Ibanez Review: IC 400 Iceman

History:

Purchase: I bought this new from a local music store for the manufacturers suggested retailing price of £450-I have since discovered that you can get it via the internet for a possible £400, but that doesn't include postage and packaging. I walked in to the shop to kill a few minutes, saw it on the wall and had a go....30 minutes later I walked out with it!

What I Like About This Ibanez IC 400 Iceman: I have always loved the shape-it's a real "marmite" guitar; you either love or hate the way it looks but either way you'll have an opinion! The sound quality is excellent- the ibanez humbuckers that come as standard on this model are superb, although one needs to be careful not to let them overpower your sound and make everything sound too bassy. The guitar is solid mahogany and features a great glued in neck. The access to the higher frets is superb and the frets themselves are fat and well finished. The fret inlays are similar to those on a Les Paul, abalone block inserts. It's so "rock" that it only comes in black with cream binding and chrome hardware.

What I Do NOT Like About The Ibanez IC 400 Iceman: The fact that I'm having a really difficult job getting a case-Ibanez have discontinued the case that fits the iceman,(which makes no sense to me) and so I'm having to have one custom built

Ibanez IC 400 Iceman Quality Rating: The construction and quality of this guitar is top notch. It's basically a Les Paul, but far funkier looking (in my opinion!) and a thousand pounds cheaper. The way it plays and feels is all its own though. The finishing is superlative with no rough edges at all. The guitar hangs nicely when strapped on and sits well on your leg when you're not. It is heavy, but you'd expect that from a solid mahogany guitar like this.

Review Summary: For a whole host of reasons this guitar is a winner. If I had to single one out, it would be the quality of the instrument (irrespective of it's styling) for the price. Quite how Ibanez can produce this for this price when other big manufacturers can't or won't follow suit speaks volumes. If you're in the market for a real rock guitar with killer looks and tones to boot, check the iceman out!

Rating of this Ibanez product: 5

This Ibanez IC 400 Iceman Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: Matt Stasiak

Review Date: 2005-01-10