In Focus: Ibanez Guitars at Melbourne Guitar Show

Fret-sweaters rejoice: the Melbourne Guitar Show is making a return for 2023! Featuring must-see live performances, brand showcases and beyond, it’s a long overdue celebration of all things with strings, and we’re all totally amped to see what’s in store for this year.

Ahead of the big dance in Caulfield, we’re checking out a few choice models from Japanese juggernauts Ibanez, providing a cheeky sneak peek of what models you can expect to see at this year’s show.

Polyphia are one of the hottest guitar bands going today, so it would make sense for their star shredder to wield such a dazzling piece as the Ibanez TOD10 Tim Henson Signature Guitar. With a slick roasted maple neck, an ultra-responsive ebony fretboard and some top-notch hardware, Tim Henson’s signature TOD10 is a premium model for prodigious players. It’s loaded with Henson’s signature Fishman Fluence pickups for true, articulate playing, while bespoke wiring lets you enjoy tonal versatility at its absolute best.

If shredding is your aim, make the RG8870 Prestige the game. A prestige made-in-Japan model with all the specs to boot, the RG8870 boasts a glorious fivepiece maple/wenge neck with a stunning fretboard inlay, an alder body with a flamed maple top and a chambered body to alleviate weight and enhances tonal clarity. Gotoh tuners and a Lo-Pro Edge whammy are also included, and a trio of DiMarzio pickups help make this model a must for any dedicated metalhead.

The RGD3121 Prestige definitely doesn’t lack in the looks department! Boasting an iridescent finish, the RGD3121 also offers a slick Wizard neck for deft fretwork, a tidy MonoRail bridge and a pair of Fishman Fluence ceramic humbuckers. Luminlay side dots and Gotoh locking tuners also prove to be a nice touch, while an extended 26.5” scale allows it to play nicely with heavier string gauges for some meaty, down-tuned riffing.

For those who prefer more traditional S-type guitars, the AZ2203N Prestige might be the model for you. An alder body, roasted maple neck and rosewood fretboard provide a familiar playing surface to suit all styles, while appointments like an all-access neck joint, compound radius fretboard and non-recessed bridge cavity puts the AZ2203N a bar above what you’d usually find in an S-type model. There’s also an intuitive blend control wired in, and the presence of three Seymour Duncan Fortuna pickups is a welcome sight as well. Unlock your true potential as a player with the RGA622XH Featuring 27 frets, this guitar lets you reach areas of the neck like never before, with its beveled design and clean contours letting you shred harder than ever. An African mahogany body and maple/walnut neck makes for a steady pairing, and DiMarzio Tone Zone and Air Norton pickups are a nice touch. Add in the LoPro Edge tremolo, menacing black finish and gold hardware, and you’re looking at one serious shredder.

The compact, ergonomic curves of the Q547 might be off-putting for some, but with one of these guitars in your grasp, you’ll be more than ready to tackle the future. This sophisticated sevenstring boasts an intuitive headless design and some truly tasty appointments, including a roasted maple/bubinga neck, nyatoh body and birdseye maple fretboard. A R1 / Q58 pickup combo delivers plenty of grunt, while the dynaMIX9 switching system offers no less than nine variations - what more could you ask for?

Not willing to blow the budget? Try the GRG220PA1 on for size. Featuring professional appointments such as a poplar Burl Art top, roasted maple neck and classic sharktooth fretboard inlays, it’s a neat, affordable introduction to the Ibanez shredder type of guitar. A pair of Classic Elite humbuckers allow for chunky rhythms and articulate leads alike, and there’s also a T106 whammy bar for superior tuning stability.

Another sleek way to dip into the world of Ibanez guitars with minimal financial damage, the GRG120QASP is a stylish super-shredder to suit all kinds of applications. It’s got an eyecatching quilted maple top and a sturdy maple neck, as well as quality appointments like a T102 tremolo, mono-unit input jack and tidy black hardware. Two Ibanez Infinity humbuckers are also added into the equation, making for a guitar that screams out value for money.

Don’t worry bassists - we didn’t forget about you, and neither did Ibanez. Sleek, ergonomic and sonically rich, the EHB1005F is a five-string fretless wonder, and could prove to be a workhorse in the right hands. The lack of a headstock and the addition of a chambered body makes it lightweight and versatile, with a beveled contoured body providing a comfortable playing experience. Bartolini pickups are a big plus, while a VariMid three-band EQ allows you to flick between passive and active tones for unrivaled flexibility.

Few electric upright basses look quite as cool as the UB805! With a crisp Jatoba fretboard and maple body, this five-string is a true head-turner, and should be a no-brainer for any demanding session bassist. It’s loaded with a AeroSilk piezo pickup system for a balanced signal with plenty of articulation, and also comes with a Tama stand, bow and padded gig-bag: the perfect option for anyone on the hunt for a portable alternative to a conventional double bass.

If you’re after a more conventional low-end weapon, make sure to check out the SR5FMDX2: it’s an absolute beast. African mahogany, ash and flamed maple combine for an exotic aesthetic and wonderfully playable experience, and the five-piece Atlas panga and purpleheart neck is a joy to behold. The killer Nordstrand Big Single pickups boast some eyecatching birdseye maple wooden covers, and when paired with Ibanez’s custom three-band EQ and bypass switching, you’ll soon be in tone heaven.

All of these Ibanez models are available to see and play at the Melbourne Guitar Show, so do yourself a favour and get down to check them out for yourself!

Ibanez is distributed in Australia via Australis Music.

BY WILL BREWSTER

Hey Laidy Guitar Straps - Doin’ it for Mother Earth

Hey Laidy creates limited edition handcrafted guitar straps, camera straps, bag/purse straps and belts. The hero of these vintage inspired designs is the eco-friendly hemp webbing and beautiful jacquard ribbons. Uncompromising on comfort and style, these environmentally conscious pieces are made in small batches by the maker, Laidy Byrne in her home studio on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Fashionable and timeless, durable and authentic, like listening to your favourite record on repeat - it only gets better with time.

Byrne sat down with Mixdown to tell us about her process, from sourcing through to construction, every step of which prioritises sustainability.

“Hey Laidy is a brand built on the philosophy of quality over quantity. In a world dominated by fast fashion and a throw away culture, Hey Laidy products aren’t influenced by trends. They are timeless, robust accessories that have been built to withstand the rigours of rock n roll.

“There are three key components to a Hey Laidy guitar strap; hemp webbing, jacquard woven trim and leather. I chose to work with hemp for a couple of key reasons. Not only is hemp the strongest natural fibre and one of the most sustainable fibres you can use, it is also extremely comfortable to wear. The hemp webbing used in my products has some natural grip so the strap doesn’t slip and slide off your shoulder like many of the nylon

Cranking it up to 11 with Lauda Guitars

Lauda Guitars are an addition to this year’s Melbourne Guitar Show to keep your eye on. Proudly made in South Australia, the duo at Lauda marry modern CNC technology and precision with hand-built craftsmanship at every step.

Luthier Chris Lau has been playing, repairing and building guitars and basses for over 25 years. Recently, Lauda Guitars have been perfecting their two unique hollow bodies, working closely with guitarists and drawing from many years of repair experience on the bench. There have been many iterations as they work to build a guitar that blends a modern performance with soul and character. The brand also offers custom inlay.

The Night Owl Hollowbody is a dynamic, light and supremely versatile instrument. It yields lively and warm clean tones. With the construction utilising a milled solid body strategically connected to a fully carved top, feedback problems are no issue, and the Night Owl can deliver decisively robust, driven tones. It even sounds fantastic in low drop tunings, something not every hollowbody can deliver. This makes it a great choice for players in a variety of genres, or even ones wanting an instrument that can cover a lot of territory over several sets.

The Bluehawk Hollowbody is a thinline instrument tuned towards jazz, blues and fusion. With traditional bent sides, sustain blocks and a solid, fully carved back and top, it has an acoustically balanced tone for a thinline. But like its smaller based straps nor does it need breaking in like a leather strap.

I made a conscious decision to use vegetable tanned leather rather than chrome tanned as the process is carried out without the use of toxic substances or heavy metals. It is also less harsh on the hide so vegetable tanned leather tends to last longer. All my leather comes from the longstanding reputable family owned business, Leffler Leather Merchants in Melbourne.

Last but not least is the beautiful jacquard trim that adorns each strap. Reminiscent of the guitar straps made popular by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin in the 60s and 70s, I primarily use vintage trims scoured from around the globe. A current favourite with customers is the vintage upholstery trim, sourced online from a boutique seller in the United Kingdom.

Even the packaging has been thoughtfully considered from an environmental perspective. Each strap is packaged in a reusable cotton drawstring bag and online orders are sent in an eco-friendly mail bag that is compostable.”

BY NANCY MALONE

cousin, it provides reliable performance at higher volumes. The tone is full and punchy even on the higher frets and it has a lot of sustain. An important difference in this model is the 16th fret neck joint (instead of 14th) giving great access to upper frets. Utilising CNC technology during building also means that a Bluehawk can feature difficult to work exotic tops, such as the burl poplar shown here. For more information, visit laudaguitars.com.au, and be sure to check out their models at MGS.

BY NANCY MALONE

Inside The Wolf Den - A closer look at Wolf Guitars

Exhibiting at this year’s Melbourne Guitar Show, Wolf Guitars is managed and run by She Wolf Erica Buckley, and the brand’s HQ, ‘The Wolf Den’, at Freo Guitars in Fremantle, was conceived after Co-Founder Peter McCallum, an emergency medical officer working at an exploration mine site in the Pilbara, wanted to purchase a decent guitar to take to site to play during his down time. A long and thorough search on the world wide web led Peter to a manufacturer renowned worldwide for the quality of the electric guitars they produce.

After purchasing two beautifully appointed sample guitars that sounded phenomenal, co-founder and seasoned businesswoman Erica encouraged Pete’s belief that these guitars would excite and thrill musicians searching for sensibly priced instruments that far exceed the quality/price equation.

All Wolf Guitars Australia instruments leave the Wolf Den in an all inclusive, state of the art Wolf Guitars Australia hard case - gig-

Study Guitar Making with NCAT

Preston’s Northern College of the Arts & Technology is allowing students to tap into the ample opportunities in both Victoria’s guitar making industry, and with independent makers nationally, offering guitar making units within their Certificate IV in Musical Instrument Making and Repair.

ready, reliable and dressed to thrill. Upgrades and modifications are available on all of the She Wolf models, however, clients are of course encouraged to get to know the guitars as they come before making any modification requests.

So what makes a Wolf Guitar? Put simply, they are beautifully crafted, well equipped, sonically brilliant electric guitars and basses. Wolf makes both solid and semi hollow bodied electric guitars. More importantly, the guitars fall at a reasonable price point, making them accessible to players that choose to spend their hard earned money on a professional instrument rather than a brand they have been told to buy. Having said that, Wolf certainly doesn’t don’t compromise on quality.

In every sense of the word, Wolf Guitars are a professional musician’s instrument that will stand their ground comfortably alongside guitars three times their price.

Built in Vietnam to the brand’s specifications, all Wolf Guitars Australia models are finished in Fremantle Western Australia with a restring, upgraded grover or gotoh tuners, a fret-level, crown and polish, electronics and component upgrade and check, truss-rod check, action and intonation check and a certificate of service and authenticity. They are all equipped with phenomenal howling wolf overwound, high output pickups and Wolf’s own quantum circuitry and components. Where possible, Wolf sources sustainable tone and fretboard woods, and their manufacturing processes are environmentally friendly and ethically minded.

Wolf Guitars Australia also manufactures their own high quality true bypass and analogue effects pedals, which are hand painted by local Fremantle artists. Progressive, innovative, relentless and brilliant - Wolf Guitars Australia are undoubtedly about to go Global.

BY NANCY MALONE

The college not only boasts established relationships with Maton Guitars, Cole Clark Guitars and many independent instrument makers, but doubly so, the Australian Music Association (the National Retailer’s

Association). It’s no surprise, then, that in the Certificate IV, students are given the opportunity to learn to make both a bolt-on electric guitar and a dreadnaught style acoustic guitar.

Upon the successful completion of these two instruments, students can then allow their creativity to take the reins by designing and constructing a custom made instrument of their choosing. The college will provide the materials necessary for the taskstudents need only supply the hardware.

Guitar making teacher at NCAT Mark Russel considers the course’s ethos of openarmed encouragement to be one of its true highlights:

“NCAT is known for its equality and giving everybody a fair chance at succeeding at what their love is. If you give people the chance to pursue a passion they’re going to naturally succeed in it.”

This training is delivered with Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding and there are no prerequisites, though completion of NCAT’s Certificate III in Musical Instrument Making & Maintenance would be an advantage for keen applicants. For more information regarding application and assessments, visit NCAT’s website at ncat.vic.edu. au.

BY NANCY MALONE

The comprehensive course covers an introduction to the computer controlled cutting and milling machines and laser cutters, as well as the proper use and maintenance of the hand and power tools necessary for construction, allowing them to gain vital, hands on experience.