Stylistically radical, Ibanez’s multi-scale Alpha series might just be the 21st-century prog-metal player’s favourite new guitar – but do you get the 7-string or the 8?

Ibanez Alpha Series: 7 and 8-string guitars with an all-new shape, metallic finishes, and photographed here in profile against a dark gradient background.

Ibanez has unveiled the Alpha series, a state-of-the-art extended-range electric guitar that throws all notions of traditional guitar shape out of the window in favour of an ergonomically radical silhouette.

For a certain type of player – dare we say it, a progressive metal player, tech-prog, djent enthusiasts et cetera – these Alpha series seven and eight-string guitars, both multi-scale, could be the new high-performance instrument of choice.