Ibanez KIKO10BP

KIKO Comes to the Party

The Ibanez KIKO10BP starts with an idea that should look familiar to anyone who knows the S series. The sleek silhouette is there, but the similarities start to fade once you look closer. This KIKO carries more body mass, a different neck profile, custom DiMarzio pickups and an Edge Zero II tremolo.

The KIKO10BP sits in the middle of Ibanez’s KIKO lineup. It offers a more affordable alternative to the Japanese made KIKO100. That puts Kiko Loureiro’s particular take on a performance guitar within reach without moving all the way into the upper tier of the lineup.

There are also plenty of details that make this more than an S series with a famous name on the headstock. The body gets its own approach to thickness and carving. The rear lower horn gets additional relief for upper fret access. The neck moves away from the familiar Wizard formula. Even the pickup combination comes from custom DiMarzio designs rather than the standard catalog.

That makes the KIKO10BP an interesting guitar before it ever gets plugged in. Kiko’s name may be the reason it catches your eye, but the design gives you plenty of reasons to keep looking.

---

From Angra to Ibanez

Kiko Loureiro joined Angra in 1992. He spent more than two decades developing his blend of progressive, power and neoclassical metal. Thrash metal and jazz fusion also found their way into his playing.

Kiko joined Megadeth in 2015 and reached a much larger audience. By then, his relationship with Ibanez had already produced signature guitars built around his approach to playing. His music demands speed and upper fret access. It also moves between aggressive metal, melodic lead work and cleaner passages.

The KIKO series doesn’t simply put Kiko’s name on an existing Ibanez model. Ibanez starts with the S series and changes the formula. The body carries more substance. The neck uses a different profile. Custom DiMarzio pickups handle the electronics. An Edge Zero II tremolo handles the hardware duties.

The KIKO10BP sits in the middle of the KIKO lineup. It brings the basic design philosophy into a more affordable production model. The KIKO10P shares the same basic platform with a different finish and cosmo black hardware.

The S series connection is easy to see. I remember checking out those guitars when they first appeared. Their aggressive carving made them remarkably comfortable. They also sounded more substantial than their thin bodies suggested.

The KIKO10BP keeps that familiar silhouette. It simply puts more meat on the bones.

---

Putting the KIKO10BP to Work

The Saber Gets Beefy

The KIKO10BP has the unmistakable silhouette of an Ibanez S series guitar, but it carries more substance than a traditional Saber. The S series gets its thin profile from aggressive carving on the front and back. The KIKO keeps the familiar shape without going quite so lean.

The edges measure about 30mm, or roughly 1.2″. The arched top brings the main body thickness to about 40mm, or just over 1.5″. That’s still thinner than the roughly 45mm thickness of an Ibanez RG or Stratocaster.

That puts the KIKO10BP in a nice middle ground. It retains the sleek feel that made the S series appealing to me when I first encountered those guitars. It just doesn’t feel quite so skeletal. There’s some meat on these bones.

The deeper scoop behind the lower horn works with the All Access Neck Joint to improve upper fret access. Because the cut sits on the back, it doesn’t call attention to itself. Your fretting hand simply gets more room when you head down deep on the fretboard.

The tilted side jack adds another practical touch. Angled jacks have been around for decades, so this isn’t exactly revolutionary. The KIKO10BP leaves enough room for a right angle plug, though, which can keep the cable closer to the body.

The S series may have provided the starting point, but the KIKO10BP adds enough substance and thoughtful details to make the design its own.

The Pickup Plot Thickens

The KIKO10BP uses custom DiMarzio pickups made specifically for the KIKO models. Figuring out exactly where they fit in the DiMarzio family tree gets interesting. Kiko has used plenty of DiMarzio designs over the years, including the Air Classic, D Sonic, The Chopper, The Cruiser and Pro Track. In interviews, he has also described the KIKO humbuckers as similar to modified PAF Pro models.

DiMarzio offers a different set of reference points. The KIKO bridge pickup sits close to the Dominion bridge, while the neck pickup shares characteristics with the Gravity Storm neck. The middle single coil is similar to the Red Velvet. Those comparisons make for an interesting stew before the guitar ever gets plugged in. These aren’t simply catalog pickups wearing a KIKO name, either. They aren’t available as off the shelf replacements.

I like both the Gravity Storm and Dominion sets, so I had some expectations going into the KIKO10BP. Hearing those pickup families in an alder body with a flamed maple top doesn’t produce a carbon copy of what I’m accustomed to hearing. My ears need a little time to sort through the combination. After multiple playing sessions, the cobwebs start to clear. The choices make more sense when you hear them as part of the KIKO10BP rather than trying to match each pickup to its closest DiMarzio relative.

The five way switching and coil split functionality add even more range. The KIKO10BP can move beyond obvious high gain territory without losing its identity. That’s appropriate for Kiko’s playing, which moves from aggressive metal to melodic lead work and cleaner passages.

Lock, Load, and Dive Bomb

The KIKO10BP uses an Edge Zero II double locking tremolo, putting it firmly in familiar Ibanez territory.

I’ve used an Edge Zero II on my JEM 77P for more than four years. That has given me plenty of time to get past my initial reservations about the system. I’m still a dyed in the wool Floyd Rose user, but the Edge Zero II no longer feels like some great unknown.

The tremolo arm was one of the details that initially gave me the most grief. I like my tremolo arm to stay where I put it. The Edge Zero II’s collar system finally gives me that experience. Tighten the collar by hand and the arm stays put instead of flopping around like it has somewhere else to be.

The locking tremolo posts are another useful detail. Once the setup reaches the height you want, the set screws inside the posts lock that adjustment in place. They also keep the posts stable.

After several years with the Edge Zero II, I have no problem using it on the KIKO10BP. I still reach for a Floyd Rose when given the choice, but that’s a matter of preference. The Edge Zero II handles the job and suits a guitar built for serious upper fret and whammy bar abuse.

Not Your Average Wizard

The KIKO10BP takes a different approach from the ultra thin Ibanez necks many players associate with high performance guitars.

The KIKO neck feels more substantial than the Super Wizard profile found on many RG models. It also has more girth than the Wizard profile associated with the JEM series. Instead of trying to make the neck disappear under your hand, Ibanez gives it a profile much closer to the JS series.

That doesn’t make the KIKO10BP a warmed over JS neck. The fretboard uses a flatter radius than the JS series while retaining the more rounded profile under the hand. Fast playing doesn’t require a neck that feels like a popsicle stick. The KIKO gives your hand something to hold onto without getting in the way of technical playing.

The five piece maple and walnut construction adds stability. KTS titanium reinforcement rods provide additional support inside the neck. The 24 fret rosewood fingerboard completes the package and gives the KIKO10BP the range expected from a modern Ibanez performance guitar.

The result is a neck that feels familiar without falling into the usual Ibanez Wizard mold. For players who like a little more substance under the hand, that’s a welcome change.

Up Where the Action Is

The KIKO10BP carries 24 jumbo frets, giving Kiko plenty of room for lead work in the upper registers.

The fret count isn’t unusual for an Ibanez built around technical playing. What matters more is how easily those upper frets remain accessible. The AANJ and deeper rear scoop give the fretting hand plenty of clearance without making the body feel awkward.

A guitar can have 24 frets and still make the last few feel like they’re hiding behind a brick wall. The KIKO10BP doesn’t have that problem.

The jumbo fret format also suits the guitar’s personality. There’s enough fret surface for bends, vibrato and aggressive lead work. At the same time, the neck doesn’t feel like a specialized shred machine that only knows one trick.

---

Specs

---

Switching System / Controls

---

Demo

---

The Fine Print

The direct mount pickups introduce one limitation that becomes relevant for players who like to experiment with electronics.

I’d like to hear the KIKO10BP with an Air Classic humbucker set or a pair of PAF Pros. Both choices have a direct connection to Kiko’s own history, and hearing those pickups in the alder and maple KIKO platform would make for an interesting comparison.

I’m not interested in permanently modifying a set of pickups just to find out whether they work, though. Direct mounting can create some compatibility issues that aren’t obvious from the outside. One cavity might accept a standard humbucker but leave insufficient clearance for a covered pickup. A pickup with a thicker magnet or taller construction can introduce another problem.

That makes experimentation more complicated than it would be with conventional pickup rings. It doesn’t make the direct mount design wrong, and it certainly doesn’t stop the KIKO10BP from doing what it was designed to do. It simply puts some limits on the kind of pickup swapping that a curious guitarist can perform without breaking out the router.

For a signature guitar with such an interesting custom pickup combination, that’s worth mentioning.

---

Kiko’s Signature, Your Guitar

The KIKO10BP makes a convincing case for what a signature guitar should be. It takes the familiar S series silhouette and changes enough of the formula to give Kiko Loureiro something distinctly his own.

The thicker body, more substantial neck, custom DiMarzio pickups and generous upper fret access all serve a purpose. Nothing feels like it exists simply to put Kiko’s name on the headstock. The guitar has an identity of its own.

You don’t need to play like Kiko to appreciate this guitar. The KIKO10BP brings plenty of Brazilian metal attitude to the party, but it has enough versatility and personality to make its own case.

For reference, this Ibanez KIKI10BP guitar evaluation was conducted with the following: Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+ featuring Celestion Impulse Responses and Fractal MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller. ADA MP-1 Tube Pre-Amp loaded with Tube Amp Doctor ECC83 Premium Selected tubes, using the ADA MC-1 MIDI Controller. Fryette LX II Stereo Tube Power Amplifier. Physical cabs used are Marshall 1960B, Mojotone British, and Peavey 6505 cabs loaded with Celestion Classic Series Vintage 30s and Classic Series G12M Greenbacks.

Ibanez Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

Look for my other IBANEZ content HERE

7 string 59 Airbucker Alnico 2 Alnico 3 Alnico 4 Alnico 5 Alnico 8 Bare Knuckle BKP Brown Sound Celestion Ceramic Charvel Custom Shop David Shepherd DiMarzio Dual Resonance Edge EVH Fishman Floyd Rose Gibson HSP90 Humbucker Ibanez JB Jimmy Page John Petrucci MJ Mojotone P90 PAF Pariah Pickup Satch Satriani Seymour Duncan Singlecoil Single Width Speaker Steve Vai Tech Tip Tremolo Virtual Vintage