Ibanez ICHI10 Ichika Nito Headless, Vintage White Matte

Ibanez ICHI10 Ichika Nito Headless, Vintage White Matte Overview

The Ibanez ICHI10 is a mind-blowing collaboration between the legendary Japanese builder and renowned guitarist Ichika Nito. Ichika Nito has a well-earned reputation and huge global following thanks to his experimental playing style, which effortlessly combines agile technique with otherworldly musical passages. The ICHI10 is a signature model based on Ibanez’s headless Q (short for “Quest”) series and essentially a Q54 model that’s been tailored to Ichika Nito’s specs.

Inspiring Tone

At the core of the ICHI10’s impressive sound is its solid, non-chambered Nyatoh body. The lightweight Nyatoh body delivers a rich tone that’s similar to Mahogany, with a singing sustain, growling midrange and smooth highs. The ICHI10’s body features the ergonomic Q series body shape, which has been designed to be both visually striking and extremely comfortable to play. The astounding playing comfort is due to the strategically placed curves on the top and rear of the guitar.

Amplifying the headless ICHI10’s sweet natural voice are a trio of R1 single coils. The R1 S-S-S pickups have been carefully designed for use with Ibanez’s headless guitars and boast tonal balance across all frequencies. With their powerful, defined lows and chiming, clear highs, the R1 pickups are a great fit for guitarists that prize note separation and clarity. Add on exceptional low noise performance and you have a dynamic set of pickups that are a perfect complement to the ICHI10.

Tonal Chameleon

A wealth of inspiring tones are instantly available within the Ibanez ICHI10, thanks to the innovative dyna-MIX8 switching system and Alter Switch. When engaged, the Alter Switch introduces a second pickup where only one would usually be engaged. It significantly expands the ICHI10’s versatility, as it can be used to simulate a humbucking tone with purely single coils. With the ICHI10, you have a total of 8 distinct tones at your disposal.

Smooth Playability

As technically adept as Ichika Nito is as a player, you’d that his signature model would cater to his fluid and experimental style. The ICHI 10 certainly delivers in this regard, with its ultra-stable and exotic-looking 3pc Roasted Maple/Bubinga neck. The neck uses Ibanez’s Wizard C profile, which features a balanced shape that isn’t too thick, too thin or too flat. It’s a versatile profile that straddles the line between substantial hand-feel and elegant playability.

The neck is adorned with a gorgeous Roasted Birdseye Maple fretboard and 24 premium Jescar EVO Gold frets. These frets are widely acclaimed for their enticing appearance, crisp tone, durability and their ability to make note bending a breeze.

An advantage of the ICHI 10’s fretboard is its heat treatment, making it more resistant to temperature changes and improving the guitar’s tone. The neck’s side dots are luminescent, which is helps you to manoeuvre around the fingerboard during a dimly lit performance.

Robust Hardware

Ibanez have kitted out the ICHI10 with top quality hardware and components, which contributes to its rock-solid and precise performance.

The custom string lock uses a simple and streamlined construction that’s easy to maintain, durable and, compared to other headless designs, makes changing strings easy. Plus, you’re not restricted to using a special string type - you can keep using your gauge and brand of choice.

Ibanez’s Mono Tune bridges present a wide intonation range. This allows you to adjust the ICHI10 to alternate tunings or string gauges with ease. The saddles have been designed for straightforward height adjustment and use less material, which improves resonance and string vibration.

Free Gig Bag

As well as a top-notch guitar, you also receive a robust gig bag, which is handy for when you need to safely transport it to your next gig or session.

If you’re looking for a guitar that’s as innovative and exciting as Ichika Nito himself, we highly recommend the Ibanez ICHI10. This is a truly high-performance instrument that sounds incredible and can easily facilitate technically demanding playing styles.