8620

Nothing really refreshing at the Ibanez front for March. The RG8620 is now available in the new finishes depicted above - Anvil gray burst flat (top) & Ghost fleet blue burst (bottom). Both are now available at Swee Lee ($3,999)

Pics: Ibanez

TJAMC @ Esplanade

If your music revolved round the alternative genre back in the mid-'80s or so, The Jesus & Mary Chain would be a familiar name. Notable others in this era include Sonic Youth & Cocteau Twins, among others. TJAMC will be performing here in April for those interested.

Pic: Esplanade

Price vision

This IV1RG you see here is a member of the Visions Series comprising of two guitars & a bass. It was initially launched sometime in the Summer of 2025. This represents Ibanez's pinnacle in guitar craftsmanship. It's now available at Swee Lee for $10,999. 

I'm just not a fan of the tree-of-life inlay & gold hardware. For that kind of money, Ibanez should be making me something to my specs. Just my opinion.

Pic: Ibanez USA

Conceptually

If you love the A527 but cannot live with the excessive neck dive (because you play sitting down most of the time & find the strap annoying), the RGD71 might be a good alternative. 

As you can see above, the guitars are conceptually similar. The blueprint for features & playability was in the RGD71 all along. For innovation's sake, the Alpha's neck profile was given the asymmetrical treatment which, in my opinion, gave a very different & somewhat addictive appeal (yes, despite the quirks). The body moved entirely away from the RG outline to facilitate those of us who strap the guitar higher. The retarded Alpha headstock is compensating the overall neck weight in what might be an attempt to make it less heavy but there's already a significant addition due to the asymmetrical design.

Also, A527 ($2,399) vs RGD71 ($1,549) might be a significant consideration for many of us. 

 Pics: Ibanez

Hypersonic

Folks, this is the newest member in the EVH 5150 lineup and... it's not a tube amp. The manufacturer did a digital reproduction of its tube voicings & word is, players couldn't differentiate between this & the actual tube unit. Fair enough, they did well here but the 6L6 label there might confuse the uninitiated. These are yet to debut in the stores here but prices are unreasonable for a non-tube unit. Till it gets here, we will just keep this in mind.

Watch Ola give it a go.

Pic: EVH

GL-200

An interesting inclusion in in the LTD 2026 lineup - a George Lynch model. This is the GL-200, one of the earlier indulgences if you follow the Lynch developments closely. There's a very Kramer-ish vibe here for obvious reasons. I love the electronics; a single volume control which is also a push-pull switch to toggle between the two pickups on board. If only there's a non-Floyd option which is not black.

Pic: ESP