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Ibanez Q54 Quest Series Solidbody Electric Guitar - Black Flat

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Nyatoh Body, Maple/Bubinga Neck, Maple Fingerboard, 1 Humbucking Pickup, 2 Single-coil Pickups, and Mono Tune Bridge - Black Flat
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Item ID: Q54BKF
Ibanez Q54 Quest Series Solidbody Electric Guitar - Black Flat
Price:$1,099 and 99 cents
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Ibanez Q54 Quest Series Solidbody Electric Guitar - Black Flat
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Price:$1,099 and 99 cents
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A Boundary-shattering Headless Axe from Ibanez

Part of Ibanez's boundary-pushing Quest series, the Q54 vaunts a headless design built from the ground up to maximize tone, performance, and playing comfort. While this solidbody electric guitar is extremely lightweight, its ergonomic nyatoh body resonates with rich, woody tones that belie its compact profile. Technically minded players will be blown away by the zero-drag feel of the Q54's Wizard "C" neck, and its heat-treated bird's-eye maple fingerboard is as playable as it is visually appealing. This headless guitar's made-to-measure pickups exude amazing levels of articulation and definition, and their flexible HSS configuration is further bolstered by Ibanez's acclaimed dyna-MIX9 switching system. Rock-solid hardware, including a custom string lock and innovative Mono Tune bridge, ensures easy string changes and ultra-reliable, stage-worthy performance. Stainless steel frets round out the Q54's generous features. If you've been hunting for the perfect headless electric guitar — or even if you're considering your first headless instrument — the Ibanez Q54 is guaranteed to unlock unlimited creative possibilities.

Wizard "C" neck makes complex playing techniques easier

The Q54 was built for high-level, technical playing styles, evidenced by its Wizard "C" neck. Crafted from maple and bubinga, this ultra-stable 3-piece neck offers an extremely neutral feel that's tailor-made for high-performance fretwork. The Q54's heat-treated bird's-eye maple fingerboard not only turns heads, its 12-inch radius yields incredible playability in every position. This headless solidbody electric guitar also includes stainless steel frets, which ensure long-lasting durability and effortless note bending. The guitarists here at Sweetwater have found the Q54 to be incredibly versatile — it offers a zero-drag playing experience for technical metal, jazz-rock fusion, and any experimental genre you throw at it. If your personal style involves complex playing techniques, the Q54 will permit you to play cleaner and faster than you ever thought possible.

Made-to-measure pickups yield an endless array of tones

Designed especially for headless guitars, the Ibanez Q54's Q58 humbucker and R1 single-coil pickups churn out divine sonic textures with astonishing levels of articulation and definition — a must-have for elaborate riffing and intricate, rapid-fire leads. The tonal balance of these pickups is unprecedented throughout the instrument's entire range. Plug into your favorite amp, and you'll experience muscular lows that are completely devoid of muddiness and mix-piercing highs that eschew harshness for a sublime-sounding clarity that enables every note within a chord structure to be heard. These pickups exhibit little self-noise, even in high-gain applications, and they play nice with both digital and analog effects. The Q54 incudes dyna-MIX9 switching, which provides nine different pickup combinations via an Alter Switch and 5-way lever switch. No matter the genre, the Q54 can achieve the sound you're hearing in your head.

State-of-the-art hardware that can withstand aggressive playing styles

The Q54 is teeming with cutting-edge, near-bulletproof hardware. Its custom string lock boast a straightforward one-piece design that's not only highly durable, but it also requires little maintenance. String changes are a breeze, and because the Q54 doesn't require a proprietary set of strings, you can use whatever time-tested gauge and brand you'd like. You'll also appreciate the Mono Tune bridge. This expertly crafted bridge facilitates a wide intonation range, which makes down tuning a piece of cake. This headless guitar's Mono Tune bridge is also a cinch to adjust, and its streamlined saddle design lends a natural, organic character to every note you play.

Ibanez Q54 Features:

  • Headless design built from the ground up to maximize tone, performance, and playing comfort
  • Compact, ergonomic nyatoh body resonates with rich, woody tones
  • Ultra-stable 3-piece maple/bubinga neck with heat-treated bird's-eye maple fingerboard
  • Wizard "C" neck profile is perfect for high-level, technical playing styles
  • Stainless steel frets ensure long-lasting durability and effortless note bending
  • Q58/R1 pickups in a flexible HSS configuration yield astonishing levels of articulation and definition
  • dyna-MIX9 switching system provides 9 different pickup combinations
  • Custom string lock's straightforward 1-piece design is durable and requires little maintenance
  • No proprietary strings required — continue using your favorite gauge and brand
  • Mono Tune bridge provides easy adjustment and lends a natural, organic character to every note you play

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape Q54
  • Body Material Nyatoh
  • Body Finish Satin Polyurethane
  • Color Black
  • Neck
  • Neck Material 3-Piece Roasted Maple/Bubinga
  • Neck Shape Wizard C
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 12"
  • Fingerboard Material Roasted Birdseye Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay Mother-of-Pearl Offset Dots
  • Number of Frets 24, Jumbo, Stainless Steel
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Nut Width 1.653"
  • Nut Material Plastic
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece Ibanez Mono Tune
  • Tuners Bridge tuners
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup R1 Single-coil
  • Middle Pickup R1 Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup Q58 Humbucker
  • Controls 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone
  • Switching 1 x Alter switch, 5-way blade pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings D'Addario, .010-.046
  • Case/Gig Bag Gig Bag
  • Manufacturer Part Number: Q54BKF

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Reviews

Different in a good way
This guitar caught my eye because I was curious about the whole headless Guitar thing. And I decided to purchase something different from what I normally would choose instead of sticking into my same old formula . I didn't think I would enjoy this guitar as much as I have, but it is amazingly versatile, lightweight, easy to play, but also a little different to get used to in a good way. I was shocked when the guitar arrived that it was perfectly in tune, which was something I've never experienced before. The quality of the build is excellent. The set up was excellent as usual. Sweetwater does amazing job. If I was still a gig in guitarist this would be my number one just because of all the different sounds, I can get.it really can do it all very well, don't let the novelty of a headless. Guitar affect your decision. This Guitar legitimately has been a joy to play.
Very comfortable and light weight guitar
This awesome guitar offers many different tones to choose from.
It's so light weight and comfortable, after playing for a while you don't even feel like there is a guitar strapped around your neck.
She screams and growls like a champ when really digging in.
My other guitars are jealous because this Ibanez Q54 is taking front stage.
Music background: Former drummer, intermediate guitar player
Best Guitar I've Played!
The first thing I noticed when I got the guitar was it's weight. It's almost as light as an acoustic guitar! Second was It's superbly comfortable and premium-feeling neck that almost naturally encourages you to hold it right and improve your finger position/posture. The tuners feel silky smooth and the overall aesthetic of the guitar is amazing. The tone knob has such a dynamic range and the series switch makes the guitar even more versatile! All the switches and hardware feel very premium and high quality and the restringing process is very simple to understand.

The body is incredible ergonomic and you can reach up to the twenty-fourth fret very easily, the wood and finishing feels high quality and doesn't slow you down when you're moving up and down the neck.
The jumbo frets also feel very nice, not to mention it's stainless steel!

Now I might be describing the perfect guitar through this review, but the pickups may deter some people from making this purchase. The best way I can describe it is that the tone is very stiff. The pickups sound great when playing fingerstyle, jazz, metal, and ambient stuff. But you probably would want to swap the pickups for something more "alive" if you play blues or rock.

Although I have so much good to say about this guitar, I have just a single complaint. The cap for the 5-way switch came loose just a week or two after it arrived and now falls out every-so-often (but that's not anything superglue can't fix)

Ichika Nito really did make a really great choice when he decided to make his second signature model a deviation of this series. It sounds amazing, and playing his songs on it makes me feel like a legend just like him lol

If I had the choice, I would pick the Q54 over the Ichi10 though. The Ichi10 is the same price as this series but in a cream/white and an SSS configuration (with the same exact pickups.) It sounds like a nice guitar until you consider the fact that the HSS quests has a "series switch" that can split the bridge humbucker into a single coil when it's flipped and at the second position on the five-way switch.

Overall, I would recommend, it's been a huge inspiration for me to practice, learn new songs, and create my own music. The Ibanez Quest line definitely the best guitar you can buy at the price level they sell at.
Music background: Bedroom Producer
Hooda thunk!
This was my first headless guitar. I do have several Ibanez acoustic and electric guitars, which I like. As expected it is quite light and very comfortable to play both sitting and standing. It sounds great. The pickups are clear and articulate. They are a little bright but I like that and they can be toned down (I prefer to do that on the amp). With the HSS set up you can get a plethora of sounds including some pretty nice Strat like sounds (and I have 5 Strats). Ergonomically, it brings the neck a little closer to your body which I find easier to play, just the opposite of an SG. Lots of switching options to choose from. It was pretty well set up when I got it needing only minimal tweaking. I did not find any flaws per se. The only negative is that the Luminlay side dots are virtually worthless as they don't hold the light very well. I chose to put simple stick on white dots as side fret markers.

Overall it is a very nice guitar at a very reasonable price. If you don't have a headless guitar and/or think you won't like one, this is your guitar. Hats off to Ibanez!