NAMM 2025: Ibanez has raised the curtains on an all-star new signature guitar line-up for the coming year, with the big news being a twin set of reprised K7 Korn signature builds for long-time endorsee James ‘Munky’ Shaffer and, returning endorsee, Brian ‘Head’ Welch.
The latter left Ibanez and joined forces with ESP in 2017 (Head has said it related to disagreements over his favored Evertune bridges, alongside a changing of the guard). Regardless, that’s all water under the bridge now, because he’s back in the fold alongside Munky (who has remained with the brand throughout).
As such, new Indonesian-built signature seven-string guitars are the order of the day, with Munky’s long-running APEX series being retired in favor of jointly reprising the K7 name.
If you’re not familiar with it, the K7 was launched as a Korn signature model in 2001 and was one of the first big commercially available seven-strings. Now the band is celebrating a 30-year association with Ibanez by bringing it back.
“To celebrate an esteemed 30 year career together and once again having both Head and Munky rocking Ibanez, we’re incredibly excited to debut two new K7’s, inspired by the eternal Yin and Yang,” says Ibanez.
“Both feature RGA-style bodies, meant to inspire visons of the original K7s, while also embracing the future. Each guitar is equipped with a set DiMarzio Blaze humbuckers for a breathtaking sonic onslaught and proudly displays the legendary K7 logo at the 12th fret.”
Munky is launching the all-black K7YIN and, Head, the dazzling K7YANG (see what they did there?) Both feature Wizard II-7 five-piece maple/walnut necks, RGA-style nyatoh bodies, Gotoh tuners and luminescent side dots.
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Munky’s minimalist build adds an ebony fretboard, plus a Lo-Pro Edge7 tremolo to that base. Head, meanwhile, adds a maple top, rosewood fretboard and, would you believe it, an Evertune bridge. Both are due this summer, though we haven’t got a price yet.
Elsewhere, blues guitar and production whiz Josh Smith has a long-held passion for Japanese culture, so while it’s not the first name you’d associate with the genre, Ibanez is a natural fit for him.
His first signature, the FLATV was a streamlined take on T-style build, now he’s been awarded a new variant, bringing in the classic Tele Custom-style SH configuration – and it appears to feature a (very) new Seymour Duncan signature Flat V humbucker at the neck.
The original FLATV was priced at $2,499.99, so expect a similar ballpark here.
Lari Basilio is working on some big things for 2025 and, coming this summer, there is a classy new black finish option for her LB1 signature, which really makes the gold hardware pop.
Basilio’s build (priced at $2,699.99) is one of the coolest signatures of recent years, complete with that killer HSS combo of Seymour Duncan signature pickups. And if you think a demo clip for a refinish is somewhat unnecessary, well, then you’ve clearly not heard Basilio’s playing on this one…
Joe Satriani had one hell of a busy 2024, taking on the Van Halen guitar duties in Best of all Worlds and touring and releasing music in a doubleheader with Steve Vai. They’re back on the road this year and Satch is going to need something spangly – hence the dazzling JS1GD, which has a gloss gold body and satin gold top, alongside a DiMarzio Satchur8 humbucker and Sustainiac neck pickup.
It’s available to order now at a price of $5,999.99.
Last, but by no means least, the almighty George Benson has a beautiful new black variant of his GB10 signature model (usually $3,599.99). The spec otherwise remains unchanged, but sometimes that’s a very good thing…
Head to Ibanez for more information on all of the new signature builds.
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