Ibanez has just dropped one of the coolest signature guitars it’s built in years, but its Japan-only release will be sure to upset a fair few guitar fans.
Designed and crafted for Nemophila and Koiai metal guitarist Hazuki, the HZK1 is a stunning, turquoise stone-inspired take on its RG body shape that marries an alder body with a spalted maple top.
The seven-string stunner gets an ultra-thin Wizard-7 neck, comprised five-piece maple/wenge neck for effortless shredding, and Hazuki's music has plenty of that; she's a fierce player.
Its bound rosewood fingerboard is emboldened with Luminlay side sots, stainless steel frets, and Ibanez's precision-engineered fret edge treatment. Offset mother-of-pearl inlays are a nice touch, too.
A pair of Fishman Fluence Modern active humbuckers, in a gorgeous chrome finish, offer tonal versatility. The Lo-Pro Edge 7 bridge, meanwhile, enables Floyd Rose-like whammy dives without compromising tuning. The HZK1 is smartly kitted out.
“The RG was my sidekick when I was a music student; I have a lot of memories with it,” she says. “I have played many guitars, but the RG sounds exactly the way I want a guitar to sound.”
Its tone knob has also been removed as Hazuki kept hitting it with her strumming hand, and its lightweight design lets her play gruelling two-hour shows far more effortlessly.
“This guitar has changed my playing on stage so much,” Hazuki beams. “Ibanez has become a big part of my daily life. [It's] food, clothing, shelter...and Ibanez!”
The guitar is exclusive to Ibanez Japan and costs ￥440,000. That exclusivity is a crying shame. Let’s hope the firm gives in to fan pressure and extends its accessibility in the future.
Head to Ibanez for more.
Elsewhere, Ibanez gave three of its biggest artists all-new signature models, released its most 'metal' acoustics to date, and paid tribute to one of its most outrageous, shred-friendly builds by resurrecting a forgotten hero.
