Wes Hauch is one of the tidiest technical metal players on the planet – his electrifying solos have lit up punishing cuts from the likes of Alluvial and The Black Dahlia Murder. Now he has a well-deserved Ibanez signature guitar to his name – but the price tag is blowing as many minds as his playing has.
The Ibanez Custom Shop ICWH727 Wes Hauch Signature Iceman 7-String looks the part: trans black finish, Lo-Pro Edge trem, black hardware, that lower horn scoop. Fans were hyped. Then they saw the price.
Preorders for the Hauch model have gone live at Axe Palace for $9,999, and let’s just say that the reaction has been mixed – a quick scroll of the YouTube and Instagram comments reveals responses that vary from “crazy” to “delusional”.
No, the ICWH727 doesn’t look like a $10,000 flame top from Gibson or PRS. But this Iceman is priced the way it is because it’s being built at the Ibanez Custom Shop in Japan by master-builder Sugi and his team.
That’s the same workshop where Meshuggah’s iconic M8M was crafted, which had a list price of $9,066 at the time of its launch in 2013.
And lest we forget that a significantly more affordable Indonesian-built version of that model, the $1,699 M8M, followed a year later. Let’s hope the Hauch follows suit.
Anyway, what are the specs on this thing?
Wood-wise, you’re looking at an African mahogany body with premium flame maple top, and set-neck construction with a three-piece maple-purpleheart neck at 27” scale.
That neck is a slim Wizard 7 variety, with a rosewood fingerboard and 24 jumbo frets that have received the Ibanez Custom Shop fret-edge treatment.
Naturally, Hauch’s signature Seymour Duncan Jupiter Rails humbuckers are onboard to deliver high-gain output paired with enhanced articulation and midrange.
We mentioned the Lo-Pro Edge tremolo earlier, which comes with recessed fine tuners and locking studs. Hipshot open-gear machineheads and a single volume control round out the spec.
According to Axe Palace, it’s “the first ever commercially available Ibanez Custom Shop 7-string, and the first Japan-built Iceman model in over 30 years”, which makes it something of a historic release.
Let’s just hope a more affordable version lands before too long, because fans are stoked on everything else about this guitar.
For more information, head to Ibanez.
