{"product_id":"mystique-ibanez-rg631alf-axion-label-blue-chameleon","title":"Mystique! - Ibanez RG631ALF Axion Label | Blue Chameleon","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere are guitars which look slightly different when the light catches them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd then there’s Mystique, who appears to have several entirely separate identities and absolutely no intention of telling you which one is real.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMeet Mystique, our Ibanez RG631ALF from the Axion Label range, finished in the frankly ridiculous Blue Chameleon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStraight on, she’s a shimmering metallic turquoise.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMove slightly and she’s blue.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMove again and she’s purple.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWalk around the back and apparently we’re green now.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe spent an unreasonable amount of time walking around this guitar going, “OOOH, LOOK AT IT NOW.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut underneath the spectacular paintwork is a very serious RG.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Nyatoh body is paired with Ibanez’s incredibly slim Nitro Wizard neck, built from five pieces of Panga Panga and Walnut and bolted on using their sculpted All Access Neck Joint. That gives you the sort of upper-fret access you’d expect from something specifically designed to encourage poor decisions above the 12th fret.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd that neck is lovely.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Macassar ebony fingerboard carries 24 jumbo Sub Zero treated frets, white offset dot inlays and luminescent side dots, because apparently being able to see where you’re going in the dark is useful when you’ve bought a guitar that changes colour every six inches.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Ibanez logo glows too.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eObviously.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the business end, Mystique carries a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern active humbuckers, with an Alnico pickup in the neck and a Ceramic in the bridge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese are not pickups known for being shy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut they’re considerably more versatile than “VERY LOUD METAL NOISE” might suggest. Alongside the three-way pickup selector, there’s a dedicated coil-tap switch, while the push\/pull volume control accesses the alternative Fluence voicing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo she’ll happily deliver enormous, tight high-gain sounds, but there are far more textures hiding in here than her pointy little face would have you believe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd because Ibanez apparently reached the hardware section of the specification sheet and decided restraint was for other people, she’s also fitted with a Gibraltar Standard II fixed bridge, Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads and Schaller S-Lock strap buttons.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo Floyd Rose.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo tremolo.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo tiny springs launching themselves into another postcode.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJust six strings straight through the body, excellent tuning stability and absolutely no negotiations required after changing strings.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs always, Mystique went through our workshop for the full Stray treatment, including a thorough clean, fretwork where required, fret polishing and a complete setup, ensuring she was ready for her next chapter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCosmetically, she was in good condition. She arrived with two small chips which were carefully colour-matched and repaired, and aside from those repaired areas she presented beautifully.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdmittedly, colour matching a finish which can’t decide whether it’s green, turquoise, blue or purple was an entertaining afternoon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd that finish is genuinely difficult to capture properly in photographs. Every time you think you’ve worked out what colour she is, she changes her mind.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhich feels appropriate, really.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe is fast.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe is extremely pretty.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe contains enough Fishman Fluence to frighten the neighbours.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd we’re still not entirely sure what colour she is.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerfect.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMystique has now been adopted and is making music in her forever home.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough this particular Stray is no longer available, you can explore our current collection of rescued and restored guitars to see who might be waiting for you.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Stray Chord\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRescue • Restore • Rehome\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Stray Chord","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59077984387336,"sku":null,"price":565.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1059\/2829\/4664\/files\/9305587F-4AF7-4871-AB74-25351D4EA750.jpg?v=1791827285","url":"https:\/\/thestraychord.com\/products\/mystique-ibanez-rg631alf-axion-label-blue-chameleon","provider":"The Stray Chord","version":"1.0","type":"link"}