I bought my first Ibanez back in '87. It was a PL (ProLine) and it was made in Japan. I currently have an RG 350 and a GIO bass. You really can't go wrong with Ibanez.
Ibanez are all about the neck. If you like slim necks then check out the prestige Super Wizard HP necks. They are very thin along their entire length. If you play a lot of lead guitar they are definitely worth a try. You may never go back.
The nomenclature of Ibanez guitars is head spinning. I came into guitar late in life and stumbled into an RG 652 Prestige as my 1st guitar. Best guitar $$ I’ve spent. Really great value for the buck.
About to learn on a friends Ibanez, just looking at them is inspiring haha. Your comment was inspiring so that’s why I responded, have a good one mate. Cheers!
I am an Ibanez addict! I own two electrics and am in the process of figuring out my third. I am definitely going 7 string. I like the RG, RGA, and the Universe. Both of mine are within the $700 USD range. A big shout out to Sweetwater on my second Ibanez and I will be getting my third from them.
@@Callekarl I looked at them but I am seriously looking at the RGA that's a 26.5 scale neck. It's close to $900 which is still affordable in my opinion. I like the new XL 7 string but it only comes in black from what I have seen.
@@TheMeJustMe75 I don't know about that one, I recently got my 7421, it's my first 7string. I'm surprised how good it sounds and how well built it is for the low price. And it's my first ibanez, but not my last👌
I think most Ibanez look like they are for metal, but I have one from the Talman range the TM303 & it's an amazing guitar for the money, just superb & I'll never sell it;
Even the ones that look like they are for metal or awesome for other stuff. I own an RG550 which is a quintessentially metal guitar. I tell you what though, it sounds great no matter what I play on it. Even Jazz, blues and country.
I have a RG170 black from when I was 17. I sold it to my father, got it back, and it plays and sounds awesome! I thought it was gonna be warped and play like shit! It's back in my guitar rack with my more expensive guitars, I play it all the time. The powersound pickups sound great, very responsive. Not even considering swapping pickups.
I've owned about 8 Ibanez since around 1983, and played too many to count. I have preferred some over others, but I've never seen a bad one. Not even the GIOs. Never, not one lemon.
I had an Ibanez ARZ6UCS (a $2,300 USD guitar) that I had to send back due to sloppy fret installation. This really sucked, because that model was hard to get my hands on to begin with, and then was discontinued, and so I was not able to obtain a replacement. Ibanez is not above the occasional lemon. My Ibanez RG652KFX is a work of art, though.
i had an S521 with a neck pocket gap significant enough to cause the neck to actually shift when bending. this was a 2021 model and they cost something like $400 dollars new, the quality of those generally isnt worth it for the price they ask. dime size pots, cheap muddy sounding ceramic pickups, poor quality control and for $400 you can do alot better. this all being said i still love ibanez, my most expensive guitar is an ibanez, its just best not to look at any company through rose tinted glasses.
I had an RGA42FM (the newer model with the F106 bridge, not the earlier model that was better for less with the Gibraltar II. I seem to find things late). I bought it brand new and it had gouges in the fretboard from machining and the nut was completely cut wrong, it was literally unplayable. BUT having said that - I have had many good quality guitars from Ibanez and most major companies but I have also had complete paperweights from those same companies.
@@DunderHead.5000 yea i REALLY hate the F106 bridge. im exclusively a hardtail player but the F106 is literally bottom of the barrel crap. $100 made in china pieces of crap ship with the same hardware so honestly, on the gios or whatever fine. but they put the F106 on pretty much all their hardtails less than $600. thats dumb imo. even stuff like the SEW761FM has the f106
Awesome topic. I bought the MM1 AZ and it's my favorite guitar. Before that I owned RGD and some RG. Awesome brand for playability built and versatility 🍺
My first real guitar was a brand new 1985 Roadstar II (RS-440) in dark red. Pickups were weak but that tremolo it had was a beast. Then I got a white RG-550. Also owned a black SR-400 bass. I currently have two more basses (one being a Mikro) and a yellow Jem Jr. with an upgraded Gotoh tremolo. My next Ibanez will be from the S series.
I HAVE a USA custom Ibanez made in Hollywood for cal.with Edge, Floyd & cam with USA 1 pickups, Tiger inlay in maple neck with figi wood body 30-year-old gutait ! What do I have?
I bought cheap Chinese Ibanez GIO with the idea to experiment with it. I plugged it at home and it sounded clean and crisp on the bridge pickup. It's like planning single coil but humbucker. That's the sound I need. Maybe there is less copper wire in the pickups. Maybe it's aluminum. Whatever it is it sounds the way I want it to sound. So I keep playing this guitar like it's the best thing ever.
I have a 1983 Roadstar II RS1000 that I bought used. The neck has been completely stable for the many decades I've had it. The previous owner had installed coil-splitter switches and I replaced the clunky trem with a Kahler flyer. The yellow in the cherry sunbust finish was turning green so I gently chipped away the front finish millimeter by millimeter to reveal a beautiful birdseye maple which I sanded smooth and it looks beautiful oiled. It looks and sounds great. Except for the original trem, everything about this was excellent.
You know, music is deep. There is so much beauty for so many. I want to learn how to play guitar. With an Azes. I love the tones. I love the features. It can make an instrument so much more. I like to rock.
Confusing? They don’t overdo the amount of models like ESP or Schecter, and they could probably get away with discontinuing some as they’re mostly kinda strat-style and do something like a v-shape again.
Thank you great video. Very good information. I’m new to Ibanez, and I started with a GRX70QA to see how I felt about them first. I love the one I have so I’m deciding on what I want to upgrade to.
I really like how the jet king series looks and sounds, but I don’t know the difference between the (I think) 4 models. Can you make a video about that? Would love to hear a tone comparison. Thx!
I will only say my opinion ..for all those who make a serious decision to learn to play this instrument, one thing is certain, every guitar produces a sound in accordance with its performance, and this is called the color of the sound, SO THERE IS NO GOOD COLOR OR BAD COLOR..THERE IS ONE THAT YOU LIKE....OR NOT, SO THERE IS NO GOOD OR BAD GUITAR?! ALL GUITARS ARE LIKE WOMEN, they suit some and some don't... with a good amplifier and a good processor, I use the AX3000G KORG on my recordings, you can get a good sound, let's say this Epiphone SL guitar.. or I use Flight (Slovenian manufacturer, shape Les Paul) I also use Ibanez Gio GRG 121, also Stagg shape Stratocaster, produced in 1995, they all sound great, depending on the purpose for which song I want to use them. All guitars has a great sound and with good parameters it can be used as a professional instrument , best regards from Edy ..and all the best in your future work
Sorry…I started buying Ibanez guitars 20 years ago and the ones I started with were Prestiges, so this guide came much too late. But you know, starting off with very high end RG’s…well you can’t go wrong with that. However, I bought an entry level one last year and even that was a great guitar.
My Ibanez-SZ was my second electric after a Yamaha Pacifica and is still my main guitar. Very cool, instrument for small bucks! Here's me playing that guitar: th-cam.com/video/6_uxGJW2pww/w-d-xo.html
Nothing worse than a spoiled kid with an exspensive precision instrument thrown into drop d hammering out a riff. Little League tuning. EVERYONE gets a trophy...EVERYONE sounds good. Such a sad waste of a quality instrument.
I have a 7 string gio, a rg450 and an s561 an my favorite is the s series it's the lightest guitar I've ever held an there's just something about the sound of a super thin guitar that I love the rg450 has the same pickups and body wood but doesn't sound the same at all. I will say the necks on all of them feel great an I have no issues playing them but as far as tone if you like a slightly brighter and anemic sound it's amazing
Not gonna lie, I'm disappointed that everyone skips over the AR series as just being geared to beginners. They're incredible guitars that play, look, and sound great. They're better than many guitars that cost double the price. The 3-way pickup modes let you get pretty much any sound aside from a piezo obviously. You get a lot of value with an AR.
Interestingly enough, it's built in China, not Indonesia, so probably on the countary to popular opinions on guitars from these two countries, at least for Ibanez, Chinese manufactured ones are mostly better than Indonesian ones
i swear the ARs cost like £500, thats far from what id call a beginner guitar personally. however the most expensive guitar i own is an ibanez axion s series, so for me £500 is very expensive
I just got an azes40 today, like $260 I have 6 other Ibanez guitars and it's close or on par with most of them once I set it up and the pickup selections are pretty awesome. My 2 cents on the "geared towards beginners" thing is that they made an awesome budget guitar that any normal player would like but it won't look (price wise) scary to a beginner. Imo the biggest problem with "beginner/budget" guitars is they play and feel like shit so a beginner thinks it's REALLY hard to learn when in reality, the frets just need some work, the action is too high, the neck needs a twist or whatever This came to me from the other side of the country, I live in Nevada, so it's HOT today and the neck is straight, the frets feel smooth, no sharp edges.
I am an RG man, myself. Got me a tremendously red 550 earlier this year. Road flare red, they call it. The damn thing can make a fire engine cry with envy. HSH with a floating tremolo and a really fast, slim wizard neck that feels great in the hand. It is the most versatile electric guitar I have ever owned. The clean tones lend themselves very nicely to jazz, blues and some 90s alternative stuff I really like. Add a small bit of gain, and you’ve got classic 70s rock tones. Turn the gain all the way up and this guitar absolutely roars and screams like an 80s shredder monster.
Love rgs, the only one I’ve had was this deep blue that I just didn’t fall in love with, then bought one with a metallic red color and fell in love. Ibanez really is one of the top brands in guitar
I own a RG440 made in Japan. This model was made for one year 86-87 gave birth to the RG 550. Made a short video. Type Ibanez RG440 RoadStar ll made in Japan.
I got an original RG550 back in the 90s (somewhere around 1992). Great guitar, you need good gear to appreciate it though, I never found a good amp for it until recently (I never wanted to spend enough money on the Amp, that's what the problem was mainly).
Wich one has the best rock tone at the moment i have steive vie JR wich is amazing for the price but i whant one that has a thicker rock tone but not EXTREME METAL??? PLEASE HELP COZ I ONLY LIKE IBENEZ
I currently play an Ibanez grg121dx, and it’s pretty good for $240. Me and my dad are going to be building a guitar with a custom semi-hollow body that we’re building, and a warmoth neck. My tastes have changed a lot since I got the Ibanez, so I’m going for a more jazz focused guitar than chuggy chug chug. I still plan on having as high an output bridge pickup I can though.
I'm a dumbass with a stupid question. Why do so many of my favorite guitarists such as Neal Schon play Les Paul's instead of Ibanez? It seems like they would love Ibanez. But Neal is like adding tremolo bars to LP's and doing everything he can to stick with LP (and some others). But it seems some of the guys won't touch an Ibanez with a 10' pole. Does anybody know why?
ive got american fenders gibson les pauls, ect. I bsically only play by /99 les paul. I just got a low end ibanez rg421pb and its the only thing I wanna play and I cant even put it down, its like its attached to my hip. gonna maybe change the bridge pickup but thats it. I also rolled the fretboard edges. this is my favorite guitar and its the cheapest one ive ever bought.
Good video overall, of course you will take some heat from the Ibanez community. My only beef is that the S seriies came from the 540 family. This includes the Sabre, Power and Radius lines. Satrisni played the Radius, not the Sabre. Frank Gambale playred the Sabre. Also you left out the 540 P that was changed for a few years by Alex Skolnik. These are among the rarest and highly desired. Quite an oversight. But keep up the good work.
It's ridiculous. Ego takes over from second number one. I came for a video explaining Ibanez and I get somebody who thinks that everyone wants to listen to them play guitar. What a waste of my time.
Ibanez used to be s really budget friendly high performance company but of late their prices are approaching the silly levels of Gibson and Kramer. Please don't tell me about the Gio line because those are absolutely crap for the most part.
This is a fantastic video, thank you. I've been an Ibanez player since 1989 & they're awesome. (Even if they do cause lefties like me much heartache with how limited our selection is) I do have to pick you up on one thing though; Joe Satriani never played Sabers. He started out on the Ibanez Radius series (R440, I think) and then got Ibanez to make a signature JS series for him. He's been on those ever since. One player who did use the Saber series as a basis for his Ibanez signature model is the Australian sweep-meister Frank Gambale. Sadly, he no longer plays Ibanez, though.
Ibanez is my absolute favorite guitar brand. The RG series is my fav series. The shape is perfection and almost every model is acceptable (excluding gio) and the higher end models are exceptional. My burl top Iron Label RGIX6DLB is one of the best guitars I have ever owned or played and I am 46 years old with 38 years of playing under my belt. The playability was exceptional, the tone amazing. The stock pickups are the best pickups I have ever heard hands down. I may have gotten lucky and it may have been a fluke but I am grateful. It is better than the prestige I had.
The AR series is seriously underrated. I own a 7 string RGD axion label and AR420. The AR came almost perfect and the RGD that was almost twice the price, full of issues and it had the Ibanez QC stamp on the tag as well. I wish Ibanez would do more with the AR series, like Premium and Prestige models, maybe some more aggressive metal versions and thicker bodies and necks.
@@danielx5039 you only need to swap the bridge pickup really, the neck pickup is so good for the clean and crunchy tones. That said I can get nice heavy tones from the bridge pickup too, I mostly play some riffs from Mastodon, Gojira and Black Sabbath. But I get what you mean, a hotter bridge pickup would be nicer for the pinch harmonics. At the moment I have it very close to the strings to compensate for the lower output but I'm thinking about putting a higher output ceramic pickup in there.
@@freakalishess exactly! Just to make the pinch harmonics scream, and add the crazy bends.... Eargasm! But the looks and the tri-pol switches for every pu make it a dream guitar for someone like me, intermediate lvl player... I can have all the fun and a great guitar to never let rest 😁
Great review! I have stuck with Prestige models for 20 years and of late the J Custom is the ultimate piece, not to mention several Signature models. Top brand, speaks for itself!
I HAVE A GI0 GAX 70 I BOUGHT FOR $118 IN GW 2005 AND I COULD EASY PUT IT UP AGAINST ANY $1000 GUITAR I HAD IT SINCE 2005 AND NOW IT 2024 WITH EVERY PART OF IT UPGRADED EXCEPT THE GUITAR IT SELF THE NECK COULD COMPETE WITH MY JACKSON PRO I HAVE WITH EMG 81 AT THE BRIDGE GOT IN THE 1990 THAT GUITAR COST ME $600 , JACKSON AND IBANEZ MAKE THE BEST NECKS FOR PLAYING , ANY ONE THAT STARTING I RECOMMENT THEM THEY ARE EASY ON YOUR FINGERS
I have a Gio and 2 PRESTIGE Ibanez.( among others in the past.) The difference is night and day imo. The Prestige neck and frets are perfectly crafted. Plays like dream. Although I agree Gio is good value, but not the same quality control with mediocre hardware.
9:30 Satriani has his own signature model, and before that played radius models. never seen him play a sabre. Nita Strauss has her signature sabre, JIVA10 and variants, but only since 2018. Herman Li of Dragonforce has played his signature sabre, EGEN1 and variants, since 2007. And Frank Gambale had a sabre signature model (FGM), starting already in 1991. I assume they're not mentioned since those artists left Ibanez a long time ago.
I have the AS-93FM, very very affordable but man! With the right amp, you can get convincing Larry Carlton tones and much much more! Hope to have a JEM soon..
This has been so helpful, thank you. My q: I currently play a Fender Squire Tele. I want to switch over to Ibanez. Are there any specific Ibanez's that you'd recommend that are at the same level?
Man I don't know what it is but I've never been a fan of Ibanez guitars I've played on many of them cheap and expensive but I dont know. Personally I have always preferred Jackson guitars much more. I guess it's just one of those "to each is own" things.
I'm getting my first guitar, I found two starter packs available in my country 1: Fender Squier Sonic Series Stratocaster 2: Ibanez IJRX20U-BL Electric Guitar they're both the same price with an amp, cable, etc. Which one should I get?
I would love a very budget friendly quality HT in either a Xiphos or Destroyer. maybe under the GIO line. maybe blacked out with purple heart fretboard like that GRGR131EX-BKF
Is that Ed sheeran
yes
Yeah that is ed Sheehan after he put on his covid pounds
Isn’t that Shed Eeran
No. That's your momma.
Yes.
I bought my first Ibanez back in '87. It was a PL (ProLine) and it was made in Japan. I currently have an RG 350 and a GIO bass. You really can't go wrong with Ibanez.
Just have a pro line that I'm currently restoring :)
what's the song @5:35 ? did he improvise?
6:00 was so beautiful, u got me floating off into outer space during an infomercial
Ibanez are all about the neck. If you like slim necks then check out the prestige Super Wizard HP necks. They are very thin along their entire length. If you play a lot of lead guitar they are definitely worth a try. You may never go back.
The nomenclature of Ibanez guitars is head spinning. I came into guitar late in life and stumbled into an RG 652 Prestige as my 1st guitar. Best guitar $$ I’ve spent. Really great value for the buck.
About to learn on a friends Ibanez, just looking at them is inspiring haha. Your comment was inspiring so that’s why I responded, have a good one mate. Cheers!
Ive been playing 20 years.. just got a RG652 LWFX Anvil grey black.. the playability is outstanding
I am an Ibanez addict! I own two electrics and am in the process of figuring out my third. I am definitely going 7 string. I like the RG, RGA, and the Universe. Both of mine are within the $700 USD range. A big shout out to Sweetwater on my second Ibanez and I will be getting my third from them.
Hi there mind sharing which two you have. That’s my budget too. Plus, do they useable tremolos.
Sweetwater is so dope! Their customer service is really 2nd to none!!
I have the rg7421, it's a really nice guitar! 👌
@@Callekarl I looked at them but I am seriously looking at the RGA that's a 26.5 scale neck. It's close to $900 which is still affordable in my opinion. I like the new XL 7 string but it only comes in black from what I have seen.
@@TheMeJustMe75 I don't know about that one, I recently got my 7421, it's my first 7string. I'm surprised how good it sounds and how well built it is for the low price. And it's my first ibanez, but not my last👌
I think most Ibanez look like they are for metal, but I have one from the Talman range the TM303 & it's an amazing guitar for the money, just superb & I'll never sell it;
Even the ones that look like they are for metal or awesome for other stuff. I own an RG550 which is a quintessentially metal guitar. I tell you what though, it sounds great no matter what I play on it. Even Jazz, blues and country.
I have a RG170 black from when I was 17. I sold it to my father, got it back, and it plays and sounds awesome! I thought it was gonna be warped and play like shit! It's back in my guitar rack with my more expensive guitars, I play it all the time. The powersound pickups sound great, very responsive. Not even considering swapping pickups.
5:35 eargasm.. mood music
beautiful guitar craftsmanship and awesome playing. is this an impromptu composition?
I've owned about 8 Ibanez since around 1983, and played too many to count. I have preferred some over others, but I've never seen a bad one. Not even the GIOs. Never, not one lemon.
I had an Ibanez ARZ6UCS (a $2,300 USD guitar) that I had to send back due to sloppy fret installation. This really sucked, because that model was hard to get my hands on to begin with, and then was discontinued, and so I was not able to obtain a replacement. Ibanez is not above the occasional lemon. My Ibanez RG652KFX is a work of art, though.
i had an S521 with a neck pocket gap significant enough to cause the neck to actually shift when bending. this was a 2021 model and they cost something like $400 dollars new, the quality of those generally isnt worth it for the price they ask. dime size pots, cheap muddy sounding ceramic pickups, poor quality control and for $400 you can do alot better. this all being said i still love ibanez, my most expensive guitar is an ibanez, its just best not to look at any company through rose tinted glasses.
I had an RGA42FM (the newer model with the F106 bridge, not the earlier model that was better for less with the Gibraltar II. I seem to find things late). I bought it brand new and it had gouges in the fretboard from machining and the nut was completely cut wrong, it was literally unplayable. BUT having said that - I have had many good quality guitars from Ibanez and most major companies but I have also had complete paperweights from those same companies.
@@DunderHead.5000 yea i REALLY hate the F106 bridge. im exclusively a hardtail player but the F106 is literally bottom of the barrel crap. $100 made in china pieces of crap ship with the same hardware so honestly, on the gios or whatever fine. but they put the F106 on pretty much all their hardtails less than $600. thats dumb imo. even stuff like the SEW761FM has the f106
There's the occasional lemon but even their $200 guitars are usually very playable and decent quality.
I think you meant to say "frank gamble and Nita Strauss" when referring to the S series guitars, not "Joe Satriani". Joe doesn't play an S series
This!
Great overview! Been overwhelmed by all their offerings, that helped a lot!
Awesome topic. I bought the MM1 AZ and it's my favorite guitar. Before that I owned RGD and some RG. Awesome brand for playability built and versatility 🍺
Great overview, I love Ibanez guitars. I agree their quality is tops.
ok
Ibanez, you make incredible guitars, but PLEASE work on the naming system
My first real guitar was a brand new 1985 Roadstar II (RS-440) in dark red. Pickups were weak but that tremolo it had was a beast. Then I got a white RG-550. Also owned a black SR-400 bass. I currently have two more basses (one being a Mikro) and a yellow Jem Jr. with an upgraded Gotoh tremolo. My next Ibanez will be from the S series.
Can't beat that edge bridge.
10:14 definitely a fan of the hollowbody 🤎 loved how smooth he played
do you know the name of the song by any chance?
I HAVE a USA custom Ibanez made in Hollywood for cal.with Edge, Floyd & cam with USA 1 pickups, Tiger inlay in maple neck with figi wood body 30-year-old gutait ! What do I have?
Joe Satriani's guitar is not a S-series but a Radius series which is different from Saber.
Correct
I bought cheap Chinese Ibanez GIO with the idea to experiment with it. I plugged it at home and it sounded clean and crisp on the bridge pickup. It's like planning single coil but humbucker. That's the sound I need. Maybe there is less copper wire in the pickups. Maybe it's aluminum. Whatever it is it sounds the way I want it to sound. So I keep playing this guitar like it's the best thing ever.
I know it’s been a while but which GIO model was it?
Every Ibanez I've played, cheap or intermediate or expensive, was definitely a guitar
I would be surprised if it wasn't
Last year I bought an RG550DX and I love it killer tone great playability its quickly become my favorite guitar
That's a phenomenal guitar to own man.
I have a 1983 Roadstar II RS1000 that I bought used. The neck has been completely stable for the many decades I've had it. The previous owner had installed coil-splitter switches and I replaced the clunky trem with a Kahler flyer. The yellow in the cherry sunbust finish was turning green so I gently chipped away the front finish millimeter by millimeter to reveal a beautiful birdseye maple which I sanded smooth and it looks beautiful oiled. It looks and sounds great. Except for the original trem, everything about this was excellent.
Hey :))) What is the best guitar to give me a Floyd sound,and also the best acoustic clean sound? Any price range?
Just bought the Gio series for $80 at Goodwill with an amplifier included
Joe Satriani never played an S, Saber, or 540S. His signature model is based on the 540R.
You know, music is deep. There is so much beauty for so many.
I want to learn how to play guitar. With an Azes. I love the tones. I love the features. It can make an instrument so much more.
I like to rock.
5:34 absolutely loved this
do you know the name of the song?
@@davidebigotto I think he improvised it.
@@GovindCovers this dude is a legendary shredder
Please tell me it's a song I need it to be a song
Confusing? They don’t overdo the amount of models like ESP or Schecter, and they could probably get away with discontinuing some as they’re mostly kinda strat-style and do something like a v-shape again.
Thank you great video. Very good information. I’m new to Ibanez, and I started with a GRX70QA to see how I felt about them first. I love the one I have so I’m deciding on what I want to upgrade to.
I just bought an Ibanez GIO as my first ever guitar, been looking at Ibanez videos all day just to confirm that I made a good purchase 😆
i wish i had enough money to buy that.
How is the guitar going 4 months on?
@@LukeReynoldsMusic_13 really enjoying it, it holds up really well!
which one did you get?
how's the guitar going 15 months in?
alternative title: ed sheeran reviewing ibanez guitars
If you meet with ibanez you never gonna broke.
I love the feel and ergonomics of Ibanez guitars, but I can't find any with a flat finish that isn't pointy and doesn't break the bank (Under $1000).
Check out the AZ range.
Rgrt are through neck and flat finish
I really like how the jet king series looks and sounds, but I don’t know the difference between the (I think) 4 models. Can you make a video about that? Would love to hear a tone comparison. Thx!
I will only say my opinion ..for all those who make a serious decision to learn to play this instrument, one thing is certain, every guitar produces a sound in accordance with its performance, and this is called the color of the sound, SO THERE IS NO GOOD COLOR OR BAD COLOR..THERE IS ONE THAT YOU LIKE....OR NOT, SO THERE IS NO GOOD OR BAD GUITAR?! ALL GUITARS ARE LIKE WOMEN, they suit some and some don't... with a good amplifier and a good processor, I use the AX3000G KORG on my recordings, you can get a good sound, let's say this Epiphone SL guitar.. or I use Flight (Slovenian manufacturer, shape Les Paul) I also use Ibanez Gio GRG 121, also Stagg shape Stratocaster, produced in 1995, they all sound great, depending on the purpose for which song I want to use them. All guitars has a great sound and with good parameters it can be used as a professional instrument , best regards from Edy ..and all the best in your future work
Sorry…I started buying Ibanez guitars 20 years ago and the ones I started with were Prestiges, so this guide came much too late. But you know, starting off with very high end RG’s…well you can’t go wrong with that.
However, I bought an entry level one last year and even that was a great guitar.
My Ibanez-SZ was my second electric after a Yamaha Pacifica and is still my main guitar. Very cool, instrument for small bucks!
Here's me playing that guitar: th-cam.com/video/6_uxGJW2pww/w-d-xo.html
5.37 can anybody tell me how do i get that tone
Nothing worse than a spoiled kid with an exspensive precision instrument thrown into drop d hammering out a riff. Little League tuning. EVERYONE gets a trophy...EVERYONE sounds good. Such a sad waste of a quality instrument.
10:16 what’s the name of the song
I have a 7 string gio, a rg450 and an s561 an my favorite is the s series it's the lightest guitar I've ever held an there's just something about the sound of a super thin guitar that I love the rg450 has the same pickups and body wood but doesn't sound the same at all. I will say the necks on all of them feel great an I have no issues playing them but as far as tone if you like a slightly brighter and anemic sound it's amazing
Not gonna lie, I'm disappointed that everyone skips over the AR series as just being geared to beginners. They're incredible guitars that play, look, and sound great. They're better than many guitars that cost double the price. The 3-way pickup modes let you get pretty much any sound aside from a piezo obviously. You get a lot of value with an AR.
Interestingly enough, it's built in China, not Indonesia, so probably on the countary to popular opinions on guitars from these two countries, at least for Ibanez, Chinese manufactured ones are mostly better than Indonesian ones
i swear the ARs cost like £500, thats far from what id call a beginner guitar personally. however the most expensive guitar i own is an ibanez axion s series, so for me £500 is very expensive
@@zamedoeswtever5267 Indonesian Ibanez are better in my opinion . They are all good but jus usually they have better hardware
Does the tuning keys stay put while playing so the strings do not go out of tune?
I just got an azes40 today, like $260
I have 6 other Ibanez guitars and it's close or on par with most of them once I set it up and the pickup selections are pretty awesome.
My 2 cents on the "geared towards beginners" thing is that they made an awesome budget guitar that any normal player would like but it won't look (price wise) scary to a beginner.
Imo the biggest problem with "beginner/budget" guitars is they play and feel like shit so a beginner thinks it's REALLY hard to learn when in reality, the frets just need some work, the action is too high, the neck needs a twist or whatever
This came to me from the other side of the country, I live in Nevada, so it's HOT today and the neck is straight, the frets feel smooth, no sharp edges.
Leaving out the FR series was unfortunate. It's a modern take on a Telecaster and my FR2620 is one of my favorite guitars ever
Bloody Hell Mate get a haircut!
My next guitar will be an Ibanez GIO GRX70 becasue stratocasters are karens and kevins
what's the song at 5:34 ?
It will require a quantum computer to decode their model names. 🤖
I am an RG man, myself. Got me a tremendously red 550 earlier this year. Road flare red, they call it. The damn thing can make a fire engine cry with envy. HSH with a floating tremolo and a really fast, slim wizard neck that feels great in the hand. It is the most versatile electric guitar I have ever owned. The clean tones lend themselves very nicely to jazz, blues and some 90s alternative stuff I really like. Add a small bit of gain, and you’ve got classic 70s rock tones. Turn the gain all the way up and this guitar absolutely roars and screams like an 80s shredder monster.
Love rgs, the only one I’ve had was this deep blue that I just didn’t fall in love with, then bought one with a metallic red color and fell in love. Ibanez really is one of the top brands in guitar
I own a RG440 made in Japan. This model was made for one year 86-87 gave birth to the RG 550. Made a short video. Type Ibanez RG440 RoadStar ll made in Japan.
I got an original RG550 back in the 90s (somewhere around 1992). Great guitar, you need good gear to appreciate it though, I never found a good amp for it until recently (I never wanted to spend enough money on the Amp, that's what the problem was mainly).
Bottom line the older Prestige models are the very best especially the 4570z Prestige is simply awesome. The 1990 540S is also phenomenal.
my first elec i want it to be a ibanez are they lightweight?? um specifically ibanez rg470ahm
Wich one has the best rock tone at the moment i have steive vie JR wich is amazing for the price but i whant one that has a thicker rock tone but not EXTREME METAL??? PLEASE HELP COZ I ONLY LIKE IBENEZ
I currently play an Ibanez grg121dx, and it’s pretty good for $240. Me and my dad are going to be building a guitar with a custom semi-hollow body that we’re building, and a warmoth neck. My tastes have changed a lot since I got the Ibanez, so I’m going for a more jazz focused guitar than chuggy chug chug. I still plan on having as high an output bridge pickup I can though.
Make a lefty version. It would only be fifteen seconds. Ibanez hates left handed players
I have a left handed RG370DXL sounds great
Great video. I'd love to see a similar video on their acoustic line.
I'm a dumbass with a stupid question. Why do so many of my favorite guitarists such as Neal Schon play Les Paul's instead of Ibanez? It seems like they would love Ibanez. But Neal is like adding tremolo bars to LP's and doing everything he can to stick with LP (and some others). But it seems some of the guys won't touch an Ibanez with a 10' pole. Does anybody know why?
ive got american fenders gibson les pauls, ect. I bsically only play by /99 les paul. I just got a low end ibanez rg421pb and its the only thing I wanna play and I cant even put it down, its like its attached to my hip. gonna maybe change the bridge pickup but thats it. I also rolled the fretboard edges. this is my favorite guitar and its the cheapest one ive ever bought.
Me too!
Good video overall, of course you will take some heat from the Ibanez community.
My only beef is that the S seriies came from the 540 family. This includes the Sabre, Power and Radius lines.
Satrisni played the Radius, not the Sabre. Frank Gambale playred the Sabre.
Also you left out the 540 P that was changed for a few years by Alex Skolnik.
These are among the rarest and highly desired. Quite an oversight.
But keep up the good work.
@3:35 the blue 7 string on the right is a great guitar, ive owned it for about a year now, just change the pickups and it has sustain for days.
I have 4 RGs now, an RG220B, RG6003FM, an RG1XXV (25th Anniversary) and a Frankenstein RG I built from parts, I love them all!
Anyone know the song name at 10:13 ?
i came to the comment section for this too lol
Thanks for information.
Which guitar is the cheapest for a professional guitarist?
Thanks from Goa India
Matt Roberts Guitars before Gibson Les Pauls Guitars
It's ridiculous. Ego takes over from second number one. I came for a video explaining Ibanez and I get somebody who thinks that everyone wants to listen to them play guitar. What a waste of my time.
One small correction: the Joe Satriani model was based on a Radius not on a Sabre.
I was looking for this comment 🤘🏼
Joe doesn't play the S series. That's his signature guitar. Some players like Nita, Herman, Frank Gambale play the S series.
Thank you, very informative video, also thank you Ibanez, thank Japan for your high quality art.
Martinez Larry Young Thomas Walker Jason
Ibanez used to be s really budget friendly high performance company but of late their prices are approaching the silly levels of Gibson and Kramer. Please don't tell me about the Gio line because those are absolutely crap for the most part.
Never had a bad Ibanez.
There’s no such thing
Buy a cheap Gio
@@sivapriyasarojam3062 I have one Lol. I have the grgr120ex. And for a cheap beginner guitar. It sounds great 👍
Superstrat Superstrat Superstrat.. No offense but the jem is probably the best looking superstrat
I love the Gio Ibanez electric guitars I have two of them
This is a fantastic video, thank you. I've been an Ibanez player since 1989 & they're awesome. (Even if they do cause lefties like me much heartache with how limited our selection is) I do have to pick you up on one thing though; Joe Satriani never played Sabers. He started out on the Ibanez Radius series (R440, I think) and then got Ibanez to make a signature JS series for him. He's been on those ever since. One player who did use the Saber series as a basis for his Ibanez signature model is the Australian sweep-meister Frank Gambale. Sadly, he no longer plays Ibanez, though.
what no mention of Munky Or Head they made Ibanez appeal to younger crowd in the 90s
sorry mate but if im not mistaken, joe satriani's axe is not S Series model but rather the discontinued Radius Series..
Ibanez is my absolute favorite guitar brand. The RG series is my fav series. The shape is perfection and almost every model is acceptable (excluding gio) and the higher end models are exceptional. My burl top Iron Label RGIX6DLB is one of the best guitars I have ever owned or played and I am 46 years old with 38 years of playing under my belt. The playability was exceptional, the tone amazing. The stock pickups are the best pickups I have ever heard hands down. I may have gotten lucky and it may have been a fluke but I am grateful. It is better than the prestige I had.
why people call it eyebanez? its e-banez ibanez
The AR series is seriously underrated. I own a 7 string RGD axion label and AR420. The AR came almost perfect and the RGD that was almost twice the price, full of issues and it had the Ibanez QC stamp on the tag as well. I wish Ibanez would do more with the AR series, like Premium and Prestige models, maybe some more aggressive metal versions and thicker bodies and necks.
I saw a blue sparkle AR420 on Thomman and fell in love with it..
I think if I get it, I might swap out the pickups for more metal sound
@@danielx5039 you only need to swap the bridge pickup really, the neck pickup is so good for the clean and crunchy tones. That said I can get nice heavy tones from the bridge pickup too, I mostly play some riffs from Mastodon, Gojira and Black Sabbath. But I get what you mean, a hotter bridge pickup would be nicer for the pinch harmonics. At the moment I have it very close to the strings to compensate for the lower output but I'm thinking about putting a higher output ceramic pickup in there.
@@freakalishess exactly! Just to make the pinch harmonics scream, and add the crazy bends.... Eargasm!
But the looks and the tri-pol switches for every pu make it a dream guitar for someone like me, intermediate lvl player... I can have all the fun and a great guitar to never let rest 😁
@@danielx5039 well I am selling my 7 string so that says a lot. I'm having too much fun on the AR. Can't recommend it enough!
@@freakalishess Is the neck sticky after hours of playing?
GAK..I have a question....When will Ibanez open a factory, hire employees and build and sell their own guitars?....
Go to Japan
Probably the best quality for the $$ of any manufacturer.
Great review! I have stuck with Prestige models for 20 years and of late the J Custom is the ultimate piece, not to mention several Signature models. Top brand, speaks for itself!
thanks Edd, I can now die in peace understanding the Ibanez world. greetings from Córdoba Argentina.
Didn't Joe play the Radius that became the JS series?
My favorite is the Ibanez PS10 with V-2 pickups. Paul Stanley played those in 1978, 1992, and 1996 and they sound the best in my opinion.
I HAVE A GI0 GAX 70 I BOUGHT FOR $118 IN GW 2005 AND I COULD EASY PUT IT UP AGAINST ANY $1000 GUITAR I HAD IT SINCE 2005 AND NOW IT 2024 WITH EVERY PART OF IT UPGRADED EXCEPT THE GUITAR IT SELF THE NECK COULD COMPETE WITH MY JACKSON PRO I HAVE WITH EMG 81 AT THE BRIDGE GOT IN THE 1990 THAT GUITAR COST ME $600 , JACKSON AND IBANEZ MAKE THE BEST NECKS FOR PLAYING , ANY ONE THAT STARTING I RECOMMENT THEM THEY ARE EASY ON YOUR FINGERS
I have a Gio and 2 PRESTIGE Ibanez.( among others in the past.)
The difference is night and day imo. The Prestige neck and frets are perfectly crafted. Plays like dream.
Although I agree Gio is good value, but not the same quality control with mediocre hardware.
I just ordered a Genesis Fluorescent orange Ibanez, it looks really nice.
9:30 Satriani has his own signature model, and before that played radius models. never seen him play a sabre. Nita Strauss has her signature sabre, JIVA10 and variants, but only since 2018. Herman Li of Dragonforce has played his signature sabre, EGEN1 and variants, since 2007. And Frank Gambale had a sabre signature model (FGM), starting already in 1991. I assume they're not mentioned since those artists left Ibanez a long time ago.
I have the AS-93FM, very very affordable but man! With the right amp, you can get convincing Larry Carlton tones and much much more! Hope to have a JEM soon..
Got ibanez with treme!o....not tunable
This has been so helpful, thank you. My q: I currently play a Fender Squire Tele. I want to switch over to Ibanez. Are there any specific Ibanez's that you'd recommend that are at the same level?
No fender is at an equal level to Ibanez...😁 Ibanez stands alone above everything else!😁
knew a portuguese guy decades ago. He said "It's e-ban-yeth, not eye-ban-ez". But he didn't know one end of a whammy from the other. I mean tremelo.
I found a love for mee... Darling.... Lalalala ed ed.... 😂
That custom ones playing sound was ascending
Sorry but you misspoke when you said "ALL Ibanez prestige are made are in japan" there are some prestige models that where made in KOREA !!!!
he looks like ed sheeran btw
Man I don't know what it is but I've never been a fan of Ibanez guitars I've played on many of them cheap and expensive but I dont know. Personally I have always preferred Jackson guitars much more. I guess it's just one of those "to each is own" things.
I'm getting my first guitar, I found two starter packs available in my country
1: Fender Squier Sonic Series Stratocaster
2: Ibanez IJRX20U-BL Electric Guitar
they're both the same price with an amp, cable, etc.
Which one should I get?
I would love a very budget friendly quality HT in either a Xiphos or Destroyer. maybe under the GIO line. maybe blacked out with purple heart fretboard like that GRGR131EX-BKF
I did not understand ibanez much better after the video