Ibanez Purple Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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

My 10 year old daughter has asked to learn guitar so I've started teaching her. In 38 years of playing this is the first time I've taught anyone and I've always been against the idea of short length guitars. I started with a couple of my electrics and they were all too heavy and she couldn't comfortably stretch down to the end of the neck to fret notes. I reneged and bought her the 3/4 length Ibanez GRGM21M and I'm amazed. As a below £200 guitar I'm astonished at the quality. Its exactly what I'd expect from Ibanez. Not 100% perfect set up straight out of the box but way more than enough for a beginner. She loves it. I think back to my first guitar and this is light years away from that. Superb beginners guitar, she's already really coming on after changing to something more comfortable, well worth it.Graham M.

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

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 guitar is actually solid. After getting it setup with a bone saddle and bone nut, it sings. The frets were perfect polished and the intonation was spot on. The neck did require less relief, but who cares. That's a simple job. Amazing playability, and once you swap that plastic crap out for bone, I don't know you'd be able to find an acoustic this cheap that plays like this one does.Don

Being a guitarist since 12 I've always had a hard time playing acoustic. Since I've always played electric guitar. Low and behold the Alt30 came into my life! And this guitar has changed everything! Being that it's fret board is styled after an electric. I have never felt more comfortable playing and writing acoustic music now! Thanks AMS and Ibanez for this truly amazing guitar!Bryan

Sound: This guitar I by far the smoothest I have ever played. The tone is great and playing leads on it is like no other. Features: Everything about this guitar is perfect from the type of wood to the electonics. Ease of Use: This is an easy guitar to play if you have experience. Beginners will have to get used to it. The jumbo frets is where people will get messed up because of the spacing of the strings. Quality: This guitar will last a lifetime. Value: It is a very good price Manufacturer Support: I did not have to use any of the manufacturing numbers or talk to anyone this guitar was perfect right out of the box. The strings are great and it was in perfect tune right out of the box. The Wow Factor: The looks Overall: Great guitar for looks, price, and playability just get it. I own one and I will probably get it buried with me. This is the best guitar I played and currently own.Tom

I've wanted one of these for a long time and finally took the plunge. I'm very happy with the sound and construction of this guitar. Note that at least as of early 2018, there is no longer a "KH-602" inlay on the 24th fret. There are two small skull inlays like on the new Purple Sparkle model. The neck is super smooth on this guitar as mentioned by everyone else. The only thing I am having trouble getting used to is the extreme bevel of the fret ends. If I'm not careful it's easy for me to push the low E off the fretboard. Tuning the Floyd Rose bridge takes some patience, but once you get it dialed in it stays locked down. I like it.Rockman

I played on an Ibanez S-series for years and it was my go to for playing metal. I also own an American Standard Fender Stratocaster. I bought this guitar because I love playing Metallica songs and solos just jamming at home. This is by far my favorite guitar to play on now. The extra jumbo frets make soloing a cinch and have improved my capabilities. The heavy metal crunching sound is AWESOME and I only play on a Line 6 with one 12" speaker. My only disappointment is with some buzzing frets. The repair technician at Guitar center told me I have uneven frets, which would need to be repaired to get rid of the buzzing on both E strings, which is still present even after having the guitar set perfectly to spec by Guitar Center. You can't hear the buzzing through the amp, but I expected to receive near perfection from ESP/LTS when paying such as high price tag. QC those frets better before you release the guitars ESP South Korea! Or cut the price!Brosche

This has got to be the most value I've ever seen in a budget instrument. Out of the box it was set up good. Finish was perfect. I purchased the ruby red version. Stock pick up is aggressive and hot. Tremolo works as it should. Although I ain't a big user of them I can dive like EVH does on the first record with this thing and it comes back up in tune. Many people prefer something better but this works perfect for me. The only flaws I could find was one of the drill holes on the back plate was not lined up correct and a screw fell out. Not a big thing because I have take. It off for access to the springs and to change strings. The hardware is not the best. The screws on the claw stripped a little when I was taking it out for whammy use. Over all a very enjoyable guitar. Incredibly hot sounding and fast. The look is great too. I don't plan on upgrading anything just yet. Many buyers of this do hot rod them and that's also a very cool thing. Maybe in the future I'll consider some upgrades but stock is fine. I'd trust it on a stage no problem. Get them before they all go! There's a reason why very little of them are on the used market. For this price you cannot go wrong! Maybe if a yellow one of these was to come along I'd be all over it. Would definitely buy again!Cris w

Overall: I read some of these negative reviews and can't understand what they're talking about. This guitar is probably the best guitar for $200 I ever played , right out of the box it was setup perfectly. All I did was tune it , I've even got the same strings it came with. Which I normally change whenever I get a new guitar. The tuners are unbelievably tight , this guitar barely goes out of tune even if it has been sitting for weeks. Also I never attached the whammy bar , so I can't speak on that throwing it out of tune. Since I have over a dozen guitars I don't usually play it daily , but when I do it always makes me glad I purchased it. This is a very versatile guitar , I play mostly metal and this thing shreds. But I also play blues and it sounds just as good as my custom strat. I bought an Epiphone SG special in the same price range and let's just say the setup is night and day , the tuners absolutely sucked , "already replaced them" and the intonation was off. It was a mess , I've already put it on Craig's list and bought a G400 Pro instead , 10x better quality and setup , but I digress. I've got many high priced guitars but always go back to the GRX , the playability and neck feels so comfortable to play. The only thing I'm going to do eventually is throw in a Seymour Duncan humbucker and I'm definitely keeping this guitar. I don't know how Ibanez can sell this for $200 and keep the quality , but I'm certainly not going to complain. Whether you're a beginner or experienced this guitar delivers. Definitely will be purchasing another Ibanez down the road.Mike

There is a lot to say about this guitar. First of all, it's a great electric guitar for it's price range. I like the versatility it offers with 2 Humbuckers and 1 Lead pickup. So many tones are possible and with the whammy bar- even more. I'd watch using the tremolo system too much because the strings could go out of tune. I love to practice and create songs on mine. With the way the bridge is set up and the string-thru-body design, I am able to get the strings in tune in no time and the strings tend to stay in tune longer- even longer than my more expensive Jackson! The pickups give me a clear and great tone also. The only thing that I will change about the guitar is the strings…(I'd like to put on D'Addario's NYXL .09/.42) Looks like I'll be playing an Ibanez for a long time.Chaz

Sound: Does not have the cleanest sound due to the picks. Putting the right pedals and effects in line and cranking up the distortion makes it an awesome beginner / intermediate metal guitar. Features: For the price the materials feel great. Ease of Use: It sounds great on my Fender Champion 20 or Positive Grid Spark amp. Not the cleanest tone but a great metal sound and extremely easy to play. Quality: It feels made well, especially in the $200 range. I feel like this is one I'll have for years and once I get better definitely see this is a good platform for future mods. Value: This guitar is excellent value and at this price an amazing guitar. Manufacturer Support: I have not dealt with Ibanez. The Wow Factor: I must admit the aesthetic. It's extremely hard to find good looking purple color-based guitars. If I could dream up what I want a guitar to look like this is it. It helps that its quality is awesome. Overall: I love this guitar. Purple is my favorite color and a hard one to find good guitars in. It looks great. It feels great and I have yet to find any significant issues with it. No problems with the frets or fret buzz. Action is easy and low. It sounds great with my Positive Grid Spark amp. The pickups sound great. The HSH setup is very versatile. Not the greatest with clean tones like my Stratocaster, but amazing with the right effects.Josh

I went into my local guitar center yesterday and had close to 1k for a new guitar. I'm pulling off fenders and Epiphones off the wall that felt like they needed a lot of work done. I find this thing just chillin in a corner and the very first thing I do to every guitar is run my thumb and pointer finger along the neck to see if there is any sharp frets. It was smooth. Thought buzz would be bad. There was none. Thought tone would suck. Nope. Needless to say I went home with it. It does have a very few flaws. Pickup selector feels weak, tuners are so tight that they cause some sounds when moving them (stays in tune though), and pickups sound weak. What it is for $150 is a step above what Squier and Ibanez throws out in their budget price range. I can't wait to mod this thing. Despite a few flaws I'm giving it 5 stars due to it's price point.Matt

Overall: I wanted a new guitar because I primarily play Les Paul's and wanted something different. I found Kramer guitars and did some research and liked what I found but didn't want to throw a lot of money at a brand I've never played. I have played and owned B.C. Rich, Gibson, Fender, Washburn, Epiphone, and Ibanez guitars in the past and thought I found what I wanted to stick with. My Kramer Focus arrived today in the awesome purple finish. All I did was tune it up and check intonation and it was perfect. Very low action, smooth fast neck, no sharp fret edges even with the maple fretboard and a Michigan winter! The low humidity sometimes makes the frets stick out. The guitar is just awesome, it sounds good in all positions buy the middle and neck pickup are phenomenol, no buzz at all! The bridge pickup is good but I think it could be hotter so I may change that, the tuners aren't perfect but they'll definitely work, after an hour of playing and using the tremolo it holds tune very well. I highly recommend this guitar for any player, and I will definitely be entertaining the idea of purchasing more Kramer guitars from zZounds!Alex

After really enjoying playing an RG standard at GC, I decided I wanted a Japanese Ibanez. This guitar is gorgeous. You open up the case and it's a plush red velvet contrasting perfectly with the sexy nebula green burst. It is incredibly easy to play! Has a perfect balance slung over your shoulder or resting on your thigh. They didn't cut any corners with this instrument. Pros: – Black chrome hardware looks slick – Neck very thin and flat. Not just for shredding! Strips of walnut add a touch of elegance. Satin finish makes this a fast neck. Jumbo frets feel great. The birdseye fretboard is gorgeous. Locking tuners are robust. Stays in tune like a boss! – Very clear difference in pickup output from neck to bridge. Bridge gets nice and dirty when the volume is up – Pickups are a bit hotter than I expected, especially the tone zone in the bridge, but dialing down volume cleans them up very nicely (when you want them to be clean). I'm guessing the hot pickups are for shredders, who are a target Ibanez consumer. The parallel mode is a sweet addition allowing pickup to sound like a single rather than a humbucker – Pickups have dimarzio embossed on them, but it's subtle and not visible from a distance- branding isn't as obnoxious as on seymour duncans – Volume and tone knobs are knurled making them easy to turn with just a touch and resistance is light and smooth. Great gradual effect (doesn't just jump from 100% to 10% when you turn the knob only a tiny bit) – Action can be set super low and bridge is very comfortable to rest your palm. No sharp saddles as on some tune-o-matics – Amazing custom-molded guitar case that looks sexy and has a hard plastic outer shell. Form-fitted for this guitar – Guitar comes with a multi-tool with everything on it, even a short metal scale Cons: – The fret markers are just dots, not inlays – Doesn't come equipped with straplocks – Pickup selector feels cheap compared with the rest of the hardware, but has authoritative action otherwiseMegatron

This guitar is beautiful and its sound is fantastic,neck is awesome and fretboard is great,pickups are good…but it is Very Heavy,I'd say around 10 pounds and also the body is too chunky and therefore not comfortable to play.Maybe this guitar will be good fit for a large player. I returned it today and got me another Ibanez. Guitar center were very helpful,they are alright!Andy

Took this model and the Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHMFX for test rides. I ended up keeping this one. The Prestige is a better instrument, but not nine bills better. They play very similarly. The DiMarzios in the Prestige sound better, sure-but you can add those to this one later if you'd like. Honestly, I'll probably just keep the Quantum pickups in it-they sound fine. Love the creative 5-way switching and the volume and tone work as they should. Tuning stability is spot on. Mine even came set up well. The wood is not the cosmetic grade that the more expensive models have, but I bought it to play in bars and small venues-not to look at it. The body is three pieces. That being said, it's more attractive than an affordable guitar has a right to be. The ash does make it brighter than your standard RG, but that's what I was looking for. I'd recommend it to anyone that's not a cork sniffer and needs a solid instrument they can use without fear of breathing on it.TG

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

This is a solid built guitar with a sweet finish that you have to see in person. Pick ups are good. The only issue is, Ibanez needs to do more fretwork then what the have been doing.This is the 3rd Ibanez I have bought in a year and all of them had rough fret ends, and scratchy frets, would have been a 5 star if it wasn't for that. And as always AMS was amazing at getting it to me very quickly!David

I picked this up because I wanted an ibanez. I love maple necks, so this one stood out. Out of the box, setup was ok. I had to tweak it a bit. The neck is smooth, but frets needed a touchup. no fret sprout at least. Just some rough spots. The pickups are good, really responsive to harmonics, but you will want to replace down the road. They are a bit muddy. They seem like a knock dimarzio. They do the job though. I can shred with ease. The licensed bridge is decent, but the finish does rub off after use. Tunning is stable, but I will probably upgrade. It is a solid guitar though, especially for the price. Upgrades are not really necessary, just personal taste. I have a lot of fun jamming on it. I wish their were some more color options.Jdude

What else needs to be said "It's an Ibanez RG" Plays great literally out of the box, I only has to tune the high E String.ja_880555

This is a sick-looking guitar. The turquoise sparkle finish is off the charts amazing. Craftmanship leaves something to be desired though. It's only when you inspect the guitar more closely, and nothing that affects playability. Some cavities aren't finished, some light fret edges, and the screws of the pickup selector switch aren't exactly perfectly done. You can't compare it to a Prestige Ibanez made in Japan, of course, but for the money it's pretty darn awesome. The Quantum pickups are high output, and I actually love them, as you can do high gain lead, as well as clean funky, stratty and tele sounds. Super versatile, and hum free! 24 frets on a maple fingerboard with fantastic access to the highest frets, so playability is terrific. The neck is more like a slim Fender neck rather than a Super Wizard Prestige neck, but it's quite comfy. No sating finishes on neck and fingerboard, just nicely sanded maple. Tuning stability is very good, and I am not sure I'll even replace the no-name tuners with locking tuners down the line. The bridge is alright too. I wanted it for the sparkle finish, the maple neck/fingerboard, 24 easy-access frets, and hum-free pickups, and to attach my Roland GK-3 pickup on it, which works great. Great deal for the money in my book.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I received my guitar today. Blue Metal Chameleon. I love it. It sounds great. No flaws, great packaging. Just a great guitar at a great price.John

Another great guitar to add to my collection,love it. Ibanez has always made quality guitars at great prices this one is no exception. One of the most attractive guitars in my collection for sure and it sounds amazing!Mike

I was skeptical because I haven’t always heard great things about Ibanez and it’s relatively cheap so I was afraid to pull the trigger. Wound up purchasing it because I’m a sucker for sparkle finishes and the guitar didn’t disappoint. The finish, the feel, the quality, everything about it was well worth the risk. My first Ibanez and definitely won’t be my last.A-Dawg

Nicest Prestige I’ve owned, purple looks beautiful, the whole thing has a polished glossy finish that doesn’t come across in pictures (not just exposed bare wood), sounds really nice and bright on cleans even when tuned down, coil splits give you some nice tonal options, and does the heavy stuff as expected with PAF-7s, but wish Ibanez followed the Axion line and put Bareknuckles in their Prestige guitars as they are tighter sounding (assuming you need that of course).Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

E' la quarta Paul Gilbert Ibanez che acquisto nel corso degli anni, lo strumento non necessità di descrizioni ulteriori per chi conosce il chitarrista in questione, versatilità e suonabilità top. Qui in bananamusic ho trovato un ottimo prezzo ed un servizio impeccabile.Franz B.

Habe mir die Gitarre lange gewünscht. Der Sound ist mega! wirklich toller sound leider gefällt mir die Verarbeitung nicht so. Die Knobs und Tuner sind aus billigen Materialien. Das Griffbrett nicht sauber, Teilweise Ablagerungen vielleicht aufgrund der Lagerung. Die Knobs( Potis) Tone und Volumen gehen nicht sauber von 0-10. sind verschoben. Einige Schrauben musste ich nachziehen. Generell bin ich zufrieden aber eine Made in China Gitarre für diesen hohen Preis sollte schon besser verarbeitet werden. Da sind die meisten anderen Gitarren die ich besitze weit aus besser verarbeitet.Philip

Sound: This guitar I by far the smoothest I have ever played. The tone is great and playing leads on it is like no other. Features: Everything about this guitar is perfect from the type of wood to the electonics. Ease of Use: This is an easy guitar to play if you have experience. Beginners will have to get used to it. The jumbo frets is where people will get messed up because of the spacing of the strings. Quality: This guitar will last a lifetime. Value: It is a very good price Manufacturer Support: I did not have to use any of the manufacturing numbers or talk to anyone this guitar was perfect right out of the box. The strings are great and it was in perfect tune right out of the box. The Wow Factor: The looks Overall: Great guitar for looks, price, and playability just get it. I own one and I will probably get it buried with me. This is the best guitar I played and currently own.Tom

I've wanted one of these for a long time and finally took the plunge. I'm very happy with the sound and construction of this guitar. Note that at least as of early 2018, there is no longer a "KH-602" inlay on the 24th fret. There are two small skull inlays like on the new Purple Sparkle model. The neck is super smooth on this guitar as mentioned by everyone else. The only thing I am having trouble getting used to is the extreme bevel of the fret ends. If I'm not careful it's easy for me to push the low E off the fretboard. Tuning the Floyd Rose bridge takes some patience, but once you get it dialed in it stays locked down. I like it.Rockman

I played on an Ibanez S-series for years and it was my go to for playing metal. I also own an American Standard Fender Stratocaster. I bought this guitar because I love playing Metallica songs and solos just jamming at home. This is by far my favorite guitar to play on now. The extra jumbo frets make soloing a cinch and have improved my capabilities. The heavy metal crunching sound is AWESOME and I only play on a Line 6 with one 12" speaker. My only disappointment is with some buzzing frets. The repair technician at Guitar center told me I have uneven frets, which would need to be repaired to get rid of the buzzing on both E strings, which is still present even after having the guitar set perfectly to spec by Guitar Center. You can't hear the buzzing through the amp, but I expected to receive near perfection from ESP/LTS when paying such as high price tag. QC those frets better before you release the guitars ESP South Korea! Or cut the price!Brosche