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Ibanez MTM2 (Mick Thomson)
List: $975
When Mick Thomson became the potent guitar half of Slipknot, he was toting an Ibanez (RG560). There was an endorsement stint with BC Rich subsequently but in 2006, Thomson made clear his preference with the forging of the Ibanez MTM1. This 2007, Ibanez has introduced a more affordable, less flashy version of the signature model in question; the MTM2. The following is a summary of differences between the aforementioned guitars:
*Bolt-on neck
*Fixed Edge III bridge
*Passive covered Ibanez humbuckers (V7 neck + V8 bridge)
*5-way pickup selection
*Marking-free fretboard
*Black finish
Construction/ fit/ finish
Let it be known that the MTM2 is of Indonesian origin. Say what you like about dodgy, far-eastern craftsmanship, the MTM2 isn’t a product of sub-standard, cheap labour. The morbid black finish canvasses the mahogany/ maple neck with an excellent coating from head to toe. The ferocious simplicity is further enhanced by the brilliant white binding which covers the body’s top edges, neck & headstock. Nevertheless, the audition model exposes a careless production hand; the bass-side 24th fret vicinity has a frayed binding specimen. There were no other eccentricities to report; the MTM2 proves to be an excellent output.
Rating: 9/10
Playability/ tone
Amplifier used:
*Randall RG75
*Peavey Triple XXX 112
There isn’t a super thin Ibanez neck to be had here; the Wizard II make has a healthy apportionment which isn’t repulsive to speed demons. If you are privy to the RGT42’s neck feel, this is its exact replica, less the reverse headstock, or course. The overall weight of this guitar remains manageable largely owing to the simplified bridge assembly.
The Fixed Edge III is simply an Edge III unit, reengineered to accommodate a pair of stubby fixture posts (the exact units employed in the RGA bridge mechanism) & an embedding tail-end screw which effectively renders the tail end immobile. If you are hoping the body cavity here is an indicator of a re-designing possibility to allow future vibrato plans, do leave that idea in limbo because there are no knife edges & complementary bridge posts for a floating affair. The fact that this design necessitates no rear cavity, additional vibrato springs & other metal contraptions, there is a more solid, inherent feel which very much dictates the tone of the instrument.
Together with a pair of covered V7
/ V8 (b) humbuckers, the overall tone on offer is a deep but defined growl, reminiscent of an active circuitry at work but the system remains evidently passive. The absence of a tone control threatens to render the guitar to be excessively bright but the aforementioned growl is proof enough that the tones on offer are useful rather than one-dimensional. If you wish for an immaculate clean tones, this is simply the wrong guitar to consider, however the 5-way switching system allows for acceptable single coil voicings (parallel neck/ neck single + bridge single). The solitary volume knob here might be the primary dissent for tone purists, the fact that it’s located quite a distant away from the bridge, compounds the contention. Please be informed that the default string gauge isn’t the slinky set of .009s but a thicker provision to accommodate the endorser’s detuned preference (factory default: B/ Ab/ B/ E/ Bb/ Eb). Accordingly, the action is high to avoid fret buzzing & it was effectively set up to be so. All in all, the MTM2 thrives on driven settings more than anything else.
Rating: 8.5/10
Conclusion
The MTM2 joins the ranks of the revised JEM Jr/ JS100/ PGM3 to offer the player a singing instrument devoid of an extravagant price tag (ok the $975 list price isn’t exactly cheap). This guitar has the sound (forgive the pun) ingredients to make it a love affair rather than being lower rung endorsement obligation. Visually, the repulsive SEVEN fretboard marker has been relegated to a truss rod cover marker, enough to make this one appealing even to non-Thomson affiliates; a worthy 2007 addition to the Ibanez family. By the way, this reviewer is still perplexed as to why the guitar requires a locking nut when the bridge stays put…
Overall rating: 8.5/10
Likes:
*Construction/ fit/ finish
*Fixed Edge III bridge
*Gain friendly pickups
*5-way switching option (unlike the MTM’s 3-way)
Dislikes:
*High default action
*Binding issue (slight)
*No tone control
Worthy competitors:
*LTD JH200
*LTD KH202
*BC Rich KKV
*Jackson DKMG Dinky
