Ibanez Iceman
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[edit] History
The Iceman is a guitar produced by Ibanez. Hoshino Corporation - (Ibanez's parent company) started exporting copies of American electric and acoustic guitars in the sixties. Their copy guitars were so exacting in detail that Gibson sued Ibanez (unsuccessfully) in the late '70's. As a result of the lawsuit, Ibanez slightly altered their solid body designs.
By the mid seventies Ibanez had reached a level of quality comparable to American guitar makers, but lower labor rates plus efficient manufacturing meant that Ibanez guitars could be sold for almost half (or less) of the cost of a Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster.
In the mid 70's Ibanez wanted to make a distinctly Japanese guitar. The idea was to build a guitar widely loved and respected, like a Les Paul or Stratocaster. At a closed door meeting with the main guitar companies in Japan - Ibanez, (Hoshino) Greco, (Kanda Shokai) Diawa, and Fuji - the Iceman was designed. Each company had distribution rights to it in different global markets. Ibanez held the rights for the USA. This resulted in one of the best looking and original designs to emerge from the Pacific Rim. With the triple coil pickup and mahogany body the first series of Iceman were light weight tone giants ahead of their time. Yet initial sales were not overwhelming in the conservative American guitar market.
[edit] Notable Users
- Thomas Gabriel Fischer of Celtic Frost
- Daron Malakian of System of a Down
- Paul Stanley of Kiss
- J. of White Zombie
- Chad I. Ginsburg of CKY
- Sam Totman of DragonForce
- Sascha Gerstner of Helloween
- Tom (Pig Champion) Roberts of Poison Idea
