Best Electric Guitar For Short Fat Fingers (2024 Update)

Sound: The stock pickups sound great especially with high gain. Nice crunch and break up. Features: For me the reason that I bought this model is that it is the least expensive way to get a real Edge tremolo. I can do subtle things with the Edge that I can’t do on an Original Floyd Rose. The bar is easier to position and it stays where ever you put it. As long as the torsion bushings on the bar aren’t worn out, the pop in bar is neither too tight or too sloppy. Value: This guitar is worth every penny. Manufacturer Support: I did not use Ibanez customer service and I did order half a dozen sets of torsion bushings, but had to order them from different places. The Wow Factor: I love the color of this one, Desert Sun Yellow. Overall: In the last 2 months I’ve bought 5 different Ibanez guitars, both lower and higher price. I must say that this guitar is the most bang for the buck out of any of my 21 guitars that I own.Got more than 200 bucks off on mine as it was sold as a slight blemish. When the guitar arrived, I noticed it did have a hairline crack in the paint on the bass side at the neck pocket. That was the only flaw I could find and it probably would have happened anyway if I would have got a “new” one.This is the shreddiest guitar that I have. The only thing that I had to address is that the 6th fret was a little proud. Other than that the fret job was good. All the frets were shiny and smooth and no fret sprout.This is the guitar that is at the price point where if you spend more money, you aren’t going to get much better. And the fit and finish were top notch.Scott

Overall: This guitar was a total impulse buy and I’m so glad I bought it! It’s easily worth twice the price of it. Can’t get too many mid tier guitars that are neck thru with decent pickups and a 5-way switch that has a fast and slim neck at this price. I mostly play baritone 6 strings and 7 strings but I needed a 25.5” scale for drop C and this is perfect for it with 10-54 strings. I did upgrade the nut with a Graphtech tusq nut and Hipshot locking tuners with knurled tuner buttons and looks even more badass while staying in perfect tune! I have an Ibanez rgib6 Iron Label 28” baritone and this is up there with that as far as quality and playability. The stock pickups aren’t bad at all and definitely surprised me cuz that’s usually the first thing I’ll change in an inexpensive guitar. As you can see by the other reviews people say it’s a great guitar and they’re not lying so if you’re on the fence about getting it then go for it! You won’t be disappointed at all and if for some reason you are then zZounds has a return policy within like 30-45 days so you won’t be stuck with a guitar you don’t love.Josh

I picked up the Surf Green Ltd Ed. Bullet Mustang a few days ago off the rack. They had two. One had rusty strings and sharp frets but the one I picked was almost perfect. These Mustangs are great for smaller learners and older guitarists that may enjoy the lighter string tension due to the short scale. I love the sound of both humbuckers. The bridge one gives you a nice grungy Nirvana like tone while the neck is smoother but both love to be driven. I picked up the Imperial Blue Mustang HH a few weeks ago. They both use the same humbuckers, The only difference I believe is the wood type, Basswood vs Poplar. Both guitars are quite light with the Basswood Surf Green one being somewhat lighter.These Mustangs are ideal for modding but for now I've only changed the cheap pickguard on this Surf Green one, putting a Tortoise Shell on it. So far I'm loving both of them and my Fender P90 Mustang is getting quite lonely.Tingman

First of all, this is a ton of value for the price. I got it on sale which made it even a bigger steal. Now, this guitar needs a lot of setup out of the box. You should polish the frets since they are as coarse as beach sand. Otherwise, string bends will be impossible and will most likely damage the cheap supplied strings (which should be changed immediately as with most new guitars). Expect some fret buzz, so be ready to adjust the saddles and the truss rod (I like my action quite low so this was a minor tweak for me). The intonation was actually quite close to perfect, it only needed a bit of tweaking on the A string. The nut and string trees are the ones you typically get on Squiers, which are good enough but won't do wonders for your tuning and should be replaced unless you are patient enough to tune your guitar every so often. Be sure to change these first before changing the tuners/bridge if you have tuning problems, I haven't changed the tuners or bridge on mine and don't plan to – they just work. Finally, the pickups are surprisingly good for the price, not too mellow and you can get some nice tones from the bridge pickup. You might soon outgrow them, though, and might opt for better humbuckers or P90s. For all these reasons, this guitar is not the best as a first guitar or for beginners unless it gets a proper setup first or if you're really planning to learn how to setup or change electronics/other parts in a guitar. However, those are the same reasons (plus the low price and simple design) that make this a really fun modding platform, and if you don't feel like modding it, with the right amount of work it's still amazing. It's light as a feather and the neck is very fast; you can probably muscle through hours of playing with barely any effort at all. The stock tones are reasonable enough, and in my opinion it looks awesome. You can't get a better deal for the money once you're aware of the above.Carlos, M

I like this guitar because of the 24" scale length. Everything else was pretty bad out of the box. The strings were a 1/4" off the fretboard. The fretboard was super dry. There was fret sprout. The frets felt like sandpaper on bends. The E strings are too close to the edge of the fretboard. When you play you're constantly hitting the pickup selector switch. The finish on the neck is supposed to be satin but it looks unfinished to me and there are light and dark areas on the neck which look bad. It is the worst finish on a neck I've ever seen on a guitar and I'm going to have to put some kind of finish on it. Trying to load strings is tricky and not as easy as on most other guitars you have to bend the end of the strings to get them to load. So that is the bad. The good? The tuners are your typical Chinese tuners that come on all cheap guitars these days, and they are fine. The pickups sound good. The 24" scale is great and really fun to play bends on!Steve

There is plenty to like about this guitar, and I got it for the features I was looking for: locking tremelo, 24 frets, fast neck, 5 way pickup selector, and nice looks. My first impressions of the guitar was slight disappointment with how sloppy Ibanez was. The tops and bottoms of the frets needed to be beveled as they were pretty sharp, there was a noticeable nick on the fretboard, and there was a black smudge on the back of the neck. None of those was a huge deal. The main two issues I have with the guitar are that the middle pickup, the single coil, has such low output that the middle three positions are much quieter than the neck or bridge pickups alone. I do like the tone of the single coil in conjunction with the humbuckers, but those positions are somewhat useless considering how quiet they are, and I have ordered a humbucker to replace it. The single coil alone (middle position) has too much noise AND is too quiet. Not a big deal to replace a pickup, but why they are selling it this way, I'm not sure. The second issue is the volume control. Instead of a gradual swell, there is a sharp dropoff in volume at one point in the rotation of the dial, making it pretty much useless other than having it full on or all the way off. I am not sure if that is fixable, but if it is, I'll need to have that done as well. All that said, if the guitar had not arrived in such sloppy condition and the two problems were resolved, I'd give this guitar 5 stars.hickory spork

The Ibanez RG 450 or any of the RG's are with the exception of the factory p/u and electronic. capable of becoming one of the best performance guitars to own. The base Ibanez Floyd Rose system is fiddley but, after learning how to adjust/tune quickly becomes appreciated for holding tune no matter the severity of attacks you use with the tremolo. The Wizard(ll or lll ?) You would need to go to custom built to exceed the easy play and comfortable frets you will find on and RG. This recent RG450 I upgraded to equal the higher priced models by adding the De Marzio Tone Zone (B), Air Norton (N). And instead of going with the True Velvet. Added the Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack for the middle position and added better electrics to even out the upgrades.. End result; This guitar plays and sound equal to guitars costing over $1,000.00!! Good bones! Yes this can be played well and many will find happiness with this as stock., and, will perform well against the competition dollar for dollar!ikeus

I used to own an '89 Ibanez VBK JEM that I regrettably sold to buy a gaming pc. I wanted to get a newer entry level RG so I could have a floyd,HSH superstrat in E standard. I've had this RG for long enough to know it's a keeper. This thing has the same feel and vibe of my old JEM! Minus the monkey grip and other features obviously. The neck feels fantastic and I only had to do very minor setup adjustments to my liking. I would have liked a rosewood or ebony fingerboard but of course this is the lower end model. The Jatoba feels good under the fingers, similar to rosewood but with a slightly lighter shade to it. Like most guitars you buy online mine came desperately needing some good oil and cleaning. The Jatoba fingerboard seems to require a bit more lubrication than rosewood. The neck binding is done well, not perfect but to a good standard. I do wish the trem was an Edge lo-pro… But again, this is the lower priced model. There is nothing wrong with the Edge tremolo, it stays in tune well with whammy bar abuse but it is one of the bulkier Original Floyd Rose style bridges. The stock Quantum pickups are among the best stock Ibanez pickups I've tried. They are hot but versatile. However I did swap them out with the classic Dimarzio Air Norton/Steves Special combo and a True Velvet middle. I do believe a higher end Ibanez will obviously sound better than this but for the price it really is hard to beat! Well done Ibanez and AMS!Nevin

Having a couple guitars I was curious about the short scale. Came across a Mustang P90 in surf green with maple fret in the open box section. Awesome deal , guitar is a joy to play. Sounds great clean or with overdrive. What an fantastic bang for the buck fun. Fun to play blues , metal , punk thrash…etc Cannot say enough good things about this guitar.Michael P

Overall: I can't believe there aren't any reviews of this guitar yet!I have the Burgundy Mist version of this with the pao ferro fretboard which, sadly, zZounds no longer carries. It's pretty, really pretty, and it exudes a seriously vintage vibe. (I saw an antique Burgundy Mist Chevrolet last week and I immediately thought of my feisty little Fender.)The hardware; bridge & tuners, is your standard MiM Fender quality. They're more than up to the task. The Strat-style bridge makes this an easy guitar to keep in tune. (I once had a 1978 Mustang and keeping it in tune was a nightmare that not even Edgar Allen Poe or H.P. Lovecraft could imagine.)The MP-90 pickups are capable of so much that it I could fill a whole page trying to accurately describe them. They are beefy enough to really drive a good tube amp. (My main amps are a Marshall DSL1 and Vox AC4-C112.) On a clean setting the neck pickup on its' own isn't particularly impressive, kinda dark, but the middle and bridge positions are really versatile if you tweak the volume and tone controls.With distortion, in my case a Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion (it's more of a gargantuan fuzz than a distortion pedal), all three positions sings with a tone that would make Leslie West smile broadly.I'm not a big guy (5'9", 150 lbs) so the small offset body and short scale neck are really comfortable.There is only one real drawback to this marvelous axe but it's something that shouldn't for even a second dissuade anyone from adding this guitar to their guitarsenal, and that's the pickup selector switch. It's junk. It cuts out and is rather staticky (is that a word?). It's a cheap piece of junk but it usually works so I can deal with it. (And you can as well.) I'll eventually replace it but there's no need to right now.My particular specimen had a truly beautifully grained pao ferro fretboard, with the frets being smooth and very well dressed. I love a big monstrous tone and this little wonder genuinely delivers.(Fender's prices have gone up since I bought mine but this particular axe is an absolute joy to play and for the price is still a true bargain. It loves, LOVES, full six-string power chords so if you're in a Mountain tribute band then you'll find a lot to like in this guitar.)I am first and foremost a "Telecaster guy" but I love pulling out this little dude and blasting away like Han Solo in a cantina full of Greedos.I've gone on for far too long here but it's only because I really, really like this guitar.[In my 'stars' rating I give this guy five stars in the 'manufacturer support' column because I own a bunch of Fenders and have never had a problem.]Mark

I purchased this guitar as an intermediate player. I had the tech at GC do a set up on it. It looks, sounds and plays great. The workmanship out of he box was very good. Very nice fret work, no sharp edges. Very happy with this guitar. Just keep in mind that to get its full capabilities it will likely need a set up but this is common with most any guitar you buy. I would definitely buy this guitar again.Michael

I have several Ibanez, some of them being slightly on the higher end of the mid-grade lines. I didn't need an inexpensive Ibanez, but the looks of this Gio caught my eye and I had been pining for it for awhile, but everyone was either out or on preorder. When I saw this marked as used and $40 less than the regular price, I jumped on it. I expected some cosmetic wear maybe, since it was used, but when it got here two days after I ordered it, it was still in the original wrapping with the plastic on the pickguard and pickups. I don't think it was ever touched. Everything was set up very well right out of the box. The pickups aren't great, but they aren't bad. The neck and fretboard feel fantastic and the blackout finish of it all is what really sold me. The body is polar, so it's a bit lighter and that makes it feel a bit cheap, but it scream and I'm really diggin it. Proaudiostar is 3/3 for me.Scott W

A great humbucker pickup guitar for beginners. Has great tone and feels smooth to play. Only issue was the action, which was too low when shipped and caused lots of buzzing. Had to increase it by quite a lot to get a good feel – a beginner might not know how to do this. Guitar looks amazing, makes me want to play whenever I look at it.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I love this guitar! I've been meaning to get a tele, but just never played one that felt comfortable. This offset tele body is very balanced and great for playing while sitting, which is my main playing position. It sounds very characteristically like a telecaster, but with the beautiful and comfortable jazzmaster body shape! Neck is thin but very easy to play, with high gloss on the back and frets. Relatively smooth feet ends. Nice grain in the wood of the neck and body. The finish is nice and dark. Would recommend to anyone really.Maggie

Firstly, the finish on this guitar is wonderful. Excellent set up right out of the box, no buzzing or pokey frets, no finish marks or scratches. The only thing I would say is that the body is much darker in real life than it is in the promo shots. Second, the pickups are excellent. Higher output than the standard MiM telecaster, not quite as "vintage" sounding, but very well voiced and can handle Cowan to distortion to fuzz beautifully. Third, the feel is wonderful. The neck is thinner than a normal Tele so it plays fast and easy, without that typical "telecaster fight" that the model is known for. It's very well balanced and comfortable to play. Altogether, this guitar is literally just a re-badged Fender offset telecaster, with different sounding pickups. In this price range you would be very hard pressed to find something else of this quality, and it feels like I should have paid double for it.Anachronism

I've owned 59 different guitars since 1964 (including many fine American-made new and vintage instruments). Believe it or not, this Squier Offset Telecaster ranks near the top of my list as far as sound, build quality and playability goes. Running thru a MXR Dyna Comp, Nobles ODR-1 and Carbon Copy into a new Tweed Pro Junior. Shimmering, twang-twinged butter. The other mind-boggling part? It costs less than $400.00. Could not be happier with this purchase.Ashley A.

Ive been watching these guitars and read countless reviews. I can say that I dont regret buying it at all. It came already set up and surprisingly enough, it was basically in tune after a little tweaking and has stayed in tune. Ive really been putting it through the gambit and I cant find anything to complain about. Its well balanced, the neck doesnt drop to the ground when Ive got a strap on, and the weight is near to nothing at all in comparison to most guitars. The frets are close enough that its comfortable because I have small hands and the use of the Tremolo doesnt seem to have any effect on the guitar at all. If youre looking for an excellent guitar that offers you the flexibility to play the blues and then jump into some heavy metal, this is the guitar for you! I would even go as far to say that it feels like an extension of my own…..Awesome guitar and I would put it up against any of the other guitars on the market!outlawbikerbrian

I love Ibanez guitars. Won't play anything else. I love to play rock and metal and this guitar does it all. Very light weigh. Pick ups are clean and beefy sounding for power chords and sounds great when soloing. If you are an beginner, intermediate or advanced player. This is the guitar to get! Keep Rocking!!!ibanezfan1974

This guitar rises above the 'super Strat' identifier. The playability of this instrument is incredible, especially if you are used to the neck profile of these guitars. All the standard pre-requesite Strat tones are here, instantly available for you via the 5 way switch. However, flip the dyna-MIX9 switch, and you have Tele style neck/bridge combo, the option of a neck humbucker (neck & middle PUs in series), 2 humbuckers, and bridge single coil (which I have used more than any guitar I have owned other than a Tele). The playability of this guitar is off the charts! Roasted maple neck & locking tuners keep it in tune for gigs beyond what I have seen in guitars before. This is a 'Swiss Army knife' guitar for all seeking Strat tones with harder rock edge or country flavors.Jeff

I had one of the first series AZ back in 2019, a Premium model, which was very good although there were some things I didn't like that much or were not my cup of tea. The veneer was not to my liking, the pickups although good was a bit hot to my taste and liking, and no idea if it's the basswood body or the constructions difference, but when playing unplugged it didn't resonate as much, although plugged in was totally fine (but I tend to play unplugged as well so I look for guitars I enjoy playing unplugged too) Then I decided to go to a traditional strat and later on I went for a Suhr Guitar. Suhr is fantastic in every way. I sold my Suhrs because I was looking for a more vintage style strat but then decided wanted again a kind of superstrat HSS more modern sounding to replace a PRS I'm selling that it's great but a bit too much for me, and want a more player guitar. I was thinking on the Suhr, but then I saw the 2021 Ibanez AZ with rosewood and tortoise pickguard, covered humbucker, and less hotter pickups and wow, this guitar was perfect for what I was looking. Looks very classy, I got the blue one, single-coils sound great, very good clarity (not vintage style like my other strat, but I like that because they complement very well and serve 2 different purposes), the humbucker is great for rock, hard rock and like 80's rock (I'm not into extreme metal so not looking for that sound). And unplugged this Prestige resonates well, different than the premium I had, so unplugged sounds alive, and like these pickups much more than the Hyperion (but that's my personal preference) Neck is a bit thinner than the Suhr I had, but for a more modern approach is very nice and comfortable. I have no issues going from my 50's neck les paul back to the Ibanez AZ. And quality is there. Pros vs the Suhr, is that it has roasted maple that I really like, and the 9 switch sound options, that for me having the neck and middle parallel is like having a neck humbucker which is really awesome, what a versatile guitar. And of course the price! Pros on the Suhr is that those really are on the top of their game in quality and pickups I liked the Suhr ones a bit more. And the neck on the Suhr is fantastic. This doesn't mean the Ibanez is bad, on the contrary, I'm very very pleased and happy with the Ibanez, is more than enough for me, and even though the Suhr is amazing and overall I give them the edge over the Ibanez AZ, the AZ is top quality guitar too as well and I don't have the need to go for a Suhr with this AZ.Nico

I reviewed this guitar a couple of years ago. I was just browsing GC to look for another L/H I can get my hands on quickly (sheltering in place without access to my gear!) and came across my old review. So, my nephew came by one day with his luthier gear, set up the action, etc. — and this became my #1 go-to guitar! Really playable, wide range of sound using the switches from somewhat strat-like to a more shreddy humbucker sound. So, as it turned out, the guitar is really nice, but it helps if you (or someone) knows how to set it up. I would give it 5 stars, but that would kinda assume it arrives in the properly setup condition mine is in now …Sheldon

So this guitar ended up being like that girl at a party you wish you hadn't started a conversation with. Good looking, but not much else going on, and then after spending some time together, you're looking for a way out. Resale and trade in value is nothing, as I found out. Now I've loved Ibanez products for years – but those were my younger years in the late 80s. Stock pickups are okay, nothing special, neck was easy on the hands. This is an acceptable one if you want a guitar that will be your training wheels while learning to shred. Basswood is near bottom of the list for good tone wood, it is cheap and used for budget guitars – so it's not meant to last. Nice looks at first glance – shark inlays are pretty. The red burst finish is hot. But that basswood tho. Hard to shape the tone into something likable if you're an experienced player. If your budget is 200, by all means grab this one up, the action on mine was okay, I lowered it a bit for playability. The hardware is nothing special, especially the tuners. It's a guitar for a younger person, for sure – it's a matter of taste and after 27 years of playing I just don't draw inspiration from this guitar. I can't recommend this to anyone who can hold out and save a little while longer for something better – otherwise, by all means pick it up and start playing – don't stop EVER.Subsonikk

Thought I'd jump on the SDoD for this axe and glad I did. Out of the box, the first thing you notice are the great looks of this budget guitar. Fit and finish are perfect. Next, the setup. This action on this was setup perfect and the neck is perfectly straight (I checked using tool for that). Tuned the stock strings after stretching and checked intonation. It was almost spot on, minor adjustment on a couple strings and its done. Plugged into amp and very little buzz or hum. I've had other budget guitars that are so bad that I can't play them, amp buzz way too annoying. Probably need a rewire. The humbuckers have decent enough sound that I have no intention on replacing them. Anyway, this guitar is a good buy at the regular price and even better on sale! Highly recommend.idjut

I bought one of these several months ago. Ok I'm not good guitarist so take that into into consideration but I have player series strat and have always played strat style guitars and I'm not saying i love this guitar more than the Fender I love them both but as far as the guitar is concerned she got so much potential tonally. I have no complaints about the ascetic she beautiful sexy gorgeous took a little getting used to the weight and contours compared to the strat there is adjustment period but she just rocks. I never played a Gibson but if this guitar had Gibson I guess it be a little better but also 2grand more. If I have any complaint is she is finger print magnet always wiping down get some dunlop 65 and microfiber cloth. The Glossy neck won't appeal to all but I can deal with it. Fret work perfect. I'm not a gigging musician but i have no doubt she gig worthy. Oh also, get the pro coverage cause I found out ALL Les Paul are extremely fragile at the neck,It has to do with the angle of the neck, Google it, do your research on owning a led Paul little different than strat anyway the guitar is 600-GREAT VALUE then with 2 years pro coverage plus tax it was under 900 or somewhere around there. And if you get a bad quality then ask for another cause it is coming from Asia so there is variability in workmanship but mine is PERFECT. If I ever get rich maybe ill buy a Gibson but for now this satisfy my Les Paul needs. I wanted an alternative to my strat to emulate Slash sound lol I need to work on my technique but this definitely rocks a Les Paul sound. I did see a review or 2 that liked the sound of the 1950 better but I played them both and liked the 60s better but check them both out the inspired by Gibson line is definitely worth the money if you want a Les Paul without breaking the bank. Just take your time do your homework if you can go to a GC and play it then do that In rarely write reviews especially this long but I love this guitarMichael L

I am both surprised and please with this guitar I purchased this guitar at GC Nashville after returning a Gibson Les Paul Classic that I bought online. (lesson learned, don't buy from GC online.) The staff there were great and had no issues with me returning a $2200 guitar that I bought online. Even more supportive in helping me pick out a much less expensive guitar. Great people. This Epiphone is awesome. The fit and finish are great. The action is low and no buzz. The tone is great and It is lighter and easier to handle than the Gibson . The best part is it cost a third of the one I returned. I really wanted a Gibson but I am so glad I picked up this Epiphone. A word of caution. I looked at and played several guitars at GC before choosing this one. I even played a couple of other Epiphone Les Paul Customs. No two were the same. One had razors for frets, one had an action you could drive a truck under and this one was just right. Go in an play them before buying.Mike

This is my second 6 string electric, and I couldn't be HAPPIER with it! My first guitar is an entry level Epiphone SG Special that was a couple hundred bucks back in the day. It got the job done…good frets, good tune, good everything. I recently decided to step it up and get a "mid-range" guitar but still not break the bank with an Epiphone. And I'm not calling Epiphone cheap…they are just more in my price range when compared to Gibsons. Stepping it up is the right description for this guitar!! It is AMAZING! The feel, the tone, the look! It sounds great and feels good in the hands too. I especially love the Silverburst color!! The main reason I wanted this specific guitar. It's Adam Jones from TooL color scheme finish but on an epiphone! They are coming out with his own model of epiphone, but I'm impatient lol. Looks are important to picking out a guitar as much as sound! The inlays on the fretboard look beautiful. The pick guard and finish are beautiful, the trim/binding around the guitar… this guitar has reignited my passion for playing! As of this writing, I have no complaints! Excellent guitar!Matt

I purchased this guitar because a Les Paul was missing from my gear arsenal and I didn't want to drop three grand on a Gibson. I played a wall model at a local GC store and decided to buy, but requested a factory new model sent to me, because the wall model I played had some nicks in the fretboard, a sketchy 3 way switch and had worn strings and the intonation was way off above the 14th fret. I paid for next day air shipping to expedite the process because I tend to want the things I pay for fairly quickly. The shipping tag originated from the same city I live in, meaning they had a factory new either in the warehouse or at the neighboring store about 20 miles away. So I essentially paid 42$ for expedited shipping and could had likely gotten it same day if I asked the right questions I suppose. Shame on me. The next business day my guitar is delivered to my residence, I open it and immediately inspected it for possible shipping damage or factory flaws. It arrives with a broken 3 way switch, all strings tuned nearly 2 steps flat and also needed to make a truss rod adjustment to straighten the neck. Completely unacceptable that these issues left both the factory and GC's "quality control" in the condition it did. Luckily I work at a local small box music store and worked with our own luthier after hours to set it up and correct the problems. All that said, this guitar is absolutely fantastic. It plays and sounds very good and even though the stock pickups aren't top tier, they are excellent performers at a very reasonable price point. Monster value in this guitar. If you can acquire one some where other than Guitar Center, do it. If you do purchase from guitar center, make absolutely certain to have it looked at by a professional before accepting it. 5 stars for the guitar and it's value. 1 star for guitar centers lack of QC shipping items.Dan

So I hesitated on buying this Guitar because I just didnt care for the finish. Well It looks nothing like the pictures. Beautiful 3D flames in the top.Am Very pleased. So that brings me to what I expected from a PRS and didnt get, a playable set up. I know its an SE but the action shouldnt be 6mm at the 22nd fret. How QC at the factory allowed it to leave puzzles me. The pick ups are good for Drop C but even at B standard get really muddy on the lower strings. I put in a Nazgoul, Sentient set and these in another standard guitar. They sound really nice in standard E to drop C. IMOTwayne72

I have used this guitar with my band, live and in rehearsals… Plays fantastically once I set it up to my desired specs (Std D tuning, 10-52 strings, FU Tone brass block), but these PRS stock pickups have no grunt and snarl to them, so I plan to add an SD Black Winter set like in my EC Black Metal FR (dropped C). I have reverted back to using my Kramer Assault Plus which came loaded with the SD Alternative 8 set. Will likely use Custom 24 as primary D guitar again after replacing pickups. For this pickup issue alone, I'm giving it 3 stars, otherwise, it would be 5, as spending over 200 bucks more is a bit off putting after spending over $1100 for this plus a hard shell case for an import.Steve

Absolutely love this guitar! As with all SE Custom 24 models, the feel and balance on the strap and also on the knee are prerfect. The action is fast and smooth, and the whole guitar just oozes quality. The roasted maple board is a really nice variation from the mahogany or ebony boards, which are usually found on Custom 24 models. This particular guitar has the most amazing and deepest "3-D" effect quilted maple veneer that I've ever seen on a SE series model. I believe that PRS would probably rate this as a 4A (AAAA). The sound is as good as you'll get from stock pups in a sub- 1000 guitar and the way that PRS wire the coil tap gives a convincing single-coil tone. What upgrades would make this even better? Probably locking tuners, and maybe a satin neck. After- market pickups, if you want to change the tone.kentishkeith

Seeing this guitar intrigued me — it is beautifully designed, natural glow finish on neck and body, pearl-look pick guard and tinted neck and headstock. I had been looking for a new Telecaster because – well, who doesn't want a really good Tele. I was a bit unsure because I wasn't sure if the thin line models still had the 'REAL' Telecaster tone. I got this one from AMS in 2 days, opened it up and was amazed ad the workmanship, finish and playability right out of the box. AND.- it is ALL Telecaster! Light, easy to play with tones for days! What else could you ask for? If you are thinking about getting one — do it now.BigBuzz

TL;DR: I'm still rather new to playing electrics but this is my eight in about a year. Having had it two days, it is already my favorite. The neck is the most suited to me of any guitar I own or have tried. It is on the thinner side but not at all extreme. For reference, I'm also quite fond of the Fender Player neck. This is just a little thinner. The fingerboard is nicely rolled. This guitar sounds great (clean and crunch on Katana 100) and the fit/finish is spectacular. This is my first semi/hollow and I still can't get over how light it is, without negatively affecting the feel or tone. I passed by this guitar many times on the wall of my local GC until recently it spoke to me. I played it for a while and was quite enamored with the feel of it. I bought the demo unit and took it home. After a little more playing, I learned that the top end of the 13th fret was bad/unlevel. The issue could be very much heard and even seen. But, I was in love. I took it back to the store and there was no fuss at all having them order me a replacement. The replacement, new in box, is in perfect shape. Action and intonation on mine were spot on out of the box. No blemishes whatsoever and while I was rather turned off by the aesthetic of this guitar for a long time, thus having passed by it so many times, it is growing on me. Regardless, she's got a great personality.Kenny

This is one of the better guitars I've played in my life. Right out of the box it was intonated perfectly but needed to be tuned. If you haven't used a D-Tuna before (like me), I highly recommend looking up a video on how to properly tune it. Having owned floating floyd rose bridge guitars before, I expected tuning to be a hassle. But to my surprise, it tuned just like a regular guitar and I barely had to use the fine tuning pegs. My only problem that I've adjusted to my comfort would be the tension on the bridge was a bit too much for me, removing the cover on the back and taking out one of the springs fixed this problem for me. But everything else is perfect, you're getting the sound of a Les Paul in a strat style body. It's hard to not want to play this guitar. The neck is the smoothest I've ever played, it's finely sanded down and just feels like butter. The gloss black body is also stunning to look at, but keep a cloth around because it's a finger print magnet. If you're a fan of EVH or looking for a good hybrid between Fender and Gibson, this is the guitar for you.Glenn

Fantastic and great looking guitar but the lack of "strat contours" on the Specials has me returning it and getting EVH Standards. I knew they laced the contours when I purchased but I really wanted to love this guitar. Love the feel of the neck and the sound of the pickups. Recessed Floyd in the arched top is too clunky sounding landing back on the top. Pickup selector is noisy, not the electronic sound but the actual clicking sound when going into the middle position. Those two things could just be my guitar and might have a remedy. Ultimately returning because, the non contour (non-strat) shape of the Special is uncomfortable at my chest and forearm when sitting. Just my preference, a lot of guitars lack the contours. Bought two Standards (Bomber Black and Transparent Amber) and love every thing about them.Patrick

I've been dabbling with learning how to play the guitar for several years, I've even took a guitar class at the local community college but have gotten frustrated easily to where I quit. I'll say that I have had a "on again, off again" relationship with guitars for the last 15 years. I am not an expert in guitars and am steadily learning the process – how they are built, the electronic parts, etc. I decided to give it a go again with this inexpensive guitar that is a great little learning tool for the novice player like myself. One thing I did do when I got this is change the strings. I watched several review videos on this model and one the the first things people recommended was to change the strings. So I bought a box of Ernie Ball Regular Slinky's (10-46) and re-strung the guitar immediately after I got it out of the box. I am pleased with my progress so far. Could be the fact that I found a great website that gives excellent beginner lessons and helps me to understand the fundamentals of guitar playing. Things that the college instructor didn't teach very well. Of course, it helps that I can play the videos over and over! I'm upgrading to a Fender Mustang LT 25 amp, which will give me a huge range of different tones that I can get out of this guitar. As my skills develop and I get better (hopefully), I will look at upgrading to a higher price point guitar. I would love to get an SG! If you are looking to get started in the guitar community, I would recommend this model to get started. I've watched many videos of experienced guitar players jam some pretty cool riff's with this thing!Jason

This is an incredible guitar for the money. Only thing that needed serious help was the action at the nut. Using the stock nut and a set of nut files, I set it up to my preferred specs of 1/64th of an inch a two the first fret. This ensured comfortable playing as well as tuning stability. After cutting the nut slots to the right height, looks like the file made sure the strings wouldn't catch and now the guitar stays in tune much much better. I would replace the pickups with p90s if I could. Some modification to the pickguard might make this a possibility. Sometimes, I forget I'm playing an Epiphone. With the nut corrected it really is possible to get it feeling pretty good. Here are my personal specs: .005" neck relief measured at the 8th fret. 1/64ths action at the first fret across all strings. 1/16ths of an inch action at the 15th fret. It does not play as well as my Gibsons do: the explorer feels much lower and faster with the same specs and my les Paul traditional does reel in some "big time" tone. In spite of this, the Epiphone SL really does hit the mark. It's capable of all the same specs after adjusting the nut, making for a very playable guitar. I also don't believe the tuning issues are due to the economy tuners since after I adjusted the nut the guitar stays in tune much better. I bought a replacement black tusq nut but have not installed it. I wonder if there's even really a need to do so. This action at the nut is very low but the guitar pulls it off very well. I'm sure that with better pots (remember this is an economy guitar) andLeón

Love this guitar. I mainly play classical pieces, but decided I wanted to give electric a try for a change. This guitar is very well made, has an amazing sound and a great finish. It looks exactly as advertised and I really do like the bird fretboard. The product came very well packaged I would recommend this guitarChloe H.

This is by far the best single cut you are going to get for the price. Nice articulate pickups, even under serious gain, cool bridge setup that seems to really sustain well, and beautiful fretwork. The tuners are nice enough that I have no desire to replace them, and with the straight string pull at the headstock, the tuning stays put. You could easily put this guitar up against a "brand name" single cut twice the price and it would eat it for breakfast. Only potential downside I could see for some people – the neck is pretty thick and wide, and if you don't like a substantial neck, you probably won't like this guitar. If you have smaller hands, I would suggest going in store and playing one before pulling the trigger. Also, the wood patterns on the standard series is widely variable, from amazing almost flame-y, to no figure at all. Again, it'd be wise to see it in person before, but in any case it's still amazing that PRS can build these so well at this price point.Paul

Fantastic guitar right out of the box. Did restring it with heavier gauge because I tend to prefer lower tunings and things were getting floppy, but it's beautifully built and the pups sound great on pretty much everything. Very rich cleans and distorts wonderfully. For this price range you can't do much better. Great service from PMT too!David H.

I'm a drummer who is a beginner to the guitar. After a lot of research and asking buddies, I made my decision on Ibanez for my first guitar, and then chose the RG421 due to its style, and the price. I knew I would dedicate more time to practice if I was picking up a nice spec'ed guitar, and this has proven true. The RG421 is a great model for both a learner and intermediate player. It feels great in the hands, the pick ups are great, 5 position switch giving the best options too. I chose this model because I wanted a fixed bridge. I also bought a nice amp too… that makes a big difference too. I have a Blackstar HT-5R, and the combo is pure bliss. 😉Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

The Ibanez RG120 is not the most expensive guitar model in the Ibanez range so one cannot expect it to be a top model. There are better Ibanez guitars. But this guitar is firstly affordable and because this one was refurbished, the price made made it an affordable entry for me into Ibanez. A well known and well used by top guitarists brand. I also have a lower model of another well known guitar brand and the Ibanez plays much more beautifully. Once tuned at the lower frets it remains in tune all the way up unlike the other guitar which has to be retuned depending on where one will play on the fretboard. This guitar remains in tune when I use the tremolo bar. It has a solid feel about it and it gives a nice non tinny sound. This sound is due I believe to the pickups. I bought this guitar because the price was right and coupled with the shipping cost did not reach the taxable range for my country. It was a bargain. Also, I wanted to test Ibanez and this one has me hooked to the brand. I prefer guitars with the plug hole on the side close to the volume/tone knobs. This Ibanez has it on the bottom corner of the thin edge. I know that plugs break off if the wrong cable connector type is used which happened with my other guitar. But this guitar feels solid. I also prefer tremolo bars that can both flatten and sharpen the sound. The Ibanez tremolo only flattens or bends down only. I prefer weighted end tremolo bars that can be flicked making the rrrrr sound. This tremolo is weighted, has a nice feel and is not the screw on type yet the inner mechanisms of the guitar prevents it from resonating. It just bends once then stops. Overall, I will buy other Ibanez products but will be more careful to check on these features that I have mentioned because these make a guitar fun and safe for me.petaiab

Very impressed with this guitar. The neck has a great feel and well set-up for playing fast and note bends, especially in the upper register. Sustain is impressive for a sub £1k guitar and there is probably enough grunt from the factory pickups for most players. The low friction volume and high friction tone are a nice thing to have and am considering adapting my other working guitars with this. Using the D-Tuna was a learning curve as you can't use the fine tuner once set at drop D (well, you can tweak the tuning on the D-Tuna itself once set in the standard tuning position). If you don't fancy using it you can always swap it out with the supplied kit. The kill button is fun and I'm sure I'll get good use of it in time but I do keep brushing it when hammering out funk rhythms. Possibly due to my large hands but worth noting that if you splay you strumming hand when playing, you may end up with a scuff bruise or two. All told, I'm very happy with this new addition to my string family.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Great guitar. Plays like butter. My biggest problem is that the Floyd Rose bridge goes out of tune every time I use the tremolo ( actually comes out of the body). Even with me buying the protection plan I keep getting told that my only option is to pay more money and get the bridge replaced and re-setup. Very disappointed with this whole experience.Kevin

This guitar covers it all. Simple, good pickups, great tones. Everywhere I play it musicians come up and as WHAT is that guitar? It sounds great. (They don't say my playing sounds great) Only mods I have done is a Tusk black nut and blocked the tremolo. That seemed to solve any tuning issues. I thought the all gold might be too much but soon got over that. Fit and finish is PRS fantastic.Wade

It's an itty bitty little thing. It's so lightweight it almost floats away! It was perfectly set up out of the box, it arrived with no damage. First, I tuned it. (It was close, whoever set it up musta tuned it before shipping). It's got very accurate tuning pegs, not like a Squier or Glarry, with slack in the pegs. Then I sat down and ran through some scales, and strummed some chords. It's got a fast playing neck. I can play faster on this guitar, than any I've tried, and I've played hundreds of guitars from an American Fender 52 reissue Telecaster, down to the terrible cheap electric guitars of the 1960s. Anyway, I finally got around to plugging into my Blackstar Fly 3 battery amp, and wow those Mitchell humbuckers are HOT! I love this little thing, it's going to be my main axe, and I'm going to order it a new hard shell case, so it stays looking great.The Volkswagen Cowboy

For the most part; this a pretty nice beginner's guitar. It has nice features that aren't usually found on cheaper guitars. I was very impressed with the body contours, pickup arrangement, sealed tuners, & string through body. I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my son. I paid a little extra for expedited shipping & it arrived less than 48hrs after I ordered it! Everything was great until I tuned up the guitar & found that the claims that "every guitar receives a stateside set up" are entirely false. The ends of the fret wire are extremely sharp; there's no way that I'd let a child attempt to play this without first filing down/ dressing the frets to avoid gouging your hands. It seems to stay in tune fairly well; which is rather surprising as the neck is NOT properly bolted to the guitar body. There is a relatively large gap between the neck & body- large enough to see daylight! The gap is likely due to common machine assembly w/ poor quality control. I'm somewhat excited to see how well this guitar will play after I disassemble the neck, drill the body holes 1/16" larger, file the frets, & reassemble w/ some higher quality strings. Even with the additional work that's necessary; it's still a rather nice guitar & definitely cheaper than a project guitar. Last time I checked; it was around $20 or so to have a guitar set up by a Luthier- so it still works out to be a decent buy if you bought it & paid to have it set up. I'm just rather disappointed that the only problem with the entire transaction is a very simple issue that could be avoided w/ a couple tweaks of the CNC machines spitting these out by the 100's…Jonathan

I am quite fond of short scale guitars, and I rate this one quite high on the list of must haves! Frets are adequately dress, it is quite light, finish (walnut satin) is excellent. Playability is quite good, intonation is spot on, even the pickups are ok, though I did change them out on mine, along with putting some shielding paint in the pickup and control cavities and swapping out the potentiometers (none of this was necessary, but you know how us guitarists can be!). The kind of music I like is 70s rock, 80s and 90s metal, I don't play clean much – always some grit coming outta the amp! I got this on sale, so it was well below $100. Not sure what else to say, but if you are on the fence about getting one of these, either for yourself or a young, aspiring rocker, just pull the trigger, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Main thing to keep in mind on this is playability and setup are very good for a guitar in its price point even at full price, maybe even twice the price. Is it perfect? No, but it doesn't need to be, just needs to be good and it is. Just get the darn thing. it's a fun guitar to play, looks and sounds good as well.Scott