2009 ibanez line-up speculation

[socratys]

Anyone know when the 2009 catalogue will be released then?

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

You're both missing the point. Swirls and **** have their place, but even in their heyday, Ibanez weren't exactly the only kid on the block when it came to shred guitars.

Ibanez are a company. Its great that they have this image to a lot of people but at the end of the day if they make 6,000,000 absolutely beautiful guitars that nobody wants except a small proportion of people who post on jemsite, they're going out of business.

And as for 'trends change', thats another point to be made. Swirls were a trend. Dayglo guitars were a trend. Lucite guitars were a trend. Why should we go back to a trend that 99% of guitarists agree was lurid and horrible in almost every sense? I like swirls, but fact is, that 99% of the market that isn't like me or you, DOESN'T.

I'd much rather see Ibanez produce some fantastic guitars with quilt maple tops in trans colours, that play fantastic. Sure, I have to 'explain why this guitar is better than that guitar' a little more, but frankly, if a guitar looks good, it looks good to most people. Most people don't care if its instantly recognizable as an ibanez or even a gibson. If it looks well made, then they just think 'Wow that guitar looks cool'

The only people on earth who are really going to care about this 'uniquely ibanez finish' you have on your guitar, that 'sets it apart from everything else' are guitar geeks. The rest of the world will just decide if it looks good or bad to them, then they'll move on and worry about something more important.

Ah, but you've missed it. I said they don't have to discontinue anything. I seriously doubt it makes a lot of buisness difference to add a few (yes just a few) of the older colors Ibanez used when they were leading the pack. I never said that they couldn't or shouldn't make trans finishes, or natural finishes. Then they would sell to even more people. That does make buisness sense in my book. Currently, they are interested in black, white and the occasional CA red (an exaggeration yes, but not a gross one). So they are only trying to please one small part of the crowd.

You may not like the florescent colors and the scene you are in may not be down with it. And you may know others that aren't either. But to say 99% is going a bit overboard. To quote Larry the Cable Guy "47.3% of statistics are made up on the spot." If I'm not mistaken the 20th sold fairly well didn't they? Correct me if I'm wrong. If they did, then there is a bit of evidence, which is what we use when we make points instead of picking random numbers and making them into a statistic.

[IbanezFreak777]

Lets just say that DY was the reason I turned to Ibanez, cause it was a color that was not popular or common.

I never want to own a common looking Guitar.....

Just like you dont want to go to a party, nightclub, pub, or bar and find that 5 other guys are wearing the exact same tshirt......



Yeah I know its a pointless argument. I just like alot of colors :P

[Brosa]

Originally Posted by CosmicDebris

Different year and the same ole posts about what should/would/could happen. Gotta love it.

+1

Cheers, Sam

[GuitarBizarre]

Originally Posted by IbanezFreak777

wow 99% of all guitarists,, did you interview every guitarist on the planet ?

Understated guitars are the safe way to play live. it makes sure the audience doesn't expect amazing guitar solos.... boooooooooo

:P


And how do you know that if the guitar manufacturers gave more colors in their line up that maybe the masses would buy them....

1 - If you're going to take issue with the 99%, I may as well cease responding right now. Its obvious hyperbole and the intent of the statement is pretty damn clear. Making an issue of it is just a strawman argument.

2 - Understated guitars are what some people like. As for 'expecting awesome guitar solos', how many popular songs have a guitar solo at all in them recently, let alone a mind blowingly awesome one? Pretty much none. The only popular song with an 'amazing guitar solo' that shoots to mind is the Beat It solo, which is well over a decade old.

Audiences at large aren't interested in guitar solos. Look at all the guitar legends the average joe is going to mention. The one thing they all have in common is that average joe, even if he accepts the technical skill, sees the guitar solo as something to air guitar over in the middle of a singalong. Average joe doesn't care how technical it is, or what kind of guitar its being played with.

In fact, I'd go so far to say that average joe views a big ol flashy guitar with a crazy paintjob as a turnoff, an indication that the guitarist clearly wants to be the center of attention.


As for Kotornut, you seem like a cool dude around the forum and whatnot, but you've missed my previous post where I say swirls and bright colours are cool. I'm just trying to think of it from the point of view of someone who ISN'T already steeped in the lore and legend of ibanez guitars gone by.

The proverbial 99% of the world getting into guitar these days are barely aware swirls and dayglo even existed. The kind of people that really care about that are either fledgling shredheads or the slightly older folk that were into it when it was big.






My entire point was this: People on this forum repeatedly fail to take into account that we are a community based solely around Ibanez guitars, and with many older or shred influenced members. It stands to reason that around here people are going to, by and large, agree with each other that swirls look awesome.

And that very same fact also makes it plain to someone who steps back for a minute, that we're NOT a representative sample of the guitar market. The representative sample of the guitar market, is the guitars that people see everywhere, the common finishes and styles. Theres a lot of variety in just traditional guitar design and modern metal design, but in the grand scheme of things, the stuff we're askign for never made up a massive part of the guitar market, and it never will. Ibanez know this so they're marketing accordingly and producing models accordingly.

All in all, I think Ibby are surprisingly receptive to the demands of their community customers like us. Tak brings things up on our behalf all the time and they still endorse lots of shred guitarists in the old school vein, and they even bring out crazy finishes sometimes too, like the xiphos and others.

Considering their size and the fact they're a japanese company at heart, I think thats commendable, but we need to stop constantly whining as a community that Ibanez aren't the glory days shred guitar company they used to be. If ibanez bent over backwards to please the demands of this forum as if it represented the will of guitarists worldwide, they'd soon be out of business and we need to take that into account when we request things. It would help the things we DO request get taken that much more seriously.

[michblanch]

I saw a video with Mick Thompson showing his new Ibanez.
It looks like a cross between a Wolfgang and Telecaster. Really distictive and a new direction for Ibanez.

I just hope its not a one off for Mick and hits the market.

Any insight on this one Rich?

[Rich]

No buzz about it, and as it would undoubtedly be Indonesian if built, would be a Noddles II.

[michblanch]

Originally Posted by Rich

No buzz about it, and as it would undoubtedly be Indonesian if built, would be a Noddles II.

Now that you mention it, it kinda looked like a Noodle, but not a Noodle. had a standard headstock.,SEVEN on the fretboard, and loaded with what looked like EMG's.

[MFB]

If you mean his sunburst style Ibby, it actually had SD's in it. A JB bridge and a Classic Stack SC in the neck

[michblanch]

Originally Posted by MFB

If you mean his sunburst style Ibby, it actually had SD's in it. A JB bridge and a Classic Stack SC in the neck

Yea thats it.
Now that you metion it I remember him saying it was a Classic Stack in the neck.
Great Sunburst top on it.
Please post pictures if you happen to see any.

[Brosa]

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

The only popular song with an 'amazing guitar solo' that shoots to mind is the Beat It solo, which is well over a decade old.

1983 to be exact, so that makes it 25 years ago.

[GuitarBizarre]

Originally Posted by Brosa

1983 to be exact, so that makes it 25 years ago.

My statement is still technically correct, but I wasnt sure and I couldn't be bothered looking it up, so I played safe. very safe in fact.

[brianxtr]

thats a great solo...i like it a lot...van halen rules....were does that guitarist come from??

[MFB]

Originally Posted by michblanch

Yea thats it.
Now that you metion it I remember him saying it was a Classic Stack in the neck.
Great Sunburst top on it.
Please post pictures if you happen to see any.

This work for ya?

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

As for Kotornut, you seem like a cool dude around the forum and whatnot, but you've missed my previous post where I say swirls and bright colours are cool. I'm just trying to think of it from the point of view of someone who ISN'T already steeped in the lore and legend of ibanez guitars gone by.

First of all, I'm not out to make a big deal and an argument. Just discussing. No hard feelings at all. I see what you are trying to say, I was poking at you with the stats jibe.

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

Considering their size and the fact they're a japanese company at heart, I think thats commendable, but we need to stop constantly whining as a community that Ibanez aren't the glory days shred guitar company they used to be. If ibanez bent over backwards to please the demands of this forum as if it represented the will of guitarists worldwide, they'd soon be out of business and we need to take that into account when we request things. It would help the things we DO request get taken that much more seriously.

You could be right, but honestly if you don't say anything then you may not get anything. All I really want is an LNG RG. Also, it isn't new for customers to complain and say the glory years of their favorite brand are gone. Fender, Gibson, PRS, Jackson and almost every company that makes a guitar has gone through this at least once. If Ibanez does listen to us as much as you say then they are doing something right because if you read this thread nuno says that Ibanez is the leading guitar company in sales http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f18/oh...light=PII+porn


My main point is, I feel they can make a tiny bit of space in the asthetic choices to satisfy a few old school customers. Have a few more colors available on a few more models. That's it.