Guitar World has noted a recent trend of metal players stepping away from metal-looking guitars – but it seems Scott LePage is the exception to the rule.
The Polyphia virtuoso has been spotted playing what looks to be a signature version of the radical Ibanez Xiphos for a playthrough of his Bloodbath solo. Noticeably, it appears to be modded with some modern accoutrements.
First introduced in 2007 as the successor to the Axstar of the '80s, the X-shaped instrument oozes heavy metal panache. The mods on the LePage model, then, are very interesting – and it's hard to look past the ivy-like inlay design that adorns its 24-fret fingerboard and its sleek, Polyphia-flavored finish.
The seven-string guitar sports a beveled body, bringing it closer to its first generation of models, and two humbuckers that Guitar World safely assumes are his signature Fishman Fluence Custom Series pickups.
The presence of a second toggle switch – alongside the standard pickup selector – for selecting different voices further solidifies that assumption, with one knurled Master Volume dial the only other control jutting out of the body of this ultra-clean axe.
It's also apparent that LePage has opted against the original's Floyd Rose tremolo in favor of what appears to be a Gotoh T1502 bridge, which can be found on his existing Ibanez signature, the KRYS10.
LePage doesn't utter a word during the video but gives viewers a good eyeful of guitar to whet the appetite.
The guitarist’s love affair with the Xiphos can be traced back to the music video for Polyphia's Steve Vai-propelled track Ego Death from 2022’s Remember That You Will Die. However, that model boasted a reverse headstock – a detail LePage has forgone with this ghostly creation.
There are no further details about LePage's mystery Xiphos, but rest assured Guitar World will share any forthcoming updates when they arrive.
In related news, LePage and his Polyphia bandmate Tim Henson recently shared their top tips for getting to grips with amp modelers.
