@@fendergibson2615 hey this could be the 160 model or 260 atleast that’s what I think. I bought an Ibanez SA460QMW in Tropical Squash Burst. It’s very nice looking, neck is very smooth but the bridge is just unusable.. I had to replace it(T102 Bridge) I bought a VegaTrem VT1 now it plays like a million bucks
I don't know if it was ever mentioned, but the sa is actually a jab at fender. It stands for strat assassin. they made these to beat the strat at being a strat. More versitile, cheaper. Neck thru ( or set neck what ever) I have a prestige sz and love it. It's really comfortable and resonates extremely well
Just picked one of these up in all black (used, made in Korea) for $249. Black is not my favorite in a guitar but, man! Love this guitar! Very versatile! Best guitar I've bought for what I paid!
@JoshAndHisGuitar The noise gates and supressors don't get rid of feedback at all while you're playing. The feedback is so intense that it overpowers your playing. At any volume beyond bedroom volume, the feedback (while playing and while your noise gate isn't doing anything) is just going nuts and renders playing impossible. So, it's not an opinion. It's fact. That's why I do the reviews. Because they are backed by someone that actually knows guitars. not just som You Tube Stroker.
@strappify I answer each and every request my friend and am happy to do so. If that is the kind of music you'll be playing, it will be 100% about the pickups and it has been proven time and time again that the EMG 81 and 85's are the combination to put in any guitar and you'll be set. Stay away from all things with Seymour Duncans in them. They are honestly horrible pickups. So, I guess from there it depends on if you want a whammy or not. If so, Floyd Rose only. All others go out of tune.
True, you can't do any radical whammy stuff on any guitar that doesn't have a double locking system on it. But, nice and easy stuff.....it works just fine. I too like the "Strat" tones it puts out. Thanks much.
I got the purple one,took out original humbucker and popped in a iron axe hammer head pickup now she screams,and popped on locking nuts.plays Alice in chains sooo well lol
@guitarguy316 My pleasure. You won't believe the difference in quality between the old Ibanez stuff and the new. They are not the same company (literally). There is no comparison.
@bbshooter1221 Oh so very true, they have always made an exceptional effort to make sure you can always reach the highest frets with ease and speed. No finish on the backs of most of the Ibanez necks to slow you down. They are who they are for a good reason.
@Fenner1976 My pleasure. It caught my eye too big time. They really are an amazing guitar and there is no way in the world you can go wrong with them. I'm sure you'll love it.
@diossoiio Sure thing. It's a great guitar, but the humbucker pickup back there by the bridge feedsback (squeels uncontrolably as in the video) whenever you turn distortion on. Even at low levels. So, if you replace that pickup (a $25.00 investment at most from Ebay) then you will be fine and dandy and have a great guitar. The pickup that comes in it can be fixed easily by a qualified guitar repairman. It needs to be potted (dipped in wax on the bottom side). I hope that helps.
@vasilios1994 So very true about drop tunings. I have some 1985 Fender Strats that actually solved all of those problems with their stock and all new trem. Double locking and even if you were to detune 3 strings and break 2 more, the other string would be in tune. That's the great thing about that system, you do the whammy thing and they all do like normal, but if you change the tuning of any string or break a string, it still stays free floating, up and down, but doesn't affect other strings
It's good to see a review of an Ibanez that is not all djent and grind. I'm not surprised that this guitar can do country tones as most Ibanez can with the right pickups in them. After 30 years of playing Gibsons, Fenders and PRS's I can honestly say my Ibanez JS is the most tonally versatile and easiest to play guitar I've ever owned. It sustains for days and stays in tune no matter how much I abuse the trem.
Many thanks my friend. I agree, guitar reviews and trying to show the axe's REAL tones, are seldom seen (or heard). I'm glad you enjoyed the variety. I hear you about their trems, the Edge trem I have on my JEM acrylic, just won't give a bit.
@Lerkow True, the single coil pickups are all fine, it's the Tru Duo humbucker that has a major issue with feedback, if you replace that pickup with another splittable pickup or just another humbucker, all will be wonderful. The Tru Duo is great for clean, but nobody plays clean all the time, so...that pickup is pretty much worthless.
@TheSilverhawaiian Cool, it should pull up really easily, especially with those easy grip knobs on them. So, the pickup would've clearly been advertised as a Tru-Duo if it has that splitting capability. My total pleasure my friend.
Hello people!! I have an Ibanez sa 260 TQM, quilted maple in gray black colour, but i changed all pickups, I've put Duncan Custom 5 on bridge and two custom wounded single coils. I've changed pots, switch, added treble blend, a new bone nut, I've changed all frets and replaced plastic dots on neck with pearl dots, and I've put Grover mini locking tuners and new set of Elixir Polyweb(10). The guitar is now a beast. I love it cause its small and lightweight. Now with all these customization it really sounds very good and it looks so great. It became my first guitar on most gigs i do. I would recomend it to anyone. Greetings from Croatia!!!!!!!
@Fenner1976 Thank you. They are really quite a great guitar. Just the humbucker could've been better. Other than that, these are a keeper for sure. I can't say a single things bad about them other than that. They are easily one of the best looking and playing guitars on the market at any price.
@sirsmokey1984 The SA260FM is a great guitar, I've owned it also. It is just the humbucker pickup is not good at all in them. If you want to spend $25.00 on a used Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup to put in the bridge position, you can still wire it to do the coil split thing. But, that is what those bands used back then and you'll get the exact same tones as they did with that pickup. So, the guitar is great, do that one modification and you'll be set for many years.
@MrCaribbean You are correct, it is the FM. I have since sold both of these and too stick to mainly Strats. The humbucker is a shame though as it is soooo very microphonic and feedsback and low bedroom levels. The single coils are fine and dandy though.
@guitarguy316 Thank you my friend. It does have a great clean sound indeed. That humbucker really lacks in the distortion department and feeds back so easily, but clean, it's good to go.
@TheMetalhead804 Yeah, anything by Duncan would work. None of them are geared towards a clean tone at all. So, you'd be safe dropping any Duncan in there. Then you can decide if you want a pickup that will still be able to utilize the coil splitting switch that is already installed.
@nomoredd0988 It's Gray the Sa36 and the other one in this video is purple. It only goes out of tune if you use the whammy. Same as any guitar without a double locking system. I got the 36 for $200.00 brand new on Ebay and the purple one even cheaper.
@jadon131 The Grey one with the set neck is the SAS36QM and it would be better with ANY splittable pickup in it. I think that the DiMarzio D-Activator would be wonderful in it. They split really well and sound great as a humbucker and really great as a single coil also where other pickups simply don't split well and do the job of both as well as the D-Activator.
@KX36 The single coils are great actually. I'm not a fan of any Duncan pickups at all, but some folks are. I would imagine that the '59 or a Dimarzio D Activator in there would be great. The rest of the axe is superb with the exception of that one pickup. I have sold both of these axes now. I simply had to make room for some better axes. I don't keep guitars that aren't all original anymore, so, without modding these out, they became of no use to me. But they can be great with the mods.
Thanks. The pinch harmonics are the same on any guitar, even acoustic guitars.. Just don't turn the distortion on with the humbucker on. Just a HORRIBLE pickup. The single coils are fine and dandy though.
@Harvey529 Yeah, so it would be hard to say then. It's just the True-Duo pickup that has that problem. I've never experienced it with any of their other pickups. But, all of the SA series that came with the True-Duo in them.....it happened with each and every one that came through here.
@hothengchun My pleasure. This would be a great axe with a $25.00 used humbucker thrown in it. But stock, neither of these models hold up to anything more than bedroom volume.
@JoeyRapps1 Nope, never had any type of bridge problems at all. Actually the bridges on these are the best feature. They are much better than the Fender trem bridges.
@ForOrAgainstUs I'll help you find it, it could very well be The Ibanez SAS32EXFM Which has the 2 humbuckers that still retain the True Duo split coil functions via the push/pull pots. That is the hard thing with the SA series......they all just say SA Series on the neck as you said. They should at least put the model number on the neck plate, back of the headstock, somewhere. lol They are so nice and light and play amazingly.
@MrCaribbean Thank you, you are correct, they are perfect for the country thing. I don't think that Ibanez ever saw that in them, but that is where they fit best. Good ear. Scott
@Harvey529 Well, you would have to let me know if your guitar is loaded with the True-Duo pickup (that is what the problem is and what causes all the feedback) all the other pickups are great in these guitars. So, let me know what magic pickup is in yours and just how huge that Vox amp is and we'll try to analyze why yours works and all of the other ones don't.
@Annonymus121 Yeah, they are cool axes. I really wish they would've used a different pickup in the bridge position though. But that's easily fixable in about 10 minutes.
Good to find somebody else who appreciates the SA series. Lovely country chops there. I've got 3 SA guitars now: two cheapies and one Prestige. I've changed the pickups in one of the cheap SA guitars... I agree that the stock pickups on the cheaper models aren't great for rock and metal, but if you love the feel of the guitar just grab some used Seymour Duncans, DiMarzios or other quality pickups off of eBay.
@vasilios1994 At least you were smart enough to get the double locking version. No other system can take the whammy abuse, no matter how close to the nut that the locking nut is. Plus for others reading. If you use a system that allows the ball ends to remain on, those ball ends become unseated and placed differently after a deep dive bomb. Therefore, anything other than a double locking system CAN'T stay in tune. Congrats on the PRESTIGE! Super Guitars!
@xVictimOfSocietyx You can play any guitar to play their stuff. It doesn't take much know how to play either of the band's songs. Remember, you'll never make any money learning and playing other people's music. Ok, back on track. If you dump the humbucker and put a different on in it, it's a fine and dandy cheap guitar and will do a good job in any situation. As is, when purchased new, the humbucker is useless and will feedback at pretty much any volume, so it's a must change.
@MrRobbrocker I have a few of the SA guitars and they all feedback at very low levels with any kind of distortion on them at all. It don't matter if they are in single coil or humbucking mode, they are simply a cheap pickup. Too bad, because they aren't a bad axe otherwise.
@knutagnarstrand1 I'm not familiar with any metal bands between the frets, it's all wood. Nothing on the Epiphones that would be different than on here. If you could clarify, I'll be happy to help out.
@wieslawtworzywo Hi my friend, you can go to any of my Strat reviews (or any of my guitar reviews period) I use EXACTLY the same settings for every single review of every single guitar. So, you can compare the difference that way. I've since sold these guitars, so I can no longer do a side by side comparison.
@udi112 I do at times, but I'm here more to talk about the guitar and let you hear what each pickup sounds like and what sucks and don't suck about it. Almost every guitar sounds the same once you slam distortion on it and do speed licks past the 12th fret, so really no reason to go there. It sounds like every other guitar does up there.
@XxAwakenDarknessxX They are all pretty similar. Just a guitar not actually made by Ibanez, just has the decal on the headstock. But they are good enough to get you by with little to no problems.
@Scalibq When ordering the guitars, the SAS does appear with the rest of the model numbers and both guitars simply say SA Series on both headstocks under the Ibanez label.......why they do this.....who knows. It is Ibanez ...so, that could explain it, they are a little confused these days. lol
Is this guitar good to play metal? I don't mean like death metal or djent or things like that, I mean like getting a 80's glam tone or maybe Megadeth as the heaviest thing I would play. I heard that the humbuckers aren't that good with heavy distortions, could you give me an opinion on that?
I gave the opinion. The humbucker on this sucks ass. It needs to be thrown away. The single coils are fine. The humbucker will feedback and low, bedroom volumes. Quite a shame. It looked good on paper, but lost big time in the distortion arena.
Yeah sorry, I was commenting before finishing the video, my bad. Thanks!, One more thing, will you consider it profitable to buy the guitar and change only the humbucker? Or just get another guitar? I really love the design and color of that guitar and I like the to have a stratoish thin sound (as I mention above I sometimes use distortions) so I'm kinda in love with the guitar and it's difficult for me to accept the idea of not getting that one, though if all pickups needs to be changed I would consider getting a different guitar.
Yeah, just swap out the humbucker with something like a Dimarzio Super Distortion or Dual Sound. You'll still be able to split it for the single coil sound, but the distorted tone in humbucking mode will be amazing.
aldor159 why would you consider this guitar for that style? It's Ibanez version of a strat. If you want metal of any type go look at their other models.
Dude I love the sound of the guitar. I had NO IDEA that an Ibanez could be used for Country Music. When you started playing the country on that made me remember my late father who was a professional guitar player in Texas. When you started playing it sounded like his old G&L Broadcaster he had. I wish I could learn guitars from you as he never taught me a damn thing.
@MyFallenIdolMusic True, I actually sold them both and really liked the Bolt on much better. I'm just a bolt on type of guy. Still, they both had that same bridge pickup and it was impossible to deal with, so....they had to go away.
i have one of these -and i must say - i cant quite get it to sound as good as you scott- damn....you make that thing sing like its a pedal steel - wonderful guitar ...not gonna change a thing on it i am just gonna use it -just for the studio -as i need a rock n roll beast (and my sg does that nice) -but this is major "quack " ...less quack than a duck ,sure ...but more quack than an actual strat !! I love the little sucker -glad i saw your video and it alerted me to it when i saw it going cheap . Love it !!!!
@1961marshall Nope, the amp is just fine. My other 150+ guitars sound great through it and don't have that problem at all, just those 2 Ibanez guitars with that bridge pickup. To get 2 identical ones that aren't identical would be pretty funky. So, I have my head up high and proud knowing that they have been sold and are gone. A good pickup in the bridge and they would've been worth keeping for sure, but I keep all things stock and just couldn't live with them......just a head's up.
@guitarguy316 Yeah, the Ibanez Roadstars from the early 80's. Smokin' guitars and they can be had for far less than these and they are ten times the guitars that these are.
@MrMegatina I think you'll actually be better off with the RG570 It's a really great axe. Keep me posted on it after you grab it up. I'd like to hear your opinion of it.
@ravenshield56 Sounds like just typical feedback. Do you have any other guitars with single coil pickups to plug in at the same volume? There are Metal players playing stock Telecasters through tons of Marshall stacks all turned on 10 all over the world and they get by with it fine and dandy. It has to be louder than band practice. lol You could have some microphonic pickups. It's rare these days, but it still happens. I have an 80's Tele that will feedback clean at a whisper.
@MyFallenIdolMusic The headstock reads SA SERIES. Nothing more other than IBANEZ. This is a set neck and my other SA SERIES has a bolt on. Both have IDENTICAL SA SERIES printed on the headstock. Not SAS SERIES.
@groovydjs Unfortunatly it doesn't say what the amp model is, because Ibanez have an annoying habbit of not marking the model codes on them, but its like your one that alternates between a single and humbucker coil and I have a 30watt Vox AD30VT amp.
Hi Scott, thanks for that demo, I was looking for a HSS Ibanez and it looks like that SA sounds terrific. The neck pickup sound is amazing for such lower priced guitar. I'm not a huge fan of the abalone trimming (the Premium SA looks better without that eye-candy) but I think I'll survive ;-)
@vasilios1994 I just checked out the DiveBomb test. Great axe there my friend and that puppy stays in tune through all that fun. Just goes to prove the difference between that axe and the one in my little review above. You have a true guitar that holds up through anything you can throw at it, where as mine became worthless after getting the guitar loud enough to almost hear it. Then it was nothing but feedback (not the good kind) only when using the humbucker. Bad pickup. lol
@diossoiio 100% Yeah, just drop any great pickup in there and the guitar will be awesome. That particular pickup is it's one and only weak point. Other than that, it's an awesome guitar. So, a Dimarzio Super Distortion would work great, anything that is still splittable so that you can utilize that feature would be cool too. It is simply a bad pickup design is all.
hello, I'm beginner here. Are bare knuckle pick ups any good in this guitar? I'm getting an Ibanez SA series this weekend that already has them. Just wondering if i'll be replacing them or not. Thanks in advance.
Hello Andrew. I'm sure that you will be VERY happy with them in there....especially in the bridge position. You'll end up keeping them in there forever I bet. Congrats on picking up the axe!
@TheTranslator100 Nope, I'll show it. It is the True-Duo pickup that sucks. Watch the video. If you just turn on the distortion with that pickup on, away it goes, no matter what else you think about the review or my playing. I've had a bunch of these guitars with this same pickup come through here and it's all about the pickup being a piece of crap, not me. So, lay blame where it belongs. I don't know who Mark is, nor do I care. I'm here to give MY review, and I gave it. Thanks anyway.
@TheRAMA1295 Van Halen is great at what he does. No doubt about it. This guitar would be fine for it if you replaced the pickup in the bridge. The bridge pickup in these are horrible. The Trem system would also have to be replaced with a Floyd Rose system to be able to handle the major Whammy usage that Eddie did. The harmoic response is fair. But then again, this is a low priced guitar, so you can't expect too much from it.
Hey Scott, great review! What's your opinion on Ibanez guitars today? ive been thinking of getting a low end model, but i'm barely learning whats good quality and whats not. They seem decent enough. I've been playing a nameless Brownsville with 3-inch action at the 12th fret for 2 years. It's crippling lol.
The new ones appear to have a different humbucker. Ibanez describes the bridge pup as "Quantum (H) bridge pickup (Passive/Ceramic)." In the other vids I've watched, it seams like they may have solved the problem. www.ibanez.com/products/u_eg_detail.php?year=2016&cat_id=1&series_id=5&data_id=438&color=CL01
its been 10 years using this guitar really love my guitar
what particular sa model is this?
@@fendergibson2615 hey this could be the 160 model or 260 atleast that’s what I think. I bought an Ibanez SA460QMW in Tropical Squash Burst. It’s very nice looking, neck is very smooth but the bridge is just unusable.. I had to replace it(T102 Bridge) I bought a VegaTrem VT1 now it plays like a million bucks
I don't know if it was ever mentioned, but the sa is actually a jab at fender. It stands for strat assassin. they made these to beat the strat at being a strat. More versitile, cheaper. Neck thru ( or set neck what ever) I have a prestige sz and love it. It's really comfortable and resonates extremely well
Just picked one of these up in all black (used, made in Korea) for $249. Black is not my favorite in a guitar but, man! Love this guitar! Very versatile! Best guitar I've bought for what I paid!
Good guitar but holy shit your amp sounds freakin' amazing
@JoshAndHisGuitar The noise gates and supressors don't get rid of feedback at all while you're playing. The feedback is so intense that it overpowers your playing. At any volume beyond bedroom volume, the feedback (while playing and while your noise gate isn't doing anything) is just going nuts and renders playing impossible. So, it's not an opinion. It's fact. That's why I do the reviews. Because they are backed by someone that actually knows guitars. not just som You Tube Stroker.
@strappify I answer each and every request my friend and am happy to do so. If that is the kind of music you'll be playing, it will be 100% about the pickups and it has been proven time and time again that the EMG 81 and 85's are the combination to put in any guitar and you'll be set. Stay away from all things with Seymour Duncans in them. They are honestly horrible pickups. So, I guess from there it depends on if you want a whammy or not. If so, Floyd Rose only. All others go out of tune.
@RemainGroovy Thank you and my total pleasure!
True, you can't do any radical whammy stuff on any guitar that doesn't have a double locking system on it. But, nice and easy stuff.....it works just fine. I too like the "Strat" tones it puts out. Thanks much.
I got the purple one,took out original humbucker and popped in a iron axe hammer head pickup now she screams,and popped on locking nuts.plays Alice in chains sooo well lol
@algu11 Thank you so very much my friend. I just got a whole new batch in too. So, look for some new video reviews by this weekend!
After watching this video , I decided to buy myself This guitar and I tell you too; am so glad I did buy it
@guitarguy316 My pleasure. You won't believe the difference in quality between the old Ibanez stuff and the new. They are not the same company (literally). There is no comparison.
@bbshooter1221 Oh so very true, they have always made an exceptional effort to make sure you can always reach the highest frets with ease and speed. No finish on the backs of most of the Ibanez necks to slow you down. They are who they are for a good reason.
@Fenner1976 My pleasure. It caught my eye too big time. They really are an amazing guitar and there is no way in the world you can go wrong with them. I'm sure you'll love it.
@diossoiio Sure thing. It's a great guitar, but the humbucker pickup back there by the bridge feedsback (squeels uncontrolably as in the video) whenever you turn distortion on. Even at low levels. So, if you replace that pickup (a $25.00 investment at most from Ebay) then you will be fine and dandy and have a great guitar.
The pickup that comes in it can be fixed easily by a qualified guitar repairman. It needs to be potted (dipped in wax on the bottom side).
I hope that helps.
@vasilios1994 So very true about drop tunings. I have some 1985 Fender Strats that actually solved all of those problems with their stock and all new trem. Double locking and even if you were to detune 3 strings and break 2 more, the other string would be in tune. That's the great thing about that system, you do the whammy thing and they all do like normal, but if you change the tuning of any string or break a string, it still stays free floating, up and down, but doesn't affect other strings
It's good to see a review of an Ibanez that is not all djent and grind. I'm not surprised that this guitar can do country tones as most Ibanez can with the right pickups in them. After 30 years of playing Gibsons, Fenders and PRS's I can honestly say my Ibanez JS is the most tonally versatile and easiest to play guitar I've ever owned. It sustains for days and stays in tune no matter how much I abuse the trem.
Many thanks my friend. I agree, guitar reviews and trying to show the axe's REAL tones, are seldom seen (or heard). I'm glad you enjoyed the variety. I hear you about their trems, the Edge trem I have on my JEM acrylic, just won't give a bit.
Love mine. It's the red charcoal burgundy nice chunk of mahogany. Wish my 120 had split
@Lerkow True, the single coil pickups are all fine, it's the Tru Duo humbucker that has a major issue with feedback, if you replace that pickup with another splittable pickup or just another humbucker, all will be wonderful. The Tru Duo is great for clean, but nobody plays clean all the time, so...that pickup is pretty much worthless.
My Dad is a fan of the S Series Ibanez guitars.
The Ibanez S771PB-NTF in particular has a great looking top.
@Waaaghpower Yes, one of these 2 is that model. Thank you.
@TheSilverhawaiian Cool, it should pull up really easily, especially with those easy grip knobs on them. So, the pickup would've clearly been advertised as a Tru-Duo if it has that splitting capability. My total pleasure my friend.
Hello people!! I have an Ibanez sa 260 TQM, quilted maple in gray black colour, but i changed all pickups, I've put Duncan Custom 5 on bridge and two custom wounded single coils. I've changed pots, switch, added treble blend, a new bone nut, I've changed all frets and replaced plastic dots on neck with pearl dots, and I've put Grover mini locking tuners and new set of Elixir Polyweb(10). The guitar is now a beast. I love it cause its small and lightweight. Now with all these customization it really sounds very good and it looks so great. It became my first guitar on most gigs i do. I would recomend it to anyone. Greetings from Croatia!!!!!!!
@Fenner1976 Thank you. They are really quite a great guitar. Just the humbucker could've been better. Other than that, these are a keeper for sure. I can't say a single things bad about them other than that. They are easily one of the best looking and playing guitars on the market at any price.
@sirsmokey1984 The SA260FM is a great guitar, I've owned it also. It is just the humbucker pickup is not good at all in them. If you want to spend $25.00 on a used Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup to put in the bridge position, you can still wire it to do the coil split thing. But, that is what those bands used back then and you'll get the exact same tones as they did with that pickup. So, the guitar is great, do that one modification and you'll be set for many years.
Cool guitar except the humbucker. I might be able to buy a decent one used, for $182. Do you recommend it if I can stock a Dimarzio humbucker in it ?
This is the SAS36FM-TGB. For those who want to know :)
Waaaghpower thank you! I was looking for this info :)
Is it not SA260FM?
Waaaghpower it's an SA260FM.
@MrCaribbean You are correct, it is the FM. I have since sold both of these and too stick to mainly Strats. The humbucker is a shame though as it is soooo very microphonic and feedsback and low bedroom levels. The single coils are fine and dandy though.
To make the Humbucker sound heavy, play through a line 6 spider iv 15/30/70/120.... I play through to spider iv 15
@guitarguy316 Thank you my friend. It does have a great clean sound indeed. That humbucker really lacks in the distortion department and feeds back so easily, but clean, it's good to go.
@TheMetalhead804 Yeah, anything by Duncan would work. None of them are geared towards a clean tone at all. So, you'd be safe dropping any Duncan in there. Then you can decide if you want a pickup that will still be able to utilize the coil splitting switch that is already installed.
@nomoredd0988 It's Gray the Sa36 and the other one in this video is purple. It only goes out of tune if you use the whammy. Same as any guitar without a double locking system. I got the 36 for $200.00 brand new on Ebay and the purple one even cheaper.
@jadon131 You are correct, it is the 36QM That particular one was the Gray. I've since sold them both to make room for better guitars.
@jadon131 The Grey one with the set neck is the SAS36QM and it would be better with ANY splittable pickup in it. I think that the DiMarzio D-Activator would be wonderful in it. They split really well and sound great as a humbucker and really great as a single coil also where other pickups simply don't split well and do the job of both as well as the D-Activator.
I'm picking a SA 260Fm up for the equivalent of 160 dollars next week, can't wait! :D
@punkcoustic One is the transparent grey and the other is a trans purple. The Blackberry is much darker.....almost a deep red.
@KX36 The single coils are great actually. I'm not a fan of any Duncan pickups at all, but some folks are. I would imagine that the '59 or a Dimarzio D Activator in there would be great. The rest of the axe is superb with the exception of that one pickup. I have sold both of these axes now. I simply had to make room for some better axes. I don't keep guitars that aren't all original anymore, so, without modding these out, they became of no use to me. But they can be great with the mods.
@outbook True, they are quite Schecter-ish. I did finally end up getting rid of both of these. I just had to make room for some more vintage stuff.
Thanks. The pinch harmonics are the same on any guitar, even acoustic guitars.. Just don't turn the distortion on with the humbucker on. Just a HORRIBLE pickup. The single coils are fine and dandy though.
@thronaesMusic Cool, they are beautifully done guitars. The finishes are amazing.
@Harvey529 Yeah, so it would be hard to say then. It's just the True-Duo pickup that has that problem. I've never experienced it with any of their other pickups. But, all of the SA series that came with the True-Duo in them.....it happened with each and every one that came through here.
@kssband The bold on neck version one is yes.
@hothengchun My pleasure. This would be a great axe with a $25.00 used humbucker thrown in it. But stock, neither of these models hold up to anything more than bedroom volume.
I found a yellow one in eBay for $249 shipped in like brand new shape with nice gig bag. A really nice guitar and a fine neck. We owe you, Scott!
Hard guitar to beat for that price huh? Thanks man! Way better than that shit from RONDO huh? lol
@jegerhode9 I'm not sure what your'e getting at. But no, this is not the SA 120EX-3
@slayterise Thank you, the are amazing looking guitars. A new bridge pickup (still splittable) and they would be superb.
@JoeyRapps1 Nope, never had any type of bridge problems at all. Actually the bridges on these are the best feature. They are much better than the Fender trem bridges.
@ForOrAgainstUs I'll help you find it, it could very well be The Ibanez SAS32EXFM Which has the 2 humbuckers that still retain the True Duo split coil functions via the push/pull pots. That is the hard thing with the SA series......they all just say SA Series on the neck as you said. They should at least put the model number on the neck plate, back of the headstock, somewhere. lol They are so nice and light and play amazingly.
@MrCaribbean Thank you, you are correct, they are perfect for the country thing. I don't think that Ibanez ever saw that in them, but that is where they fit best. Good ear.
Scott
@Harvey529 Well, you would have to let me know if your guitar is loaded with the True-Duo pickup (that is what the problem is and what causes all the feedback) all the other pickups are great in these guitars. So, let me know what magic pickup is in yours and just how huge that Vox amp is and we'll try to analyze why yours works and all of the other ones don't.
I have owned more Fender and Gibsons and its hit and miss in reference to good playing instruments, however my Ibanezs never fail me. Grove on!
Holy cow! I didn’t recognise trick with volume up down 😅, glad I’m watched this 🎉
I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching and I hope you keep on rockin'.
@@groovydjs will be helpful what’s the switch up or down for exactly ? I have from second hand and just discovered watching your movie yesterday.
Cheers Scott always good to get a decent review now I know its a good clean guitar
Hi Scott,
That abalone trim is called purfling.
I like your videos!
@Annonymus121 Yeah, they are cool axes. I really wish they would've used a different pickup in the bridge position though. But that's easily fixable in about 10 minutes.
Good to find somebody else who appreciates the SA series. Lovely country chops there.
I've got 3 SA guitars now: two cheapies and one Prestige. I've changed the pickups in one of the cheap SA guitars... I agree that the stock pickups on the cheaper models aren't great for rock and metal, but if you love the feel of the guitar just grab some used Seymour Duncans, DiMarzios or other quality pickups off of eBay.
@vasilios1994 At least you were smart enough to get the double locking version. No other system can take the whammy abuse, no matter how close to the nut that the locking nut is. Plus for others reading. If you use a system that allows the ball ends to remain on, those ball ends become unseated and placed differently after a deep dive bomb. Therefore, anything other than a double locking system CAN'T stay in tune. Congrats on the PRESTIGE! Super Guitars!
@xVictimOfSocietyx You can play any guitar to play their stuff. It doesn't take much know how to play either of the band's songs. Remember, you'll never make any money learning and playing other people's music. Ok, back on track. If you dump the humbucker and put a different on in it, it's a fine and dandy cheap guitar and will do a good job in any situation. As is, when purchased new, the humbucker is useless and will feedback at pretty much any volume, so it's a must change.
I have a similar model, good review,
Mine isn't so good for radical whammy bar stuff,
but I like the "Strat" quality.
Beautiful finish on that ibanez
@MrRobbrocker I have a few of the SA guitars and they all feedback at very low levels with any kind of distortion on them at all. It don't matter if they are in single coil or humbucking mode, they are simply a cheap pickup. Too bad, because they aren't a bad axe otherwise.
@MrMegatina That's cool my friend, I'll be here waiting.
@knutagnarstrand1 I'm not familiar with any metal bands between the frets, it's all wood. Nothing on the Epiphones that would be different than on here. If you could clarify, I'll be happy to help out.
Cool video... Love this guitar.
@Fenner1976 The Yamaha Pacificia is a great guitar too. Better pickup in the bridge position too.
Good review, thank you for posting. Was about to pick up one of these but not going to, given your good advice on the duo pickup
@ciann15 Thank you very much my friend.
@iNewmusic23 Yes, this one is the SAS36EX
Houston we have a problem....great video!!!!
I have that guitar and she's amazing!
@wieslawtworzywo Hi my friend, you can go to any of my Strat reviews (or any of my guitar reviews period) I use EXACTLY the same settings for every single review of every single guitar. So, you can compare the difference that way. I've since sold these guitars, so I can no longer do a side by side comparison.
@FatGuyWithAKatana Yeah, these are a really sweet axe and the finishes are stunning. They really did a great job with these models.
@udi112 I do at times, but I'm here more to talk about the guitar and let you hear what each pickup sounds like and what sucks and don't suck about it. Almost every guitar sounds the same once you slam distortion on it and do speed licks past the 12th fret, so really no reason to go there. It sounds like every other guitar does up there.
@XxAwakenDarknessxX They are all pretty similar. Just a guitar not actually made by Ibanez, just has the decal on the headstock. But they are good enough to get you by with little to no problems.
@Scalibq When ordering the guitars, the SAS does appear with the rest of the model numbers and both guitars simply say SA Series on both headstocks under the Ibanez label.......why they do this.....who knows. It is Ibanez ...so, that could explain it, they are a little confused these days. lol
Is this guitar good to play metal? I don't mean like death metal or djent or things like that, I mean like getting a 80's glam tone or maybe Megadeth as the heaviest thing I would play. I heard that the humbuckers aren't that good with heavy distortions, could you give me an opinion on that?
I gave the opinion. The humbucker on this sucks ass. It needs to be thrown away. The single coils are fine. The humbucker will feedback and low, bedroom volumes. Quite a shame. It looked good on paper, but lost big time in the distortion arena.
Yeah sorry, I was commenting before finishing the video, my bad. Thanks!, One more thing, will you consider it profitable to buy the guitar and change only the humbucker? Or just get another guitar? I really love the design and color of that guitar and I like the to have a stratoish thin sound (as I mention above I sometimes use distortions) so I'm kinda in love with the guitar and it's difficult for me to accept the idea of not getting that one, though if all pickups needs to be changed I would consider getting a different guitar.
Yeah, just swap out the humbucker with something like a Dimarzio Super Distortion or Dual Sound. You'll still be able to split it for the single coil sound, but the distorted tone in humbucking mode will be amazing.
Groovy Music Lessons Thank you very much!
aldor159 why would you consider this guitar for that style? It's Ibanez version of a strat. If you want metal of any type go look at their other models.
Dude I love the sound of the guitar. I had NO IDEA that an Ibanez could be used for Country Music. When you started playing the country on that made me remember my late father who was a professional guitar player in Texas. When you started playing it sounded like his old G&L Broadcaster he had. I wish I could learn guitars from you as he never taught me a damn thing.
@MyFallenIdolMusic True, I actually sold them both and really liked the Bolt on much better. I'm just a bolt on type of guy. Still, they both had that same bridge pickup and it was impossible to deal with, so....they had to go away.
i have one of these -and i must say - i cant quite get it to sound as good as you scott- damn....you make that thing sing like its a pedal steel - wonderful guitar ...not gonna change a thing on it
i am just gonna use it -just for the studio -as i need a rock n roll beast (and my sg does that nice) -but this is major "quack " ...less quack than a duck ,sure ...but more quack than an actual strat !! I love the little sucker -glad i saw your video and it alerted me to it when i saw it going cheap . Love it !!!!
@1961marshall Nope, the amp is just fine. My other 150+ guitars sound great through it and don't have that problem at all, just those 2 Ibanez guitars with that bridge pickup. To get 2 identical ones that aren't identical would be pretty funky. So, I have my head up high and proud knowing that they have been sold and are gone. A good pickup in the bridge and they would've been worth keeping for sure, but I keep all things stock and just couldn't live with them......just a head's up.
@guitarguy316 Yeah, the Ibanez Roadstars from the early 80's. Smokin' guitars and they can be had for far less than these and they are ten times the guitars that these are.
@MrMegatina I think you'll actually be better off with the RG570 It's a really great axe. Keep me posted on it after you grab it up. I'd like to hear your opinion of it.
@doralman6661 Yep, throw out the bridge pickup and you'll be good to go. Just don't use the whammy.
I've the 120 SA. I love it 2009 natural wood burgundy burst or whatever. Lol
@ravenshield56 Sounds like just typical feedback. Do you have any other guitars with single coil pickups to plug in at the same volume? There are Metal players playing stock Telecasters through tons of Marshall stacks all turned on 10 all over the world and they get by with it fine and dandy. It has to be louder than band practice. lol You could have some microphonic pickups. It's rare these days, but it still happens. I have an 80's Tele that will feedback clean at a whisper.
I'm really suprised about the distortion thing, thnx for the vid =)
@MyFallenIdolMusic The headstock reads SA SERIES. Nothing more other than IBANEZ. This is a set neck and my other SA SERIES has a bolt on. Both have IDENTICAL SA SERIES printed on the headstock. Not SAS SERIES.
@groovydjs Unfortunatly it doesn't say what the amp model is, because Ibanez have an annoying habbit of not marking the model codes on them, but its like your one that alternates between a single and humbucker coil and I have a 30watt Vox AD30VT amp.
Hi Scott, thanks for that demo, I was looking for a HSS Ibanez and it looks like that SA sounds terrific. The neck pickup sound is amazing for such lower priced guitar. I'm not a huge fan of the abalone trimming (the Premium SA looks better without that eye-candy) but I think I'll survive ;-)
Fucking lovely chops man!
@vasilios1994 I just checked out the DiveBomb test. Great axe there my friend and that puppy stays in tune through all that fun. Just goes to prove the difference between that axe and the one in my little review above. You have a true guitar that holds up through anything you can throw at it, where as mine became worthless after getting the guitar loud enough to almost hear it. Then it was nothing but feedback (not the good kind) only when using the humbucker. Bad pickup. lol
I have one of these, it's fantastic!
@diossoiio 100% Yeah, just drop any great pickup in there and the guitar will be awesome. That particular pickup is it's one and only weak point. Other than that, it's an awesome guitar. So, a Dimarzio Super Distortion would work great, anything that is still splittable so that you can utilize that feature would be cool too. It is simply a bad pickup design is all.
hello, I'm beginner here. Are bare knuckle pick ups any good in this guitar? I'm getting an Ibanez SA series this weekend that already has them. Just wondering if i'll be replacing them or not. Thanks in advance.
Hello Andrew. I'm sure that you will be VERY happy with them in there....especially in the bridge position. You'll end up keeping them in there forever I bet. Congrats on picking up the axe!
If you wanted a good distortion sound on this guitar while keeping the quality clean sound, what pickup would you get?
I'd toss a Dimarzio Dual Sound in there.
Groovy Music Lessons Thanks very much. Appreciate it.
Evo 2
@Quailee141 With different pickups, sure. But not even close with these. Plus, there's not a chance in the world of the whammy staying in tune either.
@TheTranslator100 Nope, I'll show it. It is the True-Duo pickup that sucks. Watch the video. If you just turn on the distortion with that pickup on, away it goes, no matter what else you think about the review or my playing. I've had a bunch of these guitars with this same pickup come through here and it's all about the pickup being a piece of crap, not me. So, lay blame where it belongs. I don't know who Mark is, nor do I care. I'm here to give MY review, and I gave it. Thanks anyway.
@MrMegatina It was the SAS36QM
@TheRAMA1295 Van Halen is great at what he does. No doubt about it. This guitar would be fine for it if you replaced the pickup in the bridge. The bridge pickup in these are horrible. The Trem system would also have to be replaced with a Floyd Rose system to be able to handle the major Whammy usage that Eddie did. The harmoic response is fair. But then again, this is a low priced guitar, so you can't expect too much from it.
Hey Scott, great review! What's your opinion on Ibanez guitars today? ive been thinking of getting a low end model, but i'm barely learning whats good quality and whats not. They seem decent enough. I've been playing a nameless Brownsville with 3-inch action at the 12th fret for 2 years. It's crippling lol.
The new ones appear to have a different humbucker. Ibanez describes the bridge pup as "Quantum (H) bridge pickup (Passive/Ceramic)." In the other vids I've watched, it seams like they may have solved the problem. www.ibanez.com/products/u_eg_detail.php?year=2016&cat_id=1&series_id=5&data_id=438&color=CL01