One of my absolute dream guitars. All the Meshuggah sigs and customs are pure GAS. I just wish they’d give this an ebony board (but a DIY staining job should get the job done too)
The floyd-style locking bridge is probably to add tuning stability. They’ve been always known to be very particular about guitars that can hold tune well on tour.
Yeah in terms of most stable tuning, hardtail Floyd style designs with a locking nut us possibly the absolute most stable you can get, at least before evertune came onto the market. These guys have been using these bridges for at least a decade before Evertune ever appeared, and you don't have to do any stuff like finding the 'sweet spot' on an Evertune where you can bend notes either
Yeah, that style bridge is a pain in the ass. In theory, once those strings are clamped down, there should be no way for it to go out of tune, because it's impossible for the strings to twist, or to move with the tuners. No different than any other floating bridge, but more stable. But in my experience, Ibanez use very soft alloys for the bridge pieces and screws, and to lock the strings down as hard as is required for that lowest string, you're using an amount of force that risks damaging the bridge pieces. Had the same bridge on my RGA8 years ago, and I hated it enough to get rid of the guitar!
That’s more or less what I’m saying here as well. I’ve had this bridge on many different RGA8 and RG2228s that I’ve had over the years and always found them to be a pain in the ass. More inconvenient than any benefits they may have. A simple bridge with locking tuners is my preference over this but it is what it is
@@BaenaCarcosa I haven't looked - but it's a good guess that hipshot might have something that drops in. Since it's not multiscale it should be somewhat simpler to find something that fits. The thing is that since decent enough locking tuners have become fairly standard I tend to look a bit sideways at dated "fine tuning" and "tuning stability" bridge designs. I'm unsure if I tighten any of the locking nuts on any of the guitars I have that have them anymore - and I can get the job done with most trems and can also do without all the stuff under my hand which kind of distracts from my playing/muting as well as if I forget it's there during some energetic playing can bruise/cut my hand. Sometimes technology cycles out - I'd love to hear a demo in the room with those passive Lundgrens and some various amps; there's something that's just satisfying about a really nice passive pickup, like it's organic in a good way. Raw and hairy, not a regenerated/filtered signal. I thought it was amazingly thin bodied for something that seems so massive. :-) It's like the Chet Atkins Super Axe that looks like a giant tennis racket; big from the front, skinny from the side. I would love to have one some day but I've been longing for a Brahms-style 8 for some time and it's likely my first legit 8 string will be some form of classical/nylon string. I blame Javier Reyes and a few others...
Well, on my RGA8 it works PERFECTLY and I have never had any problems with tuning or stability whatsoever. The only thing that upsets me is the fact you can't adjust the height individually on each saddle
Mick Thompson had this on his Ibanez, and got Jackson to make one too when he moved there. It's if you like the feel of the floyd on your hand, the sound of it, and the double locking for tuning stability.
My problem with 8 string guitars that this model seems like it doesn’t have is how top-heavy they typically are. Nice haircut and thanks for the review!
Top heaviness is perfect for people who play in classical stance like me. In fact, with normal guitars or body-heavy guitars they usually sink between my legs. My 8 string on the other hand does not.
This is the main thing that struck me when I had the chance to play an M8M - the weight was so perfect you could just balance it hands-free on your leg. Really wish more ERGs would take balancing a bit more seriously.
Thomas said it’s his fav track from obzen, took em years to play live.. it’s a true masterpiece.. it’s the apex of a meshuggah track lyric & rhythm wise
Aesthetically, it's my favourite guitar design of all time, other than your standard RG shaped Ibanez', it's an art piece. Great vid man, nice to see some insight on this beauty!
Mick Thomson is also known for the locking non-floating bridge, his were called the Ibanez edge and he had them in all his guitars, when he switched over to jackson a while ago he had them design the exact same system for his new soloist models and you say mileage may vary but honestly I find if you set that bridge up right and lock in that nut properly you can really abuse the hell out of these guitars and rarely too far out of tune, the newer hard tail bridges are the "Gibraltar" I have one on my SIR27FD and they're an absolutely rock solid unit but I dont think they compare to a well made locking nut system. just my opinion! dope mix dope playing and good info as always! 🤘
I like the idea of a different shape other then the super strat. I was looking at a Schecter Avenger 8 just because it was something different. Someone bought it before I could so I am just going to go with the RG8 and do different type of upgrades. Great stuff, love the channel.
@@b-stricks9206 yeah they rock for just about anything you’d need in rock/metal, and the coil splits can really work for anything else you’d wanna play as well
I had always wish they made this model in a prestige version. I have not had any good experiences with Indonesian Ibanez, but love the look. I really feel this shouldn't be over $1000 based on other indo models.
I love mine. Got it 13% off 1999.99 on ebay...so it was 1739 before tax and shipping. I like the bridge. I think it's their answer to the bridge Fredrick has on his that's a stopbar, but has fine tuners. I definitely prefer it to the run of the mill hipshot string thru style thats on EVERY 7/8 STRING. my biggest complaint is the F string is directly over the neck pickup poles, but to the left of the poles on the bridge, and by the time you get to the eb string, the string is to the left of the poles on the neck but dead center on the bridge pickup. I expect this on my sub 500 agile's, but wad linda disappointed when i saw it on this guitar, which is the most expensive thing i've ever bought that wasnt my house, or a vehicle. M80M is next on my wishlist.
The problem is the pickup, not anything else. Lundgren has just one pickup pole spacing and does not compensate for neck or bridge positions which sucks.
I remember seeing this on Ibanez's site a few years ago and thought it was a really cool design. I've never actually seen any videos of it or how it sounds. I had always assumed it was a limited run signature guitar because no retailers have them; especially here in the US. It just always seemed weird to release a signature guitar but never send any out to say, Sweetwater. I can't say I'm surprised that its only 22 frets. My first guitar was an Iceman (IC 200 to be exact) and it was 22 frets due to the body design and had a lot of neck drop. Great video :)
I love the bridges man, it’s all about the feel for me when palm muting, having grown up with floyds, and always blocking them, (I know right, go figure?) Using any other bridge feels weird! Although I gotta say the mono-rail on my RGD71ALPA is the next best thing… 🤘🏽 that guitar would be perfect if they dropped the locking nuts and swapped the tuners out for Gotoh MGT’s…
Same here. I have the Jackson Mick Thomson Soloist with the same style of double locking hardtail and I love it. Nearly as stable as my Evertune Washburn, but much more comfortable under my right hand and doesn't have any of the weird quirks of ET (I.E. I play pretty light gauges that stock ETs literally just can't get in tune because of their limited tension range)
Ya the lock hardtail bridge was also used by mic from slipknot. And tosin used it on his Ibanez he had. Basically they liked locking the string in place, and using fine tuners to tune it.
Sold mine after getting my Singularity 8, as it was just far more comfortable and did everything the FTM33 did better. I loved everything about the guitar except the horn (as I’d smack the top of my hand off it during some styles of leads), the knob config/toggle position, and that it was only 22 frets. Aside from those things, that was the first guitar with the M8’s, and those quickly became my favorite pups. I also loved it cosmetically, as that body shape and headstock are my fav. I kinda wish I kept it, as I’m a huge Meshuggah fanboy, but I’m happier it’s in somebody else’s hands and not just looking good on my rack. I’m also with ya on the cost, without SS frets, and some manufacturers errors (which I fixed on mine), it definitely shouldn’t be priced that high. I will say the bridge is intended for better tuning and intonation; though, it’s a pain to get setup if it wasn’t setup right or begin with. But good vid, man. Glad you dig it! :)
I have that guitar also and its just sooo brutal 😀 in Finland it was ”only” ~1400€ wich translates pretty much 1:1 to CAD (custom guitar would be 3-3,5k€ also). I’m not a huge fan of that bridge either and wanted to play it live so I got it Evertuned 😅
Oh my former love:) I saw this guitar few years ago in Ibanez site as well as Mr. Thordendal's videos. I searched everywhere but sadly it was made very selectively back then. Glad they mass produce this model.
Great playing & demo. Really cool to hear an honest review. I would love that guitar but the bridge is too much hassle for me. Got yourself a new sub - cheers 👍🤘🤘
I agree about the body shape, it looks imposing as fuck in my opinion. I like the RG shape a lot, but it's refreshing to see something else for an 8 string. The price for new guitars are astronomical now. Plus a lot of companies seem to have bad QC. Really not worth buying something new unless you absolutely have to have that guitar. I wanted a Brandon Ellis signature Kelly but no way am I paying that kind of money.
I know how you love guitar body types that aren't normally seen for metal guitars ( Tele, explorer, etc) have you considered reviewing the M80M or getting one in general?
I bought one back in 2018 for 2700 AUD = 2450 CAD. As far as quality control goes, the fretwork is probably that of a budget/mid tier $1000 Schecter, as the frets aren't polished and some of them aren't level with a bit of fret buzz on the higher frets. The Jatoba fretboard is very out of place, like as if someone slabbed on some wood from a kitchen table onto the fretboard, so I stained mine with some of that higgins ink. Now it looks like a dark rosewood/ebony fretboard, especially when it darkens with some dunlop lemon fretboard oil. Also, the acrylic pick guard is very susceptible to tiny little scratches so you will get picky about it but eventually learn to deal with it as no one is going to see it unless they put their face into it. The bridge is a pain in the ass to intonate because the screw is perpendicular to the saddle, so you have to loosen the string completely to be able to adjust the position of the saddle and then re tune it when you're satisfied with the intonation. With that being said, it still has great sounding pickups - Chewy and meaty, whilst still having a low enough output to do great clean tones. The tuning stability is great with the locking nut and the body shape allows you to rest your picking hand on the top of the guitar when chugging. And in terms of the fretwork, all you really need is some fret polish and it's mostly fine. As you pointed out, it also doesn't suffer from neck dive. With that being said, it's basically an awesome guitar design with high quality pickups and good enough to rely on for composing studio/live performances. *TL:DR The build quality is probably worthy of a budget/mid tier Schecter, except it looks awesome which makes it kind of worth it IMO.*
@@TempleGuitars good question actually, 27” is too short, as the 0.74 gauge suffers from fret buzz because it’s too loose. If you try putting on anything above 0.80 to fix fret buzz, then it’s too tight and you can’t really do bends whilst the thickness of the string starts to sound like a bass. Thicker strings also create higher output so it’s also ruins the tone with too much distortion. Ideally, you want either a 29” scale length like the m80m or fan fret where the 8 string is 29”
The fact that they did a limited run of the jatoba fretboard could make that a collectors item one day. Could be a dope Pawn Stars moment in the future LUL
I could be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that this change was due to them getting older and playing a 29" scale for a number of shows was getting tiring (also due to weight). Plus Frederick is the only one playing these so that would add some validity.
@@malcolmrff prett sure the reason theymade it 22 frets and 27” scale was both to get easier leads and the 2nd pickup for lead versatiliy. A 30” scale with straight frets just isnt suited for complex Well sounding leads.
Damn 3600 bucks Canadian! Fun fact if 10 timbits are $1.99... add tax... That guitar is worth 15720 timbits Ayyyyoooooo! I'll see myself out. Other than the price that thing is a beast! Killer review
It's just an adaptation on the Explorer. You're completely right about the RRP being ridiculous. I'd rather have a vintage for that price which would also appreciate over time.
That pricing is so weird to me cuz even with exchange rate, that's more than that guitar is new in America (its about $2000 new from what I can see and $3600 CAD is $2800 USD). You did get a good price for it though regardless of currency.
Your points on the bridge are exactly what keeps me away from investing. I don't know if it's possible or worthwhile to replace, but do you see yourself swapping the bridge out for something else? Or just going to get used to it and enjoy for what it is?
It's not bad enough that it prevents me from enjoying the instrument, like I said I have had this bridge many times on other Ibanez models - it's not the end of the world just not what I prefer
I'm surprised how well yours balances. The neck on mine wants to go straight down. Maybe that is something they fixed with the newer versions (mine is from the first run in 2017).
Please, i am begging you, do a cover of either i am colossus or combustion. I know that colossus isnt the most technically challenging and it pretty one note. But i for some Reason love it. And love the guitar, have been wanting it ever since i Saw it first time. Though i am a beginner with only 4 or so years of experience. Had been playing classical for 11 years before that with a Big break
As a fellow owned of such a guitar, the neck is great. The entire reason for 27” scale is so that leads Sound cleaner and with more sustain. And on top the neck pickup gives you more to play with in terms of tone.
I had to wait to watch this video because I am so jealous....yea dumb... but thats a dream guitar of mine. I am grateful that I have my RG 2228 but ill get one of those some day. I am on the side that really likes the bridge but to each their own. I dont understand why it has "many" of the inconveniences of a floyd though. Floating-no, springs-no, hassle of blocking to change strings-no, tuning instability- no, bitch to intonate-well yeah.... that is a pain in the ass, and im sure there a few others things that may be a bit vexing to others. Great review!...keep it up.
3600 canadian is pretty expensive for it tbh. In Finland it retails atm for 2000 euros which is roughy 2900 canadian. I bouth this guitar mostly because it might be the coolest body shape there is. In fact I ordered a custom 7 string guitar from a friend luthier with this exact body shape, but in white, with a reverse banana-style headstock and Kahler tremolo. I'm also a big fan of meshuggah and if I was to have an 8 string this would be it. I love the look of the Floyd Rose type fixed bridge. Only downside I have with it is the 27 inch scale. I think it's just too short for the 8th string. it need minimum 28 to work. 1st through 7th string are fine even in 25,5 inch.
Have you checked out the esp Ltd ec-258? There are very few reviews about it on TH-cam and it's a cheaper option for anyone who wants an 8 string in a non super strat body. I've had one for about a year and I love it.
I still don’t understand how you can get good intonation and tuning stability for F Standard from a 27“ scale?! I own 27“ 28“ and 30“ guitars, but everything below 28“ does not provide sufficient string tension or intonation capabilities for G Standard or lower. Any ideas anyone?
This is the weirdest statement to me and I am always amazed how much I see it. 27” has been the average scale length for 8 strings basically forever and it is never an issue down to E, maybe even D. There is absolutely no way that you can only get down to G with 27”
Fredrik came up with the body design, which likely means he patented it. Because otherwise, Ibanez would be making all kinds of designs of this guitar. Hopefully Fredrik will let them do that in the future, I guess he wanted his own model to stand out for a while since he came up with it.
![Rig Rundown - Meshuggah's Fredrik Thordendal, Mårten Hagström, & Dick Lövgren [2016]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/B72ZvE6bOOg/mqdefault.jpg)
One of my absolute dream guitars. All the Meshuggah sigs and customs are pure GAS. I just wish they’d give this an ebony board (but a DIY staining job should get the job done too)
Yeah I hate the board lol only reason why I never got it
one of the ugliest guitar I ever saw Yikes
Same. Rosewood is a big turn off for me.
Love the body shape on this guitar. Really makes it look like a weapon ❤
8 string Iceman
Stone-man, I think that’s what it’s name is and suits it, so primal
@abhishekredkar6026 you damn right, This Badass guitar Kicks ass!!
The floyd-style locking bridge is probably to add tuning stability. They’ve been always known to be very particular about guitars that can hold tune well on tour.
Yeah in terms of most stable tuning, hardtail Floyd style designs with a locking nut us possibly the absolute most stable you can get, at least before evertune came onto the market. These guys have been using these bridges for at least a decade before Evertune ever appeared, and you don't have to do any stuff like finding the 'sweet spot' on an Evertune where you can bend notes either
Should've been obvious
Yeah, that style bridge is a pain in the ass. In theory, once those strings are clamped down, there should be no way for it to go out of tune, because it's impossible for the strings to twist, or to move with the tuners. No different than any other floating bridge, but more stable. But in my experience, Ibanez use very soft alloys for the bridge pieces and screws, and to lock the strings down as hard as is required for that lowest string, you're using an amount of force that risks damaging the bridge pieces. Had the same bridge on my RGA8 years ago, and I hated it enough to get rid of the guitar!
That’s more or less what I’m saying here as well. I’ve had this bridge on many different RGA8 and RG2228s that I’ve had over the years and always found them to be a pain in the ass. More inconvenient than any benefits they may have. A simple bridge with locking tuners is my preference over this but it is what it is
@@BaenaCarcosa I haven't looked - but it's a good guess that hipshot might have something that drops in. Since it's not multiscale it should be somewhat simpler to find something that fits.
The thing is that since decent enough locking tuners have become fairly standard I tend to look a bit sideways at dated "fine tuning" and "tuning stability" bridge designs. I'm unsure if I tighten any of the locking nuts on any of the guitars I have that have them anymore - and I can get the job done with most trems and can also do without all the stuff under my hand which kind of distracts from my playing/muting as well as if I forget it's there during some energetic playing can bruise/cut my hand.
Sometimes technology cycles out - I'd love to hear a demo in the room with those passive Lundgrens and some various amps; there's something that's just satisfying about a really nice passive pickup, like it's organic in a good way. Raw and hairy, not a regenerated/filtered signal.
I thought it was amazingly thin bodied for something that seems so massive. :-) It's like the Chet Atkins Super Axe that looks like a giant tennis racket; big from the front, skinny from the side.
I would love to have one some day but I've been longing for a Brahms-style 8 for some time and it's likely my first legit 8 string will be some form of classical/nylon string. I blame Javier Reyes and a few others...
Well, on my RGA8 it works PERFECTLY and I have never had any problems with tuning or stability whatsoever. The only thing that upsets me is the fact you can't adjust the height individually on each saddle
Mick Thompson had this on his Ibanez, and got Jackson to make one too when he moved there. It's if you like the feel of the floyd on your hand, the sound of it, and the double locking for tuning stability.
Yeah, don't get this either. If you don't want the strings to go outta tune, you just get Evertune. Super comfortable too.
My problem with 8 string guitars that this model seems like it doesn’t have is how top-heavy they typically are. Nice haircut and thanks for the review!
My RG8 definitely has neck dive.
My Schecter Damien Elite 8 doesn't have the neck dive. It sits perfectly with the strap attached.
My Kiesel Vader 8 headless doesn’t have that problem but for obvious reasons haha
Top heaviness is perfect for people who play in classical stance like me. In fact, with normal guitars or body-heavy guitars they usually sink between my legs. My 8 string on the other hand does not.
This is the main thing that struck me when I had the chance to play an M8M - the weight was so perfect you could just balance it hands-free on your leg. Really wish more ERGs would take balancing a bit more seriously.
Looks super heavy. Love Meshuggah. DTADS is so amazing, so cool you played it.
Thomas said it’s his fav track from obzen, took em years to play live.. it’s a true masterpiece.. it’s the apex of a meshuggah track lyric & rhythm wise
Aesthetically, it's my favourite guitar design of all time, other than your standard RG shaped Ibanez', it's an art piece. Great vid man, nice to see some insight on this beauty!
Mick Thomson is also known for the locking non-floating bridge, his were called the Ibanez edge and he had them in all his guitars, when he switched over to jackson a while ago he had them design the exact same system for his new soloist models and you say mileage may vary but honestly I find if you set that bridge up right and lock in that nut properly you can really abuse the hell out of these guitars and rarely too far out of tune, the newer hard tail bridges are the "Gibraltar" I have one on my SIR27FD and they're an absolutely rock solid unit but I dont think they compare to a well made locking nut system. just my opinion! dope mix dope playing and good info as always! 🤘
I like the idea of a different shape other then the super strat. I was looking at a Schecter Avenger 8 just because it was something different. Someone bought it before I could so I am just going to go with the RG8 and do different type of upgrades. Great stuff, love the channel.
The Lundgren M series pickups are sick, I play drop G on a 7 strings and the M7’s are just perfect
I'd love to try them, I've got a pair of dimarzio paf7's in my ibanez and I find they're nowhere near as clear and clean as these are
@@b-stricks9206 yeah they rock for just about anything you’d need in rock/metal, and the coil splits can really work for anything else you’d wanna play as well
I had always wish they made this model in a prestige version. I have not had any good experiences with Indonesian Ibanez, but love the look. I really feel this shouldn't be over $1000 based on other indo models.
It looks really cool but I wouldn’t ever pay $2,000 for an Indonesian Ibanez when you can get a Japanese Prestige for that much or even less.
I love mine. Got it 13% off 1999.99 on ebay...so it was 1739 before tax and shipping. I like the bridge. I think it's their answer to the bridge Fredrick has on his that's a stopbar, but has fine tuners. I definitely prefer it to the run of the mill hipshot string thru style thats on EVERY 7/8 STRING. my biggest complaint is the F string is directly over the neck pickup poles, but to the left of the poles on the bridge, and by the time you get to the eb string, the string is to the left of the poles on the neck but dead center on the bridge pickup. I expect this on my sub 500 agile's, but wad linda disappointed when i saw it on this guitar, which is the most expensive thing i've ever bought that wasnt my house, or a vehicle. M80M is next on my wishlist.
The problem is the pickup, not anything else. Lundgren has just one pickup pole spacing and does not compensate for neck or bridge positions which sucks.
The FTM33 Stoneman, the Music Man Majesty 8 String and the Mad Max Ormsby Guitar of Dino Cazares are My Favorite 8 String Guitars of all time
I remember seeing this on Ibanez's site a few years ago and thought it was a really cool design. I've never actually seen any videos of it or how it sounds. I had always assumed it was a limited run signature guitar because no retailers have them; especially here in the US. It just always seemed weird to release a signature guitar but never send any out to say, Sweetwater. I can't say I'm surprised that its only 22 frets. My first guitar was an Iceman (IC 200 to be exact) and it was 22 frets due to the body design and had a lot of neck drop. Great video :)
I could really see these guitars being worth a lot of money in the future.
Looks wise, this is probably the most badass guitar ive ever seen
I love the bridges man, it’s all about the feel for me when palm muting, having grown up with floyds, and always blocking them, (I know right, go figure?) Using any other bridge feels weird! Although I gotta say the mono-rail on my RGD71ALPA is the next best thing… 🤘🏽 that guitar would be perfect if they dropped the locking nuts and swapped the tuners out for Gotoh MGT’s…
Same here. I have the Jackson Mick Thomson Soloist with the same style of double locking hardtail and I love it. Nearly as stable as my Evertune Washburn, but much more comfortable under my right hand and doesn't have any of the weird quirks of ET (I.E. I play pretty light gauges that stock ETs literally just can't get in tune because of their limited tension range)
Ya the lock hardtail bridge was also used by mic from slipknot. And tosin used it on his Ibanez he had. Basically they liked locking the string in place, and using fine tuners to tune it.
Sold mine after getting my Singularity 8, as it was just far more comfortable and did everything the FTM33 did better.
I loved everything about the guitar except the horn (as I’d smack the top of my hand off it during some styles of leads), the knob config/toggle position, and that it was only 22 frets.
Aside from those things, that was the first guitar with the M8’s, and those quickly became my favorite pups. I also loved it cosmetically, as that body shape and headstock are my fav. I kinda wish I kept it, as I’m a huge Meshuggah fanboy, but I’m happier it’s in somebody else’s hands and not just looking good on my rack.
I’m also with ya on the cost, without SS frets, and some manufacturers errors (which I fixed on mine), it definitely shouldn’t be priced that high. I will say the bridge is intended for better tuning and intonation; though, it’s a pain to get setup if it wasn’t setup right or begin with.
But good vid, man. Glad you dig it! :)
Can't wait to get my grubby little hands all over this
I have that guitar also and its just sooo brutal 😀 in Finland it was ”only” ~1400€ wich translates pretty much 1:1 to CAD (custom guitar would be 3-3,5k€ also). I’m not a huge fan of that bridge either and wanted to play it live so I got it Evertuned 😅
No niin, Europe seems cheaper - here in Germany we pay around 1900€ for a brand new FTM-3 - but 3600$ is definitely overprized
Looks like a Thunderbird and the Iceman had a baby……
….a really, really awesome-looking baby…..
Oh my former love:) I saw this guitar few years ago in Ibanez site as well as Mr. Thordendal's videos. I searched everywhere but sadly it was made very selectively back then. Glad they mass produce this model.
Great playing & demo. Really cool to hear an honest review. I would love that guitar but the bridge is too much hassle for me. Got yourself a new sub - cheers 👍🤘🤘
I agree about the body shape, it looks imposing as fuck in my opinion. I like the RG shape a lot, but it's refreshing to see something else for an 8 string. The price for new guitars are astronomical now. Plus a lot of companies seem to have bad QC. Really not worth buying something new unless you absolutely have to have that guitar. I wanted a Brandon Ellis signature Kelly but no way am I paying that kind of money.
I know how you love guitar body types that aren't normally seen for metal guitars ( Tele, explorer, etc) have you considered reviewing the M80M or getting one in general?
Sure, if Ibanez gives me one haha
I bought one back in 2018 for 2700 AUD = 2450 CAD. As far as quality control goes, the fretwork is probably that of a budget/mid tier $1000 Schecter, as the frets aren't polished and some of them aren't level with a bit of fret buzz on the higher frets. The Jatoba fretboard is very out of place, like as if someone slabbed on some wood from a kitchen table onto the fretboard, so I stained mine with some of that higgins ink. Now it looks like a dark rosewood/ebony fretboard, especially when it darkens with some dunlop lemon fretboard oil. Also, the acrylic pick guard is very susceptible to tiny little scratches so you will get picky about it but eventually learn to deal with it as no one is going to see it unless they put their face into it. The bridge is a pain in the ass to intonate because the screw is perpendicular to the saddle, so you have to loosen the string completely to be able to adjust the position of the saddle and then re tune it when you're satisfied with the intonation.
With that being said, it still has great sounding pickups - Chewy and meaty, whilst still having a low enough output to do great clean tones. The tuning stability is great with the locking nut and the body shape allows you to rest your picking hand on the top of the guitar when chugging. And in terms of the fretwork, all you really need is some fret polish and it's mostly fine. As you pointed out, it also doesn't suffer from neck dive. With that being said, it's basically an awesome guitar design with high quality pickups and good enough to rely on for composing studio/live performances.
*TL:DR The build quality is probably worthy of a budget/mid tier Schecter, except it looks awesome which makes it kind of worth it IMO.*
What are your thoughts on the tension on the 8th string?
@@TempleGuitars good question actually, 27” is too short, as the 0.74 gauge suffers from fret buzz because it’s too loose. If you try putting on anything above 0.80 to fix fret buzz, then it’s too tight and you can’t really do bends whilst the thickness of the string starts to sound like a bass. Thicker strings also create higher output so it’s also ruins the tone with too much distortion.
Ideally, you want either a 29” scale length like the m80m or fan fret where the 8 string is 29”
The fact that they did a limited run of the jatoba fretboard could make that a collectors item one day. Could be a dope Pawn Stars moment in the future LUL
That's a very cool design, they should do it in 6 strings (don't know if they do)
drums sounding crispy man holy
Killer Axe, Killer demosong, Killer Haircut!
Yeah the bridge has put me off getting it all this while. That said the firebird shape is tempting so my mind goes back and forth.
It's a monster for sure. You should def get a black pickguard replacement for it. The mirror makes it cheesy IMO. Cheers!
if that intro doesn't tell you it's Meshuggah idk what will. That timing in ridiculous.
It's literally a Meshuggah song 😂
I'm surprised that they shortened the string length on this versus the M8* guitars. It seems to still have amazing definition despite this change.
I'd really love to find some in-depth info on this. I'm so close to buying one, but 27" seems way too little (I like heavy strings).
I could be wrong, but I seem to remember reading that this change was due to them getting older and playing a 29" scale for a number of shows was getting tiring (also due to weight). Plus Frederick is the only one playing these so that would add some validity.
@@malcolmrff prett sure the reason theymade it 22 frets and 27” scale was both to get easier leads and the 2nd pickup for lead versatiliy. A 30” scale with straight frets just isnt suited for complex Well sounding leads.
Damn 3600 bucks Canadian! Fun fact if 10 timbits are $1.99... add tax... That guitar is worth 15720 timbits Ayyyyoooooo!
I'll see myself out. Other than the price that thing is a beast! Killer review
You def pulled out THALL the stops for this one!!!
i love that Ibanez uses its classic logo on a guitar that's played by one of the forefathers of Modern Metal.
As far as I know the original Ibanez 8 string guitars are the ones they made for Fredrik and Marten somewhere around 2004.
Yeah... So??
It's just an adaptation on the Explorer.
You're completely right about the RRP being ridiculous. I'd rather have a vintage for that price which would also appreciate over time.
usually I do not caree about explorer style bodyshapes, but this looks amazing!
Gotta admit, I'm pretty jealous that you have it, it's my dream guitar haha enjoy it!
I'm waiting on delivery of this beast today :)
I love this bridge. I have on on my RG8.
hi there bro , you said the new ones have rosewood again ? which supplier are you talking about ? would i find it in the uk ?
living the dream fredriks guitar
Question for you, Sir! What guitar is comparable to this? Not price point wise, but quality wise...
That pricing is so weird to me cuz even with exchange rate, that's more than that guitar is new in America (its about $2000 new from what I can see and $3600 CAD is $2800 USD). You did get a good price for it though regardless of currency.
That looks like a meshuggah weapon...I'd expect no less.
Oooo. Fucking goosebumps on the Dancers intro
Happy New Year with the "Ultimate Machine to make a Tacos of Peshuggah and Leshuggah...
Demo was 🔥
Good review
The shape looks like the iceman going into beast mode
Your points on the bridge are exactly what keeps me away from investing. I don't know if it's possible or worthwhile to replace, but do you see yourself swapping the bridge out for something else? Or just going to get used to it and enjoy for what it is?
It's not bad enough that it prevents me from enjoying the instrument, like I said I have had this bridge many times on other Ibanez models - it's not the end of the world just not what I prefer
Which amps do you recommend for the FTM33?
I love the body shape I agree with you completely.
Kinda looks like a firebird, pretty dope
All of us watching the review even though we'll never even see one of these in person
Sick axe look for you. It suits you better than all that neon green stuff.
Dye that fretboard black as night
This is the only mod I would consider doing to it I think
@@BaenaCarcosa It deserves it
I'm surprised how well yours balances. The neck on mine wants to go straight down. Maybe that is something they fixed with the newer versions (mine is from the first run in 2017).
Please, i am begging you, do a cover of either i am colossus or combustion. I know that colossus isnt the most technically challenging and it pretty one note. But i for some Reason love it. And love the guitar, have been wanting it ever since i Saw it first time. Though i am a beginner with only 4 or so years of experience. Had been playing classical for 11 years before that with a Big break
I'm pretty sure the bridge is there because of microtuners and a locking nut. Cool review though and really nice playing.
New Loathe single, homey.
Yes.
my man lookin badass with the new haircut
How is the neck and playability? Is it manageable without multi-scale?
As a fellow owned of such a guitar, the neck is great. The entire reason for 27” scale is so that leads Sound cleaner and with more sustain. And on top the neck pickup gives you more to play with in terms of tone.
I had to wait to watch this video because I am so jealous....yea dumb... but thats a dream guitar of mine. I am grateful that I have my RG 2228 but ill get one of those some day. I am on the side that really likes the bridge but to each their own. I dont understand why it has "many" of the inconveniences of a floyd though. Floating-no, springs-no, hassle of blocking to change strings-no, tuning instability- no, bitch to intonate-well yeah.... that is a pain in the ass, and im sure there a few others things that may be a bit vexing to others. Great review!...keep it up.
Do you think you review the m80m?
3600 canadian is pretty expensive for it tbh. In Finland it retails atm for 2000 euros which is roughy 2900 canadian. I bouth this guitar mostly because it might be the coolest body shape there is. In fact I ordered a custom 7 string guitar from a friend luthier with this exact body shape, but in white, with a reverse banana-style headstock and Kahler tremolo. I'm also a big fan of meshuggah and if I was to have an 8 string this would be it. I love the look of the Floyd Rose type fixed bridge. Only downside I have with it is the 27 inch scale. I think it's just too short for the 8th string. it need minimum 28 to work. 1st through 7th string are fine even in 25,5 inch.
You ain’t kiddin, I’ve got a rg8 and all strings are great, except for the 8th, anything lower than E and it’s just rattle
Have you checked out the esp Ltd ec-258? There are very few reviews about it on TH-cam and it's a cheaper option for anyone who wants an 8 string in a non super strat body. I've had one for about a year and I love it.
he actually has a video on it
Are you planning or do you want to mod the guitar with an evertune bridge?
IT HAS THE OLD IBANEZ LOGO FOR FUCKS SAKE I NEED IT NOW
What gauge are you using? Mine sounds sloppy as hell on the lows…
Super beautiful 🤗
Would be the most comfortable 8 string lapsteel with an elbow rest.
What song is playing at 4:15?
Dancers!!!
would have loved a run through of the tones and what not
What are your ears gauges to? I am gauging mine and just wondering
You guys get hosed in Canada! These are $1999 USD. That’s roughly $2500 CAD as of today’s exchange rate.
I still don’t understand how you can get good intonation and tuning stability for F Standard from a 27“ scale?! I own 27“ 28“ and 30“ guitars, but everything below 28“ does not provide sufficient string tension or intonation capabilities for G Standard or lower. Any ideas anyone?
This is the weirdest statement to me and I am always amazed how much I see it. 27” has been the average scale length for 8 strings basically forever and it is never an issue down to E, maybe even D. There is absolutely no way that you can only get down to G with 27”
Dude, you have a problem thinking string tension means something close to a mandolin tension
@@BaenaCarcosa E is the lowest I can really go with mine, anything lower and it just rattles
Just to add, Fredrik moved on to 28" scale after this guitar was released. All his new customs are 28", and Marten also started using 28".
@@codcade dude, just use a freaking screwdriver
Just picked one up for $1699 USD good deal?
I’m kinda sad for the demo you didn’t play the coda. It’s like the best part.😂
What was his single HB iceman called?
Wait didn't Scotty Lepage use this guitar!!!!
Love that body shape
WANT
Iv always wanted one (dream guitar)
yea after playing the carpenter tele ltd's live most guitars arent that heavy to me now.
Weird thing. In Germany this guitar is retailed for like 1500€ (1200$CND). Personally though i think his strat shaped Ibanez looks way better
What do you mean? Ive been looking at this guitar for 3 years and its been 2000€ from 2017 to now meanwhile the m80m is around those 1500€
So fucking sickk
Nissssssssssssssssssce 🍻
Still needs green pickguard!🍀
i dont know how ibanez didnt release the 7 string version ... fredrik has 7 string version ... i dont play 8 but 7 i would buy one
Fredrik came up with the body design, which likely means he patented it. Because otherwise, Ibanez would be making all kinds of designs of this guitar. Hopefully Fredrik will let them do that in the future, I guess he wanted his own model to stand out for a while since he came up with it.
@@Salomon_G Fredrik already has a 7 string version
@@litos_mendes I know. A 6 also. And they aren't commercially available for a reason, that's my point.
Fuck.... shuggah!!!
I never knew you could spell DJENT by using a guitar
Ultra nut
How long is this guitar overall? Looks like it’s almost the length of a bass.
27
How do you thing, is it possible to put FR bridge on it?
No