Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige Guitar Review: Shots Fired at Suhr. Did they Connect?

Taking a look at the new Ibanez Prestige AZ2204 guitar. It's a modern, classy take on the suhr-esque super strat with a huge range of tones. With Ibanez's new roasted maple neck, titanium bridge saddles, locking tuners, Seymor Duncan Hyperion pickups, and stainless steel frets...this thing this decked out. So, what's the verdict? Can it really do it all?
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[@joebloggs1444]

The best built and most versatile guitar by Ibanez in decades. Doesn't sound like a "strat" but sounds as good as one with more depth. Love the stainless steel frets!! They are the future...!!!

[@JohnvanCapel]

The Premiums have a "standard" roasted maple neck. The S-Tech treatment on the Prestige models is basically an artificial "aging" process, where they pump nitrogen into the chamber and cook the neck for a while longer. This makes it look darker and decomposes any remaining water-absorbent compounds out of the wood so it's more resistant to fluctuations in humidity and temperature. This also allows them to use a much thinner finish, hence why it feels like it's been sanded to insane smoothness. The tuners being height-adjustable would be more of a selling point to the Ibanez factory or as an aftermarket part than as an OEM install - like you said, it's highly unlikely you'll ever need to adjust them once they're on, but it does make it so you can use the same exact tuners on an angled headstock as you do on a straight one. Something I do kind of want to address is the comparison to a Strat, where you fall into a kind of "trap" when it comes to reviews - because sound is so subjective, you basically can't go "Not the same, therefore worse". What I would have liked to hear you describe is which specific differences there are, so I could have made the decision on my own whether that's a bad thing or not. One person's "Spanky and bright" is another person's "Shrill and sterile" and one's "Warm and fat" is another's "Muddy".

[@indoshakermaker]

You spent most of your time complaining about the looks. The playability n multiple tones you can get out of this should be the main point. People should try it.

[@noamankhurshid3925]

Spot on sell it you are so critical about it

[@domonichimself]

Thats what I was thinking.. Like.. bro its a GREAT guitar... can you talk sound please? lol.

[@0megalul309]

Some people buy guitars to hang on the wall, so looks matter.

[@patriot0919]

Lucky I am here just for the look and features after TomoFujita's 'Breezin' lesson that he used one in that video, but his one is a custom 3S and I said to myself, this would be my next one, lol!

[@valdon116]

Looks are as important to me as tone with guitars too

[@nazmoking3171]

Don't ignore the pickup switch - it provides the great tonal variety you don't get from a regular strat.

[@johnkordyback7017]

No the S-Tech is not just a standard Roasted Maple. The premium line is standard Roasted Maple. For the Prestige line they use the S-Tech process in which during the process "wood is placed in a pressure-resistant container which is filled with nitrogen. The container is then heated to a temperature of 180-200°C (~350-400°F) for several hours under controlled pressure. Through this process the perishable hemicellulose in the wood is decomposed. The treatment greatly increases the insect and water resistance of the wood, decreases the density and improves the wood's dimensional stability. It also gives the wood a more uniformly dark appearance."

[@michael1]

Yeah because so many of my guitars have been eaten by insects.

[@jimantonino4394]

Thank you for that. Appreciate the detail.

[@rowlandstraylight]

There are different kinds of oil finishes. The nicest feeling are the tru oil style that go on super smooth. Maybe I've been spoilt by having owned a couple of nice rifles and shotguns and gotten used to amazing feeling and really resilient finishes, but rubbed oil finishes are made of win. I drop nearly finished nut blanks into the wax I'm potting pickups with, the wax penetrates and keeps the dust down during final slotting and helps the strings slide in the nut. I presume oil impregnated nuts are similar but using a baby oil type mineral oil?

[@darkestfugue]

i have the twin humbucker sunburst model on order, i need a comfortable guitar that can cover a lot of bases, fingers crossed i like it, fun review, thanks

[@TheGuitarPit]

Awesome. They're great guitars so I don't really think you can go wrong. The neck shape would probably not be an Ibanez Wizard fan's favorite, but if you like medium necks you'll be a-ok.

[@darkestfugue]

@@TheGuitarPit im fine with that, i dont have big hands but i do like a meaty neck, i went for the dual humbucker because i dont like pickguards on guitars and i like the satin finish on the sunburst, its very understated, in fact its a bit ugly looking lol, but this thing will be a gigging tool so im about how it performs rather than how it looks, i just hope its not neck heavy

[@yeesenchai]

10 different tones (AZ2402) and 9 different tones (AZ2204), stainless steel frets, Ibanez prestige treatment and a velvet touch jcustom treatment on the neck and the high quality build is a great bargain at those price. This coming from a person that owns a jcustom and 2 other prestiges.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Would you say they're as good as J Custom? I've never played one. I really like the Ibanez AZ's used price. I see them around $1500, and that makes them a great buy.

[@andrewwheelerguitar]

@@TheGuitarPit I have not played the AZ2204, but I have several super strat styles with similar radius neck. But...the reason I don't pick up my J Custom more is the incredibly flat 16" or 17" neck which I simply can't support for chordal explorations or blues. It just ain't working. So for me, if you take all the great stuff about the prestige build in a super strat style with a friendlier radius, I may take the chance on it. You can't even get a Fender American Ultra Luxe for this price, and the fender ultra luxe strat just doesn't have the tonal possibilities - even with the S1 switching system, that the AZ has....

[@joebloggs1444]

I gig one of these every week...unlike my old strat, I can now all the tones I'd normally get from a tele, strat, and Gibson type axe, plus the trem is amazing. Swiss army knife guitar...

[@TheGuitarPit]

Very coo, glad you're enjoying it! I think these are killer, Ibanez is certainly on the right track here. They've released a couple more colors too, which is great. I wish they could knock a couple hundred bucks off the price, but they're excellently built and sound great.

[@joebloggs1444]

@@TheGuitarPit hi, totally agree. Do you know what the new colours are? I think the colour range overall is a bit odd... lol 😵

[@TheGuitarPit]

@@joebloggs1444 They don't seem to list them on the website, but on Reverb I've seen AZ Prestiges in pearl white, scarlet, sea foam green, regal brown burst (flame top), and natural w/ figured koa.

[@alberthc18]

Love your content!!! Is this neck thinner than Kiesel's standard profile?

[@TheGuitarPit]

Thanks! And no, it's much thicker imo. A tiny bit of shoulders on it, and then a much more traditional thickness. I'd say think of a strat with a C neck, and then turn that into a slightly thinner oval.

[@ph0kused]

The pickups roasted maple and the stainless steel frets are why youre paying 2k people. The frets alone are a major part of that price. As most people know you need special tools for SS fret work- thats why PRS and Fender and Gibson dont do it. Theyve stuck with their system and dont want to reinvest in all new fretworking tools. SS frets are the future, no fret wear is something every guitar over 1500 should have. Not a fan of the HSS the dual bucker option sounds better imo. It can emulate the single coil sounds really well with the alter switch. Best major guitar brand release of 2018 by a long shot.

[@TheGuitarPit]

SS frets are great. It's nice to see them on Ibanez and some even lower end Korean stuff now. But like you mentioned, I've heard they're a pain in the butt to work on. I also agree that I would have preferred the HH version of this guitar. But with the price so low, I had to give it a shot :)

[@enzonuestro1721]

ph0kused You can literally get the same guitar from kiesel for a much lower price

[@larsheuker]

And the quality and japanese work hours arent cheap

[@juanvaldez5422]

meh

[@JimDewdGuitars]

Kiesel has SS frets, luminlay side dots, and locking tuners standard. For 1099 you could get a stadard Aries that would out play and sound way better than any prestige. I've owned both and I've kept my kiesels and sold my ibanez. USA>Japan

[@felimeister1]

i don't know if u r a lead guitar player, but that ibanez has lots of overtones and natural harmonics that pop ups in an awesome way, i've played the import one and the prestige and that's the main difference

[@phenixreturns]

it's hard to have an opinion with a plug in which can go to crunch. What i notice is that the telecaster sound is good but i i really don't know if it sounds darker or no vs a strat (i talk about the single coils or s coils together, Knopfler 's tone, Nile Rodgers ' tone too)

[@hugowasalreadytaken]

Hey man, great stuff! I have an Ibanez az2402 TFF myself, and I love it. However, I have been noticing that the roasted maple in the neck is kind of soft-ish. I discovered this when I started playing with my thumb behind the neck (instead of wrapped around the neck) that the nail of my thumb on my fretting hand could make indents (or 'lines' rather) in the neck, even when really (!) softly moved across the back of the neck, which is a movement that is kind of unavoidable when playing in a somewhat more excited fasion. Have you found that your maple neck also damages or dents easily in general, and if so, do you know how or if I can avoid further damage (apart from being extra carefull obviously haha)? To my recollection the maple neck was slightly 'harder' when i first bought the guitar, but this could be my imagination. I’ve theorized a little bit myself, and maybe it has something to do with the roasted maple sucking up moisture, and thereby getting softer, but this did not seem logical to me, because the neck has only been played inside and Ibanez seems to be really proud of their 'humidity defying' necks. Thanks in advance! All the best. 🙂 p.s. since yesterday i started putting silicon packets in the hardcase, to see if that solved anything, but obviously i haven't seen any results from that yet haha

[@patriot0919]

Cut your nail....

[@jeshely]

Bridge pup in that guitar sounds a lot like the Dimarzio Gravity Storm I have in the bridge of my Am Std Strat.

[@1introvert_guy]

I'm thinking of getting an AZ prestige next year, I own an AZ premium which is really great, is it worth getting the prestige again or are there any other guitars similar to it in price range and similar to the AZ prestige?

[@TheGuitarPit]

Where do you live? Are you willing to shop used? I've seen a lot of nice Prestige AZs lately for $1200~1300 used. That's pretty hard to beat. For similar, you're going to be looking at a Suhr for $2k+

[@GS-uy4xo]

In 3 weeks I’ll be receiving an AZS (Tele) tobacco burst - great range of tones, feel, neck stability. I was chasing a Suhr but for 1000 USD less I think I’ll be ok.

[@GS-uy4xo]

About the truss rod adjustment, I don’t think you’ll be making many more adjustments - these necks are really really stable across big humidity swings.

[@jettschenker]

There is a finish put on it. It's not bare wood. And yes, it feels lovely.

[@benkoi8310]

"They don't sound like a strat", coz they don't want to sound like a strat. If you want a guitar that sounds like a strat. Buy a strat.

[@jaime.27.CBR.]

Maybe if you adjust the height of the tunners you'll have the optipn of quit the string tree. Really I dont'r know. I have a Prestige but is an RG. About the neck joint seems too familiar, but when you will play the strat after the Ibanez you'll notice a biiiig difference!

[@DanielG0m3z]

I love these guitars and I think they are great.

[@toddcarpenter4233]

Magical neck tip.. Get some minwax tong oil.. rub it in nice.. then well its drying for a couple of hours... go to Canadian tire (or where ever you like) in the automotive section you will fine 2000 or 2400 grit sand paper.. get some of that and sand the back of your neck. You wont ever touch your finish and it comes out as smooth as a baby's bottom. Works well for gloss and oil neck (if its got clear coat it will go a dull translucent color after a day or so it will return clear)

[@TheGuitarPit]

Cool. I might give that (or similar, I have a couple bottles of oils I've been wanting to try sitting around) a try on my old beat up Squier strat. Don't think I want to experiment on this guitar quite yet hah.

[@caseykittel]

Some “oil” finishes are called drying oils or some shit. They usually have linseed oil. You can rub them on and they dry hard.

[@ajohnhayes]

What song did you play at 6:29? I can almost remember it, and it’s driving me crazy 😂

[@ajohnhayes]

The Lion’s Roar by Cynic. Got it! 😂 thank you for the awesome review, btw.

[@SyafiqMustafa]

hello good sir, how was the string action on this guitar? can it be lowered to personal preference as the stock action is quite high? thank you for your honest review!

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah, I got it a bit lower after some tweaks. The nut was a little high as well, so I think it'd be worth taking to a really good tech to get them to really dial it in. The neck was straight and could certainly achieve low action though. That said, two other people I know have purchased these and had the nut arrive in need of some tweaks.

[@SyafiqMustafa]

@@TheGuitarPit thanks for the fast response! hmm looks like I have to look for other brands that only need minimal tweaks, there’s no reliable tech where I live, keep up on posting guitar reviews!

[@obicross]

Nice review. No BS. Very good.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Thanks khoirus sobri, this is a marketing-free, no-BS zone :)

[@obicross]

@@TheGuitarPit and thats actually really cool these days. Most people usually just goes "best guitar ever, buy it" or smthing like that. But your review is really thorough. Definitely get a sub from me. Keep up the great work. 😊👍🙏

[@rodolfoamaralguitar]

Hello! Did you tested the AZ premium ? how they compare to the Prestige?

[@TheGuitarPit]

Haven't had a chance to get the AZ premium in hand. I've played other premiums, and although they aren't bad, some had QC issues.

[@tman6495]

Late to the party here Are the Single Coils noisey /noiseless when over driven.

[@theaustralianhulk]

Buys a guitar with 9 different sounds with 2 single coils. Plays all distorted riffs with the hum bucker lol

[@JackFou]

Did you watch a different video? He played some riffs with other pick ups and he even demo'd all pick up combinations with a clean sound

[@Vestu]

To me this guitar is so good to my hands and playing style that I wanted it for those already. The pickups are a bit too middle-of-the road so I ended up switching the bridge humbucker to Seymour Duncan JB. Single-coils are still stock but could change them as well. Other than that it's a really, really good guitar with retro look and modern features.

[@JamiePittsSCM]

Oil impregnation is an engineering term where the pressure of the oil is lowered in a vacuum to that of the atmosphere. When this happens porous material absorbs it much more and creates a permanent seal.

[@TheGuitarPit]

And in theory that makes the nut a little smoother? Neat idea, I guess?

[@MitchHaman]

Deffinetly a nice looking guitar but I think my nebula green burst color on my Ibanez RG652AHM is stunning.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah, I think Ibanez was trying to take it a step back on the styling. Some will like it, others may think it's boring. I wouldn't say it's my favorite looking guitar but it's definitely got a bit of a classy look to it.

[@robertclarkguitar]

@@TheGuitarPit I agree here too. Lol.

[@robertclarkguitar]

I like the step back on looks keeping it simple but god. That neck. Did I mention the neck? Lol

[@eXSPLY]

There is a guy on youtube who got one of the premium ones with a flamed maple neck it looks insane

[@TheGuitarPit]

Got a link? Sounds crazy.

[@eXSPLY]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKu8ZWZ7m9OooMU this video here, it is one of the nicest necks I've ever seen, I'm going trade in a Strandberg Boden OS 8 to get one of these AZs today and that fact I already know there isn't going to be one like that will haunt me forever haha

[@TheGuitarPit]

Wow yeah he won the lotto with that thing. Most of the ones I've seen have been very flat and plain, but have a pretty nice roast job on them. Good luck with your trade-in! If you're in the US, there is a Prestige on Reverb for basically what a Premium costs: reverb.com/item/18912508-ibanez-az2402-icm-prestige-2018-blue-metallic

[@WildWildWeasel]

21:41 Cemetery Gates!

[@jimkiousis]

Hey there man great work! 1st are the single coils noiseless or true single coils? 2nd do you know if the single coils are on 250k pot? 3rd question is how would you compare the neck with other famous neck sizes? Sorry for the long post, thanks for the help in advance Keep up the good work

[@TheGuitarPit]

Thanks, Jim. A few of the settings had noise, so I'd say they are true single coils. The neck is thicker than I thought, with bigger shoulders on the side. Ibanez calls it an "oval c" which I think is accurate. Thicker than my Suhr modern's neck. Slightly thinner than the Fender American Pro strat's neck, if I recall. I sold both so I can't really compare them in person anymore. I'm not 100% sure on the pots, to be honest. Here is a schematic: www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?327040-HSS-guitar-new-Ibanez-dyna-MIX9-switching

[@jimkiousis]

@@TheGuitarPit thanks for the reply, you 've been very helpful! See you

[@SC-wu2dn]

S C Dude stainless frets are what you get when you pay custom shop prices. These AZ series are a brilliant instrument, probably the best for the money. Im a die hard USA made Fender/G&L guy and also have an RG770DX in Ruby Red also but I want one of these Prestige AZ Guitars because they are superb and actually a bargain considering the craftsmanship. Again USA made axes are the holy grail for me and many players but Japanese guitars really are up there in terms of craftsmanship. I think its a steal for $2,000. I agree though that they have limited the colour choices rather stupidly because Ibanez do some gorgeous colours and finishes and are known for it so they need to step up and offer more choices in that area. More colours Ibanez make it happen!!!!

[@rowlandstraylight]

The philosophy behind the switching is fairly simple to understand, with the switch up it's impersonating a HH guitar

[@tigerbalm666]

Thjat color and pick guard looks just like my 2003 MIM Lake Placid BLue powerhouse strat for $530. $2k is a bit much IMO. Beautiful neck an SS is a must!

[@TheGuitarPit]

It doesn't really look like a 2k guitar, but it felt and sounded like one. Really nice guitar, but I think the struggle is a Suhr isn't much more and feels a little more premium all around.

[@bgrierofficial]

I have owned a Suhr Mateus Asato signature "Strat" and just got an Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige. I prefer the Ibanez - more tonal variety (the neck does feel better on the Suhr).

[@JimDewdGuitars]

Are these in the same series as the Martin miller and Tom Quayle sigs?

[@TheGuitarPit]

They are, but I do not know if their signature models have slightly different pickup configurations or options. As I understand it, their sigs have a fancy wood top and similar (if not the same) pickups. Same neck, body shape, and other stuff.

[@CandidUploads]

Are they true single coils or humbucker in single coil size? Thanks.

[@TheGuitarPit]

I believe these are true single coils. They sound like them, hum included.

[@shitmandood]

Man, nearly 20 years ago a guy was telling me how great he though Suhr guitars were & got one. And yet, he always kept it in the case on top of some exercise equipment & buried underneath a whole lot of other stuff. So I thought, "If it's such a great guitar, why is it stuffed under all of this crap & never played??" And then this year, I know someone that plays professionally & bought a Suhr ($2300 or so) & he says it plays like a dream & that it's his favorite guitar. He liked it a lot because of the tone. Man, it's funny that I can figure out the songs you're playing are from the late 80s & early 90s. I hear Satriani from his Surfing album & Pantera, that's from Cowboys from Hell. One of the videos, I heard you playing a RUSH song. lol. Did guitar music die after that time period? lol.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah I'm sure those Suhrs are great, but the price and styling has always turned me away. And yeah, guilty as charged. I did most of my guitar practice/learning late 90's to early 2000s. There are some more recent riffs scattered throughout the videos, but you're mostly spot on :)

[@shitmandood]

It's good stuff. Keep it up.

[@ProbyWaN1337]

I just got one for 700. Premium. Honestly one of the best guitars I've ever played and definitely the best I've ever owned

[@TheGuitarPit]

Good deal! Glad you got a good one! Killer guitars for the price.

[@patriot0919]

The premium is like a Chinese built Volvo

[@ThePedroDB]

@@patriot0919 If that was meant to be derogatory towards the Premium model, you failed. The Chinese can build anything to any quality level. It's alll down to cost vs QC. Where do you think iPhone (or Shiji or Eastman..) are made?

[@kevinleung1108]

That was a killer price, I am heading to Japan and get one for 200000 yen, it’s more expensive than yours but I am ok with that! Anyway, nice review sir!

[@TheGuitarPit]

Thanks Kevin. Yeah, add in that plane ticket cost and yours will be much more expensive :) Have fun!

[@rodolfoamaralguitar]

I don´t know why the singlecoils on this model have staggered pole pieces. This guitar has 12 inches radius and everybody uses plain G string.

[@guyfromnj]

What's your take on this guitar now? Do you still have it r did you sell it?

[@TheGuitarPit]

I sold it, but I'd rebuy it used for $1400 or so. I think it's an excellent guitar, but I'd probably buy a Suhr used if I was spending full MSRP $2000+.

[@Jay-rd6fe]

Somone might have said this before but guitar finishing oil the more layers the more the coat out of 2 to 8 layers u cna get satin finish and if u do even more than that u can even get a gloss finish when the oil hardens u compare an oil finish to a 1 to maybe 2 layer that people do at home but crimson guitars talks about how it works aswell with their guitar finishing oil

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah, it must be something like that. Very interesting finish they put on there. Feels like it'll last!

[@Jay-rd6fe]

@@TheGuitarPit yeah gpod finishing oil woth time feels amazing i myself hate glossy finishes

[@medvedwanders9627]

Have you looked at Surh standard plus?

[@TheGuitarPit]

I haven't, but I've had 4 Suhrs now and they've all been fairly similar. I'd assume the standard plus is very similar to my antique, with the pickups similar to my modern. I bet they play just as good as any Suhr!

[@Hexspa]

Where can I find those silly guitars with the turquoise fretboards?

[@Ibanezmusic1]

I just picked up a Scarlett Red one for $1275 on reverb lol. I have a Suhr Classic S Antique I’m looking forward to comparing it to. Tbh the antique suhr necks are too large for me.

[@straightshooter8662]

I agree with the truss wheel but with that roasted neck you'll only adjust it once

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah fair. They get dinged up but who really cares I guess. If it's a blast to play, that's the least of our worries :)

[@robertclarkguitar]

I love that Ibanez. Wow.

[@TheGuitarPit]

There is a great Martin Miller AZ on Reverb right now for $1750. Just sayin' :)

[@robertclarkguitar]

@@TheGuitarPit Omg I saw that if it was up last night. I saw it. I am wanting another ibanez. I just got my first one from a give away Eric C channel. He's a luthier channel. He's also trying to grow his channel. Anyway I've been impressed by how well it sounds and plays for a 2001 s series. It's the s370 rrf. They actually sold for around 500 I think back in 2001 so today I'm sure that's around the 799 mark? Not sure. But it's an affordable option for those that wanted to experience the same series. That's what I read up on it ...Needless to say I'm hooked ....I love it. My son said. "I told you to get an ibanez". I went with FSR strat lol. Love it. But for something different I will probably go ibanez. Unless I find a nice Carvin from 90s or charvell. I'm still new to most the guitars. I'm a drummer first or was for nearly 3 decades. Hahahahahah. Anyway. I'm loving the channel. And I frequent the Reverb app. Hahahaha

[@TheGuitarPit]

@@robertclarkguitar The S series body shape is one of the best. So comfortable. The AZ is a little more traditional, but I absolutely love the neck, stainless frets, titanium saddles, pickup options...everything. $1750 is a ton but it's very reasonable for a MM AZ signature guitar. The only hitch is, that's close enough to a used Suhr that I'd carefully consider both. There are pros and cons to each, but you absolutely 100% cannot go wrong with either. Stellar instruments.

[@robertclarkguitar]

@@TheGuitarPit I'm so damn torn there too. Suhrs are what I would chose probably if I had the choice since by most professionals swearing by them. I don't think they make a bad unit lmao. High as hell though and like you said though these have got to be close ..and used suhr over new AZ would be hard. But if it was like a used Pete Thorn I'd snag it. Or hell any super strat suhr damn. You are alot like me on these thing. But I'm still learning. This is why I dig your channel. HahHah

[@robertclarkguitar]

@@TheGuitarPit Oh and yes. I always wanted an s series. Can't believe I won one. It's Korean and I believe that's not bad either today. Lol

[@nikolass359]

comparing this one with the esp's neck, Whats the difference in between them??

[@TheGuitarPit]

If I remember right, the Ibanez was more elliptical and the ESP was more of a regular C-shaped carve. Ibanez may have been a bit thinner as well. The ibanez was a "oil" finish and felt very smooth, while the ESP was lacquered. ESP had incredible fretwork, but the Ibanez had stainless frets. Both are awesome :)

[@nikolass359]

@@TheGuitarPit thank you very much for answering my question! most of the time i am playing esp's and a fender ;p, so hearing that this ibanez is different i just wanted to compare it with what i am used to (esp), awesome reviews btw! i watched them all!! keep it up!

[@TheGuitarPit]

@@nikolass359 thanks man! This is thicker than the typical Ibanez neck. If you're used to fender and esp, you'll probably like it. It's not paper thin like the wizard neck.

[@christophercole8877]

Could be Tung oil, which when buffed can feel like a satin finish

[@larsheuker]

Did someone temper with the neck and then sold it?

[@TheGuitarPit]

Not sure I understand but no this was brand new!

[@juddadam2]

Oil finish does not always mean glossy

[@stephanwilliams9622]

That ibanez neck isn't just roasted..its also nitrogen treated which I gonna make it more stable.

[@ChickNGuitars]

I love the color motif. Like a brunette in a white t shirt and blue jeans 😋 Classic. Seems like a good investment for a cover band work horse who needs a lot of tone variety. This channel is going to put you in debt 😂🤣 KEEP THEM ALL!

[@TheGuitarPit]

Ha, now that you've said it, I can't unsee it. Certainly a useful guitar, but not sure if it's really calling to me.

[@ChickNGuitars]

@@TheGuitarPit I guess blondes have more fun? 😋 good luck with the sell! Hope it's an easy flip!

[@TheGuitarPit]

Ha! Yeah I'll probably either keep this or the American Pro Strat. Strat sounds better, but the Ibanez is better in every other department. Hrmmm. Decisions, decisions.

[@progpogs]

How did you score that price?

[@TheGuitarPit]

I just had them on my Reverb filter and saw it pop up. I check reverb often, and try to have cash on hand to buy anything super low like that immediately. If you don't have the money ready, someone else will!

[@progpogs]

@@TheGuitarPit I guess I need to revisit my filters, I just do searches in general periodically, but I probably miss a lot.

[@Ratso_DeLynch]

Okay man I've been following the Ibanez az prestige for probably as long as any other guitar player on the fence of jumping on this axe of all trades SO now that it's yours and you got the steal of the year, please spill: how the HELL did you get the guitar for only 1300? Haha Maybe the one day I didn't check reverb you jumped on it but dudeeee howw haha I remember setting my filters and everything and 1300 is cheaper than the premiums in some cases so realistically even if there are problems with your 1300 prestige axe you have 1500 $$$ of wiggle room to mod it how you wish because here in Canada a new az prestige even in reverb and long and macquade is 2800!!! I've tried 2 in HH config and sadly both had a Crack at the heel of the head stick where the frets end. For 2800 and waiting for a custom order to receive that it was BS and I couldn't pull the trigger, for 2800 the axe should be perfect so if you don't wanna say how this sweet deal went down then that's cool man but just know you totally lucked out cause with my experience idk how bad I wanna "jump" for this guitar model anymore, maybe 2019 Will yield better results with more alluring finishes on the prestige line? If you or anyone else knows I'd love to hear your opinions /facts about this. Thanks and cheers from niagara falls Canada! - Adam

[@TheGuitarPit]

Ha, no magic to be honest. I had AZ's under $1850 but above $1299 on a search filter. I was hoping to find a used one for about $1650. Late one night (a strange time for a guitar shop to post on Reverb?), it popped up for $1333. I bought it immediately, it was probably only posted for 5 minutes tops. Looking at a currency converter, $2800 CAD is actually pretty close to what they are here new. $2,633 CAD ($1999 USD) is the equivalent new price, here in the States. And agreed on the crack and fret ends -- at this kind of money, you gotta expect perfect. This is probably a dumb question, but what does a Suhr cost up there? Maybe you can score a used one for around the same price as a new AZ? As for what's to come, that's anyone's guess. From what I gather, the AZs are fairly well received and presumably selling well. If that's the case, I bet Ibanez will release some new finishes next year. I'd really like to see this guitar in a slightly more vintage color with a plain pickguard. Dare I even say...relic'd? Ha, ok maybe not. Anyhow, thanks for watching Adam!

[@TheGuitarPit]

reverb.com/item/14844877-ibanez-az-prestige-6str-electric-guitar-w-case-ice-blue-metallic Not $1300 but pretty reasonable.

[@R2R3Lockingnut]

Roasted neck with stainless steel frets 😛 for the price 🤑 you can go wrong!! Also the close up of the neck is stunning!!

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah this specific neck seems even darker than most of the pics I've seen online. My camera wasn't doing anything weird...this neck is almost rosewood dark. Pretty neat!

[@leonardsullivan]

That is how my oil finish neck that I did came out. Oil finish is the best, bar none,it just takes forever to properly do, and it sounds like they did it proper! You can sand and polish a proper oil finish to the point where it is unbelievable slick and smooth.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah it's CRAZY smooth. I couldn't believe it haha. Japanese Ibanez guitars don't mess around.

[@Oilid]

If your watchtime explodes → it's me! :)

[@andrewkasyanov2122]

beautiful 😊

[@NicholasANappiNick]

The neck might be gun stock oil.i use truoil

[@skullkid112]

Wow just found your channel. How do you not have more subs?

[@TheGuitarPit]

Ha, thanks Jessie. I've only been at it a couple months, but hopefully lots more guitar review content to come. I wanted to get a little more in depth than other channels go, and focus on gear that I don't see a lot of reviews for. Hopefully I'm hitting the mark :)

[@skullkid112]

@@TheGuitarPit you absolutely are man, keep it up!

[@bradleystroup1457]

The s tech roasted maple neck is roasted at what Ibanez believes is the perfect temperature and is also treated nitrogen to further remove moisture according to Ler Wrathe who is their product review/clinic guy

[@TheGuitarPit]

I'm so allergic to marketing terms it just made me laugh. Its a beautiful neck and seems like the wood is top notch, but S Tech seems a bit grandiose and fabricated hah.

[@bradleystroup1457]

I think they did pretty good job though. Seems like they thought it out all the way. It's a really solid guitar for someone in a cover band or the fusion thing. Personally as a les paul type of guy, I would check the PRS EG II out

[@rowlandstraylight]

You do realise that about 80 of the air we breathe is nitrogen? Nothing special. They just make sure all the oxygen in the oven has been used up so it's not available to burn the wood.

[@SixString_J5]

I look at it this way: How does this compare to the American Elite stratocaster? I think that's more of what they are going for. The bridge is better, the pups are better, it has SS frets. If I were even considering a top of the line production Fender Strat ($1900), I'd at least have to consider this and i'd likely get this.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Fair point! Haven't played the Elite yet. But the bridge and frets on this are nice. And now that I'm seeing them on Reverb at $1500, they're even more appealing.

[@phenixreturns]

Music begins at 15mn : the most important :)

[@drperkyreal4686]

phenix returns 15:00 for people who don’t feel like doing anything to get there

[@efemji]

are you john mayer's dad

[@rickb6881]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jaysont24]

This AZ vs. a standard Delos if price wasn’t a factor?

[@TheGuitarPit]

I think I prefer the Delos neck and fretwork. But I think the AZ has more interesting pickup options, and a really nice bridge. Toss up, but I'd make the decision based on what neck you like more.

[@jaysont24]

@@TheGuitarPit I appreciate the response. Dig the channel.

[@michaeljohnson4223]

You get a basic neck on a Suhr and they are amazing guitars that cost over $3,000 . I think this new Ibanez is a killer guitar fir $2,000!

[@Chrono205]

Best review ever.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Thanks!

[@Hiro.the.God.]

I'm not saying the fender didn't sound good, it did, but so did the Ibanez. And the Ibanez looks 10x sexier.

[@marklynch403]

Are you reselling ?

[@TheGuitarPit]

I resell everything since no one is giving me these guitars to review for free :P This one is long gone.

[@marklynch403]

oh wow! id really like to know when you have interesting stuff

[@TheGuitarPit]

@@marklynch403 My Reverb store is in the description of every video. Right now I don't have anything for sale...just sold the last guitar from the last round of gear. I'm in a tough spot right now because I don't have anything I'm dying to part with :) But I'll post something again soon! The cycle must continue!

[@marklynch403]

This is great news !!! I look forward to it. May the force be with you :)

[@hchoe741]

U realize the music man bfr guitars are much more than 2k? It's their top of the line private reserve level stuff

[@TheGuitarPit]

My JP6 BFR was $1750 at Guitar Center. It was used, of course. I also recently reviewed a Music Man Luke III. It was $1950 brand new, and in my opinion, sounded and felt a lot better than the AZ. But I still love the AZ, so I'd say it comes down to personal preference. The Luke III didn't have stainless frets, so major downside.

[@medabroud9855]

11:09 sorry bruh that was the 26th fret

[@bluwng]

Roasting a neck is strictly a process of the wood and independent of the finish. You can roast a piece of wood then apply a finish they are not mutually exclusive.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yeah fair point. I guess it just caught me off guard because it was SO buffed out, it felt insane. It wasn't sticky like a gloss though, so it was pretty unique. Felt great though!

[@Nokrang_Lkr]

Wish it was gift to me...

[@megostryder]

This was a great review. It pretty much mirrors my experience. at the price you got it things get far better but at 2k...which is simply because of the alder body and titanium bridge vs metal and basewood-- otherwise they are the same- the sounds didn't blow me away. I actually think the guitar gets closer to a tele than a strat and totally lacks the quack. If it achieved that i might concider one as I agree the humbucker is pretty good but the single coils are lacking. Of course pickups alone aren't a reason to sway away. One can swap them out....assuming that pickguard hasn't some wierd demensions cut for them. Stainless steel frets and on an ibanez is pretty cool. But is it a Suhr killer? No. You absolutely can get a strat sound on a suhr and a plexed suhr neck doesn't get any better...and they are in the same price range the suhr being about $2195. Anyway awesome review.

[@TheGuitarPit]

100% agree. Not a Suhr killer, but I find myself really tempted to keep this guitar and put some Friedman pickups in it. The guitar itself is spotless -- love the neck, body, bridge, frets, etc. And even though I knocked the pickups, they're still very good and usable. Just not 100% of the way there for what I was looking for. At $2000 I'd probably return it, just because it isn't my style. For $1300, I think I have to keep it :) And thanks for the compliments!

[@megostryder]

Absolutely try the fredman pickups in it! Sounds like a great future vid.

[@TheGuitarPit]

They don't sell them separately yet. The wait begins! friedmanamplification.com/friedman-pickups

[@talkychris]

The Ibanez killed that Fender.

[@robertclarkguitar]

Ok. I have to say it. Shots fired by Ibanez you asked??? Well yes, "they SUHR did"...I'll see myself out now Lmmfao.

[@rjpike75]

So, what's the deal with the height adjustment on the tuners? Tension over the nut? Or is more like "tone height", lol? It's killing me that no one else has mentioned it yet.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Well, they stagger them to get the string break right and not need string trees, I think. But why can you change it? My Suhr has similarly staggered tuners, but I can't imagine a situation where I'd need to adjust the stagger? Maybe you would adjust them if you swap in a thick set of 13's or something? I really don't know haha.

[@rjpike75]

@@TheGuitarPit i see.. tone height, lmao

[@TheGuitarPit]

Oh wait, the AZ has string trees. Haha man I really don't know.

[@cagriersoy9206]

It's a great guitar with its features but its not worth spending that much because of narrow nut width (42mm) which makes chording painful! I am disapointed of that...

[@TheGuitarPit]

42mm is pretty common, right? Suhr, Friedman, etc, all 42mm. I get the complaint on an Ernie Ball but the AZ was clearly going after the Suhr market, so I think their decision makes sense.

[@cagriersoy9206]

@@TheGuitarPit yes, it's common mostly in Japanese guitar's and yes suhr but i prefer modern 43mm i feel squeezed with 42mm :) many other ibanez models are also 43mm

[@cagriersoy9206]

Nut Width - Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts  1-11/16" (43mm) Considered the standard size of the guitar industry for the last 30+ years, 1 11/16 Nut Width allows for what many consider to be the perfect balance between chording and soloing.

[@peterdadswell7998]

@@cagriersoy9206 1mm, come on, really. Fingers squeezed because of 1mm

[@Locoandchooch]

Just bought this guitar, it’s probably the cheapest guitar I own, however my favorite. And it’s a lot of guitar for the price. Great imo.

[@TheGuitarPit]

A ton of guitar for the money, absolutely. I hope they put out white ones with a roasted neck some day.

[@indoshakermaker]

Roasted + nitrogen.

[@AbeldeBetancourt]

What really happened during your childhood? Let's _dabble_ into the real question here.

[@davidsery4036]

I’ve owned both this Ibanez and the Suhr Classic. The Ibanez much better than the Suhr. 👍

[@dionysisdaras1289]

we believe you brother

[@davidsery4036]

@@karlsalocks absolutely. I write this 2 years ago. My opinion has totally changed. Since I wrote this comment I’ve purchased several Suhrs and several Ibanez’.

[@BrookyTheGuitarist]

@@davidsery4036 thinking of getting the az, I’ve a suhr classic s, is it still much better?

[@davidsery4036]

@@BrookyTheGuitarist actually, they are both pretty equal. My statement I partially retract. All in all, they are similarly good in terms of playability and tone quality, IMO.

[@danyeo]

Bought 2 Prestige models, both had frets issues. A few spots on the neck had noticeable buzz or almost dead spots and truss rod twisting didn't fix it. If you're going to spend 2k on something like this go for a Suhr or Tom Anderson and get a better guitar.

[@TheGuitarPit]

I had a couple people say their AZ's had poorly cut nuts on them as well. This one was decent, but agreed, a Suhr mops the floor with this thing. It's just a lot more money.

[@nethbt]

I own 3 guitars with SS frets in them, careful what you wish for those who haven't owned one, you'll break you strings at a faster rate compared to nickel.... While bends and vibrato are heavenly it can sometimes be a pain... Now the only thing to counter this is to use steel strings (Rotosound) to prolong the string life, the bad tradeoff will be fretwear, yes fretwear on a SS frets

[@verysillypenguin]

Have you tried nyxl or those special slinkies? Edit... I don't have string breakage on mine and I really really dig in when I play.

[@ATX0705]

Complete bullshit about strings breaking at a higher rate on stainless frets. Complete bullshit. Don't listen to this guy.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

I have a Yamaha Pacifica from the late 90s that looks exactly the same as that ibanez. but in burgundy instead of blue with the same crushed pearl scratch plate... What an absolute machine that was. Everytime i picked it up i was just manhandled and thrown back into the 80s glam/hair metal days, Unbelievable tones Sadly for Yamaha their electric guitars arent so popular in my part of the world anymore. everything else they do is pretty easy to get through.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Yamaha isn't real popular, but they've still got it, in my opinion. I picked up a Japanese Revstar a while back and thought it was killer. Top quality all around.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

@@TheGuitarPit I heard their overall build quality dropped over a cliff around 2000. they were cutting back and using cheap wood for their pacifica line up. I think most of distribution only covers Asia with very limited distribution outside it. I know there are a few places in the EU that sell them but they are very few and far between. Most of the hits drawn up on searches are either for second hand ones or cheap ones that come as part of a learners 'first guitar' kit.

[@TheRuiner781]

I’m sure you’ve heard that you look like John Mayer, right? Trippin me out

[@TheGuitarPit]

It's....been mentioned lol.

[@mrpylak7103]

You ripped the guitar apart. Truss rod nut location complaint was my favorite as I was looking at the wall of owned guitars behind you and noticed....This is a Players guitar. It’s a tool that is more a tool than most of the instruments you have behind you. Ibanez has attempted in a world of gimmick instruments to put to market a guitar thats simply a good heirloom guitar.

[@iloveibanez92]

Not sure what all the downvotes are for. videos this detailed are hard to find.

[@TheGuitarPit]

Must be all those people who paid $10 to watch this video. Oh wait, it's free. I guess I don't know. Maybe they should just buy an AZ and figure it out themselves :)

[@elliott1121]

just so you know, yes the neck is oiled and is sanded. that's why this guitar is $2000. it's a really well made and time invested instrument.

[@TheGuitarPit]

It's an insane finish. Feels so smooth. I think these are now crazy deals since they're on Reverb for $1500ish.

[@funkystudiocat]

Not even close to a Suhr! I own them both. Ibanez comes with Alpha pots and the same style of 5 way switch that a Squier comes with. The overall quality is good but nowhere even close to a Suhr level guitar.

[@kirkhunter146]

There is nothing wrong with the pots in Ibanez guitars

[@funkystudiocat]

@@kirkhunter146 that is a gross overgeneralization as I was talking about the pots in this guitar and not the pots that are in every Ibanez made. The pots in this guitar are Alpha pots that are less expensive and inferior to both CTS and Bournes pots. My opinion comes from over 30 years as a luthier who has replaced probably over 1000 pots in my career and I have found my aforementioned statement to be true. I believe that a bit of research on your part and you will see that my opinion is the general consensus of most players and repairmen. ✌️

[@lischultz14]

if your worried about scratches your more of a collector than a player

[@goddessintriptych7046]

14:54 configurations

[@johannjensson6190]

What a disappointing review. It sounds like a vintage guy that bought a modern guitar and complains that he doesn't like it... Please read up on the specs and the technologies used before putting out a (long) review video about a product. And of course the pickups don't sound great, they're Seymour Duncans after all. The moment i get my own AZ, i'm putting DiMarzio Gravity Storms in it. It will still be versatile, but won't sound dry and harsh anymore. All IMO, ofc.

[@TheGuitarPit]

This is not my best review, granted, but the opposite is true. Mostly modern guitar guy when I made this video. This guitar was fine, but not very interesting. Get a Suhr Modern instead. They absolutely destroy AZs.