Is the Ibanez AZ Ibanez's Best Guitar Design Ever? DISCONTINUED?

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Nk and goc have stainless frets and they are 450-900 new

Yep...that version is now prestige only....

I’ve had a Miller AZ HH since 2018 and since 2020 I’ve had a premium HSS which I replaced the pickups with Suhr pickups. The HSS is my main guitar (my profile picture). Best guitar I’ve owned for a long time (there was a ‘91 Custom 24 that had to be sold), stays in tune for ever. Fast neck, easy to play and does any style I need.

Is it the best ever? The AZ Prestige line? For me definitely "YES". My first guitar was a classical I found in my parent's closet. My second one was a Maison Electro Acoustic. I became a musician late in life I was 18. My first electric I got second hand off a friend it was a strat type Ibanez and my fourth guitar that I got in 1991 was paid for by the record label I was on and it was a Fender Stratocaster Plus with the Lace Sensor pick ups such as Clapton played at the time. I am now closing in on 56 years of age in a matter of weeks. I must've had about 70 or 80 guitars in my life and the Ibanez AZ2204 and AZ2402 Prestige are my "never leave home without it" guitars ... yeah, yeah Suhr and Xotic and bla-bla guitars, whatever the MIGHTY AZ is numero uno.

wtf is this mad tasteful playing for a demo? Great playing man, damn.

I'd love to try one out. I despise all of the current finishes on the Premiums, though. Yes, all three.

Not often commenting on vids, but this intro song is one of the, if not the best intro songs you’ve made. Your emotions speaks big time.

Check out the Ibanez AZ47P1QM BIB

Harley Benton Les Paul's and Fusion Series with SS frets for around £250 upwards!

I think the pricing is pretty good. It’s a very well executed and produced guitar. I think Ibanez is trying to stack it up against the Suhr modern and I think they pulled it off for less money. The fit and finish, hardware, pickups, fret work, playability is all there. I love it. Buyer beware if you think you’re buying an RG with a Wizard neck you’re going to be disappointed. It’s a big fat neck meant to wrap your thumb over the top.

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Discontinued? What? This is the first I've heard of it. Yeah sure, maybe they drop a few certain models and finish options that weren't selling but to axe the entire AZ line is inconceivable to me considering how popular they have been and how well received they were especially among newer trending artists. They also recently released the AZES line which is super affordable, they wouldn't do that if they weren't popular. My only criticism, and one that keeps me holding back from buying one is the lack of finish options that appeal to me.

I'm surprised to see the neck is built much like the Fender strat with no slanting of the headstock. But still, if I am paying that much money for a guitar I am going to have to go with a full floating Floyd Rose and locking nut. But I love the HSS as well. I have an RG550 Japan made 20/20/2000. I have had it since the day it was sold and 23 year later the neck is stable so I think people go out of their way for the stable neck thing when Ibanez RG I have has always been stable no matter where I have gone with it. From AZ in the desert, to TX humidity to London England. But I love the wizard neck. Also, same frets amazingly. They are going to be re-leveled and crowned, but hey. It's been 23 years and its still is not bad and very playable. If you don't grind your frets, they last. If I am not dead one day I might get stainless steel frets on it. Maybe. Even my tremolo system has given me no problems on it in 23 years. I have been thinking about swamping pick plates and taking it from a HSH to the HSS with a custom pick guard. I'm so mostly an HSS player these days, like I was in my earlier days. They just are more versatile to me. But if I ever see this guitar oyu have for a few hundreds bucks, I'll pick one up for sure.

My ATZ100 Prestige came with serious fret sprouts all the frets. Very disappointing. Sounded too bright. Neck felt fatter than AT100c. Which is a much better choice

I own 3 az. In 2018 I bought the first 224f hss coz was the only guitar around 1000€ with that specs. After 2 years i wanted a chambered hss. The premium is a 12" roasted. Only the prestige have the compound. The 2204n is the version with non recensed cavity trem.

"These are not cheap!" Yea! Not even affordable, but fukin' expensive! When I first saw the line I was like: WTF, this is the perfect superstrat, gimme one NOW! But when I saw the pricetag, I didn't really know where to go for a calmdown! You know what?! Then Charvel came into my mind, but for obvious reasons I prefer NOT to purchase US related guitar crap! Finally I purchased a Harley Benton fusion II for 365 euros, and pimped it up with Seymour Buncan pickups from my drawer, new cables, TAD pots and even covered the cavities with copperfoil. All this under 600 euros! Bang, the perfect superstrat! Sayonara Ibanez!

I’ve been keen on getting an AZ - the problem I’ve found is the ones I wanted were the old colours and the current lineup looks unbelievably boring. I know it should be about feel and playability, but I’d like something nice to look at too. Hopefully the 2024 range is better than the current crop.

No way that you play on my guitar haha! Amazing playing as always man

If Ibanez made an Andy Timmons model that was on par with a MIM Strat for quality and price... That would be working musicians dream.

The points that pull me in are the weight and ergonomics, The look I prefer the more classic esthetics. I am curious to try one.

Very much like a 22 fret RT (they're all 24 fret models). I have a great red RT650, but it lacks the true neck single coil pickup sound because of the different position of the pickup. For the rest it's a blast to play, great neck, not too thin.

your intro jams are so inspiring.

Hey John, great and honest review, if I could have made it sound like you have I might never have parted with it😁

Ibanez guitar design? Cmon, it's a strat. Slightly modified strat.

I've got this exact one, It was a store demo for 700 bucks. Neck too thick for my small hands though

Wild to me that they'd discontinue the AZ range I saw a lot of people try them out who would never have considered an Ibanez before! Some lovely finishes too.

very nice video ! this model was so great! What about AZS ? the t style ibanez

Had an old first gen AZ Premium like yours but with 24 frets and 2 humbuckers. Sold it after 6 months. Plays great, sounds great but totally found it vanilla bland and lacks any sort of character. Replaced it with a Fender American Performer for the same sort of money and oooh that’s just way better sounding and does it’s thing. Not sure what thing the AZ was supposed to do best, but being jack of all trades kinda guitar didn’t quite work for me. Its greatest strength unfortunately was also its biggest weakness.

I've wanted an AZ2204 since Jack started playing one. I finally was able to get my hands on one at local Guitar Center and loved it but I just can't drop the 2k at the moment (though I do appreciate how much cheaper they are than a new Suhr Classic S, Xotic XSC, etc.)

I love my Prestige AZ, as you know. I think the QC varies on the Premiums, but if you get a good one, the value for money is pretty amazing.
I love stainless steel frets. My latest Alpher custom has stainless, as does my Guthrie, two Pias and obviously the AZ. I had a Wolfgang Special with stainless too, but they were vintage size and I didn’t get on with it. Turns out I’m a jumbo fanboy

Inflation really sucks, Indo guitars for over $2000CAD after tax? Are they twice as good as a Sire S7, Schecter Nick Johnston or Silver Sky SE? My AD here at work is thinking about selling his AZ Prestige but it's one of the HH models, I'd really want HSS.

Sounds great and impressive spec but what happened with the paint job? Bizarre, just looks like a quick dunk in a not quite deep enough paint pot.

For creating new presets would you recommend using the Flat FL Raw setup of the Powercab with Low Cut: 80Hz and High Cut: 18.0Hz and add a Cab or IR from Helix or would you suggest to create a preset without virtual Cabs or IRs and use the speaker emulations in the Powercab? Thanks!

I have this exact model and it's a dream! Sounds great, feels great. No complaints at all. It's got many features I expected to find on much higher end guitars.

Just curious where you heard they were discontinued?

Some of the newer Prestige stuff has compound radius boards and lower output pickups than this. Check out the AZ2204N.

I think it’s pretty tough to make the argument that anything other than the Jem is the best design Ibanez ever made. The Jem literally redefined what a modern guitar is. The AZ is a great guitar but I think it never would exist is Ibanez hadn’t made the Jem 35 years go.

Always had a soft spot for Ibanez, an RG140 was my very first electric. I still have it and spent a bit of time fixing it up a while back. Moved the jack to the traditional S-type location, replaced pickups and pots, put a gotoh trem (original was knackered) and locking tuners. So the (modified) body and neck are the only original parts (though refretted a couple of times) - and it is a better guitar now than ever. I really like the AZ model, but just never found one in a lefty…

Nice playing in the begining of the vids, it reminds me of Vinnie Moore and Eric Johnson in a mix 👍👍👍
This Ibanez AZ is one of my wishlist guitar, modern take on a traditional strat, and I love all of the specs, and the Hyperion with the Dyna Mix 9 switch is what I'm so curious about.
And, it's made in my country 😁😍

I have 2 premium and love them, it’s the stainless frets and the rock solid heat treated neck that got my attention. Have you tried the new single coil version yet?

I have the an AZ premium with 2 hambuckers. I wish Ibanez did more versions of them like when they first were released. They had one with flame maple veneer, pastel pink color, foam green and one with maple burl veneer too.

Deleted the other comment. It is 305mm straight. No compound.

Mr. Cordy (JNC), please consider compiling an LP, spotify playlist, or whatever of your intro jams. Kinda like Rabea's grinding gears. So many cool jams!

I recommended this guitar on your Nick Johnson vid regarding other great guitars made in Indonesia 5/14/22. I have a Premium and Prestige and love them both!

Wish I could find something like this one for £500 where I live..

I have one of the Prestige AZs. It's close to $2k, but it's on par with my Fender Ultra Strat in being the most playable guitar I own. The biggest difference between the Premium and the Prestige AZs is the roasted maple (along with some crazy patented process) neck that basically means the guitar never goes out of tune once setup properly, even amid temperature and humidity changes. And it's an amazing feeling neck. It rocks. I love it.

Clarity