Ibanez FLATV1 Josh Smith Signature AZS Black

Blues rock guitar virtuoso, singer-songwriter and producer, Josh Smith, is hailed the world over as a master guitarist with raw talent and power to spare. Blending his signature mix of blues, rock and jazz into dynamic original songs, Smith is known for his incendiary live performances, whether at the Grammy Awards or the Kennedy Center Honors with Mick Jagger, Raphael Saadiq and others.

With this stunning guitar, Josh worked closely with Ibanez to reimagine a classic design, adding cutting edge technology and features to bring it into the 21st century

FLATV S-TECH WOOD Roasted Maple neck

The FLATV neck features a ’Soft V’ neck grip shape that blends the charm of a classic neck shape with a modern feel. This enables the neck to feel both substantial and comfortable to the player. The S-TECH Roasted Maple neck is constructed with 1 piece, and is the perfect combination of form and function.

S-TECH WOOD Roasted Maple fretboard

The S-TECH special roasted treatment provides a superior attack, a well-balanced tone and a rich sustain. In order to achieve supreme neck grip comfort, the fretboard edge is finished with a smooth curve.

Seymour Duncan® FLATV1 Custom pickups

Josh’s signature pickup set from Seymour Duncan feature a vintage style neck pickup with slightly increased output to adhere to Josh’s exacting tonal specifications, paired with a bridge pickup that is constructed with a mix of different types of Alnico magnets to best match the tone that Josh has relied on for years, and is able to capture guitar sounds that are both bright and fat.

Gotoh® machine heads

Gotoh® machine heads provide super precision, smooth feel, and minimal back lush.

Gotoh®/Ibanez co-designed "In-Tune" saddles

These saddles are equipped with grooves which actively prevent each string from slipping to the side. The saddles also feature rounded edges and deeper grooves on 1st and 6th strings, which means much less saddle tilting is required to adjust the string height, and equal string spacing is more easily achieved. Additionally, the saddles are designed with pre-calculated "intonation points" where the string touches the saddle, allowing each string to have and maintain precise intonation. The 10.5mm string spacing allows for easy picking across strings. The saddles themselves are made of titanium for maximum tonal clarity.

Control plate specially designed for AZS series

This control plate is curved for easier access to all the knobs and switches, without sacrificing its traditional appearance.

FLATV joint heel

This neck joint and heel offer a feel that is reminiscent of the golden era of guitar design, with the four-bolt metal neck plate adding extra strength and stability.

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.