Review: Ibanez AZ2402

2018 saw the critical move by Ibanez in the introduction of a new series of guitars; the AZ line. Instead of embracing radical elements for a niche market (like the extinct X-Series), Ibanez opted for a utilitarian approach. The AZ line manifested generic features to appease a wide range of players from squeaky clean jazzers to high octane rockers. Details were made outstanding & that’s where the AZ manifests its winning sensation.

Features

Top side, the guitar features a Gotoh T1802 whammy bridge. This is a wise complementary inclusion as a guitar of this ilk should be devoid of fiddly locking mechanism. The manufacturer assures the player of quality, functionality & dependability instead. This bridge in question is a smooth player with titanium appointments to see you through the times. No awkward protrusions here to desecrate your picking hand while playing. We will deal with the Seymour Duncan Hyperion pickups separately with the switching/ selector system.

Moving on to the neck, this is where Ibanez discarded its super thin wizardry (forgive the pun) in exchange for a traditional feel that breeds familiarity instead of a total departure. That’s right folks, no excessively thin neck profile here, a very rounder & much meatier take on things, one of the thickest Ibanez has to offer that embraces a C-profile. However, do note that things remain comfortable & playable thanks to the satin finish & overall roasted treatment. Ibanez takes pride in telling the world that their S-Tech treatment for the Prestige AZ necks is the highlight of this new flagship series. In addition to the comprehensive heat cure, nitrogen is involved to eliminate temperature related reactions. As if this isn’t enough to propel the neck in good stead, frets are stainless steel, nut is bone & tuners are locking Gotohs with adjustable post height. Staggering details indeed & yet, the neck’s overall cosmetics remain very pragmatic. Even the signature pointy headstock is now reinterpreted to be more rounded and practical. Top marks for everything done right & tasteful in this department.

Rating: 95%

Tone/ Playability

Ibanez collaborated with Seymour Duncan for the AZ series. The pickups you see here is the Hyperion model. While the name alludes to a possible sonic exploit, the Hyperion is an Alnico 5, medium output pickup. In action, it is one of the most neutral-sounding pickup the manufacturer has to offer. There’s clarity in all frequencies impartial to any emphasis. The clean applications in this aspect is fantastic in the neck position. The bridge clean is less stellar but remains warm & devoid of the nasal voicing commonly associated with higher output. The Hyperion, under driven settings, is simply an incredible pickup in its own right. Once again, the outstanding performance here is attributable to its clarity impression. Single note definition is simply impressive. As if that’s insufficient to drive the message home, the AZ series is equipped with a dyna-MIX 10 switch. It adds a coil tap (not coil split, note the difference) function & manifests the single-coil-only function in position 2 (neck) & 4 (bridge) of the selector. We can all argue that a split coil from a humbucker won’t really emulate a true single coil but it’s darn close with this one. 

The neck per se is a joy to play. Another gentle reminder - it’s not that shred-only Super Wizard profile but a much beefier proceeding with a C carve instead of the usual D. once again, it’s that familiar embrace of a certain F-brand guitar but a very refined rendition. I dare say it’s much thicker as well. Does this effectively delineate this guitar from the Super Wizard camp? Absolutely not. My experience with Ibanez had always been the thinner neck serving but this move in the opposite direction is a very welcomed change. In fact, I have no complaints in terms of adaptation; I can easily bring things up to speed & generate intense bass note peddling without an obvious onset of lethargy. So the crucial learning point here is that if you have your neck right, even the naysayers would embrace it readily. It’s all about the approach, not the end product.

Rating 95%

Conclusion

The AZ Series are not a simple conception despite the final product looking simplistic. Ample time & references to professionals were made to get things right. The outcome is a perfect understanding of what a desirable guitar should be, devoid of niche inclinations & a tremendous appeal to the masses. There was no particular breakthrough to behold in terms of design manifestations but a refinement of what is already out there. So is the AZ a flawless discourse by any means? A simple answer to that would be a no but it’s a darn near-perfect exploit. I have nothing specific to scrutinize but not everyone would deem the Duncan Hyperion pickups a favoured feature for this instrument. The Ibanez purists would put the manufacturer on trial for omitting a DiMarzio consideration for this one. The way I see it, the pickups' sonic personality is deserving for a guitar that refrains from being marginal to any particular music genre, regardless of who made it. I’m just glad it wasn’t an in-house version that would disrepute the guitar’s standing (the defunct S5470 & S5521 among others). As for the AZ affiliates out there, they wish for this model to be blessed with longevity & not suffer the fate of the SZ series where strong sales figures & outright popularity meant absolutely nothing in preventing them from being put to death. 

Final rating: 95%

Ibanez: AZ2402

Availability: Swee Lee Co.

List: $2,699

PICS: Ibanez