• GEAR EXPO SUMMER 2022: all the latest gear from NAMM and beyond
NAMM 2022: With Fender, Gibson and PRS all absent from NAMM 2022, the spotlight fell on Ibanez to deliver on new releases at the show. And as usual, it had plenty of fuel in the electric guitar tank with new signature models for some of its highest profile artists including Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Nita Strauss and George Benson.
And there's more, so let's take a look…
Ibanez Nita Strauss JIVAX2-GH and JIVA10L-DSB
Nita Strauss became Ibanez's long overdue first female signature artist in 2018 and now there's a new spin on her JIVA10 with a Ghost finish and a five-piece maple/wenge neck in the shape of the JIVAX2.
Apart from the finish and neck wood combo, the other change from the JIVA-10 is the Edge-Zero tremolo w/ZPS3. The HSH pickup configuration with DiMarzio Pandemonium humbuckers and a True Velvet single-coil remain.
Elsewhere the JIVA10L is new a left-handed version of Strauss’ original JIVA10.
Ibanez Steve Vai PIA3761C-BLP
Steve Vai’s PIA signature first surfaced at the last Anaheim NAMM show and now the PIA3761C gets a new Blue Power finish, along with chrome hardware in place of the usual gold.
Ibanez George Benson GBSP10
Ibanez isn't just about metal and shred these days you know; the jazz maestro gets his due with an update to his GB10. There's a striking red finish for the flamed maple top, back and sides, new GBSP10 special ebony bridge and a GBSP10 special tailpiece.
The guitar also features GB special humbuckers and a half-bone/half-brass nut.
Ibanez Kiko Loureiro KIKO100-TRR
Another red finish… Transparent Ruby Red, no less. The Megadeth man's latest signature also features a five-piece maple / walnut neck and Edge tremolo.
Pickups are the DiMarzio KIKO HSH combo with a five-way switch and push/pull volume pot offering plenty of tonal options.
Ibanez Joe Satriani JS2GD
It wouldn't be an Ibanez stand without a new Satch model would it! But there's more than just a gold finish going on here. Though, that is a real eye-catcher – with Jescar EVOgold frets and an Edge tremolo to match.
An extra single-coil is in the mix along with plenty of switching options.The HSS pickup configuration consists of two DiMarzio Satch Track single-coils and a DiMarzio FRED bridge humbucker.
There's individual toggles to activate each pickup, in addition to a coil tap for the humbucker. In addition there's a high pass filter that has been added to the volume knob.
Ibanez Tom Quayle TQMS1-CTB
The British fusion lord of legato Tom Quayle gets his second AZ series signature model, and it's his first T-style. There's a whammy bar-loaded Gotoh T1802 bridge too.
Construction is alder with maple top and an Oval C, S-Tech Wood roasted maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Pickups are a Seymour Duncan Magic Touch-mini neck pickup with a Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom bridge single-coil. Ibanez's Alter Switch expands their tonal combinations with split coil and series modes.
Ibanez Jake Bowen JBM9999-AMM
Last but not least, Periphery man Jake Bowen gets a 27-fret Azure Metallic Matte beast as his third signature model, with a new HS pickup configuration too that debuts his JBM9999 custom single-coil and humbucker pickups.
A five-way switch makes the most of them with split, series and parallel options.
The lighter weight basswood body, five-piece maple/walnut neck and bound ebony fretboard with 17" radius rounds out the construction, with a Gibraltar Elite bridge and a Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL nut.
