Best Semi Hollow Body Guitar Under $2000 (Jan 2023 Update)

I am rating it based on the price point expectations I had before ordering. It is a really great guitar. You have to expect that it will come with some defects and issues. Small paint/binding issues, some glue and wood chips loose inside the guitar that I took out. The guitar wasn?t set up well on arrival. I did a string change and truss rod adjustment to get rid of some fretting out on the first fret. The components are cheap, input Jack was broken shortly after my first show with it. The guitar itself is solid! Well built, stays in tune. Neck is very thick. I would purchase another even with issues. I wasn?t expecting a perfect guitar just something that I can play hard and maybe replace some components down the road.Cory

Very nice looking guitar. Set-up pretty well out of the box with fret ends nice and smooth. Needed slight intonation. Unfortunately the shipper basically smashed the box and the three-way toggle switch was damaged and not functional. Rather than send the guitar back I pulled out the switch and was able to repair it. Finish around the switch hole (under the retaining ring) was slightly damaged/cracked and had to repair that as well. The guitar plays and sounds quite nice and other than a small kink in the binding where it joins the neck (smooth and under the finish) it is a pretty guitar. Has a minor rattle somewhere that I can't locate (not string buzz), but doesn't come through when amplified. All in all, I am happy with it and its well worth the price.Michael

This is a nice guitar. It?s well made, has a beautiful charcoal burst gloss finish, and has the wonderful mellow sound of a semi-hollowbody guitar. The blacked out hardware is a nice touch. I learned about this guitar from the guitar gear bloggers on YouTube. They ALL gave it great reviews. Some of the older reviews mentioned that the fret ends needed more polishing, and there was some nitpicking about the size and font of the Indio logo. More recent reviews indicate that these issues have been addressed. MY Indio guitar has polished fret ends and it APPEARS to me that the logo is a bit smaller. The fit and finish are EXCELLENT, so perhaps Monoprice has listened to customer complaints and has tightened up their QC. The BIG news here is the PRICE. EVERYONE, myself included, is STUNNED by how INEXPENSIVE this guitar is. The $250 list price is a STEAL! The YouTube bloggers claim that this guitar will go head-to-head with other 335 style guitars costing 3 times as much! I agree.Kevin

I bought this item for my daughter for her birthday and she loved it, it came to our door on time, it was playable and very attractive, unfortunately a relative with a drug problem stole it within a day and we haven't been able to afford a replacement. It would be wonderful if BCP would be willing to ship another to us, but either way, very good product. I'll buy another one in time when we are able to afford it.Steve H.

I would give it 20 stars if I could. I’m not going to say that I can even play guitar. I am still trying to learn. I have a Stratocaster that I have been learning chords and following the lessons in a book that is instruction for learning scale. But the semi-hollow body has such a wounderful tone that I have to get better. It is so Inspirational that I have been practicing more than I ever did with my strat. LOVE IT! Thank you.Ronald P.

At the base price, I was wondering how well made this would be but I wanted the white/ivory color so I bought it and I am glad I did. I had a guitar that cost a lot more and since I generally only keep one guitar (I am not a hoarder) I wanted to see which I liked better. Of the two, this one was easier for me to play. I like the big hollow-body feel and sound as well. The pickups would be the cheapest part but they are more than passable (though sound is personal and pickups can be changed). The guitar has a lot of heft (weight) to it in, what I consider, a good way. The neck is thicker than what I expected from Ibanez, although it is a hollow-body and not one of their metal guitars. Personally, I will change out the strings for Elixirs, the tuners for locking tuners, and put a Duesenberg tremolo (vibrato) on it (and maybe a roller bridge)(All personal preferences). But even now it is a great guitar to play. I did buy the Ibanez AS100C case for it here on MF (see comment there on the case). This is a great guitar and if anything happened to it I would buy another. It may sound expected in a commentary like this but I would say this is the best guitar I ever owned and I have owned all the brand names. That said, to each their own.BrazilBill

At this price I have no complaints. What I will say is replace the pickups with a name brand PAF style and you'll have a killer tone and a good wood.If I wanted a fancier fingerboard I'd go up a model or two but it's really not necessary. I'm also going to put locking tuners. If you get a AS93 with the Super 58 pickups you won't wanna change those after paying extra. I prefer to get Duncans or something equivalent. I don't feel bad tossing the original pickups on this model. I bought a blemish and still trying to find it!!JD

I play rhythm guitar in a small combo. Fit and finish on this guitar is excellent. The pick-ups sound very nice for my application. No neck dive. I recommend this guitar to anyone seeking a nice semi-hollow body guitar.Wayne

This is a beautiful guitar and if it were 1000$ it would be well worth it. For 2300$ though I would like to have some inlays that don't look like cheap plastic and not have fret buzz. The buzz could be fixed with a set up but for 2300$ I feel like it should come set up. On the back the slots for the cover plates are not routed so they just sit on top. Not a deal breaker but this does make it look a little incomplete. Overall it sounds great minus the fret buzz. I'd say no better than a se model and not worth the extra money unless you just want a bolt on neck. I prefer bolt on or through necks which is why I bought the ce but I plan to return it and either get an ernie ball music man or an American strat.Not satisfied with AMS quality c

I bought this because I was in the market for a US guitar and I already had a US Strat. I was thinking about a Gibson Les Paul Classic and then PRS showed up on my radar. I did some research and decided to play both. I have an Epiphone Les Paul so I thought I would prefer the Gibson. I played this guitar first and the Les Paul just didn't feel right after that. I bought this one a couple weeks later. After having it for an extended period (12 hours) I started thinking about selling my Strat and buying a Silver Sky. This guitar just felt so good I didn't want anything else. The neck feel is fantastic. The tone options are amazing The color is sooooooo much more vibrant in person than in pictures It is sitting in the rack in the other room while I type this and I wish I was playing it right now. It was totally worth every penny and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a true quality instrument.Jay P

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 this guitar up when I was in my local Guitar Center selling some gear that I didn't have a use for. I had been looking at this guitar for a while, and it was on sale, so I snagged it. I have always loved the way a Gretsch plays and sounds, and it's a beautiful guitar. I have played it through many different amps and effects, and this guitar always sounds great. Right from the display it plays great, but having it professionally set up will make a difference. That said, I have zero complaints about how it played or sounded with out any modifications or adjustments. It has quickly become one of my favorite guitars in my arsenal, and it's almost always the first guitar I pick up when I'm sitting down to write. For the price, it's a hard guitar to beat.Jeffrey

Been playing for 20 years and I've had my fair share of instruments. This guitar is a cut above many in its price point. USA built, solid construction and rings like a bell. No it's not a core model that looks fancy but, you get all the goods of a PRS. Pickups in this are not really suited for metal out of the box but, you can go old school and boost it and get that saturated goodness. But if your thing is rock, hard rock, blues, country etc this guitar will be awesome in your arsenal. I was scared that the neck would be thin but when I opened the bag and grabbed the guitar, I was greeted with a full neck that fits like glove in my hand. Thin necks aren't my thing and never have been. However says you need a slim neck to play fast is wrong it only makes it a bit easier for some hand types. Bottom line, great guitar, great sound and amazing build quality. Grab one!Brian B

Guitar was not setup properly had to adjust everything. The cheap Vinyl that's glued on otter edge already pealing. When it arrived there was glue seeping from the edges, didnt realize until I touched it & ruined my $$60.00 gold plated strings. I replaced truss rod cover, junk. Knobs dont match/ugly replaced. Nut was junk, not cut right, made my own in my shop. The glue seepage awful. Removed cheap Vinyl treating guitar to remove exess glue, ridiculous. Huge scratch on back chip on rear bottom of neck where vynil was joined. For the 60th anniversary edition… Worst I've ever seen! My original 59 still looks plays and sounds fantastic. Cutting corners using cheap materials and trying to save money is no way to honor guitars from our past. Sound not that great but I'll have to replace some wiring & tuners as well. stuff to get it to sound halfway decent. I play in a Zeppelin tribute band at all the hotels and in Vegas, definitely not stage worthy! What a major disappointment. Way over priced. My appraisal $80.00 and that's being generous. If you want one, build your own instead.niceguyvinny1968

Someone in the band said we should do one of those early 60's songs. I listened to it, and it clearly had that 12-string jangle so characteristic of the period. The best thing for that is a Rickenbacker 12-string, but I wasn't going to spring for that for just a few songs. So I zeroed in on a few possibilities, including this Danelectro, and the Dean Boca and the Ibanez Artcore in about the same price range. But the Dano is of course pretty much the exact same instrument that they made back then, and it is arguably better now than it ever was. It was always an inexpensive brand, but had the distinction that a lot of famous people played them. Therefore it has that "original vibe", like the Rickenbacker, but at a fraction of the price. So the Dano was the obvious choice, and I got this NOS version (No-S = no S or F hole which some other models have and the originals did). They say it is still made from Masonite, but you can't tell since it is completely painted and while the website says it is laminated, it is very light-weight. And it still has that textured plastic tape around the whole perimeter like it's supposed to have. The neck strap button is in an awkward location, so you may have to cut a piece off your strap to make it fit (I did, and I replaced my strap buttons with Schaller black strap locks). These guitars are made in Korea, and the build quality is excellent. I was afraid that I'd have get a setup, but the one I received has a fine neck with a nice rosewood finger board, has low action and plays easily enough (for a 12-string), so I'm going to leave it as is. The sound is great! It has that unique Dano sound because of the two lipstick pickups. It may be too bright when using the bridge pickup only, but the thing is you get used to the tone really quickly, so it may work just fine. It certainly will cut through the mix! It is louder when using both pickups, which is probably what I will use most of the time. In sum, I'm very happy with it! It will do!Willy

I didn't have high hopes for a 12 string electric at this price point, but I also couldn't resist, and WOW – am I completely satisfied! This guitar plays really well. It came with a good set-up and when I fine tuned it all the systems worked as they should. You can even adjust intonation on all twelve strings. Thus far the neck has been straight and easily adjusts to string or environmental conditions – I've given it a slight adjustment once it acclimated to my desert conditions and since it has been stable and true. Of course I should protect my guitar from the elements, and I bought a gig bag, but it stays out pretty much constantly and is used daily. This guitar is tons of fun. It easily does the Byrds style of 12 string sound. Also, I never knew just how many early Beatles riff where on 12 string until I started messing with this guitar. It's a blast. I own a Rick 6 string and have always wanted an electric 12. This Danelectro is great quality and great fun and it more than satisfies my itch (for now) at fraction of the price. You will not regret buying this guitar – it will unlock a new world!Mike

Overall: I live in a large city and it is still impossible to find a Gibson 335 that plays and sounds great, has no issues or questionable history and comes with a price tag lower than a new one to justify the gamble. As a result, I decided to pull the trigger on a new one and went for the figured, not so much for the flame but for the lower weight and select wood, knowing both my back would thank me and that the guitar would probably be a bit more open and resonant. Block inlays are certainly nice and that may have helped sway my decision too. The 335 arrived with an impeccable setup, right out of the box from the factory. In my 35 years of playing, I’ve never had this happen. I’ve heard of it happening but never to me. I always have to tweak the truss rod to straighten the neck a bit, adjust the bridge action, widen the nut slots and intimate the guitar. Every time. The only adjustment I’ve had to make is lower the pickups a bit for balance, that’s it! Plays like an absolute dream. Here is why you want this guitar rather than a used one—. the neck. None of that weird pencil thin 335 necks from the past or those horrible and slow baseball bat necks… this is perfect. I don’t know what Gibson is doing in Nashville now, but they are making these guitars better than they ever have. Having always been a fan of Classic ‘57 pickups, I read about these T Type pickups being bright. It is true that they are bright, however it works so well in this guitar. Roll back the tone knobs for the mellower and darker sounds, especially when in the neck position for a classic straight-ahead jazz sound, or rolled back in the bridge to fatten up rhythms…but the thing is, roll the tone up for that beautiful bite and thunk in single line solos. I have had bright guitars in the past and there is nothing you can do for them. No matter the pickups or amp, it remains bright and pingy. This is not a bright guitar and has such a beautifully balanced and mellow acoustic voice, the pickups suit it well and I will not replace them. Is it an insane amount of money? Yes. It is. In 10 years when I have blown through $4K many times over and have nothing to show for it, will I still have this 335? Yes. I will. It’s an investment and zZounds makes it possible for someone like me to have something nice. This is an absolutely breathtaking guitar. In playability, sound, and appearance—Gibson is on top of their game these days and I think the future will look back at this era as their new golden age.Michael

Upon opening the case, the case was hard to open, like it didn't fit top cover to bottom cover. The guitar smells of cheap carnauba wax (if you wax your own car you know there are great waxes that smell good) this is not the great smell of the past Gibson guitars I have purchased in the past. There was a light haze to the guitar like the wax was dried but not wiped off completely. The was not common of years pasts Gibson's. Its a very light weight guitar. Nice to hold and even sitting with it to play does not dig into the underarm like a thick acoustic does over time. The ice tea version does look great front to back. I can't tell if it's AAA but its very nice. The head stock look s like it wasn't cut symmetrically compared to the other side or sanded to much. The neck is nice and thick and wider top to bottom which I like for fitting all my fingers on the 1-5 frets for chords. Their is a lot of fret buzz on the G string throughout the range of the neck, It looks like the G string is higher than all the other strings in an attempt to reduce the buzz. I thought these were machine prepped ?? I can most likely (hopefully)make some adjustments for this. The frets feel thinner than my Les Paul's. Not sure if I like this but I can get used to it. The sound on a clean channel is great. I really like the sound. The volume knobs have no volume from 0 – almost 2, they don't change the volume a lot from 3-7, from 8-10 is almost all the volume change. I have never had this experience before. The tone knobs actually lowers the volume from 1-3 which I thought is also strange. I have no experience with a ES model so maybe this is normal. If it is, then I am not sure I would have purchased. I don't regret the purchase but I was expecting perfection for this price.Just Me

I love 335 but played several that I found meh. Preferred the Heritage H-535 I bought to most Gibbies I tried. Until I played that one at my local GC store. Was immediately captivated with the tone. Went back several times, and took the plunge despite the sticker shock. At home, in my amp it sounded even better than in the shop. Absolutely wonderful guitar, that feels and sounds as good and sometimes even better than vintage 60s 335 I tried or owned. I am in love! But what a price tag…Gibson CS is becoming unattainable fast.Stéphane

I bought this to use in a duo (sometimes piano/guitar, sometimes two guitars) and it was a great choice. I actually tried a very expensive Taylor T5 Deluxe/Koa first, and this Godin A6 is better. You don't buy a guitar like this for a collector's piece. You want something to play. It's great in my duo because I run it through a pedalboard and then into my Roland AC-60 amp. It has a nice acoustic sound and we can play James Taylor, Jim Croce, or Gordon Lightfoot, then right into Allman Brothers, rocking Eagles or Eric Clapton, with nice rich leads. Sure, I have an American Professional Telecaster that is a better standalone electric guitar, and a Martin HD-28 that is a better standalone acoustic guitar — to say the least. But this thing is actually better for a duo setup because I can play acoustic and electric, even within the same song. This is an excellent guitar for a working musician. Oh, and you will read about a thousand different opinions about the best strings and setup for this. I tried the Jazz Strings this comes with but finally settled on the Elixir bronze acoustic, 80/20, which is fine . It's important to have a decent wound g string to make the A6 work as an acoustic guitar, but the strings are still light enough to rip on some leads. There are two outputs on the guitar, one for both pickups, and one specifically designated for the humbucker. I just go the easy route and play with the output that runs both pickups, but some people use the dual output function, running one cable directly into the PA or an acoustic amp, and the humbucker output into an electric amp. I'm getting great sounds just with the dual output jack. Nice guitar.Dave from Atlanta

I received the Guitar and upon inspection found the build quality to be excellent. The set up was playable, better than other new guitars I have purchased. I bought it with the idea it would fit me better than my Acoustic and be easier to play. Bingo it was almost as easy to play and comfortable as my Strat. The neck was very comfortable making even barre chords easy to play. It was everything I had hoped for in the physical sense. There was something about the strings I didn't like, and this affected the strum slightly. Where I ran into trouble was the sound. The sound un-plugged is too trebelie, then you plug it in and it goes to the bass side. So this doesn't get too long, if I turned my amp up good and loud I dug the sound, but since I am using it for practice I turn the volume down, and the problem with that is I was hearing the "unplugged sound" which I don't like. So if I could have practiced with the volume up, I would have kept it instead of taking it back. It is a great Guitar just not for me. I think it sits in the middle between the Taylor T5 and Fender Acoustasonic having played all 3. IMHOColt

I already own an Am Std Strat and Tele and a G&L Tele all single coil. I wanted to try a humbucker sound and being loyal to Fender, I purchased this guitar. The high quality feel, looks and sound of this guitar were immediately apparent. The sound has a distinct "bite" which is perfect for certain uses with the typical humbucker "growl". The Pearly Gates can get dirty, clean and somewhere in between depending on my settings. Though not made in America, this guitar is not "cheap", corners were not cut. Rock, blues, jazz all sound great. I use to be an "American Made", single coils only snob, but this purchase changed my opinions.GM

Overall: This guitar is a real surprise. It looks absolutely gorgeous. The pictures do not do it justice. It's comfortable to play and the weight is fine even for long gigs. The neck is very comfortable to play and easy to get to the high notes. You can do most any style of music with it. I use it with Fender, Marshall and Boss Katana Amps and it complements them all like they were made for each other. I definitely recommend this guitar to anyone wanting to have a Tele sound and Les Paul style sound all in one great guitar. You get the best of both worlds without paying a fortune for it. Absolutely worth every penny spent!Bill

I have a Peavey (Steve)Cropper Classic guitar as my daily driver, now sadly discontinued. This Fender HHFMT is perfect as a replacement. It is very light. It looks great. The pickups are powerful and very smooth. It sounds like a tele, it punches shred like my 1960 model, LP Classic. I always wanted the Fender Robben Ford guitar to get that “Talk To Your Daughter” tone which this guitar delivers on brilliantly. It covers the Stevie Ray Vaughn sound and feel, I also think it could handle a set of 12 gauge strings without dropping tuning as the action and play-ability is excellent right out of the box. You-tube it, research it and buy one before the price goes silly. Chris xReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

. Now let me set the scene… I am a guitar lover (I can even play a little too) and a quality professional so My expectations are somewhat higher than most looking at this product. An absolutely beautiful instrument, this is my second SA360 and although they are no longer. Made in Japan, be assured they have not lost any of the build quality or attention to detail. The guitar was really well set up, is great to play, feels good in the hand and sounds the bee’s knee’s. If you are looking to start out in guitar playing get yourself an Ibanez Gio to start as a first upgrade from that, then the SA series is where you want to be at.Timbo

I thought getting back into professional music would be easy, no problem-BUUUUUT what I didn't take into account was all those years of abuse to my hands (in workshops all my life) took a toll. The love I have for acoustic guitars has given way to the love I now have for my new T5z. Talk about easy to play! It is more electric than acoustic, of course, but I play it all the time and am now taking a "commercial guitar" course and loving it. Without amplification, it's the best practice tool EVER! (Mine is the spruce top version) Through an amp it has more sounds and tones than can be imagined. It eventually will be replacing my acoustics for both five piece country band and twin guitars duo. I will be playing it through a Bose L-1 and Fender Blues Jr. They both sound great carrying this guitar-I'm the only thing holding it back-but that's changing. The quality, beauty, fit and finish from Taylor couldn't be better. My hands thank me every day for trading my HD28 for this inspiring T5z! I still have a lot to learn, but the T5z Standard is taking me where I want to go. Love it!!SuperJeff

FIRST AND FOREMOST: I'm just starting to play it, but my first impressions are very positive. THAT SAID: It's very flexible and interesting as an electric depending on how it's switched, and warm but crisp as an acoustic. It has a great neck and quick action, and the look-and-feel are beautiful and solid. The mahogany top is gorgeous. ALTHOUGH: It's a little light … I wish it had a bit more heft. AND: Those Taylor gig bags aren't impressive. It's not a cheap instrument and should include a hard case. IN BRIEF: Unplugged, it delivers a lovely acoustic sound; plugged in and pushed, it can certainly get wiry and crunchy. I think it's an excellent guitar and I'm delighted to own – and play – it.RICHARD

#5)Ease of use. I bought this guitar 5 months ago. After becoming blind with all of its "psychological warfare", having the jumbo frets, the spacing of the strings and the thinness of the neck has made playing guitar much easier. I like the placement of the controls. The navigation process like playing a rhythm acoustic switching to an electric lead can become quite seamless. #4) Say goodbye to cumbersome, clumsy, awkward and sore shoulders. The size and weight of this guitar is fantastic. #3) The Sound. Unplugged it's amazing, plugged in it's magical. The versatility of sound on this is unmatched. #2) Synergistic! When you combine all of the qualities mentioned, it's a no-brainer for a guitar that can do it all. #1) It's a Taylor! Couple this with a great company like AMS. #1 This was a very easy transaction from beginning to end. They have a knowledgeable staff in both sales and customer service. (Dan sent me 3 different pictures so the people with me could describe the guitar. Thank You Dan!). #2. The financing and the automatic payment plan was quick and easy. #3. The quality of the AMS company and staff exceeds all expectations before, during and after each transaction. I enjoy doing business with AMS. Thank you.Candice

After months of searching for my next guitar I finally settled on the Ibanez Prestige AZ series. As a lifelong strat player, my goal was to find a guitar that married modern features with classic American Strat-like qualities. The obvious choice might be the modern Suhr series, but the pricing on those was too high for me to even entertain exploring. The Ibanez Prestige AZ2402 is the perfect rendition of the featuree I was looking for and after 3 weeks of playing, I could not be happier with this purchase. I was able to secure the guitar for a few hundred less than new, as it was labelled as "minor blemish" on the AMS site. I immediately jumped on it and am ecstatic that I did so. To this day 3 weeks later, I cannot tell what the "blemish" could be. This thing looks, feels, plays and sounds like a brand new guitar. Out of the box the guitar was set up and only just slightly flat of tune. To meet my preference, some minor adjustments were made to the neck and bridge, but the 20 minutes or so that it took to slap some fresh strings on and make the measurements was well worth it. I have even had to do this on product that was brand new before, so I could not even attribute this to the "minor blemish" label. Th pickups are amazing. The coil switch mechanisms are great for added versatility, but the standard humbuckers are excellent and the guitar should still be considered even if you do not plan to use the switching system. The neck is super creamy and clear as a bell, while the bridge is just hot enough for metal and crystal clear enough to jangle some clean chords. The bridge is very solid with comfortable saddles and screams top quality. Tuning stability has not been any sort of issue, even with the use of the bar. I am not an extreme whammy bar user, but I did do some tests on deep dives and the guitar tuning needed no adjustment afterwards. In fact, since I changed the strings and did the setup on the second day, the guitar has not gone out of tune at all. I will highlight that the neck is way thicker than what I was anticipating, but in a few hours I was right at home with the feel. I have played many wizard necks and it simply was not what I was looking for, being accustomed to chunkier modern strat necks. The AZ neck is big, chunkier than the strat but I am now in love with it and this guitar has become my go to #1. Definitely recommend even at the full new price. This same guitar made in the US with all the exact same appointments would cost in excess of 4K. Great Guitar!Ryan

Sound: The Hyperion pickups do a great job overall and offer up a nice array of different sounds for just about every style of music. When in HH mode it goes from blues to rock and beyond with no problem. When the DynaMix switch is engaged the guitar takes on a completely different characteristic from jangly to warm and has some great tonal options for clean and crunch. I like the versatility of this guitar. It takes a bit of time to get used to all the options and you’ll have to tweak your EQ here and there to avoid them sounding thin or shrill, but I think you'll be able to find quite a few useful tones with this guitar. Features: The Gotoh tuners are sturdy and stable. The ratio is great and they really smooth with no issues at all holding tune. I had never used them before and I had to YouTube how to unlock them lol, but they work great. I prefer locking tuners with the knob on the back, but that's just personal preference. The Gotoh bridge feels spectacular. The titanium saddles are so smooth, no more rubbing your palm raw over rough saddles or screws. I don't use a trem much these days but it does a good job staying in tune even with some dive bombs and flutters. The roasted maple neck is beautiful and has a great smooth feel on the back. The cutaway and contours are very comfortable and the recessed input jack is a thoughtful highlight. And yes, most wireless transmitters will fit. I could not get my Line 6 G10 transmitter to fit in the AZ Premium I had. The Prestige is not as deeply recessed and the transmitter fits just fine. This is my first go around with stainless steel frets but I do like the feel of them and they look good too. Ease of Use: It’s a fairly straightforward guitar to use and maintain. Nothing overly complicated here. Changing strings on a 2 point trem is a breeze compared to Floyd Rose or Edge terms and with the locking tuners you can get through the task in just a few minutes. All the back panels open easily for access to trem springs, input jack, and electronics. The exposed truss rod socket makes adjusting the neck a snap. The included multi-tool is really all you will ever need for quick changes. Quality: This is where everyone will say they have high end made in America PRS, or Custom Shop whatevers and this is just as good or better. They will say that for a good reason because it’s the truth. Fit and finish are spectacular. No gaps or wiggles to be found. Fret work and fingerboard are simply top notch. It feels like it’s been your guitar for years. Electronics are smooth and there is an overall premium feel to this instrument. The hype is real…. FujiGen makes great guitars. Value: Value is a subjective measure. This is an expensive guitar for sure but when compared to similar “modern player” guitars out there the 2402 sits right in the middle price-wise. I feel it’s well within reason for what you get and it’s a good value for your money. I’d rather get a painted body with stainless steel frets than a bookmatched top and standard frets. Manufacturer Support: Haven't needed it The Wow Factor: In my humble opinion the wow factor is somewhat unseen. The story behind the AZ series is quite novel in that Ibanez reached out and met with some of the best and brightest guitarists around today. Over a period of 2 or 3 years and through several prototypes they compiled all of those suggestions into this amazing series of instruments. If all the artists involved really feel that this is their ultimate guitar then that’s pretty wow in my book. Overall: OK first let’s talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room. That neck!!!! If you have done any research on the AZ series you already know it’s not a Wizard neck, but you may be surprised at how big it is. When I first grabbed it I was thinking I was going to return it, but after playing on it for a few days it felt like home. Like a lot of things about this guitar, the neck is a paradox. It shouldn’t feel this comfortable to someone who prefers Charvel and Jacksons, but it does. It doesn’t feel like a shred neck, but you can play that way remarkably well on it. It has its own unique shape like nothing I’ve played before. If I had to compare it to something I’d say somewhat resembles a Fender American Elite neck but more of a U shape with bigger shoulders. I can say that I don’t notice a huge change when going back and forth with my other guitars. It’s easy to transition between them without a lot of readjustment time to ‘get the feel’. I’ve seen a lot of forum posts asking about how the AZ Prestige stacks up to other instruments. Here’s my opinion. I own a Charvel Pro Mod DK24 HSS with the roasted neck and I really like that guitar a lot. The 2402 is a little lighter and sleeker and has a higher quality feel. I think the Hyperions as humbuckers are more versatile than the Full Shred. The 2402 neck is thicker and feels a little wider vs the DK which is more like a very thin Strat neck. I also briefly owned the Premium version of this guiAllan

So many professional guitar players choose this Ibanez Prestige AZ2402 and when you get your hands on one you know exactly why. Where to start?!? First off the Japanese craftsmanship on these guitars a second to none! Perfect execution in every way! Neck, body, frets, tremolo everything just fits together in joyful harmony to make for an awesome axe that practically plays itself. Stainless steel frets will last a life-time and pickups offer a wide array of tone arsenal. If you need just one axe in your collection i would recommend this for sure. Its worthy of calling it your #1 if you are a shredder, prog, or jazz player. This guitar is for everyone!usbzoso

I have chronic back pain, and been playing in a jazz combo for about 10 weeks. To reduce impact on my back i decided to sw'itch tIo a lighter guitar than the Ibanez AF105 archtop hollow body I was using (which sounds great) . This guitar is much more comfortable for me to play, is several pounds lighter, but still delivers a great sound. The action is very easy without buzzing, the neck is thin enough for me to get my entire hand around, which is awesome since I don't have big hands, making the F shape a happy place. And stays in tune..very happy! Only change I made was to have flatwound strings put on, and and that made a huge difference from how it sounded on the wall. Really warmed it up.Howard

I played one of these yesterday in a related store, and it sounded good. I tried the Beatles' "She's A Woman" on it through a Vox "emulating" 2×12 amp, and it nailed it pretty well. The neck pickup rhythm part was solid and thick without being muddy, and the bridge pickup was twangy without being shrill, and sustained through all the notes in the Chet Atkins style "George" lead part. Pushed it right out in front like a cornet. I have 4 Gretsch guitars, all ElectroMatic – Red Sparkle Jet, Jet Jr. (P-90), Jet Pro II w/ Bigsby and the recent red w/ gold hardware Duo Jet, and I am happy with all of them – more twang than a Gibson, but fatter than a Fender, the Broad'Tron pickups deliver. Get the Bigsby adjusted properly and let the strings set in with the tuners and it should be OK. Bigsbys have to be set up right to work and stay in tune, but they CAN work well. I suppose seeing Steve Stills a week ago colored my argument, but I'll stand by it!Blues 90

Ok. I've had Danelectro, Fender and 3 Rickenbacker 12 strings. I like the extra sizzle.jangle that a 12 string provides. But they usually play very poorly and stay in tune even worse. Even the vaunted Rickenbacker was a general pain to deal with. But a POG doesn't give you the full effect, so I bought this Gretsch 12 string. The guiatr arrived flawless and after tuning was perfect. The classic tones, experimental tones even ripping leads….all quite possible on the Gretsch. Being a kid of 70's I grew up on the Monkees and the Nesmith factor was a big thing for me. But I'm blown away at how well this thing plays and well voiced it is. Ricky-like treble plus the bluesy twang of a Gretsch. Middle setting is especially useful. I run this through massive amounts of distortion sometimes and tune to dropped D. The Gretsch (with a compressor) can handle it all. You can rip leads effortlessly on this thing. It's an extremely useful instrument.Uncle Frank

I'm usually a semi-snobby MIUSA guitar guy – with multiple Gibson, Fenders and Martins, but this Chinese Made Gretsch is a thing of absolute beauty. Gretsch QC is remarkable and I've had others in the past decade that have been equally wonderful. The finish and details are fantastic, even down to binding on the F Holes. The neck is ridiculously playable for a 12 string and I've had fun learning all the classic 12 strings songs, in addition to trying some new stuff. Tuning is easy, and it stays in tune really well. I'll be getting a professional setup done on this soon, but out of the box this guitar was exactly what I was looking to have to noodle around with, but be nice enough to hold a permanent spot. If you are looking to add an electric 12 String to your lineup, this is the one. They've been dipping in and out of stock, so keep an eye out or pre-order one. It took me about a month from when I "reserved".Darren

All of these guitar companies market their guitars with pictures of nice, dark, fretboards, that look like dark Rosewood, or even Ebony. They do that because they know that's what people want, but then what you often end up getting is an ugly, dull, light brown or grayish looking board.Pablo

Overall: I have a Gibson, Fender, Martin and now an Ibanez. I was excited so I felt it important to wait until I have had a few months playing before offering any review. To date the guitar has been a joy. I felt the finish was very good. It did require a slight bridge adjustment for the G string to intonate correctly and was a bit of a bear in the beginning. Once that was worked out the joy was everlasting. The sound options are immense. The single coil mode and the out of phase gives so many tonal options it will be a long time before I explore and find them all. I have broken several strings both at the keys and the bridge. Not sure if this is related to finish work but I have not done any work to remediate that. Guitar is light and easy to fit the body well. We'll see how things hold up over the long term.Ray

The Guilted Ash is stunning visually and sonically. The fit and finish is top notch. Ebony fretboard is flawless. The neck is in between the ES-339 and ES335 I owned, which is perfect. A far far superior guitar for half the price. Came in a hardshell TSA case.JK

Frist and foremost great playability smooth and rich sounding the quality of this instrument just jumps at you and fore the price it’s just unbelievableEl guapo

This guitar has a great neck, a hair wider than a typical Gibson, with a low-friction finish, and nice relatively small frets (none of that "jumbo" nonsense). I've got it set up almost dead flat and there's no fret buzz, with monel 13s for strings and the bridge adjusted to give about 2.5mm clearance at the 12 fret (heavy swing strumming). However, the nut was cut too high, so barring at the first fret is tough. I'll get around to that eventually. Some more negatives: 1. The pickup vibrated sympathetically while playing, and emitted some terribly annoying buzzes. I corrected this by removing the pu cover and bedding the guts in felt. This cured the buzz but had the side effect of reducing some acoustic volume and high end. 2. One of the feet of the bridge is not well-contoured to fit the body, so that's another project to tackle. I'll probably replace the whole thing with rosewood. 3. The metal "tone" label fell off the tone knob. I had to reglue it. Still, for the low, low price I paid, I'm quite satisfied.Miles

I walked into a local music store today just to check out the toys. I had no intention to purchase anything. I just like to look. I was forbidden by the family from buying anymore gear. Oops. I started out looking at amps. I could sneak one of those past the family. They only notice new guitars. After I plugged in a few guitars to test out the amps, I notice the Godin 5th Ave Cognac Burst all by itself calling me. It was love at first strum and the amp was not even turned on. Two minutes after I turn the amp on I was headed toward the register. I have been playing for two hours straight now and only took a break to write this review. I will be worth sleeping on the couch for a few weeks.Mr.G the Foster Care Recruiter.

I found myself un-obligated, bored and holding a fist full of cash one Friday afternoon, so I wandered into my local guitar shop. With a new found love of single coil pickups I had been eyeballing the Gretsch and Guild hollow bodies unfortunately too poor to actually buy one. On this afternoon, however, I played the Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin. It was love at first strum. Mine is called Cognac Burst. The satin finish on these instruments is beautiful, and give it a vintage, played look. This guitar has a really nice feel in terms of the neck and the thickness of the body. I have fairly long fingers and the neck is comfortable to play. It feels to me, a bit like the thicker necks on the Les Pauls of the late 50s. When I got the guitar, the shop said they'd dial it in for me for free, but frankly, I have no complaints as it is. With the classic style floating bridge you can drop the action impossibly low before you start to get fret buzz. After I brought mine home, I did just that and it plays like a dream. The frets are finished well and there is a bevel on the edge of the fret board and frets that keep them out of the way if you're in the habit of sliding your hand up and down the neck quickly. The Kingpin has a warm mellow tone when unplugged that is perfect for playing jazz and blues. I also enjoy the lower volume of the guitar since it has f holes when I play later in the evening. Plugged in, the P90 kills and sounds good clean and driven. It also retains that warm, mellow tone when played without distortion. I haven't had any trouble with feedback as I tend to keep the volume a bit lower for small spaces. All in all, this guitar is a great choice and plays as well as my Gibson Les Paul and my buddies Gretsch 51… whateverSlowleadmccey

Just Wow!!! I used to have a Gibson ES-175 for like 15 years and this guitar totally crushes this! It has a spruce top (heat pressed?) that is resonant and sounds amazing. I've played many of the cheaper archtops which are impressive for the price but this guitar is probably the best guitar on the market if your looking for a full hollow body type sound(think L5) If you get a bad one just keep returning it until you get one that your happy with. Sometimes you will get an occasional guitar that has shoddy fretwork but just make sure you don't buy someones open box and get it directly from the warehouse.Peter

First full hollowbody guitar. I also own a John Scofield semi-hollow. This guitar not only looks really great, very good finish and attention to detail and a beautiful flame maple finish, but it plays really well as well. The neck on this one is a bit thinner than the Scofield and I actually like it better. Very nice pickups as well. My only hesitation on this is the tailpiece which I am not fond of, it makes stringing difficult. All in all a very nice instrument at a very nice price.Rick

Sound: I’m using this guitar for some jazzy & bluesy recordings and the rich deep midranges and lows I get from it, are perfect for the arrangements.. I used her for a few cover songs where a much more expensive Gibson ES-335 is being used and it plays the parts perfectly fine.. Overall: Amazed at the “attention to detail” as far as the design and look of this guitar. The sound that gorgeous beast made when I played that first chord, just tugged at me.. perfect for some recordings I’m working on. however, it did say some blemishes, which I was fine with. I knew I would probably have to give it a little maintenance or some sort of tweaking.. I did two things, I replaced that plastic nut, with a raw bone nut, and I gave her a nice fret job, some of the ends were a little rough and the frets had these funky scratches that drove me crazy on bends. Nevertheless, it’s perfect now! She is staying with me forever, along with my Gibson LP Supreme. The other guitars I have are in constant rotation.Juan