Tom Quayle: Ibanez =TQM1 Signature Guitar - Coming in 2018!!

Tom Quayle
IBANEZ TQM1 - Tom Quayle Signature Guitar - Coming in 2018!!

This is a long post but I have been waiting so long to reveal this, it’s the most exciting and mind blowing thing that has ever happened to me and I still have to pinch myself every day to check that it is real. It is my absolute honour to reveal my Ibanez TQM1 signature model - a dream that I never dared to imagine would come true. It’s a very emotional day for me so, if you’ll indulge me, please let me tell you a story...

At NAMM last year I was asked to come and check out a top secret project that Ibanez were working on. I was whisked into a tiny room and shown a brand new model that blew me away - a really different Ibanez that was a precision, player’s guitar with incredible features and hardware for modern guitarists - it turned out to be the new AZ series. I told them I absolutely loved it, wished them success with it and then walked away, excited about this new direction Ibanez were taking. Three months later (having just recovered from my broken elbow) I received an email out of the blue that completely changed my life - Ibanez wanted to build me a signature guitar and were coming to the UK to show me some guitars and with a gift of an AZ prototype.

This was an incredible moment and I will NEVER forget how I felt reading this email. Ibanez IS guitar for me in every way - it is the epitome of what guitar means to me. My first real guitar was an RG470. I played that guitar for countless hours of my teenage life, worshipping Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert, drooling over their signature guitars and dreaming of the impossible - that maybe one day, if I worked hard enough, I might be like my heroes one day.

At the same time as I was experiencing all of this excitement and disbelief, it was hugely tempered by the knowledge that in saying yes to this I would really hurt and disappoint the guys at Fibenare Guitars. Ibanez has been my dream forever and there was no way I could ever say no to an Ibanez Signature guitar, but I want you all to know that I LOVE Gábor Goldschmidtand Csaba Benedek from Fibenare and their truly incredible guitars. These last few years with them have been amazing and they have treated me like family with their incredible generosity and loving nature. I have seen them get better and better at their craft and I want to thank them for everything since 2008 when we first met at Musikmesse. I have been honoured to play your wonderful instruments and want to thank you both personally for your warmth, kindness and some of the best experiences of my life. Thank you, I consider you both geniuses.

I am so excited about this new era in my career and want to thank Ibanez for making the impossible dreams of a teenage guitarist come true. I am so honoured to join the Ibanez family. This guitar is incredible in every way and represents everything I need from an instrument. Thank you in particular to Hiroki Rocky Oda, Kashiuchi Motoaki and Mike Orrigo from Ibanez and to everyone at Ibanez Guitars. You guys are amazing.

More details on the guitar coming at NAMM 2018 where you will be able to hear myself and Martin Miller give 6 performances over the Friday and Saturday and try the guitar out for yourself. We have some amazing video content content coming your way soon too. Stay tuned and if you made it to the bottom of the post, thanks for you time!

Now I am going to play my incredible guitar! 2018 promises to be a great year!

Some quick specs: - Alder Body, Monkey Pod top, Roasted Maple Neck, 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets, Gotoh locking tuners, Bone nut, Abalone dots, Luminescent side dots, Gotoh T1802 bridge with Titanium Saddles and Solid Steel Block, Seymour Duncan Hyperion Pickups, DynaMix 9 switching.

Tom