Ibanez April 2026: S721

There is this series in the Ibanez lineup that supposedly caters to all things metal - the Iron Label Series. This new S721 is a new member in this Series of instruments & as you can see, it's blacked out. I totally understand the inevitable association of black with doom & gloom but there are some things in a guitar that should facilitate playing, not merely visual dominance. I believe such colour scheme does not help the beginners out there in terms of visual reference. The ebony fretboard has no position indicators & the dark colour scheme facilitates being lost more than being elegant. Black pickups against a black body - you'd be hitting the pickups while playing instead of being aware they are there in that particular playing space where you should avoid playing over to avoid hitting them. 

It's quite the opposite for seasoned players. Fretboard reference is second nature after years of playing. All this compounded by the dark stage presence; visual reference is nothing anymore. The instrument had become too familiar for you to mess up your playing fundamentals. Anyway, this blacker than black S721 is now available at Swee Lee ($1,299) & it sports my favourite DiMarzios in there - the D Activator.

Pic: Swee Lee

Price watch (104)

I do not know who these people / entity are but they are selling stuff at super inflated prices. This Ibanez RG421 could be had for less than $550 at Swee Lee.

Look at this very unreasonable pickup price; there is a whopping $118 difference. Please be careful when dealing with such people / entity, they might have received favourable reviews pertaining to buying / selling but it doesn't exclude them from being daylight robbers.

Futura RD

Epiphone just launched its Futura line of guitars & this made the defunct RD design (still available in Gibson's Custom lineup, though) more accessible for us lay people. The mere outline might not sit well with many of us, it looks like a failed high school design project more than anything else. Despite this peculiarity, mind you, there is a cult following.

The implication of this launch is rather obvious. Epiphone wants a bite in the lower midrange price pie & they need to offer instruments that reflect this price range. 

For the record, the original Futura is actually the name of a model (debut 2001) as depicted above. It looked like a deformed Explorer. The Futura re-surfaced in 2008 as part of the Prophecy collection before disappearing for good.

 Pics: Epiphone

Zen

Screen grab from Swee Lee's web store. It's sold out in the mean time. Didn't even know it made it here... Once something ascends onto mythical / legendary levels, the obsession is real. 

Ibanez April 2026: Classical 7 & 8

Would like to applaud Ibanez for the perpetual extension of the 7 & 8 string concepts unto non-solid body models. The GA3007 & GA3008 you see above are absolute beasts. I currently have issues fretting a 6-string classical guitar, that 8-string version there would be an absolute predicament. 

In any case, this is absolutely not the way to promote an 8-string instrument - please keep track of how many times the 7th / 8th strings were fretted.

Pics: Ibanez

Ibanez April 2026: RGR431

The thing about Ibanez, it does not neglect the more affordable range for the masses. This RGR431 here lists for $629 (in stock at Swee Lee). There's nothing really special about a fixed, bridge RG with a reverse headstock but a closer look reveals a matching poplar burl top for both the body & headstock. Just wish that the finish of this guitar was not black (Ibanez calls it charcoal gray) as this failed to accentuate the burl top. 

Pic: Ibanez