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Shark Fin and Shark Tooth inlays

22K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  michel3105 
#1 ·
I'll be upfront, I LOVE shark fin and shark tooth inlays. I have no idea if other Ibanez fans agree or not, maybe everyone else just thinks their gaudy throw-backs to the 80s. I disagree. I think those fins and teeth serve as a powerful element of product differentiation. You will never find such inlays on any guitar branded as Fender or Gibson.

I've noticed, however, that true sharks are only found on lower-end models and reissues. The Prestige models have the ghost sharks. I like my ghost sharks, but they're just not the same as the real deal!

Jackson puts MOP real sharks on their USA models, why can't Ibanez do the same on Prestige guitars? Playing an Ibanez or Jackson practically screams "I like playing a guitar intended for a genre of music isn't likely to top the pop charts", no matter what you're actually playing on it. I can't imagine that sharks would all of a sudden make a loyal Ibanez player go start playing a PRS, or vice versa.

So...more real shark fin and teeth inlays on Prestige guitars, please?
 
#3 ·
No more wood replaced than vines and pyramids, IMO. ;) Then again, you may be a dot inlay person.

The inlays don't have to be plastic. MOP/Abalone looks good on rosewood and ebony. Ebony sharks look killer on maple, and you're replacing wood with wood!
 
#8 ·
Sharktooth inlays don't bother me, but I'd prefer another inlay. I feel they scream "play some metal on me!!!" when you look at them. The new inlay on the new rga series look much better IMO. And somebody get rid of the pathetic inlay on the new 24-frets Sabers, please (again, it's my opinion).
 
#12 ·
I'm another one who loves the sharkteeth inlay. I do find it surprising that one of Ibanez's most distinctive inlays is now the herald of mid and lower price guitars.

I recall when you saw sharkteeth, you knew someone had sprung for something more than a regular 550 like the rest of the guys. That guy, yeah, he was a SERIOUS shredder!!!
 
#16 ·
I'm another one who loves the sharkteeth inlay. I do find it surprising that one of Ibanez's most distinctive inlays is now the herald of mid and lower price guitars.

I recall when you saw sharkteeth, you knew someone had sprung for something more than a regular 550 like the rest of the guys. That guy, yeah, he was a SERIOUS shredder!!!
I chuckle because, I mean, what...do you "draw the line" on an Ibanez when it comes to Shark inlays?

Pencil-thin necks with jumbo frets?

Yes!

Gaudy neon day-glo colors?

Yes!

Multi-color pickup bobbins?

Yes!

Sharktooth/Sharkfin inlays?

*crickets*

All of the above is ok but shark inlays mean that we're one degree from whipping out the aquanet and spandex, eh? :D

You guys would love my signature Ibanez. There'd be two models - one with a bright red maple flame top and one with a red tiger stripe print ala George Lynch. Both would have MOP TIGER tooth inlays. :D
 
#18 ·
I think jono's comment is the puzzle piece I'm missing. I started playing in the early 90s. There really wasn't anywhere near the information there is now, even though that wasn't too long ago. At that time, I couldn't recite you a full report of *any* line of guitars, and certainly not Ibanez seeing as I was 12. :D To me, there were the DY Jems in the pawnshops I always wanted and some lower end ones in all the mailed MF and AMS catalogues that for some reason I remember all having Shark inlays.

Looking through old Ibanez catalogues on Rich's site, I'm guessing what I was looking at was RG4XX, RG3XX and the older RG2XXs that had those inlays. Maybe they're not associated with high-end models, but I'm commenting that Ibanez should start.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I saw Shark fin and Shark tooth, so I could not resist. Shark week just ended, so I am all hopped up on Shark stuff. I have been vacuuming everyday multiple times with my Shark vacuum even. Shark tooth inlay.....good. I like the Ibanez variation. I especially like it on an Ebony fingerboard with binding. It is a nice option to the common dots.
 
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