Intro
Ibanez has released a raft of new guitars for 2013, and we've picked 13 of our favourite electrics under £1000 to share with you here.
The new line-up, spans the company's range, and features new budget six, seven and eight-strings, plus a few surprises including a 30 fret guitar, an affordable new jazz box and semi-acoustic models!
GRG7221-BKN £199
A seven string for less than £200? Go on then. Ibanez's GIO range has been offering bang-for-not-much-buck for years. Features include a poplar body, maple neck and Ibanez Standard hardware and pickups. At just shy of £28.50 per string, it looks like a bargain!
AS73-TBC £309
The AS-73 continues Ibanez's heritage in making great quality semi-acoustics. The latest version comes in Tobacco Brown Burst, with an all-maple body and mahogany neck.
PM2-AA £629
Jazzer Pat Metheny swears by his Ibanez boxes, and this rather stylish example comes in at just over £600. It's got a maple body, Super 58 pickup, plus binding and abalone a-plenty. You also get flatwound strings fitted straight out of the included hardcase. Niiiiice…
RG8 £349
Extended-range guitars are becoming more and more popular, and if you're thinking of taking your playing to bowel-disturbing depths, you can now do it on a budget. The 27-inch scale length should hold its tuning, while Ibanez's IBZ-8 pickups will aim to transfer the low-end.
RG331M-YE £265
Get a load of that canary finish, black scratchplate and price of this RG. 265 quid bags you a basswood body, Gibraltar Standard bridge and Infinity pickups.
AS2312-TCR £369
Twelve-string electrics don't come along that often at this price. Like the six-string AS73, this semi-acoustic, double-cutaway model features a maple top, back and sides and comes in Transparent Cherry Red.
UV70 £989
Steve Vai's seven-string Universe started the seven-string boom over 20 years ago, and this latest version looks killer! At just under a grand, you get the striking black/green finish with Cosmo Black hardware and green inlays. It's fitted with DiMarzio Blaze pickups and comes with a hardcase.
RG927FXQM £729
Masters of the seven-string, less so of the snappy product name, Ibanez have added this ace looking seven to the Premium line. Shown here in Red Desert, it comes with Dimarzio IBZ-7 pickups, a quilted maple top/American basswood body and Edge-Zero II-7 bridge.
SIR70FD £579
The new Iron Label series features six, seven and eight-string models equipped with Wizard necks DiMarzio pickups (six and seven-strings) and EMG808 (eight string model, in Black only) and Iron Pewter finish. Each model also comes with a kill switch fitted.
Road Core RC320 £299
The bastard son of an offset T-shape, the RC320 got a bit of an alt-rock/surf vibe. It comes in Transparent Cherry or Black, both of which have a Tight-Tune bridge and Core-Tone pickups.
RG950QMZ £729
The RG950 six-string also comes in Red Desert, but we love the Black Ice finish shown here. It's basically the same spec as the RG927 (except it's the six-string version), and comes with DiMarzio IBZ pickups, Edge-Zero II and a ZPS3Fe locking vibrato.
S421 £285
Pointy RGs are Ibanez's calling-card, but there's also plenty of love for the curvy S shape too. This example comes in a sleek looking Blackberry Sunburst finish with Infinity pickups and a Gibraltar Standard bridge for just £285
RG550-XH £399
How many frets is too many? Apparently not 30. We first clamped eyes on a 'concept' prototype of Ibanez's 30-fret noodlings at NAMM, now here it is, and it's less than 400 quid!
It also comes equipped with an Edge-Zero II bridge, ZPS3Fe locking vibrato, Infinity pickups and a 'neck pickup simulator'. We can't wait.
