Ibanez: SA560MB

I managed to give this Ibanez SA560 a go at Swee Lee recently. I have a soft spot for 22-fret Ibanez instruments, knowing Ibanez have some models still made as such is a little assuring.

As mentioned not too long ago, this SA560 looks promising in terms of looks & specs. In person, even the default weight is awesome & the non-angled headstock did very little (if any at all) to affect tuning responsiveness/ stability. The DiMarzio Black Velvets in all positions are deserving pickups in this instrument. They did well to complement this satin finish which has a midrange inclination. OK so I like the single coils here more than the humbucker in this respect. 

However, one major let down here - no excuses, Ibanez, this SA560 is the highest in its tier & should speak something in terms of QC since it costs more than the lower order units- the frets were poorly finished. 😠 The treble side of the neck was laden with sharp fret ends for almost the entire length. Damn! There's no such oversight at the bass side so clearly, it's one that escaped production scrutiny. I do not wish to imply the Chinese end of Ibanez as problematic since the acoustic & semis originated from the same country of manufacture & are some of the best in terms of construction.