Ibanez SZ520QM Electric Guitar – Bright Blue Quilt Maple w/ Duncan HH Pickups

World Musical Instrument (Korea) build with carved quilt top, tight hardtail punch, and hot-PAF versatility for modern rock/alt/metal
This is the SZ520QM you want: World Musical Instrument (Incheon, Korea). It carries the period-correct flame inlay at the 12th fret (’03–’06) and the non-burst Bright Blue (BBL) finish. A carved quilted maple cap over mahogany, set-in 3-pc mahogany neck, and the Gibraltar III fixed bridge (string-through) deliver fast attack, long sustain, and rock-solid tuning. Stock electronics are the original Seymour Duncan/Ibanez “Duncan Designed” set: HB-103B (ceramic, high-output) in the bridge and HB-101N (Alnico V, PAF-style) in the neck—precisely the grind/clarity pairing these SZs are known for.
 
Condition: Excellent throughout: top/back/edges are clean with only minor, normal play traces. Frets are glossy with loads of life; neck is straight; truss responds; electronics are quiet; hardware tidy. Plays fast with low action and no dead spots.
- A case is not included 
 
Key Features / Specs
Body: Mahogany with quilted maple top, cream body binding
Neck: Set-in 3-piece mahogany, 25.1" scale, bound rosewood fingerboard, 22 medium-jumbo frets, flame 12th-fret inlay (’03–’06 look)
Pickups: Duncan Designed HB-103B (bridge, ceramic, high output) + HB-101N (neck, Alnico V, PAF-style)
Controls: 2× Volume, 1× Master Tone, 3-way toggle (layout matches photos)
Bridge: Gibraltar III hardtail, string-through-body
Hardware: Chrome; sealed tuners
Finish: Bright Blue (BBL) gloss over quilt maple (last year for non-burst)
 
“Punchy and articulate under gain, with syrupy neck PAF tones and that SZ sustain. A legit workhorse that feels boutique.”
 
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are these real US Duncans?
A: They’re the stock Duncan Designed models (HB-103B/HB-101N) factory-spec for 2005–2007 SZ520QM—voiced after JB/’59 but the OEM line.
Q: Coil-split?
A: SZ520QM is 2V/1T with a 3-way—no factory split. (Some players add push/pull later.)
Q: Which factory made it?
A: World Musical Instrument (WMI), Korea, per the “W” serial prefix and back-of-headstock stamp.
Q: What’s the neck feel?
A: Comfortable medium-C; stable set-neck with 25.1" scale—slinky bends, solid rhythm chugs.