GSA60 Review

Loaded with one humbucker, two single-coil pickups, and medium frets enables the GSA60 to fit in any application.

Features:	8.3
Sound:	8.6
Action:	7.8
Reliability:	8.5
Impression:	8.6
Overall rating:	8.4
Users rating:	7.8
Comments:	34

overall: 8.4

Featured review by: guitarhero5t, on august 24, 2005

Price paid: $ 215

Purchased from: George's Music

Features: I own the 2004 model. 22 frets. The neck is very comfortable to play on and is easy to get used to almost immediatly. It now comes in blue black and some crazy natural/yellow that I saw once. Mine is blue very nice. I believe it is made with alder body and a maple neck. I'm not postive though. It has the same body shape as the other SA models, just a bit thicker around the edges. It has a stantard tremelo, nothing flashy. Two single coils (neck, middle) and a single powersound humbucker (bridge). One volume, one tone, and a 5-way pickup selector. // 8

Sound: This guitar is very versatile. I can play everything on it. My band plays alternative, rock, and heavy metal, and it plays all seemlessly. My uncle played blues on it two, and it sounded great! It also cleans up nice for acoustic sounds. I put it through a Line 6 Flextone 2 amp, and I use the amps effects. The humbucker is silent when not in play, but the single coils hum, witch is to be expected. It has a bright sound on the humbucker, and a mello sound if you put it towards the neck. The only problem I found, was when I play with distirtion, I had a hard finding the crunch I needed, without all the distortion. I might get EMG's. // 6

Action, Fit & Finish: The acton came pretty low, but I changed and messed with the guitar so much, I found a perfect action. It is low enough to do a very wide variety of trills and shit, but I can still do pinch harmonics easily. The pickups were set far from the strings, so that was adjusted. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I've never had any problems with this guitar yet. The only thing I had to change was the strap buttons. I got straplocks. Although the balnce is perfect, I still felt the need for them. // 10

Impression: One word - awesome! Though if I could I would get a better guitar. // 10

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: BassDude2737, on october 26, 2005

Price paid: $ 275

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: Lets see I'm not exactly sure where it was made but I'm pretty sure that Ibanez is a Japan based company. It has 22 medium frets, a laminated top and a agathis body (I've never heard of any guitars made out of this wood, based on the feel I would have guessed maple, but shows you how much I know). It is a transparent finish I believe. This is almost exactly a copy of a Strat. The body is almost identical the only thing that is different is the electronics. It comes equipped with on hum-bucker and one single coil pickup. Unfortuneatly it has a wilkinson tremeolo, which is just about my only complaint about the guitar. This thing drifted like hell. Finally I broke down and took it into the shop. The teck locked down the bridge and has worked great ever since. However if you are buying this guitar for the tremolo don't buy it. It has one volume and one tone with a five way selector Switch. It came with a gig bag and a 25 foot cable. // 8

Sound: I can get a lot of sounds out of this guitar. From a really soft tone to the Jimi Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughan sound that I just love to use when I'm playing live. I play a bluesy music. This guitar can make any sound. I think that that is due to the 5-way selector. However it is fairly noisy. This could be because the setting that I use uses a lot of trble but I doubt it. Some of it is grounding problems because I had to eliminate the grounding pin because my room only has 2 prong outlets. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was fairly well set up when I got it. However I lowered the action, this is just a personal preference. Also as I mentioned before the tremolo kept drifitng so I had to have that locked down. Also the strings keep rusting on me. This could be becuase of the high humidity in my room. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will withstand live playing. I have played it on several live gigs without a backup and it performs just great. Never has busted a string live. I brought it to a gig for one of my friends as a backup and he ended up playing itr. I think that I will wear out with time. Also I have notived some staining around the nut area. // 10

Impression: I like this gutiar a awful lot. However I think that if it were lost I would reach for another Ibanez but maybe something of a little higher quality, and certainly one without a Wilkinson tremolo. // 8

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: kerrang, on july 09, 2004

Price paid: $ 347.7

Purchased from: Matchetts Music Belfast

Features: 22 medium frets on a rosewood body and maple neck. Agathis body makes this pretty strong and light. Strat Style black body with a laminated top (which I thought went pretty damn well with the chrome hardware). Sat-10 bridge which succumbs really well to the non-lockin tremolo arm and it stays in tune pretty well too. 5-way pickup selector powered by a bridge humbucker and 2 single coils at the mid and neck positions. Volume and tone knobs a second tone knob would have been ideal. // 8

Sound: At the minute im playin a lot of things (havin difficulty with tribal stuff lol) includin Metallica, Status Quo, AC/DC and it suits all these pretty well if you use just the Humbucker it sound dead death metal then mix it with the mid single coil it sounds really woody. At the moment im bringin it though a Peavy "Rage 158" 15 watt and a "soundking" practice 15 to give it a bit more beef. It dosent seem to make the click sound when changing thru the pickup selector my old axe did. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I'm so pleased with the sound I havn't had 2 highten or lower the pickups yet everything works as it should, no flaws. However the black venir on the end bit of the neck looks a bit plasticy and tacky against the wood. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I havent played it live but I gave it a good arse kicking the other day I would take it without a backup to a gig tho. Feels like a brick built shithouse - could withstand a kicking, ya no? // 8

Impression: I was really pleased with the quality of guitar I got for £190 quid really pleased with it especially the whammy arm a good guitar overall I'd recommend you get it if u got deep pockets. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 11, 2005

Price paid: $ 350

Purchased from: Vedvik pianocenter

Features: The guitar is made in Indonesia, the body is made of agathis and the neck have 22 frets. I would prefer 24. It has three pickups, a singelcoil in the neck, another one in the middle and a humbucker in the bridge position (H-S-S). It has a 5-way Switch. The neck is made of rosewood. It has one knob for volume and one for tone. Easy to control. // 8

Sound: This is mainly a newbeginner guitar, and its a wery good one. Easily played, good sound and it isn't heavy. It was the second guitar I bought (had a Les Paul replica before that. It sucked) and I still have it. The sound varies from warm and fat, to bright and sharp. This guitar's sound is perfect for metall. The humbucker have a bright and fat sound, and with the right amp it can kick ass! It isn't very noisy. You might hear some distant buzzing if you sit next to a computer. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The quality of the GSA60 varies, and you should check before you buy it. Some people end up with a completely s--ty guitar (knobs that easily goes off, tremolo that is shity etc) but mine is very nice peace of work. The tremolo is working perfect. I have changed strings to Ernie Ball Power slinky and have equipped the guitar with an xtra spring (the strings are from 11 to 48) because the strings coming equipped with the guitar is completly garbage. It's overall easy to play. Sometimes something makes a weird sound that I don't know were came from. // 8

Reliability & Durability: You probably will have to smash it in the fllor to destroy it. It is very solid and very strongly made. // 8

Impression: If you ar a newbeginner, low on money and need a great variety of tones, this is the guitar for you my friend. The only flaw is that the tremolo arm is coming near one of the knobs. But it is still a very good guitar. In case you are wondering about the stiff price, there is no such thing as a cheap guitar up her in Norway. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 26, 2006

Price paid: $ 200

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: It was made in Indonesia. I believe it was made in 2002, but I am not completely sure. It was 21 frets with a thin neck thats Strat like. It has locking tuners. It has 2 single-coil pickups and one humbucker. It's 5-way selector, one volume control and one tone control give you full range of many sounds. It's body is cutaway Strat like. // 8

Sound: I play all kinds of music from old rock to punk and metal. I usually only use my Zoom Fire-18 practice modeling amp with it and it's pretty amazing for the prize. It can get as clear and clean when you use the right pickups and it will blast your head off when you use the humbucker. The guitar is mainly used for clean sounds, but it's the best for it's price for distoreted, metal sounds. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up pretty perfectly from the factory. I bought it and plugged it in and started to play. The string are amazing straight from the store (unlike most new guitars). It is jewel blue and it has no pick guard so it attracts scratches really easily. It also attracts fingerprints like crazy. That might Drive people crazy, but I can handle it cus they're really easy to clean. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think this guitar will last for many years to come. I would have payed two times the price. I've only had it for about a month and a half but have used it for long periods of time. I would recommed a back-up just incase 'cause I haven't had enough time with this guitar. // 9

Impression: I play blues, rock, classic rock, just about any rock there is. It's a pretty good match to just about everythin except it could do better with the distoreted part (it might be my amp because I played it through the effect pedal of my friend and it was amazing but I didn't play it with too much distortion). I wish it had come with a tremolo bar. Guitar Center ripped me off and didn't give me one, but I think it comes standard. I would buy this guitar again if it was lost or stolen. It's price was amazing for all that it's worth. It definetly beats anything its the 0-350 dollar price range. You can always get some better pickups if you wish to upgrade. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 25, 2007

Price paid: $ 263.52

Purchased from: GAK

Features: This guitar has 22 frets, and I think it was made in Indonesia. The neck is made of maple, and the fretboard rosewood. It is a solid top guitar and I think the body is maple. It comes in a variety of different finishes-black, trans blue and tobacco burst. It is the 'superstrat' style, which is basically a Strat with a humbucker in the bridge position. The bridge style is a Standard tremolo, or I think a string-thru body. The elctronics are passive, and the controls are a 5-way switch, wolume and tone. Pickup config is (from neck to bridge) S-S-H, and I think they are Ibanez. I don't know much about the tuners, but they are non-locking. // 10

Sound: This guitar suits a variety of music styles perfectly, from slow love songs to heavy metal. I usually play rock/alternative etc, and it fills my requirements perfctly. The humbucker makes no noise when played, and I think the single coils give a small amount of hum. It is a rich and bright sound, when used with all configurations. You could play any style of music on this guitar. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: My dad's friend, Who is a pro guitarist set this guitar up, but he said he only needed to raise the action slightly higher, which is simple by anyones standards. The Pickups were perfect, and I haven't adjusted them since. Everything was perfect. I haven't adjusted anything since I put 11-48 gauge strings on, and I added a spring to the tremolo. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've played this Live several times-not to mention dropping it, and I only have one chip where you can see the wood, and that was because the venue had a nail head stucking out of the floor which it fell on. I dropped it twice at one gig, everything was fine, a small chip, but only the clear varnish finish, and it stayed in tune. I switched to locking tuners, even though the balane is perfect, just for reasurrance. I have used it without a backup every time! // 10

Impression: I have been playing 3-4 years now, and I haven't upgraded since. I run this through a beringher wah and into a Vox AD30VT. It is perfect for my style of music and many others. If it were stolen or lost, I would upgrade, but buy it again for old times sake! The finish was perfect, lovely and thick-so it seems so far. I have compared this to a Fender Strat, and I preferred my guitar! This may sound crazy, but it's true! I chose it because it's my guitar, nothing else would do (except maybe a Gibson Les Paul). // 10

overall: 8.2

Reviewed by: pray4gg, on may 08, 2007

Price paid: $ 200

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: The main things you got to know (and probably already do) is that it is a super Strat type of guitar with two single coil pickups for the neck and middle, plus a humbucker for the bridge pickup. I don't want to mention too much of what has already been said, but it has a 25.5-inch scale bolt-on neck, agathis wood for the body, a lackluster tremolo bridge, a 5-way pickup selector (with no way to tap the humbucker). Some people say their GSA60 had locking tuners, but my 2005 model did not. Regarding accessories, I got a nice gig bag, boring nylon strap, good cable, some strings, and a 10watt Crate amp all for 300. To sum up the features: it's a beginner's electric guitar. With that in mind, it's got enough features. It could use a better bridge though. Also, as expected, the guitar does not stay in tune for long. // 9

Sound: My music preferences are all over the place. I like rock, reggae, some heavier rock (I like a lot of bands, but my favorites are 11 and Audioslave). I was able to get some decent sounds when I played songs from my favorite bands, but obviously it's harder to emulate Tom Morello's guitar-playing with a beginner's guitar. I hooked up the guitar to a 10watt Crate amp and I used FAB Overdrive and FAB Echo (both made by Danelectro) along with a Dunlop CryBaby Wah pedal. I couldn't really tell the difference between the middle and neck pickups (the 2 single coils), but the humbucker was extremely different. I noticed some other reviewers say otherwise, which confuses me. The humbucker in clean mode doesn't really suit my tastes. It just doesn't sound right. When using the humbucker, I turned up the Overdrive to get a significantly fuller sound with some crunch. The single coils sound pretty smooth while clean, unlike the humbucker. Keeping in mind that this is a beginner's guitar, the pickups aren't great so you don't get much crunch or raw fatness (even when using the humbucker). So hardcore metal is out of the question. Awesome jazz and blues will be lacking as well. Even so, there's some decent variety for a beginner: the clean single coils sound nice enough and the humbucker (with Overdrive) adds a good kick. That's the main reason why I wanted a guitar with an HSS pickup configuration when I first started playing. However, after a little over a year of casual playing (I'm "just" a hobbyist), I grew tired of the guitar's limitations, sonically-speaking. It's also quite annoying to have to retune this guitar so frequently. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: I had trouble with the action when I changed to a set of low-gauge (.9) strings. The paint on the headstock did chip a little, but other than that, the guitar didn't scratch easily. I would say that out-of-the-box, it was decently set up (from a beginner's perspective), but still far from par. The main disappointment was the action being higher than I would have liked. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar would be a pretty bad choice for Live playing due to the tuning problems. But the strap buttons were good, the tuners never fell off, and all-in-all, a beginner will be fine practicing on this guitar. However, I did experiment with the tremolo bridge and its whammy bar. To my dismay, I broke one of the springs inside the body cavity. It's easy to replace, but it's still annoying and disappointing. // 7

Impression: No, this is not a good guitar. It's made with cheap hardware and cheap wood. It's got cheap pickups and if you dare to use the whammy bar, expect detuning to occur. So why am I giving an Overall Impression score of 10? Because this guitar was only $200 (USD). It's made for beginners, and it's great for beginners. I tried out some other beginner guitars and they were substantially worse. This guitar's neck is friendly, the pickups are decent (until you grow tired of them), and the whole package is just a blast for a novice to have fun with. That's why it's still a success. If you want superb sound and quality, don't get the GSA60. If you want a great beginner guitar with good value, get the GSA60. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on september 17, 2007

Price paid: $ 160

Purchased from: Standard Value (Singapore)

Features: It is one if the newer ones, built rather recently. It was China-made. It has 22 medium frets on a NATO (top-grade mahogany neck) neck, and duh, is a solid-body guitar. The body is basswood, I think older GSA60s have Agathis bodies. The finish is Jewel Blue so it's a bit boring. It is a double-cutaway fat Strat design, with a floating bridge and Standard tremolo. It is a string-through body and has two stock single-coil pickups and a double-coil humbucker at the bridge, which gives it great versatility. Non-locking tuners. Hey, what do you expect? it's a Gio series, not an SA Prestige. // 8

Sound: I play mostly hard rock and metal, and sometimes alternative rock. This guitar really does it all and does it well. I use it with a Sound Drive SG-10 amplifier and it's a bit noisy because of the stock pick-ups and humbucker. If I change those to DiMarzio's which I will, this guitar's gonna be the ultimate. It can make a wide variety of sounds, even a somewhat 'Stratocaster' sound by activating the middle pickup only. But on humbucker, this guitar is really heavy. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The action was incredibly accurate to my preferrence. They probably could read my mind. I could shred on it immediately! The pick-ups were perfect position, and there were no flaws I could see except for the poorly cut nut. Built in China. It's a gio. Even with that nut cut, if a China-made guitar can be so excellent, I'm going Ibanez and nothing else. The neck is rough with satin lacquer, but feels smooth and well-done. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I have not played it Live yet, but it is a very solid guitar. It can last better than plenty of expensive guitars. I know Ibanez is famous for exceptional quality at affordable prices, versatility, etc. Add solidness and durability to it. Seriously, I've seen Herman Li abuse his S Prestige guitars! Of course being a Gio, it's not as durable as the S Prestige but it's definitely really solid. No wear and tear yet. // 9

Impression: This guitar is really versatile. I would have got a Strat but I would not have been able to play metal and hard rock. This guitar can do anything rock, but sadly, not versatile enough for clean stuff. If it were stolen or lost but I have a bigger budget, I would buy a higher-end guitar. But if I have just enough, I would buy the Ibanez GSA60 again. But I'll still have to upgrade the pickups. // 9

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: CauseyShop, on november 22, 2007

Features: I'm not sure when this model was made but I'm guessing 2003 in the US. It has a preety nice rosewood fingerboard and 23 medium size frets. The guitar feels great when playing nearly all types of music but playability could be increased if it was made of a maple neck. My finish is this (I think custom) natural wood color with a little yellow throughout. It features a 5-way tune selector, 2 single coils and a nice humbucker by the bridge that picks up greatly with harmonics. Overall it looks nice given the cost. Then only bad part is my intonation gave out in about 6 months. But other than that, it's features are good. // 8

Sound: I play nearly all types of music from blues and classic to Jimi Hendrix and John Mayer. It is fairly versatile when it comes to a rich tone. When you have lots of distortion when using the bridge, the harmonics are great. I use a Line six spider 3 amp which sounds good. I'm sure if I had a Marshall, it would be better but the Line 6 comes with installed effects. The best attribute to this guitar is probably the sound. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The action to the guitar is ok. I got it re-adjusted shortly after getting it. All the knobs and pick-ups seem to be fine for 2 years of playing and the neck it still the way it was when I bought it. My guess is it will last for a long time with minimal repair. as of now I don't see any real damages that have been caused due to manufactures or natural problems. The finish and looks are fantastic. I've never seen my color of this model before but mine if a orangish natual wood color with a sweet gloss over it. // 9

Reliability & Durability: So far, this model is perfect for what I'm doing (small gigs and at-home playing). The guitar itself seems like it was beautifully crafted and could last a life-time. I see very little flaws and everything seems to be holding strong like the strap buttons and pick up. The finish to the body is great. After 3 years there is very few dents and scratches for a little of accidental bangs to the wall. // 10

Impression: This model, like all Ibanez's, are best accompanied with powerful rock. Although it doesn't neccesarily sound bad when playing other types, older rock is best because os it's harmonic pickup and power tone. The guitar would be a great match with a Marshall or Fender amp. If anything, I would wish that the model had a different wood neck and a different pick up for the neck. I've only been playing for about 3 years but I would recommend this model to anyone who is just starting and doesn't want that damn Squier. // 9

overall: 8

Reviewed by: vaimaster, on may 06, 2009

Price paid: $ 75

Purchased from: Craigslist.org

Features: I'm not sure what year it was made in but it was made in USA. It Has 22 frets with a rosewood fretboard. It's a solid top with Alder wood. It has a rare Orange finish that's a smooth Strat style. It has a basic Ibanez Tremolo bridge. It has Passive electronics.volume and Tone controls and a %-way selector Switch. The bridge pickup is a Ibanez stock pickup. The middle pickup and neck pickup are Ibanez single coil pickups. Non-locking tuners made by Ibanez. There was a gig bag and strap included with it. // 8

Sound: I play a style consisting mainly of 80s to 90s heavy metal and blues. Depending on the amp and effects you have it fit's that style. I'm using a First Act M2A110 amp with a Zoom G1 effects pedal with it and it sounds pretty good. It's a pretty loud guitar in general even acoustically. The guitar is really good with natural and pinch harmonics. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The action is not that bad but there is an indent in the 4th fret due to low action. The pickups were aligned without me needing to make any adjustments to them. The top was bookmatched very well and the bridge is ok not the best with routing. Also the pickup selector is a little noisy. // 6

Reliability & Durability: I've played tons gigs with this axe so it's durable during them. The hardware has lasted me a while so far. The strap buttons work well unless you make them not work good. I completely depend on this guitar it's one I use during practice and gigs. The finish iis really great I've accidenally spilled liqiuds on it and nothing happened to it at all! // 9

Impression: My heavy metal/blues style works really well with it. The guy I got it from on craigslist played a classic rock style so he gave it up to metal players because it has great distorion! I've been playing since December 15, 2007 but that doesn't matter because this guitar is great for beginner and advanced players. I also own a Drive Wildfire guitar, a Zoom G1 effects pedal, a First Act M2A110 amp, a Rogue SX100B bass and a Titn Xl-300 bass amp. If This Guitar were to be stolen or lost I would definitely buy another one if I could find one somewhere cheap like I did. I love evrything about it except the nick in the 4th fret I told about. My favorite feature is probably the clean neck since I do a lot of Malmsteen shredding. I didn't really compare with anything else because I was really desperate for a guitar at that point in time. A few things I wish it had would be a killswitch and an Ibanez Edga Pro Tremolo bridge and locking tuners. Overall it's a great guitar! // 8

overall: 9

Reviewed by: TJM2482, on december 04, 2007

Purchased from: Sam Ash

Features: It was made in 04/05. 22 medium frets. Agathis body, maple neck. Strat-esque body type. Vintage Strat-style bridge. Passive electronics. 5-way switch with volume and tone knobs. H/S/S pickups. Pretty versatile guitar feature-wise, good choice for a beginner looking to play it all. I wish it had better tuning stability with the bridge, or rather a tune-o-matic or string-thru system. // 8

Sound: This thing actually surprises me every time I pick it up. I'm using it with a Peavey XXX Super 40, and it sounds pretty good. It's less noisy than my S470, but it gets really noisy when using the single coils with any type of gain. Pretty versatile. On cleans, has a nice range of tones, the mid and neck pickups combine for an almost acoustic sound. I wish the singles were more quiet, and the bridge pickup a little brighter. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: I was a novice when I bought the guitar, so I don't really remember. It has really nice action, super super low without any buzz. The guitar itself has good frets, everything was clean and working. No dead frets. The guitar itself is a dream to play. I usually learn new stuff on this guitar first. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've beat up this guitar immensely. A bunch of dings, scratches, chips, and it's still in good playing condition. I would depend on it for a live show, not like it's any different from standing in my room and playing it. I would recommend strap locks, just to be safe. // 9

Impression: I play hard rock, with some classic rock and metal here and there. It does it fine. I've been playing for two years, and I prefer this axe over my S470 as a matter of fact. I have no regrets at all. If it were stolen, I would probably just put the money towards a higher end guitar. I love the not-to-bright bridge pickup, the low action, the non-locking bridge, the size of the body, and the smoothness of the neck. I dislike the noisy single coils and the tuning stability. // 9

overall: 6.4

Reviewed by: Pacifica112J, on august 21, 2006

Purchased from: Used

Features: I purchased this used, kind of beat up, just as a beat up guitar, and so far, I'm not horribly impressed. I'm not sure what year it is, but if I had to guess, I'd say 2004. It's got 22 medium frets, and a rosewood fretboard, I think. I'm also pretty sure the neck is maple. It's a solid top, agathis body. Mine has a solid, gloss black finish. It's a super-Strat style body, and is actually pretty comfortable. It's got a Tune-O-Matic bridge, which is okay. The bridge is also floating, which is going to change very soon. The controls are very simple, with just one volume, and one tone knob, coupled with a 5-way selector switch. The pickups are configurated in an S/S/H pattern. The tuners are okay, just basic, non-locking Ibanez tuners. Mine came with no accessories. // 7

Sound: This guitar really doesn't suit any of my styles (shred, speed metal, '80s rock, etc). I couldn't really get a tone from it that I actually liked. That's not necessarily a problem with the guitar, I just didn't like any of the tones it produced. I used it with just a plain Marshall 10-Watt, and a Marshall Half Stack, coupled with a DigiTech Death Medal pedal, that I purchased after I got the guitar. Again, not bad, but the only thing that really turned me on was the bridge humbucker by itself, and even it wasn't that great. It's pretty noisy, too. Sometimes, both of my amps would just sit there and buzz, when I was at least 10 feet from my TV or Computer. This guitar picks up a massive amount of interference, which really pissed me off, since they elected not to even include covers for the single coils, or the 'bucker. The guitar doesn't make a whole lot of sounds. It's just not very versatile. I didn't even see much difference switching from the first single coil, to just the bridge humbucker. Kind of disappointing, coming from Ibanez at least. // 6

Action, Fit & Finish: I can't comment on the guitar being set up from the factory, because I bought it used. As far as the pickups. This is where my biggest gripe comes in. Ibanez decided, for some reason, to leave the two single coils' wiring and soldering completely open. On top of the fact that the soldering looks pretty fragile, it's out in the open. What the hell were they thinking? The humbucker is not so bad, but it wiggles like crazy, and I think it's going to fall out with the slightest bump from my pick or something. Ibanez, what the hell? Fail. // 6

Reliability & Durability: The guitar is actually very solid. The neck is solid, and so is the headstock, tuners, etc. The hardware does seem like it will last, minus the pups and 'bucker of course. The strap buttons are also solid, and hold a strap well, no problems here. I would not depend on it for a gig. Hell, I wouldn't even use it as a backup. It's just not a very reliable instrument, from my experiences. The finish is good, and is very thick, it should last given the proper care. // 8

Impression: I wouldn't play it, at all. At least not until it's got aftermarket stuff. But that's just me. Hell, you may like an instrument with buzzier-than-hell frets. I've been playing for about a year and a half, and I own an okay Pacifica, and another Ibanez. I asked if it was a good instrument before I bought it, and despite it's appearance, the guy told me that it played as crappy the day I bought it, as the day it was shipped. If it were lost or stolen, I'd laugh at the retard that took it, because he's just punishing himself, in my opinion. What do I love? Nothing. What do I hate? A lot. My favorite feature? Probably the neck, it's pretty playable. It doesn't comapre to much else, I just wish it didn't suck, is all. But that's why I'm fixing it up, I guess. People looking for a good, cheap axe. Please, for your own sake, look elsewhere. It's just not put together very well, and the tone kind of sucks. I'm not bashing Ibanez, I own another one, and love it. Ibanez as a whole is good, but this one isn't. // 5

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 05, 2006

Price paid: $ 175

Purchased from: A Friend

Features: I'm not sure of what year it is, I know it's fairly new. It was built in Indonesia. It's got a really nice 22 fret rosewood neck with medium sized frets. It's got a nice solid dark blue finish and has a humbucker at the bridge and two single coils in the neck and middle position, all 3 are the factory pickups. The controls are simply the 5 way pickup selector and a volume knob and a tone knob. It's got the stock tuners and Strat style tremelo bridge. This guitar came with a hardshell gator case, I belive this was purchased seperately by the previous owner. // 9

Sound: I play a lot of different styles of music, blues, classic hard rock, metal, punk, pop, some jazz and a little country. I play through a Traynor reverb mate 40 and I only use two pedals, a Boss HM-01 Distortion pedal and a Crybaby GCB-95 standard wah pedal. I don't know what my cables are. This gutiar has a great sound with both distortion and clean, and has a tone that is wide enough to covers the different genres that I play. The Bridge Pickup is pretty quiet but the Single coils in the neck and middle have some buzz. But that's something to be expected with single coil pickups. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: When I bought the guitar it was set up just as it was in the factory. It did have a high action, due to the .011's that the previous owner put on them, but switching from 11's to .095's seemed to fix that problem. It does have a noisey volume knob and some oxidation on the hardware but everything else is perfect on it. // 9

Reliability & Durability: The guitar is pretty durable. I've dropped it a couple times and it's still in one piece. I've only played it at one gig but it did well, I did have some feedback issues but that's no big deal. The finish looks like it's not gonna be worn out ne time soon. The only Concern was that I had to stop and re-tune a lot between songs. Because of these tuning issues I would probably bring a backup gutiar for detuned songs, but I play mostly in standard tuning soo I would be all set with just this guitar. // 8

Impression: This guitar is great if you play a different types of music. It covers a variety of tones from jazz to blues to rock & metal. I've been playing for a couple years now and I own 7 other guitars. An Ovation CK-057 acoustic Electric, a 1986 Ibanez Blazer, a no-name Classical, a First Act and 2 Johnson Del Mar Strat Knock-offs. Compared to all these guitars it is my #1 fav. besides my Blazer. If this gutiar got stolen or was lost I would buy another one ASAP! I love the way it sounds and plays, But I really wish I would stay in tune for longer periods of time. It would be nice if it had a better pair of tuners and maybe a floyd rose. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on august 22, 2005

Features: 23 frets, I think mahogany, cuttaway body (looks like a Stratocaster), volume/tone/5-way pickup controls. The person who I bought it from had extra springs put it so it sounds exceptional (very expensive additional feature I might add). // 8

Sound: This is a excellent sounding guitar. It plays any sort of music perfectly well and it still keeps its quality even if you have more than 3 effects pedals on it. My configuration is; Ibanez GSA60-blue, Traynor ReverbMate 30w amp, Guitar Boomers 10 guage strings, and a Boss Distortion Pedal. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: A tiny bit heavy at first (weight wise), but I got used to it quickly and it actually is quite nice. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This is a durable guitar. I would play a gig without a back-up only if I knew I wouldn't break a few strings. Adding the extra springs, as I mentioned before, makes a world of difference however. It is fine without (as I have tried them before like that) but having the springs makes it exceptional. (I would give it a 4 because the whammy bar sorta sucks, but it's such a small flaw its not worth taking off a whole mark). // 10

Impression: I play all types of music; Steve Ray Vaughan (blues) to The Offspring (alternative hard rock IMO) to System Of A Down (borderline metal/hard rock), so it is very versatile. I've been playing just over 2 years and I have compared it to many other product over that period. There are better guitars, but they are so much money in comparrison (see purchased from) meaning $650+ CDN. For the price you pay for this guitar (even new) you get more than you pay for. I would easily by another one of these or another better model of Ibanez. This is only my opinion don't forget. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 09, 2005

Price paid: $ 366

Purchased from: Manchester

Features: The GSA is a classic Super Strat. In the traditional '80s style of the original Ibanez guitars it is a copy of a well established design. Made in Japan, it has a very machine made feel, quite unlike a Gibson or a Gretch but shares their quality of workmanship. Unlike a Fender it is more than a slab of wood. The body is shaped to hug the body, making comfortable playing, and the main body has a nice but fragile transparent glaise which cracks easily. The neck itself is very comfortable to play. Maple, and mine has a jet fret board, more expensive but gives a great dark tone. I took the option of a floyd rose tremelo which iv added myself. It comes origianlly with a Tune-O-Matic, and a nice balanced whammy. The controls are all in solid chrome, and heavy duty knobs usefull for gigging, 1 intelligent controll knob a volume and a 5 way selector. It sounds limited but the guitar is incredibly virsitial, as it adjusts everything automaticly to fit different tones when you adjust the knobs. The pickups are perfect for rockers everywhere. The tone they give can fit anything from rock 'n' roll too high gain thrashy chords and heavy solo's. The guitar features 2 single coil and one very hot heavy metal orientated humbucker. The guitar does have a tendancy to go out of tune when playing live, after moving around and performing on stage it does slip out of tune. A floyd rose can help to solve the problem, with lockin tuning, but players should be aware of this flaw. The annoying thing is when I first got it it stayed in tune perfectly for weeks on end. This does ditearerate however. // 8

Sound: The pickups give the oppurtunity for a huge range of styles, as they are not completely humbuckers, so not to heavy. The tone selector is brilliant and it is very easy to install a high gain/low gain cut Switch aswell. My bands play everthing from Grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden) to rock 'n' roll (Early Beatles, Chuckberry) etc. But this guitar comes into its own when playing live, at the heavier end of the musical spectrum. When playing on the bridge pickup it gives amazing treble tone, which cuts like a razor through any band. Its has a perfect Jimi Hendrix sound but when the gain is cranked up, makes it easy to play pinch harmonics and the sustain is unbeleivable. Infact, the pickup is so tight it almost creates a wah wah sound in the bass strings when in a high gain tone. The single pickups give a much softer more traditional sound ideal for jazz and blues aswell as a substitute for an acoustic when onstage. As far as amps go, this guitar will sound best in a trans tube amp, Half solid half valve state. At the moment I have three amps, a Fender valve, a Marshall 100 DFX (great for high gain tone) and a Vox Amp Modeling Trans Tube. All these amps have built in FX but they can go a bit hay wire thanks to the bridge pickup. I use a Boss Delay, a CryBaby Wah, although the new Vox re-issue sounds better, A DigiTech Grunge, Big Muff and the DigiTech Jimi Hendrix Experience pedal, which really works well with this guitar. The buzz is none existent and feedback is easy to control if it gets out of hand. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar to all acounts perfectly set up. When I played it in the shop it was brand new, and it was exactly right. The pickups have improved since then and it is now better than it ever was. Do be carefull of the strings it comes with as they can be crap or old or cheap. I re strung it in the shop before it went home! The action is always nice with Ibanez guitars but it is japanese and geared towards the metal market, not the GSA as much, but it still is a very uniform and manufactured feel. The quality of the construction is second to none as is the attention to detail but it has none of the richness or character of a Vintage guitar. Still, it works and sounds great - so you can't complain. // 8

Reliability & Durability: The Ibanez GSA series are, against all appearances, brilliant guitars to play live. They seem limited in that it is small and slim line with few controls. But the guitar does all the work, and you can concentrate on producing your individual sound without worrying about things not being right with your tone or position or anything. The guitar has a good balance and rarely comes off the strap. However, after a long time playing, usually during a long rehearsal your right arm does tend to ache, as the pickup are positioned so that you play quite a way across your body and close in. When strumming your hand usually falls at your belly button, so it advised get a none slip strap and play with the guitar on an angle. As I have already mentioned, the finish does crack if it sustains a sharp knock, and finger prints show very easily, but it is hard to stranch and the neck and distinctive head stock don't chip with knocks. I never need a back up, even then its only ever my beloved Tele, which I built myself and never use live. The Ibanez is reliable and raw in tone and appearance. Simple yet effective. // 6

Impression: The guitar has a very fragile appearnce and looks basic, but is infact a solid and value buy. If it becomes wildy out of tune, it has difficulty staying in tune again for several days which is its major flaw. However the mammoth sound it produces and its quality construction makes it the ultimate value guitar. Forget Jackson Soloists and Mavericks. The the lead guitarist you can't get a better guitar for under 300 quid! // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on october 27, 2004

Purchased from: Sam Ash - King Of Prussia, PA

Features: - 22 medium frets
- Agathis body
- Maple neck
- Rosewood finger board
- Single neck pick up
- Single mid pick up
- Humbucker bridge pick up
- Pearl dot inlays
- Chrome hardware // 10

Sound: The sound of this guitar is great. The humbucker sounds awsome with or without the tone. The 5 way Switch is great. The only thing is once you Switch to the single pick ups theres noise, but it really doesnt bother me. I am using a Fender Champion 30 DSP amp now but I am soon gettin a Marshall MG100HDFX 100 watt half stack. Playing this guitar on the Fender amp sounds awsome. It's got a little metalish sound to it and thats fine with me. I really didnt want a guitar with alot of metal sound because I use this guitar for classic rock. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The pick ups on this guitar are set up perfectly. I haven't adjusted them at all, teh thing I had adjusted was I had the people at Sam Ash move the strings as close to the fret board as possible. I bought it brand new so there was no marks on it. Its a very strong guitar, made very well. It does have noisy single pick ups. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I have used this guitar in live playing and I didn't bring a back up because I can trust this guitar to do the right job. The hardware seems like it will last for a while. The strap buttons are solid, I only had my starp fall off a couple times. I think the finish will lat a pretty long time. // 10

Impression: Overall this guitar is great for starting out or getting a new one. I've only been playing for 3 years now and I had this guitar for about 10 months and I love it. If your starting out or gettin a new, get this guitar. // 10

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: Ibanezpark, on may 27, 2004

Price paid: $ 204.99

Purchased from: Musiciansfriend.com

Features: - 22 frets
- Humbucker
- Powersound single coil pick-ups
- Tremolo bar
- Solid body
- Five way pickup selector Switch
- Volume and tone knobs. // 10

Sound: I mostly play metal and the more heavy stuff, but I do play ballads once in a while. This guitar is great for the more heavy type music, it plays really well. The humbucker gives a nice heavy tone, but the two single coils are really weak. I don't have any effects and my amp is a Roland Cube-60. With the tone knob turned all the way up it gives it a nice heavy, almost fuzzy type of sound, but if you turn the tone all the way down it gives a nice clean tone. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The factory setup is great, the action was perfect, the pickups were in just the right spot. When I got it there was the smallest scratch on the back, but when I polished it out I couldn't find it again. Th finish is a really thick shiny black, (also available in jewel blue). // 8

Reliability & Durability: I would play this guitar live without a backup. But if you had one why not bring it along? The hardware is pretty good, except for the two single coil pickups, which aren't very strong. The strap buttons are nice and solid. This guitar is built so solid I'd throw it down the stairs or smash it through an amp and not expect any damage to it except maybe a few scratches or a broken string. // 10

Impression: I think this is one of the best first guitars you can get, it is worth a lot more than what I paid for it. The single coils pickups are weak but the humbucker is awesome. If someone stole it I wouldn't get another, I'd pay $50 more and get an Iceman X. I think if this guitar had two humbuckers it would be awesome. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 02, 2006

Price paid: $ 195

Purchased from: Imported (a friend)

Features: Looking at the reviews I see there are some people that don't have this particular guitar but a similar one. I played it beyore I bought it and I just loved it: rocking stuff. 22 frets, basswood/agathis Strat body, rosewood neck, "jewel blue," SAT10 tremolo bridge, volume, tone, 5-position pickup selector (S/S/H). Everything you need as a beginner. // 8

Sound: I've used it on my Peavey Rage 158 (15w) and several big Marshall/Crate cabinets with tube preamps. Definitely has a lot of potential. With some high quality effects and amps sounds great! I play from punk & metal to jazz & fingerpicking stuff, and the pickups give me the variety of sound I need. The humbucker is powerful and noiseless, but the single coils not so much. 3 of 5 positions buzz but its not too bad. Hardly any fretting buzz, the tone knob is quite versatile, and both knobs are silent when turning them, the tremolo is crap, and it detunes the guitar, so I threw the lever through the window because I wont use it since I can press the floating bridge to get that effect somehow. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Since I bought it new but used for a while, I don't know how it came from the factory; I like the shiny paint job, even its all scratched by now because it has no pickguard, but it looks pretty without it. The pickups were kind of low but I raised them a bit and gained sustain and volume. Electronics are very well made but the pickups get kind of rusty after a while, but sound the same. You can place a good on board effect there. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This guitar can stand a lot, mine has no scratches and I have a soft bag and treat it roughly. But, the knobs get loose and lost if you don't fix them. Old strings detune easily, more than in other guitars. Otherwise, it is lightweight and nice to play. The fret is fast and pretty. // 8

Impression: I would buy it again, but the yellow version! Good for punk, since the humbucker giver the power and sounds good without dist too. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on august 09, 2004

Price paid: $ 200

Purchased from: Guitar Center Chicago (on Halsted)

Features: - 22 medium frets
- Shiny laminated jewel blue top
- Agathis body/maple neck
- Strat body style
- String through body
- 1 volume, 1 tone, 5-way selactor
- 1 humbucker, 2 singlecoil
- Non-locking tuners // 6

Sound: I mostly play heavy metal and 70's-80's rock such as Black Sabbath and AC/DC. This guitar can play well, but has way too much buzzing to hear the real music. The humbucker is pretty good, but the singlecoils suck. Of course, I think singlcoils just kinda suck in general. // 4

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar's maple neck makes the action, actually, very nice and the pick-ups are put in the right way. Now the bridge is another story. It sucks! The bridge is not fixed so if you try any other tuning besides standard the bridge goes up and down. Plus strings were breaking on me like crazy! It gets annoying putting strings on every other second. // 2

Reliability & Durability: If someone played with this guitar live, it would fall apart during the first song. If someone gave me this guitar to play live I would demand a different guitar. The bridge would most likely mess up, the strings would break, and the strap is so unsolid that the guitar would fall and break. I cannot would not and should not depend on this guitar. I would definitely have a back-up, maybe two. The finish I guess is okay. // 2

Impression: Overall, this guitar isn't very good. The pickups, the headstock, and the features are okay. But if you can't even play the guitar without breaking a string, then what is the use of anything else. I wish I got a different guitar entirely. Probably a guitar with a full tune II brige so my strings wouldn't break. If it were stolen or lost I would not get this guitar again. This guitar would actually be a great guitar if the strap buttons were better and also if the bridge were better. Like the bridge on the ICX 120. If anybody who reads this review has any relation with Ibanez guitar making please tell Ibanez to make more models with the bridge like the ICX 120. // 2

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 03, 2005

Price paid: $ 289.8

Purchased from: musik produktiv

Features: The guitar is made in Indonesia, has 22 frets on a rosewood fretboard. The body is made of agathis and is comfortable to hold. The tremolo is good but the guitar goes out of tune if you use it too much. It has 3 pickups (H-S-S configuration) and a 5-way Switch. // 8

Sound: I play mostly rock and blues, and I think this is great for both. It has hot output pickups which are good for playing with heavy distortion. It has a nice, fat sound but it makes some excess noise occasionally. It's very versatile and the tone control takes the tone everywhere from warm and bassy to thin and sharp. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar's build quality kinda sucks. Maybe I was unlucky and got a bad one. The pickups are a bit unstable, the knobs can be unscrewed easily and they occasionally fall off when I turn them too much. The tremolo makes a cracking sound if I push it down too far. The end pin is sharp for some reason and made a huge hole right through the bottom of my gig bag. The input jack is loose, the wiring inside splits easily. In general, it's very sloppily made. // 4

Reliability & Durability: Unless you play like Avril Lavigne (i. e. by smashing your instruments) this guitar should last for some time. The hardware doesn't rust, so as long as it won't fall out you'll be fine. The finish is thick, but it might crack if you drop it or something. // 8

Impression: Overall, I think this guitar is great for a beginner's instrument. This was my first electric. I've been playing guitar for 2 years, and had this for a year now. I like it's sound and it's looks, but I hate the knobs that unscrew and the sharp endpin. If you're a beginner looking for your first instrument, this guitar is one of the best you can get, as long as you can stand the cheapass hardware. // 8

Comments

[pommegrenade]

the guy who rated the guitar 3.2 is a shit ****

[Frusciante-guy]

pommegrenade wrote:

the guy who rated the guitar 3.2 is a shit ****

I agree, that guy is a turd!

[Invictious]

it's agathis, it should deserve a 1

[Martijn89]

I really like this guitar. Sounds great, I think it has good pickups (except the single coil on the neck, the middle single coil sounds lots better!) and the price is amazing. Also the looks are great. I have the 2004 BT model. I like the pure wood look!

[rohi22]

this is the worst guitar i ever played

i didnt like her she dont have a style she is just a regular guitar

[gign]

For $200-300 how much style do you really expect?

[thunderinblack]

yes for the price of it you can't exspect it to play as well as the top of the range guitars. this realy isnt a guitar that compleatly suits any style in particular but with the £140 price tag it would be ideal for a beginer to pick up lean on then after time get a guitar that does acomodate there style

[nt1440]

this was my first guitar at first it sucked, the humbucker sounded almost like the 2 single coils (which i coulnt distinguish from each other) so i put a gibson burstbucker into it, now it sounds better but this is by no means a GREAT guitar

[Danis1]

man, if only people who actually knew about guitars wrote reviews, im sure every review on the site says positive shit

[TheAugustSun.]

I paid 190 for it and mine cam in a nice blue. I just got mine the summer of '06 and haven't put it down.

[Alex-Sr]

only thing i dislike about this guitar is the neck: to large..to wide...but the rest is all ok. It sounds good and you can still play amazing things with it. Althoug it's a guitar for beginners and I recommend it to those who want to start playing e-guitar.

[the_shiro]

i love this guitar. the only thing i can say about it is the bridge, when i added heavier strings, the bridge tilted up towards the pickups, and you cant tighten the springs for the trem so i had to go and get more to remedy it, i ought to get a floyd-rose, but whatever. i also dont like how the amp cord comes out the edge instead of by the controls because that means you can play sitting on a bed. thats not a big deal at all, but that dissapointed me a little. theres not really any stle involved with this guitar, just sound, but it has a sweet finish! mines blue. this is a VERY nice guitar, there couldn't be a better guitar for under $300.

ps. replace the string when you first buy em, the factory ones suck, i recommend ernie ball regular slinkys custom gauge, theyre killer

[joshsatt]

Just bought the guitar. Very well made. Not the greatest pickups, but if you replace them you can get it to sound like a guitar hundreds more.

[treiso]

its a good guitar, but i hit it against a wall not that hard (turning round!) and now the tuning thingy's now really loose and doesn't work

[treiso]

* i meant tone thingy!

[rob1506]

Yo the guy who rated the gsa60 3.2, its an excellent guitar, ive had the same strings on for 4 months and they havent snapped once, whether the strings snap or not has nothing to do with the guitar, ever thought that it might be your plectrum thats too thick, or maybe you put the strings on wrong?

[towlie-01]

My very first electric guitar and still my most used :] this guitar has served me VERY well

Learnt on it, Gig'd with it, everything and it still goes strong.

All i would say is replace the damn pickups!

As you progress youll find the sound just doesnt do it but its easily solved, just get some new badass pickups!

I personally have a seymour duncan invader in the bridge and coolrails in the neck, i rarely use the middle.

But overall a brilliant guitar!
Love xx

[BW_MadCat]

I love this guitar also the first one I have.
It stays in tune nicely, the neck is fast and the guitar itself is cool too now all I need is to get a better amp instead of the one I got from the jumpstart pack (not that this one is bad...)

[Weybl Himself]

Friend of mine has the predecessor to this model which was a basswood body and better pickups, one of the best stock guitars I've heard in it's price range.

[PureIronMaiden]

floyd rose?

[KVX10 KING V]

Two point trem, idiotic n00b, the unregistered user who rated it a 3.2. No wonder you had problems...

[MTJR]

Just wondering, would a basswood version of this guitar be better? Cos here in Singapore almost al Ibanezs are made of basswood.

[metalb0y]

I got this guitar recently and It's great. I love it. Great sound and absolutely great for the price! Nice black wood finish which is lamenated, well worth all the money.. Only problem i found is that the lower e string started to ring on the same day i bought it and i just adjusted the string height so It's fine now. It's got a sweet sound.

[onbirceyrek]

in turkey, my friends says me "this guitar is pure!". i bought it to 290$. but i can't sell it to the same cost. bought 290$ selling 175$.

i like its tones. playing is so easy. but now i want to buy an acoustic. so i must sell it. but i can't sell it ibought cost.

therefore i don't prefer this guitar. you can buy better one than this to same cost.

anlayan anladı

[Shredy_Mc_shred]

I own one of these and for it's price it really is a gem

[EnterIbanez]

Wtf, this guitar is not shit. I've been playing for 4 years i know quiet a bit about guitars and this guitar is awesome. Sure the pickups aren't that great. But the Bridge humbuckers sound brilliant. Well worth the price!

[Lewadra]

Hmm.. I just ordered this for 220€..
Really looking forward to trying it after reading all these reviews.. I think it will be awesome, just like the other Ibanez junk I've tried

[ItalianTank]

I got this guitar as a gift from my wife. I appreciated the thought but was upset by the fact that it was a beginners guitar. From an initial glance the guitar had a good look to it, and seemed like it was put together well. After playing it I knew what kind of tweaking was necessary to make it better. First off I adjusted the action to my liking. Next was strap locks. After that it was time to work on the tone. I had been thinking of EMG's or a DIMEBUCKER for the bridge. I decided on the DIMEBUCKER. Installation was easy. Then I played it. It sounded amazing, better than many guitars I had played selling for over 500$. Last was new machine heads/ tuning keys. Got them in black along with knobs. After about 175$ in upgrades the guitar transformed from a blue light special the a seriously bad ass axe. Out of the box its probably one of the best entry guitars on the market. After some adjustments and upgrades its more then suitable for even the seasoned pro. My only complaint was the trem because it almost automatically sends the guitar out of tune. If you dont dive bomb a lot its great. I would have to give the guitar at stock specs a 7 and after modified a 8.5

[chris_24]

after looking around on the net, i chose this guitar based on feedback others had. i just went to guitar center today and brought one home. it was $199 + tax.

first thing ill say was that i was lucky enough to get one new in the box. the contents of the box includes the guitar of course, but also the tremelo bar, which just pushes in, its not a screw type. it also came with a guitar cord, which suprised me. its really nice of ibanez to include that. the cord is about a 10' and kind of thin. straight plug at one end and a "L" at the amp end. the cord doesnt look heavy duty, and eventually you will want to replace it with a better one, but its one of those "cool, this will work for now" things if you dont have one. it also came with two allen keys, for setting up the action. i would not have bought a seperate cord for $15 if i had known there was one in the box.

also, the floor model did not have the tremelo bar. im sure it was either never installed and lost, or someone pocketed it, but either way, had i been stuck with the floor model, im sure i would have ended up having to buy the tremelo bar seperatly.

kudos to ibanez for including these things. probably a $40 value which does make a difference when your on a $200 guitar budget. whether you get them included with your guitar or not depends on who your buying it from though, so buyer beware.

i chose the black one. you cant really see it in the internet pics but mine has some flecks of pearly type stuff in it. its not mega sparkly, just you can see it in the right angle of light. i probably would have preferred a gloss black with no pearl but its a personal preference i guess. i do not dislike the color though either. im not complaining about it at all.

the first thing i noticed about the guitar is the comfort of it. i wanted it because i assumed the sculpted body would be more ergonomic and feel better. IT SURE IS! its a little thinner than my 1st guitar and the countouring on the back makes it really fit well to my chest.

i had read that starting with a beginer/intermediate guitar, and modifying it can produce great results and save hundreds over buying something else. just get something you like the body of, the feel and the look.
i think this is going to be a great guitar for that.

the guitar was tuned out of the box, but like any new strigs they will need to be broken in a bit before they hold a tune well im sure.

as for the sound, well its hard for me to say. soon after getting my 1st guitar i got a digitech pro multi effects processor. so i am kind of spoiled. with that thing i could make my basic beginner guitar sound like anything i wanted. i could rock out any style and when i played songs, not just the melody was familiar but the sound of the song. that processor is long gone so i am running without any effects right now. i had forgotten how plain guitars sounds to me without any kinds of distortion, reverb, phasers, etc...

so to me and my "ruined" ears, it doesnt really matter where i put the selector. i am also playing through a extremly basic crate amp that i scored for free, and im sure its worth every penny.

all in all ill say im very happy with the guitar. had something like this not been available i probably would have gotten a basic $129 beginer thing or looked around in pawn shops. this guitar is well worth the extra money.

PROS:
-very comfortable, ergonomic, not heavy. cant stress enough how good this guitar feels to hold and play.
-the scuplted body looks every bit as good as it feels.
-comes with tremelo bar, cord and allen keys (from ibanez anyways.)

CONS:
-basic sound, but who rocks without effects anyways? i dont believe in individual pedals, but its worth it to get a multi effects processor. i cant wait to rock on this guitar plugged into one of those...
-price. dont get me wrong, its worth every penny, and more, but there are good guitars out there for less. maybe not "as" good. but good. my 1st guitar was a peavy raptor II, and it was $129 new, i got mine used at a guitar center for like $90. i have no complaints about that guitar i can remember except i didnt like the look or the brand name. i cannot say that this gsa60 is twice the guitar for twice the price, though it is definatly better...if your a beginner and really not sure how involved your going to get in playing, and money is tight, getting something cheaper would not be a bad idea.
-knobs. it comes with chrome knobs which i wanted, but i dont like the look of them. they have like slots around the edge, and would prefer solid smooth ones. i will probably be ocd about it and replace them. yes i am nit-picking but cant think of anything else bad to say about it.

[3rdHorseman]

I have this guitar unless their is some way to fiix it
the thing is complete usless. For one it does not say in tune for s**t so if you like tuning your guitar after every song then this the guitar for you. The single coil at the bridge is horrible the tremlo is another problem too. its like ibanez took the cheapest parts they could find and slap them together and called it a guitar. Now i could have a bad guitar but from what every one that i know who has played it its a peice of s**t.

[flipmaster]

Just a note...
- This guitar does not Kick Ass.
- Is not really fit for a concert since does not really stay in tune that well.

BUT:
+ it costs about 200 euro's (cheapest Gibson LP is about 1199/1299)
+ its nice enough for beginner/those who do not really have one style and need to figure out what their style is
+ Sounds good enough for your own house

10/10 for beginners
7/10 the somewhat more advanced persons
and lets not talk about the people that play in bands because they should buy an other guitar ^^

[Joamyr]

This is alot of guitar for 200 $. Looks good, like the neck, great guitar for beginners and jamming in the basement. I'm happy about it though, using it with some cheap ass distortion pedal and a peavey bandit, sounds good to me :p would be my nr. 1 choise of guitar, but preeeetty high up there =)

[rock_on_]

Bought from- Musician's Friend
Price Paid- $275

This guitar has been a very very good one for me.
I've been playing it for about 2 years and it goes to every show with me. The neck has a very nice feel. Definitely a good guitar for a begining player. Recently the iput went out and it cost me about $10 to fix. Not a real big deal. The only bad thing I have to say about it is the pickups are not real great. But those can easily be replaced. But overall a great buy for under $300.

[Good Ol' Ramos]

I paid $100 for this guitar used. The coils were rusty, there was this weird dried up dust covering it, the tremolo bar was gone, and there were scuffs and swirl marks all over the jewel blue body. I've since gotten out most of the rust and replace all the black screws throughout with stainless steel ones. Looks more expensive that way. I picked up a Fender tremolo bar that just screwed right in. There's brand new strings on it. A tip for all of you who like a clean guitar: pick up some swirl mark remover from the Auto department at your local Wal-Mart. Put it in a tiny spot to make sure it works and then have at it. My guitar looks and sounds far more expensive than when I first got it. I'm now trying to decided what pickups to purchase for this H-S-S set. I'm also trying to get some prices on locking knobs, and maybe add another tone knob if that won't be too difficult.