00:00What's up? Paul here from Guitar World and today we're going to be checking out one of the coolest
00:18and most compelling guitars I've had the pleasure to come across. The Ernie Ball Music Man Kaizen.
00:24Let's check it out.
00:34Kaizen is a guitar built in collaboration between the Ernie Ball Music Man design team
00:38and world-renowned guitarist, innovator, and designer Tosin Abasi from Animals as Leaders.
00:44Because of Tosin Abasi's unique specifications and radical playing style,
00:48the Kaizen model has a wealth of forward-thinking design concepts that I want to point out.
00:52So let's get right to it.
01:04Ernie Ball Music Man has remarked that the Kaizen is decidedly contoured.
01:09And sure, the first thing you'll notice once you pick up the Kaizen is its angular body carves with
01:13no flat surfaces lends itself to extreme comfort and balance along with unrestricted fret access.
01:20Of note, the Kaizen is a multi-scale guitar from 24 and 3 quarter to 25 and a half inches,
01:28E to B or first to seventh string. This multi-scale design provides a supportive string tension for
01:34heavier and chunky rhythms on the bass strings along with a more elastic feel on the treble strings for
01:40smoother bending and solo playing.
01:55The guitar also features what Ernie Ball Music Man calls an infinity radius neck. If you look closely,
02:01the guitar's conical radius is strategically positioned which increases comfort while
02:06allowing for clearer visibility of the fretboard and the fret markers. Up top we have Steinberger
02:12gearless locking tuners that are not only aesthetically hidden behind the headstock but are also super
02:18accurate lightweight tuners that have a smooth rotation and allow for a straight string pull.
02:27The guitar also features new Music Man pickups with a custom HT heat treated humbucker in the bridge
02:33position and a slanted mini humbucker in the neck position that has been specifically designed for the Kaizen.
02:40These are articulate high output pickups. And since we're talking about multi-scale,
02:45the Kaizen features a multi-scale modern tremolo that's got a super smooth throw and features string dampeners
02:51to diminish any unwanted overtones and ringing.
03:09The ultra lightweight Kaizen is offered with an older body, flame-figured roasted maple neck and ebony
03:16fingerboard and comes in Apollo black seen here or spectra flare finishes. The Kaizen is available as a
03:23seven-string with a six-string model coming later in 2023.
03:34The Kaizen is without a doubt one of the most eye-catching and cutting-edge signature guitars
03:39I've seen from Ernie Ball Music Man since they introduced the revolutionary Saint Vincent guitar.
03:45The Kaizen is truly a visionary instrument with an inspiring design,
03:49extraordinary ergonomics and absolutely killer tone and playability. Once you pick it up I can say
03:55it's difficult to put down. There's frankly nothing quite like it and I believe it's meant for modern
04:00players who are willing to eschew the traditional and focus on pushing the boundaries of technique and
04:06sound. Definitely check it out.
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