar with 29 frets is not something I would ever have expected in the 1980s.


----------



## _MonSTeR_ (Nov 30, 2013)

source field said:


> there is quite some MAXXAS-vibe in the new EBMM Majesty


 

This thread needs more "shovel" !!!


----------



## BucketheadRules (Nov 30, 2013)

Hollowway said:


> a guitar with 29 frets is not something I would ever have expected in the 1980s.



There were more than you'd think. Feast thine eyes upon the rare 1987-89 Washburn EC29:






The rare, beautiful 30-fret Ibanez AFD from 1988:






The even rarer, 36 fret Washburn EC36:






And the ultra-hyper-mega-rare Hamer Virtuoso:


----------



## reidartuv (Nov 30, 2013)

EDIT: Didn't see the posts over here haha


----------



## solarian (Nov 30, 2013)

Wow, NICE! Those are really starting to grow on me, and love those finishes especially the black hole one.


----------



## SoItGoesRVA (Nov 30, 2013)

Maxxed out


----------



## darren (Dec 9, 2013)

There are few guitar that i really lust after these days, but the Maxxas MX-3 and the Artfield AFD-45 are two of my "unicorn" guitars that have been a huge influence on my guitar designs, that i would love to have in my collection.


----------



## tommychains (Dec 10, 2013)

Dam, been looking for one of these for close to 5 years. I'd give just about anything for one.

Completely unrelated, do you need a kidney?


----------



## Necris (Dec 10, 2013)

Up until a moment ago I thought I would never actually get to see the "black hole" finish described in the catalogs. I like it just as much as I thought I would. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## poopyalligator (Dec 10, 2013)

Words can't express my jealousy lol. I have wanted a maxxas guitar for forever. I can never find one in the condition I want, or people are just asking way too much for them.


----------



## sell2792 (Dec 10, 2013)

These are beautiful.


----------



## jemfloral (Dec 11, 2013)

so. much. maxxas. wonderful collection, mate. whats next now that you've got them all?


----------



## Fringe (Dec 12, 2013)

Wow...6 1/2 years...that's some dedication there! Congrats on getting the whole family together, really cool guitars!


----------



## Forkface (Dec 12, 2013)

SoItGoesRVA said:


> Maxxed out



I died when i read this comment 
anyway
This is an amazing collection, for real. Museum-caliber stuff. you should be really proud of it and of your dedication to it. Thank you for sharing, even though I don't feel worthy enough


----------



## tommychains (Dec 12, 2013)

Can't stop looking at the pictures of these beauties.

There was one for sale a week ago or so on ebay but for some reason he swapped the pickups and airbrushed some crappy cartoons on it  all original is the only way i'd buy one of these.

Mind me asking how much these typically sell for? The one i mentioned above selling on ebay was sold for $900 in pretty crappy shape, so i can only imagine how much museum quality originals go for.


----------



## ibanezgitarrero (Dec 13, 2013)

Thank you so much for your nice words, guys. I really appreciate it!


----------



## darren (Dec 16, 2013)

Okay, now your Artfields and AFR basses next.


----------



## tfurry (May 10, 2014)

I've had one of these in my closet for years. It's in pretty good shape, incredibly playable (but I'm a bass player). I'm not sure what model it is since the pickup configuration doesn't match anything I've seen anywhere...it has three pickups: IBZ USA F1 neck, IBZ USA F2 bridge, and one in between IBZ USA C2. It has the tremolo and a 5-way selector switch, and is the cranberry color. Any idea where I could chase down more information on it?


----------



## ibanezgitarrero (May 11, 2014)

Very cool tfurry, could you please share some pictures of your 3-pickup Ibanez? What is the serial number?


----------



## aptosviking (May 30, 2015)

Hi Ya'll,
I have, what I am told, one of two of the proto types that were at the NAMM show. The other one I owned as well and gave it to my nephew years ago. I acquired them from a very close friend of mine that was at the show and bought both of them on the last day of the show as they were loading out, so I am told. The one I own, she had named Axis and painted over the headstock, I guess that was the artist in her. Anyway, other than that, totally stock and near mint with minimal wear. 

The Viking


----------



## Addison90 (May 30, 2015)

This is how Ibanez look like in an alternate universe


----------



## pdbeaton87 (May 30, 2015)

Pretty sick collection man! I was unaware of these...I would say my favorite is the MX5 single pick-up Maxxas!


----------



## dr_kotasz (Oct 25, 2016)

Hi guys,

how much is an OK price for an MX3 in "magma" color?
The axe is in guite good condition with a few dings.
Serial: #F746xxx.

I'm thinking about to trade one of my guitars to a Maxxas.


----------



## max2002 (Oct 29, 2016)

27 frets? That's sick


----------



## Jeffbro (Oct 30, 2016)

max2002 said:


> 27 frets? That's sick



what are you even talking about?


----------



## max2002 (Nov 1, 2016)

Oops it's 29 frets. I miscalculated.


----------

