Back in December 2020, Paul Gilbert sold his one-of-a-kind, custom-built 1987 Ibanez “Ice-Stroyer” on Reverb.com for $16,000.
Gilbert parted ways with the electric guitar to assist his former bandmate, Racer X bassist Juan Alderete, and his family with the significant medical expenses they incurred after Alderete was involved in a serious bicycle accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury, a fractured clavicle, and a spinal fracture.
Commissioned by Gilbert in 1987, the guitar was reportedly supposed to be merely a pink Destroyer. However, Ibanez – feeling that Gilbert would want unrestricted access to the upper reaches of the fretboard – built Gilbert the top half of a Destroyer, but cut the bottom half of the body like one of the company's Iceman guitars.
“This Ibanez Ice-Stroyer was built by the Ibanez Custom Shop in Bensalem, PA in 1987,” Gilbert explained in 2020. “Only two were made. This pink one, for me. And an orange one for Bruce Bouillet. I used this guitar for live Racer X shows, for Mr. Big recordings, and on Mr. Big tours.
“Over the years, I changed the bridge to a fixed bridge, moved the location of the toggle switch, and had a DiMarzio Tone Zone and a DiMarzio single coil pickup installed," he continued.
"The back of the guitar has sushi stickers that I got on my first tour of Japan with Mr. Big back in 1989. And my signature on the headstock is back when I was still signing in script. The tall frets are in excellent condition, and the guitar plays and sounds great!”
Listed by Nashville's Rumble Seat Music, the guitar – which can be seen on the cover of Racer X's 1988 live album, Extreme Volume Live – is said to be in "excellent" condition. It can be purchased now for $18,500.
To view the full listing, point your browser over to reverb.com.
