No surprises here as my new Ibanez is the AZ model. This one's an AZ2402. I prefer the AZ2204 for the single coils but currently, none is offered in a pickguard-less version except the Tom Quayle model & if you know me by now, signature models aren't my thing.
I see the AZ model as a winner from the start. It's not replacing the RG in terms of popularity & appeal but it treaded into a non-traditional Ibanez path without losing credibility altogether. I'm just hoping that this model would be perpetuated along the way & not suffer the SZ fate where popularity guaranteed nothing. The SZ was put to death despite a strong sales figure but some conspiracy theorists suggested that 1) The SZ made way for the AZ & nobody saw that coming because nobody was in the know 2) The SZ was eating into the RG's market share & that's a worrying thing for Ibanez. The manufacturer is still holding on to patented authority for the RG's neck profile while the SZ has nothing to fall back on to in terms of intellectual property. The legal proponents here know that if you own the idea, you can take it with you & apply it elsewhere out of RG land should things go south with the RG design one day. The Gibson camp is learning it the hard way when it comes to intellectual property & it's made plain for all to see (& learn).
I have absolutely no intentions to mod this guitar as it appeals to me in every way & that's a rare feat. Even the pink finish here is a winner. Amongst the current available finish, this pink is the least popular & that means the probability of getting an unmolested piece is higher. In fact, that happened. This isn't my first pink, there were two others before it & I'm absolutely ok with pink. Definitely no more black or sunburst for me. Not a fan of flames & quilts either. Thank you, Ibanez for not having the Prestige label on the headstock.
A fitting end to October 👍
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