Summer NAMM 2022: Gold

Not to be left our this Summer NAMM, something from the Satch camp - behold, the JS2GD. Everything here is gold less the rosewood fretboard & some hardware / electronic appointments. Three things to note: HSS pickup combo, three pickup switches & back to 22 frets. Then again, it's effectively an HHH combo as those single coil sized pickups are humbucking. Three pickup switches will give a very interesting tone adventure if you don't mind them being fiddly; dealing with three switches might be a deal-breaker for some of us. Just happy to see the JS still being relevant to the Ibanez camp. They should really re-intro the Radius model for those of us who do not fancy the Satch association.

One more thing, it's Joe Satriani or Satch, not Joe Satch. 

Summer NAMM 2022: Kiko / Jiva

The Ibanez KIKO100 is back. Back because it used to be in production till about 2017. Nothing special about the 2022 version as it's spec'd out to replicate its predecessor. The KIKO models will be in production for a good while seeing how it's showcased to the world through Megadeth shows. 

Finally, a deserving Japanese model for Nita Strauss - JIVAX2. The ebony fretboard is retained together with the DiMarzio pickups. She opted for the EZ bridge instead & a less intense body binding. 

I lumped these two together to show you the artists who favour non-RG type models for their signature version - they do exist. While the RG dominates in terms of popularity, the Ibanez brand name is not about this model exclusively. 

Pics: Ibanez