THE MOST VERSATILE GUITAR? - Ibanez AZ Review

[@stormtroopers8653]

A well-rounded review, I really like the flow too. wish to see more gear reviews

[@Austin_Shredder]

Really appreciate you watching. I do still have more guitars to review and an idea currently on the drawing board. Just had to take a hiatus because we welcomed our son in December and I’ve been BUSY! Hope to be back soon!

[@RodrigoCFD]

8:52 If you believe 7.8 lbs is "extremely light", you should check the Suhr Modern Satin (mine has 6.1 lbs).

[@Austin_Shredder]

I almost bought one of those before deciding on this guitar! To be fair, I’m a weight lifter so most guitars feel light to me. 6.1 lbs is crazy light! Thanks for watching.

[@wickedmetalhead]

What an amazing guy! Great delivery with calm voice and warm attitude. Great review, Austin!

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thank you! I really appreciate the positivity - takes me so much will power to get in front of the camera, especially when I’m talking! 🤣 thank you for watching.

[@wickedmetalhead]

@@Austin_Shredder and you're doing an excellent job .. All the best!

[@Awegent]

You're a great reviewer 👏

[@Austin_Shredder]

I really appreciate that! Just trying to bring an appropriate level of nerdiness to guitar KZbin. 🤣 Thanks for watching and supporting!

[@mikeolson4645]

Excellent video Austin.. I pulled the trigger on a Seafoam Blue AZ2402 today \m/ \m/

[@Austin_Shredder]

I hope my video made you confident in your decision! Over 5 years of ownership with this guitar now and it’s still incredible. Thanks a ton for watching. Enjoy that axe!

[@mertozden94]

Your voice is so soothing, thank you for the review

[@Austin_Shredder]

I get so nervous to talk on camera and comments like this really help. Thank you for the support! 🤘🏻

[@mertozden94]

@@Austin_Shredder You're fine bro, keep up the great work.

[@Austin_Shredder]

Will do. On a bit of a hiatus due to us having a kid in December but I will be back soon! 🤘🏻

[@BetterCallJamie]

I’m so tempted to get one of these as it comes across as great all rounder. I though never been able to play it in person. I did get to play a RGT1221PB which are very close price wise in the 2nd market £1150 vs £1250. I was so impressed by how it played how nice it felt. I just need to sell my PRS SE 24-08 for this. Though I did play the Tim Henson one and I didn’t like it.

[@Austin_Shredder]

I will say, if you’ve played the Tim Henson model and didn’t like the feel, then I wouldn’t recommend purchasing this one. The AZ neck is very distinct and not for everyone. I really want to get my hands on an RG1221PB at some point. Ibanez is killing it with their Premium range.

[@RockSiffredi]

Great color choice for knobs and pickups, much better than stock

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thank you! It turned out way better than I expected too. I just think the white suits the baby blue color much better. 🤝🏻

[@caiden31]

I just subscribed i got the s version ibanez has the thin body tigers eye but ive been thinking of putting seymour duncan black winter pickups cause i just aint getting the crunch sound im looking for any suggestions?

[@Austin_Shredder]

I would recommend by changing your amp first. Get something like a Positive Grid Spark and go for it. Pickups help greatly but they won’t fix a bad tone. Amp and EQ is way more important in my opinion. I hope that helps! Thanks for watching my videos.

[@caiden31]

@Austin_Shredder I'm playing threw a lin6 150 what and a crate half stack blue voodoo

[@dinoezar9870]

Dude!! Where did u get those frame poster at the back? Awesome & very informative video man! 👍🏻

[@Austin_Shredder]

My wife got those for me several years back as a birthday gift - but I believe she found them on Etsy. And thank you greatly for watching. I hope to do another review soon! Just busy with a 5-month old baby at home!

[@dinoezar9870]

@@Austin_Shredder thank you!! 😄

[@RudyLange]

Hey Austin, Thanks for the video. I was looking at the BareKnuckle's Silo as well to put in my Ibanez AZ2204. How did you find the wiring process? Is the wiring the same for the bare knuckles as compared to the SD Hyperions?

[@Austin_Shredder]

You’ve chosen well! Absolutely love these pickups. The wiring process was somewhat difficult because I am rather inexperienced with soldering. However, BKP customer support told me how to wire it to the DynaMix switch and now it works perfectly. Make sure to pay attention how SD color codes their wiring compared to BKP so you set them up correctly. Cheers! 🍻

[@RudyLange]

Thank you very much @@Austin_Shredder! I will contact them myself as well w.r.t. the soldering process. Have a good one!

[@BeerNonthacha]

Hello, I already have a Schecter AM-6. Do you think I should upgrade to an Ibanez AZ? Does the feel and playability feel better than the AM-6?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Great question. It’ll really depend on your personal preferences. AM-6 - more modern voiced pickups with unique magnets. Much thinner neck made of wenge. More stage presence. AZ - Alnico 5 pickups that act as an amazing baseline for any genre. Thicker roasted maple neck. More traditional strat feel. More “boring” aesthetically speaking. Both are amazing choices. Why not have both in your arsenal? 😊

[@BeerNonthacha]

@@Austin_Shredder Okay, I’ll have both of them! 😍

[@Austin_Shredder]

You won’t regret the AZ! Still my most comfortable guitar and the #1 instrument I reach for to practice. Thanks for watching my video - hope it helped!

[@jaymarble5282]

Thanks for the review -- I have been looking at this guitar for a while. Is the neck of this guitar really comfortable?

[@Austin_Shredder]

I cannot emphasize enough how great the neck is. I only recommend it if you like Fender style necks though, as it is more similar to that than your typical ibanez wizard. Hope you get one and hope you love it! Thanks for watching. 🔥

[@bulenterdem1977]

Hi, today I bought an AZ2204NW. I also have a Korean made Ibanez RG. Although both have jumbo frets if you read the specs but my AZ has smaller frets than my RG. What about your guitar? And I don't know how the tuning pegs work. It is not instructed in the manual.

[@Austin_Shredder]

My RG has much smaller frets, but mine were premium jumbo nickel frets I’ve worn down like crazy. My AZ frets are much more pronounced and taller than the RG ever was though. You need to use a coin or flathead screwdriver to unlock the tuning pegs on the top. Then as you wind them with your new strings etc, they will automatically lock.

[@jeffgomez88]

How does the AZ2402 neck compare to the Charvel DK24-HH? Both of these guitars look very similar visually.

[@Austin_Shredder]

If I remember correctly, that Charvel had an AMAZING neck. Overall, this Ibanez feels thicker in the hand and starts off at a C shape and tapers to a soft oval shape toward the higher notes. I think the Charvel had a thinner and more D shaped profile. I could be wrong though. I’d recommend checking out the exact dimensions. I’m not much help here! 🤣

[@leongrinberg8758]

I like the dk 24 neck more, I have that guitar and live it😊

[@DavidRamos-nz4bh]

I’d prefer the review with the stock pickups. I’ve watched several of your reviews and they are good. However, this review turns out to be a “Bare knuckle “ review because I can’t feel the guitar, I can only hear it. Something to consider.

[@Austin_Shredder]

Totally valid criticism! But please, I ask you to watch some of my old covers with the old pickups. It might give you a better opinion. I wish I was good enough at soldering to switch them out, but it was a miracle I got these in there to begin with! 🤣 Thank you for watching and dropping some feedback.

[@DavidRamos-nz4bh]

@@Austin_Shredder great vids bro, I’m leaning towards an Ibanez. I have a cheap 7 and it’s a great guitar for $500 ! It’s an RG 742…and I play it more than any other guitar! Thanks!

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thank you for watching! I hope to make more soon but I’ve been insanely busy with our newborn. You can’t go wrong with an Ibanez 7-string! You chose well. 🤝🏻

[@MarshallAmpMan]

Wish you would have demoed this raw instead of doctoring up with chorus and reverb and what not. Any guitar you add all those pedal sounds are going to sound heavenly

[@Austin_Shredder]

Good suggestion, something for me to keep in mind for my next review. I’m still new to this so I appreciate the feedback. I hope to be back at it soon. I just NEVER play with a dry signal - typically my reverb is always on. So I just used my typical presets and didn’t even think about it! Cheers.

[@jhlee5586]

Are the silo's neck and bridge sizes the same?

[@Austin_Shredder]

On mine, yes! I ordered both as wide spacing.

[@robertcurry9413]

Anybody know what size allen wrench used on this guitar for truss rod adjustment?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thanks for watching! Sadly, I don’t know. The size is included with the ibanez multi tool. I also recommend having a large set up standard and metric Allen wrenches just to make sure you’re covered.

[@Kkyyllee453]

Where did you get your switch tip and vol/tone knob for this guitar?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thanks for watching! The toggle switch is the Pro Line brand and the volume/tone knobs are genuine Fender knobs. Got it all from Guitar Center.

[@Kkyyllee453]

Thank you!@@Austin_Shredder

[@Austin_Shredder]

Always happy to help!

[@nickguitarrist750]

Excellent review! How does it compare to your Schecter?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thank you! Compared to my AM7, I think the looks are a little weaker. That AM7 is just stunning! But this ibanez blows both of those guitars out of the water when it comes to playability, sound, and overall quality. Whenever I practice, this AZ is the main guitar I reach for.

[@nickguitarrist750]

@@Austin_Shredder Thanks, that's really interesting. Manuel from Unprocessed made these AZ models look gorgeous to me. Hopefully I'll get to play one and maybe own, they seem like the guitar you could play regardless of age and change in music taste. Have you tried the Schecter Nick Johnston model? They seem quite similar

[@Austin_Shredder]

You should absolutely try one. The prestige and premium models I’ve played have all been fantastic. I can’t speak for the essentials line though. I haven’t tried the Nick Johnston but I’d really like to. I hear it’s one of the best value guitars you can get!

[@strongbow11]

What’s this like for string bending as it over 25inch scale thanks

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thanks for watching the review! 🤘🏻 String bending is easy on this instrument, but I’m in standard tuning with 9-46 strings. The stainless steel frets feel amazing, but the most important part will be your string gauge as it will determine your tension for bends.

[@jonartan4754]

Does it hold tuning well when using the whammy bar?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thanks for watching! Under light to moderate use, it will stay in tune. Aggressive use will cause it to go out of tune in most cases. At least, this has been my experience!

[@galihgalinggis5906]

why did they stopped making this model with this color (ICM) ? anybody know ?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Not sure…but personally, it’s my favorite color of the bunch! Glad I got one while I could. Thanks for watching.

[@galihgalinggis5906]

mine too. ahh..it'll be a hard time to find one in this color no please thank you for the video ! you did aeveryone a favour by making this video. SUBBED @@Austin_Shredder

[@Austin_Shredder]

THANK YOU! 🤘🏻 keep checking Reverb daily and you’ll find one eventually!

[@nunolance23]

Man I wish I could find one of these anywhere now! I can only find them in black and sunburst 😢

[@Austin_Shredder]

Keep looking and don’t give up! Follow the reverb link in my description and check daily. I’m rooting for you! 👏🏻 Thanks for watching my review.

You’re highlighting one of the biggest drawbacks (seriously) of the AZ line: the finishes and colour options. There haven’t been the most amount of options available, IMO some really bland colours and also usually the cheaper versions have more exciting colours for some reason. They also switch the colours around different years so the one you want might not always be available etc….

[@gibsonfan159]

​@no idea why a guitar in this price range has a flat finish. No protection from dings at all.

[@Austin_Shredder]

This is a great point!

[@Austin_Shredder]

Flat finishes don’t do it for me. Gloss only for longevity’s sake. I do really wish they had more options.

[@darkestfugue]

i have the same guitar but the sunburst version, bought it in 2018, looks wise its an understated guitar but a bit ugly, it reminds me of nunos n4 a lot, the neck heel could be better, my trem also doesnt hold tune too well but other than that its a pretty good guitar, very versatile and stainless steel frets are the only way to go if you are a gigging musician

[@Austin_Shredder]

Understated absolutely but I wouldn’t outright say ugly. Some of the AZs are just “ok”. The Nuno is a great comparison actually. I agree with the neck heel - that’s a great point I didn’t mention in my review. Despite it looking very nice, the access is actually inferior to my RG. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience! 👊🏻

[@wind9860]

where can i buy one pls help

[@regarded]

Tremolo tuning issues are usually caused by dirt and grime in the nut and saddles. Next time you change strings make sure to clean those areas and maybe oil them with the right product.

[@darkestfugue]

@@regarded its been that way since i got it brand new, its never stayed in tune with any kind of trem use, the strings dont bind in the nut and the guitar is spotless

[@SMITHII_]

if Im not mistaken, the az series was essentially made for and tested by polyphia and chon.

[@Austin_Shredder]

I think you may be right! They were the first people I saw playing them. Martin Miller as well.

There were a bunch more players involved in the prototype stage I think, but yeah, those were among them.

[@ibinTZY]

Even Andy Timmons was involved..AZ has a lot taken from Andy’s signature guitar

[@tuckercunningham9370]

Erik Hansel from chon received one of the first models made!

[@alexandr.leyter]

Thank you

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thank YOU! Happy shredding. 🤘🏻

[@tiggy7777]

Middle position clean tone 👌👌👌🤔👌👌

[@Austin_Shredder]

Glad you enjoyed it! The cleans are absolutely amazing on this thing. The stock pickup cleans are also incredible. So versatile. Thank you for watching! 👊🏻

[@wind9860]

i cannot find this particular model and color . PLs help where can i buy one?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Thank you for watching! Follow the link to Reverb in the description and check it daily. One will eventually come up for sale used! Or also check Guitar Center frequently. It’s worth every dollar!

[@wind9860]

@@Austin_Shredder Thank you so much for replying. Keep doing what you are doing you are awesome.

[@Austin_Shredder]

Correction to my previous comment - I meant the description of this video! Fixed it. And thank you, will do! Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it.

[@mahinayjerome2909]

Ohh men soo awesome electric guitar ilove AZ 💗💗💗

[@Austin_Shredder]

It’s definitely the best guitar I’ve ever played. Absolutely incredible! Thanks for watching.

[@atgwiuz]

What did you do with the stock pickups? Did you resell them?

[@Austin_Shredder]

The stock pickups are AMAZING! So I still have them. Just waiting to find something to put ‘em in. 🧐

[@atgwiuz]

@@Austin_Shredder they're what model of Seymour Duncan? Did you just change them because of aesthetic reason?

[@Austin_Shredder]

Seymour Duncan hyperions. I changed them for both aesthetic reasons and for the sound. When the BKP Silos came out I was dying to buy them after hearing Aaron Marshall and Rabea’s tones. They are amazing pickups.

[@atgwiuz]

@@Austin_Shredder got it, nice choice . I personally prefer thinner neck coz I have smaller fingers/hand. Which is why I bought an Rg prestige .

[@Austin_Shredder]

RG is definitely the way to go for a thinner neck. I love my RG and will do a review on it sometime! I hope my review was helpful or at least helped validate the choice you made! Thanks for watching.