You are currently viewing 5 Best Ibanez Electric Guitars for 2024 (Ibanez Fanboy Picks)

Last Updated on March 2, 2024 by Teemu Suomala

photo reveals owner of guitaristnextdoor.com

Author: Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I love guitars and have played dozens and dozens of different guitars through different amps and pedals over the years, and also, building a website interested me, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website.

I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have also been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as SongsterrMusicnotesGuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar.

I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog (I guess that went the right way…).


displays ibanez genesis Ibanez rg550

Best Overall Ibanez Electric Guitar – Ibanez Genesis RG550

Reviewer: Teemu Suomala

Sound
Playability
Overall Quality
Value For Money
Hardware

Summary

Pros:
-Super-versatile pickups (HSH)
-Smooth & slim Super Wizard neck shape
-Great quality Gotoh tuners
-Smooth to use and durable Ibanez Edge tremolo bridge
-Excellent playability

Cons:
-Coil-split would be just awesome
-Really flashy color options are not for everyone

Who is this guitar for?
If you are after extreme versatility, comfortable playability, and great value for the money, Ibanez Genesis Collection RG550 is one of the best options. It’s an all-around workhorse that will serve you well and faithfully in every situation. Plus it features an Ibanez Edge bridge. Some people swear by the name of it and prefer it over the Original Floyd Rose.
The extremely good hardware, versatility, and great tones you can get out of this axe make Ibanez Genesis RG550 the best electric guitar under $1000.

4.9

How Ibanez Genesis RG550 sounds:

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The Next Best:

Best Budget – Ibanez AZES40

displays Ibanez Azes 40 electric guitar

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros:

  • Extremely versatile
  • Great variety of clean tones from super gentle to mild crunch
  • If you get a good copy of AZES40 it plays like a $500+ guitar
  • Alter switch is an amazing feature for this price
  • Easy to play, great fit for different skill levels and sizes

Cons:

  • Sometimes ships with rough fret & fretboard edges, bad setup, and finish issues
  • Not the best option for metal
  • Not a Wizard neck (not a con for everyone)

Who is this guitar for?

If you are a beginner or intermediate player looking for a versatile, easy-to-play, and budget-friendly electric guitar with an HSS pickup configuration, Ibanez AZES40 is easily one of the best options.

 

Best Premium – Ibanez Prestige AZS2200 

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros:

  • Extremely smooth and comfortable playability
  • Spot-on sound
  • Surprisingly versatile
  • Alter switch enables connecting single-coil pickup and another coil of the humbucker in series to create different humbucker-like tones
  • Great hardware (Gotoh Locking tuners, Gotoh tremolo bridge, and bone nut)
  • Could cost a lot more
  • Seymor Duncan pickups sound great and offer high value

Cons:

  • Premium quality means a premium price

Who is this guitar for?

If you are in search of an extremely comfortable, versatile, and great-sounding premium guitar, Ibanez Prestige AZS2200 is a great option.

Best Beginner – Ibanez GRX70QA

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros

  • Super versatile…
  • …and also sounds good!
  • Really effortless to play
  • Really high value for the money
  • 5-way switch and tremolo add a tons of different options
  • Solid tuners and hardware

Cons

  • Some rough fret edges
  • Not the most attractive option for under $200 (subjective)
  • Not the best tuners under $200
  • Fret buzz out of the box

Who is this guitar for?

If you are in search of a versatile budget guitar around the $200 price mark, this is my go-to option. Excellent electric guitar for beginners.

>Read the full review<

Best Hollowbody – Ibanez George Benson Signature LGB30

displays Ibanez George Benson Signature LGB30 hollowbody guitar

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Our Overall Rating

Summary

Pros:

  • The neck is slightly thinner than usually with hollowbody guitars
  • Bone nut for improved sustain and tone
  • The spruce top and maple body offer crisp, clear, and gentle tones
  • Excellent for jazz and blues music
  • Offers solid versatility
  • Good hardware

Cons:

  • A clear and crisp tone might not be for everyone
  • Tailpiece is not very attractive

Who is this guitar for?

If you are after a smooth-playing hollowbody guitar that strives with jazz and blues and can handle almost any kind of music (not good for heaviest headbangers of course), Ibanez LGB30 George Benson Signature is a great choice.

Compare The Key Specs:

this graphic compares specifications of 5 best Ibanez electric guitars

Compare The Pickups:

image reveals How different electric guitar pickups sound

Pickups

Neck: V7 Humbucker (ceramic)

Middle: S1 Single-coil (alnico)

Bridge: V8 Humbucker (alnico)

Pickups

Neck: Essential Single-coil

Middle: Essential Single-coil

Bridge: Essential Accord Humbucker

Pickups

Neck: Seymour Duncan Magic Touch-mini Humbucker

Bridge: Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom Single-coil

Pickups

Neck: Infinity R Ceramic Humbucker

Middle: Infinity RS Ceramic Single-coil

Bridge: Infinity R Ceramic Humbucker

Pickups

Neck: Super 58 Custom Humbucker

Bridge: Super 58 Custom Humbucker


About Ibanez Electric Guitars

Ibanez is an electric guitar brand. According to Wikipedia, Ibanez has marketed 165 bass guitars, 130 acoustic guitars, and…drum roll…more than 300 electric guitar models.

And Ibanez doesn’t only market electric guitars, they have been able to “hook” many players and make raving fans. I don’t consider myself a raving Ibanez fan, but I’m a fan…and Ibanez electrics are one of my favorite guitars. All their models are not for me and sometimes the budget axes have a bit sloppy finish (this can happen with any brand), but most of the time, playing an Ibanez electric guitar is a pure pleasure for me.

Check how Ibanez ranked in our Best Electric Guitar Brands round-up!

In this article we dive deep into the world of Ibanez guitars, I reveal my choices for the 5 best Ibanez electric guitars and you will discover who these guitars are good for and who not. Remember to check the runner-ups that just missed the top 5 and the Buyer’s Guide section too.

Let’s get started!

If you are not completely settled on a idea of buying an Ibanez, check our other electric guitar brand guides:

5 Best Gibson Electric Guitars


Our Reviews of The Top 5

Keep These 3 Key Things In Mind When Choosing:

Know what you can afford and then buy the best guitar you can afford.

I learned this rule of thumb from The Guitar Handbook written by Ralph Denyer.

What kind of sound are you after?

  • Thick and full? Get Humbuckers.
  • Bright and spanky? Get Single-coils.
  • Need ultimate versatility? Get a guitar with an HSH pickup configuration.

Know what you are after and you are on your way to choosing the right guitar for you!

Choose a guitar that enables you to play the music you love.

Best Overall – Ibanez Genesis Collection RG550

Specs

Body StyleModern Strat
Body WoodBasswood
Neck5-piece Maple/Walnut
Neck ShapeSuper Wizard
Neck ThicknessFrom 1st fret: 0.67″ (17mm) & 12th fret: 0.74″ (19mm)
Fretboard24 Jumbo frets. Maple fingerboard. 16.9″ radius.
NutLocking nut
Nut Width1.69″ (43mm)
PickupsV7 (H) neck pickup Passive/Ceramic
S1 (S) middle pickup Passive/Alnico
V8 (H) bridge pickup Passive/Alnico
Controls1 x master volume
1 x master tone
5-way blade pickup switch
Scale-Length25.5″
BridgeEdge Locking Tremolo bridge
TunersGotoh tuners

Versatility is 1 key thing why this RG550 sits at the top place. Ibanez V7 & V8 humbuckers and S1 single coil provide super versatile tones from gentle cleans to spanky funk to raw metal.

I personally used humbuckers most of the time, since the combination of gentle cleans the neck V7 is able to provide, plus the overdriven tones the bridge V8 can offer are a match made in heaven for me. But I wouldn’t shy away from the S1 single-coil either, I’m just more of a humbucker guy.

I personally like the basswood in terms of weight (kind of standard super-strat), and also, since electric guitar body woods don’t matter with plugged-in tones, there’s no need to use more expensive woods.

The guitar stays in tune like a beast thanks to the excellent Ibanez Edge bridge, locking nut, and Gotoh tuners.

Another key aspect of the RG550’s greatness is its playability. The neck is thin with normal 1.69″ nut width. This enabled me to access all the frets easily. On top of that, the 16.9″ fretboard radius (really flat) makes sweep picking, fast shifts, and fast playing in general as easy as possible. Of course, if you just hate thin necks, this RG550 is not for you.

Based on my research, the out-of-the-box setup, finish, and overall quality has been stellar consistently, and there are only 2 things I would change about this guitar…1.I would add a coil-split. 2. I would love to have less flashy color options.

Another solid sound demo:

Pros:

  • Super-versatile pickups (HSH)
  • Smooth & slim Super Wizard neck shape
  • Great quality Gotoh tuners
  • Smooth to use and durable Ibanez Edge tremolo bridge
  • Excellent playability

Cons:

  • Coil-split would be just awesome
  • Really flashy color options are not for everyone
What others are saying:

This is the a reissue of the original RG550 Ibanez made in the late 1980s. As soon as I took it out of the box it was like being reunited with the first real electric guitar I ever owned. PURE JOY! The color is absolutely stunning and loud but tasteful, almost orange, but red. The looks are a head turner. The quality of electronics, frets, knobs, etc are second to none. It instantly became my favorite guitar, and I own some other very nice guitars. Scott Leininger at Sweetwater was great, keeping me updated on ordering progress because there is a rather long wait for this guitar. He called me the day it came in and it shipped out the next day. THIS GUITAR IS WORTH THE WAIT, ORDER IT NOW BEFORE IT’S GONE AND YOU MISS OUT! – Tom from Sacramento, CA

Who is this guitar for?

If you are after extreme versatility, comfortable playability, and great value for the money, Ibanez Genesis Collection RG550 is one of the best options. It’s an all-around workhorse that will serve you well and faithfully in every situation. Plus it features an Ibanez Edge bridge. Some people swear by the name of it and prefer it over Original Floyd Rose.

The extremely good hardware, versatility, and great tones you can get out of this axe make Ibanez Genesis RG550 the best electric guitar under $1000.

Who is this guitar NOT for?

If you hate guitars with thin necks, the Ibanez RG550 is not for you. Another deal-breaker might be the flashy color options.

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Best Budget – Ibanez AZES40

displays Ibanez Azes 40 electric guitar

Specs

Body StyleModern Strat
Body WoodPoplar
NeckMaple
Neck ShapeAZES C
Neck ThicknessFrom 1st fret: 0.8″ (20.5mm) & 12th fret: 0.88″ (22.5mm)
Fretboard22 Medium Nickel frets. Jatoba fingerboard. 10″ Radius.
NutPlastic
Nut Width1.653″ (42mm)
Pickups2x Essential Single-coil (Neck & Middle)
Essential Accord Humbucker (bridge)
Controls1 x master volume
1 x master tone
1 x Alter Switch
5-way blade pickup switch
Scale-Length25″
BridgeF106 Tremolo Bridge with Round Steel Saddles
TunersIbanez Split-shaft tuners

Ibanez AZES40 is one of the best electric guitars under $400 on the market.

It comes with an HSS configuration and a 5-way blade switch. Versatile, easy to use, and the Ibanez Essential pickups sound good. But Azes got an ace on its sleeve… Ibanez Azes guitars also have an alter switch that allows you to access 4 different pickup configurations on top of the regular 5. For example, 1 of the options with the alter switch allows you to connect single coils in series and achieve humbucker-like tones with the neck and middle single-coil pickups.

With 9 pickups combinations (normal 5 plus thanks to alter switch, 4 more), this guitar can cover all the basic rock, blues, jazz, country, funk, reggae, etc. needs. AZES40 can even stand its ground with a solid metal mashup, but I must say that if you are after a metal guitar, there are better metal guitar options for you under the $500 price point.

It’s easy to state that the Ibanez AZES40 is one of the most versatile HSS pickup configuration axes out there.

When it comes to playability, AZES C neck is slightly thicker than the Wizard necks, but it’s nowhere close to the thick neck Gibsons for example. Also, the nut (1.653″ ) and overall neck width are really easy to handle for most players (standard Strat stuff).

I must say that most of the time, the playability and overall neck finish with these cheap AZES guitars are really solid. But sometimes lemons do slip through the quality check…rough fret & fretboard edges and uneven frets do happen from time to time. If these kinds of things happen to you, you can usually return the guitar for a refund, so don’t worry. And still, most of the time the AZES40 arrives with a smooth neck and a good setup.

Also, I must mention that While AZES40 does in general stay in turn really well, with really hard tremolo arm use, you can make it go out of tune pretty easily. But in normal use, there are usually no issues.

Overall Ibanez AZES40 is a rock solid rock guitar that is versatile, easy to play, and offers excellent value for the money.

How this guitar sounds:

Pros:

  • Extremely versatile
  • Great variety of clean tones from super gentle to mild crunch
  • If you get a good copy of AZES40 it plays like a $500+ guitar
  • Alter switch is an amazing feature for this price
  • Easy to play, great fit for different skill levels and sizes

Cons:

  • Sometimes ships with rough fret & fretboard edges, bad setup, and finish issues
  • Not the best option for metal
  • Not a Wizard neck (not a con for everyone)
What others are saying:

It feels absolutely amazing. No issues at all with the frets and the action was pretty good – just needed a minor at-home tweak. I took it to my buddy’s house who has been playing for years and he said it plays just as good as his $800-1200 range of guitars. The humbucker really packs a punch and sounds incredible and the single coils sound just as good. There’s a huge range of versatility in the switch as well. – Happy AZES40 owner from the US

Who is this guitar for?

If you are a beginner or intermediate player looking for a versatile, easy-to-play, and budget-friendly electric guitar with an HSS pickup configuration, Ibanez AZES40 is easily one of the best options.

Who is this guitar NOT for?

If you are looking for a meaty double humbucker metal sound or premium-level quality and playability, Ibanez AZES40 is not for you.

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Best Premium – Ibanez Prestige AZS2200

Specs

Body StylePrestige AZS – Single-cut
Body WoodAlder
NeckRoasted Maple
Neck ShapeAZ Oval C
Neck ThicknessFrom 1st fret: 0.8″ (20.5mm) & 12th fret: 0.88″ (22.5mm)
Fretboard22 Jumbo frets. Roasted Maple fingerboard. 12″ radius.
NutBone
Nut Width1.653″ (42mm)
PickupsSeymour Duncan Magic Touch-mini Humbucker (neck)
Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom Single-coil (bridge)
Controls1 x master volume
1 x master tone
2-way mini alter switch
5-way blade pickup switch
Scale-Length25.5″
BridgeGotoh T1802 Tremolo bridge
TunersGotoh Magnum Locking tuners

The first reason for the awesomeness of Ibanez Prestige AZS2200 is its playability. I say this very rarely…but the playability with this axe is second to none. The roasted maple neck feels super smooth. Stainless steel Jumbo frets with a 12″ radius and a good setup make this guitar extremely comfortable to play.

AZ Oval C to me, feels like a thinner version of a normal C neck with similar nut width. It’s not as thin as most Wizard necks, but it gets close. You get a good mix of firm grip and super fast & smooth playability with this neck shape.

I would have never known that I could like a guitar with HS pickup configuration this much. I usually opt in for double humbuckers, but this thing…it sounds outstanding. Humbuckercan offer super versatile sounds from gentle clean to crunchy rock tones to serious murky distortion.

Bridge single coil got you covered with a great variety of different blues, jazz, funk, and rock tones. But the awesomeness doesn’t end here…

The alter switch allows you to use 2 different modes with this AZ. For example:

  • With mode 1, you can parallel connect the other coil of the humbucker and the single coil and access humbucker-like tones with this combo
  • With mode 2, you can use the other coil of the humbucker and the single coil as 2 single coils

These are just 2 example options, but you get the point, this guitar is extremely versatile.

In the hardware department, everything is rock solid. Gotoh Magnum locking tuners ensure stable tuning and the Gotoh T1802 Tremolo bridge supports overall playability, tone, and tuning stability.

It might sound like I’m only praising this guitar…but to me, a guitar costing almost $2k should be awesome. And this brings me to the only con…this guitar is not cheap, but it’s still worth the money.

How this guitar sounds:

Pros:

  • Extremely smooth and comfortable playability
  • Spot-on sound
  • Surprisingly versatile
  • Alter switch enables connecting single-coil pickup and another coil of the humbucker in series to create different humbucker-like tones
  • Great hardware (Gotoh Locking tuners, Gotoh tremolo bridge, and bone nut)
  • Could cost a lot more
  • Seymor Duncan pickups sound great and offer high value

Cons:

  • Premium quality means a premium price
What others are saying:

Just let me say that the playability is just about as perfect as it gets. Everything about the neck is 100%. The pickups and dyna-MIX5 mechanism produce both good and bland tones. About 15 hours have been put on the guitar since receiving it last week. As of right now, this is my 2nd best guitar in terms of playability out of 18 guitars (that includes 6 Prestige RGs and one S). A half star was knocked off because there were some micro-scratches on the body right out of the box (no big deal though). – AZS2200 owner from Upstate DFW

Who is this guitar for?

If you are in search of an extremely comfortable, versatile, and great-sounding premium guitar, Ibanez Prestige AZS2200 is a great option.

Who is this guitar NOT for?

If you are looking for a guitar with double humbuckers or you want a budget-friendly guitar, Ibanez Prestige AZS2200 is not for you.

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Best Beginner – Ibanez GRX70QA

Specs

Body StyleModern strat
Body WoodPoplar body & Quilted Maple Art Grain top
NeckMaple
Neck ShapeGRX
Neck ThicknessFrom 1st fret: 0.76″ (19.5mm) & 12th fret: 0.84″ (21.5mm)
Fretboard22 Medium frets. Purpleheart fingerboard. 12″ radius.
NutPlastic
Nut Width1.653″ (42mm)
PickupsInfinity R Ceramic Humbucker (neck)
Infinity RS Ceramic Single-coil (middle)
Infinity R Ceramic Humbucker (bridge)
Controls1 x master volume
1 x master tone
5-way blade pickup switch
Scale-Length25.5″
BridgeIbanez T106 Tremolo bridge
TunersIbanez Closed Gear tuners

Read the full in-depth review of Ibanez GRX70QA here.

I had this Ibanez on my in-depth testing at the start of 2021. And oh boy, I had fun with this thing. Let me tell you why…

First, I loved the neck. Wizard-like thickness (really thin), medium frets, and low action made this guitar ultra-playable. The fret edges were not as smooth as with more expensive Ibanez axes, so I had to smoothen them a bit. Also, the guitar had a bit too low action out of the box and that caused fret buzz, but after a little setup, this guitar was super easy and fun to play.

Infinity pickups offered super versatile tones from spanky single coil tones to clean fingerpicking sounds to crushing metal. The sound quality itself was not always top-notch material, but definitely more than good enough for this price.

I noticed that his Ibanez was not the best fit for all guitar amps, especially with cheap amps like VOX Pathfinder 10, the sound was way too tinny and fuzzy. But amps like Fender Mustang LT25, Boss Katana 50 Mkii, and VOX Valvetronix 20 all sounded great with this GIO.

In the quality department, this guitar had a solid performance. It had uneven frets (not too bad), some fret buzz out of the box, and those rough fret edges. But based on my research, most GRX70QAs don’t suffer from these issues. The tuners were not the best in their price range, but definitely good, and I didn’t experience any annoying tuning issues with this guitar.

All in all, Ibanez GRX70QA is definitely not a perfect guitar, but it offers excellent value for the money, is versatile, and easy to play. It still is the best electric guitar under $200 to me.

How this guitar sounds:

Pros

  • Super versatile…
  • …and also sounds good!
  • Really effortless to play
  • Really high value for the money
  • 5-way switch and tremolo add tons of different options to your playing
  • Solid tuners and hardware

Cons

  • Some rough fret edges
  • Not the most attractive option for under $200 (subjective)
  • Not the best tuners under $200
  • Sometimes fret buzz out of the box
What others are saying:

Was waiting on this to be in stock. It was worth the wait. Neck, frets, and profile feel great. I like a flat radius , since I’m used to classical guitars. Pickups are really versatile and I especially like the single coil and neck humbuckers. So many different possibilities. Tweaked the action a bit. The tremolo bar works, but not my thing . Well balanced guitar since I play sitting. The blue color is eye candy. Better than most other bolt on neck guitars in this price rang. – Mark. from Ohio

Who is this guitar for?

If you are in search of a versatile budget guitar around the $200 price mark, this is my go-to option. Excellent electric guitar for beginners.

Who is this guitar NOT for?

If you are in search of premium feel, quality, and sound, Ibanez GRX70QA is not for you.

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Best Budget – Ibanez George Benson Signature LGB30

Specs

Body StyleHollowbody – Single-cut
Top WoodSpruce
Body WoodFlamed Maple
Neck3-piece Nyatoh/Maple
Neck ShapeArtstar
Neck ThicknessFrom 1st fret: 0.78″ (20mm) & 9th fret: 0.86″ (22mm)
Fretboard22 Medium frets. Bound Ebony fingerboard. 12″ radius
NutBone
Nut Width1.69″ (43mm)
Pickups2 x Super 58 Custom Humbuckers
Controls2 x master volume
2 x master tone
3-way blade pickup switch
Scale-Length24.75″
BridgeGibraltar Artist bridge with LGB30 Tailpiece
TunersIbanez Die-cast tuners

First, this guitar sounds really good unplugged. The stunning Flamed Maple body paired with the Spruce top produces a crisp and clear sound that still manages to be gentle.

When you hook this axe to an amplifier, things get even better. 2 Super 58 Custom Humbuckers deliver smooth, crisp, and articulate tones that are an excellent match with jazz, blues, country, and rock music. Versatility is there, but this guitar performs at its best when it’s singing the melodies of jazz or blues.

The real bone nut supports the overall high-quality tonal experience, LGB30 offers great sustain, and the notes do sound really clear.

The TOM-styled Gibraltar artist bridge feels great against my palm no matter if I’m fingerpicking or using the pick. But one of the only cons lies near the Gibraltar bridge…

The LGB30 tailpiece, which doesn’t limit the guitar in terms of playability or sound at all, isn’t very good-looking in my eyes (this is subjective of course).

According to the specs Ibanez provides us with, the neck of this Geroge Benson signature model is thinner than with most available hollowbody and semi-hollowbody guitars. The width of the neck (1.69″nut) is pretty much the standard for hollowbody guitars. In real life, these neck specs transfer to a really playable hollowbody guitar that offers a firm grip for chords and a smooth feel when playing some sweet jazz licks.

At the end of the day, the Ibanez LGB30 is a great-sounding hollowbody guitar that is made for jazz and also shines with blues. But it can also handle country, rock, folk, etc. really well. It’s smooth playing (good setup is required of course) with its thinner-than-usual neck and the 24.75″ scale length makes both strumming and fingerpicking easy.

How this guitar sounds:

Pros:

  • The neck is slightly thinner than usually with hollowbody guitars
  • Bone nut for improved sustain and tone
  • The spruce top and maple body offer crisp, clear, and gentle tones
  • Excellent for jazz and blues music
  • Offers solid versatility
  • Good hardware

Cons:

  • A clear and crisp tone might not be for everyone
  • Tailpiece is not very attractive
What others are saying:

This is an update. After a few minor tweaks to fit my playing all I can say is that I finally have a guitar that feels right, sounds right, is made and looks right and actually inspires me to play! I have owned a lot of guitars in my 65 years but this is the first one that I ABSOLUTELY will not sell. I sold my acoustic (Fender) and use the LGB 30 unplugged.  Norman from Kalamazoo, Mi

Who is this guitar for?

If you are after a smooth-playing hollowbody guitar that strives with jazz and blues and can handle almost any kind of music (not good for heaviest headbangers of course), Ibanez LGB30 George Benson Signature is a great choice.

Who is this guitar NOT for?

If you are after a hollowbody guitar with a really meaty neck, this Ibanez is not for you. Or, if you are after a really vintage-styled experience or hollowbody guitar for rock music only, there might be better options available. Check the best hollowbody guitars under $1000.

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Verdict

Ibanez Genesis RG550 with its under $1k price, amazing versatility, and good-as-it-can-be playability, easily took the best overall Ibanez Electric guitar throne.

Ibanez AZES40 with its alter switch, versatility, and easy playability is the best option for budget-minded players.

If you want premium quality, hardware, sound, and feel, it’s really hard to go wrong with the Ibanez Prestige AZS2200. It’s really, really good.

Ibanez GRX70QA is a top dog for beginners. It costs just around $200, is easy to play, and is versatile.

Ibanez LGB30 George Benson Signature with its sweet sound, comfortable playability, and high value is the best Ibanez hollowbody guitar to me.


Runner-Ups That Just Missed The Top 5

Looking for the best electric guitars under $500 in 2023?


Buyer’s Guide

How to Choose The Best Ibanez Acoustic Guitar For You?

Body Styles

Choosing the right body style comes down to testing different guitars, knowing your needs & wants, and then choosing accordingly.

Here are quick basics of Ibanez electric guitar body styles (I didn’t include signature guitars in this).

Modern Strats
  • AZ
  • AZES
  • RG
  • RG Gio
  • RGA
  • RGD
  • S
  • miKro
Tele-Style Single-Cuts
  • AZS
Other Double Cuts
  • AX
  • AR
Offset
  • X
  • Iceman
Headless (no headstock)
  • Q
Hollowbody & Semi-Hollowbodies
  • AS
  • AF
  • AG
  • AM

Pickups

I recommend you have a look at this pickup tone graph again, it can really help you to narrow down your choices:

image reveals How different electric guitar pickups sound
PickupGenres
HumbuckersMetal, rock, blues, jazz, country, hard rock
Telecaster single-coilsRock, blues, jazz, hard rock, lighter metal
P90’sRock, blues, punk, lighter metal, hard rock
Stratocaster single-coilsRock, blues, jazz, funk

Let’s now get more genre specific with the pickup configurations…

Pickup ConfigurationGenres
HHMetal, rock, blues, jazz, country, hard rock
HSHReally versatile, almost anything goes
HSSRock, blues, jazz, funk, hard rock, lighter metal
SSSRock, blues, jazz, funk
SH & HSRock, blues, jazz, lighter metal, hard rock
Note that pickups themselves have an impact on the sound too.

Learn more about electric guitar anatomy here and electric guitar pickup types here.

Necks

Ibanez has tons of different necks to choose from. In general, Ibanez produces necks that are usually pretty standard in terms of width, but thinner. I recommend trying different Ibanez necks out, but I can say that I have never played an Ibanez that had a neck that felt bad. But let’s now look at the 2 most common and in my opinion the best Ibanez neck shapes.

image displays how Ibanez wizard neck shape looks
Wizard neck.

Wizard necks are really thin. For example, the Wizard III neck is 19mm from 1st fret and 21mm from 12th fret, while the Slim Taper D neck of my Epiphone Les Paul Special VE is 22mm from 1st fret and 23mm from 12th fret. Wizard necks are excellent for fast playing and a great option for small-handed guitarists.

AZ necks are another popular Ibanez neck shape I really like. AZ necks are a bit thicker than Wizard necks. For example, the AZ Oval C neck of Ibanez AZ2402 Prestige is 20.5mm from 1st fret and 22.5mm from 12th fret. AZ necks are fast playing too, but offer firmer grip and suit chord and rhythm playing better than Wizard necks in my opinion.


FAQ

What Are Ibanez Electric Guitars Best For?

Ibanez electric guitars are known for their versatility, fast playability, and great price:value ratio.

Ibanez has a great electric guitar model for:

-ultimate versatility,
-metal,
-rock,
-jazz,
-blues…
-and for almost any other genre.

You just have to choose the one that has the right playability and pickups for your needs. In my humble opinion, there’s a good Ibanez electric guitar out there for almost any player.

Are Ibanez Good Quality Guitars?

Based on my experience, I would say that Ibanez axes are good quality guitars. They usually come with a good setup, solid hardware, great sounding pickups, and the finish is all good.

But all my experiences with Ibanez guitars have not been outstanding. I have always loved the playability and the sound, but especially some of the cheapest Ibanez guitars I have played have suffered from minor issues such as:

-fret buzz
-uneven frets
-sharp fret edges
-some flaws in the finish.

Based on my research, these issues are rare but still happen, again, especially with the cheapest models.

Still, the majority of the Ibanez guitars I have played had been excellent in terms of quality and I definitely recommend that you test some Ibanez axes out yourself.

What is The Best Ibanez Electric Guitar for Beginners?

Ibanez has a ton of good beginner models. Ibanez GRX70QA is my top choice because of its versatility and easy playability. If you are a metalhead, I would check Ibanez GRG121DX out.

Is Ibanez Owned by Fender?

Ibanez is not owned by Fender. Ibanez is owned by Hoshino Gakki, a Japanese musical instruments manufacturer.

What Does RG Mean Ibanez?

RG stands for “Roadstar Guitar”.

At the start of their existence, RG’s were known as “Roadstar Guitars”. The use of this name was stopped in 1992 and since this series has just been called “RG”.

Ibanez guitars have become popular because they have been manufacturing great quality instruments under the name “Ibanez” since 1957. Ibanez has been able to produce guitars that are

-Fast & easy playing
-Versatile
-Affordable
-High value
-Offer great quality hardware

All these aspects are important for guitar players and are strong reasons for the success of Ibanez. Ibanez has also produced tons of different guitars (and other instruments too) from acoustic to classical to hollowbody to standard electric guitars. So they have been able to get raving fans from many different playing backgrounds.


Conclusion

Some absolute versatile shred machines. And that’s the thing, Ibanez guitars are so smooth playing and versatile, that it’s hard to find people not liking them. I personally haven’t met anyone who thinks Ibanez electric guitars are trash. While some finish and setup issues do happen from time to time, especially with cheaper models, it’s hard to argue that Ibanez is one of the best guitar brands of our time. Period.

I hope this article helped you out, and maybe you even decided to get one of the guitars featured. If you have any questions, leave a comment, I and the GND team are here for you.

Now go, my son, and Rock!

Go on and check our Ibanez acoustic guitar guides too!

-5 Best Ibanez Acoustic Guitars

Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…). Expertise: guitar learning techniques, electric guitars, and guitar amplifiers. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or just email me.
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Graham

I completely agree with the rg550 being your top choice. I bought a 1988 rg in 1989 when I was 16 years old I’m 49 now still have it haven’t played a guitar in 34 years as good I now have another 1988 rg and I have a 2018 genesis all of them the white version. Thanks for the review and iv felt the same as you for the last 34 years.