'ALUMIBOY'??What Exactly Is It??????????????

[JTM45]

Hi Guys!
I've looked all over this Forum trying to actually find out what the 'Alumiboy' is or will be if it's released but I can't find any proper descriptions of it.
Are we talking about an actual 'Aluminium Body' which will be chromed or is it a wooden body that's somehow Aluminium 'coated'(that one doesn't seem likely).If it is actually an Aluminium Body are we to presume it will be hollow as most Aluminium-Bodied guitars are?If it is it should be a different sounding JS altogether.For a start the fact that it's hollow should add something to the overall tone of the Guitar and Aluminium is known to be an excellent material for carrying sound-waves.I've got an Aluminium-Bodied Telecaster and the Sustain on these bodies is Fantastic!!!
So,does anybody know what exactly people are talking about when they refer to the 'Alumiboy'.I'd be very interested to hear from anybody who knows what it is made from or coated in or anything really!
All the Best!...................JTM45!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

[Rich]

It's been so long I can't remember exactly where it came from, was either John Riccio or Mike Manning, or somebody, but it's rummored the last chromeboy Ibanez made him recently [the one he's currently touring with] is aluminum, and honestly it sounds like it is if you've seen any of the shows. Joe can't confirm, he's somewhat clueless about his guitars, everything but how to play them that is

[Viper-sfm]

Actually putting aluminum around a wooden body isn't that impossible. And since I can't see Joe playing a Hollow body guitar, I don't see why it would be hollow body. It's good to remember, that Aluminum is quite flexible, so it's quite possible to create a method of doing it without flaws...

[Rich]

Sure, they use wood for forms to shape aluminum, but that's time and labor, as well as craftmanship intensive. Whatever his new "chrome" is it's definately the worst sounding axe in his arsenal, I remember his crystal sounding better, although they were neck and neck. His 1200 is the best sounding guitar he's playing this [or last] year, although it's not as sweet as his JS2's either.

[Viper-sfm]

You may have a point there. I guess until the guitar comes out, we can't be sure of anything. In fact (Unless word was out on another website), all we got from joe was "stunning new Ibanez Chrome JS guitar". He didnt say that it was aluminum at any point. Unless, you, Rich, has inside info on it that we don't

[pawel]

What Rich is saying is that we might know as much as Joe (if not more) as to what that guitar would be...;-)

[Rich]

I don't know what Ibanez has up their sleve. I'm guessing hollow aluminum just from a manufacturing point of view. They could end up doing one of those simul-chrome painted and clearcoated runs, and imo I'd prefer that over something exotic

[JTM45]

It's a well known fact that sound-waves travel really well through good quality Aluminium(Aerospace Grade)with very little distortion and also it has no natural faults to interfere with the path of the sound waves.This also allows for well above average resonance and significantly improved sustain.The only reason more guitars and guitar bodies aren't made from Aluminium is the relative expense of the manufacturing processes used to produce them from the material.
Why do you think 'Veleno' Aluminium guitars are so sought after and go for such high prices(apart from the fact that they look AWESOME!).Because they're superb sounding Guitars!And their made entirely from Aluminium.Billy Gibbons comissioned 'Bolin' guitars to make him an Aluminium bodied Telecaster recently for the same reason and so did Ronnie Wood.
Like everybody on this forum,I LOVE guitars and I've always played guitars that have been made from wood(as have 99.999% of guitarists).But if a new technology comes along in the guitar world that happens to be a step forward I'll gladly embrace it!!!!!Nobody ever got anywhere by running on the spot!If we all stuck with just what we knew Jems would be fitted with Bigsbys,which,as cool as they are and as innovative as they were,aren't as good as a Lo-Pro Edge at doing what they do!!!!!!!!!
Technological Advance is the way of the Future,and those who shun it will be left in the Past!!!!!
JTM45!!!!!!!!

[Viper-sfm]

Originally Posted by Rich

I don't know what Ibanez has up their sleve. I'm guessing hollow aluminum just from a manufacturing point of view.

It's a possibility, but I wouldn't buy a hollowbody...so I'm hoping not

Originally Posted by Rich

They could end up doing one of those simul-chrome painted and clearcoated runs, and imo I'd prefer that over something exotic

As long as they don't wear off after 3 months of playing

[RSVampire]

if it's aluminum you can get those metal polish and sealers and they seal the thing up real good for up to 6 months and stuff.

[darren wilson]

It highly doubt it would be raw aluminum... I can't see why they wouldn't chrome plate it.

[caprile]

I've asked Mike Manning (Joe's Tech) twice about this. Sadly, both times it has been something like:
Me: "hey, is that one made of aluminum?"
MM: "YES"
-end of conversation-

[Viper-sfm]

Ugh, that sucks...

[darren wilson]

I've read a lot of good things about the tone of hollow aluminum guitars, whether some of the hand-made ones by boutique builders or production models like the Tokai Talbo. It doesn't sound like a wooden guitar, but a lot of people do like the sound and dynamics of it.

To get a warmer sound, you'd probably have to play with different pickups... i would imagine the aluminum preserves a lot more of the high frequencies in the vibrating string. If Ibanez does indeed put out a hollow-body chrome-plated aluminum JS, i'm going to have a really hard time not selling off a few of my other guitars to acquire one.

[syxxstring]

Spruce Hill Guitars suposidly made them for fender. I have an aluminum tele body on order, however the 6-8 week wait has now been 8 months.