Ibanez FLATV2-MSN

FLATV2-MSN (Mint Sand) Prestige Josh Smith Signature. Made in Japan.

Josh Smith needs no introduction; anyone who is even remotely involved in the guitar world knows him. An incomparable magician on the guitar, he has become known for being (to put it mildly) very particular about his equipment. One of the few guitarists on the planet who sounds like himself, like Josh, no matter what style he plays. And he plays a lot of different styles.

The FLATV2 is basically based on Ibanez's successful AZ series, but Josh has changed so much that there isn't much AZ left. Neck profile, body shape, electronics, hardware, etc., Josh has changed basically everything to get everything he wants.
Overall, only the wood in the neck, S-Tech roasted maple, remains from the regular AZ, and the bridge from the AZS. Not entirely true, the fantastic craftsmanship of the AZ Prestige series also remains.

Let's start with the neck and work our way down.
The neck is, as mentioned, made of 1-piece S-Tech roasted maple, an extremely stable wood that is completely insensitive to changes in humidity. A dream to travel with when the setup changes. The neck profile is completely new and tailor-made according to Josh's wishes. The profile is called FLATV and is a soft V profile with a noticeably thicker neck than previous AZ models, not boatneck fat, but substantial.
The fingerboard is also S-Tech roasted maple.
The side markers are luminescent Luminlay side dots.

The tuning pegs are traditional Gotoh slot tuning pegs. The only Ibanez that exists with such tuning pegs. Completely according to Josh's taste and preference.

The truss rods are medium size and made of regular nickel, not stainless steel like on all other AZs. Also completely according to Josh's taste and preference.
Regular truss rods have a warmer tone than stainless steel ones.

The pickups are custom made by Seymour Duncan for Josh and are called FLATV5.
The neck pickup is a traditional humbucker. The bridge pickup is wound with different types of Alnico magnets to achieve the sound Josh has become known for, both bright and fat at the same time. Incredibly versatile pickups.

The body is a ‘slab body’, meaning no arm or belly cuts, like a traditional T-style guitar. It is made of ash and has a very thin finish.
The neck is screwed into the body with a FLATV joint heel, which is a heel attachment with no chamfers or angles. All to preserve the sound and feel of a traditional T-style guitar.

The bridge is a further development of Gotoh's fantastic In-Tune bridge, the best intonating T-style bridge on the market. The titanium saddles have intonation-compensated slots that prevent the string from moving sideways.
They are also depth-compensated so that the saddles can sit straight but still follow the radius of the fingerboard, all to achieve optimal and even string pressure across the saddles.

Specs:
• FLATV S-Tech Roasted Maple neck.
• Ash body.
• Rosewood fretboard w/Ivory dot inlay.
• Medium frets.
• Prestige fret edge treatment.
• 21 frets.
• Oil-impregnated Bone nut
• Seymour Duncan® FLATV5 Custom (H) neck pickup.
• Seymour Duncan® FLATV5 Custom (S) bridge pickup.
• Steel pickup plate.
• Gotoh® F1803 bridge. String spacing: 10.5mm.
• FLATV Neck Joint heel.
• Strängar: D'Addario EXL110 (010-046).
• Hardshell case included.

Neck:
• 648 mm/25.5" scale length.
• Width at nut: 42 mm.
• Width at 22nd fret: 58 mm.
• Thickness at first fret: 22 mm.
• Thickness at 12th fret: 24.5 mm.
• Radius: 250 mmR.