Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 879
Shark Fin and Shark Tooth inlays
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?