You all know what this is, straight to the pictures:
Excuse the finger prints, I've been playing it and the trem cover is off for adjustments. Specs can be found here (although I think everyone has them memorised at this point):
https://www.ibanez.com/na/products/detail/xptb720_1p_01.html
So what is there to say - anyone who has played an Ibanez 7 will fill at home on this easy enough. The Wizard II-7 profile is one of the best neck profiles out there, period (the amount of manufacturers/customs with variants on it speaks for itself as to how well liked it is). The D-Activators are an excellent choice, hot but also not high-passed to death like the Fusion Edges Ibanez seems to have been putting in everything lately.
A minor gripe - I hate the trem bar. I'm going to look up to see if I can mod it with with either a Floyd bar or a LoPro bar, it's too long and at the wrong angle for what I'm used to. That being said, the bridge is stable, holds tune very well and has a nice profile.
QC - Now this is an interesting one. This isn't the first one I played in-store, that one actually had a chipped saddle amongst other finish inconstancies. This one was new in the box and had no issues however I would still be wary. For those unfamiliar with Ibanez lines, the Iron Label line has the same tier of QC at the factory as the normal indo standard line. The price increase for the Iron Label models isn't better QC, it's covering the more expensive appointments (in this case, neck through, the bridge, the pickups and the extreme shape).
Price - this is where I'm a bit disappointed. In Australia where I am, the competition to this consists of the Jackson WR7 DD sig and the Ormsby Metal X7 Floyd model. RRP on the WR7 here is $3000AUD, RRP on the Xiphos is $2500AUD and the Ormsby is about $2000AUD. The Ormsby has stainless frets and better QC than both the Ibanez and the Jackson, and is 26.2" scale where the other two are 25.5". Not that this is a deal breaker however I personally like the longer scale. Also depending on what market you are in will depend on prices/availability (for example in the states I think the WR7 is either on par or cheaper than a Xiphos and Metal X's are expensive/unobtainium to a degree). I understand that with the feature set and that really it's only going to be hardcore metal dudes who will buy the Xiphos, however if they could have somehow made it come in at $2000AUD RRP I think it would have been a better value proposition.
That being said, the Xiphos is iconic, Necrophagist is one of the biggest influences on me musically so the extra $500AU is worth it.
TL;DR - It's what we've all wanted for over a decade, Ibanez didn't fuck it up, just make sure you buy from a dealer that is easy to work with regarding QC issues.
Excuse the finger prints, I've been playing it and the trem cover is off for adjustments. Specs can be found here (although I think everyone has them memorised at this point):
https://www.ibanez.com/na/products/detail/xptb720_1p_01.html
So what is there to say - anyone who has played an Ibanez 7 will fill at home on this easy enough. The Wizard II-7 profile is one of the best neck profiles out there, period (the amount of manufacturers/customs with variants on it speaks for itself as to how well liked it is). The D-Activators are an excellent choice, hot but also not high-passed to death like the Fusion Edges Ibanez seems to have been putting in everything lately.
A minor gripe - I hate the trem bar. I'm going to look up to see if I can mod it with with either a Floyd bar or a LoPro bar, it's too long and at the wrong angle for what I'm used to. That being said, the bridge is stable, holds tune very well and has a nice profile.
QC - Now this is an interesting one. This isn't the first one I played in-store, that one actually had a chipped saddle amongst other finish inconstancies. This one was new in the box and had no issues however I would still be wary. For those unfamiliar with Ibanez lines, the Iron Label line has the same tier of QC at the factory as the normal indo standard line. The price increase for the Iron Label models isn't better QC, it's covering the more expensive appointments (in this case, neck through, the bridge, the pickups and the extreme shape).
Price - this is where I'm a bit disappointed. In Australia where I am, the competition to this consists of the Jackson WR7 DD sig and the Ormsby Metal X7 Floyd model. RRP on the WR7 here is $3000AUD, RRP on the Xiphos is $2500AUD and the Ormsby is about $2000AUD. The Ormsby has stainless frets and better QC than both the Ibanez and the Jackson, and is 26.2" scale where the other two are 25.5". Not that this is a deal breaker however I personally like the longer scale. Also depending on what market you are in will depend on prices/availability (for example in the states I think the WR7 is either on par or cheaper than a Xiphos and Metal X's are expensive/unobtainium to a degree). I understand that with the feature set and that really it's only going to be hardcore metal dudes who will buy the Xiphos, however if they could have somehow made it come in at $2000AUD RRP I think it would have been a better value proposition.
That being said, the Xiphos is iconic, Necrophagist is one of the biggest influences on me musically so the extra $500AU is worth it.
TL;DR - It's what we've all wanted for over a decade, Ibanez didn't fuck it up, just make sure you buy from a dealer that is easy to work with regarding QC issues.
