Ibanez Iron Label series thread

[kreaturesleeper]

They look awesome, one thing that has bugged me about the RG line for a while is the abundance of pickguards and a middle pickup. However Id be more apt to find a used RGA121 and swap the pups than take a chance on one of these.

 

[satchisgod]

Really boring predictable releases from Ibanez. Not very exciting. I really can't understand why they don't provide ebony fingerboards either or some other innovative fast fretboards for the metal / shredding scene. Plus they look so much better than those anaemic rosewood boards. Big thumbs down from me

 

[AxeHappy]

More low-end guitars. I could not care less.

How about something interesting in the prestige line up. That S7 prestige would have been interesting if it was available in Canada.

 

[kreaturesleeper]

More low-end guitars. I could not care less.

How about something interesting in the prestige line up. That S7 prestige would have been interesting if it was available in Canada.

I can guarantee the profit margin is going to swing highly in favor of this "new" line. At this point, they arent trying to impress anyone or offer more options/colors with the prestige line. They are surviving by selling cheapos with EMGs to kids that want to go home and palm mute for an hour. Obviously most of us want more options on the higher end lines, but they arent going to sell the same amount of $1500 guitars as they will $300 guitars.

 

[1968 Charger B5]

I dont really see the point of the iron label. They make plenty of niceguitars, however I am sure it is possibly a selling point...?
I do like that white one...

 

[devolutionary]

Naturally it's a selling point. If you go outside of SSO, EMGs are a huge bonus to most metal musicians. This year is really heavily about competing directly with ESP, Jackson and Schecter. This is where these instruments, along with the abundance of other 7s, is coming from.

 

[Basti]

a) They have killswitches and I have no reason to diss EMGs...so overall "not bad".

 

[leandroab]

What is exactly this "iron label" series all about?

 

[devolutionary]

EMG loaded RGs and S's in 6/7/8 with contrast binding on the RGs and killswitches, aimed at standard series pricepoint. Basically Ibanez reacting to Jackson's X and Schecter's SLS with a big middle finger saying "we're more metal than you, fuckers"

 

[jl-austin]

What is exactly this "iron label" series all about?

One word.

Hype.

 

[BlazinmanFly]

No thanks, hate the Gibralter bridge. They might as well call this generic metalcore series guitar.

 

[BucketheadRules]

I think they're pretty nice-looking guitars (despite the lack of colour options ), but the image is a tad off-putting.

These, however, are really nice.

 

[simonXsludge]

So barely anyone has ever touched one, yet I hear complaints about them being sub-par guitars? Cool story, bro.

I played them at NAMM and they are cool guitars. Kind of a more "Metal" Premium series, at a similiar price point actually. They have awesome necks and really solid fretwork. I wish they would have put the new low profile Gibraltar bridge on all the fixed ILs, but the normal Gibraltar isn't terrible. Just ugly and bulky.

I don't understand why they put PAFs into the S Iron Labels (instead of D Activators) and wish the RGs came with passive options as well, but all in all it seems to be a cool line for people who are looking for an affordable, ready-to-go "Metal" guitar.

A few photos from NAMM:

 

[Demiurge]

Not totally up my alley, though I wouldn't kick the S7 out of bed for eating crackers.

I'd be more cynical along the lines of "oh, look Ibanez: just releasin' black guitars for philistine metalheads" if this were ~5 years ago, but they've been getting a lot better with variety and colors. Hell, if they didn't even show this line, their NAMM showing would have been pretty damn good.

And even if one wants to dismiss these as one-dimensional POS guitars (which they don't look like) being sold en masse to kids in skinny jeans to bash-around in their band, Verb the Noun, consider that perhaps the income from these lines will make the company feel a bit better financially about releasing 7-string jazzboxes and UVs.

 

[AxeHappy]

I can guarantee the profit margin is going to swing highly in favor of this "new" line. At this point, they arent trying to impress anyone or offer more options/colors with the prestige line. They are surviving by selling cheapos with EMGs to kids that want to go home and palm mute for an hour. Obviously most of us want more options on the higher end lines, but they arent going to sell the same amount of $1500 guitars as they will $300 guitars.

That's fine. Absolutely fine. Smart business sense even.

But I still don't give a flying fiddler's fuck about these guitars, which was the question posed originally.

 

[Captain Butterscotch]

All I see is a fixed bridge S7 that has no stupid inlays. They sold me from the first leak.

 

[ZeroS1gnol]

Im really not a real big fan of the black with binding, but that S7...

Ive got an RGA7, which looks as if it was an inspiration for this series, looks wise. I wouldnt mind swapping out the RGA for the S. I'd basically have the same guitar look wise, only better pickups, fretwork and Id really like to own a Saber. So I might just do that.

But Ibanez, please be kind, release a S7 with that new tight end bridge. I just dont get it. I dont hate the Gibraltar, actually like it, but the tight end...different league as far as I can judge by looking at it.

 

[GSingleton]

Not a fan of that bridge. It made me sell my first 7 and rgd7321 from the first run.

 

[Xiphos68]

I had the chance to play one recently.

The sevenstring RG Gilbralter one... and it sounded good but the fretwork was awful.
When you go down the neck it feels like your fingers are about to be cut.

Sounds good. Killswitch works. But the fretwork is what got me.

 

[7stringDemon]

I really like the S7. If it had a trem, it would be perfect and I'd sell gear to get one.

Next option is the RGIL27 with the EZII-7. I can just get covers for my passive a that I throw in there. I like the look anyway!