Ibanez AZ Essentials

[mpexus]

[Mike]

I love the fact that the short ad at the beginning has *zero* guitar in it.

[Jeff]

Kind of a lame guitar, but then again, it’s cheap.

[mpexus]

They have slightly shorter scales, kinda curious on it.

[Iron1]

If I had any faith at all that Ibanez was willing to compete with Jackson, Schecter and ESP in terms of quality with sub $1500 guitars, I'd be interested... but, nope.

[Chris]

If I had any faith at all that Ibanez was willing to compete with Jackson, Schecter and ESP in terms of quality with sub $1500 guitars, I'd be interested... but, nope.

You're not wrong, but take Jackson out of that list. Schecter's entry level guitars destroy the Jacksons at the same price point IMO.

[desertdweller]

Chris at that price point I agree. Schecters under $1500 are better than Ibanez there, however the LTD deluxe series are a step above both. The $800-$1500 price range is where I buy guitars, and nothing in that range touches the quality of the ESP LTD Deluxe guitars.

Having said that, i still feel the Schecter (Banshee, Apocalypse)and Ibanez (Premium, Iron Label) guitars in that price range are great too. You just have to go into any Ibanez purchase knowing you're going to spend more $$$ to upgrade the pickups, and you're going to be getting a bolt on instead of a neck thru like on the Schecter or ESPs.

[Chris]

Chris at that price point I agree. Schecters under $1500 are better than Ibanez there, however The LTD deluxe series are a step above both. The $800-$1500 proce range is where I buy guitars,, and nothing in that range touches the quality of the ESP LTD Deluxe guitars.

I've played a ton of $500-1000 Schecters, though admittedly not in the last 5 years or so. Up to that point they've all been straight up awesome. I've never played a bad one.

[desertdweller]

I've played a ton of $500-1000 Schecters, though admittedly not in the last 5 years or so. Up to that point they've all been straight up awesome. I've never played a bad one.

Yep I have a cheap CR6 that's awesome, but I had one of their Reapers and found the neck was slightly twisted so I sold it. The Apocalypse is amazing IMO.

[Chris]

Having said that, i still feel the Schecter (Banshee, Apocalypse)and Ibanez (Premium, Iron Label) guitars in that price range are great too. You just have to go into any Ibanez purchase knowing you're going to spend more $$$ to upgrade the pickups, and you're going to be getting a bolt on instead of a neck thru like on the Schecter or ESPs.

I disagree with you here though. Those Iron Label guitars are shitty. I may sniff corks and whatnot these days but at the end of the day I've been playing for 30 years, and IMO anyone that's been playing as long as we have deserves something higher quality than those things.

I also don't think that bolt-on means less quality. I have a $3500 Suhr bolt-on that's spectacular, and the next one I spec out will be bolt-on as well. I also have a bunch of EBMMs, including a pair of bolt-on BFRs that say otherwise too.

[desertdweller]

[desertdweller]

Chris - sorry it's hard to do this from my phone. But that s series is an iron label and even before all my mods it kicked ass. So I have to say many of the iron label guitars are really good too.

[Chris]

Nah all good. It's pretty, most of the IL guitars are. Every one I've played has sucked, like RG73xx level bad. All those Indo ones are just lousy.

JOIN ME IN CORK SNIFF UTOPIA VINCE OL PAL. BUY YOURSELF A SUHR.

[desertdweller]

Nah all good. It's pretty, most of the IL guitars are. Every one I've played has sucked, like RG73xx level bad. All those Indo ones are just lousy.

JOIN ME IN CORK SNIFF UTOPIA VINCE OL PAL. BUY YOURSELF A SUHR.

Lol that's just where you and I differ in taste. For me, quality of a guitar reaches diminishing returns above the $1200 or so price range, however I find more expensive amps, preamps, power amps, etc., out perform most cheaper models. So I might pay $2300 for an amp, but I don't think I could spend that kind of cash on a guitar. But that's just me.

[Chris]

Lol that's just where you and I differ in taste. For me, quality of a guitar reaches diminishing returns above the $1200 or so price range, however I find more expensive amps, preamps, power amps, etc., out perform most cheaper models. So I might pay $2300 for an amp, but I don't think I could spend that kind of cash on a guitar. But that's just me.

Have you ever played a Suhr or an Anderson? The difference is so night and day between those and run of the mill $1200 ibbies and whatnot, it's ridiculous.

I love me an RG550 or old UV as much as the next guy - probably more - but something like Drew's modern 7 is just on a completely different level. It's like using a high quality set of ratches or wrenches vs. the Husky stuff that home depot sells. Guitars are tools for expression, and I've never once regretted buying a high quality tool.

Edit: Though far and away the single best guitars I've ever played are Shermans. What a goddamn shame how that all worked out (for everyone, especially all the people he screwed) because my goodness can that guy build an absolutely incredible guitar.

[desertdweller]

Chris that's a good point I haven't played a Suhr or Anderson. I've played higher end Ernie Balls, PRS, Gibson, J custom, etc, those are more my point of reference.

[pjr]

Interesting move. I thought the main point of the AZ series was to undercut Suhr and Anderson (which was already a little bit of a strange idea given they lack a certain...class(?) possessed by the other two). Now they've gone full on cheap by tying the AZ name with GIO level guitars.

Overall, I like the colors but the ugly AF fretboards ruin it.

[Bloody_Inferno]

These are just stripped down, simplified and budget friendly AZs. Makes sense when Tomo Fujita helped design them with students and beginners in mind.

They'd certainly make for some fun modding experiments.

[Markus]

For a budget Suhr-alike I’d look at the FGN Odyssey’s. Their Boundary series is 500€ and made in Japan (FujiGeN).

[Iron1]

You're not wrong, but take Jackson out of that list. Schecter's entry level guitars destroy the Jacksons at the same price point IMO.

The Jacksons I've played just seem to have a quality control issue. Some are phenomenal, some are Ibanez quality. My HT7 is incredible. My JS22-7 is great for a $200 guitar. Both are better than any sub-$1000 new Ibanez I've touched since the 90s, and the HT7 is better than any sub $1500 one. It's like everyone else has raised the floor for lower level quality while Ibanez has just raised their prices.

[Mike]

The Jacksons I've played just seem to have a quality control issue. Some are phenomenal, some are Ibanez quality. My HT7 is incredible. My JS22-7 is great for a $200 guitar. Both are better than any sub-$1000 new Ibanez I've touched since the 90s, and the HT7 is better than any sub $1500 one. It's like everyone else has raised the floor for lower level quality while Ibanez has just raised their prices.

I have absolutely played total shit modern Indo Jacksons. I have yet to play a total shit Schecter or LTD - even the M17 I was going to mod played really nice and sounded fine.

I completely hate saying that, BTW, as I'd much rather play the compound radius guitars.

I'm with Chris on the Iron Label Ibbys, though.

[mpexus]

The first Iron Label Ibbys were atrocious for the price.

Cant recall the last time I pick one of the "new ones" but they felt better. Still they are overpriced and I too would go Schecter without thinking about it. I still regret not having bought the first Banshee model 5 years ago.

[Webdood]

I didn't realize these were shorter scale length. Also a hardtail SSS just seems wrong The bodies look pretty thin as well.

I love cheap guitars but at first glance these don't do anything for me.

[Drew]

Lol that's just where you and I differ in taste. For me, quality of a guitar reaches diminishing returns above the $1200 or so price range, however I find more expensive amps, preamps, power amps, etc., out perform most cheaper models. So I might pay $2300 for an amp, but I don't think I could spend that kind of cash on a guitar. But that's just me.

How did you NOT play one of my Suhrs last time you were over here?

It's been a couple years so you almost certainly didn't play my Modern 6 - my Modern 7 is an awesome guitar, and I'd prefer it spec-wise anyway but I think it stacks up as a little nicer than the nicest Ibanez guitars I've played and owned, though it's not so night-and-day different that I'd say it's definitely worth more than double the cost of a good Prestige seven - at the end of the day I'd probably still be perfectly happy playing the RG752AHM that's basically wall art backing it up, and really is an awfully good guitar, even if it's missing that extra something.

My Modern 6, though, is the most explosive, eerily resonant guitar I've ever owned, and I've played few guitars made by anyone that are its equal. I'm a better guitarist on it, it just breathes, somehow.

Back on topic - these look like budget guitars, and they are... but I am curious about the AZ series in general. They look pretty solid, spec wise.

[Darren]

I still think of XXXX’s old raw alder Suhr. That thing was a beast. Whatever happened to it?