Ibanez LM1 Luca Mantovanelli Signature Guitar, Rosewood Fretboard, Luna White

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

If you follow him on social media, you know that Luca Mantovanelli is not only an excellent player with a simultaneously technical and soulful style, but that he has an excellent taste for guitars as well. His axes are both beautiful and dressed to the nines with player-friendly specifications, and his new signature Ibanez LM1 guitar, derived from the AZ series, is no exception.

The LM1, in a gorgeous Luna White with a mint green pickguard, is similar to the non-signature AZ2203N model. This new AZ archetype is unapolegetically vintage in flavor, returning to the familiar three-single-coil configuration. It harkens back to the vintage "S" type guitars of the 1960s, rosewood fretboard, and three-knob layout to go along with its trio of single-coil pickups. 

Compared to the standard AZ model, the LM1 comes with a rounder compound fretboard radius of 9"-12", which makes the familiar C profile neck shape feel even more like a vintage-style guitar and on par with other "Classic" boutique offerings with its roasted maple neck back and stainless steel frets. The LM1 also features ultra-stable Gotoh MG-T locking tuners, with a convenient thumbwheel design for super-fast string changes, along with an awesome recessed tremolo route that allows you to pull off the vocal-like pitch-bending acrobatics that Luca has come to be known for.

The lower-output Fortuna pickups really sing and sound cleaner and more vintage than the higher-output Hyperions you may be more familiar with on the AZ series. One thing you may notice on the LM1 is that the typical AZ mini-toggle has been replaced with a third knob - but instead of being a second tone knob like you may have expected, it's an amazing "blend" control that allows you to blend in the neck or bridge pickup to unlock pickup combinations (like neck + bridge, or anything in between!) unheard of on a vintage instrument.

Even if you don't play anything like Luca Mantovanelli - or maybe you do! - the LM1, with its classic looks and excellent feature set, is sure to serve you well.

Details

The LM is the signature guitar of Luca Mantovanelli. Luca is an internationally-recognized guitarist known for his work on Jam Track Central and various other social media outlets. His instrument is built on the well established foundations of the AZ series, but Luca’s particular specifications make his guitar one of the more unique AZ inspired designs to date.

Oval C S-TECH WOOD Roasted Maple neck

The S-TECH special roasted treatment increases the wood's stability, durability, water resistance and tolerance of temperature changes. The neck is sealed with an oil finish which helps make it feel similar to a well-played guitar neck.

Rosewood fretboard

Rosewood fretboard provides a well-balanced solid tone with a focused mid range.

Seymour Duncan® Fortuna™ S-S-S pickups

Seymour Duncan® Fortuna™ Pickups feature a moderate output and natural clean voicing which accurately reflect subtle playing nuances. From treble to bass, the overall tonal balance is evenly adjusted and works well with various effect pedals.

Gotoh® T1702B tremolo

The T1702B tremolo bridge provides quick response and improved articulation. The 10.5mm string spacing allows for easy picking across strings and its snap-in construction makes it easy to load a tremolo arm. The tremolo block and saddles are made of brass, facilitating better overall resonance.

Super All Access Neck Joint

The Super All Access Neck Joint increases playability and allows for easy access to the higher frets.

Blender

With the simple turn of the blend knob, you can incorporate just the right amount of each pickup in a given position to achieve your desired sound.

Gotoh® MG-T locking machine heads

The Gotoh® MG-T locking machine heads achieve incredible tuning stability, cutting down string-changing time.

Compound Radius Fretboard (228mm to 305mm)

Offering the best of both worlds, the digitized compound radius fretboard of the AZ-N is built to enhance both smooth chording and lead work in the upper register.

Oil-impregnated Bone nut / Stainless Steel Frets

The Oil-impregnated bone nut provides superior tuning stability and warm rich resonance. Stainless steel frets boast excellent corrosion resistance. The wide and tall fret-type offers a quick response, good articulation when playing chords and clear tone when playing single notes.

Ergonomic rear body contour

A shallow body back contour and a big forearm contour make the guitar body fit the player naturally, thus increasing playing comfort. The AZ body has a deep waist and different radii on each body edge curve, making it easier to play in both standing or sitting positions.

Luminlay side dot inlays

The Luminlay side dot position marks make it easy for players to see fretboard position marks when performing on dark stages.