Ibanez is bursting into the new year with a big announcement, unveiling a new product lineup for 2023. The announcement includes a few new basses and acoustic models, as well as a slew of brand-new electric guitars that all comprise the brand's new Axe Design Lab series.
Having become a brand that a younger generation of guitarists is taking an interest in lately, with its very popular Polyphia Tim Henson and Scott LePage signature instrument releases late last year, we imagine a lot of eyes and ears are tuned to what's coming next.
As the official successor to the Axion Label line, the new Axe Design Labs series will focus exclusively on guitars and will cover every Ibanez product tier. According to Ibanez, the series is built around a philosophy of innovation and promises to "expand the availability of exciting new features to players everywhere." While some of these designs will surely look familiar, each 2023 model brings something new to the table.
For example, the new RG8870 looks very much like other J. Custom instruments but features a lighter chambered body, a scoop cut on the back of the lower horn for improved access to upper frets, an asymmetrical wizard neck, and a new Lo-Pro Edge bridge.
The new RGA222XH likewise resembles previous RGA-bodied instruments in many ways but features a unique 27-fret design, which should appeal to players looking for some extended range in a six-string guitar. For a more conventional and affordable six-string, the SL721 has you covered.
The SL721 features a familiar S body shape but its central design feature is its "light multi-scale," as Ibanez refers to it. "Visually, this presents as the first fret being parallel with the nut, with the frets gradually tilting inward as one moved further up the neck," Ibanez explains.
"The purpose of this design is not to facilitate drop tuning as it is with other multi scale designs, but to deliver better string-to-string tension and improved playability in standard tuning."
If six strings just aren't enough for you, the new Axe Design Labs has you covered with the RGDMS8 and RG9PB. The former is very drop-tuning-friendly with its 25.5-27.2" multi-scale construction and eight-string design, while the latter is the most radical of the bunch with nine strings and a 28-inch scale covering the entire range of a six-string with three extra strings for added low-end.
Outside of these new electrics, Ibanez also unveiled a new line of ukuleles, two new budget-friendly acoustic guitars (the AEG7 and AEG7MH), and the new FRH10N which shares a lot of similarities with last year's popular Tim Henson Signature TOD10N.
New Ibanez basses are coming this year, too: three new models joining the SR Premium series, two new additions to the singlecut BTB lineup, and a new multi-scale Bass VI. Two more visually striking additions include the five-string electric upright bass and a new EHB1005F fretless and headless model.