Ibanez MTM2 Mick Thomson Signature

This is a great all around metal guitar even if you are not a fan of Slipknot or Mick Thomson. This is probably the best metal RG Ibanez puts out. This guitar has a mahogany body with a bolt on 5 piece neck for stability. The mahogany body provides better and thicker tone to the guitar compared to the basswood Ibanez usually uses on their RG's. The neck has 24 jumbo frets with no Inlays for a clean look. It has a locking nut up top but the tremolo system is locked in place so you get all the fine tuning and stability without having to worry about springs when changing tuning. The electronics in this guitar are rock solid as well. You get Mick Thomsons signature set of Blackout pickups which I prefer over the normal Blackouts. Blackouts are Seymour Duncans set of active pickups which are their answer to EMG pickups. The controls are a single volume with a 3 way blade switch. The only thing letting you know that this is a signature model is the SEVEN logo on the truss rod cover. This is pretty small and barely noticable. Overall the guitar has a neat and clean look unlike a lot of signature models.

UTILIZATION

Ibanez guitars are known for their great playability and this guitar is no different. This guitar has a slightly unusual factory setup for an RG. The fixed tremolo and locking nut is a rare thing but it works well. It is probably cheaper for them to produce the guitar this way than having to get aftermarket locking tuners. They produce a lot of guitars with tremolos that come with locking nuts so this guitar with a fixed design with a locking nut does the same thing locking tuners would do. The guitar is also setup from the factory in Drop B tuning which is cool. This guitar isnt a baritone either so the guitar plays like a normal one. Being setup in this low tuning from the factory mean that the intonation will be spot on for low tuning which is great if you are going to be playing in low tunings.

SOUNDS

The active pickups and mahogany body give you a super thick tone that is great for low tuning and heavy metal. The pickups are Mick Thomsons signature Seymour Duncan Blackouts. These pickups have a much more usable tone than the normal Blackouts. The bridge pickup has a ceramic magnet while the neck pickup has an alnico magnet. They still have good low end but the top end is nice and crisp so the sound never gets muddy. These pickups were voiced for a guitar playing in super low tunings so when you are not in super low tunings the clarity is excellent. With this clarity the neck position is actually useable. On the old Blackouts since the low end was so woolly the neck pickup sounded muddy no matter what you were playing. These pickups with the extra top end crunch you can hear what you are playing on the neck position. This is good because typically people who have neck position pickup want to be able to use them. The bridge is crushing like you would expect but the extra new found clarity brings more useablility to the table. The bridge tone is super tight in the low end and has the top end crunch like you would find on an 81. This allows you to tune to whatever you want and still retain clarity. Through a heavy amp the tone of this guitar is absolutely huge. You will think you are playing a baritone guitar or a 7 string.

OVERALL OPINION

If you play heavy music this is the Ibanez for you. It has the perfect design for metal. Mahogany body and active pickups provide a crushing tone. Its pretty disappointing that they are not selling them with the Blackout pickups anymore. Thats half the guitar right there. If you can get one of these with the good pickups grab it. Even with normal Ibanez pickups this guitar is a better base than a normal RG with its mahogany body.

I am not a Slipknot or Mick Thomson fan but I will give credit where credit is due and this guitar is a great guitar for metal and heavy music. Mick Thomson is one of the guitar players for Slipknot and this is his signature model. The other guitar player in Slipknot Jim Root has a signature model with Fender and that guitar is great as well. They both have great taste in gutiars and know what they want. This is what an RG should be. This guitar has great specs. This guitar has a mahogany body with a bolt on 5 piece neck for stability. The neck has 24 jumbo frets with no Inlays for a clean look. It has a locking nut up top but the tremolo system is locked in place so you get all the fine tuning and stability without having to worry about springs when changing tuning. The electronics in this guitar are rock solid as well. You get Mick Thomsons signature set of Blackout pickups which I prefer over the normal Blackouts. Blackouts are Seymour Duncans set of active pickups which are their answer to EMG pickups. The controls are a single volume with a 3 way blade, all you need for metal. The only thing letting you know that this is a signature model is the SEVEN logo on the truss rod cover. This is pretty small and barely noticable. I hate when good signature guitars are ruined by huge gaudy logos that make you look like a billboard for that player.

UTILIZATION

This guitar plays great like all Ibanez and comes setup for heavy music. The locking tuners and locked tremolo are a cool feature you do not see much. This really helps tuning stability and gives you fine tuners but you dont have to worry about spring tension. With the fixed tremolo you dont really have to use the locking tuners anyway. This is a good alternative to locking nuts and is probably cheaper for Ibanez to do since more of their guitars have locking nuts than locking tuners. There are no inlays so this may be a problem for some people but there are side dots. The neck is super thin and flat like most RG's. According to the catalog it has a custom profile but it feels like any other RG to me and that is not an insult. The playability is great. The action can be set super low it almost plays it self. It coems from the factory setup in drop B tuning which is very cool. Tuning down that much on a guitar setup in E might cause some intonation problems but coming from the factory tuned down means you are right on from the get go.

SOUNDS

I love the tone of this guitar. The mahogany body is a lot better and has a lot more natural tone than the Basswood Ibanez uses on most of their guitars. The Mick Thomson blackouts also have a better tone than the normal Blackouts in my opinion. These Blackouts have a more traditional active pickup sound. This set has a neck and bridge pickup. The bridge pickup has a ceramic magnet while the neck pickup has an alnico magnet. They still have good low end but the top end is nice and crisp so the sound never gets muddy. These pickups were voiced for a guitar playing in super low tunings so when you are not in super low tunings the clarity is excellent. With this clarity the neck position is actually useable. On the old Blackouts since the low end was so woolly the neck pickup sounded muddy no matter what you were playing. These pickups with the extra top end crunch you can hear what you are playing on the neck position. This is good because typically people who have neck position pickup want to be able to use them. The bridge is crushing like you would expect but the extra new found clarity brings more useablility to the table. The bridge tone is super tight in the low end and has the top end crunch like you would find on an 81. This allows you to tune to whatever you want and still retain clarity.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a great guitar. I hope they make it forever. They should put out more models like this. This guitar is a metal machine. The mahogany body with the active pickups provide great metal tone. The unique fixed tremolo and locking nut design give you all the stability of locking tuners with out having to worry about the spring tension when changing tunings. If you are looking for an Ibanez that is great for metal this is a great deal even if you are not a Slipknot or Mick Thompson fan.

This is the signature model Mick Thomson lower version: mean by that type of wood, and handle different microphones. This model is manufactured in Indonesia (a sign of very good workmanship and great quality / price ratio Ibanez).
We find this last vibrato FX EDGE III (which offers a perfect compromise between stability and accuracy of tuning since it is the equivalent of a blocked floyd) and said such strings Floyd said blocks at the head. Mechanical oil bath in six aligned reverse head.
The neck is glued type and is very stable and easily adjustable.
The handle is composed of 24 boxes adorned with jumbo frets, it is maple and Wunga.
The body is mahogany.
This magnificent warrior is basically equipped with microphones Ibanez V7 and V8 Custom Custom (so HH) connected to a single volume knob and a 5-way switch.
The switch is in a small recess.

UTILIZATION

The handle is very typical Ibanez (a highway that would appeal to both shredders as well rythmiciens), flat and wide, fast, ergonomic.
Access to 24 cases is extremely easy and the handle is comfortable.
The body is typical RG series (superstrate spirit) is light and pleasant to headbang and play in all its forms.
The pickups are an impressive versatility and extremely well balanced. Interestingly enough the selector is a 5-position of 2 passive humbuckers. Which offers a range of diverse sounds but with an accuracy of hell.
This is a guitar at the edge of the Plug N 'Play.
His flaw is his easel because it requires a minimum of technical knowledge, a change of strings and appropriate adjustments will take a little more time than a model with a Tune O Matic bridge.

SOUNDS

Obviously, this weapon of war is primarily equipped for Metal in all its distorted forms. The microphones are dynamic and expressive.
But the wealth of the passive pickups are the clean sounds are thunder: hot on the neck pickup, and slamming on the easel.
Also in the clear register, funk casserole and small jazzy chords go cream.
I used it on transistors amps and lamps as well as lamps and transistors pedals and the conclusion is clear: Bluffing!
Precise, powerful, fat (but not too). Intermediate positions offer made close to single coil pickups: great finesse.
However, its register is severe enough, this requires Slipknot guitar takes all tunings (especially low I went down on a Drop A smoothly.

OVERALL OPINION

A fairly simple and straightforward observation: Huge!!
I bought it 5 years ago when I was a young beetle of 6 strings, and after a few models LTD and Ibanez (RG and S series) my hands have never felt so free.

Strengths:
* Pickups versatile
* Handle very fast and fluid
* Versatility music records Metal, Rock or Jazz-Fusion and Funk Rock
* Tuning ultra-stable

Weaknesses:
* Minimum knowledge required for the bridge
* Registry still quite dark so from a certain point of view the client is privileged Metal
* Lack of sustain (his big sister is doing much better with his neck-through)
* After I do not see too

This guitar I can not separate myself rich, versatile, I do not regret that choice and do it again with the greatest pleasure.

Mine is affixed a "Made in Indonesia" but perhaps it can be manufactured in another country, I do not know.

MTM2-BK - Black

Covered V8 humbucker (bridge) + V7 Covered Humbucker (neck) - black hardware - mahogany body - manche Wizard II maple and walnut 5 rooms - reverse head logo and "Seven" - rosewood fingerboard 24 frets jumbo frets - Bridge Ibanez Fixed Edge III Nut string blocks
8 as below emg pickups on some models

UTILIZATION

The handle in the RG series ibanez is well known schredders and other crazy speed is a very pleasant round if you like the sleeves flat, a real highway! ^ ^ The varnish (and paint) on the back of the neck, n'agrippe not at all, and if so, is that you play too! ^ ^ Take a break! ^ ^ But a little bit of glass wool will spend all that!
Access to the sharp is very good and the frets are classic but effective.
I love this type of race is a pure joy!
the sound is good, typical metal still pickups but the V7 and V8 in ibanez provide good versatility and a little Led Zeppelin sound as well a small Ten Years After and others! ^ ^
can not do better now for me to handle than that of MTM1 ^ ^

SOUNDS

This is a guitar that is well suited to my style of play, very typical metal, heavy, it is very versatile, I would avoid TFW pop / rock because the sound is a little too greasy and heavy.
the clean sound is very good, very varied depending on the position (5 total) selected.
it's a guitar made for the distortion all the same and there she will speak the better now! ^ ^ Is a beast!
less punchy than the MTM1 but here it is the fault that EMG, while for those who want to change I would say that the EMG 60/81 or 81/85 would be most appropriate, but DiMarzio good bills will case also, in my opinion.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a week, she is mine, but my guitar teacher has the same and I tested for a year at least! ^ ^
What I like is his head with reverse look very stylish, the white outline on the body and the absence of marker buttons (that is on the edge of the handle), its general aesthetic for me is very successful and ibanez / mike thomson is a beautiful partnership in my opinion!
for fans of slipknot, the small sign on the back mike is the little extra that makes all ^ ^
but the difference (other than the pickups and neck-through for MTM1 and screwed for MTM2) look at compared to MTM1 is an advantage for me, that there is not engraved on the SEVEN round, we cataloque least slipknot and then leave all those fans or not fans the choice to buy this guitar (or not ^ ^), more is a bit more ^ ^ dicret and black is for me a little less bloody ^ ^
I tried several models, I had a storm beginner, needless to say it sounded differently ^ ^, and I tried the Stratocaster and Telecaster, very good guitar but a little less metal and other typed Ibanez RG slightly less expensive than the model thomson mike, but the microphones did not suit me, and not enough niak ... reverse head I like it! : D
I tried a jackson with EMG pickups mounted that it was very good and also very expensive, but it is especially the neck that made me take the MTM2, a round really exellent!
the price / quality ratio is good (530euros in mag and on the internet about 470) but can not find models with better microphones signature although they are very good! I've bought used 300euros and my quality / price ratio is very very good! ^ ^
I would do well on this choice and some time I plan to change his microphone for a MTM2 sauce MTM1! : D
thank you to those who read and play well!
(9 perfection does not exist ^ ^)