Ibanez S Series Blind Test Part 1 of 2

Read the full, in-depth review of these Ibanez S-Series guitars at musicplayers.com/2019/07/iban...

[@musicplayersnow]

We want to apologize to our discerning viewers for one of the guitars being out of tune in these two videos... when shooting, listening in the room, focusing on a thousand details to get a fair blind comparison test going, we didn't stop to consider just how out of tune one of the guitars was! Ooph! It probably sounded "a little out" in the room but we hadn't considered the long-term usefulness of this review, so we didn't stop to re-tune the guitar. It wasn't until editing after that we really noticed how bad the tuning was, but there was no way to re-do this blind test. We had been testing and playing these guitars for more than a month, though. Nothing changes about our opinions of them or of their sound, but yes, we messed up that important detail, and now for all time, this will be the review video with one guitar not quite in tune :-p. Thanks!

[@TSoneonetwo]

I have owned 5 different S models, going back to the 90's. had four different variations of s540's. my favorite was an aqua marine s540ltd, that thing out-sustained everything I tried it against (including a custom built prs). sold that like a moron a few years later. then in 2001 bought an s520 with the walnut stain finish. still have that one, currently having Duncan JB and Jazz installed in it after years of dimarzio's. just today caught a pretty good deal on a s570ah, with the silver wave finish. bought it used, online....price was.worth taking the chance. they are and have been since first playing my absolute favorite model of guitars. comfortability is unmatched. they have just enough flexibility in sound to suit a number of different genres well. imho the s body is the pinnacle of the strat body style. the proportions, the shapes of the horns, and the carve to me are the best the industry has ever produced.

[@mrreddog]

I had an 87 Saber in the aqua marine color, bought back in 87. Wish I never sold it..

[@Donskittie]

The best comparison of Ibanez S series is here! Subscribed! ❤️

[@dogdaysunrise1970]

Great video guys! I'm a huge fan of the S series.

[@SingPsalms]

I just pulled the trigger and bought the Premium version, it just looks so sick!! And sounds great! This is the first Ibanez in my collection and my first floating trem... Looks like you can't go wrong with either of these!

[@musicplayersnow]

How do you like it so far?

[@SingPsalms]

@@musicplayersnow It was excellent! I loved it, I would highly recommend it to anyone with the patience for Floyd Rose-style guitars. It felt like the perfect guitar. However, I ended up returning it and getting an RG hardtail with very similar specs to this one. I wasn't getting along with the Floyd Rose-style trem. It just required too much setup, break a string and it's back to square one. This just wasn't for me, between work and family, I just wanted to play. I would have loved to get another S series more than the RG, but they just didn't have a Premium S with a hardtail or one with a Gotoh Tremolo or something, but I'm happy with my RG. They have me eyeing AZs now lol

[@musicplayersnow]

The edge trems are usually excellent but take some getting used to and there is a bit of a learning curve. Not for everyone for sure.

[@SingPsalms]

@@musicplayersnow yeah, it was an excellent guitar I would give it a 10/10... I just don't have the patience for it, and that to me is just a personal preference and not the fault of the guitar. Everything else about it was just top-notch, very high quality, definitely “Premium”. The frets on mine were perfect. One of the nicest most comfortable guitars I've ever played, I even have a bit of regret about sending it back lol

[@ryanwiznerghostlabband4296]

Awesome testing idea, thank you.

[@chocolatecookie8571]

Great video! I will check the second video as well. Thank you!

[@72marie]

The Blue guitar sounds so good i love the hang over of sound it has . Its great to my ears.

[@treishtrei]

I owned an s320 with JB and Jazz. Sold it and got a 1625tks S prestige. Put in the same pickups. Sounded exactly as in this video. Sold it, bought back a s520, put in a Pegasus, removed the tone pot, best guitar I have and I own an USA PRS for comparison. Absolutely not making anything up.

[@russelllucas1043]

Great comparison, well done !!!! Prestige for me too 😎

[@seerking]

did u get the prestige then?

[@russelllucas1043]

No, I ended up with a std SA series. Great guitar and price.

[@offsitearchive]

I often read about flabby mushy Tone Zone bridge pickups. Compared to the attacky Quantum pickup on the standard model, this is really noticeable in this test. Thin body is hot and I also thought about trying an Ibanez SEW761FM-NTF - but 800 Euro for mushy Tone Zone / fiddling around with other pickups :(

[@eddiebaby22]

Awesome video 👍

[@kjanlim8878]

I have the blue one, and its lovely...

[@72marie]

I like the 1st one.

[@dowadiddy2002]

Ibanez is NICE! I have just an S521 fairly base line model ($400), but it plays and sounds just great. RUGGED AXES! Can't go wrong with an Ibanez!

[@musicplayersnow]

We agree and have MANY Ibanez guitars in our stable

[@luthiervandros]

I miss my 93 S540LTD. So amazing with gravity storms.

[@Lawson80]

I purchased my 540S-LTD new back in `89. 32 years later, and she's still the most faithful and flexible guitar I own; and there is no amount of money, or trade, that would ever make me part with her. Vandros - treat yourself, and search for another vintage sabre mate, good examples are still around if you're patient, and very reasonably priced. If the word ever gets out on just how flexible they are playing any style of music from Country, to Jazz, to Rock and Heavy Metal they will become very expensive indeed and hard to get. It's really sad that no-one never showcases the vintage sabres playing LA Jazz, Funk, and Country music ... just to display the sabre's flexibility. ... And yes, it's all the setup. A tip from a someone who's owned one of these for 32 years: lower the neck pickup until it's nearly bottomed out, and then raise the poles to balance the output. It will become a tone and sustain MONSTER!!

[@roman_viral_strings]

I miss my 98 S540DAB. So luxurioua inatrument

[@robocobrabot]

Bruce seems like a great guy!

[@musicplayersnow]

We like him a lot :-). Great human, great guitar player. Really knows guitars, tone, pro audio, and more.

[@hans-joachimbierwirth4727]

Never touch a guitar without checking the setup first, and never compare without setting them up identically.

[@bluwng]

To be fair I would guess they were all factory setups, which isn’t fair since the budget model would not have a professional setup from the factory.

[@iancarney3082]

@@bluwng from a company like Ibanez, I would assume that everything is setup by the same crew, so the setups for each guitar should be fairly similar and high quality. Ernie Ball Music Man is the same way. Everything is set up to the same standard, whether it be a budget mariposa model, or a petrucci majesty. It's all set up by professionals. So the budget model not having a professional setup from the factory isn't correct presumably.

[@michael1]

@@iancarney3082 Nope, the Ibanez budget models are not even made in the same country as the expensive ones, let alone by the same people. You can get good ones but it's a dice roll - if your retailer is better than average you've more chance (because some of the better retailers will either reject the broken ones or fix them and do a setup) but Ibanez are not Yamaha, their Indonesian made stuff has a ton of QC issues. The fallout of global issues with covid etc hasn't helped causing QC and supply issues on the Prestige too - if you can even find one in stock. Naturally they send good examples to reviewers / magazines / youtube channels etc - and, of course, the premium model here is overpriced for an Indonesian built guitar.

[@MF-vu9hb]

🙌🙌

[@abhinavsemwal1321]

I'm getting a great deal on Ibanez s series 25th anniversary GUITAR should I go for it??? I love Ibanez s series

[@musicplayersnow]

They are great guitars. We own a bunch of them :-)

[@abhinavsemwal1321]

@@musicplayersnow ill buy it then :)

[@mohithart3824]

which webstore bro

[@abhinavsemwal1321]

@@mohithart3824 not on webstore from a person little far from my town he is selling it, after few days I'll buy it

[@abhinavsemwal1321]

@@mohithart3824 25 anniversary are not available anymore I think it's hard to find one , u will not see in web store

[@jayz6008]

Take away here is action matters for tone.. The higher end guitars had lower action. The lower end one sounded better but it also had higher action...

[@chrisplaza1812]

Damn... So which do I get? The prestige or the premium? Lol... I'm trending towards the premium but afraid that I'll be losing something if I don't get a prestige, considering that they should be superior... Make sense?

[@musicplayersnow]

Yeah, that's a very tough call. Truly, go with whichever one inspires you the most. After the review, Bruce purchased the Prestige and I purchased the Premium. And we each have owned or own our fair share of Ibanez guitars across all of the product lines. The Premium line is truly on par with Prestige, just built in Indonesia instead of Japan, which saves a few dollars since the labor costs less. But I think the luthiers are equally committed to their craft.

[@seerking]

both premium and prestige are pretty much identical and playability is the same, its just a few different build pieces. but quality they are pretty much the same. A lot think the premium in this lineup is actually better for them. A lot say the premium is just a prestige with a premium stamp. The Premium is a very elegant and exotic, really was built to inspire, To sum it up. Your not going to get anymore or less performance out of the prestige than the premium. AT ALL. Its just paying a lot of extra money. Personally i think the wood choices and tremolo is better on the premium.

[@chrisplaza1812]

Tks for sharing :)

[@joeydego2]

@@seerking I definitely felt my premium Jem BFP was better than my white MIJ one.

[@monitorlizard9971]

@@seerking you are wrong about the premium versus prestige bridges. The prestige edge and edge lo pro are 100% FOR SURE many levels above the shitty premium zero 2 and the other numbered trash bridges. You cant even compare them. And I am a heavy edge lo pro user. Anything else is simply not even close. The edge li e is the best in the world floyd type bridges you can ask anyone. It even surpasses, by far surpasses, the original floyd roses. The pop in arm just for starters is far more stable and easier and smooth. Ive also yet to try any premium model that comes close to being as playable as my JS and S which are prestige.

[@JeffV]

I think for the actual price difference 2 was not bad at all

[@musicplayersnow]

We agree!

[@arvinivancanilang832]

13:08 9:57 6:53

[@ryanm3749]

Not very fair to the 670, could have gotten that b string in tune

[@joeydego2]

I ended up buying it. Luckily its in tune now!

[@timbuk1126]

@@joeydego2 that's an awesome guitar. Congrats!

[@jayz6008]

Would've been nice if those guitars were in tune better.

[@shumberson]

Sounded like he was about to start ripping out holy wars

[@musicplayersnow]

Now THAT would take some practice! I saw them with Marty Friedman and it was an amazing show! ~ Bruce

[@aqalba]

All sound like a guitar to me

[@rangerdoc1029]

So you get what you pay for

[@musicplayersnow]

Well, Scott actually preferred the Premium model vs. the Prestige, while Bruce preferred the Prestige. The two are close enough to really go with whichever one moves you the most.