After playing Ibanez guitars for years, primarily S Prestiges, my tastes and hands changed with age. I now prefer thicker necks and single coil tones, even for metal. Getting older is weird.
As someone who owns guitars from both manufacturers, you're pretty spot on as far as the differences are concerned. Though, I had an Ibanez Destroyer II from the early 80's, it felt more like a Gibson than an RG. I shortly after bought an 80's Japanese built Fender Strat with the three single coils, and a Kahler Spyder double locking trem system (Thus was the peak of my Alex Lifeson of Rush phase of idolatryand around the time I had discovered Eric Johnson). My RG is a 7620 built in 1998. It has a single piece maple neck with a scarf-jointed headstock. Though still thinner than my Strat, it also had 24 frets instead of 22, and was a 7-string. So, my transition was basically the opposite of yours. Like you, Steve Vai was the reason I chose the guitar over the drums as my instrument of choice. But the majority of my heros didn't just play one brand. So my view on which brand was the ultimate brand, changed based on which player caught my ear that week. I'm suprised that you didn't fiest try the Andy Timmons model from Ibanez. It's basically their take on the Strat. It has an all maple neck, and non-locking trem bridge. Only this has a Humbucker in the bridge and two single coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. The horns are really pointy, like an RG, but the edges are more rounded like a strat. You can think of it as an RG and a Strat having a baby.
I payed Ibanez guitars most my life because my favourite rock/metal players did. Then this year I got a “60’s modified Strat….” I found (apart from the single coil hum) they’re incredible guitars, I think Fender got it right the first time, all them years ago. I’m a shredder at heart, so I stayed away from Strat’s and always turned my nose up at them. Thought the “blocky neck heal joint” wound bother me (but I actually love how it feels) and always thought there’s no point playing with a trem bar unless it’s double locking, but found that even the vintage Fender terms stay in tune, if their setup correctly. I can dive bomb and raise the pitch by a minor 3rd without any tuning issues. The Strat pickups are not for me (I love shred) but popping in a JB jr or Yngwie Malmsteen’s signature pickups solves the single problem I have with Strats. I now love them 🎸
My small hands prefer the Ibanez Wizard III neck. My Fender is 42mm nut vs 43mm for Ibanez and 56mm (F) vs 58mm (I). Neck thickness 1F 23mm (F) vs 19mm (I) and 12F 24mm (F) vs 21mm (I).
Hi, Player Strats are great guitars. I am 52 years old and started playing very late when I was 18. I always played Strats, always, I did have a few Ibanez guitars, my first electric was an Ibanez that looked exactly like a Strat from 1984, later on in life I owned some Ibanez guitars with wizard III necks, but a short time ago I bought an Ibanez AZ Prestige and an AZ Premium. These are the best guitars I have had.
As a forever RG guy, I made a decision to get a strat and I immediately regretted it. The guitar is great, 2001 Amstad in Shoreline gold finish, texas special PUs. It just didn’t speak to me. Couldn’t make it sing. Sold it after 3 months. With RG I get to be happy crazy loud fast. With strat I felt like being with strangers.
I love Ibanez so much, I have 4 RGs, and now I'm not interested in other brands (I have OCD, I like my guitars to match 🤷♂️). I might break that rule to get a Dean ML in Dimeslime green, but I really want to get into JEMs/JPMs, as well as RGs.
I say stick with the guitar neck you like most, and just change the pickups if you want the other guitar's sound. Nothing wrong with hot humbuckers in the strat, or single coils in an Ibanez.
@@indy3240 If it's your first electric, then the Tele is a good bet. It's simpler, has great rhythm tones and no tremolo system to give tuning issues ;-) I think I would recommend a Cabronita Tele if the budget allows it. Because the Filtertron pickups are very well voiced for a broad range of tones AND no hum!
@@indy3240 telecaster is very versatile and can sound like any guitar because its so simple to change it by switching pickup and toning down the volume button its a very good starter all around. if you want metal rg is superior if you just want mild rock strat is good and clean and les paul is good for fuller sounds.
Singles all the way....they are an art.... I had to add to this lol. I don't understand why people complain about the hum?!? I think the hum and let's just say the electric field that's involved here is part of the magic, I think that single coils make you work and it adapts to you. It picks up the slightest little things in dynamics and adapts to the emotion of your playing. I may be getting too deep here lol... But it's weird it's like you almost build a relationship and understand the nuances that comes with it. And I may be overthinking it probably, but I think with the humbucker you're canceling out part of the field that comes with it. And if you don't like the hum put a slight little gate on it... But you don't hear the hum anyhow when you play.. and if you hate it that much just turn the volume off.. but I believe that single coils adapt to you you're picking and your fingers and it's just magic... That's why I don't understand putting a humbucker on a telecaster?!? Just get a Les Paul or something similar. Just my two cents
I had a similar journey as you. Started off on an Ibanez RG120 in high school because I was into hard rock and metal. I went to college in Austin, and got into bluesy music, particularly Eric Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan (both strat players). After college, I got an Ibanez SA260FM. It has fast shredding action and ergonomics that you would expect from Ibanez, but sounds more strat-like with the single coil pickup configurations.
I played an Ibanez RG652 prestige with ash body for a while and it was an absolutely amazing guitar. However, I always found that the neck was a bit too thin and the sound of chords was not as harmonically rich, which was very noticeable even when played acoustically (not plugged in). So the build quality was flawless but the sound was not exactly what I wanted. And playing a guitar is primarily about sound. I now play a custom warmoth strat and highly recommend that option. You can customize every part of the guitar and buy a made in USA strat for a very reasonable price. You can also load low output triple single coils or high output humbuckers.
Great video. Accurate and comprehensive. Thank you. I have an Ibanez S-Prestige and and a Fender American Professional. Main difference is indeed the sound. I need the Fender bridge pickup for clean sounds and the Ibanez bridge pickup for high gain..
I think ibanez suits for modern rock and modern fusion stuffs ...whereas fender is for those who plays blues ,jazz and hard rock... Coz ibanez has higher gain so most shredders prefer ibanez coz of its versality in rock n metal... Both fender and ibanez has its own uniqueness....I think in terms of neck and fret ,ibanez is more smooth and able to play fast ..whereas fender is mean to play classic blues and rock ..that's it..
Why?! I am literally doing the exact opposite. I've got a Fender Strat just like that - same colour, same maple neck, even! And even MIM, and 2018 aswell. I'll bet our guitars would be indistinguishable side by side! But I bought an RG this week, and it is like stepping from the Wright Bros Flappy plane prototype, to the Star Trek Space Enterprise..! That said...I still am keeping my Strat. For the price, I love having a Hendrix blues rock machine. Plus, it's my only single coil guitar. It's funny we both switched in a mirror image kind of way, to each other, though. *The grass is always greener on the other side, right?*
Well I love both my guitars and they have their own specific uses. This video is not about whether you should move from an RG to a strat or which one is better. It is about the change that I felt after playing an RG for many years. So if some RG player is considering getting a strat this video will help in making the decision.
I switched to a Player stratocaster last week from being a RG player for 15 years. The strat has made basic chords sound richer than the RG's. I became a better player just having bought the strat it is definitely alive in tone and harmony.
My first guitar was an Ibanez, and it's the only electric I have and I use it for everything. I'm more of a bluesy guy and an Ibanez is designed for metal so im getting a Stratocaster soon.
I have tried strats from many brands....I just hate the damn things. Thin, weak sound. Hate the knob and switch placement. I'm selling mine (again).....I keep buying strats but I just can't love em.
@@keesketsers5866 they might not be for you maybe try something with p90s? strats have one kind of a sound a squire bullet also has similar sound to a fender player so it might not be the guitars problem but you just not liking it
As I'm aging I'm actually going the other way. I'm selling all my guitars for ibanez thin wizard guitars. I like the wider string spacing and the back of the neck is just for resting my thumb and not grabbing. Funny enough I've owned an american fender pro strat and a mexican player tele within the last 5 years and the mexican tele was a better guitar in every way except the pickups (still good pickups but the pro strat had better). My japanese ibanez's are clearly better guitars for me though.
So about the neck hand position, with Ibanez you shouldn't really be wrapping your hand around it but should place the thumb on the back a bit. Also you have the neck angle a bit low so there's more strain on the wrist
Since i already own an RG-2570z Prestige should i focus more on the Fender Strat catalog or reconsider the AZ as you said? I'm in a bit of a dilemma...
@@GeorgeLifterMann The AZ's have a beautiful range of tonality compared to the strat, arguably do the strat sound better than the american standard's at this point! You also get that added comfortablity/playability that the AZ's are really good with. Of course if you're into the aesthetics that come with Fender Stratocaster then that's what you'll want to get, but the AZ is hands down the better instrument on all fronts for me.
George Deves I’m sure you made your decision but I recently bought an Ibanez AZ HSS config and I love it. Gets really good single coil sparky clean tones and a mid range bark with the humbucker. It has a little pickup toggle that turns the two single coils into a humbucker essentially and it’s really usable.
I've have a Ibanez RG which is really easy to play I got a Fender Strat about a year ago and I think it is extremely difficult to play compared to that Ibanez but I'm in my sixties so that may have something to do with it
Thank you. It's a very simple process to change strings on these. The 'Edge Zero' Tremolos on my guitar are very well built but I can't say the same about the less expensive models.
@@accentontheoff This particular model has been discontinued long ago but you might still find it in some stores. But In general there are too many options available these days.
As you note, it really comes down to preference. I've been chasing neck shapes for the last 40 years or so and have come around to the Fender Modern C as the best one for me. I've got an Ibanez RG, a Les Paul Standard (bought in 1990), a 92 American Standard strat, and two Player Strats. Plus multiple Warmoth necks. After all that, the Player C with 1.650 width is just the best of the best. Comfortable, no fret outs on bends, and a resonance that the others don't have. I put Seymour Duncan Lil 59's in the bridge...and they'll hold their own any day against the Ibanez. The Paul still has the best hard rocking bite, but the Player with the SD pickups is quite close. Nothing, however beats a Player in clean mode. The American Standard is nice too....but it has a slightly wider neck and the pickups aren't as sweet as those on the Player. The Player wins on all counts.
you can technically learn with any guitar but when it comes to maintenance, any guitar with a fixed bridge is easier for beginners..too many options out there but yeah you can go for the stratocaster for sure.
Whatever you feel comfortable with. Comfort is different for everyone. There are a lot, I mean a lot of great budget guitars out there now. So play a lot of them, play all of them, and then you should find something that fits you. I started on an acoustic then started “collecting” lol. Was a big help with finger strength. Plus acoustic is pretty awesome too! There is no wrong answer.
I recently *tried* to do just the opposite. LOL I own 2 American Strats, one SSS and one HSS with the S1 system. I bought my first Ibanez about a week ago. The S series Prestige. The neck, at least for me, just seems easier to play with the Ibanez. I really liked the feel of it. Sadly the Ibanez is getting returned this week due to some ridiculous issues. For a $2,000 Prestige model made in Japan, I expected something that was quality. If this is the benchmark of their so called higher end guitars, I'm very hesitant to try another one. Unfortunately my first Ibanez is also my last.
Nice little video. Might have been also worth mentioning the fret size? I think the Strat particularly in HSS pick up configuration is just so versatile and when it comes to getting metal tones of course your amp and any effects will help. I'm pretty much a novice returning to playing after a 15 year gap and I have a nice 1990 Fender standard strat Made in Japan. Whilst the temptation might be to get a super strat model like an Ibanez I was given a very good piece of advice. Particularly for for beginners of even intermediate being given a super strat may be like being given a Ferrari but not having the skills to get the best out of it. And also similar to expensive cars maintenance might be more tricky in respect of setting up and adjusting a locking trem.
I have a Ibanez Giogrx 20 and i wanna play a Stratocaster ( on the past i hear Satriani,Vai ,etc some guys on the same style) but now i wanna play more expression music like Rainbow,Deep Purple ( the Ritchie Blackmore era only) , some Hendrix tone , John Norum ( guitar Man from Europe ) he comeback with Fender Stratocaster and sounds amazing and he Also play more half step down songs from Europe new Material from 2015 to the present this 2 guys are the reason to play and Scorpions Uli Jon Roth era too and The Ibanez for Tony Iommi style because the Ibanez GIO have only 2 humbuckers My model the Giogrx 20 and sounds really great that Sabbath tone with Dunlop strings 11-50 gauge strings and The great solution for make a Stratocaster sounds like " les Paul " is not just the humbucker on the bridge is a mini humbucker DiMarzio 2 doublecoil singlecoil pickup like yngwie he have a Seymour Duncan pickups Fury pickups he worked a Lot the idea of the humbucker sound on the bridge but not a humbuckers like Eddie Van Halen ( RIP) idea just keep the single cool pickups style but with power bridge singlecoil pickup many people love that and me too . The great thing is keep both guitar for more dark Low tune like Drop C or C# Even B tuning Ibanez is the right choice keep both .
If you have small hands, go with the Fender. I can't handle Fender brand strats because I play high on the neck. The missing notes (22 Fret neck) piss me off. The PRS John Mayer axe looks good.
Look up Frudua Method for non locking bridge tuning stability. If you want Ibanez, telecaster and Gibson combination of pickups, series and parallel on a 3 single coil Strat get a Freeway Switch, 2 banks with 10 options, super simple switching super easy install, it’s a win, win, win scenario. The Freeway inventor deserves a Noble Prize.
I don’t know if it’s first time I’m listening to words like you call higher frets as “registers” and your hand is small for “guitaring”? I never heard someone say it that way
My personal opinion after playing and owning eppiphone SG's and Les Paul's ..Gibson SG's and Les Paul's ..Jackson soloist and Ibanez jem....I have sold or traded em all and now own just two fender strats all I need ..and my Martin acoustic... again my opinion.. experiment and see what u like..🎸🤘
nice video man. regarding the fretboard comfort is my main concern, since like you i also have small hands. if you were to choose, which fretboard would you prefer? specially in trying to thumb fret the top string or low e-string? i am contemplating on getting on rg652ahm or the fender am pro strat. hoping to hear from you soon man. thanks.
Thanks for watching. For thumb fretting the 6th string the strat would be the obvious choice because i really struggle to do that with my ibanez. RG has a wider neck can be a bit painfull to grab on for longer playing sessions..offcourse its best used for shredding but not when you want to grab the neck comfortably. As for the guitar models you mentioned both are great guitars, it all depends upon which style of music you play more. The dimarzio pickups on rg652ahm are more voiced for metal and classic rock so if you are more of a blues player who likes to thumb fret like hendrix i would say go with the strat..
Two completely different guitars for different style of playing. Anyone who likes the strat neck profile and lighter weight of a strat should try JS series with strat pickups
Good video 👍 lots of interesting points. As for someone who likes humbuckers and single coils it’s normally a preferred humbucker for bridge tones high gain lead and woman tones. single coils for the bluesy neck position tones. Which is why a super strat HSS pickup configuration might be something you should try. Keep diving into blues you might want to try listening to Otis Rush (song can’t quit you baby), Peter Green in fleetwood mac ( song Oh well) Cream ( tales of brave Ulysses) and magic Sam (song looking good). These blues bands are all influential to Hendrix and SRV Have fun now 😎🎸
The best Strat out there is a Charvel. Lot of people don't seem to understand this but Charvels are owned by Fender and are so much better. Just like a hot-rod Strat.
Nice video! I feel like we would be good friends in real life. I'm the inverse, looking to buy my first Ibby this year... Hey, one tip for that Fender is to buy some D'Addario friction remover; loosen and lift the strings to place some at the bridge, string trees and most importantly, the nut for each string change. Then if still not better, buy some locking tuners and call it good.. Doing both helped mine to stay in tune a lot! Now I have to find an Ibby that's not 2K.. >:D
Very informative video; congratulations! do you think that a shorter scale, like the strat´s one, makes the strings less tense? is it easier for the picking hand? thanks.
Both the strat and the RG have same scale length i.e 25 and half inch. So no difference there. Its just that both the necks feel very different to hold on to. The RG's thin flatter neck profile helps in shredding while the strat's thicker rounder neck feels better while bending strings.
Well with the tuning stabilities you're not qiuet fair, because I have a bunch of Strats and they hold tune just fine even if I use the tremolo arm. Rarely have to tune them, and it's all about how good of a set up you have and if the nut is cut correctly. Also, you could have gotten the Fender Player with a Flose Rose if you really wanted it, but I've been playing Metal on my Strats for 16 years and I've had no problems at all. They are both great guitars and can easily be modified if you don't like the pickups.
I stand corrected. After a few months of playing the strat Ive noticed that the tuning stability is quite good. This video was more of an initial reaction when you move from an RG to a strat... I love my player series strat and its my main axe now. Thanks for watching :)
@@fretgaga the fender sounded way better ...i think you will improve a lot more as far as tonal qualities and choices of notes and you can still shred out on the ibanez ...a very well done video !
I’m looking at getting one of these two.. got kicked out of guitar center today because I don’t wear masks so I wasn’t able to compare the two. Thanks for this video.
The Ibanez habe a Basswood-body, that sounds a bit muddy, the hights are not so brilliant like on a guitar with Alder-body, like Fender!!!!! And the single-coil is more clear, than a humbucker, but both guitar has it´s right to exist!
Fender plays on its own. You only need to place fingers at proper places. With Ibanez you have to fully explain her what you want to play. PS If you explore a map and find a good custom shop, you’ll save tons of money on a new guitar. 3 of 5 of your points could be solved with mods.
After playing Ibanez guitars for years, primarily S Prestiges, my tastes and hands changed with age. I now prefer thicker necks and single coil tones, even for metal. Getting older is weird.
Haha couldn’t have said it better myself. Getting older is indeed weird.
As someone who owns guitars from both manufacturers, you're pretty spot on as far as the differences are concerned. Though, I had an Ibanez Destroyer II from the early 80's, it felt more like a Gibson than an RG. I shortly after bought an 80's Japanese built Fender Strat with the three single coils, and a Kahler Spyder double locking trem system (Thus was the peak of my Alex Lifeson of Rush phase of idolatryand around the time I had discovered Eric Johnson). My RG is a 7620 built in 1998. It has a single piece maple neck with a scarf-jointed headstock. Though still thinner than my Strat, it also had 24 frets instead of 22, and was a 7-string. So, my transition was basically the opposite of yours. Like you, Steve Vai was the reason I chose the guitar over the drums as my instrument of choice. But the majority of my heros didn't just play one brand. So my view on which brand was the ultimate brand, changed based on which player caught my ear that week.
I'm suprised that you didn't fiest try the Andy Timmons model from Ibanez. It's basically their take on the Strat. It has an all maple neck, and non-locking trem bridge. Only this has a Humbucker in the bridge and two single coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. The horns are really pointy, like an RG, but the edges are more rounded like a strat. You can think of it as an RG and a Strat having a baby.
I payed Ibanez guitars most my life because my favourite rock/metal players did. Then this year I got a “60’s modified Strat….”
I found (apart from the single coil hum) they’re incredible guitars, I think Fender got it right the first time, all them years ago.
I’m a shredder at heart, so I stayed away from Strat’s and always turned my nose up at them. Thought the “blocky neck heal joint” wound bother me (but I actually love how it feels)
and always thought there’s no point playing with a trem bar unless it’s double locking, but found that even the vintage Fender terms stay in tune, if their setup correctly.
I can dive bomb and raise the pitch by a minor 3rd without any tuning issues.
The Strat pickups are not for me (I love shred) but popping in a JB jr or Yngwie Malmsteen’s signature pickups solves the single problem I have with Strats.
I now love them 🎸
This is a damn fine comparison between the two guitars! I genuinely appreciate a quality review and hope you keep uploading. Subbed! :)
My small hands prefer the Ibanez Wizard III neck. My Fender is 42mm nut vs 43mm for Ibanez and 56mm (F) vs 58mm (I). Neck thickness 1F 23mm (F) vs 19mm (I) and 12F 24mm (F) vs 21mm (I).
Hi, Player Strats are great guitars. I am 52 years old and started playing very late when I was 18. I always played Strats, always, I did have a few Ibanez guitars, my first electric was an Ibanez that looked exactly like a Strat from 1984, later on in life I owned some Ibanez guitars with wizard III necks, but a short time ago I bought an Ibanez AZ Prestige and an AZ Premium. These are the best guitars I have had.
As a forever RG guy, I made a decision to get a strat and I immediately regretted it. The guitar is great, 2001 Amstad in Shoreline gold finish, texas special PUs.
It just didn’t speak to me. Couldn’t make it sing. Sold it after 3 months.
With RG I get to be happy crazy loud fast.
With strat I felt like being with strangers.
I love Ibanez so much, I have 4 RGs, and now I'm not interested in other brands (I have OCD, I like my guitars to match 🤷♂️). I might break that rule to get a Dean ML in Dimeslime green, but I really want to get into JEMs/JPMs, as well as RGs.
My friend you have a great advantage over me, you have youth on your side I wish you all the best success. Mike.
Thank you. :D
I say stick with the guitar neck you like most, and just change the pickups if you want the other guitar's sound. Nothing wrong with hot humbuckers in the strat, or single coils in an Ibanez.
A HSS Strat is the most versatile guitar if you only can have one ;-)
Hss.. .the mullet of guitars, metal in the back, blues in the front
@@BOBANDVEG Good one XD !
Everyone always says telecaster and I’m so confused and stuck for weeks on which to purchase
@@indy3240 If it's your first electric, then the Tele is a good bet. It's simpler, has great rhythm tones and no tremolo system to give tuning issues ;-) I think I would recommend a Cabronita Tele if the budget allows it. Because the Filtertron pickups are very well voiced for a broad range of tones AND no hum!
@@indy3240 telecaster is very versatile and can sound like any guitar because its so simple to change it by switching pickup and toning down the volume button its a very good starter all around. if you want metal rg is superior if you just want mild rock strat is good and clean and les paul is good for fuller sounds.
Singles all the way....they are an art.... I had to add to this lol. I don't understand why people complain about the hum?!? I think the hum and let's just say the electric field that's involved here is part of the magic, I think that single coils make you work and it adapts to you. It picks up the slightest little things in dynamics and adapts to the emotion of your playing. I may be getting too deep here lol... But it's weird it's like you almost build a relationship and understand the nuances that comes with it. And I may be overthinking it probably, but I think with the humbucker you're canceling out part of the field that comes with it. And if you don't like the hum put a slight little gate on it... But you don't hear the hum anyhow when you play.. and if you hate it that much just turn the volume off.. but I believe that single coils adapt to you you're picking and your fingers and it's just magic... That's why I don't understand putting a humbucker on a telecaster?!? Just get a Les Paul or something similar. Just my two cents
Whoa, I’m going thru this situation right now. I play Gibsons now I’m trying to play RG’s. Huge transition!
I had a similar journey as you. Started off on an Ibanez RG120 in high school because I was into hard rock and metal. I went to college in Austin, and got into bluesy music, particularly Eric Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan (both strat players). After college, I got an Ibanez SA260FM. It has fast shredding action and ergonomics that you would expect from Ibanez, but sounds more strat-like with the single coil pickup configurations.
I played an Ibanez RG652 prestige with ash body for a while and it was an absolutely amazing guitar. However, I always found that the neck was a bit too thin and the sound of chords was not as harmonically rich, which was very noticeable even when played acoustically (not plugged in). So the build quality was flawless but the sound was not exactly what I wanted. And playing a guitar is primarily about sound. I now play a custom warmoth strat and highly recommend that option. You can customize every part of the guitar and buy a made in USA strat for a very reasonable price. You can also load low output triple single coils or high output humbuckers.
Great video. Accurate and comprehensive. Thank you. I have an Ibanez S-Prestige and and a Fender American Professional. Main difference is indeed the sound. I need the Fender bridge pickup for clean sounds and the Ibanez bridge pickup for high gain..
I think ibanez suits for modern rock and modern fusion stuffs ...whereas fender is for those who plays blues ,jazz and hard rock...
Coz ibanez has higher gain so most shredders prefer ibanez coz of its versality in rock n metal...
Both fender and ibanez has its own uniqueness....I think in terms of neck and fret ,ibanez is more smooth and able to play fast ..whereas fender is mean to play classic blues and rock ..that's it..
The super wizard neck is the best neck I've ever played on.. Looove the super wizard
You should try the AZ - the compromise between a fender strat and the ibanez
I was just going to write the same comment!
Why?! I am literally doing the exact opposite.
I've got a Fender Strat just like that - same colour, same maple neck, even! And even MIM, and 2018 aswell. I'll bet our guitars would be indistinguishable side by side!
But I bought an RG this week, and it is like stepping from the Wright Bros Flappy plane prototype, to the Star Trek Space Enterprise..!
That said...I still am keeping my Strat. For the price, I love having a Hendrix blues rock machine. Plus, it's my only single coil guitar.
It's funny we both switched in a mirror image kind of way, to each other, though.
*The grass is always greener on the other side, right?*
Well I love both my guitars and they have their own specific uses. This video is not about whether you should move from an RG to a strat or which one is better. It is about the change that I felt after playing an RG for many years. So if some RG player is considering getting a strat this video will help in making the decision.
I switched to a Player stratocaster last week from being a RG player for 15 years. The strat has made basic chords sound richer than the RG's. I became a better player just having bought the strat it is definitely alive in tone and harmony.
The wide neck on the Ibanez is the same issue I had, Im so use to my Tele , that I usually rap my thumb around the neck.
True. But the width is usually offset by the fact that it’s a narrower carve. So it shouldn’t actually be that difficult
My first guitar was an Ibanez, and it's the only electric I have and I use it for everything. I'm more of a bluesy guy and an Ibanez is designed for metal so im getting a Stratocaster soon.
I have tried strats from many brands....I just hate the damn things. Thin, weak sound. Hate the knob and switch placement. I'm selling mine (again).....I keep buying strats but I just can't love em.
@Guitar Dudeo stratocaster is iconic icon and sound. It is a legend.
@@keesketsers5866 they might not be for you maybe try something with p90s? strats have one kind of a sound a squire bullet also has similar sound to a fender player so it might not be the guitars problem but you just not liking it
I have 4 Ibanez RGs, I absolutely love the way they sound/play/look, I don't feel as comfortable playing something like a Strat.
I love my strat .... and my SG , and my Schecters.
I'm in the market for an Ibanez RG prestige now as well. Never give any of these up though.
The neck profiles are very different if you like the Modern C Shape of a strat. the ibanez wizard neck can feel a little bit uncomforable in thr hand
As I'm aging I'm actually going the other way. I'm selling all my guitars for ibanez thin wizard guitars. I like the wider string spacing and the back of the neck is just for resting my thumb and not grabbing.
Funny enough I've owned an american fender pro strat and a mexican player tele within the last 5 years and the mexican tele was a better guitar in every way except the pickups (still good pickups but the pro strat had better).
My japanese ibanez's are clearly better guitars for me though.
So about the neck hand position, with Ibanez you shouldn't really be wrapping your hand around it but should place the thumb on the back a bit.
Also you have the neck angle a bit low so there's more strain on the wrist
Buy an Ibanez AZ and get the best of both worlds.
Since i already own an RG-2570z Prestige should i focus more on the Fender Strat catalog or reconsider the AZ as you said? I'm in a bit of a dilemma...
@@GeorgeLifterMann The AZ's have a beautiful range of tonality compared to the strat, arguably do the strat sound better than the american standard's at this point! You also get that added comfortablity/playability that the AZ's are really good with. Of course if you're into the aesthetics that come with Fender Stratocaster then that's what you'll want to get, but the AZ is hands down the better instrument on all fronts for me.
George Deves I’m sure you made your decision but I recently bought an Ibanez AZ HSS config and I love it. Gets really good single coil sparky clean tones and a mid range bark with the humbucker. It has a little pickup toggle that turns the two single coils into a humbucker essentially and it’s really usable.
@@BipityBopity93 would you recommend this guitar to play all types of music?
@@dezireegomez2769 Yeah, I’d say it’s a very versatile guitar. What kind of music you play?
My 540s is slim and comfortable, I had it since 1992. I have a 1984 japan made strat also recently got a standard 60s les paul reissue
I've have a Ibanez RG which is really easy to play I got a Fender Strat about a year ago and I think it is extremely difficult to play compared to that Ibanez but I'm in my sixties so that may have something to do with it
I went from Fender to Ibanez decades ago :D However classic Strat design is kind of standard for me. Charvel`s are great guitars as well.
Between these two which one has overall larger body? Or both are identical in terms of overall body size? Thanks
The tremolo on the ibanez. How hard is it to set up when replacing strings etc. Terrific video btw, even though I am going in the opposite direction 😊
Thank you. It's a very simple process to change strings on these. The 'Edge Zero' Tremolos on my guitar are very well built but I can't say the same about the less expensive models.
@@fretgaga Ah ok. Thanks. Btw is the Ibanez available in India.
@@accentontheoff This particular model has been discontinued long ago but you might still find it in some stores. But In general there are too many options available these days.
@@fretgaga Okay thanks.
As you note, it really comes down to preference. I've been chasing neck shapes for the last 40 years or so and have come around to the Fender Modern C as the best one for me. I've got an Ibanez RG, a Les Paul Standard (bought in 1990), a 92 American Standard strat, and two Player Strats. Plus multiple Warmoth necks. After all that, the Player C with 1.650 width is just the best of the best. Comfortable, no fret outs on bends, and a resonance that the others don't have. I put Seymour Duncan Lil 59's in the bridge...and they'll hold their own any day against the Ibanez. The Paul still has the best hard rocking bite, but the Player with the SD pickups is quite close. Nothing, however beats a Player in clean mode. The American Standard is nice too....but it has a slightly wider neck and the pickups aren't as sweet as those on the Player. The Player wins on all counts.
Someone has been practicing very good My guitar Bud 🤘🎸 Rock ON DUDE 🇺🇸
Still hesitating which one I should get as I am a beginner. Which one would you recommend?
you can technically learn with any guitar but when it comes to maintenance, any guitar with a fixed bridge is easier for beginners..too many options out there but yeah you can go for the stratocaster for sure.
Whatever you feel comfortable with.
Comfort is different for everyone.
There are a lot, I mean a lot of great budget guitars out there now.
So play a lot of them, play all of them, and then you should find something that fits you.
I started on an acoustic then started “collecting” lol.
Was a big help with finger strength. Plus acoustic is pretty awesome too!
There is no wrong answer.
Go for comfort, keep the other things secondary. Try a few guitars at the store.
I recently *tried* to do just the opposite. LOL I own 2 American Strats, one SSS and one HSS with the S1 system. I bought my first Ibanez about a week ago. The S series Prestige. The neck, at least for me, just seems easier to play with the Ibanez. I really liked the feel of it. Sadly the Ibanez is getting returned this week due to some ridiculous issues. For a $2,000 Prestige model made in Japan, I expected something that was quality. If this is the benchmark of their so called higher end guitars, I'm very hesitant to try another one. Unfortunately my first Ibanez is also my last.
Nice little video. Might have been also worth mentioning the fret size?
I think the Strat particularly in HSS pick up configuration is just so versatile and when it comes to getting metal tones of course your amp and any effects will help.
I'm pretty much a novice returning to playing after a 15 year gap and I have a nice 1990 Fender standard strat Made in Japan. Whilst the temptation might be to get a super strat model like an Ibanez I was given a very good piece of advice. Particularly for for beginners of even intermediate being given a super strat may be like being given a Ferrari but not having the skills to get the best out of it. And also similar to expensive cars maintenance might be more tricky in respect of setting up and adjusting a locking trem.
I agree with u I m already convert to strat player🎸🎸🎸
Good video thanks
Can you tell me from where you bought this fender in India.??
I have a Ibanez Giogrx 20 and i wanna play a Stratocaster ( on the past i hear Satriani,Vai ,etc some guys on the same style) but now i wanna play more expression music like Rainbow,Deep Purple ( the Ritchie Blackmore era only) , some Hendrix tone , John Norum ( guitar Man from Europe ) he comeback with Fender Stratocaster and sounds amazing and he Also play more half step down songs from Europe new Material from 2015 to the present this 2 guys are the reason to play and Scorpions Uli Jon Roth era too and The Ibanez for Tony Iommi style because the Ibanez GIO have only 2 humbuckers My model the Giogrx 20 and sounds really great that Sabbath tone with Dunlop strings 11-50 gauge strings and The great solution for make a Stratocaster sounds like " les Paul " is not just the humbucker on the bridge is a mini humbucker DiMarzio 2 doublecoil singlecoil pickup like yngwie he have a Seymour Duncan pickups Fury pickups he worked a Lot the idea of the humbucker sound on the bridge but not a humbuckers like Eddie Van Halen ( RIP) idea just keep the single cool pickups style but with power bridge singlecoil pickup many people love that and me too .
The great thing is keep both guitar for more dark Low tune like Drop C or C# Even B tuning Ibanez is the right choice keep both .
i am having same issues with ibanez.. easier to shred but very hard to reach for chords due to wide neck. hope i get a MIM fender too.
If you have small hands, go with the Fender. I can't handle Fender brand strats because I play high on the neck. The missing notes (22 Fret neck) piss me off. The PRS John Mayer axe looks good.
Look up Frudua Method for non locking bridge tuning stability. If you want Ibanez, telecaster and Gibson combination of pickups, series and parallel on a 3 single coil Strat get a Freeway Switch, 2 banks with 10 options, super simple switching super easy install, it’s a win, win, win scenario. The Freeway inventor deserves a Noble Prize.
Check out the 75th anniversary American strat for the neck join issue
I don’t know if it’s first time I’m listening to words like you call higher frets as “registers” and your hand is small for “guitaring”? I never heard someone say it that way
An Ibanez with a Viper neck (1992-1997ish) instead of Wizard neck is amazing, 12" radius like a Les Paul, I really like them a lot
Nice video. I am not a fan of the Fender bridge. It will go out of tune every time you use the whammy bar.
My personal opinion after playing and owning eppiphone SG's and Les Paul's ..Gibson SG's and Les Paul's ..Jackson soloist and Ibanez jem....I have sold or traded em all and now own just two fender strats all I need ..and my Martin acoustic... again my opinion.. experiment and see what u like..🎸🤘
nice video man. regarding the fretboard comfort is my main concern, since like you i also have small hands. if you were to choose, which fretboard would you prefer? specially in trying to thumb fret the top string or low e-string? i am contemplating on getting on rg652ahm or the fender am pro strat. hoping to hear from you soon man. thanks.
Thanks for watching. For thumb fretting the 6th string the strat would be the obvious choice because i really struggle to do that with my ibanez. RG has a wider neck can be a bit painfull to grab on for longer playing sessions..offcourse its best used for shredding but not when you want to grab the neck comfortably. As for the guitar models you mentioned both are great guitars, it all depends upon which style of music you play more. The dimarzio pickups on rg652ahm are more voiced for metal and classic rock so if you are more of a blues player who likes to thumb fret like hendrix i would say go with the strat..
@@fretgaga thanks for the fast reply. your answer will definitely help me out.
Tengo una Ibáñez Az 40 y suena terrible. No se q hacer.
Two completely different guitars for different style of playing. Anyone who likes the strat neck profile and lighter weight of a strat should try JS series with strat pickups
Good video 👍 lots of interesting points. As for someone who likes humbuckers and single coils it’s normally a preferred humbucker for bridge tones high gain lead and woman tones. single coils for the bluesy neck position tones. Which is why a super strat HSS pickup configuration might be something you should try. Keep diving into blues you might want to try listening to Otis Rush (song can’t quit you baby), Peter Green in fleetwood mac ( song Oh well) Cream ( tales of brave Ulysses) and magic Sam (song looking good). These blues bands are all influential to Hendrix and SRV
Have fun now 😎🎸
how do you know that the Mexican strat is as good as a us strat if this is the first strat you have ever played??
I tried a Fender at a Guitar Store and I can agree with the things you said. I'm getting an HSS soon but currently I have an Ibanez Mikro Gio
Not soon, like early 2020
Ibanez mikro is actually a good guitar. I have converted to full size bc I’m not a very small person.
Bro keep both they are great guitars
The locking nut is the difference in tuning not the bridge.
Which software do you use for music making
Which is looking in ur screen
Or please do vedio on music softwares pls
The best Strat out there is a Charvel. Lot of people don't seem to understand this but Charvels are owned by Fender and are so much better. Just like a hot-rod Strat.
How do we get these guitars in India?
Is there an Ibanez that has a neck like a strat, as far as width of the neck?
Az series might be what you’re looking for
Thank you for this video. I've been trying to decide what new guitar i want, upgrading from a value pack Squire
You should have way more subscribers this was a great comparison thank you for your content
This was a great video. Very well done and informative!
Very helpful content! Thank you!
Great video! Very informative!
Ibanez it longer and messy to setup, and if your string snap, tune is getting mess too. I switch to fender for easier setup.
Very helpful, thanks.
For metal i would nver drop an ibanez for a fender.. But enjoy what you love.. Cheers
Great comparison video !
this is the review that I was looking for ! I want a fender now hahahah ;)
the strat suits you more bro. great video.
Nice video! I feel like we would be good friends in real life. I'm the inverse, looking to buy my first Ibby this year... Hey, one tip for that Fender is to buy some D'Addario friction remover; loosen and lift the strings to place some at the bridge, string trees and most importantly, the nut for each string change. Then if still not better, buy some locking tuners and call it good.. Doing both helped mine to stay in tune a lot! Now I have to find an Ibby that's not 2K.. >:D
Very informative video; congratulations! do you think that a shorter scale, like the strat´s one, makes the strings less tense? is it easier for the picking hand? thanks.
Both the strat and the RG have same scale length i.e 25 and half inch. So no difference there. Its just that both the necks feel very different to hold on to. The RG's thin flatter neck profile helps in shredding while the strat's thicker rounder neck feels better while bending strings.
@Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz in case of 24 frets the two extra frets extend deeper into the body...so yes the neck is actually longer.
Very good analysis.
You need to make more videos, I really like your content
I could never get along with the super wizard necks .
I want to get a strat for playing Iron Maiden.
This Ibanez worth couple of that player strat
Well with the tuning stabilities you're not qiuet fair, because I have a bunch of Strats and they hold tune just fine even if I use the tremolo arm.
Rarely have to tune them, and it's all about how good of a set up you have and if the nut is cut correctly.
Also, you could have gotten the Fender Player with a Flose Rose if you really wanted it, but I've been playing Metal on my Strats for 16 years and I've had no problems at all.
They are both great guitars and can easily be modified if you don't like the pickups.
I stand corrected. After a few months of playing the strat Ive noticed that the tuning stability is quite good. This video was more of an initial reaction when you move from an RG to a strat... I love my player series strat and its my main axe now. Thanks for watching :)
@@fretgaga the fender sounded way better ...i think you will improve a lot more as far as tonal qualities and choices of notes and you can still shred out on the ibanez ...a very well done video !
Can That stratocaster !..Can Make Distortion sound WithouT pedal?
But I like Ibaneze than Fender. Easy to play with wizard neck
Just get both....
Lol.
My wife asked me how many guitars I need.
I said. “All of them”
She was not impressed
Are you Indian, Myanmar or Pakistani ?
Martian
I’m looking at getting one of these two.. got kicked out of guitar center today because I don’t wear masks so I wasn’t able to compare the two. Thanks for this video.
Did you end up getting a guitar?
@@leathersandals yea I got an Ibanez S521
Nice vid!!!
The Ibanez habe a Basswood-body, that sounds a bit muddy, the hights are not so brilliant like on a guitar with Alder-body, like Fender!!!!! And the single-coil is more clear, than a humbucker, but both guitar has it´s right to exist!
Very helpful thanks
From ibanez to fender felt like im holding a twig, it was a shitty experience
Fender sounded more complementary to your style
Yeah I’m pretty sure Ibanez is more on the rock/metal side and fender is more blues or something along those lines.
Subscribed!! :)
John Petrucci got Music Man Guitar
Earlier, he used the Ibanez JPM series.
Fender 💖
I really don’t like the guitar tones. Especially the Ibanez
Nice vid
Liked and subscribed 😊😉
SKIP TO 3:10 ...... YOU'RE WELCOME
Fender plays on its own. You only need to place fingers at proper places.
With Ibanez you have to fully explain her what you want to play.
PS If you explore a map and find a good custom shop, you’ll save tons of money on a new guitar. 3 of 5 of your points could be solved with mods.
What is this??what are you trying to prove man
Fender has more tone than RG.
Bla-bla-bla...