Today we’re checking out the Ibanez FRIX6FEAH! This guitar is part of Ibanez’s familiar super metal oriented Iron Label line. I really love what Ibanez has done to the FR, taking a legendary shape and crafting the superbly brutal FRIX6FEAH and FR Uppercut is something that Ibanez deserves a pat on the back for. While most manufacturers simply change the color and add some actives, Ibanez deviated much further from the classic Tele than that.

Let’s dive right in!

Features:

  • 25.5” scale
  • 3pc Maple/Bubinga bolt on Nitro Wizard neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Jumbo frets
  • Mahogany body
  • Ash top
  • White binding
  • Gibraltar bridge
  • EMG 81/60 pickups
  • Black hardware
  • Killswitch

At first glance, you’ll notice that this guitar boasts a super hot open grain Ash top, which you don’t often see on Tele-style guitars. This was a design cue taken from the RG Iron Label guitars, where a dark stained ash top was commonly used as well. I think the top works much better on this guitar than on the RG, because the FR shape was definitely in need of some serious “evil-ing” to make this a true Iron Label and it is a tastefully “evil” addition to the design of the instrument.

The neck is the same neck you’d find on other Iron Label guitars, a nitro finished Wizard neck. The neck is thin, fast, and super smooth. Everything you’d expect from the legendary neck shape!

Another neat addition is a killswitch, which you don’t see on many production guitars these days. It’s always fun to have a guitar with one of these in your collection!

Tone:

Does this thing sound good? Of course it does! The classic EMG 81/60 set can do anything you want them to do. They sound full and warm in the mahogany body. Unsure of the quality of sound EMG can provide? Read our article, “Are EMGs Terrible?” and give these puppies a fighting chance to win you over.

The bolt on neck and ash top contribute too, adding a bit of attitude and bite you can’t quite get on a full mahogany guitar. 

The sustain the EMGs provide is fantastic. They give you exactly what you’d hope for. Notes ring out and stay there until decide it’s time to move on. This is really important for lead playing. The higher mids of the 60 are perfect for shreddy leads, while the 81 has a fantastic grunt for beefy rhythm playing.

Build Quality:

When the Iron Label line first came out, there were many, and I mean many complaints about the quality of the guitars. Now, they’re pretty much everywhere. People use them for live shows, recording their own music, and even for bedroom jamming. These guitars are built very well and it shows through.

Ibanez knows how to build these properly, there were pretty much no flaws on the model I had in my hands. The only thing I noticed was most likely shipping damage where the top of the headstock had a little dent. The damage was so miniscule that it even took the help of a friend to try and spot any issues.

Final Verdict:

Ibanez succeeded where others could not. Make a truly badass modern Tele, and then put it into mass production.

Killer metal tones, superbly brutal visual appointments, and a super fast neck.This guitar screams metal.

It is definitely not your father’s Tele.

8-10-8

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This article was written by Mike Azernov, our editor located in New York.

 

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