I thought Ibanez was done with the 2021 announcements but this popped up yesterday at their webpage (was busy to update + I had a late day). Seen above: AZS2200F (F = flame maple top)
There are two variations offered; the one you see up there with the whammy bridge (alder body) & this fixed bridge version sporting an ash body (AZS2209H, H = hard tail). The whammy bridge is a duplicate of the AZ's, Gotoh T1802. Ibanez chose to go the vintage way with the 3-saddle T-style bridge but it's still a Gotoh (F1803). I foresee the vintage purists swapping the saddles out for the brass version to manifest an all out twang - heck, yeah! If you look at the control layout of the AZS2209H, it screams Telecaster with a twist. If you are a Tele owner, you'd know how the straight layout sometimes hinder pickup switching so slanting / curving it this way addresses just that. Brilliant.
So what Ibanez did, to see the bigger picture here, is to offer a T-style version of the AZ model so you entice both Strat & Tele fans to the fold. There won't be a total switch over if you had been a Fender bender all this while as these instruments offer a different playing experience & tone. I'm also glad that Ibanez kept the Seymour Duncan theme going for this series but choosing existing models (Magic Touch Mini / Alnico II Pro Custom) instead of collaborative models like the AZ's Hyperion & Fortuna.
Is this Ibanez's first T-style adventure? Certainly not. The guitar you see above was featured in Richie Kotzen's Electric Joy album. Maybe it's a good time to entice Mr. Kotzen back into the Ibanez camp with the AZS? Hmm...
- A: Talman series. Has the T vibe going but the body is an offset design
- B: Ibanez's offshoot label, the Starfield. This one here is one of the Cabriolet models
- C: FR - the most recent design but discontinued WEF 2021. Hold on to yours if you own one
Pics: Ibanez/ Audiofanzine/ Musicstore/ pinterest
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