Ibanez Prestige

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95
August 2018 guitArist
reviewIbanez AZ Prestige & Premium series
this is ultimately a compromise and the
key lies in learning to navigate it. About
the only thing not covered here is a proper
neck humbucking voice – it is an HSS, of
course! But that said the neck and middle in
series certainly goes in that direction with
quite a wide and thick voice. No, it ain’t a
classic PAF-alike but with a lot more gain
there’s a vocal character that’s near perfect
for your Beck-esque emotive instrumental
leads. Switch to clean and it’ll get you
through a more muted jazz/blues tune with
absolutely no problem.
With no proper single coils, the 24-fret
dual humbucker format models would
seem to move away from Fender-like
voicings. If we’re honest, a three-way
switch for just the humbuckers would make
this a hugely valid rock machine but there
are another seven sounds to explore from
the inner or outer single coils, to the solo
slug and screw coils of the neck and bridge
respectively. These sound a little thinner
and brighter than the 22-fretters’ proper
single coils but again, in context, they add
huge stylistic versatility.
And then there are the ‘Power Tap’
voicings of either humbucker or both
together. Now these don’t capture a ‘true’
single coil voice – we already have those. No,
these PT voicings sit somewhere between a
single coil and humbucker. There’s slightly
more single coil-like hollowness compared
to the full ’bucker’s direct power yet still
with considerable humbucker depth. Clean
they benefit from a little volume roll-off
– there’s even a hint of a Rickenbacker’s
unique growl – while gained they provide
another texture, especially so at the bridge.
Indeed, in this secondary mode a different
guitar emerges and having the solo single
coils in the mix positions – then simply
switching the Alter switch to introduce
the inner or outer single coil mixes – gives
immense Fendery flavour that’s far from the
clichéd image of the none-more-rock RG.
The more affordable Premium guitars
have all of the above although do sound
a little softer, slightly less percussive and
bold especially on those more single coil-y
voices. For high gain settings, basswood has
its credentials and if that’s your sole sonic
aim then you could save yourself a large
wedge of cash. But the AZ design is about
covering more bases and the alder-bodied
Prestige models, to our ears at least, sound
more ‘grown-up’.
The breadth of sounds
on these AZ models
might surprise those
who’ve pigeon-holed
Ibanez as shred
guitars for the masses
The vibrato systems are all slightly
differently set but, with strings stretched,
tuning stability – not least with the huge up/
down pitch range – is impressive. Sure, you
can’t deck the vibrato as many prefer but
then that falls into more traditional bolt-on
territory: don’t forget, these are still Ibanez
guitars through and through.
Verdict
Hugely interesting, these AZ models might
well surprise many players who’ve pigeon-
holed Ibanez as shred guitars for the
masses. They certainly do that with plenty
of potential for Floyd Rose-style whammy
tricks (without the hassle of locks) but the
Prestige models in particular would get
you through a more conservative covers
gig, no problem. In fact, with the expansive
switching systems on both the HH and
HSS platforms there are plenty of credible
sounds for players never intending to hit the
high-gain channel. If Ibanez had added a
proper tap – perhaps via a pull/push switch
on the tone – to pull down the heat of the
’buckers for a more vintage spec voice,
they’d have created the near perfect hybrid.
But, as is, for the player wanting to cover
virtually everything from jazz to shred,
well, they’ve pretty much done it. These
are seriously versatile, good-sounding,
tidily-made instruments that deserve
to put Ibanez squarely back into the
mainstream.
THE RIVALS
As our Reach for the Sky feature in the
previous issue of
Guitarist illustrated,
there’s no lack of credible bolt-ons
at virtually every price-point. Suhr is
the most obvious brand working on
the ‘performance bolt-on’ and their
most vintage-y platform, the Classic
kicks off around £2.2k. Of course, the
‘daddy’ of this genre is perhaps Guthrie
Govan’s Charvel signature the HSH
Caramelised Ash (around £3k). There
are plenty more bolt-on options in the
£2k-plus price from Music Man, Vigier
and PRS, to name but three and don’t
forget Fender’s multi-voiced American
Elite Strat HSS Shawbucker (£1,769).
Chapman, founded by internet
wiz Rob Chapman, is the epitome of
the modern guitar company often
using their online followers to help in
creating new designs. Instruments like
the ML1 Pro Traditional (from £769),
or the newly refreshed ML1 CAP10
Lee Anderton Signature (£719), take a
Strat-y platform with sharp build and
stainless steel frets.
While Ibanez has been
keen to prove these
guitars are more than
just flash tools, the
garish tequila sunrise
finish on the TSG is
none more 80s shred
GIT435.rev_ibanez.indd 95 14/06/2018 19:32