Ibanez revives the Iron Label series with all-new guitars and basses

Ibanez has announced the revival of its Iron Label series with a slew of all-new electric guitars and bass guitars.

Continuing the legacy of previous Iron Label axes, the brand’s updated offerings vow to take the range’s “raw metal energy to a completely new level” with a series of shred-ready appointments.

The updated lineup features two X-style axes, one Iceman-inspired model and a pair of basses, all sporting a blackout finish for a metal-friendly aesthetic vibe.

Read on for a full run-through of the latest Iron Label Series five-, six- and seven-strings from Ibanez.

Ibanez ICTB721 BKF

First up is the Iron Label Iceman – a seven-string offering that features an okoume body, as well as a Wizard II-7-profile five-piece maple/walnut neck with neck-through design.

This is paired with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard, which is said to offer tight lows, a strong attack and a rich sustain.

By way of tone, the Iceman aims to achieve “excellent harmonic overtones” through a set of DiMarzio D-Activator pickups, controlled via a three-way selector switch, and volume and tone controls.

Other features include Luminescent side dot inlays, Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads and a Mono-Rail bridge, the latter of which is designed for both stability and sustain.

You can hear the new Iron Label Iceman in action below.

Ibanez XPTB620 BKF and XPTB720 BKF

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Next on the list is a pair of X-style axes, arriving in the form of six- and seven-string iterations. Aside from the extra string, the spec sheets remain largely the same.

Features include an okoume body, neck-through five-piece maple/walnut neck and ebony fretboard, with Gotoh machine heads and a locking nut also making the cut.

Both models come equipped with a set of DiMarzio D-Activator pickups, which are controlled by a three-way switch and a set of volume and tone controls.

Additional appointments include an Edge-Zero II tremolo bridge, which features a lower profile designed for increased playing comfort, and a stud-lock function for stable tuning.

Ibanez BTB625EX BKF and SRMS625EX BKF

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Both the BTB and SR models feature a five-string setup, and boast the now-familiar okoume body. A five-piece maple/walnut neck also features, though with Graphite reinforcement rods for “massive sustain and stability”.

Each model also features an ebonol fretboard – a material composed from layers of black paper and phenolic resin – and a set of Bartolini BH2 pickups.

In terms of tweaking the tone, the BTB model features a custom three-band EQ and a three-way frequency switch that allows players to change the mid-tone frequency range, as well as volume and balancer controls.

The SR axe also features a three-band EQ and three-way frequency switch, and adds an EQ bypass switch into the mix.

Elsewhere, the SR features an equalized multi-scale construction, which aims to create a more open tone and comfortable playing experience.

A statement from Ibanez reads, “The Iron Label line was originally developed with metal, and nothing but metal, in mind. We modded and tweaked until we got to the heaviest-hitting metal axes we’ve ever built.

“They’re purposefully spartan, and you won’t find a feature here that doesn’t contribute directly to the bone-rattling, earth-shattering tones these guitars pump out,” it continued.

“Carrying forward that same philosophy, the next generation of Iron Label guitars take this raw metal energy to a completely new level.”

There has been no official word on a release date or price range just yet, though we'll update you once such details have been announced.

For more information in the mean time, head over to Ibanez.