Ibanez AZ 2402 - An honest review
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- Here's my review of the AZ 2402! This is my personal opinion on these models, they are fun, but come with problems!
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John peppucci
poopoochi
Jump pucci
He literally changed the specs of the guitar and then said it sucks...I own one and literally everyone who listens to me play adores it. The sound of the Hyperions are amazing and the tuning is damn near perfect. This man is too picky....all that and he pulls a pepooocci card smh
Bought it and love it, it covers a lot more than metal, I barely even use distortion, it’s got super clean cleans for a humbucker. Tremolo is perfect, color is perfect, neck is perfect. It’s Ibanez, they don’t mess around with quality control.
Yes indeed, I own a few guitars from different brands, all my ibanez guitars have the most stable quality, especially the necks, love them.
Are you f**king serious🤣
I played high end Ibanez guitars for 15 years. Though my guitars were solid, others I played were total trash and quality control was the issue, It was in 2000 and the same is true now. I’m not trying to bust your chops here but I’ve been doing this for 35 years and when I hear Ibanez has great quality control, I gotta laugh. Here’s one scenario I had. One of my favorites was my Ibanez jpm1 (the original) solid guitar. The black and white jpm, also solid. Fast forward to the jpm4 (I believe) It was supposed to be the same as the prior JPM with different colors but the thing felt like it was made of cardboard when it was supposed to be a prestige! High end guitars regardless of brand should not need a grind and polish among other issues I’ve experienced with Ibanez.
I didn’t intend writing a book here, BUT there’s a lot of great options for the money (unless you have thing for Ibanez) don’t get me wrong, if I didn’t like Ibanez at all I wouldn’t have clicked on the video🤪 Hopefully my little rant opens people up to other options ✌️🤘
@@slappywag7210 sorry to hear that, but i own 5 Ibanez guitars with no quality issue, i also have guitars from those big name brands, they are also great, but quality control wise, I would consider Ibanez as the best. I’m not sure if it’s a quality control issue or something else, the only real problem I had with ibanez is about one of their J Custom model, JCRG2103. It looked amazing on official web and I loved the the color so I asked my dealer to fine me one and so he did. I placed the order and was waiting for shipping. But I suddenly found some pics of this guitar taken by dealers in real life, they were all strangely showing an ugly and much pale blue rather than the nice green on official web, and the color name matched, and I think there isn’t different color schemes for this model. So I asked the dealer to get me a real picture of the guitar before shipping, it was pale blue, looked awful. Thank god, I was allowed to cancel the order with no cost. I’m still confused with this model, not sure if it’s QC problem or something else, but I still would like to own a top Ibanez J custom guitar in the future as I had great experience of my other 5 ibanez guitars.
@@slappywag7210 Obviously this guy has never heard of Ibanez Rules and Rich's treatment of their guitars.
@@shichen4805 Did you gig with them?
Has 20 of the same guitar,tries something different, and then doesn’t like it. What a surprise.
And ? When it's shit, you can say it.
Shitty bridge, shitty pickups, shitty overounded headstock,...
I would 100% prefer a HS version than the useless HSS config.
They have a long relationship with Larry Dimarzio, they should come up with something better with him. Not the Suhr direction, with tasteless "cut through the mix" sound. Can't blame all of that on the pickup but...
And stop bringing that volume knob closer to the strings FFS Ibanez !!!
If only the reasons why he didn't like it had anything to do with any kind of comparison with those 20 guitars
@@mms8111 first thing I thought when I saw the Suhr Modern is that it was an Ibanez rip-off. Like an RG and a roadstar. Of course then I thought it was funny when Ibanez is accused of copying them now.
But yes - the volume knob can be 5 inches farther away and nobody has a hard time with it. Do so many people do "volume swells" we we need the knob to ride the strings?
Lastly - AZ is most comfortable neck. I have a 17mm super wizard HP and that thing is great, but i played my AZ for 4 hours w zero cramps or discomfort.
@@mms8111 the volume knob part is so relatable what is wrong with companies, who thought that's a good idea? I have a Cort superstrat and the volume isn't annoying at all but I don't understand why strat knobs are so crowded in one place, I can't switch pickups without possibly touching the oversensitive tone knob or volume pot, no issues at all on my Les Paul
@@mms8111 although it’s your opinion to not like AZ. It’s also they’re opinion to think it’s ridiculous to have 20 Ibanez Jems.
I'm seeing these issues mostly with players coming from RG models....maybe these players prefer a setup that is simply not compatible with the more vintage style of this guitar. A 12 inch radius does not allow very low action when bending above 17th. That's pretty much on every guitar. Also you cannot compare a floyd with a vintage trem, same thing. I guess the wrong people are buying the AZ, these guitars are for strat players and not for RG players in my opinion. Think blues and rock, not metal and shred.
Agreed but tuning stability, even when not using the bridge for vibrato, is kinda poor and I feel that's a fundamental function of a guitar. Then again you could argue that RG players, like myself, have been spoiled for their entire lives by rock solid tuning stability, and you could be right, my hope would be that Ibanez would make tuning stability a priority for all types of players and styles.
Even when not bending the AZ guitars or at least the ones i have played goes out of tune...maybe i have played bad pieces but it is just like that and i am a Strat guy.
That us unfounded scientifically it’s also relative. Strat owners say 12 inch is modern while you say it’s vintage, relative. I can setup a 7.5 inch radius to do bends in upper registers with low action. Guitarist need to go back to school or pickup a physics book, in the least learn from a schooled luthier not a tech.
@smug a good friend of mine bought a prestige model HH and since he bought we have set it up a lot of times still facing the same problem... even the once i tried in stores have the same problem. I don't know maybe did set it up the right... amazing Guitar no doubt
smug bridge being flush with body? Why do you think it adds to tuning stability. Just an FYI a floating trem , no matter what angle or how much is always 100% tension balanced between strings and springs. Think what would happen if the tension wasn't equal, seriously think on it then you will realize what I mean.
Well, clearly biased in favor of double locking RG style guitars. I would argue that the prestige AZ is one of the best products Ibanez has developed in a LONG time.
I've been having the same tuning issues until I angled the bridge just ever so slightly on a "pulling" position...miraculously it worked...for some reason the trem doesn't like dead level angles
People, search a video on youtube called "Does the Ibanez AZ 's Tremolo stay in tune? (Video Test)"
You can see that there are zero tuning problems after heavy abuse of the tremolo.
I own a new AZ and I don't have tuning problems.
But I do bend the strings quite a bit when I change them. Lifting them aggressively with right hand and re-tuning multiple times repeating that. Also bending naturally on fretboard and doing the same process.
You’re in a drop d tuning with 9s on a non locking trem.
Thank you for the honest review. I have an AZ2204 and I have to say I have not encountered the same issues. The tuning stability is quite good. Bearing in mind it will go out of tune with some wild dive bombs (not always). Otherwise, I haven’t had tuning issues. If you wish to mod the bridge, try the vega-trem. Great tuning stability and allowance for up and down manoeuvres.
All in all, this has to be one of the best mass-produced guitars in the market. I think one of my high frets may need a bit of a file-down but there is no choke, just a tiny feel that something is off when I bend above the 20th fret. I agree you shouldn’t expect this from a high-end guitar. Sadly, mass-produced means QC’s are not what they should be.
Regarding the neck, I have to say this is very personal. I can imagine if you come from an RG background (super-flat radii and modern neck profiles) this is going to feel chunky. It is chunky but super comfy. The radius is quite flat in general. I would have loved a compound radius after the 12th fret for more shredding shenanigans but that is just a personal feel and not off-putting.
Ibanez have designed a guitar for non-Ibanez players here.
No need to swap the pick-ups for now. They are so crisp and hit the right note with me.
A guitar for a lifetime. Mods to come in the future if I ever get bored.
I was about to delete this comment but I think I will do future readers a favour if I expand it.
I no longer own this guitar. I had two issues the retailer wouldn't fix and that would have cost me some money to fix through a tech/luthier. One was a couple of high frets that caused buzzing. They set it up in a way where the strings where almost in a seesaw fashion and one string would be higher than the next and then lower, etc. It didn't work. All the acoustic buzzing was too much and it did transfer to the amp.
Tuning stability... I changed my mind after a while. Somehow, something was wrong. My money is on the nut. But it went out of tune quite often. A Mexican fender had more tuning stability (that's why it's still with me, unlike the Ibanez).
It does hurt because I did love this guitar. The chunky neck was special, the articulate Hyperion pickups suited me and it had sustain for days (for this sort of construction). Sadly, I think they have a high percentage of lemons. I don't believe for a second that's the case with all of their production guitars, but it seems to be more than 1 in 100.
Some additional ways to test and find causes for tuning instability:
Block the vibrato on both sides inside the cavity, do big bends. Also bend/push the strings above the nut. If this causes the guitar to go out of tune, the nut needs to be modified or replaced by a skilled luthier. Optimally the nut is cut for specific string gauges.
Of course if the bridge does not return to the same exact spot each time, this will cause the tuning to drift, but is rarely a problem seen on relatively new instruments.
Wilkinson locking saddles should help with other bridge related factors that may cause issues.
Non locking, floating vibrato setups can be tuned to achieve great tuning stability, but usually require a lot more effort.
How did I forget this?
I had the same tuning issues-Ibanez promotes their oil "impregnated" bone nut, thinking that this nut will never bind. I was really irritated by the tuning instability, I almost returned the guitar, but someone told me about Big Bends nut Sauce-puting a dab in each slot really fixed the binding in the nut. I have no problems now with extreme trem use. It's my favorite trem system now, I never liked Floyds and locking nuts
I've been using Big Bends for 3 years now on every string change and it really does work on my American Start with a vintage style trem!
Honest review? With not the stock pickups? How strange 🤔
He is not arguing about how "bad" it sounds stock, though.
What part of that makes it dishonest?
Finally someone who has the balls to address quality issues in general. Awesome, well done.
Honest review my ass....if the review was honest it would be with the stock pickups. Pickups are the major element of sound in electric guitars. Who cares if you are a Dimarzio player? We care for a review of the guitar that we can buy...
maybe we are not buying those AZs after watching an honest review that shows up all their tuning stability issues. I don't care about pickups if the guitar cannot keep in tune by itself.
Let me know your thoughts and opinions! Have you played an AZ yet?
UPDATE: 1) Over the year of playing this guitar, it stays in tune a lot better than in the video.
2) Yes... Petrucci, not PAPOOooooCHIiiii, it was a joke, I'll stick to playing guitars angry fans lol.
Easily the best guitar I've ever played, and the one I played was a Premium
Hey man! I’ve got a premium and prestige and they don’t budge out of tune, although it took me some set up time and swapping out the tuners the AZ comes with to achieve that. Definitely put the locking tuners you have with the thumb wheels on your AZ, they are just so much better. I also staggered the spring claw and it seemed to help some too. Cool review man! All the best 👍🏼
Maybe that choking issue could have been resolved by adjusting neck relief? I'm not sure. I've run into a little bit of tuning instability which was very easily cleared by using a coin with the locking tuners. Just a little bit of resistance to make them lock "harder". =D The other thing is g and b strings going out of tune after bending. So what I do is I tune the strings and then push down hard on the trem (strings go flat). When they come back out of tune, tune again. This way you can always "reset" your strings by pushing down on the trem. Got this trick from the incredible Guthrie Govan. After all, this isn't a double-locking guitar, so I don't quite understand the criticism towards it being just that.
Thanks for the video. I was going to order one of these. It was very helpful. I need to refocus on one my value: you try it/you like it/you buy it.
Got an AZ2402FF, tuning drives me nuts, I have to tune it almost everytime I play it, whereas my RG's sometimes go almost 6 months without needing to tune (and by then I should have already changed the strings already).
These things need locking saddles from the factory.
I have the AZ Charcoal burst and find it is a great workhorse and ticks all the boxes for me. Obviously if you have spent most of your life using guitars with floyds and locking nuts then this may not be the guitar for you. Greeny on the wall is sweet btw.
Surprised to know that the Prestige has bone nuts whereas the Premium comes with Graphtech PTFE impregnated nuts. You could try using a Graphtech TUSQ XL to see if your troubles disappear
@Ganjang gongjangjang Check out John Petrucci's signature model. It's a non locking floating trem based guitar (Musicman Majesty). No audible tuning issues there.
Was the issue a high fret or the action being too low for a 12” radius? Sounds like you were only bending 1.5 steps before it choked out, which isn’t exactly aggressive on a 12” radius that high up the neck unless the strings are basically sitting on the frets. You can set up even a Strat with a 7.25” radius to do that without crazy high action.
The Gotoh isn’t going to be like a double-locking tremolo. You can do mild things with it and be fine (I think the regular 510 with solid saddles works better than the one Ibanez uses), but it’s not for aggressive use. The Wilkinson is closer to the original Floyd Rose which didn’t have fine tuners, except the string goes through the block with the Wilkinson.
It is a nut friction problem 99%. No lubricant can address it, it needs filing because a narrow or irregular surface slot cannot be addressed by graphite or other lubricant. However, after you'll get the filing work done, dive bombs or more than 1 whole tone bends probably still won't allow you to play complex chord voicings, at least right after them (if you play some more after the "heavy pitch stress" to the string, things might slowly get back to a decent balance so your guitar might get back in decent tune). Your style probably needs a floyd rose anyway.
Meanwhile try the following:
- always tune your wound string from up to down in pitch (if you get lower past the correct pitch, go above it again and tune down slowly). We all rarely bend those strings, at the same time those are the most catchy on the nut because of the windings.
- always tune your plain strings from down to up (as above, if you miss the pitch and go above, go down again and slowly raise to the target pitch). Those are the "bending strings" so you must be sure the tension behind the nut is equal or at worst higher than the tension from nut to bridge, never viceversa.
i had that choking issue with my at100 japanese andy timmons model after years of playing flat radius guitars, it was just what i expected out of it that was not right , the radius on these AZs are different and you cant bend too high without choking the note. by filing the frets you changed the radius hence you were able to perform those bends, in any case if it works for you now thats great, but i dont think its the guitar's fault.
Put 10s on it and it will stay in tune. This guitar needs 10s.
@@fredriksvard2603 that’s not the case you just have to set it up right
@@fredriksvard2603 He's using D standard tuning with 9s, most guitars will not hold their tuning with this setup.
6:42 "John Pepucci" 😂
This is an honest review from somebody who is obviously an Ibanez fan.
I haven’t owned an Ibanez AZ, but I have played Ibanez guitars since 1992 and have owned lots of them, with their 12” radius guitars being my favourites (Roadstar, AR2000), but also enjoying the RG series. I love the Ibanez quality and playability, and you could say I’m a huge Ibanez fan.
Just before the AZ series was released, I bought an Ibanez Talman Prestige from Germany. The setup of this guitar was shockingly bad for a Prestige model. The nut wasn’t cut deep enough... all 6 nut slots were too shallow. I also suspect that the angle of the bolt-on neck needs adjusting with a shim... either that or all of the upper frets need filing down! I just cannot get a decent low action on this guitar. I’ve owned many Prestige Ibanez guitars over the years, and this Talman is sub-standard for Ibanez. What I’m saying is that maybe their standards have dropped. I really hope this isn’t the case though, because Ibanez and I have a long beautiful history.
Tuning instability on any guitar is absolutely frustrating! I bought an AZ for myself about two years ago and sent it back for the exact same tuning instability issues. Totally frustrating. I’ll take my double locking RG Prestige and Premium guitars any day over the AZ’s. Nice to see a completely honest review about the AZ models. The real time playing/tuning issues was a very good segment to this video. 👍👍
Is this a common problem in AZ models?
@@GDCDGC I think it's a common problem with two-point vibrato bridges in general
@@GDCDGCnah depends on the calibration
Hello. Great to see honest reviews! As a guitar tech I would suggest to:
1-Check the string gauges and see if they match the nut grooves (maybe you have to enlarge them with nut files)
2-File the nut above the strings (the excess material sometimes grabs the strings).
They are 10-46. Ibanez is famous for 9/42. It shouldn't matter as much on Floyds though.
I agree, the Charvel GG who introduce this concept of locking tuners, staggered and a small, locking tremolo doesn't have that problem.
Il be honest tho , you have done amazing ibanez guitars which are created for full shred and whammy action..
The az2402 is not a one trick pony it is supposed to cover all genres ,
People who want a all rounder guitar dont want the double locking system , I wouldnt be using it enough to lose tuning
Well, my USA G&L with their 2 point bridge do not give such tuning issues even with their vintage split head tuners where you cut the string and push perpendicular into a hole in the middle.
I have a guitar with the Wilkinson vs50 and personally I love it, it took VERY long to get my setup right, took a lot of tinkering but now it holds tune perfectly 99% of the time, however retrospectively it is true that a Floyd and locking nut would've been easier to set up most likely
It’s binding at the nut. Give the trem arm a quick yank backwards (up in pitch) and it will usually return to pitch.
Maybe you did get a bad one because my thbb10 stays in tune just fine, the frets were not level though so there is clear problems that they need to fix !! Great video !!
Thank you! All the sponsored biased reviews praise the az, while obviously the basic problems are still there😢 tuning stability should be taken care of at this price.
The cons is i can't afford one
unobtainability is the biggest con of all
There is a relationship between how low you set ur strings & how quickly it could "fret out" when you bend. Board radius & string height matter. Also, if ur bending more than a whole step, ur gonna experience it on a 12" radius board if ur strings are low, generally speaking. Multi radius boards take care of this issue. A 10-16 ( or 12-16) would be perfect for what this guy needs. Great point to bring up. We should see this on the Prestige models, imhwo. Also, those tuners are awful to live with.....
I've only seen 10-14. There was a video that PROVED that 12-16 is the way to avoid all fret buzz at 25.5 scale with your standard Fender bridge spacing, not any other compound combination. It's a cone and if the strings actually travel parallel to the surface of the fretboard, that reduces variables.
Holy shnikes! I just stumbled onto your channel. Great content! As soon as I heard you say that you were in the band Holy Grail, I smacked that subscribe button. Love your band!
Thanks for the honest review. I am having some of the same problems with the Charvel DK24 hss
I will be doing a review soon on the DK24 HH actually!
What kind of issues? I own the DK24 HSS Shell Pink
I have same guitar (same surf green)
1. Widen bone nut slot a bit. I think bone nut slot might trap string. While we don't cut bottom just widen nut slot a bit
2. Use pencil as lubricant on nut slot
3. String tree for first & second string is set too low, this creates more break angle so we'd better increase height of string tree then string can move more freely
4. I replaced original tuner with traditional locking tuner which you showed in the video. That can help. Also do not wrap string on tuner. Stretch string at tuner and just lock there without wrapping
5. Lock the small screw within two tremolo post (there is tiny screw within tremolo bridge height adjustment post
Let me know whether above 5 things can help. A lot of time string tree was set too low then that can creates a lot of friction there. String tree, nut slot width, lub are key
String tree wise, there's spacer, once we put different height spacer then we can control spring tree height.
Also due to difference of each string tension we'd better put angle on claw (more screw in for low E string and less screw in for high E string). Putting angle on claw is very effective way so each string moves in & out with more balance.
I am pretty sure that once you combine above 5 items with claw angle then you can utilize gotoh tremolo similar as RG floyd Rose bridge. I also have both RG and AZ prestige model. Bottom line is RG model with edge tremolo is doable for very sensitive arming play so if you play a lot of arming then RG is the best. AZ2402 is still doable for active arming but this gotoh T1802 system is relatively less sensitive. T1802 bridge has titanium saddle. This adds some clarity on tone.
I utilize wilkinson locking saddle on my charvel dk but I keep original titanium saddle on my AZ2402.
Definitely there's way in order to improve tuning stability. I love both RG, AZ.
Yeah the original nut was replaced a while back with a brass one I shaped up from a blank, and it's a night and day difference. The original wasn't cut too well, so it gave me the opportunity to swap it instead of filling the slots/ re file.
Along with the HAP Gotohs, they were replaced with a standard Gotoh staggered magnum set as the HAP's tend to move a hair under trem tension.
Really appreciate the options!
@@IbanezGuy88 Awesome, I initially started having tuning stability issue with Charvel dk then learned from there utilizing Wilkinson locking saddle.
Even AZ,RG prestige guitar need some work such as fret leveling. I think first thing once we buy new guitar is fret leveling for perfect low action. I really appreciate your honest review on AZ2402. The more we play guitar and investigate how to optimize the more we can feel that even same guitar can sound quite different.
It's the nut, if the strings are going sharp they are catching on the nut, if they are going flat they need stretched more
Idk this review seems wildly biased to be very “honest” like I’ve seen a few people mention this too the AZ was designed for an entirely different player then the RG is. And I feel like the tuning issue is kind nit picky. No unlocked guitar is going to stay in tune the same way a locking nut/bridge does. And I’ve played several guitars even made in Indonesia or Mexico that have vintage styled trem bridges that stayed in tune perfectly fine once you got the strings stretched out properly. I’ve also found angling the bridge slightly up on these types of guitars helps a lot for whatever reason. But ya I mean might just be me but I would take too much stock from this video especially as far as tuning goes.
And that is why I play Les Pauls mainly, once you find one where the G string doesn't go out of tune you can forget of every problem (unless headstock breaks)
that's bullshit. strats and teles are the way to go for a non issue guitars. I get nothing but trouble with les pauls.
Agree 100% on the tuning stability, been an Ibanez player and fan for 20yrs, this is the first one I have ever needed to tune on a regular basis, it needs locking saddles at a minimum. Other than that, great guitar, but no mistake, it's a big issue as it makes me not trust it live.
Maybe try putting in a Vegatrem? Never tried it myself but it looks great. Lots of videos on RUclips claim it has excellent tuning stability.
I was going to put one of those trems in my other AZ soon haha!
@@IbanezGuy88 have you done it yet?
Thanks for the great review! It's a shame to hear about the QA woes - it can really spoil the enjoyment of an instrument. I had the same with a Fender American Ultra strat, and it doesn't matter how well regarded an instrument is if the one in your hand feels kinda crappy.
was the tuning stability better with the thumb screw Gotoh tuners? Cause many who had tuning stability issues said that was for tuner's malfunctions as non properly locking the strings in place with the automatic mechanism ...
14:35 Agreed. The thing about the SAANJ is it goes a bit too far up the neck for a 24 fret guitar so it is inferior to the 30 yo AANJ even though Ibanez did profile its shape. Depending how high you strap the guitar you can play like a C-shape G or A arpeggio with the root on the A string, 22nd or 24th fret respectively, for Jason Becker type stuff for instance, but that does feel more stretched and less easy than on any RG since 1994, Genesis line aside. That's not that big an issue for most people, but definitely a bit of a downgrade.
It's a shame Ibanez barely offer the Ultra neck anymore--not that they used to do that a lot either--for people who want the ergonomics of a RG without the super thin necks.
It’s a non locking tuning guitar. You’ve been playing locking tuning guitars for over 10 years so yeah it’s just the nature of the beast with vintage style and even modern style guitars with free flowing style trem systems.
Very true, up to date though, I really enjoy the AZ for what it is. Looking back at the review, you nailed my expectations spot on!
About the tuning stability,
I think the problem is the nut, apparently the bone nuts on the Prestige suck. The Premiums which come with Graphtech nuts stay in tune like tanks and I've never heard any complaint about their tuning stability.
I highly suggest you replace the nuts of your AZs with Graphtech nuts, your tuning stability will become much better
Edit: after I got my AZ Premium I removed the string tree and it stays in tune even better
@Ganjang gongjangjang why should it be the other way around? Graphtech is cheaper than bone and it's even better, both should get Graphtech. Even Gibson stopped using bone on their production models and uses Graphtech.
And btw does the Premium come with 9s from the factory? Mine is supposed to arrive from Thomann at any moment
@Ganjang gongjangjang got mine a couple of days ago and it seems to have 10s on it, I string most of my guitars with 9-46, the lows felt the same but the highs were tighter, logically means 10-46
Now all we need is a compound radius.
@@einarabelc5 I'd rather just have the usual flat 16" Ibanez radius :D
12" is still pretty good though
May I ask what AZ Premium you got? I'm planning to buy the AZ47P1QM in Black Ice Burst HSH config.
aren't you always suppose to tune up? if you go sharp you under tune and then tune back up to the note...
I really do not think y’all are thinking much the tuning instability might be because the trem and nut haven’t broken in it. A lot of rg players play these and expect the same, it’s not, these are versatile guitars but they are more for the strat guys. You gotta break in the trem to get good tuning stability, I read the comments of people going to the stores and trying them out the problem is they are brand new you gotta abuse it a bit for it to be solid
I do agree. As of now, it does stay relatively in tune. My initial expectations were a little high haha but that's what happens when you have guitars for 15+ years with double locking systems and try something new.
Having had 2 Charvel DKPro Mod24 models which have the Gotoh bridge, set floating, I can attest to tuning issues. These come set up .009 and no matter what you do, (lubricant, skip the string tree, stretching, increase string etc.) they go out of tune from bending, by hand or with the trem. So, not surprised this occurs with the Ibanez. That said, I've become so accustomed to it, I have adapted to it, and with all the measures above, and tuning regularly, I can get around it. But, at first, wow did it bug me, almost enough to get rid of the first model. My point being, you may just not be accustomed to the standard floating style bridge.
Happy to here an honest review for once.. hard to find on RUclips these days with most of the reviews coming form guitar stores, which are highly unlikely to give a negative review.. ive read up on a lot of issues with high frets on the az models, i wonder why this is.. ive never had any issues with any of my RG's. Noway id be happy with a high fret on a guitar costing that much money.. even my jem jr that cost 450 Canadian had a great fret job, just needed a quick polish with some wire wool and was perfect.
Have you heard about the Guitar Nutbuster Tune Stabilizing System?
Thanks for this review. Just what I needed to hear right before buying one.
8:18 I haven't played your AZs obviously, but your statement here really only applies to uncharacteristic use. Yes the double locking is an improvement. But apart from constant dive bombs, my 6-screw vintage has no issues staying in tune under use while floating.
9:14 Again... I think you have just been in the world of locking trems for too long. How high are you trying to raise the pitch? You can absolutely set the AZ trem (or any "vintage" trem) to float and pull up to raise pitch.
Seems like these just aren't for you from a style and function perspective, quality control issues aside.
This is by far the best honest review keep it up brother new subscriber here....i'll just stick with my RG and maybe get one genesis 550
Thank you for honest review. It really helped me with go no go decision.
It's a tough decision. As of now, it's been through heavy modifications and plays great. But if a 2k guitar comes with a ton of issues off the bat, it's a rough call. I should have initially gone through a replacement first to see if it helped.
I had mine PLEK’d by Sweetwater and they also put in a fallaway at the end for me, they also rounded off the edges. This is pretty typical, sadly, for all Ibanez guitars. There’s a reason why they sell them for much less than Suhr 🤷♂️. Just gotta buy them from a dealer that can look it over and fix any problems before it gets to you.
First of all, thank you for your review, it is great! Two questions, what color is that, green or sea-foam green, and what amp are you using?
Have you tried to file the string slots at the nut? That made the whole difference for my AZ. That is a common issue with new bone nuts (not specifically for the Ibanez AZ).
I did just a bit with no luck. However the MSM was sent to Ibanez LA shop and they tried to fix the nut issue there, but it still goes out of tune.
I don’t think the neck or frets are faulty I would think those instruments are not designed for such low action. You altered the design by creating a run off, but the quality is consistent, they do what they were meant to do.
Killer playing, love that intro riff. Great review!
I'm with you 100% 👍🏼
Good review, that bridge and the brother that they put on the Charvels are no go for me. Bought 3 Charvels with that bridge and NOTHING fixed the instability. I returned all 3 Charvels after trying to fix it. Guitars that command a premium price deserve to play awesome with no mods needed. I refuse to buy a trem no. Why put the bridge on it if it can't be utilized? I ended up just getting 3 rg565s.
Oh man, love this review. You got two of the guitars I really want to get. aaand you have 4 or 5 guitars in the back that I also want to get. Played a HSS AZ once. Liked it a lot, but It was a rude awakening for me in terms of the frets. I think stainless steel has become synonymous with great fretwork in my mind. Refreshing to see an honest review where it is not so. I also really want an AT10p, but that is also a premium model, so I'm guessing I will run into similar problems.
Yeah I tried some of the new Premiums at NAMM this year and I'll be grabbing the burl top one, hope to make a review on that one this year!
I was going to buy this model second hand here in Melbourne..
I took along a ten centimetre straight edge ruler and a 30 centimetre straight edge...plus a guitar tuner..
1. I placed the steaight edge ruler at various points on the fretboard and it was a disaster ...high frets all over the place....on different strings...it failed that test...
2. I tuned it up...did a coupe of dive bombs....out of tune...not played unless you re tune.
I thanked the seller for his time and left..
Very dissapointing...
Malmsteen and Ritchie Blackmore have been utilizing Fender's vintage tremolos for decades without experiencing tuning issues. Perhaps there is a secret technique they employ
I installed a brass nut on this bad boy and it definitely helped haha.
Thanks loads Alex for your honest appraisal and opinion, it is much appreciated.
Hey bro, nice video. Try something for me ;) try putting on some daddario XT strings. I had the same issue and everyone thought I was dumb and I heard the same crap about tuning stability and how I should do this, that and everything else but nothing worked. Then I switched to those strings and it fixed it, its actually pretty solid now. Give it a shot!
I appreciate this video. I have a Charvel dk24 with the same bridge and kicking tuners and it has the same problems with tuning. The only way it stays in tune is if you block the bridge. I was going to try an AZ prestige because I thought maybe it would stay in tune better, but after watching this I will not buy one.
if they made the locking nut on it with the gotoh still on it that would be great because the normal floyds and floyd style bridges don't look classy to me
I have the premium version made in Indonesia and it has the same issues. Would be interesting to see if it's actually the tuners.
I so appreciate the honest review. I’m back to double locking tremolos after fighting with these types of tremolos for years. I have never played a single non-locking trem guitar that stayed in tune with even the gentlest trem use...never. I’ve played or owned Suhrs, Charvels etc... all have the same issue. Glad to know I wont need to waste money on this guitar to see if it’s any different. Much appreciated!
I just got a charvel dk24 and it has stayed locked in tune. I spent 2 hours trying to knock it out and it's been golden. Maybe I got really lucky
Only one that works basically flawlessly is PRS. Smoothest and most stable non locking floating trem there is.
i would love Ibanez release a new versión of the AZ's with neck through , Locking saddles and Fishman fluence Pickups . all that with a better craftmentship would make this guitar everything that it is supose to be .
A 2000$ guitar made in Japan, better craftsmanship? This thing should be damn near pristine when you get it.
If you don't isolate the issue you'll never solve it. Tuning issues could be a bad setup of the floating bridge, the nut or the tuning machines...rare to see all these in one guitar. Moreover what is the magnitude of the tuning instability? Less than a quarter tone or more? How many springs do you have attached on the bridge?
In any case, you can't expect the same performance of a Floydrose tremolo on a simple floating one, that's for sure.
My AZ 2402 was binding at the nut and saddles. I had the nut filed and the saddles replaced with Wilkinson locking saddles. PROBLEM SOLVED!
I'll stick with locking trems! Once you get the hang of them they're not that bad to set up. I think it's worth the extra time setting up a floyd style for the stability they offer. But I do have 3 Charvel dk24's with the gotoh 510 and they are pretty stable!
But they suck to play at the low register.
That's because Charvel knows how to cut nuts, unlike Ibanez.
I have had many prestige’s, and I prefer the new AZ both in sound and playability. I hate the typical tone zone and air Norton they use now.
Very interesting regarding the tuning stability. Apologies if this is a dumb question, but have you tried properly stretching the strings? (tune string to pitch, stretch like crazy, tune to pitch again, stretch like crazy, rinse/repeat until string remains in tune) I ask because this technique fixes nearly every tuning stability issue I've had with guitars, including Les Pauls.
I did initially yes. Over time though, the guitar stays in tune a lot better. Break in for the nut I believe is what someone has commented in.
Great video, thx for going on and on and on. Now that this guitar has been discounted and the price has gone up due to the color I was very interested but now I am little weary based on all the tuning issues you presented. Has there been any updated model since this that have addressed these issues? Any resources or videos you could provide on evening out high SS frets? Thank you.
I would try to see if you can play in person any of the new AZ models to see if they fit your needs. This particular model was just a bad batch from QC, I've had others after that had no fret issues.
You could ask a local guitar luthier/tech around your neighborhood to see if they do fret levels, or check some fret level tutorials on youtube if you feel like trying it yourself :)
You might wanna check the nut too. It might be routed for a specific string gauge; 9-42. If you're playing with a 10 gauge string set the nut should be causing a lot more friction than it should be
Yeah both guitars are set with 9-46 in D standard. When I got the MSM back from Ibanez, they checked everything was all set and clear. Still leaves me scratching my head.
I have been looking specifically at this guitar along with a few others. Ibanez seems to have a great reputation, good quality, and a heck of a lot of value for the features they stick on a guitar. I also appreciate your perspective as an Ibanez guys and a shredder type of player. Like others who have commented, I am not a shredder... but I still want the capability. Nice analysis, excellent review! Thanks for your input and solid analysis of a great guitar!
Yeah the 510 style brides are not double-locking floyds. I’d say the same for the Music Man’s non-locking bridges, same ballpark. Otherwise I would say that personally I don’t even nearly have the same stability issues, my AZ2402 is pretty stable, so with reasonably heavy use and and a strobe tuner I the running does not run away for days. An AZ with a Floyed would be a winner for me too though. Overall I simply love my AZ. Feels very similar to a Suhr in a good way, while providing a nice contrast to my classic RGs. For me it is a keeper, and gets played a fair bit.
Even with the Wilkinson WLS130 saddles it won’t stay in tune? What a shame. I loved my AZ but tuning stability drove me crazy. Was hoping the saddles would’ve worked
The Wilkinson definitely helped but I eventually installed a brass nut and it holds tuning and sustain even better now. I might have to make a follow up video but who knows haha.
I haven't played an AZ yet, but I don't understand Ibanez not making a parallel RG line to the AZ's, I mean, think of a "pointy" RG style body, maybe cleaner without pickward or pickup rims, wizard shape, roasted maple, more switching options and STAINLESS frets... They keep bringing back old RGs with the Genesis line, but man, we are almost in 2021!!!
P.S.: I hyped when saw solar guitars and they prices...
Now THAT would be an amazing Ibanez!
@@IbanezGuy88 lets push ibanez 🤣
You're the first guy to say anything negative about this series of Ibanez. Some of the issues addressed could be related to the type of player you are. It's not a bad thing it's just that type of trem is not suited to your type of playing. All in all it probably is a nice guitar just not for metal.
Damon Wolf I totally agree with ya bud! It’s just weird Ibanez wouldn’t have an option for a locking trem version. Charvel has the option for their DK24, along with the Gotoh 510 option.
Ok, but having to have the lower frets redone, because the bends are choked? What kind of players do you have in mind? The chugging only, no solo ever, type?
@@Juicexlx For guys playing rhythm, the frets 14-24 wouldn't be an issue if they don't play leads. It's mainly lead players that will have problems. There were high frets 17, 22, and the 24th that were high so even fretting a note behind those frets would cause the note to choke out, or to be muted due to the issue. Wide vibrato players like Brandon Ellis, Ryan Knight, and Taylor Washington would have a bad time bending haha. There's always that fine line of having low action with some/no buzz. The radius also plays a big part, so having a flatter radius will help out with the bending problem.
@@IbanezGuy88 Ugh. And to think that you bought a 2nd one just to make sure that it was as bad as the 1st one. Looks like they're only slowing you down, by now. May I suggest you sell them. Minimize the money drain on your wallet and move-on from the failed experiment. Shit happens, eh? :)
@@Juicexlx Haha possibly, but at this point, I might ask Ibanez to send me an AZ Premium to see how they handle. This way I played all AZ options from lowest to highest.
I too played Ibanez RGs with wizard necks for almost 20 years. I was a loyal Ibanez player. As I got older my tastes changed and now I love thicker necks and I gone away from using FR locking bridges....guess it's all subjective
Great, honest review. Been pondering one of those guitars, for a while, glad I didn't get one now. And TBH, I don't really like the looks either.
Um, you payed one? I'd say this is a totally biased review. Dude clearly is uncomfortable on non locking, more traditional guitars. It's not an accident that his wall is loaded with RGs, JEMs, etc.
I'm thankful for your honest review that tackles the guitar from *your* perspective as someone that has a lot of experience with Ibanez' flagship models, namely the RG/JEM models. You helped me make a decision between the model shown in your video or going with the RG550 instead. I will go with the RG. I also think your point about tuning is valid and present with basically every vintage style tremolo system. It's essentially an issue of tolerances. You are obviously not arguing about the guitar going wildly out of tune, you are arguing about it going slightly out of tune and you have not much tolerance for it, which is totally understandable to me. My personal takeaway in regards to the AZ models is that I wish there would be fixed bridge options/models.
I respect the views expressed in this review, but I fail to understand one thing: if your playing style basically depends on heavy tremolo use (especially backwards bends), why would you buy a guitar with a non-locking tremolo in the first place? Or the other way around, why would you expect a non-locking guitar to perform like a locking guitar? Other than that, thank you for the insights about the AZ2402 and your personal experience with it.
Totally understand your point. When I hit up Ibanez, they explained to me they wanted a guitar that's universal with any style of music. I was sure a lot of people including myself coming from RG's would be interested in the AZ.
With that said, I've heard mixed feelings about the Gotoh 510 bridges and wanted to stress test it. As of now, it does stay in tune better. Hope that clarifies my opinion!
@@IbanezGuy88 Thanks, and yeah, that makes sense, as the 2 point bridges and nuts need some time to "settle down". As for myself, I ended up buying the AZ42P1 and I couldn't be happier, it really exceeded my expectations, but then again, I am not a heavy tremolo use guy (if fact, for that guitar, I doubt if I'll even put the tremolo arm in), but heavy bends, it's taking them like a chap and it has yet to go out of tune :) So thank you for the reviews, as I was on the fence between a Prestige and a Premium model, but I'm quite happy with the value I got from the Premium, and your videos helped me make the decision :)
Love your band, I have some of your albums. I just gotta say, its like you bought a screwdriver and are complaining it doesnt work good as a hammer. Just buy the locking trem guitars for your killer chops. Leave guitars like this for old people like me
I'd have to say you're in the right direction. I had the assumption it would be as stable as a double locking trem, but in my other review on the MSM i've come to terms that they are two separate machines. I just really REALLY wanted it to be as close to my Edge trems hahaha.I am enjoying this guitar though and I appreciate the support!!
@@IbanezGuy88 I know this, love your music. It proves you can rawk without all that growling stuff that's getting old. Damn you guys can play!! Thanks for responding, its an honor man
You are in Holy Grail? Hot shit! I got the Crisis in Utopia cd a few years back on a whim. Excellent. 10 years of playing it and it still sounds better and better. Try turning my old Maiden/Megadeth burnout buddies on to it, still working on that, lol.
@@saltpeter7429 smoking ass metal
I was wondering if purchase the blue metallic one or not, but having this tuning issues,I will need to think about it..
Thanks for your honest opinion ;-)
I've noticed everyone has different experiences with these guitars. Fast forward to present day, it holds tuning pretty well, but if you want rock solid stability, a Floyd style trem will be a must!
Nice review, but it would be more useful to demo guitar before moding, not after.
True, but then again there are a lot of other videos demonstrating the Hyperion pickups it came with. I'll be doing a review soon on a Charvel DK24 with nothing altered soon!
This patch sounds killer 👌🏻
no choking on mine frets are great,i have a premium and a prestige no tuning issues at all
Thank you for your review. It helps me a lot because I have a plan to have AZ 7 string. By the way, I got same issue with my EBMM Majesty 7. I tried many things to solve the out of tune problem. Lubricating some friction points and replacing blade plate of bridge. Nothing has changed. But finally I cleaned and sandpaper the nut slot in order to make a bit wider. I am surprised because the result is what I expect. I solve the out of tune problem. Well, there is still very slight out of tune but I can still tolerate it...
Have you tried fixing the nut? Most problems with tuning that you describe come from too deep/too narrow string slots in the nut. Especially the thing you explained with tuning down, then up, then use the trem, flat, stuff. I have a vintage trem on my fender and it’s dead on, never goes out of tune. Fixing the nut made it go from 90% to 100%.
I feel you about the vintage style trems. Without locking at the bridge and at the nut there's always going to be some amount of movement left or right as far as tuning stability goes, those systems will simply never return to zero after bar use like a Floyd would. Some are more stable than others but ultimately the problem persists. On any guitar I have with that style bridge, I just block the trem and move on with my life. I only leave them unblocked if they come with the aforementioned Floyd or an Ibanez bridge in that style.
Have you considered the Vega Trem? Everything I've seen online the Vega is bulletproof for tuning stability
Will the Vega trim work on this guitar without modifications?
@@fintronics I'm pretty sure it will because it's a gotoh bridge. To make sure email Vega... They will reply. Great customer service
That trem is DEFINITELY on my list haha! This guitar lately has been staying in tune pretty well, I try not to go super heavy dive bomb mode with it, but it's been fun to play. I try to get out of my RG play style with this one.
Nice review!
How would you compare this to let say a musicman JP15?
I'd love to try a JP15, they also have a flatter radius closer to an RG wizard neck :)
I have an Ibanez AZ and I have zero tuning issues even when I abuse the whammy bar.
I want a pink one.. Cause I'm old! This was an excellent review! Good to here an educated opinion.. and Grail is excellent.
Cheers mate🤘
Awesome color! I got the original blue one. I love it.