Timestamps team: 00:00 Hello! 00:22 Introduction to the Iceman 01:57 Specs and info 04:42 Today’s rig and plan Clean Sounds 05:47 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings 06:03 Ringing open indie pop chords 06:16 Funky riff 06:30 Blues progression 06:40 Country ballad arpeggios 06:53 Country lead sound 07:00 Country strummed chords 07:19 Grungey droning chords 07:36 Neo soul riff 07:47 Soul pop riff (all pickups) 08:04 Poppy barre chords 08:20 Cowboy chords/tone control test 09:13 Ascending droning indie chords Overdriven Sounds 09:26 Fat indie rock rhythm chords 09:44 Southern rock picked arpeggios 09:55 Indie octave chords 10:24 Kings Of Leon inspired riff 10:30 Foo Fighters inspired rock balled arpeggios 11:05 Garage rock riff 11:21 Choppy barre chords 11:30 Upbeat indie barre chords 11:54 Volume control roll off test 12:15 Edgy indie barre chords 12:29 AC/DC inspired riff 12:44 Driving rock riff 12:58 Classic rock riff 13:16 Airbourne inspired rock riff 13:27 Hendrix inspired riff 13:45 Groovy classic rock riff 14:00 Quacky rock riff Higher gain drive sounds 14:09 80s rock riff 14:29 Paul Stanley/Kiss inspired riff 15:00 Van Halen inspired rock riff 15:19 Melodic hard rock lead 15:40 Classic hard rock riff 15:58 ZZ Top inspired riff 16:08 NWOBHM riff 16:30 Glam rock riff 16:45 Alternative rock riff 17:09 Green Day inspired punk rock riff 17:22 Pop punk melodic lead riff 17:38 Pop punk riff 17:51 Less Than Jake inspired punk riff 18:02 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning) 18:18 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D) 18:43 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D) 18:59 Slayer inspired thrash riff Heavy Distortion sounds (all in Drop D) 19:08 Metalcore riff 19:19 Metal chugging riff 19:36 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang 19:48 Hardcore punk riff 20:03 Heavy metal lead sound 20:19 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff 20:33 Hardcore punk breakdown 20:49 Pop metal riff 21:00 More hardcore punk 21:12 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff 21:53 My thoughts 22:49 First impressions and looks 24:24 Build quality and hardware 25:11 Playability and neck 25:59 Weight and balance 26:35 Sounds and pickups discussion 28:46 Can it do SOAD/Daron Malakian riffs? (Using the Digitech Drop) 29:27 What other similar guitars are out there? 30:28 My conclusions on the Iceman and why you should buy it
Thanks so much, really happy you are enjoying my videos and the style! And yes, I highly recommend checking out this Iceman if you ever get the chance in person... they are such fun guitars!
Yeah, Daron Malakian has a lot to answer for! It's amazing how fun it is to pick up an Iceman and knock out a few SOAD riffs... I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance!
@@RichWordsMusic can I ask a question? Would you say the IC420 sounds like a les paul or is it completly different? Are the pickups hot or not? Thank you!
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! I should have shown this in the video, you're right - but no neck dive for me whatsoever! It's a really well-balanced guitar, which I have to say surprised me a bit ;)
So I had this guitar the same color. I was among the very fortunate to buy it when it was first release for Europe. I just sold it and that is because it had many inconsistencies in the frets, nut, and I absolutely despised those god awful mini pots. There are many positives about it, the shape and weight distribution, the look is immaculate and it is a legacy shape, but all these mean nothing if the guitar does not perform right. I cannot understand why isn't Ibanez using Graphtech nuts on their guitar and why did they choose to make this spectacular model in China rather than Indonesia ( well it's because of money I think we all know this by now). The fact that it comes with a gig bag means zero, it costs Ibanez about 0.90 cents to make those accessories. Overall I give this guitar 5/10 stars, its max value in a normal guitar market would be 350 euros and not 750 euros like what they are charging now. Get this only if you really love the shape and can bypass some of the flaws. I was looking forward to buy all the collection including the PS120 but after I felt the quality first hand I don't think I will. On the other hand I do recommend the Yamaha RSS20 ( ugly guitar but amazing tool for every type of guitar player). Good luck guys and great reviews as always @RichWordsMusic
I was expecting you to make a comparison between this and the Yamaha Revstar Standard. It seems like it's direct competitor. Both fill the same role and are close in price. So between these two, which would you prefer?
Ooh, that's actually a great shout. I wish I had a Standard Revstar with humbuckers still so I could shoot a video on the two. But yes, they do cover a lot of the same ground, while also being very different beasts in many regards. In my opinion, the Revstar includes a few higher quality features (stainless steel frets, carbon reinforced neck, etc.) and it also has a rosewood board and a satin neck... which is a big deal to me! They are both quirky and super cool looking guitars, and I think having both would be great. Right now the only guitar I am picking up to play is the Iceman - and that includes over my Statdard P90 Revstar, so make of that what you will. We'll see how I feel after the honeymoon phase wears off, though! Ask me again in a few weeks ;) (P.S. I just finished a video comparison of the Iceman and my Epiphone Les Paul... that's also an interesting one! That video will possibly be out when you read this.)
I love your videos, the fact that you cover every genre and do the same riffs every time makes direct comparisons so easy :) You should check out the Harley Benton Extreme-76, its super affordable at £130, with a set neck and body in Okoume. Thanks:)
Thanks a lot! Glad you find them useful - that's why I do them like this, so people have a way to compare stuff if I haven't directly done it in one video 👍 Thanks HB Extreme 76 does look rather cool - will see if I can grab one soon to take a look at! I am constantly shocked at how much HB can fit into a guitar at that price point... Cheers and rock on!
@@RichWordsMusic Awesome, I'd love to see what you think of it!! I've also picked up quite a few of your licks (Specifically the Green Day inspired one and the Pop Punk power chord riff) for testing and comparing guitars and distortion pedals as I'm brand new to this stuff haha.
No, they don't - this is the first release in quite a few years apparently. And the first more affordable one since forever! That said, seeing as these new ones seem to have done really well I hope they'll do more color options too... would seem to make sense!
Great guitar from IBANEZ. The processing and materials used seem OK to me. Sound performance excellent. I like clean and slightly distorted sound. Greetings and I wish you a nice weekend. Pavel CZ.👍👍👍
Thanks Pavel! I totally agree... Ibanez made some amazing guitars in 2024, and this is one of them! I was also surprised at how great this guitar is for cleans and the lower gain drives... based on the looks (and the other people who play Iceman models) I had not expected this at all ;) Cheers and rock on!
Surprisingly not! This was a great thing for me (and I talk about it at 25:59 in the video) but this specific guitar weighs 3.82 kg, which is just under 8-and-a-half lbs. Considering the size of the guitar it feels totally fine, and it balances really well too!
It’s a really good guitar, but… You say that it is well balanced, it is while sitting down, yet you did not play it like most of us do, standing with a strap. That is where there is an issue with balance, the guitar tilts forward. So luckely I like it so much that I give a flying about resell value, so ended up installing 2 custom strap locks at different positions to make it stop tilting forward and to avoid damaging the bottom since my strap lock system uses a swivel and a locking hook. So with the strapbutton located on the backside balance is rather bad. Apart from that it is really well build, but so is the PS60 I got a few days after. Will put locking tuners on both and use another bridge pickup on the PS60 for something with more output and less highs.
I never liked System that much back when i first heard them, i believe it was Hypnotize era? There was only one song played on the Norwegian radio channels back then which was Lonely day. But i digress, the one Iceman player that i knew of back in 2004-2005 was Paul Stanley.. All though i believe he was with Washburn then. But for me i never vibed with the Iceman, i was more into the RG/Destroyer shapes. I grew up listening to bands like Def Leppard, Sonata Arctica, Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne to name a few. I've owned a few Ibanez over the years, but there was one i wish i never sold that was my Xiphos. But either way, the Iceman is an iconic shape. But for my taste it never felt like i could master the intrument
The original body shape was so much more elegant and attractive than these "new generation" Icemen. Check out some photos of original 1978 79 Icemen, the waist of the guitar is thinner and makes the body look longer. The lower horn is slimmer. The top horn where the pickup switch was lower and more slim looking. And from my memory playing one a few times in 1981, the body itself was much slimmer. It was quite elegant, even a bit feminine. The front and waist of the body were smaller than the rear section of the body, making the original body look long and sleek. These new Chinese made Icemen look like blocky cartoonish squareish poor clones that nowhere match the original beauty of the design. Particularly the loss of the waist slimness, and that huge ugly blocky lower horn. I think the rear ducktail shape is wrong too, was just looking at some 1978 bodies on Reverb. I can understand them changing the horn to make it big and blocky for increased strength and reduced failure in the field, BUT an Iceman was never about being blocky and rugged it was always delicate and elegant. Likewise the thickness of the body wood is now matching most Chinese guitars and is probably easier to manufacture, but the original thinner body was much lighter and (again) more elegant. If you check a good front on photo of a real 70's Iceman it is heartbreaking to see how much they have ruined it with these blocky wannabes
I just checked photos again, the original headstock was slimmer and more elegant, with more taper, and a slight downward slope. These new models have a thicker blockier headstock with no downward slope it is much more symmetrical. Heartbreaking.
@@wizrom3046 As someone who is a beginner when it comes to the finer details of the Iceman model and its history, thanks for taking the time to share this! And I'm sorry to hear you don't feel these newer ones reach the standards of the older models. I wonder why such changes were made? For balance reasons? Price reasons? Aesthetics? Maybe a combination of all of these things, and ease of manufacture, as you say. From a look online they do seem very similar to my (untrained!) eye - I guess the next step is to try and find someone in my region who has a 70s Iceman and compare them. Which would also make for an interesting video, actually. The headstocks are the one bit where straight away you see a bit of a change. Again, would be really interesting to know WHY this was done. Ibanez, if you're reading, please let us know!
@@RichWordsMusic Yeah the headstock, the thick blocky lower horn, and of course the body thickness. Then the more subtle bodyshape differences. That would be a amazing video! And if you want to delve more into that sort of thing, the BC Rick Warlock modern body is quite different to the original 80's version too. They made it skinnier, and more pointy. Possibly so they could use a smaller peice of wood. I keep an eye on this kind of thing because I have a CNC machine and are considering making some replicas of classic guitars for my own collection, I have no desire or intention to sell but I do check the online "plans" which people have to sale and can usually see major differences between the plans sold and the original guitars. Most people are probably not so shape-critical lol 🙂
IT DOESNT LOOK RIGHT WITH THAT BLACK HEADSTOCK AT ALL IN MY OPINION LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE BROKE THE NECK AN PUT A MISMATCHED ONE ON.I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD’NT HAVE A BLUE HEADSTOCK ,AND AN EBONY FRET BOARD, WHICH IT WOULD LOOK FINE WITH BLUE HEADSTOCK AND THAT FRETBOARD BUT MUCH NICER WITH AN EBONY FRETBOARD. PLUS I LIKE THE FEEL of EBONY MYSELF ,BUT I DO NOT LIKE THE WAY THIS GUITAR LOOKS, JUST DOES’NT LOOK RIGHT AT ALL . THE PRETTIEST ICEMAN EVER IS PAUL STANLEY’S CRACKED MIRROR ICEMAN.
I would LOVE it if this guitar had an ebony board... or a rosewood one, come to think of it! I don't mind the jatoba, but I do prefer the classic woods there. For me, the black headstock looks cool, but I am not massively experienced with the Iceman model so I haven't seen better ones (but I do agree how the black headstock kind of looks like it may have come from a different guitar somehow!). I have googled the Paul Stanley mirror model and that looks incredible, as does the White Zombie sig green one with the stars... such cool guitars!
First off, cam your tits down. 2nd, one can easily swap the White frames around the pickups.. that in my mind, u get black top neck with black pickups, which is my only nitpicking with this axe I have two Ibz with the speed wizard thin neck. I am looking for an Axe with a thicker neck, which I can put on say 0.11 strings without a hazzle. This sound just like that, a warmer tone, i am very much putting this on my top wishlist.
@@RichWordsMusic I have the PS120, ICT700 Reverse headstock, and this IC420 in all 3 colors. Also the PS60 in black, gold and silver sparkle. I just love the shape and nothing wrong with this headstock. It's just like the Paul Stanley one 3 + 3. All thanks to Daron Malakian lol
It's a matter of taste. I am used to Fender guitars and basses headstocks, so I do not mind different colored ones. To be honest, I thought I would care for the jatoba fingerboard more, *but* on my violin sunburst one that arrived last Friday It's PERFECT. Also can't believe how amazing it was out of the box. There are no flaws whatsoever, and looks even more amazing in person. The pickups are indeed amazing, and it also has a great tone and resonance unplugged. Exceeded expectations by miles. It's a great guitar! (And in the case of my maple top version, the black headstock does look like a great match-IMHO. However, the blue is beautiful as well, even with the black headstock.)
Well, I am happy I saved you some time ;) I have to say, though, I don't think "made in China" equates to trash at all, especially these days. Back in the day I was much more skeptical about guitars made there (I think everyone was, and with good reason), but not any more. Give this one a try and maybe you'll change your mind.
Timestamps team:
00:00 Hello!
00:22 Introduction to the Iceman
01:57 Specs and info
04:42 Today’s rig and plan
Clean Sounds
05:47 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings
06:03 Ringing open indie pop chords
06:16 Funky riff
06:30 Blues progression
06:40 Country ballad arpeggios
06:53 Country lead sound
07:00 Country strummed chords
07:19 Grungey droning chords
07:36 Neo soul riff
07:47 Soul pop riff (all pickups)
08:04 Poppy barre chords
08:20 Cowboy chords/tone control test
09:13 Ascending droning indie chords
Overdriven Sounds
09:26 Fat indie rock rhythm chords
09:44 Southern rock picked arpeggios
09:55 Indie octave chords
10:24 Kings Of Leon inspired riff
10:30 Foo Fighters inspired rock balled arpeggios
11:05 Garage rock riff
11:21 Choppy barre chords
11:30 Upbeat indie barre chords
11:54 Volume control roll off test
12:15 Edgy indie barre chords
12:29 AC/DC inspired riff
12:44 Driving rock riff
12:58 Classic rock riff
13:16 Airbourne inspired rock riff
13:27 Hendrix inspired riff
13:45 Groovy classic rock riff
14:00 Quacky rock riff
Higher gain drive sounds
14:09 80s rock riff
14:29 Paul Stanley/Kiss inspired riff
15:00 Van Halen inspired rock riff
15:19 Melodic hard rock lead
15:40 Classic hard rock riff
15:58 ZZ Top inspired riff
16:08 NWOBHM riff
16:30 Glam rock riff
16:45 Alternative rock riff
17:09 Green Day inspired punk rock riff
17:22 Pop punk melodic lead riff
17:38 Pop punk riff
17:51 Less Than Jake inspired punk riff
18:02 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
18:18 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)
18:43 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)
18:59 Slayer inspired thrash riff
Heavy Distortion sounds (all in Drop D)
19:08 Metalcore riff
19:19 Metal chugging riff
19:36 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang
19:48 Hardcore punk riff
20:03 Heavy metal lead sound
20:19 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff
20:33 Hardcore punk breakdown
20:49 Pop metal riff
21:00 More hardcore punk
21:12 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff
21:53 My thoughts
22:49 First impressions and looks
24:24 Build quality and hardware
25:11 Playability and neck
25:59 Weight and balance
26:35 Sounds and pickups discussion
28:46 Can it do SOAD/Daron Malakian riffs? (Using the Digitech Drop)
29:27 What other similar guitars are out there?
30:28 My conclusions on the Iceman and why you should buy it
Your review style is quite possibly my favorite ever. I look forward to checking out more vids! This is a beauty!
Thanks so much, really happy you are enjoying my videos and the style! And yes, I highly recommend checking out this Iceman if you ever get the chance in person... they are such fun guitars!
I’m also a SOAD Iceman fan. Still haven’t had one, but love watching awesome videos like this about them. 🙌
Yeah, Daron Malakian has a lot to answer for! It's amazing how fun it is to pick up an Iceman and knock out a few SOAD riffs... I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance!
Your Ibanez Iceman review is one of the BEST reviews I've watched on UA-cam!!!
Thanks so much! Very happy you enjoyed it and found it useful... this guitar is just loads of fun, and made the video very easy for me!
i just found this channel and it is now my favorite guitar review channel
Thanks so much! Really glad you found my little channel and you're enjoying the videos 😊
Great guitar, great review!
Thanks a lot, really glad you enjoyed the video :) And yes, it's such a fun guitar... I love it!
@@RichWordsMusic can I ask a question? Would you say the IC420 sounds like a les paul or is it completly different? Are the pickups hot or not? Thank you!
You answered this question already in your great les paul comparison Video... thank you
Recently bought the violin sunburst version. Currently rocking the PS120 Iceman, so getting the IC420 was a no brainer.
The sunburst looks great too, I agree! Actually, I wish they'd do even more options for this guitar. Maybe in 2025. Hope you're enjoying yours!
@@RichWordsMusic Totally am. Thanks!
Wow, looks like a blend of a Les Paul & Explorer 😎🤘😎🤟😎
Yes, it is kind of like that! The best of both worlds, perhaps... 🤘
Its like a highly refined, exquisite explorer
Yes, that's a great way to look at it! Like an Explorer in a smoking jacket 😎
Awesome video
Hey, thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed it.
Great review! You mentioned the guitar is well balanced. Do you experience any neck dive at all?
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! I should have shown this in the video, you're right - but no neck dive for me whatsoever! It's a really well-balanced guitar, which I have to say surprised me a bit ;)
So I had this guitar the same color. I was among the very fortunate to buy it when it was first release for Europe. I just sold it and that is because it had many inconsistencies in the frets, nut, and I absolutely despised those god awful mini pots. There are many positives about it, the shape and weight distribution, the look is immaculate and it is a legacy shape, but all these mean nothing if the guitar does not perform right. I cannot understand why isn't Ibanez using Graphtech nuts on their guitar and why did they choose to make this spectacular model in China rather than Indonesia ( well it's because of money I think we all know this by now). The fact that it comes with a gig bag means zero, it costs Ibanez about 0.90 cents to make those accessories. Overall I give this guitar 5/10 stars, its max value in a normal guitar market would be 350 euros and not 750 euros like what they are charging now. Get this only if you really love the shape and can bypass some of the flaws. I was looking forward to buy all the collection including the PS120 but after I felt the quality first hand I don't think I will. On the other hand I do recommend the Yamaha RSS20 ( ugly guitar but amazing tool for every type of guitar player). Good luck guys and great reviews as always @RichWordsMusic
I was expecting you to make a comparison between this and the Yamaha Revstar Standard. It seems like it's direct competitor. Both fill the same role and are close in price. So between these two, which would you prefer?
Ooh, that's actually a great shout. I wish I had a Standard Revstar with humbuckers still so I could shoot a video on the two. But yes, they do cover a lot of the same ground, while also being very different beasts in many regards. In my opinion, the Revstar includes a few higher quality features (stainless steel frets, carbon reinforced neck, etc.) and it also has a rosewood board and a satin neck... which is a big deal to me! They are both quirky and super cool looking guitars, and I think having both would be great.
Right now the only guitar I am picking up to play is the Iceman - and that includes over my Statdard P90 Revstar, so make of that what you will. We'll see how I feel after the honeymoon phase wears off, though! Ask me again in a few weeks ;) (P.S. I just finished a video comparison of the Iceman and my Epiphone Les Paul... that's also an interesting one! That video will possibly be out when you read this.)
Paul Stanley from KISS endorsed the uceman in the 70s to current. Predates SOAD
He does indeed, you're right!
Does it neck dive?
This one doesn't at all! It's actually really well balanced.
@@RichWordsMusic thanks
I love your videos, the fact that you cover every genre and do the same riffs every time makes direct comparisons so easy :)
You should check out the Harley Benton Extreme-76, its super affordable at £130, with a set neck and body in Okoume. Thanks:)
Thanks a lot! Glad you find them useful - that's why I do them like this, so people have a way to compare stuff if I haven't directly done it in one video 👍
Thanks HB Extreme 76 does look rather cool - will see if I can grab one soon to take a look at! I am constantly shocked at how much HB can fit into a guitar at that price point... Cheers and rock on!
@@RichWordsMusic Awesome, I'd love to see what you think of it!! I've also picked up quite a few of your licks (Specifically the Green Day inspired one and the Pop Punk power chord riff) for testing and comparing guitars and distortion pedals as I'm brand new to this stuff haha.
ive been eyeing getting an iceman, but im not keen on the current colors. do they come out with different icemans every year?
No, they don't - this is the first release in quite a few years apparently. And the first more affordable one since forever! That said, seeing as these new ones seem to have done really well I hope they'll do more color options too... would seem to make sense!
@@RichWordsMusicthanks for the reply!
Great guitar from IBANEZ. The processing and materials used seem OK to me. Sound performance excellent. I like clean and slightly distorted sound. Greetings and I wish you a nice weekend. Pavel CZ.👍👍👍
Thanks Pavel! I totally agree... Ibanez made some amazing guitars in 2024, and this is one of them! I was also surprised at how great this guitar is for cleans and the lower gain drives... based on the looks (and the other people who play Iceman models) I had not expected this at all ;) Cheers and rock on!
What's the weight ?
Is it super heavy ?
Surprisingly not! This was a great thing for me (and I talk about it at 25:59 in the video) but this specific guitar weighs 3.82 kg, which is just under 8-and-a-half lbs. Considering the size of the guitar it feels totally fine, and it balances really well too!
Bob 1 of DEVO!
Yes!
I dont know if its fun but it does look great
I don't know, I am just having massive amounts of fun with it. It makes me smile every time I pick it up... some guitars just don't have that effect.
It’s a really good guitar, but…
You say that it is well balanced, it is while sitting down, yet you did not play it like most of us do, standing with a strap.
That is where there is an issue with balance, the guitar tilts forward.
So luckely I like it so much that I give a flying about resell value, so ended up installing 2 custom strap locks at different positions to make it stop tilting forward and to avoid damaging the bottom since my strap lock system uses a swivel and a locking hook.
So with the strapbutton located on the backside balance is rather bad.
Apart from that it is really well build, but so is the PS60 I got a few days after.
Will put locking tuners on both and use another bridge pickup on the PS60 for something with more output and less highs.
I never liked System that much back when i first heard them, i believe it was Hypnotize era? There was only one song played on the Norwegian radio channels back then which was Lonely day. But i digress, the one Iceman player that i knew of back in 2004-2005 was Paul Stanley.. All though i believe he was with Washburn then. But for me i never vibed with the Iceman, i was more into the RG/Destroyer shapes. I grew up listening to bands like Def Leppard, Sonata Arctica, Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne to name a few. I've owned a few Ibanez over the years, but there was one i wish i never sold that was my Xiphos. But either way, the Iceman is an iconic shape. But for my taste it never felt like i could master the intrument
It looks huge on you but that Wookiee friend of ours makes it look small. Lucky for him it apparently comes in Ferris blue. 😂
Nice slayer inspired riffage Sir
Sorry SLAYER!! inspired riffs
@@PooNinja SLAYER! Yeah, I am but an average sized man. On Andy it looks like a ukulele 😅 Amazing guitar though!
Is there any other color options?
Yes, there's also Antique Autumn Burst: www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/ic420_4l_01.html
The Flying Finger Graphic on the Super 80 pickups is etched not a "decal". Which is better.
You're right! I got my words wrong. I kept thinking decal because of the Captain Beefheart record and it put me off ;)
The lower horn is not subtle 😅
Ha ha, not at all!
👍🏻👍🏻
Cheers my friend!
The original body shape was so much more elegant and attractive than these "new generation" Icemen.
Check out some photos of original 1978 79 Icemen, the waist of the guitar is thinner and makes the body look longer. The lower horn is slimmer. The top horn where the pickup switch was lower and more slim looking. And from my memory playing one a few times in 1981, the body itself was much slimmer. It was quite elegant, even a bit feminine. The front and waist of the body were smaller than the rear section of the body, making the original body look long and sleek.
These new Chinese made Icemen look like blocky cartoonish squareish poor clones that nowhere match the original beauty of the design.
Particularly the loss of the waist slimness, and that huge ugly blocky lower horn. I think the rear ducktail shape is wrong too, was just looking at some 1978 bodies on Reverb.
I can understand them changing the horn to make it big and blocky for increased strength and reduced failure in the field, BUT an Iceman was never about being blocky and rugged it was always delicate and elegant. Likewise the thickness of the body wood is now matching most Chinese guitars and is probably easier to manufacture, but the original thinner body was much lighter and (again) more elegant.
If you check a good front on photo of a real 70's Iceman it is heartbreaking to see how much they have ruined it with these blocky wannabes
I just checked photos again, the original headstock was slimmer and more elegant, with more taper, and a slight downward slope.
These new models have a thicker blockier headstock with no downward slope it is much more symmetrical.
Heartbreaking.
@@wizrom3046 As someone who is a beginner when it comes to the finer details of the Iceman model and its history, thanks for taking the time to share this! And I'm sorry to hear you don't feel these newer ones reach the standards of the older models. I wonder why such changes were made? For balance reasons? Price reasons? Aesthetics? Maybe a combination of all of these things, and ease of manufacture, as you say.
From a look online they do seem very similar to my (untrained!) eye - I guess the next step is to try and find someone in my region who has a 70s Iceman and compare them. Which would also make for an interesting video, actually. The headstocks are the one bit where straight away you see a bit of a change. Again, would be really interesting to know WHY this was done. Ibanez, if you're reading, please let us know!
@@RichWordsMusic Yeah the headstock, the thick blocky lower horn, and of course the body thickness. Then the more subtle bodyshape differences.
That would be a amazing video!
And if you want to delve more into that sort of thing, the BC Rick Warlock modern body is quite different to the original 80's version too. They made it skinnier, and more pointy. Possibly so they could use a smaller peice of wood.
I keep an eye on this kind of thing because I have a CNC machine and are considering making some replicas of classic guitars for my own collection, I have no desire or intention to sell but I do check the online "plans" which people have to sale and can usually see major differences between the plans sold and the original guitars. Most people are probably not so shape-critical lol 🙂
IT DOESNT LOOK RIGHT WITH THAT BLACK HEADSTOCK AT ALL IN MY OPINION LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE BROKE THE NECK AN PUT A MISMATCHED ONE ON.I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD’NT HAVE A BLUE HEADSTOCK ,AND AN EBONY FRET BOARD, WHICH IT WOULD LOOK FINE WITH BLUE HEADSTOCK AND THAT FRETBOARD BUT MUCH NICER WITH AN EBONY FRETBOARD. PLUS I LIKE THE FEEL of EBONY MYSELF ,BUT I DO NOT LIKE THE WAY THIS GUITAR LOOKS, JUST DOES’NT LOOK RIGHT AT ALL . THE PRETTIEST ICEMAN EVER IS PAUL STANLEY’S CRACKED MIRROR ICEMAN.
I would LOVE it if this guitar had an ebony board... or a rosewood one, come to think of it! I don't mind the jatoba, but I do prefer the classic woods there. For me, the black headstock looks cool, but I am not massively experienced with the Iceman model so I haven't seen better ones (but I do agree how the black headstock kind of looks like it may have come from a different guitar somehow!). I have googled the Paul Stanley mirror model and that looks incredible, as does the White Zombie sig green one with the stars... such cool guitars!
First off, cam your tits down. 2nd, one can easily swap the White frames around the pickups.. that in my mind, u get black top neck with black pickups, which is my only nitpicking with this axe
I have two Ibz with the speed wizard thin neck. I am looking for an Axe with a thicker neck, which I can put on say 0.11 strings without a hazzle. This sound just like that, a warmer tone, i am very much putting this on my top wishlist.
@@RichWordsMusic I have the PS120, ICT700 Reverse headstock, and this IC420 in all 3 colors. Also the PS60 in black, gold and silver sparkle.
I just love the shape and nothing wrong with this headstock. It's just like the Paul Stanley one 3 + 3.
All thanks to Daron Malakian lol
It's a matter of taste. I am used to Fender guitars and basses headstocks, so I do not mind different colored ones.
To be honest, I thought I would care for the jatoba fingerboard more, *but* on my violin sunburst one that arrived last Friday It's PERFECT. Also can't believe how amazing it was out of the box. There are no flaws whatsoever, and looks even more amazing in person. The pickups are indeed amazing, and it also has a great tone and resonance unplugged. Exceeded expectations by miles. It's a great guitar!
(And in the case of my maple top version, the black headstock does look like a great match-IMHO. However, the blue is beautiful as well, even with the black headstock.)
i would put in black pickup instead of the original White. Otherwise i love this axe!
"This guitar is made in China"
Thanks for putting that at the beginning of the video so I don't waste my time hearing about how trash is made.
Well, I am happy I saved you some time ;) I have to say, though, I don't think "made in China" equates to trash at all, especially these days. Back in the day I was much more skeptical about guitars made there (I think everyone was, and with good reason), but not any more. Give this one a try and maybe you'll change your mind.
Eastman guitars are all (hand)made in China. I wonder if you think they are trash as well?