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Ibanez: S1XXV (List: $999)
Loud & proud- that’s the swear-by philosophy of the 1980s, very much reflected in the electric guitar colours should people need the reminder. Ibanez is paying tribute to this attention grabbing era by releasing a limited run of its 25th Anniversary RG & S-series models; the RG1XXV/ S1XXV. The models you see above are the S1XXV in glaring fluorescent green & yellow appointments. Besides being a commemorative collector magnet, what can we expect from this guitar?
Construction/ fit/ finish
The S1XXV hails from the standard range of guitars so do not expect the Premium or Prestige grade handling. However, the latest bundle of Indonesian-made Ibanez instruments (late 2011/ early 2012, this S1XXV included) manifest an outstanding QC grade, surpassing the expectations when it comes to price considerations. The test model for this review (eventually purchased by this appraiser) was exceptional in its fit & finish; no dodgy put-together or other sloppy workmanship were detected. The only gripe was its action setting; it was too low out-of-the box (yes, I was there to witness this guitar’s unpacking), there was insufficient clearance to promote a healthy sustain.
The general expectation was a serving of botched attention to details because the uninitiated browser would equate Indonesian craftsmanship with a sub-standard performance. It’s a baseless equation because we know the Premium series of Ibanez instruments came from Indonesia as well so there is a hint of assurance which the casual buyer would miss; it’s about seeing & acknowledging the quality in hand, not making judgment calls based on unqualified assumptions.
Rating: 90%
Playability/ Tone
Ibanez fans would expect a total regurgitation of what was offered back in the 1980s but that is not the case here. It’s a commemorative production model, not a promise of close reiteration. As a start, the ZR bridge is the wrong representation of the reference era & we know that this bridge comes with a weight issue so the lightweight feel of a typical S-Series is absent. The neck profile is the current Wizard III make so it is definitely a departure from that super-slim profile of the Super Wizard while definitely retaining the slim attributes, just not the period-correct slimness.
Enough detail scrutiny, just how appealing is the S1XXV in this category? The overall acoustic resonance has a pronounced bottom end to it but not rich enough to be dominating upon plugging in. The Wizard III neck, despite its reservations, continues to invite acceleration; it’s a thin profile to begin with anyway. Coming to the tone specifics, the in-house INF pickups get polarised assessments among players. There is a believer camp, players who actually revert to the INFs after trying many other replacement pickups, citing the distortion chemistry as a primary draw. The heretics are of the opinion that these pickups don’t go well with the mahogany body & bass-leeching bridge, making the instrument sound thin but after plugging into three amplifiers for this appraisal, the S1XXV should be reinforced in the lower frequencies if they buyer decides to make the INFs the permanent resident in this guitar. Nevertheless, there are some sweet tones coming from the neck INF, plenty of definition for solos.
If you are new to the ZR bridge, be informed that it’s one of the smoothest in terms of mechanical applications but does not respond to the expected buoyancy compared to the industry standard- the Floyd Rose bridge- or even Ibanez’s own darling, the Edge bridge (Steve Vai still has one in his JEM). All in all, the S1XXV is a very competent player piece but we need to understand (& accept) its performance with the current manufacturer-equipped attributes, not judge it with exclusive reference to its glorious predecessors.
Amps used for tone test:
• Marshall JVM410
• Ibanez TSA15
• Sound Drive SG-100R
Rating: 80%
Conclusion
There is nothing quite special when it comes to performance standards despite the S1XXV being a commemorative issue. You could argue that the fluorescent finish is indeed the instrument’s individual attention but this makes it a mere novelty product, nothing to boast about in terms of playability & tone. In fact, it has very little separation from its regular production sibling, the S570. There is about $200 worth of considerations between these two models, do well to re-think your priorities before purchase. The S1XXV is an above-average guitar for the money regardless of its inherent cosmetic distractions.
Overall rating: 80%
Availability: Swee Lee Co/ SV Guitars
Likes:
• Playability
• Tones with distortion
• Overall QC
Dislikes:
• No bag included
• Clean tones could be better
Worthy competitors:
• UNO: Warzone II
• LTD: MH-100
• Cort: X-11
