In brief: Ibanez A527

This 2026, Ibanez did a radical move away from its conventional guitar outlines when it unleashed the Alpha. While the talk of town suggested a subliminal reprisal with regards to a certain defunct project between the manufacturer & a well known 8-string guitar maestro, we should appraise this guitar, the Alpha A527, in its own right.

LIKES

• well-made
• responsive tuners
• functional, no frills electronics
• overall playability
• body ergonomics

DISLIKES

• neck dive
• poor upper fret access (B/E/A strings in particular)
• tone

The Alpha's outline is definitely aimed at the contemporary guitarist. It sure as heck won't be embraced by a blues aficionado any time soon. Despite that rather heretical body outline, the guitar is downright comfortable played strapped on (virtually sticks to the body with extra comfort when it comes to an elbow rest) but it's simply repulsive when played sitting down. No number of positioning permutations could solve that acute neck dive issue. This is compounded by the multi-scale, fanned frets which made upper fret access a struggle, especially for the lower strings. Consolation - the asymmetrical neck profile is actually very addictive & would supplement fast playing.

Tone-wise, you either embrace what the Fishman Fluence Modern pickups has to offer or make plans to replace them with your preferred alternative. On that note, be informed that these are actually 9-string pickups that were slanted to maximize the sonic capacity of the instrument. Good luck in finding ready replacements for these. If you observe a percussive playing style, these pickups would give you an immaculate high gain crunch tones with very good individual notes definition. Do not get upset, after extensive tinkering with effects, amps & EQs, if you fail to conjure your preferred, heavy distortion tone because the Fishmans were not conceived to serve such manifestations.

We won't see a 6-string version any time soon because, according tot he Ibanez officials at the recent NAMM event, this design doesn't quite work for 6-strings.

Overall rating: 76%

Ibanez A527 ($2,399)

• Available at Swee Lee
• Bag included

PS: Thanks Aryadni, (Swee Lee CQ) for letting me try the guitar! 

 

KX600

Neil Zaza's back with Cort. This KX600 is his doing. It's a simple design with delivery in mind. Pickups are Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers & we hope there would be passive options along the way. If only that headstock finish matches the body. Also, those inlays are too big for some of us. Anyway, looks aside, this guitar was conceived to not get in your way of achieving great tones & maximum playability.

Pic: Cort

E Arrow

The Arrow model is now offered as an Edwards iteration. This E-Arrow-1H as the name implies, is a single humbucker vesion. Specifically, it's a Fishman Fluence Modern to handle all sorts of distortion antics.

Pic: ESP Japan

LTD 2025

New models from the the ESP camp were announced today. I will cite the posts as LTD updates, not ESP, because that's clearly stated on the headstock - LTD. I also do not wish to represent these instruments as ESPs despite the LTD name being a sub-brand; Squier is not Fender & Epiphone is not Gibson. Enough said.

First up, the Mick Thomson signature was definitely on everyone's watch list & we finally get to see it. A minimalist manifestation with an absolute focus on tone hence the fixed bridge & single pickup affair. That bridge there is a Hipshot (HM) & the single humbucker is a signature Fishman Fluence. The toggle switch & push/pull knob will give you 3 voicing options.

Initial impressions:

• sleek design
• very ergonomic
• simple layout may be a make / break consideration for some of us
• ditto blank fretboard

The other anticipated release but not as celebrated as the Mick Thomson's is this Andy LaRocque signature. This one had been prototyped & brought on tour. I had been following this development more than the MT model. The pickups here are passive Seymour Duncans (JB / Custom Stack Plus) & the bridge, an FR1000 but the tuners here are locking as well. Interestingly, this guitar sports a 24.75" scale length. 

Initial impressions

• no special / unique features, a 'safe' set of specs that would be universally appealing
• 24.75" scale length might not be a thing with this type of shred-esque model

I was expecting ESP to actually release two versions of these instruments; the USA/Japanese version & an LTD take but as it is, only the LTD versions are offered in the mean time. Andy LaRocque played the E-II version for a while & seeing 'LTD' on this version is an under-whelming affair. However, we could all agree with how the upper end LTDs are (Deluxe & signature models) when it comes to quality. I am not into signature models so whatever floats the ESP boat, they should know what's good for them.

Pics: ESP

SOLAR: Windstein & extended

Another signature model in the SOLAR camp - EFR1.6KW. It's the signature model for Kirk Windstein (Crowbar / Down), spec'd out for a very heavy metal application: EMG 81 / 85 pickups. That 'reverse' headstock might not sit well with some of us. 

In similar territory, there's the E1.6AAN-27. The 27 there refers to the extended scale length. This one's equipped with an Evertune bridge & a pain of Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers.

Pics: SOLAR

Price watch (88)

The list price for an Ibanez Mikro bass is $299. We can agree that adding branded replacement pickups & selling it for this price is a difficult proposition considering this amount of money can get us a, new bass.

The RG1527 was in the Prestige line up replacing the RG7620 in the early 2000s. It was a respectable guitar but it was listed for $1.7K +/- so the price you see here reflects the custom paint finish + Fishman pickups. Worth the extra $$$? That's your call.

According to the seller, the cracks there is a factory defect. By the looks of it, since it went round the heel, it might be the result of a fall causing stress cracks on that area. It's gonna be a costly repair...

LTD @ Davis GMC

If there's a no-nonsense LTD Eclipse model to recommend, I'd urge you to check out the Deluxe version. These are identifiable by the model number which are 4 digits. The Deluxes are in fact LTD's top-of-the-line model before things cross over to the E-II range. Prices are getting out of hand very quickly but in my personal opinion, it's still worth the price-to-performance consideration. Here are some featured models which are in stock now at Davis GMC. Folks, the model you see above is the 1000T in a satin finish ($1,880).

The instrument is unfinished at the rear as well so you get that wooden vibe all round, clear of any synthetic colouring. Pickups are the Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic.

If weight is a concern, then this chambered body EC-1000T CTM might be your thing. As such, it lists for a little more than the non-chambered version ($1,980).

For those of us in need of a quick pseudo-acoustic fix can consider the EC-1000 Piezo model ($1,980). This one comes with a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers (JB / '59).

Pics: ESP

Krys is here

Pic: Ibanez

The Ibanez KRYS10 is now available at Swee Lee. Polyphia fan boys would be pleased to know that this lists for $1,999 which I find respectable. I predicted a $2K+ price tag in view of the Fluence pickups on board. I chose this tilted view of the guitar to show you the binding at the body which many of us would be unaware of. 

Wino prophecy

Not one but two - that's how many Epiphone Jerry Cantrell Les Paul you'd see in the market soon. I would see this as a smart move - adding an affordable version that is almost 10x cheaper than the real deal. However folks, there's no piezo feature in the Epi version, pickups are Epiphone versions & body is weight-relieved. Nevertheless, it looks appealing.

The other model is this Prophecy iteration, meaning, it has a modern slant to it. Fluence pickups & push-pull switching options set it apart from its Wino bother. Also, this one has two more frets. Of course, there's absolutely no news if the current Epiphone distributor here are still bringing stuff in. Your guess is as good as mine.

Pics: Musicradar

Dean 2021

Nothing particularly outstanding in Dean's 2021 releases but we take note of these two developments. Firstly,  Dean has joined the roasted maple camp, represented by the MD24 here. This one features an FR1000 bridge as well as a pair of Seymour Duncans (Custom / Alnico II Pro). Serious appointments here so that we do not dismiss Dean as a fringe brand name. 

Secondly, the Fluence pickups are in selected models as well. The V Select here sports a pair of Moderns. If you think roasted maple & Fluences are exclusive appointments to certain brand names then these prove otherwise. 

Pics: Dean