Everything about the Ibanez Talman Intermax guitar

This article is part of my ITI project, you can find further articles about this guitar here.

The Ibanez Talman Intermax is a somewhat rare guitar as it was in production only between 09/1999 and 09/2002. Based on the short lifespan, I would assume that this particular model was not too successful on the sales side, probably because it was too different from anything else. It was a solid body guitar, without chambers in the body, somewhat like an electric guitar with a piezo piezo pickup. It had an electric body, an and an electric style neck (though the radius was 9,5").

Ibanez Urban Acoustics catalogue from 1999 - the Talman Intermax's debut

The IbanezTalman Intermax series had two models on offer. The TMX 20 and the TMX20N, the latter one being nylon stringed.  Let's see what the Ibanez from 2001 had to say about these rare guitars:

"With most acoustic guitars, feedback can be a problem when playing at loud stage volumes. That's why the Intermax guitars are made of solid mahagony, topped with an exquisite quilted maple. This tried and true combination of woods gives the guitar a solid bottom and a bright, airy top end. And best of all, with no sound chamber, you do not have to worry about feedback."

 Also, here is a screenshot of the specifications taken from the same 2001 Ibanez catalogue: 

The Ibanez Talman Intermax guitars were made of quality material (though mahagony is not necessarily the most posh wood type in guitar making). The body shape resembled a telecaster with a bit of an extravagant curve to the left of the neck. The maple top really made this guitar look appealing, along with the rosewood material and the satin chrome tuners and knobs, this guitar looked stellar and definitely different from anything else that was available on the market at that time. 

Probably, its uniqueness also contributed to the short lifetime of the Intermax models. I did not manage to find any information about the pricing of these models, but as they were made in  Korea in the Cort factory,  I am quite sure they were well above the cheap end of the scale. These days, Intermax models are hard to find, but not impossible. Looking at the market today, the buying price of these is  betwen 200-400 EUR. 

ITI: The Ibanez Talman Intermax project

For a while now I have been wanting to create / modify a guitar that is somewhat different, somewhat personal and matches my own interests /current needs. I had a lot of different scenarios on my mind, from buying and customizing a DIY guitar kit (such as below) through modifying one of my already existing guitars, to buying a brand new one that I will alter to my needs. When I first though about this plan, altering primarily meant installing a Roland GK3 pickup (internal kit) on the body. 

DIY telecaster - maybe another time

I also have an unexplainable interest in thin / chambered body acoustics, which was just strengthened recently by my lack of ability to practice acoustic songs (primarily finger picking) during the night. If you have a young kid / old granny / wife with nearfield ears / terrible neighbours in or around your property, you know what I am talking. 

Gibson Chet Atkins light: Epiphone SST Studio

The first result of this drive was my short lived relationship with an Epiphone SST Studio, a chambered body solid body acoustic guitar. Why I did not end up modifying that particular model should be another post, it was not a mistake related to the  design of the guitar, more that  of the merchant.

After sending my shiny new Epiphone back to the shop, I, ended up purchasing a used Ibanez Talman Intermax guitar. It is suprising how little is known about this guitar. Simply Googling it does not yield a lot of information on this rare beauty.

So this is it.  Note the non-factory, fake star inlays on the neck. Stickers, basically...

Somehow, I have had this strange feeling from the first moment I got the Ibanez in my hand that it will sound nice and play well in my hands. I did recognize some of its flows (mostly related to age) already in the carpark where I bought it from a local musician, but still had this feeling of buying something with great potential. After a quick, 10 minute bargaining, I remember closing the car boot with a smile on my face, though I knew a lot will need to be done before this bird will fly high again. Strangely, I never felt that with my brand new Epiphone SST, even before the production flaws turned out. 

To be continued ...