One of the 2009 guitar-community’s crown jewels is finally revealed (to great anticipation) by Ibanez / Hoshino … the PGM 401. Ash-bodied, maple/walnut/rosewood-necked goodness with Air Classic pickups and typical Paul Gilbert versatility (and faux f-holes). This is an electric guitar for the beginner through the serious enthusiast or collector, but sure to please just about everyone.
Ibanez Jay (an employee of the co.) says “For 2009, we will be celebrating a milestone in our relationship with one of the greatest guitarists of all time. 20 years of PGM goodness. We will be releasing the new PGM401 as Paul Gilbert’s Signature Model for 2009. It’s a beautiful Ash body with black F holes (graphic) and a fixed bridge. You’ve seen the pictures… A great addition to Paul’s rich history of Signature PGM’s for sure!”
Update: Some words from Paul directly, regarding this guitar.
” * Late 80’s style Ibanez neck joint. Thick enough for great tone. Angled shape for great access to the upper frets.
* DiMarzio Air Classic pickups. These have been my favorite humbuckers since I tried them 5 years ago. They have the best tone I’ve ever heard from any humbucker. The EQ cuts through in all the right areas. Great for rock, blues, metal, and shred.
* Bridge pickup is positioned approximately 1mm closer to the neck for warmer tone. You might think I’m crazy, but it makes a difference! Especially when playing high notes, the tone is warmer and thicker on this guitar, with just the right amount of bite.
* PGM Prestige neck. This neck is beefy enough to deliver the sustain and resonance I want, but still has the playability that Ibanez is famous for. It will allow you to shred, with TONE.
* Painted F-holes are approximately 3% smaller. Because this guitar has pickup mounting rings, the f-holes needed to be slightly smaller to retain a balanced look. I overlooked no details on this guitar!”
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More details, from the Ibanez site
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PGM 401 Specs:
neck type 5pc PGM Maple/Walnut neck
body Ash body
fret type Medium frets
bridge Fixed bridge
neck pu DiMarzio® Air Classic™ (H) neck pu
bridge pu DiMarzio® Air Classic™ (H) bridge pu
hardware color Cosmo Black
Neck Dimension
Scale 648mm/25.5″
a : Width at Nut 43mm
b : Width at Last Fret 58mm
c: Thickness at 1st 18mm
d : Thickness at 12th 20mm
Radius 430mmR
The humbucker pickups are wired in parallel. Color is called Trifade Burst. There are 24 frets.
Enough from me… check out the manual and other goodies directly from Ibanez.
Images! Close-up of the guitar, taken at the Ibanez display booth at NAMM, showing the beautiful finish and hardware…
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I’m not sure who took this picture, but it’s on Paul’s website and being utilized to show the new guitar, so, check it out…
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A pic of this new-for-2009 axe in action (London, Nov. 14 2008):
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Link:
Enjoy!
