Ibanez AZ 2402 - An honest review

Here's my review of the AZ 2402! This is my personal opinion on these models, they are fun, but come with problems!
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[@zachparmer422]

John peppucci

[@llIIIIlllIIIllI]

poopoochi

[@123jesusafu]

Jump pucci

[@jamespadgett2537]

He literally changed the specs of the guitar and then said it sucks...I own one and literally everyone who listens to me play adores it. The sound of the Hyperions are amazing and the tuning is damn near perfect. This man is too picky....all that and he pulls a pepooocci card smh

[@SpartanMatt009]

Has 20 of the same guitar,tries something different, and then doesn’t like it. What a surprise.

[@mms8111]

And ? When it's shit, you can say it. Shitty bridge, shitty pickups, shitty overounded headstock,... I would 100% prefer a HS version than the useless HSS config. They have a long relationship with Larry Dimarzio, they should come up with something better with him. Not the Suhr direction, with tasteless "cut through the mix" sound. Can't blame all of that on the pickup but... And stop bringing that volume knob closer to the strings FFS Ibanez !!!

[@abcrx32j]

If only the reasons why he didn't like it had anything to do with any kind of comparison with those 20 guitars

[@danherrick2310]

@@mms8111 first thing I thought when I saw the Suhr Modern is that it was an Ibanez rip-off. Like an RG and a roadstar. Of course then I thought it was funny when Ibanez is accused of copying them now. But yes - the volume knob can be 5 inches farther away and nobody has a hard time with it. Do so many people do "volume swells" we we need the knob to ride the strings? Lastly - AZ is most comfortable neck. I have a 17mm super wizard HP and that thing is great, but i played my AZ for 4 hours w zero cramps or discomfort.

[@fagyu7502]

@@mms8111 the volume knob part is so relatable what is wrong with companies, who thought that's a good idea? I have a Cort superstrat and the volume isn't annoying at all but I don't understand why strat knobs are so crowded in one place, I can't switch pickups without possibly touching the oversensitive tone knob or volume pot, no issues at all on my Les Paul

[@thatgamerdude.3519]

@@mms8111 although it’s your opinion to not like AZ. It’s also they’re opinion to think it’s ridiculous to have 20 Ibanez Jems.

[@pepeowen]

Thank you for the honest review. I have an AZ2204 and I have to say I have not encountered the same issues. The tuning stability is quite good. Bearing in mind it will go out of tune with some wild dive bombs (not always). Otherwise, I haven’t had tuning issues. If you wish to mod the bridge, try the vega-trem. Great tuning stability and allowance for up and down manoeuvres. All in all, this has to be one of the best mass-produced guitars in the market. I think one of my high frets may need a bit of a file-down but there is no choke, just a tiny feel that something is off when I bend above the 20th fret. I agree you shouldn’t expect this from a high-end guitar. Sadly, mass-produced means QC’s are not what they should be. Regarding the neck, I have to say this is very personal. I can imagine if you come from an RG background (super-flat radii and modern neck profiles) this is going to feel chunky. It is chunky but super comfy. The radius is quite flat in general. I would have loved a compound radius after the 12th fret for more shredding shenanigans but that is just a personal feel and not off-putting. Ibanez have designed a guitar for non-Ibanez players here. No need to swap the pick-ups for now. They are so crisp and hit the right note with me. A guitar for a lifetime. Mods to come in the future if I ever get bored.

[@pepeowen]

I was about to delete this comment but I think I will do future readers a favour if I expand it. I no longer own this guitar. I had two issues the retailer wouldn't fix and that would have cost me some money to fix through a tech/luthier. One was a couple of high frets that caused buzzing. They set it up in a way where the strings where almost in a seesaw fashion and one string would be higher than the next and then lower, etc. It didn't work. All the acoustic buzzing was too much and it did transfer to the amp. Tuning stability... I changed my mind after a while. Somehow, something was wrong. My money is on the nut. But it went out of tune quite often. A Mexican fender had more tuning stability (that's why it's still with me, unlike the Ibanez). It does hurt because I did love this guitar. The chunky neck was special, the articulate Hyperion pickups suited me and it had sustain for days (for this sort of construction). Sadly, I think they have a high percentage of lemons. I don't believe for a second that's the case with all of their production guitars, but it seems to be more than 1 in 100.

[@Vestu]

People, search a video on youtube called "Does the Ibanez AZ 's Tremolo stay in tune? (Video Test)" You can see that there are zero tuning problems after heavy abuse of the tremolo. I own a new AZ and I don't have tuning problems.

[@Vestu]

But I do bend the strings quite a bit when I change them. Lifting them aggressively with right hand and re-tuning multiple times repeating that. Also bending naturally on fretboard and doing the same process.

[@bbehrens6906]

I have been looking specifically at this guitar along with a few others. Ibanez seems to have a great reputation, good quality, and a heck of a lot of value for the features they stick on a guitar. I also appreciate your perspective as an Ibanez guys and a shredder type of player. Like others who have commented, I am not a shredder... but I still want the capability. Nice analysis, excellent review! Thanks for your input and solid analysis of a great guitar!

[@jamespadgett2537]

Bought it and love it, it covers a lot more than metal, I barely even use distortion, it’s got super clean cleans for a humbucker. Tremolo is perfect, color is perfect, neck is perfect. It’s Ibanez, they don’t mess around with quality control.

[@shichen4805]

Yes indeed, I own a few guitars from different brands, all my ibanez guitars have the most stable quality, especially the necks, love them.

[@slappywag7210]

Are you f**king serious🤣 I played high end Ibanez guitars for 15 years. Though my guitars were solid, others I played were total trash and quality control was the issue, It was in 2000 and the same is true now. I’m not trying to bust your chops here but I’ve been doing this for 35 years and when I hear Ibanez has great quality control, I gotta laugh. Here’s one scenario I had. One of my favorites was my Ibanez jpm1 (the original) solid guitar. The black and white jpm, also solid. Fast forward to the jpm4 (I believe) It was supposed to be the same as the prior JPM with different colors but the thing felt like it was made of cardboard when it was supposed to be a prestige! High end guitars regardless of brand should not need a grind and polish among other issues I’ve experienced with Ibanez. I didn’t intend writing a book here, BUT there’s a lot of great options for the money (unless you have thing for Ibanez) don’t get me wrong, if I didn’t like Ibanez at all I wouldn’t have clicked on the video🤪 Hopefully my little rant opens people up to other options ✌️🤘

[@shichen4805]

@@slappywag7210 sorry to hear that, but i own 5 Ibanez guitars with no quality issue, i also have guitars from those big name brands, they are also great, but quality control wise, I would consider Ibanez as the best. I’m not sure if it’s a quality control issue or something else, the only real problem I had with ibanez is about one of their J Custom model, JCRG2103. It looked amazing on official web and I loved the the color so I asked my dealer to fine me one and so he did. I placed the order and was waiting for shipping. But I suddenly found some pics of this guitar taken by dealers in real life, they were all strangely showing an ugly and much pale blue rather than the nice green on official web, and the color name matched, and I think there isn’t different color schemes for this model. So I asked the dealer to get me a real picture of the guitar before shipping, it was pale blue, looked awful. Thank god, I was allowed to cancel the order with no cost. I’m still confused with this model, not sure if it’s QC problem or something else, but I still would like to own a top Ibanez J custom guitar in the future as I had great experience of my other 5 ibanez guitars.

[@einarabelc5]

@@slappywag7210 Obviously this guy has never heard of Ibanez Rules and Rich's treatment of their guitars.

[@einarabelc5]

@@shichen4805 Did you gig with them?

[@nethbt]

I've been having the same tuning issues until I angled the bridge just ever so slightly on a "pulling" position...miraculously it worked...for some reason the trem doesn't like dead level angles

[@karlsalocks]

Well, clearly biased in favor of double locking RG style guitars. I would argue that the prestige AZ is one of the best products Ibanez has developed in a LONG time.

[@jml6802]

Killer playing, love that intro riff. Great review!

[@keesketsers5866]

I'm seeing these issues mostly with players coming from RG models....maybe these players prefer a setup that is simply not compatible with the more vintage style of this guitar. A 12 inch radius does not allow very low action when bending above 17th. That's pretty much on every guitar. Also you cannot compare a floyd with a vintage trem, same thing. I guess the wrong people are buying the AZ, these guitars are for strat players and not for RG players in my opinion. Think blues and rock, not metal and shred.

[@Soloist1983]

Agreed but tuning stability, even when not using the bridge for vibrato, is kinda poor and I feel that's a fundamental function of a guitar. Then again you could argue that RG players, like myself, have been spoiled for their entire lives by rock solid tuning stability, and you could be right, my hope would be that Ibanez would make tuning stability a priority for all types of players and styles.

[@ibinTZY]

Even when not bending the AZ guitars or at least the ones i have played goes out of tune...maybe i have played bad pieces but it is just like that and i am a Strat guy.

[@bluwng]

That us unfounded scientifically it’s also relative. Strat owners say 12 inch is modern while you say it’s vintage, relative. I can setup a 7.5 inch radius to do bends in upper registers with low action. Guitarist need to go back to school or pickup a physics book, in the least learn from a schooled luthier not a tech.

[@ibinTZY]

@smug a good friend of mine bought a prestige model HH and since he bought we have set it up a lot of times still facing the same problem... even the once i tried in stores have the same problem. I don't know maybe did set it up the right... amazing Guitar no doubt

[@bluwng]

smug bridge being flush with body? Why do you think it adds to tuning stability. Just an FYI a floating trem , no matter what angle or how much is always 100% tension balanced between strings and springs. Think what would happen if the tension wasn't equal, seriously think on it then you will realize what I mean.

[@lokarrsboots9337]

I'm thankful for your honest review that tackles the guitar from *your* perspective as someone that has a lot of experience with Ibanez' flagship models, namely the RG/JEM models. You helped me make a decision between the model shown in your video or going with the RG550 instead. I will go with the RG. I also think your point about tuning is valid and present with basically every vintage style tremolo system. It's essentially an issue of tolerances. You are obviously not arguing about the guitar going wildly out of tune, you are arguing about it going slightly out of tune and you have not much tolerance for it, which is totally understandable to me. My personal takeaway in regards to the AZ models is that I wish there would be fixed bridge options/models.

[@rodolfoamaralguitar]

Hello. Great to see honest reviews! As a guitar tech I would suggest to: 1-Check the string gauges and see if they match the nut grooves (maybe you have to enlarge them with nut files) 2-File the nut above the strings (the excess material sometimes grabs the strings).

[@einarabelc5]

They are 10-46. Ibanez is famous for 9/42. It shouldn't matter as much on Floyds though. I agree, the Charvel GG who introduce this concept of locking tuners, staggered and a small, locking tremolo doesn't have that problem.

[@tommasomaiello]

was the tuning stability better with the thumb screw Gotoh tuners? Cause many who had tuning stability issues said that was for tuner's malfunctions as non properly locking the strings in place with the automatic mechanism ...

[@wadelewington9999]

I want a pink one.. Cause I'm old! This was an excellent review! Good to here an educated opinion.. and Grail is excellent. Cheers mate🤘

[@IwanCumi]

Thank you for your review. It helps me a lot because I have a plan to have AZ 7 string. By the way, I got same issue with my EBMM Majesty 7. I tried many things to solve the out of tune problem. Lubricating some friction points and replacing blade plate of bridge. Nothing has changed. But finally I cleaned and sandpaper the nut slot in order to make a bit wider. I am surprised because the result is what I expect. I solve the out of tune problem. Well, there is still very slight out of tune but I can still tolerate it...

[@aavavertu229]

Some additional ways to test and find causes for tuning instability: Block the vibrato on both sides inside the cavity, do big bends. Also bend/push the strings above the nut. If this causes the guitar to go out of tune, the nut needs to be modified or replaced by a skilled luthier. Optimally the nut is cut for specific string gauges. Of course if the bridge does not return to the same exact spot each time, this will cause the tuning to drift, but is rarely a problem seen on relatively new instruments. Wilkinson locking saddles should help with other bridge related factors that may cause issues. Non locking, floating vibrato setups can be tuned to achieve great tuning stability, but usually require a lot more effort.

[@einarabelc5]

How did I forget this?

[@thebloodychord]

Holy shnikes! I just stumbled onto your channel. Great content! As soon as I heard you say that you were in the band Holy Grail, I smacked that subscribe button. Love your band!

[@nicholastotoro7721]

Was the issue a high fret or the action being too low for a 12” radius? Sounds like you were only bending 1.5 steps before it choked out, which isn’t exactly aggressive on a 12” radius that high up the neck unless the strings are basically sitting on the frets. You can set up even a Strat with a 7.25” radius to do that without crazy high action. The Gotoh isn’t going to be like a double-locking tremolo. You can do mild things with it and be fine (I think the regular 510 with solid saddles works better than the one Ibanez uses), but it’s not for aggressive use. The Wilkinson is closer to the original Floyd Rose which didn’t have fine tuners, except the string goes through the block with the Wilkinson.

[@fagyu7502]

I have a guitar with the Wilkinson vs50 and personally I love it, it took VERY long to get my setup right, took a lot of tinkering but now it holds tune perfectly 99% of the time, however retrospectively it is true that a Floyd and locking nut would've been easier to set up most likely

[@gintymacginty2783]

I have the AZ Charcoal burst and find it is a great workhorse and ticks all the boxes for me. Obviously if you have spent most of your life using guitars with floyds and locking nuts then this may not be the guitar for you. Greeny on the wall is sweet btw.

[@joshuaH75]

Tuning instability on any guitar is absolutely frustrating! I bought an AZ for myself about two years ago and sent it back for the exact same tuning instability issues. Totally frustrating. I’ll take my double locking RG Prestige and Premium guitars any day over the AZ’s. Nice to see a completely honest review about the AZ models. The real time playing/tuning issues was a very good segment to this video. 👍👍

[@GDCDGC]

Is this a common problem in AZ models?

[@ericsplittgerber5154]

@@GDCDGC I think it's a common problem with two-point vibrato bridges in general

[@nicolasfernando697]

​@@GDCDGCnah depends on the calibration

[@joeydunno]

Maybe you did get a bad one because my thbb10 stays in tune just fine, the frets were not level though so there is clear problems that they need to fix !! Great video !!

[@Holdsworthy]

Thank you! All the sponsored biased reviews praise the az, while obviously the basic problems are still there😢 tuning stability should be taken care of at this price.

[@fredrikpihl]

Have you tried to file the string slots at the nut? That made the whole difference for my AZ. That is a common issue with new bone nuts (not specifically for the Ibanez AZ).

[@IbanezGuy88]

I did just a bit with no luck. However the MSM was sent to Ibanez LA shop and they tried to fix the nut issue there, but it still goes out of tune.

[@TommyBrothers75]

Thanks for the honest review. I am having some of the same problems with the Charvel DK24 hss

[@IbanezGuy88]

I will be doing a review soon on the DK24 HH actually!

[@tomasoyarzunarenas]

What kind of issues? I own the DK24 HSS Shell Pink

[@alexcarvalho4274]

And that is why I play Les Pauls mainly, once you find one where the G string doesn't go out of tune you can forget of every problem (unless headstock breaks)

[@rtxf]

that's bullshit. strats and teles are the way to go for a non issue guitars. I get nothing but trouble with les pauls.

[@marius53891]

Thank you for honest review. It really helped me with go no go decision.

[@IbanezGuy88]

It's a tough decision. As of now, it's been through heavy modifications and plays great. But if a 2k guitar comes with a ton of issues off the bat, it's a rough call. I should have initially gone through a replacement first to see if it helped.

[@jst601]

There is a relationship between how low you set ur strings & how quickly it could "fret out" when you bend. Board radius & string height matter. Also, if ur bending more than a whole step, ur gonna experience it on a 12" radius board if ur strings are low, generally speaking. Multi radius boards take care of this issue. A 10-16 ( or 12-16) would be perfect for what this guy needs. Great point to bring up. We should see this on the Prestige models, imhwo. Also, those tuners are awful to live with.....

[@einarabelc5]

I've only seen 10-14. There was a video that PROVED that 12-16 is the way to avoid all fret buzz at 25.5 scale with your standard Fender bridge spacing, not any other compound combination. It's a cone and if the strings actually travel parallel to the surface of the fretboard, that reduces variables.

[@naguiat1]

I had the same tuning issues-Ibanez promotes their oil "impregnated" bone nut, thinking that this nut will never bind. I was really irritated by the tuning instability, I almost returned the guitar, but someone told me about Big Bends nut Sauce-puting a dab in each slot really fixed the binding in the nut. I have no problems now with extreme trem use. It's my favorite trem system now, I never liked Floyds and locking nuts

[@markjohnson1020]

I've been using Big Bends for 3 years now on every string change and it really does work on my American Start with a vintage style trem!

[@FelixValui]

This is by far the best honest review keep it up brother new subscriber here....i'll just stick with my RG and maybe get one genesis 550

[@jonathonvargas3476]

How does the neck compare to the Ibanez Petrucci necks? I remember the JPMs having thicker than wizard necks.

[@bonznacario1185]

Have you heard about the Guitar Nutbuster Tune Stabilizing System? Thanks for this review. Just what I needed to hear right before buying one.

[@ForViewingOnly]

This is an honest review from somebody who is obviously an Ibanez fan. I haven’t owned an Ibanez AZ, but I have played Ibanez guitars since 1992 and have owned lots of them, with their 12” radius guitars being my favourites (Roadstar, AR2000), but also enjoying the RG series. I love the Ibanez quality and playability, and you could say I’m a huge Ibanez fan. Just before the AZ series was released, I bought an Ibanez Talman Prestige from Germany. The setup of this guitar was shockingly bad for a Prestige model. The nut wasn’t cut deep enough... all 6 nut slots were too shallow. I also suspect that the angle of the bolt-on neck needs adjusting with a shim... either that or all of the upper frets need filing down! I just cannot get a decent low action on this guitar. I’ve owned many Prestige Ibanez guitars over the years, and this Talman is sub-standard for Ibanez. What I’m saying is that maybe their standards have dropped. I really hope this isn’t the case though, because Ibanez and I have a long beautiful history.

[@shredgd5]

It is a nut friction problem 99%. No lubricant can address it, it needs filing because a narrow or irregular surface slot cannot be addressed by graphite or other lubricant. However, after you'll get the filing work done, dive bombs or more than 1 whole tone bends probably still won't allow you to play complex chord voicings, at least right after them (if you play some more after the "heavy pitch stress" to the string, things might slowly get back to a decent balance so your guitar might get back in decent tune). Your style probably needs a floyd rose anyway. Meanwhile try the following: - always tune your wound string from up to down in pitch (if you get lower past the correct pitch, go above it again and tune down slowly). We all rarely bend those strings, at the same time those are the most catchy on the nut because of the windings. - always tune your plain strings from down to up (as above, if you miss the pitch and go above, go down again and slowly raise to the target pitch). Those are the "bending strings" so you must be sure the tension behind the nut is equal or at worst higher than the tension from nut to bridge, never viceversa.

[@lai2ya346]

I have az2402 tff and the problem that I have with me is that there's ground earthing...i have open up the guitar but still couldn't fix it... please kindly share if you have a solution to this

[@IbanezGuy88]

It's possible one of the connections is touching a ground inside the cavity, that could include hitting one of the shielding walls. The best thing I could offer is to find a multimeter, put it in the ground setting, and test each point of contact including the hot outputs.

[@bmann792]

Put 10s on it and it will stay in tune. This guitar needs 10s.

[@bmann792]

@@fredriksvard2603 that’s not the case you just have to set it up right

[@richardstephens7833]

@@fredriksvard2603 He's using D standard tuning with 9s, most guitars will not hold their tuning with this setup.

[@ReinhartSchneider]

I feel you about the vintage style trems. Without locking at the bridge and at the nut there's always going to be some amount of movement left or right as far as tuning stability goes, those systems will simply never return to zero after bar use like a Floyd would. Some are more stable than others but ultimately the problem persists. On any guitar I have with that style bridge, I just block the trem and move on with my life. I only leave them unblocked if they come with the aforementioned Floyd or an Ibanez bridge in that style.

[@Sandarpan]

Surprised to know that the Prestige has bone nuts whereas the Premium comes with Graphtech PTFE impregnated nuts. You could try using a Graphtech TUSQ XL to see if your troubles disappear

[@Sandarpan]

@Ganjang gongjangjang Check out John Petrucci's signature model. It's a non locking floating trem based guitar (Musicman Majesty). No audible tuning issues there.

[@sublyme2157]

Very interesting regarding the tuning stability. Apologies if this is a dumb question, but have you tried properly stretching the strings? (tune string to pitch, stretch like crazy, tune to pitch again, stretch like crazy, rinse/repeat until string remains in tune) I ask because this technique fixes nearly every tuning stability issue I've had with guitars, including Les Pauls.

[@IbanezGuy88]

I did initially yes. Over time though, the guitar stays in tune a lot better. Break in for the nut I believe is what someone has commented in.

[@dylanlundgren]

This patch sounds killer 👌🏻

[@bokistotel]

First of all, thank you for your review, it is great! Two questions, what color is that, green or sea-foam green, and what amp are you using?

[@wootton900]

Il be honest tho , you have done amazing ibanez guitars which are created for full shred and whammy action.. The az2402 is not a one trick pony it is supposed to cover all genres , People who want a all rounder guitar dont want the double locking system , I wouldnt be using it enough to lose tuning

[@peterfreer]

Having had 2 Charvel DKPro Mod24 models which have the Gotoh bridge, set floating, I can attest to tuning issues. These come set up .009 and no matter what you do, (lubricant, skip the string tree, stretching, increase string etc.) they go out of tune from bending, by hand or with the trem. So, not surprised this occurs with the Ibanez. That said, I've become so accustomed to it, I have adapted to it, and with all the measures above, and tuning regularly, I can get around it. But, at first, wow did it bug me, almost enough to get rid of the first model. My point being, you may just not be accustomed to the standard floating style bridge.

[@krimsonlediable]

Finally someone who has the balls to address quality issues in general. Awesome, well done.

[@ketmanjohnson1051]

6:42 "John Pepucci" 😂

[@Soloist1983]

Agree 100% on the tuning stability, been an Ibanez player and fan for 20yrs, this is the first one I have ever needed to tune on a regular basis, it needs locking saddles at a minimum. Other than that, great guitar, but no mistake, it's a big issue as it makes me not trust it live.

[@guitarsmurf2501]

I have the premium version made in Indonesia and it has the same issues. Would be interesting to see if it's actually the tuners.

[@MsPedro444]

i would love Ibanez release a new versión of the AZ's with neck through , Locking saddles and Fishman fluence Pickups . all that with a better craftmentship would make this guitar everything that it is supose to be .

[@randomhero8662]

A 2000$ guitar made in Japan, better craftsmanship? This thing should be damn near pristine when you get it.

[@willarsiam]

Honest review? With not the stock pickups? How strange 🤔

[@lokarrsboots9337]

He is not arguing about how "bad" it sounds stock, though.

[@abcrx32j]

What part of that makes it dishonest?

[@accless510]

how would you compare the neck thickness of the AZ as to a JP6 or BFR? the earlier EBMM models

[@randomhero8662]

I'd say they're damn near identical to a jp15. Or a thin c from schecter. If you like schecter and ebmm necks you'll love this one.

[@tubingforever]

How does the neck feel? I'm a long time strat guy but I'm tired of playing these sticky necks and sticky rosewood/glossy maple fretboards. I want a super fast playing neck with as little friction as possible.

[@IbanezGuy88]

It's a pretty nice neck. To me it feels like a hybrid of a Strat and Les Paul, with no stick!

[@bmann792]

You’re in a drop d tuning with 9s on a non locking trem.

[@5urg3x]

Awesome color! I got the original blue one. I love it.

[@johnniz13]

Oh man, love this review. You got two of the guitars I really want to get. aaand you have 4 or 5 guitars in the back that I also want to get. Played a HSS AZ once. Liked it a lot, but It was a rude awakening for me in terms of the frets. I think stainless steel has become synonymous with great fretwork in my mind. Refreshing to see an honest review where it is not so. I also really want an AT10p, but that is also a premium model, so I'm guessing I will run into similar problems.

[@IbanezGuy88]

Yeah I tried some of the new Premiums at NAMM this year and I'll be grabbing the burl top one, hope to make a review on that one this year!

[@doomgoose3639]

Would blocking off the trem all together fix the problem? I never use trems so I was curious for myself.

[@IbanezGuy88]

Correct! But if I was going that route, I'd probably buy an Ibanez with a fixed bridge :)

[@doomgoose3639]

@@IbanezGuy88 lol fair I just can't find a roasted maple neck like the Ibanez AZ or the Charvel ones that has a fixed bridge lol

[@jazznotes3802]

Very honest review👍🏻

[@pauldickinson286]

Happy to here an honest review for once.. hard to find on KZbin these days with most of the reviews coming form guitar stores, which are highly unlikely to give a negative review.. ive read up on a lot of issues with high frets on the az models, i wonder why this is.. ive never had any issues with any of my RG's. Noway id be happy with a high fret on a guitar costing that much money.. even my jem jr that cost 450 Canadian had a great fret job, just needed a quick polish with some wire wool and was perfect.

[@AhmadSleeq]

i had that choking issue with my at100 japanese andy timmons model after years of playing flat radius guitars, it was just what i expected out of it that was not right , the radius on these AZs are different and you cant bend too high without choking the note. by filing the frets you changed the radius hence you were able to perform those bends, in any case if it works for you now thats great, but i dont think its the guitar's fault.

[@5urg3x]

I had mine PLEK’d by Sweetwater and they also put in a fallaway at the end for me, they also rounded off the edges. This is pretty typical, sadly, for all Ibanez guitars. There’s a reason why they sell them for much less than Suhr 🤷‍♂️. Just gotta buy them from a dealer that can look it over and fix any problems before it gets to you.

[@tubingforever]

How would the tuning issues be if I don't use the trem at all, and maybe lock it?

[@IbanezGuy88]

Tuning issues won't be a problem blocking the trem. Currently, the guitar is handling tuning stability a little better than when I made this review. Hope this helps!

[@IsakKazazic]

Hi, when you swapped the pickups did you preserve the 10 way switching? I want to do mine and I cant seem to find any diagrams. Thanks

[@johannjensson6190]

I second that question. Very curious about that as well.

[@IsakKazazic]

@@johannjensson6190 hey I did eventually change pickups on my AZ, as long as you have the 5 wire type of pickup then the answer is absolutely yes and its very easy.

[@johannjensson6190]

@@IsakKazazic Thank you!

[@tommasomaiello]

Does the Marco Sfogli's signature is as bad as this one with the tremolo usage?

[@IbanezGuy88]

The MSM stays in tune about the same. Breaking in both guitars though, they do stay in tune a lot better than what I have addressed in this video.

[@sunnys3325]

I too played Ibanez RGs with wizard necks for almost 20 years. I was a loyal Ibanez player. As I got older my tastes changed and now I love thicker necks and I gone away from using FR locking bridges....guess it's all subjective

[@Sir_Dickbag]

I so appreciate the honest review. I’m back to double locking tremolos after fighting with these types of tremolos for years. I have never played a single non-locking trem guitar that stayed in tune with even the gentlest trem use...never. I’ve played or owned Suhrs, Charvels etc... all have the same issue. Glad to know I wont need to waste money on this guitar to see if it’s any different. Much appreciated!

[@prsmantse1]

I just got a charvel dk24 and it has stayed locked in tune. I spent 2 hours trying to knock it out and it's been golden. Maybe I got really lucky

[@brandonbryson3317]

Only one that works basically flawlessly is PRS. Smoothest and most stable non locking floating trem there is.

[@llIIIIlllIIIllI]

aren't you always suppose to tune up? if you go sharp you under tune and then tune back up to the note...

[@spudvader]

It's the nut, if the strings are going sharp they are catching on the nut, if they are going flat they need stretched more

[@IbanezGuy88]

Let me know your thoughts and opinions! Have you played an AZ yet? UPDATE: 1) Over the year of playing this guitar, it stays in tune a lot better than in the video. 2) Yes... Petrucci, not PAPOOooooCHIiiii, it was a joke, I'll stick to playing guitars angry fans lol.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

Easily the best guitar I've ever played, and the one I played was a Premium

[@scotthenderson4743]

Hey man! I’ve got a premium and prestige and they don’t budge out of tune, although it took me some set up time and swapping out the tuners the AZ comes with to achieve that. Definitely put the locking tuners you have with the thumb wheels on your AZ, they are just so much better. I also staggered the spring claw and it seemed to help some too. Cool review man! All the best 👍🏼

[@expertizzlist]

Maybe that choking issue could have been resolved by adjusting neck relief? I'm not sure. I've run into a little bit of tuning instability which was very easily cleared by using a coin with the locking tuners. Just a little bit of resistance to make them lock "harder". =D The other thing is g and b strings going out of tune after bending. So what I do is I tune the strings and then push down hard on the trem (strings go flat). When they come back out of tune, tune again. This way you can always "reset" your strings by pushing down on the trem. Got this trick from the incredible Guthrie Govan. After all, this isn't a double-locking guitar, so I don't quite understand the criticism towards it being just that.

[@idrissm]

Thanks for the video. I was going to order one of these. It was very helpful. I need to refocus on one my value: you try it/you like it/you buy it.

[@Soloist1983]

Got an AZ2402FF, tuning drives me nuts, I have to tune it almost everytime I play it, whereas my RG's sometimes go almost 6 months without needing to tune (and by then I should have already changed the strings already). These things need locking saddles from the factory.

[@dragnasty540]

I'll stick with locking trems! Once you get the hang of them they're not that bad to set up. I think it's worth the extra time setting up a floyd style for the stability they offer. But I do have 3 Charvel dk24's with the gotoh 510 and they are pretty stable!

[@einarabelc5]

But they suck to play at the low register. That's because Charvel knows how to cut nuts, unlike Ibanez.

[@unclelelax8341]

I bought rg370dxz black. How's the playbility for shred and sweep?

[@IbanezGuy88]

Once you get familiar with the neck shape, it's a breeze to play with!

[@1570Mike]

I have an AZ242 Premium and I'm shocked how well it stays in tune. Sorry you had issues. It's a sweet guitar tho.

[@IbanezGuy88]

It stays in tune better now actually. From the last update, I made a new bone nut for it, and with the locking saddles, it's great!

[@einarabelc5]

@@IbanezGuy88 Well, there you go. I suspected as much. Get a compound radius and you won't need to set fall away.

[@manuelsegura7573]

What AZ model was the green/black one?

[@dancortes2164]

You might wanna check the nut too. It might be routed for a specific string gauge; 9-42. If you're playing with a 10 gauge string set the nut should be causing a lot more friction than it should be

[@IbanezGuy88]

Yeah both guitars are set with 9-46 in D standard. When I got the MSM back from Ibanez, they checked everything was all set and clear. Still leaves me scratching my head.

[@Loner0410]

I have a question for anyone who could help, Im seriously interested in buying one of these, I dont really bend the strings much cause I prefer sliding, and I use 10-52s and dont really dive bomb, more of just flutters, will I have the tuning problems like he described, because I dont really think how I play leads to much detuning

[@IbanezGuy88]

I've had this guitar for quite some time now and I would say it stays in tune 90% of the time with heavy whammy usage which is definitely better. I would say it's worth a shot trying it out. Mine in the beginning had some extensive issues, but got resolved over time with adjustments.

[@zagarothdb8777]

John who lol? Thanks for sharing this honest review man. I've been recently considering one. Love the look. Unfortunately, no music store near me carries one. I'd have to chance it and order one. I'm not a big trem guy, but I do like to flutter and add trem nuances. Marco Sfogli style, another reason I'd like one, Figured if it works for him, the AZ would be great. I'm not sure now. 🤔

[@nikonmikon8915]

I have a suggestion if someone hasn't made it already, the break angle over the nut ideally should be as hard as you can get it to be right? But for tuning stability it may not be a good idea to lower the HAP posts to get a more acute angle because this increases the friction coefficient at the nut slot. I know this is a year late + but perhaps you should try raising the height until the strings no longer bind when using the tremolo. I suspect you may have gotten too happy with adjusting things prior to using the guitar in its stock state. Btw love your post-'94 AANJ RG-550. I have one as well, mine is a 1998 DY (with the same 3 piece maple bubinga maple neck yours has). They are extremely rare birds. I also have two japanese-market only 2001 RG-770FM's (DRD and DBL) with the factory JPM necks (42mm nut and all that). I've been seriously considering getting an AZ but like you I'm a long time RG player (since the early 2000's) and I'm hesitant to get a non locking system. People tell me I'm trippin but they dont know how stable floyd-rose style systems are. I NEVER tune my RG's and am constantly tuning any fixed bridge guitar every time I pick them up. It's a shit show. Anyhow, the main draw for me is that these guitars have bigger necks with stainless frets and roasted maple. I'm not the biggest fan of wizard necks these days, my #1 Ibanez is my 2001 RG-770FM DRD and it's got the JPM neck which feels WAY different than a Wizard profile and I've come to enjoy it far more than my wizards (I also have an RG-520 with the same style neck as the 550). I am a fan of vintage instruments but I have played Ibanezes for so long that transitioning to a strat would be hell. I'm hoping Ibanez makes something for us who want something strat-like but with a more modern radius and tuning stability but also maintain the stainless frets on a roasted neck with a thicker profile. That would be the dream.

[@IbanezGuy88]

I'll have to try that with the HAP posts, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah that's what led me to the AZ series, the blend of a modern feel with the old. Seeing and playing Guthrie's Charvel, it was very stable with the trem usage. I'd figure the AZ's would be in a similar ball park. It's not the greatest as far as tuning but it's still a fun axe to play. Looking back at the review, of course I was pretty narrow minded with the tuning stability but like you said, we came from nothing but locking tremolos so it's very foreign haha.

[@al-muhsimsantiago4753]

Where did you bought this kind of AZ Guitar Color Mint Green ? I can't find one in Ibanez Distributors this kind of color

[@IbanezGuy88]

I believe they stopped production in this colorway :(

[@al-muhsimsantiago4753]

@@IbanezGuy88 I see sad to hear that bro 🥺

[@sailisi]

i was wondering, is it possible to put a Floyd Rose or a Gotoh edge tremolo to the AZ's? i know you can do it for a hardtail .

[@IbanezGuy88]

It would be a huge project, but it can be done haha. You would need to plug and redrill the holes for the 2 posts for the Floyd, and then route the dimension for the loyd as well. Not to mention the finish possibly chipping in the process. I was going to look into the non fine tuner Floyd, but I just adjusted the way I play on this guitar. I'd figure if I really wanna do crazy floyd stuff, I got plenty of guitars to do that kind of thing 😅

[@sailisi]

@@IbanezGuy88Thats cool , thanx for the response :)

[@daniyal4557]

So if this guitar has this serious problem, what guitar from the Ibanez brand would you suggest that is like this and does not have this problem? I want for post rock style

[@IbanezGuy88]

I have two other AZ's that honestly stay in tune better than this initial one. so I would say give it a chance in a music store if you can before making a decision. It would probably work great for your style! If there was another Ibanez to try, you can explore the RG or S series and they have fixed bridge and trem alternatives.

[@daniyal4557]

@@IbanezGuy88 Thanks, what do you think of the rg5121 for my style? Isn't the absence of tremolo annoying?

[@isyscarola5928]

I appreciate this video. I have a Charvel dk24 with the same bridge and kicking tuners and it has the same problems with tuning. The only way it stays in tune is if you block the bridge. I was going to try an AZ prestige because I thought maybe it would stay in tune better, but after watching this I will not buy one.

[@eaglechildkeys]

I was wondering if purchase the blue metallic one or not, but having this tuning issues,I will need to think about it.. Thanks for your honest opinion ;-)

[@IbanezGuy88]

I've noticed everyone has different experiences with these guitars. Fast forward to present day, it holds tuning pretty well, but if you want rock solid stability, a Floyd style trem will be a must!

[@aja2788]

Great video, thx for going on and on and on. Now that this guitar has been discounted and the price has gone up due to the color I was very interested but now I am little weary based on all the tuning issues you presented. Has there been any updated model since this that have addressed these issues? Any resources or videos you could provide on evening out high SS frets? Thank you.

[@IbanezGuy88]

I would try to see if you can play in person any of the new AZ models to see if they fit your needs. This particular model was just a bad batch from QC, I've had others after that had no fret issues. You could ask a local guitar luthier/tech around your neighborhood to see if they do fret levels, or check some fret level tutorials on youtube if you feel like trying it yourself :)

[@MarshallGTV]

It’s binding at the nut. Give the trem arm a quick yank backwards (up in pitch) and it will usually return to pitch.

[@animaljam6372]

What are your thoughts on ibanez az vs charvel dk, if price isn't an issue?

[@IbanezGuy88]

Charvel hands down. It also has a neck profile that fits more of my style :)

[@TavaresProject]

Have you considered the Vega Trem? Everything I've seen online the Vega is bulletproof for tuning stability

[@fintronics]

Will the Vega trim work on this guitar without modifications?

[@TavaresProject]

@@fintronics I'm pretty sure it will because it's a gotoh bridge. To make sure email Vega... They will reply. Great customer service

[@IbanezGuy88]

That trem is DEFINITELY on my list haha! This guitar lately has been staying in tune pretty well, I try not to go super heavy dive bomb mode with it, but it's been fun to play. I try to get out of my RG play style with this one.

[@669rd]

It seems like with the Ibanez Az series we are just revisiting the same problems encountered in the ‘pre Floyd Rose’ era. All issues have been addressed with the floating bridge and locking nut but these superstrats are so under appreciated these days Guitar mfrs have to revisit the pre Floyd Rose era with the same problems so yeah we’re back to square 1.

[@thelastvigil111]

Max Ostro: Shreds the face off this model, faster and more fluidly than I've ever seen, without even breaking a sweat. And that's after I started noticing this model popping up all over the place in the hands of great players, always kicking ass. This guy: There's something wrong with it. I think I'll stick with Max's opinion on this one.

[@karlsalocks]

He does play street fighter though, apparently

[@mathieubarrette4962]

Nice review! How would you compare this to let say a musicman JP15?

[@IbanezGuy88]

I'd love to try a JP15, they also have a flatter radius closer to an RG wizard neck :)

[@Vestu]

I have an Ibanez AZ and I have zero tuning issues even when I abuse the whammy bar.

[@lukebutton9634]

AZ Premium owner here - having terrible issues with it keeping in tune. Excellent review - would you recommend getting the guitar PLEK'd? I really love my AZ with BKPs but its short comings are bumming me out.

[@IbanezGuy88]

Definitely get it set up by a a tech or if you got the chance for it to be PLEK'd would be killer!

[@jeshely]

Well, my USA G&L with their 2 point bridge do not give such tuning issues even with their vintage split head tuners where you cut the string and push perpendicular into a hole in the middle.

[@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh]

As far as the Floyd Rose, we know that once you get it set it’s solid. The issue is if you change tunings a lot. Not everyone has 6 dual HB guitars so they can tune one for each alternate. That’s why I personally don’t want a locking nut

[@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh]

The reason I chose this guitar to look at is specifically because it doesn’t have locking nut but I actually wish it was a hard tail. So I def see your point but also maybe they wanted to do something not like their other models

[@IbanezGuy88]

@@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh Totally get where you're coming from! Now having this in the collection for some time now, I play it differently than my other guitars, but it's nice to have something different.

[@Just1n2802]

if they made the locking nut on it with the gotoh still on it that would be great because the normal floyds and floyd style bridges don't look classy to me

[@SeethingSimp]

What camera/lens are you using?

[@Mr.Goldbar]

About the tuning stability, I think the problem is the nut, apparently the bone nuts on the Prestige suck. The Premiums which come with Graphtech nuts stay in tune like tanks and I've never heard any complaint about their tuning stability. I highly suggest you replace the nuts of your AZs with Graphtech nuts, your tuning stability will become much better Edit: after I got my AZ Premium I removed the string tree and it stays in tune even better

[@Mr.Goldbar]

@Ganjang gongjangjang why should it be the other way around? Graphtech is cheaper than bone and it's even better, both should get Graphtech. Even Gibson stopped using bone on their production models and uses Graphtech. And btw does the Premium come with 9s from the factory? Mine is supposed to arrive from Thomann at any moment

[@Mr.Goldbar]

@Ganjang gongjangjang got mine a couple of days ago and it seems to have 10s on it, I string most of my guitars with 9-46, the lows felt the same but the highs were tighter, logically means 10-46

[@einarabelc5]

Now all we need is a compound radius.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

@@einarabelc5 I'd rather just have the usual flat 16" Ibanez radius :D 12" is still pretty good though

[@daghetto101]

May I ask what AZ Premium you got? I'm planning to buy the AZ47P1QM in Black Ice Burst HSH config.

[@darkestfugue]

i have the same guitar, been gigging it now over a year and as far as versatility goes, its great, its got all the sounds and it sounds good which is why i bought it, the trem doesnt stay in tune for shit but im not a big trem user, it use it for effect during certain songs live and can survive to the end and retune, disappointing but i can live with it, the all access neck is also disappointing, ok i can get to all the frets but it should be done better, there was no need to cut all that wood out of the back, they could have left it and cut away the wood on the front of the lower horn like PRS does, that would have worked a treat, and there is still a large neck heel there like you said, whats the point??? overall though i like it and fully agree with your dislikes

[@karenkaren5295]

Great, honest review. Been pondering one of those guitars, for a while, glad I didn't get one now. And TBH, I don't really like the looks either.

[@karlsalocks]

Um, you payed one? I'd say this is a totally biased review. Dude clearly is uncomfortable on non locking, more traditional guitars. It's not an accident that his wall is loaded with RGs, JEMs, etc.

[@Pointyish]

I don’t see any thing here that isn’t standard strat 101. Gotta tune “up” with a normal nut, will never stay in tune fine tuning like that. I lock vintage trems out, never had a stable one, add to essentially moving the strings through the nut when using one, it’s an impossibility it will stay in tune. Also the radius will choke anything over a tone if your actions low. Its all just strat stuff.

[@ph0kused]

ya dude this video is basically a guy saying, i like 1 type of guitar, pan to a pic of all his guitars, all the same models or style... just a narrow minded player who has never worked with a non locking system... the locking nut system doesnt need to go on the az line, this guy can stick to his rgas and all the other ibanez models with locking. so MANY good players rocking az's these days, so im very skeptical of his video of being a review, and not just a picky guitar player which is totally cool, but there's no real problems with the az model here like you said

[@alexanderkochetkov3527]

Yeah the 510 style brides are not double-locking floyds. I’d say the same for the Music Man’s non-locking bridges, same ballpark. Otherwise I would say that personally I don’t even nearly have the same stability issues, my AZ2402 is pretty stable, so with reasonably heavy use and and a strobe tuner I the running does not run away for days. An AZ with a Floyed would be a winner for me too though. Overall I simply love my AZ. Feels very similar to a Suhr in a good way, while providing a nice contrast to my classic RGs. For me it is a keeper, and gets played a fair bit.

[@johnjoebarry]

Even with the Wilkinson WLS130 saddles it won’t stay in tune? What a shame. I loved my AZ but tuning stability drove me crazy. Was hoping the saddles would’ve worked

[@IbanezGuy88]

The Wilkinson definitely helped but I eventually installed a brass nut and it holds tuning and sustain even better now. I might have to make a follow up video but who knows haha.

[@overkill2006]

Thanks you 4 the honest review.I’m curious what’s the best Ibanez you’ve ever played?

[@IbanezGuy88]

I would have to say out of the models so far, the Jem Floral! Mine's a 1991 and it's epic!

[@overkill2006]

@@IbanezGuy88 I gotta try that model.So many people keep telling me how good the Jems are.