After exclusively debuting the radical design as a seven-string at last year's show, Ernie Ball Music Man and the Animals As Leaders guitar hero have now repackaged the futuristic creation in a six-string format
(Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)
NAMM 2023: Ernie Ball Music Man has bolstered its Kaizen electric guitar range with the introduction of a long-awaited six-string version of the radical Tosin Abasi-designed instrument.
At last year’s NAMM show, the Animals As Leaders guitar titan and Ernie Ball Music Man announced their surprise partnership by releasing the fruits of their collaborative labor – the Kaizen – which was introduced exclusively as a seven-string machine.
The reaction to the forward-thinking creation was overwhelmingly positive, though fans of standard six-string guitars – and those who weren’t particularly taken by the seven-string design – all had the same question on their minds: will a standard Kaizen ever get released?
Well, those guitarists have now got what they wished for, with the arrival of the latest Kaizen model.
Despite arriving with one less string, the Kaizen retains the majority of the flagship model’s appointments, including the multi-scale design that ranges from 24.75” to 25.5”.
Once again, the custom-designed alder body is paired with a roasted figure maple neck, which in turn is topped with an Infinity Radius ebony fingerboard. According to the brand, the strategically crafted conical radius also utilizes uniquely placed dot inlays to increase comfort and enhance visibility of the ‘board.
Ernie Ball Music Man Kaizen in Apollo Black (Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)
The same hardware can also be found, with the Kaizen’s multi-scale design playing host to a modern Music Man tremolo system – an unusual spec for multi-scale guitars that also offers spring dampeners that work to alleviate unwanted noise.
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Steinberger Locking Gearless tuners also make the cut, as does a set of Music Man Custom Wound pickups. Specifically, the Kaizen features a HT Bridge humbucker and Offset Mini Neck humbucker, both of which are wired to a three-way selector switch, and master volume and tone knobs.
Ernie Ball Music Man Kaizen in Mint (Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)
When the model arrived last year, Abasi said the Kaizen reflected his desire to keep “pushing the instrument forward”.
“Part of the reason we did this is encapsulated in the name, 'Kaizen'. I think a lot of the time, people look at the guitar as fixed. That is totally fine, but I am inspired by pushing the instrument further, and I think this was an opportunity to do that,” Abasi said of the collaboration at the time.
Ernie Ball Music Man Kaizen in Indigo (Image credit: Ernie Ball Music Man)
Both the six-string and seven-string Kaizens are available in four finishes: the standard Apollo Black, and the limited-to-60 Indigo, Mint and Chalk.
Because of the absence of that extra string, the latest Kaizen is slightly cheaper, ringing in at $3,799.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
