Ibanez AZ Tom Quayle Signature guitar & Dawsons Music Demos

Kebabkid

I put this on the Ibanez 2018 thread as well but thought it might get lost.

So, it's not just Suhr that Ibanez are chasing. The Tom Quayle model is quite 'Charvel Guthrie'

http://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-2018-ibanez-debuts-tom-quayle-signature-guitar

Tom Quayle is also Dawson's Music new demo guy and that will be an excellent addition. His predecessor, Lee Wrathe, has gone over to Ibanez and had input into the new models and explains things here. 



I'm really looking forward to trying these AZs once they hit the shops

Musicman20

Yeah Tom and Lee are doing good things. For some reason, I much prefer them over the usual Andertons crew...perhaps because they seem more chilled. I don't really like any of the guitar youtubers in terms of how they play guitar (I prefer anti-heroes like Cobain and Coxon and actual song writers) but Tom and Lee are really chilled. Tom is great at explaining effects pedals. I've not seen Lee so much but he's talented and has a good manner.

Fortheloveofguitar

‘This is the best piece of gear in the entire universe and only unicorn dust comes close’

Tom Quayle: Every review he ever did 

bingefeller

Anyone know the specs of the guitar?  I'm guessing it has jumbo frets and a flat fretboard? 

not_the_dj

Not sure how many people will buy these because of his signature, not really a house hold name is he?

I've watched a few of his demos on the new Ibanez AZ series and I do wish he'd explain the switching system properly, the ones I saw he just said where the new switch was and then went though each position on the selector, without saying "this is the front coil of the bridge humbucker tapped in series with the neck humbucker...(or whatever combination it was using)".

I know I could look on the Ibanez website to find that, but surely a review video should include that rather than just a bit of flashy showing off.

axisus

I'm quite surprised that Tom Quayle has a signature guitar! I suppose that this is the modern world that we live in, YouTube success = success. He was a regular contributor to the John Petrucci forum many years ago when it was THE internet hangout for technically amazing guitarists (What was Axisus doing there they all say??). Everyone was blown away by his guitar playing style and thought processes. 

As far as the guitar goes, I love the look of it. Exactly my sort of thing (Yes, I like the GG Charvel), but the one thing I would change with both is that I love a really dark (eg Ebony) fretboard. I look forward to seeing reviews. Probably hideously expensive.

axisus

I almost bought a really nice Ibanez guitar of his some years ago! I was in discussion with him for a while but then didn't in the end. Don't recall why now ....

Ben

Kebabkid said:

I put this on the Ibanez 2018 thread as well but thought it might get lost.

So, it's not just Suhr that Ibanez are chasing. The Tom Quayle model is quite 'Charvel Guthrie'

http://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-2018-ibanez-debuts-tom-quayle-signature-guitar

Tom Quayle is also Dawson's Music new demo guy and that will be an excellent addition. His predecessor, Lee Wrathe, has gone over to Ibanez and had input into the new models and explains things here. 



I'm really looking forward to trying these AZs once they hit the shops

I've never been much of a fan of Ibanez guitars except for the Andy Timmons model, but after seeing and hearing Lee Wrathe's prototype on the other vid he has up of it, I'd buy it in a heartbeat if that same finish became a production model  

Musicman20

axisus said:

I'm quite surprised that Tom Quayle has a signature guitar! I suppose that this is the modern world that we live in, YouTube success = success. He was a regular contributor to the John Petrucci forum many years ago when it was THE internet hangout for technically amazing guitarists (What was Axisus doing there they all say??). Everyone was blown away by his guitar playing style and thought processes. 

As far as the guitar goes, I love the look of it. Exactly my sort of thing (Yes, I like the GG Charvel), but the one thing I would change with both is that I love a really dark (eg Ebony) fretboard. I look forward to seeing reviews. Probably hideously expensive.

It is weird. I think it will burst at some point though....whilst I respect some of these guys and girls I don't look at them the same way I do people in bands....and that is just how it is. It's like a blurred line between presenter, salesman and technical guitar ability.

Vibetronic

Musicman20 said:

axisus said:

I'm quite surprised that Tom Quayle has a signature guitar! I suppose that this is the modern world that we live in, YouTube success = success. He was a regular contributor to the John Petrucci forum many years ago when it was THE internet hangout for technically amazing guitarists (What was Axisus doing there they all say??). Everyone was blown away by his guitar playing style and thought processes. 

As far as the guitar goes, I love the look of it. Exactly my sort of thing (Yes, I like the GG Charvel), but the one thing I would change with both is that I love a really dark (eg Ebony) fretboard. I look forward to seeing reviews. Probably hideously expensive.

It is weird. I think it will burst at some point though....whilst I respect some of these guys and girls I don't look at them the same way I do people in bands....and that is just how it is. It's like a blurred line between presenter, salesman and technical guitar ability.

Agree with you on that...I'd never heard of him either until relatively recently, and I think that was a linked youtube video to something else I had been watching. I thought Ibanez usually went for bigger names, but it'll probably sell well anyway as they look like great guitars (and I guess he must have quite a large following to get this; to be fair he is very good indeed). I guess it's just the way it's going now. I did actually think that Lee chap was a sales assistant; it was (again) through a youtube video that I recognised him as one of the guys from a guitar stand at (I think) the Birmingham guitar show last year. I only remembered him as he and a mate were making a lot of noise and drowning out everything else around them 

CarpeDiem

axisus said:

I'm quite surprised that Tom Quayle has a signature guitar! I suppose that this is the modern world that we live in, YouTube success = success. He was a regular contributor to the John Petrucci forum many years ago when it was THE internet hangout for technically amazing guitarists (What was Axisus doing there they all say??). Everyone was blown away by his guitar playing style and thought processes. 

As far as the guitar goes, I love the look of it. Exactly my sort of thing (Yes, I like the GG Charvel), but the one thing I would change with both is that I love a really dark (eg Ebony) fretboard. I look forward to seeing reviews. Probably hideously expensive.

Tom Quayle has recorded a number of lessons for Lick Library and he promotes lessons through his website. He also has Fibenare signature guitars, and I suspect that moving to Ibanez will promote his jazz fusion playing to a bigger audience.

dindude

I think signature / endorsed guitars have taken on a different meaning in recent years.

Before you had to be pretty much an international rock god to get a signature guitar - the benefit was the guitar companies really in snaring a Clapton etc, and the honour was for big rock star guitar player to be one of only a few people to get a signature Stratocaster (plus some cash as well I should imagine, but small fry in their total rock god earnings).

Now it's mutually beneficial, take Nick Johnston - how many of us would have heard him if he wasn't being pushed out there in videos and clinics by Schecter.  At the same time, the Schecter name gets out there more. One without the other is pretty low key.

I only got to know of Big Wreck and Ian Thornley through his links with Suhr.

And I'd never heard of Martin Miller until recently and his exposure through Ibanez.

I bet the actually money linked to the unit sales of these guitars is pretty small, but there is a real value in the exposure of said internet guitarist and the subsequent exposure of the guitar brand, plus they inherit an awesome guitarist to play their guitars.

Also - these signature guitars aren't exactly designed from the ground up. Nick Johnstons "signature" Schecter is a bog standard USA model apart from his choice of off-the-shelf Seymour pickups and the colour.

Tom Qauyle's and Martin Miller's Ibanez AZ's have the standard hardware and pickups, just different tops, as far as I can see.

These guys aren't getting their own neck profiles, monkey grips, etc etc.

DLM

@musicman20 I don't think any of the Anderton's crew would have any qualms admitting that Quayle wipes the floor with the lot of them playing wise.

@dindude Pedant here: It's Martin Miller (formerly Martin Wichmann, "Wischi" on the Petrucci forum, he was just a kid when he started posting there, and he was already good then – now he's a facemelting monster)

Much agreement that the endorsement game has changed a lot with social media "stars" being the new brand ambassadors.

As Wischi's girlfriend has been doing ads for Ibanez too, maybe they'll be the first his'n'hers endorsers since Les Paul and Mary Ford?

dindude

@DLM - yes indeed, you're right to correct me, I'll amend my post so he has the correct name!

DLM

Looks like they're throwing these models at all the YouTube crowd:

She looks a little different now from when she had two videos with over a million clicks.

AlexC

That Ibanez looks like a very solid, playable guitar.  Not my style necessarily, but that’s irrelevant. 
Fascinating thing, as has been mentioned, with what’s happening to signature guitars. I haven’t heard of half of the ‘famous’ players with their own models (I’m not big on country or metal) and now we’ve got people from YouTube! However, since joining this forum I realise I may be in the minority as a player who doesn’t watch these reviewers or tutors. So I’m just not at all familiar with these YT ‘celebs’. I use the net to discover new music all the time, but I can’t get on with these clips which usually start with “Hey guys!” followed by a blast of distortion and a ten minute chat about neck radius. Anyway, it doesn’t matter whose name is on a headstock or backplate if it’s a decent guitar.

axisus

DLM said:

@dindude Pedant here: It's Martin Miller (formerly Martin Wichmann, "Wischi" on the Petrucci forum, he was just a kid when he started posting there, and he was already good then – now he's a facemelting monster)

Ha ha, thanks, I was trying to remember his original surname last summer, I couldn't find note of it anywhere on t'interweb! I couldn't understand why he changed to a less memorable name to be honest. Were you a poster at the Petrucci forums? It was a fantastic forum for a very long time but died a death. I posted a LOT there as Jono. There were other great young players there, and the wisest dude I've ever known on a forum, Chris Ptacek (Madsman).

Vibetronic

axisus said:

DLM said:

@dindude Pedant here: It's Martin Miller (formerly Martin Wichmann, "Wischi" on the Petrucci forum, he was just a kid when he started posting there, and he was already good then – now he's a facemelting monster)

Ha ha, thanks, I was trying to remember his original surname last summer, I couldn't find note of it anywhere on t'interweb! I couldn't understand why he changed to a less memorable name to be honest. Were you a poster at the Petrucci forums? It was a fantastic forum for a very long time but died a death. I posted a LOT there as Jono. There were other great young players there, and the wisest dude I've ever known on a forum, Chris Ptacek (Madsman).

I know (knew) Chris from Guitarwar, he used to post there as 'Frog'! Very good player and has a lot of good stuff to say. He runs a music school now from what I've seen on his FB posts.

Kebabkid

Indeed the nature of signature guitars has changed but some of these demo/Youtube guys can and have gone onto greater things. Ok, Pete Thorn, Tim Pierce, Shaun Tubbs etc may have done things the other way round i.e. been performers, sidemen for big names first and then done demos but what about Dave Kilminster? He's gone on to play and stay in Roger Waters' band. Alex Hutchings and Guthrie Govan with Steve Wilson? That initial exposure, some from winning Guitarist of the Year, would've helped enormously but the demos gave them a bigger platform for their already given talents.

@dindude - same as you Re:Ian Thornley and Big Wreck

Moving away from guitar, if Neal Schon hadn't seen Arnel Pineda playing in a covers band on YT, he wouldn't have been in Journey.

Maybe Tom Quayle's 'moment' has yet to come, if he wants that, but I'd imagine he's doing what he wants an earning a living from it.

BGG

Kebabkid said:

I put this on the Ibanez 2018 thread as well but thought it might get lost.

So, it's not just Suhr that Ibanez are chasing. The Tom Quayle model is quite 'Charvel Guthrie'

Exactly my thoughts too !!

DLM

axisus said:

Ha ha, thanks, I was trying to remember his original surname last summer, I couldn't find note of it anywhere on t'interweb! I couldn't understand why he changed to a less memorable name to be honest. Were you a poster at the Petrucci forums? It was a fantastic forum for a very long time but died a death. I posted a LOT there as Jono. There were other great young players there, and the wisest dude I've ever known on a forum, Chris Ptacek (Madsman).

@axisus Odd, I'd posted about him and the 'Trooch forum in some depth on here before then! 

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/74942/

I was very late to the party there, posting under my given name, Dominic, just before Paul reopened registration and the place was filled with people spamming their mixtests and YouTube solo competition entries, and bitching about Portnoy.

Sadly, all the content now seems to be gone!

Many of the players there can still be found knowing around the 'Net, I keep running into them and then remembering where I first saw their names. Madsman indeed always posted great content.