Featured review by:
kyle_katarn3, on july 18, 2005 13 of 15 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Long And McQuade
Features: Current model, made in China. 22 medium frets, rosewood fingerboard. Either basswood or agathis body (the site said basswood, the people at L&M said agathis). Really hot jewel blue finish, it looks completely different depending on the lighting, from royal blue to navy to purple. The shape is really cool, almost like a fusion of a LP and a SG, it has the Horns and thickness of the SG, with that big round bottom of the LP. The bridge is HardTail with thru body stringing, when I bought it, it didn't seem that big a deal, but it makes a huge difference once you sit down and play. Two standard Ibanez humbuckers in the bridge and neck positions. I really like them, and they sure beat anything I've heard on the squires and epiphones in this price range. Three way selector neck/neck-bridge/bridge. One volume and one tone (which really works). Generic tuners, but they do the job. Comes with a ten foot patch, but it's garbage, it's really thin, and I only use it to tune the guitar. Spend the ten dollars for a ten foot yorkville patch, it is 100 times better. The rating is not for all guitars, just ones in the under 300 bracket. // 10
Sound: I bought this guitar because it's the brand of a number of great metal and rock guitarist's, and I didn't want a fruity sounding Strat. I've had it for three days, and right now am playing U2, OLP, SOAD and Finger Eleven with much success. The guitar fits me perfectly (as opposed to the Epiphone Special 2 I bought a little while back and returned the next day). I bought a 15 watt Traynor amp, and they really seem to compliment eachother better than any other pairing I found (I really cannot overemphasize how important it is not to buy a starter pack for your first electric purchase. You wind up paying too much for substandard equipment. I spent only $380, including tax, for everything: guitar, amp, patch, tuner, strap and gigbag, and wound up with much higher quality gear than a Strat Pack which would have cost 100 more). Anyway, playing with the tone (again, why affinity strats suck) and the three band equalizer on the amp gave me a huge spectrum of sounds. I'm talking everything from the Edge's ES-335 in All Because of You, to Steve Mazur's Crunchy Bridge and Screaming solo in Not Enough to the myriad of sounds that Daron produces with SOAD - this guitar did it all. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: Everything was pretty good. No fret buzz, the only prob was that the bridge PU was a bit slanted, closer to the low e that the high e, which took all of a minute to fix. Flawless finish. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I played several guitars while trying to decide which to purchase. Without a doubt this is the most solid of all of them. I was always ginger with strats b/c I felt like I was going to break them, but this thing is solid. The strap buttons aren't going anywhere, and the finish looks like it would withstand prolonged nuclear bombardment. // 10
Impression: This is my guitar! It fits me perfectly. I've been playing casually for a few years on the two acoustics in my house, some Suzuki POS and a Fender F-03. I had the oppurtunity to learn some songs on the acoustic that I transferred right to the electric with much success. If the guitar was lost or stolen today, I would get another. Down the road well in the words of k-Os, heaven only knows. If I get more into playing because of this axe, I'd ideally like to get both an Epiphone Dot and an Ibanez Iceman down the road. However, right here, right now, this is the s--t. My advice to all starting guitarists never compromise. Dont think that because some Fender major guitar manufacturer offers some crappy second line of guitar under another name packaged with a bad amp and a bunch of substandard accessories you have to buy that. Find the guitar that suits your style, taste and price. And if you seem intimidated by the prospects of getting all the required components to get started, remember that the staff of whatever music store you are shopping at are paid to help you. I wound up getting along really well with the woman who helped me get everything together, which is something that wouldn't have happened had I simply walked up to the counter and said "Hi, I'd like the generic Starter Kit that most buy." The bottom line is that you need to be true to yourself, your style, your music, your identity. // 10
Reviewed by:
Strway2Hvn, on july 21, 2004 5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Guitars Plus - Victoria, BC Canada
Features: - Made in Japan
- 22 frets
- Maple Neck
- Black in colour
- String-thru body bridge. Similer to a Strat. But without the wammi-bar.
- 2 controls (volume, tune) and a three way Switch.
- 2 humbucking pickups // 10
Sound: Sounds good. Good for blues, soft/hard rock. Actually it's pretty much good for anything. I have a Roland Cube. It has lots of different choices for effects and what not. So you can pretty much choose the style of music it plays. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: Seems to me that it is put to gether pretty nicely. Everything looks straight and where it should be. Only thing wrong that I can find is that there is a very tiny (very tiny dent on the the edge of it but very hard to see. The cap on the Switch came loose. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I've done a few live shows with it. It's held up pretty good. Hardware is still solid. No signs of loosening. Strap buttons are very solid. I don't have a backup. So I guess I can depend on it. Finish looks thick. And good finish. No signs of wearing yet. // 10
Impression: good for any style. I've been playing for a few months. I got it for as a gift. If it was stolen I would probably upgrade. I really want a Gibson Les Paul or SG. But if I couldnt afford it I would definently get this again. This is a great guitar for a beginner or intermediate. Even an advanced player. Not recomended for a pro or expert. // 10
Reviewed by:
Metal Interface, on february 19, 2009 4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 250
Purchased from: Bryan's House of Music
Features: I just bought this guitar about four or five months ago so it's a mid 2008 model made in the United States of America. It has a Standard 22 frets on a rosewood and maple neck, leading down into an SG like body, with a matte finish and two double-pickups. Standard Ibanez bridge and tuning, and it comes with Volume, Distortion, Bass, and Treble adjusters. I believe the body is maple, and it all came with a gig-bag and a discount on a strap and cable. The GAX30 has a fairly unique headstock and game Standard with Ernie-Ball strings. The Inlays are the basic dots but they still work well. The neck is Standard size with easy mobility up and down. A truly great axe. // 9
Sound: Enter Sandman, Stairway to Heaven, Back in Black. All of these songs sound great on this guitar. Whether it's Metal, Rock, Blues or really anything (maybe not country) you need this guitar for, you can rest assured that it will emit a strong Agile tone. The right amp always helps but the GAX can hold it's own, the amp used on mine is a Line 6 Spyder III. I personally prefer to play Metal with quite a bit of Rock, and it is the only guitar I use. Has great abilities for hammer-ons and pull-offs (eruption anyone? ) along with vibratos, full-bends, half-bends, and slides. All in all a very versatile instrument for any guitarist looking for a cheap axe with good quality. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar is very well built. Very sturdy, however the pick-ups were place in a place where I commonly strum my guitar so I do sometimes hit those. The only other flaw would have to be that the tuning begs aren't very in-sync together; for example, the low E, and G strings' tone is adjusted by only a small turn of the peg but the rest take a bit longer. Good quality wood, bridge is stable, tone adjusters are nice and tight. The pros definitely out way the cons. // 9
Reliability & Durability: The GAX is a very wicked guitar in the fact that it is nearly indestructible. On the specific guitar that I bought, it had a matte finish; or in other words, an awesome looking finish that doesn't collect dust and is easy to clean. The finish also prevents scratches due to the lack of sheen it holds. I have played several Live shows at my school where I was jumping around on stage as I did so, and the axe held up great. It stays in tune for days without me having to adjust it and everything seems like it will last. The only part of the guitar you have to be careful of is the headstock; the paint on it is the Standard acrylic paint that is easily taken off on the sides, however if you can avoid that then it is a great guitar that will last many, many years. // 10
Impression: A great guitar for any guitarist, is the Ibanez GAX30. Metal, Rock, and Blues are all great sounds to be played. Very durable and long-lasting. Built extremely well. The finish looks cool and makes the guitar easy to clean. Everything about this guitar is great for a beginner guitarist or an expert. it's great for just sitting and playing and all-all, very few complaints. I highly recommend at least adding this guitar to your collection or even using it as your primary instrument. My favorite of my three guitars by far. // 10
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on april 22, 2006 3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 285.48
Purchased from: Music 47 Worcester
Features: 22 frets made in china I think. Made of basswood it has an LP bottom and an SG styled sort of top. It comes with standard Ibanez pickups which sound great. You get a neck and bridge set of humbuckers. Two volume controls which work pretty well. And to top it all off a lovely black finish. // 7
Sound: It is perfect for any type of music I play rock, grunge, Indie, heavy metal, classic rock and absoutloutley evrything on this guitar and it handles it all great. When sat down with it has a very rich and warm sound. I'm using this with a Marshall MG100 and jim Dunlop Wah and Zoom 505 #2 effects and it sounds great. For this price you will never get a guitar this good sounding I can guarantee it. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: I recieved the guitar set up well. the pickups were adjusted fine and the action is best medium - high. but when low made a bit of fuzz which did not bother me as I like my action highs. No problems withy any of this. // 8
Reliability & Durability: It is perfect for gigs I have used this on many occasions. And the guitar is built so it'll live forver. The strap buttons are also extremmely solid I have a hard time getting straps off this guitar which is a good and a bad thing. And trust me you can depend on this guitar it has saved me at gigs many a time. // 9
Impression: Overall this guitar is great it sounds great and suits any type of music. I have been playin for a year and a half and would class myslef as intermediate guitarist I know no one whos better tyhan me whos been playing for such a short time. I can play everything from hendrix to GN'R. And this guitar suits me perfectly. If this guitar were stolen I would be annoyed and would buy another one. All I wish it had was more volume controls and other add-ons. // 9
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on september 13, 2006 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 239.4
Purchased from: Electromúsica
Features: Made in Indonesia, 22 fast rosewood fretboard, jumbo frets a bit large at first but I took the best from this situation. Maple neck and basswood body in a black finish. Not sure what the hell is an Agathis tree or Basswood but I'll find out. It looks like an SG at first but has got something of a Les Paul too, what means is that you can easilly get to the 20th fret. The bridge is Squier tele style, I enjoy it. Comes with a 3 way selector for the 3 combination, bridge, both and neck pickups. Tuners are a bit poor but they hang on (Ibanez entry level), the tools were also godsend. // 8
Sound: I play clean and electric blues for a long time and picked this guitar over a Squier Custom II. I needed a fast fretboard and a cheap guitar and the pickups were not the main reason, because the P90's from the Custom II would sound better! You see, when you play clean, it really plays clean, neck position is really warm, but if you load with any sort of overdrive it gets a bit messy, so stick to the neck if you want to play punk or metal. I practice a lot, I'm intending to become a better lead blues guitarist and I'm achieving unexpected sounds. I'm a huge Pete Townsend and Rolling Stones fan and one of my fav. albums is Revolver. It was easy to get that kind of tele/sg agressive sharp Vintage sound. So if you are also a Tony Iommi SG fan, this guitar can make it too. That was surely a surprise, I owned a Squier Tele blonde and hated it (I've sold it) so I can assure that GAX30 it beats any of them from miles. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: When I tooked it from the box it was perfect, plastic, finish, knobs, tuners, just perfect. Pickups are well adjusted and bridge and top are fine. It stays almost in tune for weeks and I swear I beat this guitar a lot. I've switched the strings because I use 0.7 mm for E. I know it's weird but that's my way and I had to pick up the tools and get the brige higher because it was "frettling". Once in a while my cable tends to drop off while playing. Just screw it and it's done. // 8
Reliability & Durability: Not sure if it would hang on live playing because I do not trust the tuners even though they seem ok, I'm trying to get a Gibson Grover Vintage because it would give a cool look and improve tuning. But I play lead blues I hit the strings a lot, for kind of Punk power chords seems fine, for metal I have my doubts. Seems pretty durable too. The strap buttons are huge and I needed to make a deeper cut in the strap entrances in order to fit. Looks like it will never come out again! All guitars need to be cleaned in order to avoid any sort of oxhidation. That goes to the body and neck too, keep it clean and pretty and it will last for very long years. // 8
Impression: I'm inspired by The Who, The Beatles, Hendrix and Sabbath. For my blues this guitar has got the neck I needed at this point of my learning process. I've been a singer/ rhythm guitarist for almost 10 years but only in the last year I really headed toward lead and heavy practicing. The truth is that I'm learning and this guitar is helping me in the process, sure the humbuckers are not great, but what the heck, it's a 200? guitar. If it were stolen I would go for a Epiphone SG with Alnico humbuckers, but I would regret the lost. What I love the most is this hybrid sort of sound, kind of old new look and the way it introduced me to other guitars. Right now I'm almost pretty sure that a Les Paul is not my style but a Gibson SG would fit perfectly. Everyday I ran from work, get home and connect it to my Wah Hellbabe from Behringer and Blues Overdrive and Export amazingly old amp and play scales and riffs till exhaustion. This guitar is really interesting because being the best cheap guitar makes me wonder if it is that cheap when compared to a Squier or Epiphone low level guitars. So if you are thinking in a J150-200 guitar, do chose the Ibanez it has got a character of it's own and the other definitly don't. // 10
Reviewed by:
Silme Ea, on may 09, 2007 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Muztorg, Ukraine, Kyiv
Features: My guitar was made in Indonesia. I think, 2006. It's a good guitar for it's price, but it could has more features IMHO. 22 frets in thin neck with rosewood fingerboard. Body is basswood and has a gloss white finish (I like white). It's style is a mix of Strat and Les Paul design plus some Ibanez's ideas. Bridge is HardTail with trough-body stringing. Has two passive humbuckers and a lack of controls: volume knob, tone knob and 3-way Switch. But somebody could say: "Simplicity Rocks!" The amount of accessories is awful: just thin cable, some tuning tools and a manual for a full dummie. // 8
Sound: Well, I'm not a very good guitarist, this is my first electric guitar, so my style is still in development. For now it's mostly a mix of grundge, metal, punk and a rock style with lots of arpeggio with an essence of gothic. But I also play other styles: the main thing in the song is the sound, not the genre. I think this guitar suits me pretty well, but I'd want a bit more controls. I use Marshall MG15CDR amp, and the sound could be all what I want to hear: from dark gothic to bright arpeggio, from power metal chords to nearly acoustic; warm, smooth and clear, you'd like it. I like it! Pretty much variety, but I wish I had a valve amp. Even jazz isn't impossible for GAX30: just play with amp and guitar controls, you'll find it. The only complaint about sound: please change the factory default strings to something better, it will be another guitar. I must suffer one annoying thing: not all houses have grounded socket in my country, so noise terrors me. I'll try to do something with that this summer. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: Everything was OK, as my feeling told to me, Ibanez quality. I adjusted pickups a bit, but not for their incorrect tuning, but for the way I prefer it. I could buy more cheap guitar, but it would be just a piece of firewood. I think, my money isn't wasted. Only flaw was shop's fail, few little scratches on body. And, as I say, poor strings. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This guitar is very reliable: it survived all the little accidents it came in. Hardware is invincible, strap buttons are solid enough for me, finish is high-grade, I only wish it would have more protection from scratches. About gigs. It's strong enough. But don't imagine yourself as Kurt Cobain. I can't say more, because it's my only elecric guitar and I had no gigs. // 10
Impression: I have nothing to add about my style, except I take many details from acoustic styles, because my first guitar was acoustic. It was made in USSR about 40 years ago, had a long windy life, but still sounds. Originally it had 7 strings, but my father turned it to a 6-string one. Yesterday I made it back to origins, to 7. I hope, my children someday will play it too. I have been a guitarist about 4 years, but I'm completely self-taught person, who discovered Internet only last year, so I'm not very good. But I think I could be now a rhythm guitarist in average band, but lead. Learning, learning and learning. About my new guitar, my GAX30. My favorite thing to do when I'm sad: I take guitar, turn on amp and play some arppegios with sad chords. I have time to think, to put my emotions on a wave of music. But when I'm angry, or very happy, I turn the Drive knob on an amp to max, and play, play till somebody turn off my amp. If it were stolen, I'd kill that person, but I'd need to buy a new guitar instead of this Snow-White, I'd buy something with H/S/H or H/H pickups and with a tremolo system, or if I had enough money, a Les Paul. // 9
Reviewed by:
Nightmare_xxx, on september 03, 2008 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: £ 60
Purchased from: UG ~ Second hand
Features: I don't need to repeat the features listed in other reviews, but the main thing that stands out is the neck. For the price of this thing, it's a steal. I've played Gibson LPs, Fender Strats and a couple of the midrange PRS models, and the neck on this stands it's ground. Great speed, great finish, great action, generally amazing. The tuners have never given me a problem, and the pickups have a really whole tone, great for most styles, especially heavier stuff. // 9
Sound: I play a lot of rock/indie/punk/alt stuff, and this has always been able to adapt well. I play it through a bass amp because I'm primarily a bassist, but I've got enough effects for it to always come sounding great, it gives it a punchy bass driven undertone, even when I hit the bright strings. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: I got this second hand, and the faceplate had been removed and holes filled, but it looks to much better without it, at least in white anyway. The hardware is all in good nick and the bridge seems especially well mounted, the whole thing has a good fit and finish really. As I said before the action on the neck is fantastic and I'd compare it freely to that of a Gibson SG. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I've yet to play this Live, but I've been hammering away it it a lot for a good few months and it's been surprisingly resilient, definitely better than I expected. I haven't broken any strings on it and everything seems solid, so I'd be pretty comfortable gigging it, though as with any guitar I'd be careful playing without a backup. // 9
Impression: Overall, a seriously better deal than I expected when I bought a cheap second hand guitar. I had lessons for a while a few months ago and the teacher took a blind guess at £300, and thought I was joking when I told HIM what I paid. If you're looking for a decent, reliable, heavy sounding guitar that isn't a clean cut rip off of something ese, loo no further. The style has been fiddled with so that it really isn't just a carbon copy of some other model, it is it's own guitar and it fills the gap nicely. // 9
Reviewed by:
Torn, on june 17, 2004 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Pinecone Music
Features: The standard GAX neck along with the agatis body which I really liked when I played. It doesn't really provide anything special, it comes with medium frets(22 in total), a fixed bridge. It has STD-H1 neck PU and STD-H2 bridge PU. I'm not exactly sure what that means but it's on the sheet shrugs. It has a 3-way pickup selector (neck, centre and bridge) along with one tone and one volume control. Not really anything else to say. Four. Mainly because I have nothing to compare it to. It's my first guitar. // 8
Sound: The sound is great, just what I want in a guitar. It fits my syle(metal) perfectly. Ibanez is often known for producing great metal guitars and this is no exception. The tone and the sound is just perfect and fits in well with my style. It's also capable of creating a full, clean sound that works well with softer songs that I also play (Stairway to Heaven etc.) I don't know. "What kind of sounds can the guitar make?" I don't know. Probably the sounds that the average other guitar makes. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: Nothing is really wrong with it. Everything seems to be fitting fine with the rest of the guitar and I've run into no problems here at all. It's a great, well structured guitar with little, to no flaws (that I can notice anyways). // 10
Reliability & Durability: It's very reliable. I haven't run into any problems with it at all so far, there are no chips or scratches in it yet (which is a miracle for me) The one thing I don't like is the strap buttons. They're too big, strap locks can't fit around them(which I used for my bass guitar. But then again the strap never just falls off of the buttons like my bass so no complaints there at all. Now would I use it on a gig without a backup? Definitely! I can't see any problems with this guitar at all. It's very reliable, durable and would last. // 10
Impression: Nothing much to say really. It's a great guitar for me, great starting guitar for young metal heads - that's for sure. It provides everything you need with great reliability for a low price and can give you all the basic features. You can't really ask for anything more out of a starter guitar than that. // 10
Reviewed by:
outintheflood, on march 13, 2006 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 201.3
Purchased from: Ebay
Features: Not sure when it was made. Made in China. 22 medium frets, rosewood fingerboard. The body is agathis. I bought in Black Night, which is basically just black. Fixed bridge with a string-thru body. It come with just some standard stock pickups. The body style is sort of SG But with a fatter more like a Les Paul bottom shape. It comes with a volume and tone control and and a 3-way selector. I really like the simplicity of this guitar, for the price range its aimed at beginners, and the simplicity is perfect. I'm reviewing this with the price I paid in mind and wont be comparing it with guitar with a prive value of over £200 bracket. // 9
Sound: I play everything but mostly Blink 182, Green Day, Fightstar, Bloc Party, Bullet For My Valentine, Trivium etc. I have to say that I paid £120 including P and P, that I was surprise how well this guitar could handle them. I use a Line 6 Spider 2 with a Korg Toneworks. It sounds really nice on most things, clean can get abit distorted, but maybe thats my amp clean isn't very good on spider 2's. I bought this guitar because I wanted a more heavier sound, as my Fender Telecaster doesn't have the beefiest sound and I liked the look at this, I read the sound was good with distortion. It doesn't dissapoint. Doesn't feel as good and isnt as versatile as my Telecaster but for 120. It's amazing. It beats any copy makes hands down so Squier, Epi's, Staggs. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: I really like the look of this thing. I think if I was a beginner I would be rather proud of its shape, it easily beats any Epiphone, Squier and Stagg in the looks department within the price range. It's also rare to see beginner guitarist with this guitar. They usually have the Squiers or Epis, but this one makes them stand out. It looks pretty well made. The action is nice, no fret buzz whay so ever. Haven't changed anything from factory settings. The neck pickup can move if pushed, not sure if that's a good sign. But I love this guitar neways I would fix it without blinking. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I use this guitar as my back up/practice guitar, so I dont wrap it in bubble wrap like my other more expensive guitars. I've knocked it on door handles and nothing is marked yet at all. It doesn't stay in tune that well but maybe that's my playing or jumping around. The strap buttons are nice and fat, really strong I would rely on them. It is excpetionally light, great for long gigs. So yeah I would use it in a gig, maybe not over my other guitars but hey this guitar gives them some compettion! // 9
Impression: This guitar is great for what I was looking for, the beefy sound is what I needed and this provides. I've been playing for nearly three years now. I have played and owned many guitar during this time (I like a change) and I have to say this is a really good guitar any beginners wanting a good non-copy guitar from a respected make or intermediates wanting a good backup or a practice guitar this is the guitar for you! My favourite part of this guitar is the shape and just the general look of it. If it were lost I would look for it. If some one stole it I would tear the person limb from limb (I have strong bonds with my guitars) I may not buy this guitar again, like I said I like to change. I would definately consider the upgrade in this serious the AXS42. I never compared it to anything I just like the look but compared to the other guitars I have played and bought in this price range it definately has to be the best or one of them at least! Great guitar, wont get better value for money, Go buy it! // 10
Reviewed by:
hardcoreatheist, on september 24, 2005 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 183
Purchased from: Sound Control
Features: 22 medium frets, relatively wide neck which is very good for me because of my thick fingers. Rosewood fretboard, maple neck, basswood body. "Black night" (gloss black) finish. Kind of SG-like but rounder. Fixed bridge. Volume, tone, three way pickup selector. Neck and Bridge pickups. Standard sorta tuners nothin special. // 7
Sound: I play metal punk, rock, alternative, 12 bar blues. This guitar can do anythin with a few seconds tinkering. Sounds really nice on my Fender Frontman 15G clean, treble 7, middle 3, bass 5 makes a realy smooth sound. Distorted, gain 8, bass 6, treble 6, middle 3 killer distortion for metal or punk. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: I bought this guitar second hand the pickguard was scratched and peeling on one corner but everything else was perfect. // 8
Reliability & Durability: Only had it for a few days not realy given it a good test run but no problems so far. // 8
Impression: This guitars good for anything, plus mine's black so it blends in with my clothes perfectly. I've not been playin lead for very long but I kno a good guitar when I play one. If it were stolen I'd murder the thief and get it back I'd then steal all the thief's money and put it towards a new bass. I'm loving the double humbuckers, and the horns don't get in the way of the higher notes which always bugs me with other guitars. I would have liked some more controls but I'm not that bothered. I've played almost every kind of guitar in the shop telecasters, strats, sgs, les pauls, I would have prefered an Iceman X but my budget didn't allow but thats just for the looks anyway the Gax sounds just as good (and was half the price) so I chose this one after a lengthy evaluation process which probably bugged the hell out of the staff. // 9
Reviewed by:
hhamdy283, on august 03, 2005 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Features: // 8
Sound: This guitar is great for me, since I play lots of blues and classic rock. I Would reccomend a Marshall MG amp for this; they go really well together. Really rich sound, very thick. This guitar has a great range, you don't even need to touch your amp. You just mess around with the pickups and the tone knob and it is like you have just switched genres all together. Case and point, Led Zeppelin song, Bring It On Home, starts with a deep, low blues riff. It then switches into this heavy, fast riff that Jimmy Page used as an intro for Black Dog at the Song Remains The Same concert. Just flip the pickup Switch and the tone knob and you achieve both those sounds. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: Good action, medium-low. Pickups are fine. The guitar from what I have seen is flawless, and can really take a beating. I turned around quickly once while playing and smashed the body into the wall. I knocked off all the plaster, put the guitar didn't have a scratch on it. The knobs come off rather easily, though, I've knocked them off while playing. // 8
Reliability & Durability: // 8
Impression: This is a really good guitar for blues, rock, punk and metal. I've been playing about six months, and this guitar still hasn't outgrown me. I also have a old 1971 Suzuki F-100 acoustic, which is just fantastic. I use a Marshall MG15w amp. If it was stolen or lost, I'd probably wait, save up, and buy a better guitar. I wish it was a Les Paul, but since that isn't gonna happen, I am pretty happy with this as it is. // 8
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on april 07, 2005 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: 3
Features: // 6
Sound: I play mostly heavy metal, but sometimes also classic, rock, blues or punk just for fun. It has nice strong clean sounds but the distortion sounds a bit like dough. Not very heavy sound and in higher frets it doesn't sound very clear. It seems ok for many styles of music, but not really perfect for anyone of them. // 6
Action, Fit & Finish: The finish is average and the design not very cool, but I think it's better than a copied design of a Strat or a V. // 8
Reliability & Durability: // 6
Impression: Most of the other $150-200 guitars I've tried have been worse and for $165 it's ok. It's a nice guitar for beginners, although it's not very special. The sound isn't very good but good enough for practicing. The quality is better than the quality of all the other cheap asian guitars I've seen. But if I'd start playing electric guitar a second time, I would spend more money for better one. // 8
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on march 23, 2005 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 148.99
Purchased from: Musiciansfriend
Features: Made somewhere in Japan, 22 frets, beautiful transparent red, medium frets, basswood. Body's different, it's very comfy though. Two humbuckers, three way Switch, (neck neckbridge bridge). One volume, and one tone control. Tuners are nice. // 10
Sound: Awesome thick tone! Very nice guitar, I beleive it would suit any style, it can roar, or you can have it have a nice soft tone. If you turn it up, it doesn't whimp out like some other guitars do! I play a lot of Chilli Peppers stuff and this works for them! I beleive metal heads would be in heaven with this guitar though. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: They set it up OK, although there was some 3rd fret buzz, I think it's the bad strings on it though. Pickups are awesome! Everything was where it should be, humbuckers nice and tight. Just a beautiful instrument guys! The pickguards trimmed with a bit of white, making it stand out. The way they did the transparent red is great. // 10
Reliability & Durability: This is one solid axe! Nothings came loose yet, and the strap buttons are like rocks. They're huge too, which, dont get me wrong, is not a minus! If I were to ever take it on a gig, I wouldnt bring a backup, because I trust this thing. Once again, paints done nice and doesn't seem its going to wear off. // 10
Impression: Love it, great matchup for any style, I've played for half a year and this is my second guitar, (Washburn X10) this one and my other don't even compare. If this were stolen, I'd hunt the sumb--ch down who stole it and make him play a 3/4th scale Daisy rock guitar just for messing with my Ibanez. The Daisy would be pink. Than I would push him into a fairly large prison cell. My favorite thing about this guitar, is the feel to me, it's so comfertable that it fits like a glove, If I could have one wish for Ibanez to add to this guitar, I would have to say to put better strings on it, and fancy inlays. Great guitar. // 10
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 19, 2004 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 160
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: This guitar is a Japanese Jewel blue Ibanez GAX30. 22 frets. I'm not sure, mahogany body? Anyway, it looks somewhat of an SG with rounded edges, or a les paul doublecut or something. String-thru body. 1 volume 1 tone. Double Humbuckers. Also my 1st guitar. // 10
Sound: Suits my music style, punk. I play it through 2 amps via Y chord: a Silvertone and an Ibanez Practice. My dad also has a Carvin/Peavey/Alesis full stack sound system. Not noisy at all, cause it has humbuckers. On the whole it sounds perfect. My dad even let his friend play it, quote, "How much did you pay for this?" "160!" "Wow, it plays like a 700 dollar guitar!" // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: Everything is perfect. No flaws to speak of. // 10
Reliability & Durability: This guitar will definintly withstand live playing. Hardware will last. The strap buttons are better than solid. They're freakin huge. You better enjoy the strap you put on it. I have a Planet waves strap with these flaming dragon graphics sowed into it. The jewel blue finish has a slight sparkle to it and will last. // 10
Impression: I play Blink, SOTY, crap like that. It matches perfectly for the SOTY, and is all right with Blink 182. I use my Squier Bullet Strat when I play Blink stuff though, you know, since Tom used a Strat before he got his Gibson signature. // 10
Reviewed by:
craggadee, on may 26, 2005 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Features: // 10
Sound: Sounds great, center and neck give a hollow tone which I enjoy at times, and the bridge pickup gets down to sexy distorted business should it need to (I run it through a DS-1). Has a nice dark sound, although for a really nice sound replace the strings on it as soon as possible, they are horribly light and the E just vibrates forever, especially in drop tunings. So on the both/neck settings you can get some cool Tool style sounds, bridge and crank the treble and youre in rock heaven. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: Action was nice and low, pickups were great. Finish is sexy beyond belief, mine is a black enamel sort of finish, and it is sex incarnate. I can't pick a flaw in the finish at all, maybe a tiny bump but I think that was because of me. // 10
Reliability & Durability: // 10
Impression: This guitar suits distortion, so rock/punk/metal whatever you like, it's great, although if you want some funky tunings like Drop C/D, you best be buying new strings. If it were stolen, I would upgrade, but I'd miss this thing. The only thing its missing is pickup covers, a sexy chrome pickup cover and this thing would be quite the hottie. // 10
Reviewed by:
Tcoldsteel, on march 16, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: £ 128.99
Purchased from: iMuso
Features: 2008 made in China (says on the headstock). Average sized neck. I bought this as an experiment in adapting a guitar to my personal tastes. Looks likes rosewood fretboard (my favourite)and thinly painted agathis body in a watery red colour. You can see the wood grain through the 'paint'. I like this. Excellent finish. The neck is a lovely satin finish and the frets are in line with the neck. Blimey! All this for 120 quid.
No marks or obvious flaws.
I love the basic-ness of this. The body shape looks like an SG from a (long) distance. Like a pawn-shop Townsend. 1 volume and 1 tone that work as they should. Rubbish plastic tele-style knobs though. The pickup Switch is Ultra-cheap looking (what we call, in my area, 'moody')and I'll be replacing with a switchmaster LP style 3-way Switch that I bought for a Sheraton I used to own. As will I replace the knobs with real metal tele knobs.
Shitty-looking tune-o-matic bridge, through body strings. That's going when I've done the important work. Maybe a bigsby if there isn't too big a hole. 2 fairly decent humbucker pickups that are worth the money (! ). These are gonna be replaced as soon as I recieve the SD JB hot-rodded set that I ordered at the same time. Tuners are generic and may have to go in favour of Gotoh quality tuners. Just to ensure that this bargain-basement guitar stays in tune. You get a free lead that is really thoughtful for a learner but crap for me. Thanks Ibanez. It's gonna Live on my tuner. Also 2 Allen keys that everyone in the civilized world already owns if they've ever bought furniture from Argos. The cardboard box was adequate (staples, etc.) but with some sharp corners and some very sticky tape.
The strings made my finger go grey after playing it for an hour or so. Is this normal? // 10
Sound: I play mostly fusion blues-rock with African undertones and George Formby classics and added to a good Fuzz effect makes a sublime sound. More punky-Libertines cum Black keys cum Dinosaur junior (you give it a label). Those Standard humbuckers ain't half bad. I use it through a Boss DS-1 and boutique fuzz pedal and cry-baby wah and it handles them as an electric guitar should. Like the Kiss from a kitten to the scream of a ripped-whore.
My Orange amp, with lower gain, loves the fuzz (and I don't mean the police in the 1970's)from the 'buckers on this beast.
Let's rock. But let's not cuddle afterwards. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: Got it new from supplier. Action was a tad high, leading to a little fret-buzz but got to work with the ikea allen keys and sorted an 5 minutes. No flaws. Couple of scratches on the back but only the misses sees the back if you know what I mean. This guitar cost 120 sobs. Love a duck! I've always been put off Ibanez because of their crap-metal (sub-Standard PRS/ESP) image. I've since owned a number of Fenders and other makes (never liked Gibsons though). Now I humbly accept I might have been wrong. About the image, not Gibson guitars. (I reckon Liberace plays a gold Les Paul badly with St.Peter on MTV in heaven). No flaws. Bit plastic nut. No noise at all from the pickup selector. Nothing loose. The Chinese have done a good job of this guitar. // 10
Reliability & Durability: 'Will this guitar withstand Live playing? ' you ask. It will withstand a nuclear strike I believe. There will be cockroaches playing stairway to heaven in 2046 in this baby. What I mean is, it's very well built and there's isn't much can go wrong with it. I wouldn't play Live with it unless I sand-papered the headstock(what is GIO? ) or planned not to gig until 2046 and the cockroaches have learned to play bass and drums, and maybe got some decent lyrics for once. I'd prefer to use my Mustang in the meantime. The strap buttons make my strap attach to the guitar and it doesn't fall off. The paint finish is see-through and I hope it wears off as time goes past. // 10
Impression: I wish this guitar was available when I first started learning/playing guitar. I would recommend this fella over any Squier or Epiphone I've ever played both quality and price-wise. I'd go so far as to say that this guitar will become a classic of the future like the LP junior.
If you're in the market for a starter guitar and are looking at squiers and epiphones and even, god help us, a god-awful pacifica, I'd suggest you try one of these first. I've been playing for 10 years now and the GAX is by far the best first-level guitars I've ever owned. And I don't work for Ibanez.
Reviewed by:
rockett97, on march 19, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: € 180
Features: This guitar has 22 medium frets, and it's neck is made out of Maple wood. This makes the neck very smooth and soft almost, and therefore you can really slide you hand up and down without having any problems with getting stuck or something. It's body style is actually a sort of mix between the Gibson SG and the Les Paul. It's bridge style is 'string-thru body, and it's got a 3-way pickup swith. It's got 2 switches; one for volume, one for tone. The pickups on this guitar are just Standard 'factory' pickups, I wouldn't know what type they are.
The accessories which were included when I got my guitar were a gig-bag, which is very firm and handy, it's got a few like separate spaces to put stuff in, which you can all open and close by using the zippers. Also a strap was included, but I soon bought a new one, because it was an uncomfrtable nylon-strap. This thing really Hurt my neck so I replaced it for a new one. Also a short cable was included, but I never used it because I bought a longer and better one when I bought the guitar.
Overall the features on this guitar work very well, and certainly for a beginners' guitar (which it is), I'm very pleased with it. // 8
Sound: I mostly play punk-rock/ pop-rock, like Paramore and New Found Glory. That sort of music. This guitar is pretty mch suitable for any musical style I guess, because it also plays the somewhat 'softer' music perfectly. Because this is actually the first electric guitar I ever got (and the only one I have right now), I can't really say anything about it, really).
I use a Line6 SpiderIII (15 watts, I only use it for playing at home for now, don't need a huge amp for that). The guitar is sometimes pretty noisy, when I've got it on the disorted channel of my amp for example, it can be pretty noisy without even touching it. That would be a disadvantage I think.
The guitar can produce various sounds I guess, powerchords, harmonics etc. Sound just great. // 7
Action, Fit & Finish: The pickups are not that well put in, they're a bit loose, so I have to be pretty careful when playing. Also, the screws which are on the guitar (on the pickguard or on the back of the guitar for example) aren't really put in very well. Some of them look like they've been screwede in wrong, and then put back in (so you get like these little damaging spots around the screw). Also, the finishing on the 3-way pickup Switch is not perfect. You can see the 'range' where the paint stops, so you see like unfinished wood. But that's only a very small point overall on the whole guitar.
The paintjob however was done nicely, I like the white shiny paint on my guitar. // 7
Reliability & Durability: This guitar seems very reliable to me, it's firmly put together, so I would definately use it when playing live.
I would, however, recommend puuting some strap locks on the guitar, just in case. I did this too, because when I would play standing up, and really rocking out, the strap would go loose because it's holes are too big. So I put some strap locks on and now it's just really tight and it'll never go off. // 8
Impression: Well, as I mentioned earlier, I play the more punk-rock sort of music (Paramore for example). This guitar is very suitable, because it works really well when playing with (heavy) disortion. You really get that 'scratchy' sound which I personally love.
I have been playing for almost a year now (electric guitar) and I think this guitar was a very good guitar to begin my 'career' with. I think, íf it were stolen (don't hope so! ) I would definately buy the same guitar for the reasons I descibed above (but my taste in guitars has changed a bit over the last year, so if I had the money I'd go wit a Fender Tele Deluxe haha, I'll just keep dreaming. But yeah, overall, this guitar is perfect for beginners; it's pretty cheap and plays great! // 8
Reviewed by:
metalmilitiaman, on july 01, 2008 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 250
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: // 4
Sound: It doesn't exactly suit my style, because I play loose, fast, hardcore riffs. And the strings are kind of tight, making it harder to harmonic. I'm using the Ibanez IBZ10G amp with it, and the sound isn't all too great together. Hardly any distortion, too much feedback. It is a bit noisy, coming from the feedback on the amp, and the frets are kind of buzzed. Although, I make it sound dreadful, it's actually not too bad for soloing, and sweeping. // 5
Action, Fit & Finish: All of the guitar set-up is pretty well, regarding the wiring for the jack and the pickups, because in my case, it doesn't work, but it's not too bad. When I got it, it was pretty good, but it's been a few years and this is karma for buying a cheap guitar. // 8
Reliability & Durability: No, I doubt this guitar would survive anyone's shredding on-stage. This guitar is more of a "stay home, if you drop it, oh well" type guitar. The hardware is starting to rust and corrode on me, so I'm not sure how much longer it will last. The strap buttons are fine, I just need a new strap. No, I can't honestly say my guitar is dependable. I would never consider using it without a backup. The finish is fine, but not the rest. // 3
Impression: I mostly play hardcore, or metalcore (not like the genre title matters, it's all the same) and rock riffs. Some solo-type stuff, mostly fast palm muting and such. I've been playing for 3 years now. I only own my Ibanez GAX, and it's time for a new guitar. Of course, much like almost everyone else when they buy they're first guitar, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. A Squier Strat is like a Jackson compared to this guitar. I would've asked for a receipt or a refund I suppose before I bought it, so now I could show the guitar or something to the folks at Guitar Center. If it were stolen, then I think the person Who stole it from me, would be much more disappointed then I would be. I would definitely buy something else. I love the fact that it takes a beating all the time, since I let my friends play it, and my strap always breaks on me and it slams into the ground beneath me. I hate that the guitar overall isn't very reliable and the model is ugly. I'm tired of the black-gloss finish that has smudges from where I grope it. My favorite feature is probably the volume control. It's very exhilarating that I can turn up the volume and turn it back down when I don't want other's to hear my music. But now, I can't use any the control features, but the volumes not that important. Of course it's not (there is a pinch of sarcasm there). I compared my guitar to my friend's Jackson RR3 guitar, and I almost cried. I didn't know such a beautiful tone from a guitar existed. Mine always sounded like Daffy Duck when I started up playing, but his Randy Rhoads sounded like the voice of a god, or Morgan Freeman. I chose the guitar, because it was black, and shiny. Also, the body shape kind of reminded me of my grandmother. I wish my guitar could talk, so I could record it and put it's dying words on Youtube. Or possibly take it to Guitar Center, so the guitar could tell them what's wrong. Overall, this is not the guitar you want to buy for your children, because once they get better, they're going to realize that you are a jackass. I would prefer a Stratocaster, or a starter Ibanez RG, rather than this guitar. // 3
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on august 04, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 100
Purchased from: McCourts
Features: I'm not sure what year it was made but I'm thinking between 2001-2008. It has a 22 medium fret rosewood fretboard, basswood body, maple neck, jewel blue finish, it looks like a smoothed out version of an SG but is still original with the curves and such, string-thru fixed bridge, 2 volume controls and a 3 way switch, dual Standard humbucking pickups, and entry level Ibanez tuning pegs. The only thing I dislike about the guitar is the tuning pegs. They tend to slip out of tune and I just don't like the style of tuning pegs. // 9
Sound: This guitars design could be played with almost any ganre of music, whether it be rock, grunge, metal, etc. I am using it with a Yamaha G100 amp head on a 2 speaker cab (Brand unknown) with a Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal. It sounds amazing! The clean on this guitar (When running through the neck p/u) sounds better then any other guitar that I've played. You can play pretty much any style through this thing. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: It was almost a dead-on factory set-up. Just a few tweaks here and there and it was perfect. The Pickups were pretty much where I wanted them to be. The bridge seemed to be placed in the right position and place and the guitar seems well built. Nothing, except the strap button, was loose. // 10
Reliability & Durability: This guitar seems like it can handle a lot of what you throw at it, but I don't want to test it. The hardware seems durable and seems like it could sustain for the duration of me owning it. Only one of the strap buttons came loose and the screw stripped the hole a little bit, but I fixed that within 30 seconds. I definitely would gig with this guitar without a backup. It's probably not the smartest idea, but I think it would make it. The finish seems like it'll last the time I have it. // 10
Impression: I play a lot of Rock and Alternative and this guitar is what I've been looking for. I have been playing for about 3 years and just now decided to move up from my Strat copy to something nicer and in my price range. I can honestly say that this is the best guitar I could get at the price range I was looking for. It this guitar were to be stolen, I would buy it again. Unless, of course, I found the guy that stole it. What I love about this guitar is... Well... What I love... I can't choose just one thing. It's just awesome. I wish it would come with better tuning pegs. That's it. // 10
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on june 07, 2006 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 212.8
Purchased from: City Music
Features: Made in indonesia or something like that. It has a rosewood, 21-frettd neck with jumbo frets, easily accesible for people with medium-sized fingers. Its body is made of basswood, and the finish I guess is lacquered paint. Really tough lacquer. Its body is quite unique in terms of shape, sort of SG-style with a round bottom. Fixed hardtail bridge, nothing much. Reminds me of a Strat without a whammy. It is equipped with dual high-output humbuckers, with a 3-way selector, one volume and one tone. Tuners are chrome, relatively small in size. It doesn't come with any stock accesories but I got a gig bag with it. // 9
Sound: I play mostly rock styles although I do some softer genres sometimes. I would compare them to the likes of Green Day, Yellowcard, All-American Rejects, Blink 182, Boxcar Racer, Angels And Airwaves, while the softer side would be those like Maroon 5, The Eagles and Michelle Branch. This guitar suits all of these genres perfectly, I haven't found any faults in it except that the distortion can get slightly excessive at times. I use it with a Line 6 Spider 2 15W amp, and the combination is one of the best at this price. I have been thinking of installing a Seymour Duncan Parallelaxis distortion on the bridge, but I decided to play safe and go with the already great sound. The sound variety is considerably wide, but stuff like Santana and Hendrix should be left to the Strats. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: I didn't have to adjust the action ever since I bought it half a year ago. But what I noticed were tiny rusting areas and a tiny part above the neck chipped off. Nothing much, doesn't affect the sound at all. The finish is one of the best, I have been knocking this into walls but there is not a single scratch on it. Pickups needed a bit of adjusting as the distortion wasn't dirty enough. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This axe will definitely withstand live playing and no backup is required unless you intend to switch genres considerably. The hardware needs a bit of cleaning though, I'm starting to see more rust-spots. But nothing noticeable from a distance. Finish, like mentined above, looks and is durable and even after I accidentally slipped a screwdriver over it nothing was seen. // 9
Impression: I have been playing for about 2 years, and this guitar is much better than my previous Yamaha ERG121. I'd reccommend ernie ball hybrid slinkies on this one, the sound is perfect. If it were stolen I'd definitely get a new one, but right now I'm trying to get a Gibson Les Paul DC Faded to be on the higher-end. I love it as I'm a big fan of Green Day and this guitar can literally hit the tone of any song they play, from Letterbomb to American Idiot, and even to the hawaiian surf-style 'last ride in'. I wish it had come with nicer-looking knobs though; but nonetheless I switched them for a pair of Flying V style chrome ones. // 8
Reviewed by:
aquaknight3, on november 25, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 75.95
Purchased from: Quatabalm Music
Features: // 8
Sound: I think this guitar is perfect for me. I'm not a pro and don't need the bigger, flashier type guitars. I use a Squier amp and use mostly its distortion. The use of no distortion also sounds great. I'm mostly into punk-rock/heavy rock and mostly just use the distortion option. It doesn't have too much sound variety, but has just enough to satisfy me. The two sets of humbuckers provide great sound. The tone doesn't change it much but it still sounds fine. This ranges from gritty to mellow sounds. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: When I bought this guitar I think it might have been used, but was in perfect condition. Everything was exactly where it should be and nothing was loose. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I've performed with this guitar quite a few times already and is still in great condition. I could definately depend on this; a lot of people have told me how cool it sounds and looks. The bottom strap button is now a little bit loose but not enough to ruin anything. The finish is not too thin at all, seems like you would have to try to get it to come off for it to come off. // 10
Impression: As mentioned above, I play in the rock areas. And again, I think this guitar would be perfect for it. Palm muting on it sounds geat as well, I would highly recomend this guitar. I've been playing for about a year and a half but, not to boast, can play well beyond my years. This was my second guitar, my first was a Johnson acoustic. I've stuck with this and would buy it again. Very affordable and has the quality of something much more expensive. When I was looking through the guitars, I think its looks are what caught my eye. When I got home, I still wasn't experienced enough to try out everything it contained but that came later on. Awesome guitar for novice/intermediate players and very affordable. // 9
Reviewed by:
GeneraLNinja, on december 20, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: BAMBAM music
Features: The GAX30 aka AX30 is a great guitar for beginners. Compared to other beginner guitars the AX30 doesn't sound or feel cheap, it feels like if you bought yourself a high quality piece of instrument. This particular model I bought was made in China, thus explaining the cheap price and came with the IBZ10G amplifier. The guitar itself has 22 medium frets. Features a maple neck material a basswood body and rosewood finger board. The design of it is similar to a Gibson SG but I say similar, not exact clone. There is a choice of 3 colors, blue and back, red and black (red has transparent finish) or all back, it's down to your personal preference of course. The bridge is fixed, though I would have preferred a BR-EG bridge but this bridge is easy and light on beginners. The main feature of most Ibanez guitars is the humbucker, in the AX30 it features double humbuckers creating that heavy rock or metal sounded (provided with distortion of course), these pickups aren’t the best but they are better then most beginners. Also light are the controls, just comes with a volume, tone, and 3-way pickup selector. Shipped with its own Ibanez tuners this guitar is fairly light on features but that it gets the job done. I suggest that you don’t use the lead that ships with it though, its very poor in quality and I advice that a better lead cable be bought. // 8
Sound: Sound quality is what you expect in a rock guitar like this, there is a sustain due to the bridge and its not as bright as a Fender Strat, this is why I choose to buy this instead of a Squire Strat. It would suite people who prefer that low rock tone since the humbuckers and the brigde sets that up real nicely. If you prefer the rock sound then a double humbucker is the way to go, though the bumbuckers aren't the best in the word so they are kept at stumpy quality to keep the cost down. A good amp and lead is recommended to make this guitar sound its best, I good effects pedal is something you should be looking at if you want to get some overdrive into this. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: The finishing on this guitar is what you expect for most good quality guitars, since it's a budget guitar I didn't expect anything amazing like a faded finish. The transparent finish was good enough, but you compare to high quality products then obviously its not going to meet those standards. The action I noticed at first was bit too high and the bridge needed minor adjusting, the fret relief is straight but from time to time it might help from minor adjustments. If you are going to buy this, I strongly recommend that you let the shop set it up before you take it home. My knobs seem a bit suspicious but I'll see how they turn out. // 7
Reliability & Durability: Playing live with this guitar is something that's possible for long solos and leads since it's a very comfy guitar to hold, but a marathon 2hour gig might ask for a better guitar. Since this guitar is aimed at beginners it suggest that its stuck with its purpose, but if must play live, then this guitar might pull through. Backup guitars are of course essential if the guitar fails to withstand time. The body is really durable since I've banged it around a few times and nothing really has happened, a gig bag or a guitar stand will come in handy since u would want to keep this guitar nice and safe since it wasn't really made to withstand heavy duty misuse. The strap buttons are nicely placed and seen strong so there's nothing to worry about those. Since it's the red comes in a transparent finish, stickers might not be needed. Cleaning this guitar regularly is something that needs to be done to keep the condition nice and the guitar playable. // 8
Impression: To conclude off, the GAX30 aka. AX30 suits any beginner to the world of guitar playing, its better then what most companies have to offer to new players. Ibanez has done the job well here since the guitar suits what I’m looking for when starting my guitar learning experience. The sound quality is close to what is expected in a higher quality guitar. I kind of wish though I asked the shop to set it up for me before I took it home but other then that the guitar is great and suits me really well. It’s much better then the Squires they were selling at the store. I love the double humbuckers, they create the true rock sound that anyone who loves their music hard and crunchy. I would of preferred a better design in the guitar, a less wider back maybe. If it was lost/stolen, I would kind of set my sights on a another Ibanez like the RX/RG or a Les Paul, hopefully it won’t come down to that. But seriously this is a great guitar for beginners, like I said its better then most beginner Squires and the sound quality that comes form this is something you expect from a good Jackson. I recommending looking into this great guitar if you are deciding to buy a beginner rock guitar for yourself or a friend. // 9
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on may 08, 2006 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 150.1
Features: Mine is a 2006, made in Asia. It has 22 frest made with rosewood. Has a nice agathis body with a pritty nice finish. It deffinately has a unique shape which I like and the pickguard looks quite stillish. The bridge is a hard tail with a string-through body. It has a 3 way Switch and a volume and tone knob, both work well. It has two Ibanez open coil pick ups ans has no name tuners that work well enough. // 9
Sound: It sounds great, I play mostly rock, but I dabble in the blues and jazz. I found the tone to be very clear on a clean channel and could be played around with to fit many styles. It is great for distortion and has a pritty nice rich sound compared to my older brothers expensive guitars ($1000ish). I'm not gonna play around, it's no Gibson SG, but for the price, it's wicked. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: The set-up from the factory was deece, but the string heights needed adjustment for all of the strings on mine, they were all set to the highest. Also, the 12th fret on the 2nd string didn't play true, but that is most likely a matter of adjustment I have to get around to. // 8
Reliability & Durability: If there is one thing to be said about this guitar, it is solid. The strap pegs are so solid and have such a large diameter you almost don't need strap locks. As a mater of fact, I tried to put on my levies strap and I had to take the buttons off and put the strap on from the bottom of the button. This was combersom, but they are on rock solid and I don't worry about it slipping. I wouldn't do the emo through-over, but they are solid. Which brings me to another fact, the threads on the strap screws were thick and agressive especial compared to the ones on the Yamaha RGX121DM that I've been playing lately where one of the screws broke and is currently logdged inside the guitar. Also, over all the finish is great, but on the fret board there are some minor file marks and some other minor marks on the side of the fret board you can't see while your playing. // 8
Impression: Overall, for the price this is a great guitar to buy. I'm going to university next year and I will be in university for the following 7 years minimum, so I wanted to get a sweet guitar that I could enjoy playing and that would last me while I was in university. My brother plays very expensive guitars as he was in a band that toured around south-western ontario, and as a matter of fact he has the Ibanez GAX70 in his collection of guitars as a backup. I was actually going to get the GAX70, but I felt that it wasn't worth it for a tunomatic bridge and 2 extra knobs. I use it conjunction with a Peavey blazer 153 15 wat amp but I also tried it my brothers marshal half stack and it sounded sweet. For the price, this guitar is great value and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. // 9
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on february 07, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: It was a gift
Features: 22 frets on a beautiful rosewood neck, this guitar is indestructible (almost). I got mine in pieces from a friend who had done unspeakable things to it. $100 in parts from Guitar Center later, (Seymour Duncan Jazz Model neck humbucker, super slinkys, knobs, and some neck bolts from Home Depot) I discovered that the the old basswood body sounded good. Not Les Paul or Strat good, but still real nice. 3-way tone selector and a pair of knobs (one for volume, the other tone)and non locking tuners hold the super slinks suprisingly well. // 8
Sound: I play a variety of styles, but it handles different styles decently. Since it is an Ibanez, I'm assuming that it leans more towards metal but since resurrecting it I've been able to play numerous chords and styles without problems. The guitar is also almost completely noiseless considering the price range. The solid body also puts out a quite rich, loud and dark sound even without an amp. Amped up, the guitar produces the same results. Rich, dark, and beautiful. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: As far as factory set-up, my own research has led me to believe that new GAX30's even come pre-tuned, somehow. So if you're looking at a new one, go for it. Mine has kept it's initial tuning really well through quick changes of humidity and temperature. The only adjusting I've done was minor at the most. All the Standard stuff comes fully asjustible too, so if you don't like it out-of-box, you can easily change it to suit your needs. The finishes I've seen in store are beautiful, though I have read horror stories of easy chipping. Mine looked like crap anyway (the kid used a sharpie on it), so I just re-finished it myself to a simple yet beautiful white. My overall impression of the playing is quite good. If you like rosewood necks and medium frets and you're not looking to spend a lot of green... the choice is pretty easy. Way better than any beginner/intermediate Fender I've played (Squire Strat, Starcaster) and only slightly less awesome than the Epiphone Les Paul. A Genuine Strat, Tele, Gibson SG (not Epiphone SG) are going to sound better any day, but for the money, the GAX is a great choice. // 8
Reliability & Durability: Like I said earlier, the GAX is just about indestructible. Knock it, drop it, piss on it, set it on fire, whatever you want (maybe not that last one). Can't say too much about the hardware as I have replaced a lot of it, but what is left original (bridge humbucker, tuners, etc) seems to work great. I've heard that the strap buttons sometimes come off, but re-setting them is easy and mine seem to be alright. As far as playing a gig, I would say more that this guitar IS the backup, if you're playing live gigs you really need something a bit more expensive/better sounding. But if you are just the casual birthday or church band player without the green, the GAX will do you just fine without another onstage backup. // 9
Impression: Wow I'm sick of typing. mmk. Like I said, I play a little of everything, and it seems to keep up. This is no Les paul, so if you're an expierenced guitarist with years of playing time, look away. But for all intensive purposes, the Gax is a pretty decent axe. As far as other gear, I've got my hands on a pair of starcasters, a Yamaha acoustic, an Epiphone Les Paul (gorgeous sunburst), Vintage amp (think Hendrix dropping this thing out of a window, so old), distortion pedal for my little bro, Fender mini-amp I forget which model, etc. If the Gax was lost/stolen, I'd first of all be pissed cause I just fixed that mess, and second I would go buy another. They aren't expensive and they sound nice. duh. The only other thing I will say is I wish you could buy replacement cavity plates without special ordering them. // 8
Reviewed by:
Dude365, on february 11, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Local Music Store
Features: The Ibanez GAX30 is a good guitar for a younger player. You know a kid who you don't want to spend 600 bucks on. The guitar has dual humbuckers, a GAX neck, fixed bridge, 3 way pickup selector, 22 frets with Dot inlays, basswood body and neck and bridge volume and tone controls. The tuners turn smoothly and feel sturdy and the guitar is pretty light. It has the double cutaway horns and a large circular body for the bottom half. The guitar takes some time to get used to do to it's larger bottom half. // 7
Sound: The guitar is great for rock, metal etc. but the clean sound is a bit murky which is not good for fans of alternative and others clean styles of music. You're going to need a good amp or distortion pedal to truly appreciate it's sound. The bridge pickup has high gain while the neck and mid are a bit too low sounding for my taste. // 7
Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar has some flaws. The body is thin so it rests lower from the strings unlike many other guitars. Also the action of the higher frets sometimes feels a bit high. Not really a good guitar for soloing but great for sending out massive power chords making it more of a rhythm guitarist guitar. Also the G string seemed to go out of tune like crazy which was a bit annoying. // 7
Reliability & Durability: The guitar has no pickguard so beginners that have not developed their picking that well will definitely scratch it. The guitar does get dented but doesn't show chips and mine is gloss black which is great. It will last you a while even the G string went out of tune like crazy for me. // 8
Impression: The guitar is a great beginners guitar especially for those that don't care about solos and just want to play. The sound is great for metal and rock and is pretty durable for a guitar less than 200 bucks. Nothing really much to say about it other than a good investment for a beginner. // 8
llama_guitarist
: i have this guitar and i heart it. twas my first electric and i still use it a lot. it's a great first electric POSTED: 07/07/2006 - 01:03 am / quote|
boyan89
: im getting this one and just a question is it any good for heavy metal POSTED: 07/13/2006 - 05:28 pm / quote|
aftermidnight_
: this is my guitar, my first electric, and I absolutely love it. its a great sounding guitar, not to mention the fact that it's a great looking one to boot. POSTED: 08/15/2006 - 07:27 pm / quote|
MightyRadiohead
: Great reviews. It's really helped me come to the decision to buy this Ibanez for my first electric. I've resisted the temptation to buy a starter pack (like a Squier) with cheap extras, and get a better quality guitar with my money. I can worry about buying the amp later, i'm hoping i can get away with just headphones for now. I managed to buy this for £100 (in black) from RockingRooster.co.uk, and i reckon thats a bargain. POSTED: 08/29/2006 - 05:33 pm / quote|
Strongbow
: I have this guitar, i bought it as an impulse buy for the pure look of it, its a really good guitar for the £120 i paid for it, better than most squiers and the like for its price range. POSTED: 09/08/2006 - 10:42 am / quote|
aksak
: I bought it in white color (which suits this guitar extremely well) at beginning of January 2007. Seems extremely well finished, frets, neck, bridge and body. There are absolutely no flaws.
Paid 150 EUR (with all taxes) for it, which sounds a good deal in Europe, regarding the look and the finishing of this guitar.
Musically I cannot judge it yet, being an absolute beginner. But for what we need (learning to play), it will ideally make it! POSTED: 02/05/2007 - 06:31 am / quote|
smurfdude
: this guitar is the dogs bollox! best cheap guitar ever made. so good i frequently try to have sex with it. much better than that crappy fender starter pack, man that was so bad i smashed it up. POSTED: 05/05/2007 - 10:56 am / quote|
Zwart
: LOVE this guitar! real nice to play and sounds great ! POSTED: 05/10/2007 - 03:00 pm / quote|
Mastodon_66
: Its alright, great for beginners. Also very good for any type of metal. POSTED: 06/13/2007 - 06:05 pm / quote|
samick/fender
: good beginer guitar till i recently replaced the pickups wiht duncan desinged hb-103s and now it sound really good lol POSTED: 08/14/2007 - 03:47 pm / quote|
Tummaenkeli
: My band's rhythm guitarist uses one, and it does sound better after some small modifications. POSTED: 08/28/2007 - 03:37 am / quote|
EuanMack
: i would have to agree with everyone here, its a great guitar to have as your first and also great to play rythm on... but i have to say i was glad when i upgraded guitars! POSTED: 11/09/2007 - 03:14 pm / quote|
Nemesis_89
: I have a GAX30 and it sounds nice ! It looks good and its perfect for beginners and for better players POSTED: 01/18/2008 - 11:17 am / quote|
TheWho2
: I love this guitar POSTED: 02/22/2008 - 10:16 pm / quote|
Clancy 13
: kicks the squiers but, it is so light, thats why i bought it, and the shape ehoes the gibson SG POSTED: 03/07/2008 - 10:09 pm / quote|
bainsy911
: its just a cool shape great sound lasts long and toatly the best cheap guitar £135 tell me another guitar better then this POSTED: 04/14/2008 - 08:21 am / quote|
2848_RAD
: Very good guitar
sounds great, looks great
can play any style of music so i dont have to switch guitars as i change songs
i advise this guitar for any beginners as it is cheap and sounds great
RainingBlood79
: I have one and i've had it for about a year and it has way too many battle scars lol im just wondering if its possible to change the faceplate on this guitar POSTED: 08/14/2008 - 10:38 am / quote|
Distorted, gain 8, bass 6, treble 6, middle 3 killer distortion for metal or punk.
"killer distortion for metal". from the frontman 15G?
lol i craped my pants when i read this XD POSTED: 09/03/2008 - 09:12 am / quote|
Casual-Gravity
: dang i need to make a decision about thisguitar in 30 minutes otherwise the offer is gone.. so if anyone is on please give me some advice. i think its a good deal though.. 300 bucks for amp +guitar (leads, straps, etc.)
Lobyte
: Fuck squier, if you want a guitar for starters take this one, playing it since i started with electric guitars and still like it. Neck is also pretty good for shredding POSTED: 01/05/2009 - 05:38 pm / quote|
guitarrocker54
: Well I have a nice Ibanez RGEX1 and it is awesome..it has a nice maple neck and has a solid body frame and it all around awesome so Ibanez's are a good cheaper guitar that still allows u to rock
EnterSB
: I have question.
This guitar does not have floyd. Is there a way to install one?
I am new to electric guitars, so please take that into consideration.
Thanks. POSTED: 11/06/2009 - 07:52 am / quote|
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