Great video. I have an az224f and here's a tip for getting rid of the scratchy noises with the trem: do not screw it too far! Start screwing and stop as soon as the arm is not balancing anymore, if you see what I mean. It's a tiny sweet spot where the scratching goes away.
I just tried this and it does work. It’s only a tad looser than I’m use to (I usually like it as tight as possible so it doesn’t move). I’m going to pin this comment so others can see this fix.
I can’t believe you guys only have 160 subscribers! This video literally has higher production value than most guitar comparisons and reviews. Great job!
Nice comparison! the dynamics between you two is great. In such a long video I'd like to have more detailed timestamps to make it easier to navigate through. Other than that - great video!
Hey young dudes, really good vid, very useful. I have 3 Ibanez AZ guitars one is an HSS MIJ Prestige, the other is an HSS Premium and the third is an HH Premium. Now I've been at this for a long, long time almost 40 years, I'm in my mid 50's. Played a lotta, lotta, lotta gigs and still do and I've had a lot of guitars since back in 1984. Also, it's a nightmare to have a great guitar and play a gig and have it stolen or damaged especially if it cost you anywhere upward of 3 grand. So, my take is that although the Prestige is fantastic, I would rather take my Premiums to gigs because at the end of the day there's really no difference in tone. Keep on rockin'. Mike.
Thanks! I agree, even if there was a more noticeable difference in sound the audience will almost never notice it. The playability are pretty similar so it would make sense to gig with the Premium and keep the Prestiges safe.
What distortion pedal/amp were you using for the sound test? Love how sharp and crisp it sounds. I didn’t know you could make a AZ sound like this, I always thought they lacked high frequencies and note clarity
On clean setting the Prestige sounds way more full and balanced. On crunch chanel the differences are not so obvious but still evident. I think what I was trying to say is the Prestige is more bassy of the two
I agree there is a subtle difference in the cleans. This could be because of the natural variations in sound when winding pickups or the woods used in construction. The trem block could also be a contributing factor.
great comparison guys. I think I may go with the Prestige because knowing me, I'll regret not buying the "fancier" option. I do notice that the Premium sounds a little more brittle/harsh than the smoother sounding Prestige.
Thanks! We appreciate it. I also tend to fall into this boat which is evident with the Strandberg Boden 7 True Temperament video. I had also noticed a bit of a difference after hearing them back to back but it could be due to either the steel block in the Prestige vs Zinc in the Premium or the fact that every pickup of the same model is going to sound slightly different just due to the way pickup tones naturally vary a bit. Either is still a great option and amazing guitar. You can’t go wrong with either.
@@guitarguild7336 That's funny. I thought most of the tones were the opposite of what Eric said. There seemed to be a tiny amount of extra top end on the prestige, which to my ears made it sound slightly harsher. The difference is pretty minimal either way though. With all the other stuff that goes on in any given signal chain it hardly matters.
@@guitarguild7336 Hey mate, i tried a comparisong about similar guitars too i believe the steel blocks makes a little difference but the wood makes a difference too. Alder sounds more balance notice that in cleans, basswood sound similar but with less highs and a little less bass
@@guitarguild7336 you are right about the majority of them but my model came standard with an AAA grade flame top and neck and fret board. I have the AZ2402FF regal brown burst. Its was $2799.99 and is limited edition. It is the top of the range for the az models. It is still on the sweetwater website as well. Heres the link from when it was on Ibanez website in 2019: www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/az2402ff_00_01.html How could I share pics with you?
I had seen that model before and I didn’t know it came with a flamed maple neck in the specs. Hopefully Ibanez makes more limited editions but my wallet might disagree with me. You can email me at official.kiris@gmail.com
Hello there. What if I’m in the market for a new guitar. I am looking for Ibanez with a trem bridge, but don’t like the AZ neck and don’t want a Floyd Rose. What ibanez options exists?
Hey, there Ibanez doesn’t currently build many non locking trem guitars at the moment besides the AZ series. If you can find it used I would look into the MSM1. It’s was Marco Sfogli first signature guitar before the AZ line was created. There were a few other models that used the Ibanez SynchroniZR tremolo bridge w/ZPS-FX such as the RGV and SV models. Hope this helped!
The Charvel DK24 is a great option if you extend out of Ibanez. A Harley Benton Fusion would also be a great option if you want to save money or mod it.
It seems like the idea that MIJ is superior seems to sway people's opinions more than the products themselves. Virtually every reason I can find that people give for why the Prestige is "much better" seem so across the board and completely the opposite case from experience to experience. I think if experienced guitarists have trouble really distinguishing what makes one guitar better than the other, it's definitely not worth a $700 price difference. You can get a whole other solid guitar for that. Also, keep in mind that your mileage will ultimately vary. Between differences in the wood, conditions, circumstances in production and shipping etc, even two MIJ Ibanez can come out with a lesser final product. I'm leaning much more strongly towards a Premium. For a $700 price difference, there should be clear distinguishable differences.
Very true, a lot of people put too much focus on where it’s made and not how it’s made. Most factories across Asia have gotten very good at building guitars. I’ve noticed that nice guitars from Korea and Indonesia are well built and solid but save costs on hardware and electronics which is easily replaceable compared to the overall construction. These factories will only continue to get better with every guitar they build and they build a lot. I’m sure if the brands that contracted the factories wanted to bump up the quality of their guitars to a close level of MIA and MIJ without raising costs too much they could but some wouldn’t want to do that to prevent eating into their higher end sales. While in this scenario with these two very similar AZs, there are some differences they are to be honest quite small. If we didn’t have these side by side and checked every inch, which we did, we wouldn’t have noticed most of these which is why I haven’t heard of most of the differences we mentioned when we got ours. Most players won’t notice them when playing in a store except for the neck finish and body edges. And even then most players that aren’t highly experienced probably wouldn’t unless pointed out. This is a great case of diminishing returns. Like I mentioned in the video I choose to save the money by buying the premium and having it PLEK’d. Overall cost was still less than a prestige but the PLEK job was very much worth that money since we don’t ever think about playability when going back and forth between them. And since this video was posted I bought a used AZ prestige and the difference without the PLEK job is noticeable. I don’t ever think of my premium as a “lesser” guitar cuz of price because it shreds like an industrial shredder.
I just held them back to back and they feel just about identical. If there is a difference it’s probably too small to notice and could just be CNC manufacturing tolerances.
First AZ I played was a Prestige HH. Great guitar, was like almost 1 hour in the music store playing it. I ended getting a Premium later. Came with fret issues, that I realized how bad it was much later, after I lower the action a bit. (I lowered from 2.2mm to 1.9mm) and the first string a little bend and the note was dead. After fixing the frets, I got it to a luthier which did a great job and the guitar is now just perfect for me. Besides the fret issues, I cant find much difference from the prestige. Blindfolded I don't think I would be able to tell the difference. But I don't know, maybe its because my premium now just is now so so good. But very interesting videos, thanks a lot!! Im very happy with the AZ. Amazing guitar. Just changed the bridge pickup for a more PAF one, the cleans of the humbucker hyperion were not my favorite (with gain the Hyperion is awesome!), and now it's the sound that I like much more.
Fortunately you got a fret job to solve the issue. After seeing the fret work that was needed on David’s Prestige AZ because of the 8th fret I automatically decided to get a PLEK job on my Premium. With both of these guitars PLEK’d they play amazing and can have similar action. I think a premium and a fret job will go a long way.
@@guitarguild7336 nice! I live in Chile and actually I think here we don't have the option to PLEK. Not sure, but have never seen this service here. And actually the fret job was kind of a headache, lol, took it first to one place, they didn't do a great job. It was better leveled, but the frets were very rough and other details. The second guy was a luthier and did a Fantastic job and now it is just amazing! About the pickups, was looking for a lower output one. Wanted a Bare Knuckle The Mule, burstbucker 2, SD Seth Lover......but one guy was selling a Fralin Unbucker used and ended getting that one. They are very good pickups. And I used the neck pickup and put it in the bridge of my fender strat pro (don't like the single coil bridge on the strat). both work great for me! Never considered this pickup before, but just went for it and very happy with the decision.
Sorry to hear about that. Fret jobs are annoying especially with stainless steel frets. Hopefully the trouble was worth it for you. A nice fret job from a skilled luthier will always take a guitar to the next level. I’ve heard good things about Fralin pickups but I’ve never tried them myself.
@@guitarguild7336 yeah, was worth the wait at the end, Im very happy now. And was worth it because here in Chile the Ibanez AZ was really cheap, got it for around $800 USD completely new. Then around 120 USD with the fret job, but still very good price and now is just awesome! Congrats again on an amazing video! Very interesting.
I feel that cleans are the most transparent way of comparing the sound and tone. In this case the difference might be mostly attributed to the steel tone block. If it fits comfortably in your budget I would recommend the Prestige. The Premium are still great instruments and hold their own up against the Prestige. A PLEK’d Premium will usually be less overall than a new Prestige and will have amazing playability. Hope that helps.
@@guitarguild7336 Thanks for the reply, great video btw. Im just worried because many people have been saying that AZs have fretting issues. (such as dead notes or high frets). But most of them did not have the 2020 edition... Its a shame they dont have them in my country. Quick question, what makes you think steel tone blocks affect the tone? I tought that was bogus..
Thank you! Hopefully they have fixed some of those fret issues. It’s usually always best to play the instrument before buying it when possible. Acoustically the prestige sounds brighter. I also replaced the block on one of my guitars and noticed a slight subtle difference. I personally think that blocks make slightly more of a difference than just tonewood. But the difference is very subtle and other factors such as strings, amps and pickup height will make a much bigger difference.
Alpha pots seem pretty common for most guitars. Nothing super cheap but probably not the nicest pots money can buy. They do the job and work reliably which is all you can ask for.
We haven’t compared them through the amp but I would imagine that they would give similar results. We’ve played with them before and they sound amazing.
Great question! A PLEK machine is a CNC machine that measures the height of each fret under string tension and then levels it with extreme precision. There are some videos online of how the process takes place.
They have grown in popularity over the last few years and more shops worldwide have them. I’m not sure where in Europe you are but I know they have one at Thomann. Check the PLEK website, they had a map of locations that have them.
My AZ242F (Premium) had a linear, as opposed to logarithmic, volume pot. I wonder if Prestige come out with the correct, logarithmic taper that volume pots should always have to give regular and constant volume swells when using them. This would add up to those tiny "hidden" differences.
Ok thanks for sharing this info too! That's strange, in the past RG ranges (Korean vs Japanese) were also differentiated this way... which obviously was pure marketing: lin and log pots cost exactly the same...
I didn’t know they did that in the past. It must of been purely marketing cuz the pots would cost exactly the same and only are only a few cents each for a manufacturer.
There’s no way the electronics are the same! That would put a warp in the space time continuum! Japanese guitars are purchased mainly because of there high quality electronics! As well as foot pedals! And many other things!
Only the pots seem to be different. The pickups and dynamix switch are the same which makes sense since that’s in the specs for both guitars. Japanese guitars usually do have high quality construction and have been making very nice guitars for decades.
Well, I haven't felt either guitars, but from visual at 17:18 the prestige looks better on the frets, more rounded, but a bit ''worse'' on the fingerboard edges.
The playability is very similar especially since they both have been PLEK’d and the necks are almost identical except for the finish. My premium AZ is my main 6 string in my collection and holds up with higher end guitars. I have a Prestige AZ now since this video was posted and that one isn’t PLEK’d and I can tell it doesn’t have the same feel as the other two. Still 100% playable with no issues but PLEKing gives that boost
It is an Ibanez AZ2402-ICM. I believe Ibanez might have discontinued this finish but you might be able to find a retailer that has old stock or on Reverb.
It was also my one of my favorite finishes but David got one already so I couldn’t get the same. Hopefully you can find one online but the Facebook buy/sell groups could be another good option to find one. There are quite a few of those groups but you can always make a post looking to buy one.
I don’t like them...they are too beautiful and I would have that constant fear of nicking the paint..that’s why I buy used guitars in good /fair conditions 😅....of course they are still Ibanez’ Great video by the way
It’s actually a pretty well known issue for the AZs if you check the forums and groups. You could have gotten lucky. It’s not noticeable while playing and using the trem but if you just spin the bar you can hear it. Also seems to be minimized and usually fixed if you keep the bar looser. I personally like to have it stay wherever I put it so I usually have it tighter on my guitars but I’ve backed it off slightly and it solved most of the noise.
Mine won’t hardly stay in tune it is brand new Limited Edition AZ 2204KB prestige Koa brown. I had it pleked the guy hated the tuners complained about them, I had to show him how to use them and I had never used them I just saw a video. That’s another horror show not sure I got a great plek job. The Guitar only has 3 springs should I use 4 and where do I get a fourth spring these springs look different where do you purchase one I can’t even find a setup video for the T 1802 trem
Adding another spring won’t really help the tuning stability since it’s usually caused by string friction. Here’s what I would suggest to do to figure out the cause. First make sure you have relatively new strings and they are properly stretched. Then lube the nut slots, string tree and saddles. Check if the locking screws inside the trem posts are locked. Most come out of the factory with the stud locks lose to prevent someone from turning the posts while locked and causing damage. If the tuning issue persists, I would recommend getting 3 in 1 oil and adding a bit to the trem posts and knife edges. Hopefully one of these were the culprit of the issue. Let me know how it goes.
To my ears they sound almost completely identical. The Prestige might have ever so slightly more high end but that could be because of the steel trem block and the natural variance in pickup winding. Thanks for watching!
I am a little biased but I like the aesthetic of the premium. The premiums do have some nice options. Some of the Prestiges like Martin Miller's signature are really nice and I would consider that if it's within your budget.
Great video. I have an az224f and here's a tip for getting rid of the scratchy noises with the trem: do not screw it too far! Start screwing and stop as soon as the arm is not balancing anymore, if you see what I mean. It's a tiny sweet spot where the scratching goes away.
Are you referring to the screw in the trem block? I will have to give that a try
@@guitarguild7336 I mean the outer one that tighten or loosen the bar, yeah. I was surprised as you are, it's that simple.
I just tried this and it does work. It’s only a tad looser than I’m use to (I usually like it as tight as possible so it doesn’t move). I’m going to pin this comment so others can see this fix.
@@guitarguild7336 Great! I still hope they'll fix it in next iterations of this fantastic guitar ;)
I really hope they do with the next gen of AZs. A 7 string AZ would also be nicely welcomed.
When someone wants to buy a guitar, this is exactly how a review should be. Great job guys
Really appreciate the fine-detailed look. Subscribed!
I can’t believe you guys only have 160 subscribers! This video literally has higher production value than most guitar comparisons and reviews. Great job!
The production quality of this video is great! Thank you for making such a comparison. I personally went for the premium AZ (Black Ice).
Thanks for watching! You won’t be disappointed with it especially with the nice flame top.
Really enjoyed this video dudes. Reminds me of back in the day when I still had homies that I could geek out over gear with 🤘
Friends that geek out over the same gear are true homies. We got something in the works that’s even crazier to geek over. Should be out very soon.
Great comparison and review! Thank you and please continue making such good videos! Cheers! :)
Nice comparison! the dynamics between you two is great.
In such a long video I'd like to have more detailed timestamps to make it easier to navigate through.
Other than that - great video!
Noted. I love the feedback. I will definitely keep that in mind for the future
Hey young dudes, really good vid, very useful. I have 3 Ibanez AZ guitars one is an HSS MIJ Prestige, the other is an HSS Premium and the third is an HH Premium. Now I've been at this for a long, long time almost 40 years, I'm in my mid 50's. Played a lotta, lotta, lotta gigs and still do and I've had a lot of guitars since back in 1984. Also, it's a nightmare to have a great guitar and play a gig and have it stolen or damaged especially if it cost you anywhere upward of 3 grand. So, my take is that although the Prestige is fantastic, I would rather take my Premiums to gigs because at the end of the day there's really no difference in tone. Keep on rockin'. Mike.
Thanks! I agree, even if there was a more noticeable difference in sound the audience will almost never notice it. The playability are pretty similar so it would make sense to gig with the Premium and keep the Prestiges safe.
What distortion pedal/amp were you using for the sound test? Love how sharp and crisp it sounds. I didn’t know you could make a AZ sound like this, I always thought they lacked high frequencies and note clarity
On clean setting the Prestige sounds way more full and balanced. On crunch chanel the differences are not so obvious but still evident. I think what I was trying to say is the Prestige is more bassy of the two
I agree there is a subtle difference in the cleans. This could be because of the natural variations in sound when winding pickups or the woods used in construction. The trem block could also be a contributing factor.
Super…… Thanks guys !!!!!
RG vs Premium which one has more comfortable neck? I am planning to buy my first ibanez. please help me. i heard others got wrist pain when on RG
great comparison guys. I think I may go with the Prestige because knowing me, I'll regret not buying the "fancier" option. I do notice that the Premium sounds a little more brittle/harsh than the smoother sounding Prestige.
Thanks! We appreciate it. I also tend to fall into this boat which is evident with the Strandberg Boden 7 True Temperament video. I had also noticed a bit of a difference after hearing them back to back but it could be due to either the steel block in the Prestige vs Zinc in the Premium or the fact that every pickup of the same model is going to sound slightly different just due to the way pickup tones naturally vary a bit. Either is still a great option and amazing guitar. You can’t go wrong with either.
@@guitarguild7336 That's funny. I thought most of the tones were the opposite of what Eric said. There seemed to be a tiny amount of extra top end on the prestige, which to my ears made it sound slightly harsher. The difference is pretty minimal either way though. With all the other stuff that goes on in any given signal chain it hardly matters.
@@guitarguild7336 Hey mate, i tried a comparisong about similar guitars too i believe the steel blocks makes a little difference but the wood makes a difference too. Alder sounds more balance notice that in cleans, basswood sound similar but with less highs and a little less bass
If you have any suggestions for videos or questions about these two guitars post them in the comments!
Hello sir, how about the trem system? Isn't out of tune when it use?
I Love the premium one
Trem arm noise - just put a spot of Vaseline on the tip of the trem arm, and the noise will go away ;)
Thanks for the tip
FYI guys, my Ibanez az2402 has a flame neck on it like Tom Quayle's new custom az. If youd like to see it, I can show you
That’s interesting, you might have gotten extremely lucky. The majority of premium and prestige AZs I’ve seen don’t have one. Pics would be be nice.
@@guitarguild7336 you are right about the majority of them but my model came standard with an AAA grade flame top and neck and fret board. I have the AZ2402FF regal brown burst. Its was $2799.99 and is limited edition. It is the top of the range for the az models. It is still on the sweetwater website as well.
Heres the link from when it was on Ibanez website in 2019:
www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/az2402ff_00_01.html
How could I share pics with you?
I had seen that model before and I didn’t know it came with a flamed maple neck in the specs. Hopefully Ibanez makes more limited editions but my wallet might disagree with me. You can email me at official.kiris@gmail.com
@@jtm-rq9gt me and you both managed to score that VERY limited edition AZ with the flamed fretboard and ablone inlays, white pickups, gorgeous guitar
I found the AZ Premium necks to be more rolled off than AZ Prestige necks in the shop. Quite surprising.
So the nutz impregnated oil?
Why have most companies stopped selling the premium? I’m having a hard time finding one online
Can the gotoh bridge of ibanez permium be pulled backwards like a Floyd rose?
Yes, both bridges are routed to be pulled up or down.
Thanks For the reply❤ Great Video👍
Hello there. What if I’m in the market for a new guitar. I am looking for Ibanez with a trem bridge, but don’t like the AZ neck and don’t want a Floyd Rose. What ibanez options exists?
Hey, there Ibanez doesn’t currently build many non locking trem guitars at the moment besides the AZ series. If you can find it used I would look into the MSM1. It’s was Marco Sfogli first signature guitar before the AZ line was created. There were a few other models that used the Ibanez SynchroniZR tremolo bridge w/ZPS-FX such as the RGV and SV models. Hope this helped!
Charvel is also worth looking into if you haven’t already.
The Charvel DK24 is a great option if you extend out of Ibanez. A Harley Benton Fusion would also be a great option if you want to save money or mod it.
The Talman series, YY10
The body of Ibanez MM1 is mahogany/maple top, Az prestige is alder and Az premium american baswood
It seems like the idea that MIJ is superior seems to sway people's opinions more than the products themselves. Virtually every reason I can find that people give for why the Prestige is "much better" seem so across the board and completely the opposite case from experience to experience.
I think if experienced guitarists have trouble really distinguishing what makes one guitar better than the other, it's definitely not worth a $700 price difference. You can get a whole other solid guitar for that.
Also, keep in mind that your mileage will ultimately vary. Between differences in the wood, conditions, circumstances in production and shipping etc, even two MIJ Ibanez can come out with a lesser final product. I'm leaning much more strongly towards a Premium. For a $700 price difference, there should be clear distinguishable differences.
Very true, a lot of people put too much focus on where it’s made and not how it’s made. Most factories across Asia have gotten very good at building guitars. I’ve noticed that nice guitars from Korea and Indonesia are well built and solid but save costs on hardware and electronics which is easily replaceable compared to the overall construction. These factories will only continue to get better with every guitar they build and they build a lot. I’m sure if the brands that contracted the factories wanted to bump up the quality of their guitars to a close level of MIA and MIJ without raising costs too much they could but some wouldn’t want to do that to prevent eating into their higher end sales.
While in this scenario with these two very similar AZs, there are some differences they are to be honest quite small. If we didn’t have these side by side and checked every inch, which we did, we wouldn’t have noticed most of these which is why I haven’t heard of most of the differences we mentioned when we got ours. Most players won’t notice them when playing in a store except for the neck finish and body edges. And even then most players that aren’t highly experienced probably wouldn’t unless pointed out. This is a great case of diminishing returns.
Like I mentioned in the video I choose to save the money by buying the premium and having it PLEK’d. Overall cost was still less than a prestige but the PLEK job was very much worth that money since we don’t ever think about playability when going back and forth between them. And since this video was posted I bought a used AZ prestige and the difference without the PLEK job is noticeable. I don’t ever think of my premium as a “lesser” guitar cuz of price because it shreds like an industrial shredder.
The manual says you need to lube the trem bar... if you don't lube it "it ends in a lot of noise"
Is it true that the prestige neck feels a little thinner?
I just held them back to back and they feel just about identical. If there is a difference it’s probably too small to notice and could just be CNC manufacturing tolerances.
First AZ I played was a Prestige HH. Great guitar, was like almost 1 hour in the music store playing it. I ended getting a Premium later. Came with fret issues, that I realized how bad it was much later, after I lower the action a bit. (I lowered from 2.2mm to 1.9mm) and the first string a little bend and the note was dead.
After fixing the frets, I got it to a luthier which did a great job and the guitar is now just perfect for me. Besides the fret issues, I cant find much difference from the prestige.
Blindfolded I don't think I would be able to tell the difference. But I don't know, maybe its because my premium now just is now so so good.
But very interesting videos, thanks a lot!! Im very happy with the AZ. Amazing guitar. Just changed the bridge pickup for a more PAF one, the cleans of the humbucker hyperion were not my favorite (with gain the Hyperion is awesome!), and now it's the sound that I like much more.
Fortunately you got a fret job to solve the issue. After seeing the fret work that was needed on David’s Prestige AZ because of the 8th fret I automatically decided to get a PLEK job on my Premium. With both of these guitars PLEK’d they play amazing and can have similar action. I think a premium and a fret job will go a long way.
I’m curious. Which pickup did you put in the bridge?
@@guitarguild7336 nice! I live in Chile and actually I think here we don't have the option to PLEK. Not sure, but have never seen this service here. And actually the fret job was kind of a headache, lol, took it first to one place, they didn't do a great job. It was better leveled, but the frets were very rough and other details. The second guy was a luthier and did a Fantastic job and now it is just amazing!
About the pickups, was looking for a lower output one. Wanted a Bare Knuckle The Mule, burstbucker 2, SD Seth Lover......but one guy was selling a Fralin Unbucker used and ended getting that one. They are very good pickups. And I used the neck pickup and put it in the bridge of my fender strat pro (don't like the single coil bridge on the strat). both work great for me!
Never considered this pickup before, but just went for it and very happy with the decision.
Sorry to hear about that. Fret jobs are annoying especially with stainless steel frets. Hopefully the trouble was worth it for you. A nice fret job from a skilled luthier will always take a guitar to the next level. I’ve heard good things about Fralin pickups but I’ve never tried them myself.
@@guitarguild7336 yeah, was worth the wait at the end, Im very happy now.
And was worth it because here in Chile the Ibanez AZ was really cheap, got it for around $800 USD completely new. Then around 120 USD with the fret job, but still very good price and now is just awesome!
Congrats again on an amazing video! Very interesting.
Prestige takes the clean, distortion is pretty even. I am having my doubts on which to buy...
I feel that cleans are the most transparent way of comparing the sound and tone. In this case the difference might be mostly attributed to the steel tone block. If it fits comfortably in your budget I would recommend the Prestige. The Premium are still great instruments and hold their own up against the Prestige. A PLEK’d Premium will usually be less overall than a new Prestige and will have amazing playability. Hope that helps.
@@guitarguild7336 Thanks for the reply, great video btw. Im just worried because many people have been saying that AZs have fretting issues. (such as dead notes or high frets). But most of them did not have the 2020 edition... Its a shame they dont have them in my country.
Quick question, what makes you think steel tone blocks affect the tone? I tought that was bogus..
Thank you! Hopefully they have fixed some of those fret issues. It’s usually always best to play the instrument before buying it when possible. Acoustically the prestige sounds brighter. I also replaced the block on one of my guitars and noticed a slight subtle difference. I personally think that blocks make slightly more of a difference than just tonewood. But the difference is very subtle and other factors such as strings, amps and pickup height will make a much bigger difference.
Buen video!, una pregunta, cual es el precio en ambas guitarras
Gracias! En el Estado Unidos son $1,349.99 para el Premium y $1999.99 para el Prestige.
From the sound, the prestige is more clear and definition in most positions. The premium felt muddy in the sound
The steel block vs zinc block could potentially have helped the Prestige have a little more clarity
Alpha pots in a Prestige.. I don't know what standard they are, but it's seems a bit cheap for the price.
Alpha pots seem pretty common for most guitars. Nothing super cheap but probably not the nicest pots money can buy. They do the job and work reliably which is all you can ask for.
You play in the amp o modelling system?
We played through the Axe Fx II XL+ for consistency.
@@guitarguild7336 in the amp how Is?
We haven’t compared them through the amp but I would imagine that they would give similar results. We’ve played with them before and they sound amazing.
What is a plucking job, never heard of that. Is it a fret leveling job?
Great question! A PLEK machine is a CNC machine that measures the height of each fret under string tension and then levels it with extreme precision. There are some videos online of how the process takes place.
Bryant Jaramillo wow did not know such a thing existed, now I want it :) but I doubt there is such a machine in Europe :(
They have grown in popularity over the last few years and more shops worldwide have them. I’m not sure where in Europe you are but I know they have one at Thomann. Check the PLEK website, they had a map of locations that have them.
Thx Guys, learned something here
@@IsakKazazic It's a German invention so they definitely do...
My AZ242F (Premium) had a linear, as opposed to logarithmic, volume pot. I wonder if Prestige come out with the correct, logarithmic taper that volume pots should always have to give regular and constant volume swells when using them. This would add up to those tiny "hidden" differences.
On the Prestige the volume is linear (B500K) and logarithmic (A500K) for the tone. The Premium seems to also have this setup but with mini pots.
Ok thanks for sharing this info too! That's strange, in the past RG ranges (Korean vs Japanese) were also differentiated this way... which obviously was pure marketing: lin and log pots cost exactly the same...
I didn’t know they did that in the past. It must of been purely marketing cuz the pots would cost exactly the same and only are only a few cents each for a manufacturer.
Who’s the thinner neck profile?
They are nearly identical but I would say the premium might be ever so slightly thinner.
There’s no way the electronics are the same! That would put a warp in the space time continuum! Japanese guitars are purchased mainly because of there high quality electronics! As well as foot pedals! And many other things!
Only the pots seem to be different. The pickups and dynamix switch are the same which makes sense since that’s in the specs for both guitars. Japanese guitars usually do have high quality construction and have been making very nice guitars for decades.
That's the darkest neck on a premium which I've ever seen.
Thanks, I’ve usually noticed that the premium necks tend to be pretty dark but this one happens to be even darker than most of those.
Well, I haven't felt either guitars, but from visual at 17:18 the prestige looks better on the frets, more rounded, but a bit ''worse'' on the fingerboard edges.
Yea, it seems so but you honestly don’t notice it while playing.
How about the playability?
The playability is very similar especially since they both have been PLEK’d and the necks are almost identical except for the finish. My premium AZ is my main 6 string in my collection and holds up with higher end guitars. I have a Prestige AZ now since this video was posted and that one isn’t PLEK’d and I can tell it doesn’t have the same feel as the other two. Still 100% playable with no issues but PLEKing gives that boost
The Premium wins for me 😊
Which prestige model is it??
It is an Ibanez AZ2402-ICM. I believe Ibanez might have discontinued this finish but you might be able to find a retailer that has old stock or on Reverb.
@@guitarguild7336 I liked only this finish..😅
It was also my one of my favorite finishes but David got one already so I couldn’t get the same. Hopefully you can find one online but the Facebook buy/sell groups could be another good option to find one. There are quite a few of those groups but you can always make a post looking to buy one.
I don’t like them...they are too beautiful and I would have that constant fear of nicking the paint..that’s why I buy used guitars in good /fair conditions 😅....of course they are still Ibanez’
Great video by the way
I guess the only solution is to buy a used AZ.
Ya good luck finding a used az. No one sells them because they can do it all.
I have that exact premium. There's no trem noise on mine, so maybe both of you guys were unlucky with that.
It’s actually a pretty well known issue for the AZs if you check the forums and groups. You could have gotten lucky. It’s not noticeable while playing and using the trem but if you just spin the bar you can hear it. Also seems to be minimized and usually fixed if you keep the bar looser. I personally like to have it stay wherever I put it so I usually have it tighter on my guitars but I’ve backed it off slightly and it solved most of the noise.
@@guitarguild7336 my THBB10 Premium had a bit of the noise, but prestige has none, maybe some lubricant fan fix those noises 😂
Was looking forward to watching this but the sound is horrible. Please get lav mic’s so no shouting? Gave a like. Best Regards
Nice Premium indonesia
Thanks, hope you enjoyed it.
Mine won’t hardly stay in tune it is brand new Limited Edition AZ 2204KB prestige Koa brown. I had it pleked the guy hated the tuners complained about them, I had to show him how to use them and I had never used them I just saw a video. That’s another horror show not sure I got a great plek job. The Guitar only has 3 springs should I use 4 and where do I get a fourth spring these springs look different where do you purchase one I can’t even find a setup video for the T 1802 trem
Adding another spring won’t really help the tuning stability since it’s usually caused by string friction. Here’s what I would suggest to do to figure out the cause. First make sure you have relatively new strings and they are properly stretched. Then lube the nut slots, string tree and saddles. Check if the locking screws inside the trem posts are locked. Most come out of the factory with the stud locks lose to prevent someone from turning the posts while locked and causing damage. If the tuning issue persists, I would recommend getting 3 in 1 oil and adding a bit to the trem posts and knife edges. Hopefully one of these were the culprit of the issue. Let me know how it goes.
If only the Prestige looked like the Premium, I’d buy one.
Ibanez should definitely make some Prestige AZs with actual tops besides the signature models.
heavier is better
ITS GOOD YTHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE AN INTRO. Waste of seconds
wtf did they just sound same or my brain mistakin me..??
To my ears they sound almost completely identical. The Prestige might have ever so slightly more high end but that could be because of the steel trem block and the natural variance in pickup winding. Thanks for watching!
@@guitarguild7336 thnks for the answer sir i was lookin for premium one ,now i m sure to buy it..
The premium is absolutely worth it! Hope you enjoy it
@@guitarguild7336 which one do you think looking more good as a beauty i mean?
I am a little biased but I like the aesthetic of the premium. The premiums do have some nice options. Some of the Prestiges like Martin Miller's signature are really nice and I would consider that if it's within your budget.
Too much bs
God do I have to watch the whole video, 45 minutes, to find out which model is which? Sorry, you lost a viewer
Honestly Premium is the new Prestige ! The Prestige line now days is just boring 🥱