Iceman IC400 Review

The deluxe version, the Iceman IC400, has a 3 pc maple set-neck with the great '70s feel of the original Iceman guitars, plus the same great mahogany body sound and sustain. In addition, you've got the original parallelogram shaped inlays to complement the whole '70s vibe.

Features:	9.3
Sound:	9.3
Action:	8.9
Reliability:	9.3
Impression:	9.9
Overall rating:	9.3
Users rating:	9.5
Comments:	37

overall: 8

Featured review by: rockstar_jones, on july 22, 2005

Purchased from: Barossa Music Centre

Features: Well I bought this guitar after 6 months of playing because of System Of A Down's Daron Malakian. He was a major influence to learn guitar so I got the money organised and went and ordered it in. It has 22 medium frets, mahogany Iceman shaped body, with a rosewood finger board, Tune-O-Matic bridge, 1 volume 1 tone knob 3-way selector, bridge and neck infinity humbuckers. The tuners are none locking but I'm going to upgrade them to locking. They hold tune pretty well in standard but if you start to drop the strings they don't stay as long. It came with a rectangle hard case. // 8

Sound: This guitar is made for metal and rock. I play mainly metal such as Metallica, System Of A Down, Black Sabbath and a bit of rock and grunge like Nirvana. I use a Fender Frontman 15 watt amp and it sounds wicked but I'm upgrading that to a Randall 200 watt combo. The bridge pickup is great for distortion and heavy metal riffs. It has alot of feedback when on the gain channel. The guitar sounds great. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The story is I ordered this guitar so I could try it but the music store had to order 4 in because they kept sending the 2 year old ones in with different pickups. The guy at the store eventually managed to get hold of the manager and worked something out. In the end they had 2 get the new pickups and put them on it so techniquely I have the only 2005 IC200 in Australia which is pretty cool, being only 14 and all. Everything on the guitar was set up brilliantly but after a couple of months one of the pickup springs and a screw came out and the pickup flopped out but after a while we got that repaired and it's been great ever since. Also the pickup selector wasn't lined up properly so it changed on diagonals but that got fixed to. The only bad thing is that the case has a weird smell to it, which won't go away. // 6

Reliability & Durability: So far this guitar has been pretty good except for the pickup screw. The finish on it hasnt budged a bit. I haven't played live yet but I reckon this guitar can take one hell of a beating so it should survive. Like I said I'm going to upgrade the tuners to locking ones and when the time comes to start playing live I will upgrade the strap buttons just incase. // 8

Impression: I play mainly metal and heavy rock and this guitar suits that stuff great. It's really easy to play on and is fast and attacky for good riffs and songs. I have been playing for 8 months and this guitar is great. I recently played Metallica's Master Of Puppets start to finish except for the last solo. If this guitar was stolen I would get the same one again but maybe spend a little more and get the IC400. Icemans are great. The only thing I would change on this guitar would be the neck, I want a neck with 24 frets for ultimate playing down the track, and maybe a custom paint job. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: Psycho4SOAD, on july 31, 2008

Price paid: £ 400

Purchased from: Guitar Guitar

Features: Like many people Who own an Iceman, I was influenced 100% to pick up guitar by Daron Malakian and it's a good thing I was, because this guitar is an absolute dream to own and play. Since buying it about a year ago, I haven't made any modifications except change the strings to Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms and fiddle with the action a bit. It has a relatively thin neck, very suitable for fast movement across the fretboard for shredding, etc, with 22 medium frets. It has a mahogany body with a maple set neck, and comes Standard with a shiny black finish (no pickguard). It has it's own distinctive body shape which won't be found on any other guitar, and comes Standard with a Tune-O-Matic bridge, which can be easily adjusted with a screwdriver, which is handy for people who like to get their action just right. Has two bridge and neck passive humbuckers controlled with a three-way selector Switch located at the top of the guitar, which can be a hassle if you strum too high and switch pickups accidently, but is easier therefore to use a kill-Switch. Two volume control knobs and two tone controls, constructed with a glass-knob style. Non-locking tuners as Standard, but keeps in tune very well when treated with respect, and comes with a hard-case. // 9

Sound: I mainly play all variations of heavier stuff, being rock, metal, shred, etc, and this guitar is perfect. The action, even when it's not adjusted, is very responsive to high-speed playing and makes it's easy to play chords, assuming your used to the neck profile. When using the bridge pickup, with distortion, you're able to get a rich, crunchy sound great for metal, and especially palm muting. When clean, the bridge pickup gives you a bright Indie kind of sound so you have the reach of two completely different genres just by taking off distortion. When using the neck pickup with distortion, the sound is much 'hollower', which sounds great when you need that detail in bends and vibrato in solos in the style of Guns N' Roses or Santana. Clean with the neck really brings out the bass side of the guitar with a beautiful full sound which is perfect when used for jazz or other similiar genres that need the fuller side of things. I use my Iceman through a Roland Cube 30X with a Whammy Pedal, using amp distortion only, and it still sounds great! Tapping is easy, attributed to the low action, pinch and natural harmonics are a breeze assuming you have the right technique and the balance of the guitar make it so palm muting the bridge is easier, being right under your picking hand. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: As stated before, the action the guitar came with was near-perfect for me, and I only changed it because I was curious how easy it would be to do it, which was very easy. I have had absolutely no problems with the pickups themselves, although the volume and tone controls easily come loose and when turned too much, can cut off the electric signal from the pickups and therefore the sound itself. Bridge is fixed and therefore the lack of a Floyd Rose tremollo makes it very easy to re-string. I also use my pickup selector as a killswitch by having one pickup at 0 and the other at 10, and flicking between them. The pickup switch withstands this no problem, although the sound of flicking it is amplified with the sound. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I have used this guitar when playing with a band and it holds out excellently, the only downside is that it could be deemed heavier than other mainstream guitars, such as the SG. The finish just seems to be finger marked easily, due to the high glossed finish, so assuming you treat it right, it should be okay. The hardware should last you forever, I have had this guitar for a year, and being a fanatical guitarist, have played it for 6-9 hours every day when possible and the only issue I have had is the loose selector knobs. Strap buttons hold, but just be careful not get the ends of the straps twisted upside down of they can easily come off. If there was no such thing as broken strings, I wouldn't need a backup at a gig with this guitar. // 9

Impression: Overall, it is very suited to my and other styles of music, using the right setting and pickups, etc. I've been playing about a year now with this guitar being my only in that time, and I don't regret it at all, it truly is a great guitar. Should it be stolen or be broken, I would settle for no less than getting another Iceman, it's just part my my musical life. The only possible downside is the lack of a whammy bar, but I hardly use it, and I have my whammy pedal when needed, so no problems there. Comparing to my Gibson SG, it's a tad heavier and less solid in terms of equipment, meaning that if I was to repeatedly switch both pickup selectors on both guitars simultaneously, the Iceman would give first. The thing I love most about it is probably it's shape, as it's very eye-catching at gigs and among friends, and it's very uncommon to see anything looking so cool, compared to all Strat-style copies. All in all, give it a try and you'll fall in love. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 04, 2005

Purchased from: Firehouse Music; GA

Features: The features of this guitar are available @ Multiple Places Online. I won't repeat them here; except to say that everything works great and has a very high quality feel. This guitar holds tone better than any guitar I've ever owned; the controls all are buttery smooth; very high quality feel. // 10

Sound: This is a rock guitar. Great sounds! // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Action was very good, right out of the box. Fit and finish are just outsanding! I've known guitarists for years who said, "I would never own a Korean built guitar." This is the guitar that will change their minds. It is very well constructed. If you think you just have to have a Les Paul to have a well made humbucker guitar, you're full of it! beautifully put together! Perhaps the thing that is most impressive is the design. Better access to the upper frets than any Les Paul or Strat; and it's a unique and beautiful design. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Just bought it a couple of weeks ago. No problems so far! // 10

Impression: This thing will do pretty much anything you want. It can scream; sound bluesy; and it is great for jazz. I only have one very minor complaint: I am not crazy about where the strap buttons are located; but it is an easy complaint to fix. Other than that, this thing is about as close to perfect as it gets! // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on november 03, 2006

Price paid: $ 549.99

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: // 9

Sound: Oh man, where do I begin? This thing sounds absolutely amazing. The mohogany gives it such a mellow sound. I play anything from metal, to punk, to jazz, and everything else in between. This guitar soars in all those genres. The stock pickups were actually pretty good for being stock pickups (if you can understand that). But I still wanted more, so I put an SH-6 Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Gibson Burstbucker pro in the neck. Every note I play sounds like it comes straight from heaven. I play through a Roland Cube 60 which makes it sound even better. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I had to do some adjusting. Including action and intonation. I wasn't to good with pickup adjusting in the past, so this time I got a pro to do it. The finish can be prone to fingerprints and the such. But none of that is really a big deal to me. Other than that, no flaws. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will definatly withstand Live playing. The hardware and strap buttons WILL last for a looong time (unless your a dumbass). Personally, I wouldn't use any guitar at a gig without a backup. You never know what's gonna happen. Excellent black finish and beautiful cream binding. // 10

Impression: I play anything from metal, to punk, to jazz, and everything else in between. Perfect match. I've been playing for about 4 years. I also own a Fender standard HSS Stratocaster, a Gibson standard SG (no, I'm not rich. I won it in a contest thingie), a shitty starter Fender "Startcaster" (first electric), and a Squier acoustic (first guitar). If it was lost or stolen I'd probably save up for something else like an Ibanez Prestige or something. My favorite thing about it is the classic Iceman shape. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 27, 2006

Price paid: $ 780

Purchased from: Panasonic Ibanez

Features: // 10

Sound: The sound was great! If you want that System Of A Down style sound this is a great guitar for you. Daron Malakian does not use the ICHRG2 but it closely resembles his Iceman. The guitar never buzzed or anything and you can really do anything with this guitar. If you put ure mind to it you could make it sound like a jazz guitar. It's mainly for metal and heavy rock music. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was all set up except for the strap button on the back you had to screw on yourself which was easy but thats it. Pickups were adjusted well. The bridge was just a tiny bit loose and needed screwing because it buzzed but that was before I even bought it and the shop fixed it up. The ICHRG2 had great quality. The wood never smudges or scratches and nothing was loose or out of place. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I would be afraid to play an expensive guitar like this live, but if you're up to it it would pkay great live. The Iceman would last all my life because of it's great quality. Both strap buttons are solid but I'm still afraid that the one on the back that I had to screw on myself was gonna fall off, even though so far, it didnt. This would be, and is my main guitar; I can depend on it to last. The finish is great and with monthly cleaning, it would last a long time even if you play it alot. // 10

Impression: I play metal like System Of A Down, Korn, Children Of Bodom, etc. I also play some punk. I've been playing for 4 and a half years and I also own Ibanez JEM 7 VWH the Steve Vai model, compared to this kinda sucks even though it was way more expensive. The only thing I had to ask before I bought this product, is if I could come back and get it fixed if it ever got broken and they told me it probably never would. If it was stolen or lost, even though I could never lose somthing this big, I would buy another one. I love the Iceman design, it looks great and feels Great. I don't hate anything and wouldnt change a thing about it. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 20, 2005

Price paid: $ 600

Purchased from: bentleys music

Features:
- 3pc IC set-in neck
- Mahogany Body
- 22 medium frets
- Tune-O-Matic
- IBZ AH1 (H) neck pu
- IBZ AH2 (H) bridge pu
- Ibanez tuners
- Iceman parallelogram inlays
- black finish w/ cream outline on edges
- Made in Korea.

The inlays are f--ing awesome! Came with a hard case which was $150 so the guitar was $450 and since I changed the bridge pickup to a Seymour Duncan Invader it cost another $120 but I didn't include that in the price. Finish does smudge quite easily but I don't really care 'cause it's not a major thing. // 10

Sound: I play mostly punk rock, punk, Velvet Revolver type stuff and a bit of metal and hard rock. This guitar kicks ass in all those genres! The invader gives it an incredible kick & greatly needed high output. One of my fav bands is Blink 182 & the invader makes their songs sound incredible on this guitar because tom uses that same pup. The set-in neck gives great sustain & has a very solid sound & heavy sound when playing metal. when I first got the axe I was using it with a crappy Ibanez 10W wich it still sounded good on but now I play it through a Marshall 50WDFX which makes it sound so much better. I also have a Boss MT-2 pedal for heavier stuff. It obviously gets noisy as I turn my amp gain & volume up but other than that I only get feedbak when I'm trying to get it or standing too close to the amp. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set-up almost perfectly although the action was a little high but that was fixed when I bought it & restrung it. It's perfect now. I changed the bridge pup straight away & that is tight & isnt too close to the strings but the neck pickup is quite loose. The hardware is good quality & the guitar didn't has any scratches or dents when I bought it. Of course now its a different story. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I have played a few gigs with it & it's great! I would use it without a backup although I don't have much choice since I only have one guitar. The hardware seems it will last. The strap buttons are solid but I have put on straplocks just incase. The finish is very nice but the one bad thing is that it smudges very easily but a bit of polish would solve the problem. // 8

Impression: This guitar suits my style of music perfectly especially with the invader. Great for punk & metal in particular. I'm not sure how long I've been playing for. The one thing I should have done before buying this guitar is changing the neck pup 'cause it is just awful. If it were lost or stolen I wud find out who stole it n shuv a pole up there ass! Or I would go buy another one although I don't have much money right now. My fav feature is the body shape & inlays, it just makes it look like a true rock guitar. I tested other Ibanez guitars in this price range but in the end this was the most eye-catching & sounded the best. If you have the cash then I would definately go out & buy this guitar cuz it simply rocks! // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: timmah1231, on july 10, 2006

Purchased from: Musician's Friend

Features: This guitar came packed with everything you could possibly need, except for a case or bag, which would have been extremely helpful due to the radical shape. Tuners are fine, they can hold a tuning as low as drop C very efficiently. Controls are very cool-looking as is the rest of this guitar. Fingerprints will often be a problem, so make sure you get ahold of a decent cleaning wipe or cloth. // 9

Sound: The pickups included with the guitar (Ibanez AH1 in the neck, AH2 in the bridge), are versatile for any genre you might play. Personally, I'm not much of a metal person, but I'm addicted to playing lead and rhythm riffs with volume on 10 and distortion on maximum. That being said, heavy palm-muted power chords will sometimes come across sounding iffy on a small amp such as my Vox 30-watt, but come out much more clearly with a heavier setup. Still, the sound is perfect on both clean and Drive, blues to metal, folk to emo. The string gauges run from 10 to 46, which means they're happy to give you a fat, punchy aural scream. The mahogany body makes for warm sounds and the sustain is very good. Pinch harmonics scream. Once your strings begin to age, the sound somewhat changes, at least for me; it takes on a bit more muddiness. Don't let that turn you off, though, since most guitars tend to do that. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar came perfectly set up out of the box. Action was fine, neck is extremely fast, the whole guitar is clean and, much to my delight, it came strung with D'Addario strings. Everything on the guitar is solid and build with the utmost care. // 10

Reliability & Durability: A black guitar with a glossy finish will always be prone to fingerprints and smudges, therefore that's out of my consideration for this area. The guitar is very solid, built to last, and has yet to let me down. Of course I've only had it for about two weeks, but nonetheless, it plays, feels, and looks spectacular and has proven to be very reliable. My two previous guitars (Squier Strat, Epiphone SG) aquired a few noisy pickup selectors and loose input jacks after a few weeks. This guitar still holds up like the first day out of the box. // 10

Impression: I really have no particular playing style. That being said, I needed a guitar that can handle anything I throw down onto it's fretboard and strings; this guitar delivers. In fact I feel a much bigger urge to play more, settle down, and really study the principle guitar now that I have an Iceman; it truely rings as a professional piece and should be treated as such. I'd replace it in a minute. It's comfortable, beautiful to behold, a joy to play, and most of all, it's a pleasure to hear. // 9

Comments

[Like_That]

Rockstar_jones, half your review is irrelevant information about yourself, and at the end you say you would save up more to get an IC400. That's the guitar you're ment to review!

[System_O_A_D]

ya system of a down's daron malakian has inspired me to be a great guitar player, i am getting the iceman ic400 in a couple of months

[Loserbassist]

hell yeah daron malakian ****ing rocks, i'm playing an IC400 right now and it's awesome

[jason_sayers]

Great i'm well excited now as i hope to purchase this guitar very soon.

[psilocyndreams2]

im probably going to get this or an icx220 soon, but i was wondering how much it would cost (if even possible) for me to change the bridge to one that i can use a whammy bar with? because it bothers me that i wont be able to use one with this.

[System_O_A_D]

psilocyndreams2


NO DONT.. just get the ic200 its better

[Rocu]

Had this guitar for about 6 months now, great guitar. The only bad thing about it is that it isn't balanced when you use a strap and that the humbuckers could be better, if you get those things fixed it's a 10/10 guitar.

[sabbath1313]

I have one of these guitars except it is the H.R. Giger Limited edition with alien graphics. It totally rocks!!

[Tedward]

on ebay there is a nice iceman with gold pickups and a whammy or tremolo or whatever the hell it is. i wouldnt bother looking for though, when i saw it there was like 1 day 2 hours left

[inefficiency]

I have this guitar, its awesome. Switching the pups out for Dimarzios soon because although they give a great distorted sound, it isn't quite "tight" enough. Lovely feeling guitar to play though.

[Fleximus Rex]

Can anyone give me a comparison to the neck shape. I.e. Is it like an RG neck, or maybe an SG or strat neck?

Any help would be great

[rockstar_jones]

if you've played an ESP zorlac (original KH) i played one a few months back and i felt the neck was similar to my IC200, sorry about reviewing the IC200 on here, i only did it as there was no option for the IC200, Sorry

[rockstar_jones]

oh i have the only 2005 catalog IC200 in australia they only imported the 2003 ones with those black pickups with the silver pole pieces, after 3 tries to get the 2005 catalog one but no luck, they got the pickups brought over and installed great guitar

[tsipis77]

daaaamn, that looks SO nice. But i still like the ICX220DX

[Tedward]

hey i have the IC200 brown sunburst with the axis pickups, its an amazing guitar for the price i got it at ( 270 CDN ) the neck on the IC200 is bolt on, but because of the shape you can hardly tell. i just wish the action would go a tiny bit lower without fret buzz...

[OttovanZanten]

Fleximus Rex wrote:

Can anyone give me a comparison to the neck shape. I.e. Is it like an RG neck, or maybe an SG or strat neck?

Any help would be great

according to the website the Rg neck is 19 mm thick at 1st fret, this neck is 20, at 12th fret RG neck is 21 mm thick, this 1 is 22 mm.

the width @ nut is 42 mm, 1 mm less then RG neck, at last fret its 56 mm width, just like RG neck, so there are minimum differences...

Checked.

[thecameronator]

i prefer the ic 300 but this one has a better body shape...

[MyIronLung]

I own this beautiful guitar, and I just love it. Paul Stanley from kiss inspired me to get this amazing work of art. I wil eventually put a dimebucker in the bridge to give it more crunch when I play live, but for now it sounds great.

[iceman817]

this is a great guitar the action works very well and it has a great heavy metal sound. i suggest putting slink heavy tops on it for an even better metal sound

[Glassprison_31]

thecameronator wrote:

i prefer the ic 300 but this one has a better body shape...

why would u like the IC300 this is basically a better version of the IC300

[MadLordWinder]

This is one of the guitars I'm eyeing, its a cool guitar, looks and plays nice. And Matt Bellamy played one for a while, which is also good, seeing as he is my only hero.

Don't get me wrong, System's a great band, but Matthew Bellamy from Muse is more talented even than SOAD's guitars, and to add to it, he sings at the same time (amaizing singer too), and he plays piano. And he does crazy tricks playing live and stuff, and still manages to sound as good (or better?) live than he does in the studio. There's a reason they're my favorite band...

[Pingis_Or_Death]

This guitar seems good...I dont like System of a shite though

[mr. ...]

these are sickkk

[Tokit-Smokit]

Like soad ,along with my icx220dx but this is better

are the rumors true
is this easier to play
Ps i read rumours

[SnowMan1]

Pingis_Or_Death wrote:

This guitar seems good...I dont like System of a shite though

F**k you

[The Red Menace]

I've b33n playing one of these for nearly 2 years now.

It's lasted and taken a hell of a lot of punishment, it's deals the g00ds when it comes to performances and is great to just sit down and play. Altogether i really g00d guitar, especially for your 2nd (like mine is), Felt so g00d to finally be able to stop taking my Squire Strat to band practice lol.

But s00n i'm gonna grab myself an S520EX cause i want one haha

[Nemesis260]

I love this guitar. The only thing wrong with mine is that it still has a little fret buzz even at higher action

[rurouni_aoshi]

OMG I played this at a store and I loved it! The only problem was that I couldn't afford it at $500-$700 Your guitar probably has a buzz because the little black thing at the top of your fretboard (If you understand what I mean) may be too low and the string will rub againest the frets. That's what my guitar's doing so I'm taking it in soon to get it fixed.

[skinar]

icemans are soooo nice to play. i have and ixc120. nothing compared to this... but it is soooo nice to play. obviously one of the best guitars ever created

[TmeTal]

Rockstar_jones is an idiot and a stupid little kid. he has no idea what he is talking about cuz he is only 14. he doesnt even deserve to own a guitar that nice when he hasnt even played for a year. why dont u just go to walmart and pick urself up a First Act or one of those other little kid beginner guitars, play for another year or two, then tell me about the iceman

[WhiteWTHStripes]

What's better for metal and rock: an ic400, or an rg 1570

[horandago]

Nemesis260 wrote:

I love this guitar. The only thing wrong with mine is that it still has a little fret buzz even at higher action

yeah, i know what u mean. but its a metal type guitar, so if there is distortion then u cant hear it.

[evil_armada]

im wondering with anyone that reviewed this guitar has even been playing for over a year. im just a bit iffy about the pick-ups

[StanwoodSpartan]

IC400 is better than IC700

[Fuwbar]

wut u guys think....should i give up my ICT700 for this...but if i did id be getting the ICHRG2 muaha

[horandago]

this guitar had really good reviews, but that 1 prick at the top gave a shit 1 and lowered the score...
i have 1, it's great :}