The ICHI10 consists of a Nyatoh body, which is tonally similar to Mahogany, and a neck made from roasted Maple and Bubinga. The above RGA model guitar should immediately tell you how different Axion Label models can be. The RG shape is iconic and while there are plenty of different RG models to choose from, they all have a similar style and features such as 24 frets, a thin Wizard neck, and dual humbuckers. All About Guitar Inlays and Markers, New Videos: 4 Cable Method, Licks, and Music Theory Explained, Ultimate Guide to Metal Guitars: How To Find The Right Guitar, Ibanez Model and Serial Numbers Explained, Check out current Ibanez AR Models at Sweetwater, Check out the current Ibanez Artcore models at Sweetwater, check out this handy guide on the Ibanez Fandom Wiki, 3 Ways to Use a Metronome to Become a Better Guitarist: Bite-Size Guitar Podcast Episode 15, Ibanez has changed model number systems a few times over the years, Different series or sub-brands often use slightly different systems, The model numbers include details on hardware configurations. Modern blues icon Josh Smith has his FLATV signature an out and out blues machine and Yvette Youngs YY10 and YY20 signature models offer some of the sweetest clean tones around. So lets take a look at the Ibanez RG470AHM to start with. Ibanez obviously thought so too, announcing her signature model, the YY10, in early 2020. The black finish, gold hardware and big block inlays are reminiscent of the Black Beauty Les Paul Custom, and while the looks are traditional, the guitar itself is the modern guitarist's dream. The serial numbers can tell you where the guitar was built, who built it, and when it was built. JEM: double cutaway, pointed horns, flat body and handle cut-out. Again, if youve got small hands, wider and chunkier neck profiles might not be suitable for you. The guitar brand name Ibanez comes from the Spanish luthier Salvador Ibez. Although the most famous of Vai's signature collection is the JEM, the PIA takes many of the same design cues, albeit with subtle differences. 1 isnt the only number it can end in though, here are the most common ones: The AZ shape models have a different naming system. When should you change your guitar pickups? 1 refers to the quality level. Having guitars manufactured in Indonesia allows Ibanez to produce cheaper guitars. Ibanez offers affordable guitars under the GIO brand by cutting down on production costs. Guitarists such as Andy Timmons, Martin Miller, Tim Henson, and Tom Quayle already have signature AZ models available. Artcore Expressionist: mid-range models ranging between around $650 and $800. Ibanez has been building Prestige guitars in Japan since 1996. However, one complaint a lot of buyers have, is that the names are super confusing, with all the different letters and numbers. For instance the monkey-grip-esque handle and ornate fingerboard inlay. Crafted from a combination of a Maple top and sides and an Okoume back, the body of this guitar produces warm, sweet resonance you just cant get from a solidbody. 
It is definitely worth noting that Ibanez have changed their naming system a few times, and there are exceptions to the general rules. Weve been through the start of the names, and how to identify the series and the shape. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Ibanez guitars can largely be split into these four categories: Gio is Ibanezs budget range, often made in China or Indonesia, and offers great playability at low costs. RGD refers to the RG shape with a longer neck. The RG series has been produced since 1987 when it was offered as a budget alternative to Steve Vais signature JEM. Okay, so those are the basics. With so many other sub-brands, it doesnt seem right to call the Standard sub-brand the normal Ibanez tier. This should make it clear how many different features and styles youll find under the RG umbrella. Unless youre dying to be the next John Scofield or Pat Metheny, wed suggest you go for something smaller itll be easier to play, and youll improve quicker. Weve arranged 13 of what we think are the best Ibanez guitars in price order, lowest to highest, to make things a bit easier. Looking for the Prestige logo on an Ibanez headstock is a quick way to identify the top quality guitars in any Ibanez series. The neck is specifically designed for Satch and his JS models, and being a titanium reinforced Maple/Bubinga 3-piece construction, youve no reason to worry about anything other than your playing. Heres what it would mean if it was a different number: Now, all thats left to decipher is the three letter suffix. Keep in mind that while some Ibanez guitars are cheap, they also have high-end guitars that are expensive. Ibanez is one of the most popular guitar brands and has been used by countless guitarists over the decades. Well, if you know about Ibanez guitars, you probably know about Joe Satriani. Before 1957, Hoshino Gakki manufactured guitars named after the Spanish luthier Salvador Ibez. One of the guitar greats of the late-80s, 90s and beyond, Satch has influenced scores of guitarists with his impressive legato playing, vocal-esque melodies and blazing solos. At the end of this guide is some expert buying advice, so if youd like to read more about the best Ibanez guitars, and what to know about when buying one, head to the bottom of the page now. They feature exceptionally high quality materials, impressive craftsmanship, and a higher level of finish overall making these guitars some of the best Japanese guitars on the market. To summarise, here what the codes mean for most shapes in the range (excluding the AZ shape and signature models). There are some Ibanez guitars that are better to Fender and some Fender guitars that are better than Ibanez. Here is a quick summary of the different Ibanez Artcore series: The Artcore series has plenty of hardware variations and designs with a traditional look. On some models, the final digit can give extra information about the guitar. These pickups annunciate the high end clarity and sweetness that this guitar is capable of producing, while the bridge humbucker also shares its dark side. Unveiling Donn Aaron's new guitar technique, YouTuber builds super-super thin electric guitar. This indicates the colour. The third digit (2) refers to the HH pickup configuration. Here are some of the most common. Their switching setups are mostly traditional in nature, enabling you to focus primarily on your playing. At the moment, Ibanez only produces AR models in the Standard sub-brand. The PIA is a Superstrat fan's dream, and for those who love a bit of Vai, you can't currently get closer to his tone from any other guitar. There have only been a handful of FR models over the years across most of the sub-brands. In this case, there are three main series: Now lets take a look at the different shapes that Ibanez offer. These guitars are designed more for metal guitarists and use unique features such as the Ibanez Nitro Wizard five-piece neck, luminescent side dots, Schaller strap lock pins, Sustainiac sustainer, multiscale necks, and other aftermarket features. Premium: guitars in this range are considered mid-range and hover around the $1300-$1600 price mark. pickguards pickguard pickguardplanet A 5-way selector switch offers an impressive amount of tonal capabilities, but we wish that the bridge pickup could be used in parallel. On most Ibanez guitars, the first 2-3 letters refers to the shape. tfr headstock fluorescent rgr acclaim For the intermediate guitarist, youll be looking at spending up to about $1,200 on a new Ibanez. In this case, the guitar has a HSH pickup configuration, and does NOT have a pickguard. 30=SSS with pickguard or HH with pickguard. Before working on Guitar World I was a guitar salesman at a local music store, so I know a thing or two about matching people with their perfect instruments. 
Once, weve been through the next section, Ill point out some examples to show this. Im a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World - the ideal job for a gear nerd like myself. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Ibanez RG8 is one of Ibanezs most well-known and easily recognizable guitars. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. This guitar has a five-piece Maple/Walnut neck, Meranti body and Jatoba fingerboard and its this combination of warmth from the body, top end brightness from the neck and a snappy response from the fingerboard material which makes the RG8 such a balanced instrument. An Alder body and roasted maple neck, much like the majority of Strat-style guitars, deliver that 'Stratty' snap that makes these types of guitars sit so will in any style of music or mix while the HSS-configured set of Seymour Duncan Hyperion pickups take care of the heavy lifting. This Ibanez thanks to the V7 and V8 humbuckers and S1 single coil pickup onboard stands out for its tone too. The best quality Ibanez guitars are from the j.custom sub-brand. In my spare time, youll catch me writing songs, taking my greyhound, Simba, to the beach, or getting very nerdy about coffee. This guide will explain Ibanez electric guitars and compare the different models. The second 0 identifies that it has a tremolo bridge. The roasted Bird's Eye Maple neck and fingerboard not only looks stunning, but is also responsible for the punchy, Fender-esque response and resonance that comes from playing the LB1. The pickups Seymour Duncans Five-Two single coils deliver stunning, precise cleans. If youre not able to try before you buy, then there are a few things to take into account. The RG then tells you that it is an RG shape. The Iron Label sub-brand has been produced since 2013 and offers bare-bones styled guitars designed purely for metal guitarists. The fingerboard radius 250mm or 9.8 is a middle-ground spec choice also, making this instrument super versatile and suitable for anything. Remove the variables of dodgy fretwork or sub-par hardware, and you've got yourself a guitar that will keep on giving back for years to come. Im just as hooked as everybody else, and I have been since I was 5 or 6, Unrivalled access to the artists and gear you love, Exclusive lessons that will make you a better player. link to Gibson 498T vs 500T: Bridge Pickup Comparison, link to take you directly to Guitar Centers electric guitar range. Today, you can find S series models in the Prestige, Axion, and Standard sub-brands. This can be confusing as you would expect something like the Edge Pro II to be an upgraded version of the Edge Pro, but often these models are low-cost versions of the original models. You will receive a verification email shortly. While the iconic shape has remained the same over the years, there are so many different styles and feature variations to choose from. The D in RGD stands for Drop-tuning, which is what this guitar was designed for (although you can play in standard tuning). These classic-styled guitars were only introduced to Ibanezs lineup in 2002 and have been in production ever since. 
The GIO sub-brand is easy to identify with the big GIO on the headstock. While Ibanez is possibly best-known for the signature guitars of the virtuosic Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, your options are much more than a deluge of gain and divebombs. The AR even uses a set-neck joint (learn about different neck joints here). Think of these sub-brands as quality levels or tiers. The JS240PS comes from a very long line of Satriani signature models, and although its not quite at the level of some of the really high-end options, its an affordable shredders dream. Ibanezs guitars come in a range of shapes and sizes, here are some of the most common: You can also find a lot of artist signature models, which have unique shapes, usually based on some of the models described above. These clamp down on your strings, ensuring that string-slip and tuning issues are kept to a minimum. J Custom: these are the limited edition, rare models which are usually over $3000. The pickup/ pickguard codes are as follows: Models in this range may still have any of the 2-3 letter suffixes that weve already talked about, however this example doesnt have one. The easiest way to demonstrate this, is using an example. This is commonly seen with the 7/8/9 string guitars, where the first number is referring to the strings, so check this first if the code looks a bit different. The guitars are made in China and come in a range of shapes. Ibanez's Prestige level of craftsmanship is impressive at the best of times, but these AZ models especially the AZ2204 are taking the Prestige nametag to a whole new level of quality. The combination of an Alder body and a bolt on Maple neck brings the Strat-esque snappiness we know and love, but to get that tone from a super-playable offset with a 12 fingerboard radius? For those who wish to make the most of Ibanezs more extreme pedigree, many guitars are available with Ibanezs own Edge locking tremolo system enabling you to access some crazy trem-based effects la Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Some notable series you may find secondhand include the Iceman, X series, the Destroyer series, and AX series. The main exception is if the guitar has more than 6 strings, and in this case the model will usually have 4 digits instead of 3, and the rest of the rules will apply after taking into consideration the first digit. Available in Desert Sun Yellow, Road Flare Red and Purple Neon, there are few guitars that stand out the way this one does. Although it can take a long time to recall a specific tone, once weve found what works, this extended tonal palette can only be a good thing. The first thing to know about the Ibanez range, is that it is split into series or sub-ranges, which separate the entire selection, into models catering for specific budgets. The model number will be a combination of letters and numbers. Older models often use simple model numbers, but the number wont tell you anything about the woods used, number of strings, or guitar finish. Most of the finishes over the years have used some sort of burst along with other finishes that are clearly inspired by Gibson. A Basswood body and roasted Maple neck and fingerboard provide crisp and precise tonal clarity. This makes it very hard to compare Fender and Ibanez. The Premium sub-brand is slightly more affordable than the Prestige guitars as they are produced in Indonesia instead of Japan. Models that end in 0 have standard features. The Ibanez brand as we know it today was founded in 1957 in Japan. There have been many different features available in S series guitars over the years from most of the sub-brands. The brand is owned by Hoshino Gakki a Japanese company that also own Tama drums. This was an homage to the Spanish luthier Salvador Ibez. A lot of guitarists have their own signature Ibanez guitars. The scale length on this guitar is a little bit shorter than the rest, coming in at 25 a sweet middle-ground zone for many players. This construction enables Hensons own DiMarzio Notorious signature pickup set to flourish delivering wide-open sounding clean tones or gurn-inducing dirt when needed. The RG series (RG stands for Roadstar Guitar) is the most popular Ibanez range and is what most people associate with Ibanez. The great thing about these sub-brands is that you can find an Ibanez shape you like, then find one in the sub-brand that fits your budget level. They still offer higher quality materials and craftsmanship but at a lower cost. The Prestige models can be identified by the clear Prestige logo on the headstock. 
If you want to find out more about Steve Vais signature guitars, check out my Ultimate Guide to Steve Vai here. The AZ series was only introduced in 2018 and it has already grown in popularity so much that there are many signature models available. So what does the rest of the code mean? This AR520HFM is no exception. The Gio is Ibanezs budget sub-brand, which started as the RX, AX, and EX series. The fourth digit (1) refers to the fixed bridge. bridge type. Guitar World is supported by its audience. ibanez Read the section in this guide about the different sub-brands to learn about these options. The playability of a guitar is one criteria that must be met when buying a new model. Ibanez currently only offer the SA series outside of the main S range. The right guitar for you needs to have hardware suitable for your playing style. On the back of your guitars headstock or neck plate (on some older models), you will see a model number and a serial number. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. Some modernized changes over the classic Tele include 24 frets, a super-thin Nitro Wizard neck, high-output humbuckers, and aftermarket hardtail bridges. Heres a bit more about them: So any time you see one of the series within the name above, the price should make more sense. The shape and design of the AR series was one of Ibanezs first original designs instead of them producing copies of other designs. These guitars are built by expert luthiers in Japan using the highest quality hardware and exotic woods. The AZ series takes a more traditional style with a thicker neck and a standard tremolo system. Fortunately, not all Ibanez models have confusing numbers. Ibanez name their models using a confusing combination of letters and numbers. Ibanezs top of the line Japanese-made models are sold under the Ibanez Prestige name. Most new Ibanez series start by offering high-end models in the Prestige and Premium sub-brands. In this article I'll compare everything you need to Hey, welcome Pro Sound HQ. I started playing an electric guitar when I was given a Squier Strat for my birthday around 15 years ago. Whatever style or tone youre looking for, it can be achieved with an Ibanez - and heres where this guide comes in. Lots of Ibanezs most treasured high-end models have been recreated for the Gio line, meaning that any beginner guitarist can play something which looks expensive, without shelling out. The J. The rest of Ibanezs hardware is often well-made and highly durable, with many models featuring locking tuners from Gotoh. As you can see from the above list of sub-brands, there are quite a few options to choose from. Here are some common questions you might have about Ibanez guitars. Prosoundhq.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Iron Label: these guitars are aimed towards metal players and often have active pickups. The lower quality tremolos include the Edge Pro II, Lo-TRS, and Edge III. The body has a smoother look compared to the RG. Some guitars add in other codes such as the j.custom sub-brand (adds JC at the start of the model number) or the GIO sub-brand (adds G to the start of the model number). This is in the standard series, because it does not have any other distinguishers.
It is definitely worth noting that Ibanez have changed their naming system a few times, and there are exceptions to the general rules. Weve been through the start of the names, and how to identify the series and the shape. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Ibanez guitars can largely be split into these four categories: Gio is Ibanezs budget range, often made in China or Indonesia, and offers great playability at low costs. RGD refers to the RG shape with a longer neck. The RG series has been produced since 1987 when it was offered as a budget alternative to Steve Vais signature JEM. Okay, so those are the basics. With so many other sub-brands, it doesnt seem right to call the Standard sub-brand the normal Ibanez tier. This should make it clear how many different features and styles youll find under the RG umbrella. Unless youre dying to be the next John Scofield or Pat Metheny, wed suggest you go for something smaller itll be easier to play, and youll improve quicker. Weve arranged 13 of what we think are the best Ibanez guitars in price order, lowest to highest, to make things a bit easier. Looking for the Prestige logo on an Ibanez headstock is a quick way to identify the top quality guitars in any Ibanez series. The neck is specifically designed for Satch and his JS models, and being a titanium reinforced Maple/Bubinga 3-piece construction, youve no reason to worry about anything other than your playing. Heres what it would mean if it was a different number: Now, all thats left to decipher is the three letter suffix. Keep in mind that while some Ibanez guitars are cheap, they also have high-end guitars that are expensive. Ibanez is one of the most popular guitar brands and has been used by countless guitarists over the decades. Well, if you know about Ibanez guitars, you probably know about Joe Satriani. Before 1957, Hoshino Gakki manufactured guitars named after the Spanish luthier Salvador Ibez. One of the guitar greats of the late-80s, 90s and beyond, Satch has influenced scores of guitarists with his impressive legato playing, vocal-esque melodies and blazing solos. At the end of this guide is some expert buying advice, so if youd like to read more about the best Ibanez guitars, and what to know about when buying one, head to the bottom of the page now. They feature exceptionally high quality materials, impressive craftsmanship, and a higher level of finish overall making these guitars some of the best Japanese guitars on the market. To summarise, here what the codes mean for most shapes in the range (excluding the AZ shape and signature models). There are some Ibanez guitars that are better to Fender and some Fender guitars that are better than Ibanez. Here is a quick summary of the different Ibanez Artcore series: The Artcore series has plenty of hardware variations and designs with a traditional look. On some models, the final digit can give extra information about the guitar. These pickups annunciate the high end clarity and sweetness that this guitar is capable of producing, while the bridge humbucker also shares its dark side. Unveiling Donn Aaron's new guitar technique, YouTuber builds super-super thin electric guitar. This indicates the colour. The third digit (2) refers to the HH pickup configuration. Here are some of the most common. Their switching setups are mostly traditional in nature, enabling you to focus primarily on your playing. At the moment, Ibanez only produces AR models in the Standard sub-brand. The PIA is a Superstrat fan's dream, and for those who love a bit of Vai, you can't currently get closer to his tone from any other guitar. There have only been a handful of FR models over the years across most of the sub-brands. In this case, there are three main series: Now lets take a look at the different shapes that Ibanez offer. These guitars are designed more for metal guitarists and use unique features such as the Ibanez Nitro Wizard five-piece neck, luminescent side dots, Schaller strap lock pins, Sustainiac sustainer, multiscale necks, and other aftermarket features. Premium: guitars in this range are considered mid-range and hover around the $1300-$1600 price mark. pickguards pickguard pickguardplanet A 5-way selector switch offers an impressive amount of tonal capabilities, but we wish that the bridge pickup could be used in parallel. On most Ibanez guitars, the first 2-3 letters refers to the shape. tfr headstock fluorescent rgr acclaim For the intermediate guitarist, youll be looking at spending up to about $1,200 on a new Ibanez. In this case, the guitar has a HSH pickup configuration, and does NOT have a pickguard. 30=SSS with pickguard or HH with pickguard. Before working on Guitar World I was a guitar salesman at a local music store, so I know a thing or two about matching people with their perfect instruments. 
Once, weve been through the next section, Ill point out some examples to show this. Im a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World - the ideal job for a gear nerd like myself. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Ibanez RG8 is one of Ibanezs most well-known and easily recognizable guitars. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. This guitar has a five-piece Maple/Walnut neck, Meranti body and Jatoba fingerboard and its this combination of warmth from the body, top end brightness from the neck and a snappy response from the fingerboard material which makes the RG8 such a balanced instrument. An Alder body and roasted maple neck, much like the majority of Strat-style guitars, deliver that 'Stratty' snap that makes these types of guitars sit so will in any style of music or mix while the HSS-configured set of Seymour Duncan Hyperion pickups take care of the heavy lifting. This Ibanez thanks to the V7 and V8 humbuckers and S1 single coil pickup onboard stands out for its tone too. The best quality Ibanez guitars are from the j.custom sub-brand. In my spare time, youll catch me writing songs, taking my greyhound, Simba, to the beach, or getting very nerdy about coffee. This guide will explain Ibanez electric guitars and compare the different models. The second 0 identifies that it has a tremolo bridge. The roasted Bird's Eye Maple neck and fingerboard not only looks stunning, but is also responsible for the punchy, Fender-esque response and resonance that comes from playing the LB1. The pickups Seymour Duncans Five-Two single coils deliver stunning, precise cleans. If youre not able to try before you buy, then there are a few things to take into account. The RG then tells you that it is an RG shape. The Iron Label sub-brand has been produced since 2013 and offers bare-bones styled guitars designed purely for metal guitarists. The fingerboard radius 250mm or 9.8 is a middle-ground spec choice also, making this instrument super versatile and suitable for anything. Remove the variables of dodgy fretwork or sub-par hardware, and you've got yourself a guitar that will keep on giving back for years to come. Im just as hooked as everybody else, and I have been since I was 5 or 6, Unrivalled access to the artists and gear you love, Exclusive lessons that will make you a better player. link to Gibson 498T vs 500T: Bridge Pickup Comparison, link to take you directly to Guitar Centers electric guitar range. Today, you can find S series models in the Prestige, Axion, and Standard sub-brands. This can be confusing as you would expect something like the Edge Pro II to be an upgraded version of the Edge Pro, but often these models are low-cost versions of the original models. You will receive a verification email shortly. While the iconic shape has remained the same over the years, there are so many different styles and feature variations to choose from. The D in RGD stands for Drop-tuning, which is what this guitar was designed for (although you can play in standard tuning). These classic-styled guitars were only introduced to Ibanezs lineup in 2002 and have been in production ever since. The GIO sub-brand is easy to identify with the big GIO on the headstock. While Ibanez is possibly best-known for the signature guitars of the virtuosic Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, your options are much more than a deluge of gain and divebombs. The AR even uses a set-neck joint (learn about different neck joints here). Think of these sub-brands as quality levels or tiers. The JS240PS comes from a very long line of Satriani signature models, and although its not quite at the level of some of the really high-end options, its an affordable shredders dream. Ibanezs guitars come in a range of shapes and sizes, here are some of the most common: You can also find a lot of artist signature models, which have unique shapes, usually based on some of the models described above. These clamp down on your strings, ensuring that string-slip and tuning issues are kept to a minimum. J Custom: these are the limited edition, rare models which are usually over $3000. The pickup/ pickguard codes are as follows: Models in this range may still have any of the 2-3 letter suffixes that weve already talked about, however this example doesnt have one. The easiest way to demonstrate this, is using an example. This is commonly seen with the 7/8/9 string guitars, where the first number is referring to the strings, so check this first if the code looks a bit different. The guitars are made in China and come in a range of shapes. Ibanez's Prestige level of craftsmanship is impressive at the best of times, but these AZ models especially the AZ2204 are taking the Prestige nametag to a whole new level of quality. The combination of an Alder body and a bolt on Maple neck brings the Strat-esque snappiness we know and love, but to get that tone from a super-playable offset with a 12 fingerboard radius? For those who wish to make the most of Ibanezs more extreme pedigree, many guitars are available with Ibanezs own Edge locking tremolo system enabling you to access some crazy trem-based effects la Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Some notable series you may find secondhand include the Iceman, X series, the Destroyer series, and AX series. The main exception is if the guitar has more than 6 strings, and in this case the model will usually have 4 digits instead of 3, and the rest of the rules will apply after taking into consideration the first digit. Available in Desert Sun Yellow, Road Flare Red and Purple Neon, there are few guitars that stand out the way this one does. Although it can take a long time to recall a specific tone, once weve found what works, this extended tonal palette can only be a good thing. The first thing to know about the Ibanez range, is that it is split into series or sub-ranges, which separate the entire selection, into models catering for specific budgets. The model number will be a combination of letters and numbers. Older models often use simple model numbers, but the number wont tell you anything about the woods used, number of strings, or guitar finish. Most of the finishes over the years have used some sort of burst along with other finishes that are clearly inspired by Gibson. A Basswood body and roasted Maple neck and fingerboard provide crisp and precise tonal clarity. This makes it very hard to compare Fender and Ibanez. The Premium sub-brand is slightly more affordable than the Prestige guitars as they are produced in Indonesia instead of Japan. Models that end in 0 have standard features. The Ibanez brand as we know it today was founded in 1957 in Japan. There have been many different features available in S series guitars over the years from most of the sub-brands. The brand is owned by Hoshino Gakki a Japanese company that also own Tama drums. This was an homage to the Spanish luthier Salvador Ibez. A lot of guitarists have their own signature Ibanez guitars. The scale length on this guitar is a little bit shorter than the rest, coming in at 25 a sweet middle-ground zone for many players. This construction enables Hensons own DiMarzio Notorious signature pickup set to flourish delivering wide-open sounding clean tones or gurn-inducing dirt when needed. The RG series (RG stands for Roadstar Guitar) is the most popular Ibanez range and is what most people associate with Ibanez. The great thing about these sub-brands is that you can find an Ibanez shape you like, then find one in the sub-brand that fits your budget level. They still offer higher quality materials and craftsmanship but at a lower cost. The Prestige models can be identified by the clear Prestige logo on the headstock. If you want to find out more about Steve Vais signature guitars, check out my Ultimate Guide to Steve Vai here. The AZ series was only introduced in 2018 and it has already grown in popularity so much that there are many signature models available. So what does the rest of the code mean? This AR520HFM is no exception. The Gio is Ibanezs budget sub-brand, which started as the RX, AX, and EX series. The fourth digit (1) refers to the fixed bridge. bridge type. Guitar World is supported by its audience. ibanez Read the section in this guide about the different sub-brands to learn about these options. The playability of a guitar is one criteria that must be met when buying a new model. Ibanez currently only offer the SA series outside of the main S range. The right guitar for you needs to have hardware suitable for your playing style. On the back of your guitars headstock or neck plate (on some older models), you will see a model number and a serial number. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. Some modernized changes over the classic Tele include 24 frets, a super-thin Nitro Wizard neck, high-output humbuckers, and aftermarket hardtail bridges. Heres a bit more about them: So any time you see one of the series within the name above, the price should make more sense. The shape and design of the AR series was one of Ibanezs first original designs instead of them producing copies of other designs. These guitars are built by expert luthiers in Japan using the highest quality hardware and exotic woods. The AZ series takes a more traditional style with a thicker neck and a standard tremolo system. Fortunately, not all Ibanez models have confusing numbers. Ibanez name their models using a confusing combination of letters and numbers. Ibanezs top of the line Japanese-made models are sold under the Ibanez Prestige name. Most new Ibanez series start by offering high-end models in the Prestige and Premium sub-brands. In this article I'll compare everything you need to Hey, welcome Pro Sound HQ. I started playing an electric guitar when I was given a Squier Strat for my birthday around 15 years ago. Whatever style or tone youre looking for, it can be achieved with an Ibanez - and heres where this guide comes in. Lots of Ibanezs most treasured high-end models have been recreated for the Gio line, meaning that any beginner guitarist can play something which looks expensive, without shelling out. The J. The rest of Ibanezs hardware is often well-made and highly durable, with many models featuring locking tuners from Gotoh. As you can see from the above list of sub-brands, there are quite a few options to choose from. Here are some common questions you might have about Ibanez guitars. Prosoundhq.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Iron Label: these guitars are aimed towards metal players and often have active pickups. The lower quality tremolos include the Edge Pro II, Lo-TRS, and Edge III. The body has a smoother look compared to the RG. Some guitars add in other codes such as the j.custom sub-brand (adds JC at the start of the model number) or the GIO sub-brand (adds G to the start of the model number). This is in the standard series, because it does not have any other distinguishers.
