Ibanez Joe Satriani Js1000 Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

The neck profile is even MORE smooth and inviting than the 2001 JS1000 black pearl. I don't usually go for rounder radius fretboards (this one is 9.8"). I prefer 10.5"-12.5" minimum – and love compound radii – but the JS profile manages to satisfy me in ways words can't express. It's got "mo' Joe", to pardon the pun. The pickups are creamy and milky, with some gritty bite when you start pushing the overdrive into distortion. It has slightly more of "fuzz" compared to older model JS series pickups. You can always tweak EQ somewhere in your audio chain to boost the treble/tone a bit (which is what I do). Crunch is aggressive, while retaining excellent note clarity and precision. It has a Strat-style throaty growl with a hint of quack. What separates it from a Strat, though, is a warmer, creamier tone with less sparkle or crystalline chime of a Strat. The Sustaniac is a fun curiousity, but I'm not really sure how much I will use it. Honestly, I may prefer the coil split option over a Sustaniac, but being so in love with the Chrome Boy design, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to accept due to all the other benefits of actually OWNING a Chrome Boy(!). I have found a lot of interesting compositional concepts with the sustain settings and use of the whammy bar. With the Sustainiac engaged, it also increases the feedback response of a high-volume amp with overdrive/distortion, which opens the door for unique harmonic overtones while playing, making unusual audio flourishes easier to jump into, then out of on a whim. CONCLUSION: This is essentially the same as the Ibanez JS2480, but with the chrome body. A much steeper price tag goes with the finish, but Satch fans may find that price discrepancy acceptable, if they happen to have the ungodly amount of cash to get it. I have been eyeing a new Ibanez JS model since 2013, and finally bit the bullet on this beast. Is it worth it? For me, yes, it is. However, if you want the same options as this guitar, you can do JUST as wellKcMsterpce

Well being a Satch fan boy for three decades may have biased me slightly in favour of this guitar, but it is the real deal. Fretboard is super nice to play. Whammy bar action feels about the best I've ever found. The sustainiac is really fun. Body shape is quite comfy to hold. And of course the chrome finish looks really cool and unique and seems like it's gonna last.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Great Guitar Great sound no whammy bar oh and Emeryville store could not order it and said return it for money back. If you see this guitar without the whammy bar BUYER bEWareRobert

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

This has to be the pinnacle of all guitars! Plays like a dream, screams like a beast and a bluesy tone behind belief! This guitar has it all! I’m glad I held out for a JS model until this one. The sustaniac is incredible! If you’re an Ibanez fan this is the one! I have 2 Jems and they don’t come close to this!Steeleman

This guitar has great sustain and has some nice clean tones also. Much crunch with string buzz/hum which isn’t ideal. You’ll need to plan 3-4 hours to get the strings at the correct height to decrease the pick-up/string buzz.CBGB

The electrics on this guitar are the key difference, the pickups are very articulate and for high gain with control they are superb. The trem is weightless and wonderful to use, The neck is more profiled than I expected, nowhere near as flat as the Vai models like PIA, but I’m finding it very quick and more complex runs are coming more easily than usual. The sustainiac mode is a bit nuts, unless you really want to be satriani I’m not sure how often you’d use it but it’s a lot of fun; hit a squeally harmonic then listen to it sustain for months. Overall everything about this guitar is pure quality but it’s the overdriven tone and the solo friendly Mids that are the highlight.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Overall: I bought this brand new from zZ! It came quite swiftly. It was packaged good and no damage was observed! The guitar was not ready to play right out of the box. I had to adjust the bridge and the truss rod. Once I changed the strings, and got the guitar set up…I was really surprised how good it actually plays! The neck is one of the best feeling necks that I have ever played on! It is slim and fast. The finish on this guitar is really nice! I got the red sunburst. It's a poly finish and very pretty! The craftsmanship is really good for a mid priced guitar. The hardware is really nice and quite durable! I like the fixed bridge. The tuners are really good and it stays in tune well! The electronics are good. Decent Pots and knobs! I was surprised how good the pickups sound! I use a Blackstar HT40 Club amp, and this guitar sounds great through it. The guitar has a five way switch that allows for humbucking and coil tap sounds! The tonal options are very versatile. You should be able to use this guitar for Any genre you want to play! I really am pleased with this guitar! It looks great, plays awesome, and is very versatile. I wouldn't hesitate to take it on the road as my main guitar…it's that sweet. You get a lot of guitar for a very good price!Michael

Right out of the box this guitar was setup and ready to shred. I love the Wizard III neck and the Pearl Black Fade Metallic looks so good. I've been an Ibanez player since 1999 and played many models. The RG421 is up there with the best of them. The Quantum pickups are excellent, so no need of changing them. I own many RGs and this one has become my go to guitar for any style of music. I can't put it down. Well worth the price. Thanks Ibanez for another good sounding quality guitar, and AMS for the quick ship!Louie

The MCO ibanez represents years of detail and refinement for the player at heart. If your looking for something to hang on the wall for art…..this is not it! This guitar was made to play your ass off on! Best guitar I’ve ever owned! I will never sell!Johnny

Overall: I'll echo everything the other reviewer said and add what I can. I've had this guitar for a little over a year now. I have GAS really bad and buy a few guitars a year including several since. I've given 5 star reviews before but they are always "for their price range". This is to date the most expensive guitar I've bought, but it is a TRUE 5 Star Guitar. Joe and Ibanez threw the kitchen sink in with this thing. First thing I notice was that it was very loud and resonant unplugged, it is a machine. It does not have a super flat neck like the HP Wizards but is actually better for most things. I have 36 guitars to date and many that I buy I love at first but then get hung. This guitar has taken over my collection. The next one that comes close and gets a lot of play time is the AZ, gonna give that a shoutout, it's just something extraordinary and Ibanez is onto something with it. I do live gigs and the JS and the AZ both come with me every time. I was torn between this one and the JS2480, but I really wanted the MCP and I already had a sustainiac in a couple schecters so I felt I wouldn't be missing that feature if I Really needed it, and I don't. This guitar sounds just great and sustains wonderfully on it's own. Good job Ibanez. Huge shoutout to zZounds who was doing 18 months on this product at the time that made it possible. Hope to see them offer this option again in the future. I'd love a PIA or MusicMan.Rob

I loved the guitar, I returned not because of any fault but after 20 years of playing a Jem it was too much of a change for a 60 year old rocker. The tone and playability of the JS was superb out of the box though thanks to Andertons Quality control. Andertons will get my future business even though they are 150 miles away. I trust them, rare these days. Thanks you Andertons.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Overall: I got this guitar as a birthday present from my wife. This thing is incredible! I am normally a strat guy. But I have always wanted a JS model. The tonal range you can get from this guitar is staggering! I can go from the “satch tone” to a Les Paul tone to a strat tone all on one instrument! I couldn’t be any happier… or surprised. The flexibility I get with one guitar is incredible. A dream come true for me, as I play many styles. What a true chameleon of tone! The craftsmanship of the instrument is flawless in every way. I couldn’t find a single hint of a defect anywhere on this thing! The bridge was set to the proper height and everything! I had to tune it up when I got it and stretch the strings. But, I haven’t had to do any tuning since. And I have abused the double locking trem on this. So happy I got this!Johnny

I decided to get a new guitar and remembered years ago playing a Ibanez JS series. I got this one because i wanted to try the sustainiac. Its really fun to play and can sound very beautiful. The guitar for me was great quality. Its a very comfortable guitar for me. I am very happy with my purchase.joey226

"Budget" version of this guitar. Plays great! Feels great! Beautiful guitar and the sustainiac pickup is a blast to use!slyterbunch

These are great guitars. I have one in each color (RFR, PN, and DY). Very fast neck, very easy to play once it's set up to my preference. Tremolo works great. I've had Ibanez RG560, 570, and 550's before back in the 90's and the Edge bridge is the best on the market, and I'm a longtime Floyd Rose user. Edge is super stable and stays in tune great. Finish is perfect, no issues. Neck is very stable (I live in the south where the humidity is bad in the summer). I used the RFR and PN at an outside show last month and they performed flawlessly. The only weak spot in these guitars is the pickups, they are not my tonal preference so I changed them out on all my 550's. Other than that, you can't get a better guitar for the price. The build and craftsmanship are fantastic.mvnbikes

I've owned an original black '87 since'89 and never have stopped loving it. If it's possible, I love my new 2019 RG even more. Why? Two things – I really wanted it in yellow back in the day, but found that fantastic black one and traded a guitar for it. So when Ibanez started making these again (in Japan!), I jumped all over it and got my yellow RG550 finally! I also love the neck. Originals weren't glossy per say, but they were indeed a shiny finished neck. These Super Wizard necks are the stuff! Satin finish and extremely strong 5 piece necks with the volute which makes me feel better about the strength of the neck. Superb looking, playing, and sounding guitar. I dig the stock pickups. They're incredibly versatile. Warm cleans will blow you away,especially in the 2 and 4 pickup setting.AustinPaul

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

This guitar is the epitome of world class craftsmanship. Every single detail is attended to with pristine precision. The playability is unmatched and quality unsurpassed. I own many quality guitars ESP Japan made, Gibson USA made. But there is just something special that makes me only want to play this guitar. Well done Ibanez this will be a lifelong keeper. Better then I could imagined or expected and I expected a LOT at this price point. Did not disappoint. I purchased the stallion white and it is breath taking in person. It has a pearlesque look which I love. If you are on the fence don't hesitate you will not be disappointed. This is top notch quality in every way and don't know how it could get better. A+++++Joe

I dreamed of having a guitar like this after seeing a cased Ibanez Jem about twenty years ago. Words cannot describe the disappointment I experienced after finally having them money to get something like this only to have received a dud. I bought this because the Pia looked so much more dignified than the Jem. I was excited to play this after reading so much about how Ibanez uses the highest levels of craftsmanship and standards for their top of the line guitars. Unfortunately, I'm afraid they've lost credibility with me. Here's why: – The frets were so sharp that I worried if cut myself. – The whammy bars (it came with two) were not tightly fit into its tremolo. They would make a clicking sound as they loosely rocked back and forth using some vibrato. – One area of the guitar was not finished being painted (or so it appeared). – The body was not smoothly sanded down as I could visibly see imperfections in the wood as light shined on the paint. I ended up finding another person on YouTube doing a review who experienced the same problem with the whammy bars along with some other issues. I wish so badly this guitar would have been the last I would have ever purchased.David

It is a great privilege to leave the 1st review for this guitar at Guitar Center. It is my 1st personal review at guitar center as well. First, it is a little surprising to see this review will be the 1st since this guitar has been released for half a year. But whoever reads this, right now is 2020, the pandemic year, and we do not know how soon this is going to end, maybe next spring, maybe even longer. Probably that is the reason. Please let us remember this difficult time that many people lost their lives, many people got laid off, we might get another recession… I am a Steve Vai fan, I made this impulse buy at this difficult time, but not regretting it. The PIA is fantastic, absolutely the best guitar I have ever played so far, although I handed on a few more expensive ones. I compare it with Farreri. It is just smooth on every cover of the guitar. Fingerboard and neck are just gorgeous. Frets are stunning. If I use one word to describe PIA, it is going to be "Harmony". Handsome but beautiful, energetic but soft, Yin and Yang. It is very light, but still holds a decent amount of weight (not as light as the Herman Li's guitar, that one is a little too light from my point of view). The newly designed Dimarzio Utopia pickups, together with the pickups covers are sweet and beautiful. It is interesting they named it Utopia, as the ideal society, but also like U to Pia, maybe it is part of the reason for the name of this guitar.Zens Tone

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

. 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

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

I wish I had purchased this a long time ago. It was a champ right out of the box. This is one of the very few times in 50 years of buying guitars that I actually purchased an instrument and not a project. I’m amazed at how well it was set up to rock from the get-go. AMS must take great care of their stock because this was perfection in a box when i got it. Crisp and clean, aesthetically astounding. The sound encompasses everything I look for but i got it in this one guitar. Rough and rugged tones for grinding out ripping leads, sweet mellow tones for ambient music, unmatchable warm and hot tones for clean country and soothing jazz. You just cannot beat this guitar in quality and sound in this price range! You gotta get one of these!DC Collins

I’ve read almost every single review on this model and the overall take was hit or miss. Well I musta lucked out because this thing plays great! I had no paint blemishes, was smooth around the monkey grip, frets level, neck relatively straight and after a home set up, twice oiling the fretboard, with a fresh set of Super Slinky’s dropped down half a step she was solid. Tremolo unit not as bad as I had read or expected. The bar will get loose after use but I’ve got it holding tune very well. You can’t pull the bar up like the big brother Jems without an almost immediate fret out and the obvious answer is raise the bridge but then the action is too high to enjoy playing. Pickups are really decent. They clean up well. Was probably the main factor over the White or Black. The White Jr just looked and felt plain in comparison. After owning a JEM7v and playing a thousand gigs on it this is a nice little reminder of what fun that was!Ryan

Purchased in Westminster, CA Sam Ash store. Had a hard time locating these in SoCal stores. Their online store said it was in their inventory, but it was not on display. Bryan, my sales rep, located the guitar and setup and tuned as quickly as possible. He located an amp to suit my style and plugged me in. He was very attentative, well spoken and enthusiastic – asking questions that were very helpful. Big shout out to Bryan for all his heolp and personability. This Jem Jr in Pink acheived all the tones I was looking for in one guitar from clean to shred. Pretty sturdy and stayed in tune quite well even after thrashing the trem bar to see if I could get a string to break. No fret edges, though the fretboard was dry (oiled then neck at home). No scratchy pots or finish issues. The weight was pleasant and easy to carry around. Got a great deal from Sam Ash and their service was good and meaningful and I left with a sense of a solid purchase. Will visit this store again and I recommend the Jem Jr if you can't afford the upper end Jem guitars.BaconFire

I bought this guitar because I wanted a new toy and because of the price – I figured I didn't have much to lose. I have three other guitars, two of them Jackson, that I play frequently, and I always wanted a guitar of this style. The natural finish is attractive and unusual. I like that. The pickups are ok, but the electronics leave a lot to be desired. The fingerboard craftsmanship is lacking attention, at least on the one I received. There are unfinished areas and one of the inlays is missing a small section. I don't know what strings they send over to China to put on this thing, but they are complete garbage. Putting some new strings on improved things a lot. This also suffers from some fret buzz. The guitar comes setup pretty well. The intonation seems to be spot on and the truss rod is adjusted properly. Action is set surprisingly well, considering the price of the guitar. However, as I mentioned above, this results in some fret buzz. I'll work with that a bit later. The neck has the same feel and playability as my higher-end Jacksons, so that's a plus. Overall, I don't think you could go wrong with this in the low price range. I'd recommend inspecting the guitar closely upon receipt to double check quality control. I wouldn't recommend this as a first guitar, unless an experienced guitarist is available to inspect. It's also not a guitar that's easy to sit and play, which is something to consider. If you get a good one and it's setup properly, this is an excellent guitar for ripping out some metal riffs or just having fun. Just don't take it too seriously.Matt

I received my guitar about three days ago, and overall I am very happy with my purchase. The guitar looks awesome – I love the wood finish with gold hardware, and have received many compliments on the instrument's overall appearance. It is incredibly light, weighing in at just about 7 pounds, making it the lightest guitar I have ever owned. I love the feel of Jackson necks, and this guitar is no exception. It has a fast action that makes speedy riffs a breeze to play. Access to the higher portion of the fret board is incredible, thanks to the V body shape. This is my first Flying V guitar, and I will definitely need to get used to handling the unique body shape as I play. Now for a couple cons that made me drop my rating from 5 to 4 stars: this guitar is top heavy. I have never owned a top-heavy guitar before, and it is super inconvenient to play standing up. You have to put in a constant effort to keep the guitar level as you play. I personally like to play with my guitar at a 45-degree upwards angle, which is much more difficult to do on this guitar then on any of my other well-balanced instruments. While the natural wood body looks awesome, it feels as if it would be easy to damage. But as long as you're careful you shouldn't run into any issues. I ordered this guitar online, and was not happy with the experience Guitar Center delivered. It said that the instrument was in stock and ready to ship, but after three days I still hadn't received a shipping confirmation in my email. I reached out to customer support and found out that the guitar was actually not in stock and I would have to wait three additional weeks before my guitar would ship. That was a bummer. All in all I would recommend this guitar, and am happy I added it to my collection!Darin

My fiance purchased this guitar for me as a early Christmas gift around october 2019. After the usual string change adjustments and tuning it sounded great and played great. Only real issue is neck dive but with this body shape you expect it and can be corrected by moving the strap button placement to the back plate or near by depending on your choice i left it and rest the top horn inside my leg like you see dimebag with his ml and many others with the v shape and non traditional shapes like the warriors king Vs and so on. I personally love the Rhoads shape and the natural finish. Other than some minor changes and upgrades knobs Tusq Nut Locking tuners and a Seymour Duncan bridge pickup upgrade and a good setup this guitar is my daily player out of the 6 i own its become my favorite im looking to buy another honestlychuck thomas

I always liked the Ibanez instruments and products. This guitar for the money has a great sound, is light and small, very practical for people with small hands, or for children. Playability is nice, the pickups are good, hardware is good. It's versatile also for all types of genre's. Ideal for rock and metal, shreds real nice. If you're looking for a good but inexpensive guitar, this one is a good purchase. It's not only for beginners, it's for all level players.John

Classic Ibanez body shape, neck, tuners and lightweight, like a scaled down Soundgear (SGR) series only sans the unnecessary active bass junk. Knobs are solid metal, not cheap plastic ones found on other low end Ibanez basses. Only thing bass needed out of box was intonation set. No neck adjustments needed and no significant buzz. Strings are round wound (my pref). Would not recommend this bass if you think you need (tone killing) flat wound. I'm not aware of anyone making flatwound strings for a 28.6" scale bass. Note: scale length of this bass (28.6") is shorter than typical short scale (30"). The strings on it are proprietary (Ibanez). You might be able to make some cut down long scale strings work (pain, wouldn't recommend) but the proprietary Ibanez strings are the way to go. MF doesn't sell them for some reason. You can find them online for a very reasonable price online. Buy a couple of extra sets. Pickups are jazz bass style and config (two volumes + one tone) which is my pref. I had zero issues with tone or volume controls. Pickups are all passive. Yah! And tone sounds great, classic jazz bass tones available including a nice Jaco-ish tone with 100% bridge pickup and tone rolled way down. Be wary of review comments from guitar players that don't play bass and buy this bass and suddenly have a lot of opinions about what this bass should and shouldn't be. This bass does not need the bridge, pickups, tuners or electronics replaced to make it a "pro" instrument. All this bass needs to be a "pro" instrument, is a "pro" player playing it. Tone is in your fingers. I highly recommend for beginners and I think experienced players will dig it as well, especially those that appreciate shorter scale instruments.mark5211

I finally gave up on waiting for the Ibanez GRG131 DX to be restocked, which was not MF's fault – no one is responsible for shortages in this country other than our brainless leader and his group of morons. So, I checked out the Ibanez RG6003FM as it is very similar to the GRG131DX. Yes, they are different in colors, but the important parts are way better on the RG6003FM. Comparing the RG6003FM vs. GRG 131DX: pickups, (Quantums vs. Infinity R pickups), necks (Wizard III vs. GRG), body wood (mahogany vs. poplar), switches (5 way vs. 3 way), finger board (jatoba vs. NZ pine), and a flamed maple top vs. black paint made it a no brainer. The RG6003FM is a super guitar. If you wait for a Stupid Deal they are very close in price. I received my 6003FM in 4 days, triple boxed, perfect condition and ready to play. Lucky for me that the GRG 131DX was out of stock. I'd like to thank MF and my super helpful Gear Advisor, Stephanie ext. 3575, for a great guitar and great service!Don

Really like how light it is. Pickups are fine for practicing. Stays in tune fairly well. The top has a round dark spot about the size of a nickel in it that I don't like but whatever. Had a bunch of high frets so they had to be leveled, crowned and polished before it could be setup. The knobs were wobbly due to imperfections in the plastic inserts inside the knobs. While pulling them off to be replace the stem of the volume pot broke inside the pot so the pot needed to be replace. Got the new knobs on so no more wobble. This guitar is good enough to knock around with and for practice but it may need some work to get it right. At least the one I got did, YMMV.Poor Devil

Since (regrettably) selling my late-80's model RG550 some years ago, I had not owned another Ibanez until purchasing this one. This purchase was not intended to be a replacement of the prior, as they are not in the same category, but kudos to Ibanez for making a functional, good-sounding lower-end RG model. As stated by other users, the pickups are a bit flat-sounding, but these can be replaced with premium ones. Out-of-the-box, this guitar packs some punch, and the range of sound is diverse enough to play nearly any style of music well enough. The best features of this guitar are its light weight, and fast, comfortable neck. The fact that this guitar was purchased on sale made it all the more satisfactory…BolekLolek

AMH90 is a small hollow body electric guitar. It does not have a solid block running through the centre of the body like Gibson ES 335. There is some support at the bridge and both pickups, which can be seen through the F holes. Acoustically it has more natural echo/reverb than a semi hollow body. It has two Super 58 humbuckers and the neck pick up has additional 3 position switch. I mostly play through software simulator and I get a lot of different sounds with different pickup selections, and with playing with a pick or fingers in different positions. The guitar has a good range from nice clean tones to strong distorted sounds. The guitar has a tail piece, but the bridge is fixed on the body. I usually remove pickguards, but I am going to keep it on this guitar. My guitar is in glossy black finish. It has a minimal design with golden hardware, black volume and tone controls, minimal bindings, and dot fret markers. The guitar came with new strings with a decent setup, but without a bag or a case. I am happy with the guitar and also with PMT customer service.Mitja K.

This is my first Ibanez artcore guitar. I'd been looking for a semi-hollow and saw this (I got the red one) and liked the looks, although I'm not a fan of gold hardware. I'd always heard that the Artcore series had thin necks (per Ibanez's shredder pedigree), and that's not really my thing, but I decided to give it a go (didn't buy it from MF). This guitar is a pleasant surprise in many ways. First – the neck is fantastic – I would call it a fairly deep C, not skinny at all, and it's a blast to play – a nice, chunky profile that is super comfortable (YMMV). I'm normally a single coil guy (my favorite guitar is a USA G&L Legacy; teles, Jazzmasters, P90s, etc) but I really like the sound of these humbuckers. They're more mid-rangey than dark, and have plenty of presence to them. The tri-tone switch is interesting – you can coil split or run the neck pup in series or parallel – all of the tones are useful, but I like full humbucker mode the best (I play clean to semi-dirty, mostly). Fit & finish is very good. Neck & body binding and overall cosmetics are excellent. The fret work is very good, but the fret ends are a little rough. Not awful, just a little rough. Just on that detail alone you won't mistake this for a more expensive guitar. However, having said that, the frets themselves are fine – no high or low frets, no buzzes – it plays great all the way up the neck. The satin finish looks great and it makes the back of the neck nice and smooth. I love it. Overall this is a fun guitar to play that sounds really great, and I absolutely love the neck.AF of the North

Sound: The sounds of this guitar are fantastic with 9 different pickup settings and the toggle switch. I played it both clean and dirty. The 2 and 4 positions give you that Mark Knopfler clean solo tone.Also, the pickups sound very full and snarly through my Orange will the gain all the way up.The pickups have a really high octane sound. Don’t think that because they are ceramics that the resulting tone will be compromised.The most useful feature is the toggle switch. Depending on which position you are at on the 5-way, you can get Tele flavors, typical strat, and even some Brian May like tones.The body wood is quite resonant. And the maple neck with Jatoba fretboard are quite smooth and well finished. The hardware on this guitar are very good. The tuners are quite nice and function flawlessly. The split shafts make restringing a breeze. All components were snugly secure from the factory. The T106 trem bridge is very nice with its rounded comfort saddles. No grub screws sticking out, waiting to slice your hand when resting it on the bridge. The bridge is set up Decked. You can only dive on it, but the guitar stays in tune after a dive, and the string trees seem to be smooth, as well as the nut slots. Features: This guitar is so easy to use. The switches and pots function flawlessly. If there is a learning curve it is because there are so many tonal choices with the five way and toggle switches.This guitar was playable right out of the box. Even the action was low and the guitar was intonated right from the factory and the action was just a hair under 4/64ths at the 17th fret. Ease of Use: A well made instrument, the fit and finish is superb. No cosmetic or functional flaws. As far as for a beginner, this guitar should be a good one for the entire learning journey. It should last for many, many years to come with proper maintenance. The scale is a little shorter than a standard strat style guitar and a little longer than a typical Gibson.If I have any complaint, it’s that the frets might need to be polished a little. The frets seem to be level, but a little polishing will take them from smooth to smooth as glass. Quality: I have not had to deal with Ibanez directly, but if there is a problem, call up customer service and they can deal with an Ibanez rep quickly. I’ve done that before and had good results. Value: This guitar is the best looking of my three AZ’s. I want to get the other colors when they are available. At least the black one. I am going to use this guitar for bar jams and videos. I could use another guitar for this, as I have over 30, but these guitars are priced right to be what I need, and that’s a tool to make music with. And the AZES guitars are so versatile, and cost so little, why would I use anything else. Manufacturer Support: This guitar is the most bang, for so few bucks, in the Ibanez line. It is worth every penny. At $349.00 brand new, the AZES 40 kicks ass, and is a better value than a Squier Classic Vibe. Better frets and electronics, and in some cases better tuners and a better jack assembly. The Wow Factor: I have 9 Ibanez guitars, including the AZES 40 and two AZES 31’s ranging from $299.00 to 2K, and these are some of the best guitars I’ve ever played. Overall: This guitar was meant to attract beginner level guitarists, but this could be a great guitar for a pro as a main axe or backup. There are so many tones in this guitar.Out of the box this thing is ready to rock!Scott

Dabbled with guitars years ago but lost interest and sold all my stuff – decided to jump back in, bought this plus an ID:CORE 10 V3 and I'm absolutely loving it! For the price, I genuinely think this is the best beginners guitar out there right now (especially when paired with a versatile practice amp). It has both single coils and humbuckers so you can play most styles of music, it has a thin neck that's easy to navigate, the action isn't too high and the strings are 9's (i.e. very slim) so its easy to play, the fretboard finish is smooth, the volume/tone knobs are sturdy/don't crackle and it has a whammy. My one gripe is that it can take multiple attempts to tune (i.e. you start at the low E string, by the time you get to high E the low E needs fiddling with again), but once its tuned it'll stay that way with minimal movement; even if you thrash it. It sounds amazing and looks beautiful too – I can't stop picking it up. I've spent more money on significantly worse guitars in the past, couldn't recommend it more for the priceIain B.