“Inspired by the popular Iron Label series, these instruments feature an all-black aesthetic, including a matte black finish and black hardware”: These new Ibanez Blackout acoustic guitars are… kinda metal looking

Ibanez has drawn inspiration from its metal guitar lineup for the Blackout series, a trio of acoustic guitars that are a million miles away from the sort of natural vibe, the sort of James Taylor on the porch acoustic aesthetic that has been the industry standard since time immemorial.

These acoustics are so metal there is even a seven-string. That’s right, a seven-string acoustic guitar. You don’t see them every day. Well, we saw one quite recently, come to think of it; Martin’s Johnny Marr signature guitar has seven-strings, but that was an octave G, so it doesn’t count. But the AEG721 Blackout is a seven-string in the style of the Ibanez Iron Label series, with the low B (or A if you like).

Will the Iron Label series translate to the acoustic format? Well, looks wise, it does. These are kind of classy, muted, all three cutaway bodies, and there are different body shapes mean that all three offering something a little bit different despite being dressed in matte black and all having a similar build.

Across the board they have spruce tops and sapele on the back and sides. There is a “Comfort Grip” three-piece nyatoh neck on the AEG721 and AEWC621, an okoume neck on the more affordable Talman-bodied double cutaway TCY621.

Both the AEG721 and AEWC621 feature Fishman’s S-core acoustic guitar pickup and preamp system while the TCY621 has Ibanez’s proprietary AEQ-2T preamp system with an undersaddle piezo, which you would expect for just £/$249 street. It does, however, have an onboard guitar tuner, which is almost always a good idea.

The AEG721 and AEWC621 have Macassar ebony fingerboards and bridges, while the TCY621 has the more budget-friendly purpleheart, aka amaranth. Retailing at £359/$399, you’d expect a more higher-end spec on the AEG721 and AEWC621, and that’s how it plays out.

The die-cast tuners have a high-ratio 18:1 ratio. These also benefit from having a balanced XLR output as well as your typical 1/4” output, so you could send this directly to the pa speakers, making open mic night that bit easier. Or, as the finishes suggest, saving more space on stage for the high-gain guitar amp of your choosing.

For more details, head over to Ibanez. In other Ibanez news, the Japanese guitar giant launched its new AZ Standard series, offering the tricked-out yet affordable S-style with HSS or dual-humbucker configurations.