“I want the guitar to play fast, to wear close to the body, and communicate a degree of aggression”: Sterling by Music Man and Tosin Abasi bring the futuristic Kaizen to a new low price point – slashing nearly $3k off the original

After first announcing its arrival in January, Sterling by Music Man has finally launched a more accessible version of the highly acclaimed, Tosin Abasi-designed Kaizen model.

Back at NAMM 2022, the Animals As Leaders guitarist surprised-announced that he had partnered with Ernie Ball Music Man to design the Kaizen – a futuristic electric guitar that introduced a new body shape and offered a range of cutting-edge specs geared towards contemporary players.

It first arrived solely as a seven-string guitar, but a year later, it was introduced as a six-string. Both models, however, came with multi-scale designs that – while in keeping with the forward-thinking design approach of the Kaizen itself – distanced itself from regular players. That, as well as the $3,999 price tag.

In the ensuing years, guitar fans have been asking for a Sterling by Music Man Kaizen spin-off, one that would bring the design to a lower price point while also offering a platform for more conventionally inclined players.

Image 1 of 4

Now, Abasi and Sterling by Music Man have responded, launching regular-scaled six– and seven-string formats that make “the forward-thinking design more accessible than ever”.

“I want the guitar to play fast, I want it to wear close to the body, and I want it to communicate a degree of aggression and forward-thinking – and I think the Kaizen really embodies that,” Abasi notes of the release.

“There’s a foundational shape to the Kaizen that’s really bold and impactful, but it doesn’t depart too far from what a guitar should look like. I like when the form is informed by the function.”

As such, the Sterling Kaizen – which slashes more than $3k off the original’s price tag – follows the cues of its source material, with a radical double-cut body built from nyatoh.

It’s joined by a roasted maple – topped with 24 frets – as well as a rosewood fingerboard, Steinberger gearless tuners, a Modern tremolo, and a 25.5” scale length.

There are, as you may expect, a few cost-cutting measures baked-in to the spec. Price-slashing efforts include regular ceramic humbuckers – as opposed to the high-end Heat Treated pickups found in the OG – as well as the 15.75" radius, which is drafted in over the innovative Infinity radius from the previous model.

Nonetheless, the essential spirit – or at least the shape – of the Kaizen seems intact.

Image 1 of 4

“We needed to retain some things from the Music Man model because they’re quintessential to how the guitar plays and feels,” explains Abasi. “And we changed some things that we thought would actually be beneficial. This was an opportunity to give people an option, and I think we really hit a sweet spot.”

The Sterling by Music Man Kaizen is available in Firemist Purple Satin or Stealth Black, and is available for $849 or $899 depending on its string configuration.

Head over to Sterling by Music Man to find out more.