Ibanez Axion Label RGD71ALMS
My Review Summary
To simplify, let's call this the "Axion Label". To summarize my experience with this guitar: I absolutely loved it. My taste for modern, heavy metal styles and high gain riffing was well-served by the Axion Label with a wide span of tones, despite having no tone knob. We can thank Fishman Fluence pickups and coil splitting for the variety, then sit back and enjoy the show.
BEST FOR: Metal, drop tunings, distortion, hard rock, high gain levels, intermediate and advanced performing/recording.
TONE
97
CONTROL
87
FLEXIBILITY
88
PRICE/VALUE
90
- Fishman Fluence Modern out of the box. My favorite pickups.
- Purple finish has a nice darkened menacing look.
- Coil tapping gives you a ton of sounds to experiment with.
- Tone is articulate while also staying really heavy.
- Not having at least a gig bag included, at this price,is surprising.
This is the heaviest (speaking in terms of tone) electric guitar that I've ever played. The combination of a 7-string with the flexibility and articulation of Fishman Fluence pickups is almost impossible to beat. While it's tricky to get used to the slanted frets on the lower register, I got comfortable on this guitar really quick, even though I hadn't played a 7-string in a long time. Cleans, heavy gain, lead, rhythm, and everything else I threw at it sounded great. Continue below for a couple demos and more detail (or just click the link above and buy it now - I promise it's good).
Fishman Fluence Moderns - my favorite pickup set. Check.
RGD71ALMS Tone and Style
Nyatoh is a trade-name that includes a few different species of trees grown in Asia (Ibanez is a Japanese company), and is often used as a Mahogany alternative. In a direct comparison, Mahogany actually produces a heavier and warmer tone, while Nyatoh is a little more balanced. However, Nyatoh weighs less, which is probably why Ibanez uses it here. They want their guitars to play fast, so they'll sacrifice some sustain and "punch" in order to shave off a few ounces.
Having said this, the Axion Label is still incredibly warm and punchy, and puts out a lot of sustain. It's just all metal, with plenty of percussive chunk and high-gain tone features. It was one of the few guitars where I found myself avoiding the neck pickup in favor of keeping more treble in the mix, because the tone I was getting, especially with the push/pull in the up position, was just so low.
The tone is definitely modern and metal, so blues and classic rock fans should look elsewhere (they won't be buying 7-strings anyways).
Controls and Pickup Scope
If I could choose one set of pickups, the Fishman Fluence Modern would be that set. The Fluence series uses a different kind of tech that stacks coils and gives you a more articulate sound, but with the smoothness and aggression of an active pickup.
In the case of the Axion Label, the push/pull volume knob combined with the three-way pickup selector gives you all the flexibility you could want from the guitar itself. You can run a really warm and full tone or a balanced profile with more bite and clarity. It's certainly not what I'd call bright, but it's a perfect balance of heavy with good definition and clear note distinction.
The Axion Label has a surprisingly wide tone range without having a tone knob.
Cost and Overall Value
This guitar retailed just under $1300 when I reviewed it, so the price could have changed by the time you're reading this.
Either way, given so many high-end features like the Fishman Fluence pickups, Gotoh tuners, and 5-piece neck design, the asking price seems about right. It's actually near the low-end of Ibanez' premium lines.
My only complaint is that it doesn't come with a case, or even a gig bag. Typically with guitars over $1k you at least get a gig bag included.
Otherwise, the price is about what we'd expect.
All metal. No doubt about it.
Axion Label Review Summary
This guitar is a niche fit, like most 7-strings. So if you're not buying for metal and modern hard rock, it's not going to make sense for you. But if that's your area of expertise, I'm happy to recommend the RGD71ALMS for intermediate to advanced players. If you have questions about this guitar and/or my review, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
More Electric Guitar Reviews
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Reviews
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Reviews
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