Did you know that Paul Gilbert had his first signature guitar model from Ibanez when he was 22? What were you doing when you were 22, huh? Were you looking for a temp job while avoiding calls from Sallie Mae and drinking yourself into oblivion every night, or was that me? I DON'T REMEMBER. I do, however, remember the first time I saw the Ibanez PGM100RE 20th Anniversary Paul Gilbert Model. It was at past Winter NAMM, and it reminded me of the first time I saw the PGM100, the model that the PGM100RE is a reissue of.

I don't remember exactly what I was doing when I first saw the original PGM100, as all my peripheral awareness was blotted out when I got sucked into the guitar's tunnel-of-awesome-vision; the PGM100RE is such an accurate recreation, I feel like I'm having the very best kind of PTSD. The hot-pink accents on jem-blue finish are what really bring me back -- especially those faux f-holes, or ff-holes as I like to call them.

The PGM100RE is also outfitted with period-appropriate (we can call the 80s a "period" now, can't we?) DiMarzio pickups, done in hot pick as well. There's two DiMarzio PAF-PRO humbuckers and a middle-position FS-1 high-output singlecoil. The sharkfin-inlay-adorned neck is a Wizard Prestige and the axe is equipped with an Ibanez Edge vibrato bridge with locking nut. Like all the PGMs, the 100RE features a single volume control and five-way pickup selector switch with the following function:

Ibanez plans to continue to reissue past PGM models, and they're enlisting the help of the public in deciding which one should be next. Head over to Ibanez's PGM20th Anniversary "PGM Chronicle" voting page and check out the contenders. Voting is open now, and ends March 20th, and the winning guitar will be put back into production. Anyone can vote, and anyone who has an extra $2000 or more can then buy the guitar that garners the most votes, it's just like voting for Illinois U.S. Senator!