Matte Black Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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

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

I have bought several guitars in the 100 to 300 range. I was surprised on the quality of this guitar and felt it was superior to many other brands in this range. From neck joint to fret polish & leveling and finish this guitar is quality except the tuners, however the guitar stays in tune and rarely goes out. The neck is not a Fender Strat or Tele neck so don't expect it to play like one, Its its own thing. It is not wide at the nut so if you need a wide neck at the nut it may not be for you. I find it fine and would not consider it narrow. The neck is slightly fatter than a Squire neck but it is still a C shape and a bit thicker as you go up the neck to higher frets. It plays great. Its set up well for Rock and Blues playing, neck adjusted with a light bow and strings set low (but not to low to buzz). Bridge saddles are stainless steel and this make the strings ring out bright and loud even when not plugged in. Intonation was spot on. Frets are tall enough to allow for string bending (there not super low). As regards pickups this is a personal thing. Pickups are very basic and do okay, one may want to upgrade them to ones own liking other wise there fine.pchapm

I was hesitant when ordering the guitar, but after I received it worry washed away from a single glance. I'm not good at instruments, I never played anything than doing ukulele club when I was a kid so I didn't expect myself to buy a guitar. It's delicate and beautiful, feels great to hold and sounds just as good. I do not regret buying this guitar at all, in fact I'm greatful that I'm able to own it. I strive to become great at playing it, little by little . Thank you!Nazma B.

It's a beautiful guitar and really well made. I bought it for my 9 year old daughter and she loves it. I don't know anything about guitars as I'm a pianist myself, but her guitar teacher was absolutely delighted with it. It's definitely worth paying the extra for the upgrades. I can definitely see it lasting her as it feels really solid, and the knobs and twiddly bits etc feel really solid. I genuinely can't get over how nice it is. Makes me want to learn the guitar myself!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I am a 59 year old guitar player, had expensive and cheap gear over the years. I don't think I'm technically great but know how to get a good sound. When looking for a cheap guitar to sit with, my Les Paul and even my '88 Strat often got a bit uncomfortable , I decided to try one of these, you can return them after all, no trouble. What a great little guitar! Obviously GAK probably don't get these out of the box to check them, my box was still stapled shut from the factory, and this is OK at this level but I worry a beginner would be put off if the guitar is poorly set-up. First off the finish is superb, no rough edges to the frets, the colour and gloss on the body was perfect, the unvarnished neck just sits comfortably in the hand, I picked this above the more expensive 'Affinity' as apparently the nut width is a little wider. I didn't need to adjust the neck, I just cut the nut a little lower on the G,B and E strings for comfort. The frets needed a light rubbing with fine wet and dry and that was it, a perfect, light practise tool. I would even gig with this no problem. Each and every one of the tuners work smoothly and firmly. Sound wise, it sounds like a Tele to me and this is always a very subjective and personal thing anyway, I don't like overly powerful pickups (my Les Paul has '57's) I prefer to push the sound with pedals. All I can say is, if not sure, 'Buy one'. I have done nothing but played this to death since I got it 4 days ago, hard on the finger tips as I haven't played regularly for a while. I hope I haven't just got a 'good one' and would like to think any of them would be as good, all the reviews I read suggests so.Customer

I purchased this Dean ML based on my appreciation for Dime and simply because teenage me committed to owning one someday. I found a pic that I took with Dime which reminded me of being in the front row watching him jam away on his Dime Slime years ago. For me, this purchase was primarily motivated by nostalgia, expecting build quality to be sort of, ok. I have to say, this guitar exceeded my expectations. Slight disclaimer: I purchased this item knowing I would immediately upgrade most of the hardware and adjust things to make it more comfortable for my playing. 1) It is a fantastic base instrument. It plays fairly well as sold. This was my first experience with a Floyd Rose Special. Also, it will definitely be my last. I played it stock for about 2 weeks to get a good feel for it before changing anything. It’s a great playing guitar. 2) Every review I saw said that the finish was amazing and pictures just couldn’t do it justice. I agree. They did a great job on the neck and body of this guitar. It’s flawless. 3) Everything was to spec on mine. Action, truss rod, intonation, fret, bridge and pickup height, all perfect. My fretboard had a somewhat excessive amount of dye on it but nothing too crazy. The nut on mine was clearly cut too deep leaving the high e in permanent sitar mode with fret buzz. So, quality control could be an issue. For my needs this wasn’t a problem as I had already decided on replacing virtually all hardware with new parts that I had on hand from a project that I decided not to restore. 4) The pickups sound great. The Dime Slime nailed the Pantera tones, not surprising. I was surprised by the classic/southern rock and soloist tones I was able to get with minor eq adjustments. Clear and warm through the drive/distortion. It does jazz and country pretty well too. It has a very balanced sound to it which I was not expecting. I’ve played it on three different amps with the same results. Great. This is a great buy. A solid guitar as is. However, in my case, this guitar didn’t really come to life until I did what I did: OFR Hot Rod, brass block,springs, some shielding, etc. Now, what really irritates me is that it plays a lot better than a few of my guitars that were either at or almost double the cost of the Dime Slime. Get One!SantaRosaJoe

Not a V type of player. I like Wilco, the Pixies, the Smiths, Stone Roses, Courtney Barnett, etc. So when I saw Ryan Adams rocking a V by that other manufacturer that starts with G, I started thinking about the V body style. I liked this model because it was at the right price point and had the tradition V body style, if you don't think too much about the headstock. This guitar probably hasn't gotten any love because I don't see it as your typical Dime type guitar, and its not your typical vintage Flying V. The pickups are not high enough gain to get love from the shredders and the Headstock probably turns some people off. What I found is a pretty great guitar with some help. First, the action was high. I lowered the bridge significantly. The good news is that the frets are good I didn't run into any buzziness after lowering the action a little lower than I thought I could get away with. Next, the pickups needed adjustment. They were pretty low. I brought them up a little and found that the sound filled out and got chimey like it should. I adjusted the pole pieces to match the fretboard radius and viola! Most of these guitars have good pickups and don't need an immediate change. Folks, you need to learn how to properly adjust your guitar pickups! Then figure out if you need something different. PS adjust these pickups on a clean channel, you need to hear the guitar not distortion. Long story short, this is a great guitar. It shouldn't be your main axe, but its a great conversation piece that sounds better than it should. I feel like I discovered a diamond in the rough. P.S. The guitar is really light and comfortable to play with a strap.Fred

. 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

First a much deserved word about Musicians Friend. Having made numerous purchases in the past year (5 guitars, two amplifiers & two sets of powered monitor speakers) hats off to Musicians Friend. They are professional, courteous and a pleasure to purchase from. They truly have treated me like a friend over the last decade and a half. My guitar arrived in pristine shape, no issues, of course. For me this is a beast of a guitar and cannot be beat, not even close, at this price range, nothing I've played compares. Love the sculptured maple top and head to toe creamy binding, simply beautiful. The setup was very good, slight string height adjustment, neck did not need adjustment and pickup height was good. Someone is paying attention with quality control. The neck is fast, silky smooth and easy to navigate, I can accomplish sweep picking with this guitar. Coil split is always nice with humbuckers adding to the available tone palate. Everything works and works well. Check it out if in the market for a very nice modestly priced guitar. Doubt you'd be disappointed.Stratocasterplusplayer

Totally stoked on this purchase. I was looking for something solid with an inexpensive price point and came across this Schecter. I've never owned a Schecter before so I was unfamiliar with them but they put some serious quality into this instrument. Feels good in my hands and plays really fast and it looks fantastic. I do recommend upgrading the pickupups but if you're just looking to play around the house with this, it's set up and ready to go. Highly recommendableSmooks

I understand why people call this a beginers guitar. Some the components are cheap and the guitar felt unfinishhed. I own 8 guitars. All of them are higher end Made in America guitars. This guitar caught my eye solely because of looks. I decided to purchase it as a project guitar. After receiving the guitar it needed to be properly set up. I straightened the neck, leveled and radiused the fret board, re-crownded the frets, filed the fret ends and rolled the edge on the neck binding. I proceded to replace the bridge with a Graph-Tech Resomax NV2, and the tuners with Schaller M6 ones. I replaced the tone capacitor with an Orange Drop NOS .027 UF. The pickups are versatile and offer a wide variety of sound. I now have a guitar that has a fast articulate neck and fret board, great tone and sustain all for $160.00 in parts and my labor. This is no longer a " beginers guitar" . The guitar has great bones and was easy to convert to a guitar that you would pay over $1000.00 dollars for. Good job Schecter!Hodigity

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

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

I'm in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. I wanted a period-correct guitar but could not afford a Turner or a Gibson Les Paul so I settled for the Epiphone. I was pretty happy with the guitar the first month….until at rehearsal, I "lost" my high E string. At first, it appeared to have disappeared off the fretboard. But upon careful examination, I found the string caught under the 5th fret 'tang'(?). The fret itself was not perfectly flush with the fretboard, leaving just enough of a tiny gap to catch the string as it rolled off the fretboard during playing with finger vibrato. Upon further examination, it looked like frets 4, 6 and 7 were not quite flush either. I remedied the situation somewhat by purchasing a Stew-Mac roller bridge that allowed me to slightly shift the string positions further in and away from the fretboard edge. I had previously attempted to pressure-seat the offending frets with a woodblock and hammer, but they would not budge. The roller bridge seemed to help somewhat. But today at rehearsal, I felt some stinging irritation on the inside of my left thumb near the 'web' between thumb & forefinger when I moved my hand quickly up and down the neck. Looking closely at the frets, I noticed that the end edges were extremely sharp as if having never been dressed properly. All that said, I realize this instrument is a 'budget' one when compared to American-made Gibson / Fender / PRS products. I'd read some great reviews on this guitar and made the purchase on that basis. But, once again, it is the same old story – "you get what you pay for". I should not have expected the same build quality and attention to detail like that found on instruments costing four times as much. I suppose a refret is the only solution now. Buyer beware.CHUCK

What a brilliant guitar and superb value package! I have owned ‘real’ Gibsons over the years and bought this outfit as a birthday gift for my granddaughter who is learning to play. She has had a fender acoustic for a couple of years and now wants her own electric guitar. I chose this outfit as having previously owned one in the past I like Epiphone guitars. Before giving it to her I thought it best to check it over and set it up but there was nothing to do really, after tuning this guitar was perfectly playable right out the box! The feel, balance and weight is very like my Gibson and the sound is superb. The amp is excellent and packs enough punch to put a smile on your face too. She’s delighted with the built in tuner as well as the other essentials included in the outfit. What’s not to like? I can’t find a better value package!W O.

My original review still stands, but I made cosmetic-only upgrades for less than an average couple's meal at a casual restaurant that makes this look much, much more expensive. No tuner, pickup or pot swaps. Replaced black plastic parts with cream, added cream pickguard, replaced chrome tuner knobs with Klausen-style ivory-look knobs. Installed chrome pickup covers. Replaced speed knobs with gold top-hats.Easily done to make this look like a proper Les Paul. I'm happy with the looks for the little extra money spent.Steve

As the song says: "I'm a Sucker for a Cheap Guitar". I own over 30 – some cheap, some not so cheap. This one arrived perfectly set up: low action, no buzzing, no sharp fret edges, easy to play – amazing for a guitar in this price range. Although not great, the pickups even sounded acceptable. It's heavy, which to me means good, though not as heavy as my Gibson. It's OK-looking, but needed something to enhance it – a pickguard. I added one and it looks much better – more expensive. Instead of cutting off part of the guard to accommodate the knob as I've seen some others do, I drilled a hole big enough for the nut on the body underneath the knob to fit through the guard (see photos). Since the guard isn't much thicker than the nut, it allowed the guard to fit flush with the body and the knob to turn without any restriction of motion, and the pickguard is not butchered. It's a very clean look – like it came that way – not modified. So, I am pleased with this instrument, and would recommend it to anyone for any purpose: especially beginners to play or someone like me who just collects cheap guitars to hang on the wall of their studiio.Steve

This is the first Acoustic/electric that I have owned that I actually love playing. The action is great even with the large gauge acoustic strings on it. Comes with a very nice gig-bag/case. I love the way the neck and back of the guitar looks. I also love the Strat 5-way switch that selects the degree and type of acoustic sound. The only downside with this guitar is the cover that serves as a cover for the electronics and pick guard. It looks cheap, more like a decal than a cover. I think Fender can do better on this detail for the price of the guitar. However, if you can get past that then it is a fine playing and sounding guitar. I have owned several Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric guitars. The action on even high-priced acoustics was so terrible I just ended up selling them. I also do not like the large back ends of most acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, but this guitar is small and easy to play. I would give it an A-.Bill

The research I did on trying to learn more about this instrument via general internet, YouTube, assorted standard Music Company's like Sam Ash; Sweetwater; Guitar Center; Alamo; and other assorted Music Guitar critics provided a good array of opinions and product test results that produced a positive majority with impressive perspectives for the instrument I purchased. The Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Cocobolo I purchased from Sam Ash was not a disappointment. Aside from the 10 different options of Guitar unique sounds it provides from Acoustic and Electric mixes. The one-of-a-kind Cocobolo wood identifies a further fingerprint in supporting its own private one-of-a-kind signature sound with relationship to the Cocobolo wood unique to it alone. That just blows me away with how special the sound of specialty signature sound it produces with the ten different built in technical sounds the Fender Guitar company developed with this special edition. I feel overwhelmed in learning to continue how to play this guitar. It allows me so many more possibilities with playing soft country to hard rock a really strong guitar enjoyment experience.Guitar Enthusiast

Overall, I am very happy with this guitar. It exudes classic Fender looks and tone. The quality and craftsmanship are decent for the price point. I have a US Tele and, after putting some TLC into this player strat, it feels and plays almost as good as the Tele. I would give it five stars if it were not for fretwork that was needed. Body – The finish and surf pearl color are gorgeous. The wood grain is barely visible (raised) so I would not say the finish is flawless, but the grain is very subtle and adds character in my opinion. The routed cavities for the electronics (top) and the tremolo springs (back) are precisely cut and clean. The electronics cavity was even finished with black paint. Neck – The finish and appearance are great. However, all 22 frets had sprouted; some as much as 1/32". I can't say this is a craftsmanship issue as the frets were probably fine when it was assembled. It must have been a very high humidity environment, though. Nevertheless, after painstakingly filing and redressing all 44 fret ends it feels good. The frets themselves were well seated and leveled. The 3rd and 11th frets were a few thousands of an inch high, but not enough to cause any buzzing issues. The frets were well rounded and polished. Hardware – The tuners are just okay. One of them feels a little rough turning, and they seem to have a low turning ratio making it very touchy to dial in perfect pitch. The 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge seems like a better design than the traditional (six screw) bridges, but I did not test it. I prefer to block them for more stable tuning, which worked great with this bridge. I have upgraded electronics I had planned to install in this guitar, but the stock pickups aren't bad. They are very quiet and have good tone – there is no rush to replace them. Setup was a breeze. Truss rod adjustment was smooth, nut slots were to spec, and intonation was perfect. The action needed adjustment since I blocked the tremolo, but that was easy.Dave S.

so I ordered this, then the order cancelled on ams side, never seen that before. so I called them and ordered it on the phone. asked the guy on the phone if they inspect it before they send it out cause I have read about fret buzz being an issue with most ibanez for less than say 600. he said they would inspect it. i get it at my door and the FRET BUZZ was so BAD it couldn't even play on the neck at all, lol. I called and was like "I asked about this and you sent one with that problem" lol. they refunded 25 bucks, cool. took it to guitar center, tech "fixed it" get it home, strings are so high it was like a 60s classical guitar! I had to bring it back, pull an ibanez off the wall and be like "like this". 2nd time was a charm. it is beautiful and now with action adjusted it is great. sounds really good for stock pickups. clean actually sounds really good. forgot how much I love 5 way pickups for clean and overdrive sounds. worth it, but expect some headaches LOLJared J

Absolutely loved it the first time I played it. The locking teen stays in tune pretty well and the neck feels great. I like the look of the fretboard and the frets feel great to play on. I'm happy with the pickups that came in this, not muddy or anything. By far, the finish is the most amazing one I've seen on a cheaper rg. Love the Jupiter film. Try it and you'll see how good it really is.Eddieh

Excellent RG. Love the matte finish. Great feeling neck with low action. It stays in tune with deep dive bombs. Played excellent from the get go. Go try one out, you'll love it. By far one of the best Indonesian Ibanez's I have played.Droogs90

I am in love with this guitar! I always wanted an electric 12 string, and I'm delighted with this one. Andertons had it at the best price I was able to find anywhere, either in-store or online. It was perfectly set up and in perfect conditionReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I just got my aqua model and I’m very happy. First off, it was in tune so it was great to be able to play it right away and not go thru nightmare tuning! The fit and finish is excellent as is the sound. Both plugged and unplugged. It plays so easily that I found myself playing leads in all positions. Unlike most 12 strings of the past. Definitely well worth the $$$.Brian Limmer

Ordered this during covid lockdown as a gift to myself after years of wanting a Jackson. Not disappointed at all. Ridiculous looking and ultra playable. Proaudiostar got it to me super quickly and I'm very happy with everything.AnxiousMink-41502

A great guitar for gigging and recording. Since Fender owns Jackson and Floyd Rose, they were able to use better parts. The finish is awesome, and the pickups are strong with no unwanted squeal or feedback. The neck is fast and screams for low action. Highly recommend if you're a V fan.brius-pkoxvc

Beautifull yet simple. The first thing I did was change out my strings. The second thing I did was put in a fat tunsgsten block and noiseless springs, then readjust untill its set up perfectly. The third is Duncan custom shop pickups. I do these things to all of my guitars. Stock I could have played this guitar and be perfectly happy. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist and have to seek out my own unique tone for all of my guitars. The stock strings are rather thin and I don't like 9's, I can hardly feel the strings. The finish is nice and glossy, however I have a ding and it wasn't a hard hit just a soft bump and it took the black off in that little spot like it was nothing so I'm parnoid as all hell to touch anything with it. The neck is super solid, I back the truss rod off all the way and the didn't move with no strings, some guitars you can flex the neck back and forth but not in the case of this baby, it still feels rock solid. That makes me feel very comfortable with going thicker then stock strings. When the guitar showed up the neck was perfectly straight, the action was super low and there was no fret buzz what so ever. With thicker strings and still having no bend to the neck it still plays flawlessly, which I think is a testament to Jackson's quailty. Out of 10 I would have to give it a 9, hands down the best guitar I own. Do yourself a favor, it your have the money and your on the fence about buy it!Drew

PMT service is fantastic, ordered it on a Sunday had it buy the Wednesday that week. Unpacked it gave it a quick tune and of I went started playing. This is my first fender and what can I say it's a lovely looking guitar, well finished and sounds great . There is a lot of variation you can get from switching between the different pickups which I love.John O.

The guitar came in faster than expected. The service at Sam Ash was excellent, and the salesman was very helpful with putting my order together. After unboxing, I looked the guitar over closely before plugging to my amp. The fit and finish was flawless. The neck relief, string action, and pickup height were spot on. Then I plugged in and cranked up. This guitar comes with Player Strat pickups, and Player Strat neck. And it flat out Rocks. Everyone says the Korean guitars are so good for the money. But these Mexican made Fenders are every bit as good. Personally, I'd rather have a guitar made in the American continent than one made in Asia. Good job Fender. And Kudos to Sam Ash.michael

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

So. Guitar arrived on time,and required zero setup. Literally tune and play. I have an older version of this,the ex50. Both are amazing… buy one.Gary Mayhem Rumpff

This guitar is absolutely amazing, the neck is fast and not loggy, vary easy to move up and down the neck. The pickups it comes are bright and aggressive and the weight of it is just right, not to heavy and not to light and has a good natural tone. Finally it looks amazing all black finish with all black hardware including locking tuners and white binding going around the neck and headstock.Bret

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 guitar came fast. Box was destroyed when arrived. Guitar was actually shockingly nice. The neck was nice, though a little bit rough. It played well and sounded OK, but noisy. Was a nice guitar. However there was a major hash down to the bare wood. It played so well I thought about keeping it. But in the end requested a return. Will update when receive replacement.Paul

I got one a few years ago and liked it a lot so I got another one a few weeks ago. There are some differences from the older ones. The new body is top-loader only, which would be fine if it wasn't for the bridge with sharp edges of the string holes, which then breaks strings like crazy (even broke the B and I don't remember breaking B like… ever). I will file those edges down on the next string change so it's an easy fix/adjustment. Also, the new body is tiny bit thinner (1.65 in. vs 1.75 in.; not a big difference) and has sharper edges to it which I like more as it looks the part more (the old one had rounded off edges which is a bit more comfortable but looks less like what a Tele should). The pickups are about the same, i.e., not the best so I replaced them. Finish on the body has some hazing but it's in the cutout so not as visible and I don't really care; it looks fine. The neck, however, was the biggest surprise – it has rolled edges and all fret edges are smooth – that's something you only get with $1K+ guitars. I don't know if I was just lucky or they are all like that but I love it! I did not have to do a thing to the neck – it was great out of the box. Fretboard radius is 16" and the grain on my copy looks great too. The frets themselves look a bit bigger/taller/better than on my old one. The back of the neck is unfinished but smooth and I prefer that over the finished necks. Tuners are the standard bottom-of-the-bin stuff but they work and I have no intention of replacing them soon. The string tree for G and D is unnecessary so I am bypassing it at the moment and will probably delete it. The headstock logo is a bit "loud" (I like the old one better) so I may have to do something about it. Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a budget-friendly Telecaster style guitar and does not mind doing a few things to it to make it a great playing instrument.Igor

Excellent shipping time. I ordered the guitar on a Friday morning and received it the next day. But it helps that I am in the same state that is ships from. As with the previous guitars I have purchased from Monoprice, it is a great value for the price, especially considering it was on sale and I also got an additional promotional discount on top of the sale price. It pushed me over the edge in deciding to make the purchase. I have several guitars and have trouble justifying additional ones to my wife. This black & white Retro Classic (very similar to a Telecaster body design) will be for modifying (pickups, tuners, etc.). Out of the box there was some fret sprout, but letting the guitar sit with my other guitars for a week and will play it to get some tonal samples before doing the make over. The Retro Classic is a nice, solid guitar to start out with or add to your current arsenal, but may need some clean up (i.e. addressing fret sprout, set up, cleaning frets). Still recommend it. Again, cannot beat the quality for the price.Mark