Silver Cadet By Ibanez Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

It came from the swamp! (Swamp Ash Body) This swamp creature is a tonal monster that screams like a Yeti and growls like a Lion. This Typhon is the father of all monster guitars. It came flawless and perfectly set up and intonated which is rare but it can and did happen to me. It outshines my Fender Strat and Fender Acoustasonic. As I struck a chord ON it, IT struck a chord IN me, and the bond was instantaneous. Guitar is about having fun and enjoying music not about snobbery. I'm preparing to entertain with my mastery of the musical arts and I'm going into battle fighting against fears, insecurities, and self-doubts but I can now face these foes fearlessly because I'm equipped with my new weapon of choice – this purebred sexy swamp beast axe. I was standing in a swamp, with my head hung low, not enough tickets, for my sold out show. Hear the roar of the crowd? Can you picture the scene? Put you ear to the swamp, hear my guitar scream. Can you hear it now? Are you blown away? You'll see stars for a couple of days! This S570 AH SWK is beautiful and thanks to MF my dream became my reality. MF jumped through hoops and went all out in helping me get this guitar. Call them up and they will assist you in overcoming any hurdles standing in your way of purchasing this guitar. They excel over Sweetwater IMHO. My EVERY experience with these MF'ers has been a 2 thumbs up, 10 star rating. What are you waiting for? Get your own S570 AH SWK Today! You'll be glad you did! As for me, I'm as happy as a slime covered swamp creature in a black lagoon playing guitar. The black on this thing is gorgeous and the silver waves ring out like silver bells at Christmas. When you hear it Roar, you'll be imprisoned in it's melodiosity (I coined that phrase) Metal, Alternative, Rock, Country, Blues, Pop, Reggae, Jazz it does it all. Just do it my friend! Pull the trigger and blow the brains out of your savings account and you too can start playing "FOR REAL" today. Costs less than a Prestige or a Joe Satriani Signature JS2GD-Gold Boy but I must dispel the MYTH… it's just as good and no one in your audience will be able to hear any difference.James

Sound: The guitar came with Quantum pickups. I have Quantum pickups on another guitar, and they sound alright on my Jem Jr. However, they sound spectacular on this guitar. This may have something to do with the ash body on this guitar, vs. the Mahogany body on the Jem Jr.It is amazing that Ibanez can offer ash on a guitar in this price range, when Fender has stopped using ash on more expensive guitars. Features: The most useful feature on this guitar is the Edge Zero trem. As a matter of course, as I’ve done with my other trem equipped Ibanez guitars, I replaced the springs. The springs that come on these guitars are awful and won’t let the trem return to pitch. I replaced them with Floyd Rose extra strength, silent springs. Now the trem returns to pitch as good as my Floyd’s and original Edge trems.There is no string retainer on this guitar. If you put a few extra winds of strings around the post, it will increase the break angle from the back of the nut, where the strings exit. If you get the break angle right, you can lock down the nut without having to retune. Ease of Use: The guitar is quite playable out of the box, with the exception of the trem springs. There were a couple of high frets, but they weren’t high enough to cause buzzing with a normal action. I always do a level and crown as part of the set up anyway. Quality: The fit and finish on this guitar is excellent. I love the grey and black top on this. Definitely a looker. Also, the description of the guitar on the website, when I ordered it, said that the fretboard was Jatoba. Well, as it turned out, my guitar came with a rosewood board, which according to Ibanez’s website is what the guitar comes with for 2021.Also, the jack placement on the top, is really nice. The end to the cord doesn’t stick out. Just be careful plugging in. Value: This guitar is worth every penny I paid. I am quite pleased that the guitar is less than 600 dollars. Great bang for the buck. And zZounds makes it a no brainer with their payment plans. Manufacturer Support: I haven’t had to call Ibanez personally, but I have gone through the dealer before, and they have got fast service from Ibanez for me. The Wow Factor: This guitar not only looks good, but plays great as well. If you aren’t able to do work on a guitar yourself, spend the money for a pro set up. It’s so worth it. Overall: Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I took a chance and bought one that was listed as minor blemish on zZounds site.It took awhile to get to me, but that isn’t zZounds fault. The FedEx hub in my state doesn’t have enough truck drivers, and delays at the Troutdale hub are just a reality at this time.It arrived well packed and it turns out that the minor defect was just a small crack at the neck pocket. This would have probably happened anyway, and it is really small.I did have to call customer service, due to a saddle adjustment screw rounding out when I set the intonation. Sounds got me a new set of these screws through Ibanez, and it only took a few days. So good on zZounds and good on Ibanez.Scott

I had an Artist model back in the 80's and loved it so much I just had to see if this one was just as good and I wasn't disappointed. All I had to do was lower the action a bit and set the intonation and she's just perfect. It plays beautifully and has a VERY fast neck. The pick ups are just what they claim to be. Not very hot but lots of tone. I have a 1200.00 Godan and this one blows it away. I would put this up against any Les Paul any day of the week. For the money you cant beat itGary

This is probably one of the only Iceman/similar models that I've seen Ibanez have an actual stock of for left-handed guitarists. I've scoured the internet for years, no luck usually. Then I found this beauty. From the second I got it out of the box, it became my new favorite, go-to first guitar. What I absolutely love most is the neck. It's a thinner C-shape, very smooth, makes for very easy leads across every inch of the fretboard. Plug it into a Marshall, play the solo to "Strutter" or "Love Gun," and you will hear that glorious 70s rock tone that Kiss is known for. Or drop the tuning down and use it as a workhorse metal guitar like I am doing right: it does the job just as well as the more expensive ESPs I own with active pickups! Only real gripe is it's NEVER sold with a case! Trust me, I've looked! The Iceman's shape has the same problem as the Flying V or BC Rich Warlock: it looks cool, but cases for it that are not custom made or made by Ibanez tend to be harder to find because of its scale and oddball dimensions. The standard Iceman case (IC200, I think is its name) WILL fit it, fortunately! The draw back is that will set you back about another $200, unless you can find one used. So if you ever expect to have this guitar leave your house, expect to drop 1200-1300 altogether to get the guitar AND the case. That being said, I still recommend it to lefty guitarists that are trying to upgrade to pro-level gear, as it is still a great value. The tonal versatility this guitar (from its Duncan '59 and Custom 5 pickups) has very easily rivals (or even outperforms, depending on who you ask!) those of the newly launched left handed Explorer from Gibson, and out of the gate will still costs you HUNDREDS less even after taxes, shipping, AND the case are worked in. So if you want glorious tone, sexy looks, and one of the most iconic shapes in guitar history as a lefty, you cannot go wrong with the PS120L. Hop to and get one!!!Dan K. from Headvent

I was in two minds whether to buy this after seeing some lacklustre reviews and having owned a korean iceman before that was truly, truly horrible, however it holds it's place in history as really being the first japanese guitar that was not a copy and was improved hardware wise by Paul Stanley. However I am pleased to say this is actually very nice. The neck is very comfortable and very fast, the fretting is excellent and was set to spec and played well out of the box, the nut was cut to spec and fine, though for this price I would have expected a bone nut. Pots are cheap and again for this price should have been quality ones, also it would have been nice to have a gibraltar bridge like the original (though this does not affect the playing). the binding looks great and the guitar is well balanced. Yes it is made in China but the Seymour Duncans sound fantastic and the guitar has a clarity that is extremely impressive. Really enjoy playing this guitar, all I would advise is after reading some reviews it is probably best to physically try one in the shop to be sure. Lovely guitaraichan

Could not be more pleased with the guitar, or the top-notch service I got from American Musical Supply. Absolutely professional, and delivery was lightning-quick. Guitar is stunning. It’s a bad mofo. Playing amazing out of the box. Absolutely A+ experience all around. Thank you Paul Stanley, too! Wanted one since ‘77. Dream come true. Thank you, AMS!Jamie

Overall: First impression:Out of the box, this thing is downright beautiful. The Candy Apple Red just shines in the light without a flaw on it. In my personal opinion, it's the only one that the Tortoise Shell pickguard really works on and that's why I picked the color. Not disappointed. The Pao Ferro fretboard is gorgeous.I had the same Elite pickups in an old GAX 70 that got destroyed and the great sound out of them didn't catch me off guard, but the quality of the tuners did. They're smooth, just tight enough, and not catchy or jumpy at all. I actually get to keep a stock set for a while. I learned how to tie a "locking knot", so no need to replace them.The switches and knobs feel good, too. Nice and clicky switch, and smooth turns from the pots. The balance and feel are extremely nice, and the neck profile is just butter.I can't really say a bad thing about this guitar as it sits right out of the box, and then when I remember that it was only $199 it just blows my mind. This will go up on stage with me if I ever get up there again, no doubt.P.S. – We love you, zZounds!Robert

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

Overall: I have never purchased a guitar online but my have things changed. My Son ordered an Ibanez AS7312 as a gift for me. I unboxed it and it was stunning and I am particular. I looked high and low for a flaw but found none. I checked the neck relief, it was perfect, fret rocker, perfect – fret sprout, none, it was tuned 1/2 step down and the intonation was as close as you could with 6 saddles on a 12 string guitar. Then I plugged it in and I remembered why I missed my old 12 string so much. All I can say is great job Ibanez and great job zZounds.Stan

I have owned my Ibanez Artcore AS7312 for about a year now, and I will say it is one of the best guitars I own…..and I own many. I was looking for an electric 12 string without the price tag of a Rickenbacker. Even though I looked at this Ibanez many times, it took me a while to order it because I was trying to decide if on a semi hollow body design that the jangly, cutting thru sound that I was looking for would be there. When the guitar came in and I plugged it into my Fender Twin I could not have been happier. The sound continues to amaze me even after a year of hearing it. I don't think I realized at the time I ordered it that it had a solid maple block that the pickups were mounted into much less realize what a difference in the sound, and sustain that this would make. The solid center block, and the back and sides are all maple. The block gives the guitar bite and sustain, while the maple back and sides tends to project with a more brighter sound…….perfect for a great 12 string sound….at least to me anyway. I should have known Ibanez would know what they were doing, but I guess I more equate Ibanez with solid body guitars so it took me a while to order it. I equally enjoy just putting on 6 strings and playing it that way too. I have a '64 ES-335 but I actually like the sound to this guitar better probably because it sounds more like a solid body and that is mostly what I play. It was a little hard pressing down 12 strings until I read that a lot of players tune down a whole step and then capo back up to the 2nd fret. This made all this difference and was then easy to play. This guitar has a great action, great tone, and is pure elegance and eye candy on stage, lol If you're looking for a great 12 string electric at a decent price I would highly recommend this guitar.kareydunn1805

First of all the AR420 is a beautiful looking guitar with the abalone giving just a perfect amount of bling. The setup and action were great out of the box. The pickups are pretty good sounding alnicos and the tritone switching on each pickup give a wide variety of tones. The parallel sounds are a great alternative to the full humbucker and aren’t as thin as the split coils. The neck is very comfortable, fret ends are well finished and the hardware all seems fine. I find it very nice to play and easy to get the sounds I want. Design-wise the shape gives very good access to the upper frets but that also leads to the primary drawbacks, neither of which is an enormous issue for me but just annoying. Firstly the guitar is neck heavy so it does want to dive and secondly the pickup selector switch is directly above the neck pickup as it had to be brought forward towards the bridge due to the cutaway. That does make it susceptible to being knocked while playing with a resultant pickup selection change. Overall I am very happy with this guitar.Andrew C.

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

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

Overall: I have spent a lot of time just staring at this guitar and thinking of how it was constructed. From the different types of wood that were used to how they were put together and finished and all I can say is that this guitar is a beautiful piece of art that would satisfy anyone like myself who loves the look of wood and truly appreciates how it is brought together to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. I have and do own other guitars that use exotic wood for the top of the body but in most cases the guitar is made of one type of wood and the exotic is a very thin piece of veneer, the top of this guitar however is a little more than a half inch thick. That doesn't sound like much but is about 6 times thicker than most guitar tops that use an expensive exotic wood including my other Ibanez guitars and considering the thinness of the "S" series guitars, that's almost half of the overall thickness. The rest of the body is the African Mahogany and in my opinion is beautiful enough to be the front / top of the guitar. The neck of this guitar is just as impressive and beautiful with the 11 pieces of wood combined to look great and more importantly feel and play wonderfully. All of the hardware on this guitar is top notch. This is the first guitar I've owned that uses the Gotoh machined tuning heads and I didn't quite understand the hype until I received the guitar and seen what actually makes them different. The same for the Zero Point Bridge / Tremolo system. The combination of this bridge and tuning heads and of coarse the lock nut makes this guitar stay perfectly tuned even during the most aggressive playing and whammy bar usage (I've put it to the test). Ibanez cut no corners on this guitar and it all makes for probably the best guitar I've ever owned out of the 80 – 100 Ibanez guitars I've had and played over the last 30 years. I highly recommend to anyone who seeks a guitar with great Playability, Tone, Quality and Beauty to spend a little more (or less, whatever the case) for this guitar and you won't be disappointed. If you are, I will personally refund all your mon…. Okay not really, but I will gladly take it if you don't like it and want to ship it to me.Fred

Overall: This is the first IbAnez in my stable for nearly 10 years. I have always admired the S series for its thin neck and petite frame. This guitar carries that perfectly. The fret board is nearly perfect being responsive and high quality —both pad and thumb side ( like porous wood – feels incredible). Trem placement and response is exactly what you would expect. Pota and toggle are smooth and static free. Stays in tune without flaw. The complement of action and electronics is beyond perfect . Playing is smooth and the added technology would make this guitar incredibly versitle in low light conditions ( fluorescent dots on dorsal side of neck). Case candy was nice. No complaints on stuff it comes with. Concerns – jack – not deep enough for Bluetooth jack ( bevel catches on side and does not allow for proper seating ( for my gear). Finish pattern – it is a gorgeous finish just confusing to my eye. Very busy but, that is just my impression. On arrival – high e was broken at nut but was playable – until tuning – likely shipping process My opinion is this is a keeper – pro level for studio and stage. With zero hum in electronics exacerbated by the tactile aspects and premium aspects. Will be my go to for studio due to ergonomics and zero hum.Tony

I bought this guitar from the Manchester store a few months ago (thank you Steve, your advice and knowledge is excellent as always!). The quality and setup were excellent straight from the manufacturer! And it looks fantastic! I really didn't know what I wanted because I had only been playing guitar for a few weeks. My main requirement was a guitar that would make my life easier as a beginner ( I am sure you remember those days when every note and chord is a fight with the instrument 😀 ) This is a great guitar. The flat and thin neck helps a lot, specially with small hands. It is very comfortable, the light weight makes playing standing up quite easy without getting a backache. Five positions for the switch makes it very versatile. I would say it has a lot of low frequencies to it so rock or metal sound incredible! It is good for rhythm as well on the bridge humbucker. It has a very sweet clean sound but growls with the two humbuckers on and a bit of distortion! One thing I would say though, if you like blues, it is not a sound I find natural to this guitar compared to other Ibanez or a Strat but you can always program your amp to help you with that! It also stays in tune pretty well despite my heavy handed rhythms. It is a great guitar not just for beginners, always a joy to play. The better I get, the more I appreciate how lovely it is. Excellent value for money.MJL

Beautiful Ibanez model. Light and comfortable to play all day. Just feels like quality throughout. Blackberry colour is to die for. I've owned a swamp ash RG from Ibanez which was a back breaker. This guitar is light, ergonomic, thin outer edges thickening up in the centre of body, so sustain is spot on. This S521 is perfect and a joy to play. Perfect fret work, no fret buzz anywhere, fret edges perfectly smooth. My last Ibanez RG 421 felt like it had an allergic reaction to quality control. This S521 came perfect right out of the box. Truss did not even require adjustment (which was handy because no Alan keys with this guitar) a real finger print magnet. Can't think of a negative at all. I own a Les Paul, a thinline Tele, and a mex strat all of which are great guitars and this Ibanez is as good if not better than most.Mr P.

I don't know how other people got some rough versions of this guitar but (i got mine in ocean fade blue) my s521 came out of the box perfect. I havent had to set it up at all yet 6 months in. Frets are butter and overall is probably the most comfy guitar i own and have played. The wizard 3 neck really is some magic. Its a 24 fret neck that dosent feel like one length wise but it not downscaled like an esp because theres still plenty of room for you fingers up the neck even while having jumbo frets. Its simply perfect. I'll sit this guitar in my lap and play all day sometimes not even taking it off to play video games at my computer. Its that slim. But the tone is still there expecially in the neck pickup. Quite good on high gain as well (yes it djents) and the options for tone is crazy for a five way switch. Electronics click and twist with no fight or noise in the signal. It just changes. For preface i didn't buy this from guitar center i got it from american musical supply so that may have something it do with it. Theres is some crusted white stuff around the jack if you look hard enough. But this is thing is my baby.Yoshi

I've been a long time Ibanez player. I have yet to have a guitar disappoint me. The first one of these I ordered did though. It came out of the box wrong. Weird is the best way I can describe it. It have "Jiva" on the headstock which is only on the Nita Strauss signature models, the neck felt rough, almost sticky and the tremolo creaked and refused to flutter. I promptly called AMS and started the exchange process. As soon as they saw that UPS picked up the old guitar and it was on it's way they sent the new one out. It got delivered on a Sunday! Upon opening this one, EVERYTHING about it felt different. Much more what I thought it was going to be. This guitar plays great! Fretboard and fretwork are solid, neck is smooth, action is right where it should be. The Ibanex trem does exactly what it's supposed and behave like a Floyd. The tone on this is wonderful. I've also played mostly DiMarzio pickups most of my life. These are wonderful pickups. Add in the coil tap and I've got a world of tonal options at my disposal. Extremely happy for this mid priced guitar! Super fun to play!MikeT275

Overall: I purchased this guitar about a month ago and used it for my band’s last gig. The tone is phenomenal, the neck action is flawless and after hammering out 80’s solos for three hours it stayed in tune. In my opinion you will be challenged to find a better guitar for under $1k. The transition from dirty to clean is unmatched, the guitar looks amazing! If your budget is under 1k you MUST give this guitar a shot!My only complaint is be careful when bending the high E string as it can come off the fretboard…..Matt

I hadn't owned an RG in years and during the pandemic a lot of the ones I was looking and wanted were out of stock. I'm not big on gold hardware, but I love a blue guitar and this one caught my eye, so I bought it. It shipped to the house in two days and was set up well right out of the box. The DiMarzios sound amazing and the Ibanez FR style tremolo stays in tune very well. The fretboard plays like butter and the roasted maple neck is gorgeous! Another great transaction with Proaudiostar.Scott W

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.

An inexpensive S model, looks good plays the way you would expect with a wizard neck. Great range of sounds with the Q H-S-S pickups and 5 way switch. Mine played great right out of the box.M Rogers

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

Overall: I have spent a lot of time just staring at this guitar and thinking of how it was constructed. From the different types of wood that were used to how they were put together and finished and all I can say is that this guitar is a beautiful piece of art that would satisfy anyone like myself who loves the look of wood and truly appreciates how it is brought together to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. I have and do own other guitars that use exotic wood for the top of the body but in most cases the guitar is made of one type of wood and the exotic is a very thin piece of veneer, the top of this guitar however is a little more than a half inch thick. That doesn't sound like much but is about 6 times thicker than most guitar tops that use an expensive exotic wood including my other Ibanez guitars and considering the thinness of the "S" series guitars, that's almost half of the overall thickness. The rest of the body is the African Mahogany and in my opinion is beautiful enough to be the front / top of the guitar. The neck of this guitar is just as impressive and beautiful with the 11 pieces of wood combined to look great and more importantly feel and play wonderfully. All of the hardware on this guitar is top notch. This is the first guitar I've owned that uses the Gotoh machined tuning heads and I didn't quite understand the hype until I received the guitar and seen what actually makes them different. The same for the Zero Point Bridge / Tremolo system. The combination of this bridge and tuning heads and of coarse the lock nut makes this guitar stay perfectly tuned even during the most aggressive playing and whammy bar usage (I've put it to the test). Ibanez cut no corners on this guitar and it all makes for probably the best guitar I've ever owned out of the 80 – 100 Ibanez guitars I've had and played over the last 30 years. I highly recommend to anyone who seeks a guitar with great Playability, Tone, Quality and Beauty to spend a little more (or less, whatever the case) for this guitar and you won't be disappointed. If you are, I will personally refund all your mon…. Okay not really, but I will gladly take it if you don't like it and want to ship it to me.Fred

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.

Overall very good fit and finish. Mine did have some fret buzz in one small spot on the fretboard. But, its a very light, well-balanced guitar that is comfortable to play. Neck is not as thin as I expected, but it's not chunky by any means. Pickups are on the hot side and are very warm in tone. The switching is very flexible and will give you configurations that can sound like not just a typical HSS guitar, but some HH and even Tele tones too.David L

Personally I don't care for the sound of the pickups but I bought it for my 15 year old son who loves the sound. That said, though, by playing around with the selector switch and the tone knob, I can get a sound I like too. The guitar has a good solid feel. It's not flimsy. Great action. Easy to play for a beginner and no string buzz. Its well set up. I feel like we got excellent value for the price.Coach Doc

Overall: I got this for my brithday about 2 years ago. Since then I have done many a thing to this and with this guitar. I replaced the output jack, took out the tone pot to replace it with a killswitch, replaced the 5 way stock blade switch to a 3 way blade switch, switched the bride Pickup for a Dimebag Darrell signature Seymour Duncan and now am replacing the hardware with all black. One thing I did NOT like is that over time the hardware lost its color. That’s why I’m replacing the hardware but other that that I love it.Matt

Great tone, and beautiful finish. This guitar is very easy to play and has surprising quality for the price. Loved the fast shipping and return policy.Craig P

Although the high end action was ok, I found playing chords etc at the low end not very good at all. Tuning seemed problematic, If E sounded in tune then G sounded out.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I really like this guitar. I had one of the original Mikro's which I got rid of years ago and wish I had kept it. The different is that this has a 5 way switch with coil spitting pickups and the original is a 3 way with no coil spitting. On the Paul Gilbert version 1st position is bridge full humbucker. 2nd bridge single coil neck single coil. 3rd is neck and bridge full humbucker. 4th is neck single coil. 5th is neck full humbucker. Very cool and a lot of tone choices. Pickups sound very good. Comes with 9 gauge strings on it, I put 10's and it help with some of the buzzing issues that it had. I took one star off because the nut could have been cut a little better. A great guitar for the money. 🙂DonV