Ibanez AZ2402 AZ Prestige Guitar, Roasted Maple Fretboard, Black Flat

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

The Ibanez AZ, specifically the Prestige line, has become one of Ibanez's most popular new additions in recent years, and it's easy to see why. The 2402 in particular was a launch model for the line. It takes the 24-fret dual-humbucker modern axe that Ibanez has come to be known for, and makes it more accessible to the contemporary player as well as those who prefer vintage-style instruments. This one's in a slick Black Flat finish.

It has a gorgeous dark roasted maple neck and fretboard with Prestige-treated Stainless Steel frets - the FujiGen factory fretwork is phenomenal. The AZ Oval C neck profile is extremely comfortable, and the 12" radius allows for shredworthy speed and bending, but still feeling in the ballpark of the vintage S-type guitar the AZ series was based upon. The Gotoh T1802 bridge, which is based off of the extremely popular and venerable Gotoh 510, stays in tune for days with the locking tuners.

The Hyperion pickups are exclusive to AZ series and are just fantastic. Made by Seymour Duncan for Ibanez, they're based on some of Seymour's existing ideas and elevated to a new level just for the AZ. They can not only play anything from clean R&B to progressive rock and metal on their own, but pairs with the dyna-MIX switch for even more options, allowing you to approximate S-style, T-style, and other types of guitars pretty convincingly.

If you're a fan of the AZ platform and its more vintage-style specs, feel and ease of use, but wanted a guitar with the shred-friendly tonal options of the RG, or vice versa, the AZ2402 is a tried-and-true choice.

Details

In launching the AZ series, our aim was not to merely create a completely new guitar model, but to sculpt a great guitar that can foster the potential of the modern ‘third phase’ while maintaining traditional elements. Even though Ibanez is thought of as a modern guitar brand, we have decades of accumulated knowledge and a history of pushing boundaries. The AZ series carries with it all of the hallmarks of these tried and tested Ibanez qualities: the smooth oval neck grip, the well-balanced asymmetrical body shape, and a neck heel that allows unrivaled playability. It also features details such as a new tremolo bridge, as well as new pickups developed in collaboration with Seymour Duncan®. All of these elements help the AZ push the existing boundaries of playability and sound even further.

We always strive to make our guitars with the finest materials and parts, yet we know that collecting new parts and materials alone do not make a great guitar. Rather, exquisite guitars are made through the processes of examining, testing, understanding, then finally synchronizing these materials together. The harmonic balance between the bridge and pickups, nut and machine heads, neck and fret material, all work together in order to help guitarists create their desired sound. From A to Z, there is no aspect of guitar making that we ever overlook. This tradition has been passed down masterfully to the AZ series.

At first glance, the AZ series may seem like an enigma to some. The magic of this new series is not something that may be apparent by just visual observation. The magic, however, becomes instantly apparent once an AZ model is played. The AZ series represents the future of guitar playing and we welcome you to play one and see for yourself.

S-TECH-treated Maple was used for the AZ’s neck construction, a first. The neck's nitrogen-heating treatment increases the wood’s stability, durability, water resistance and tolerance of temperature changes. After extensive prototyping and trials, we concluded that 20.5mm thickness at the 1st fret and 22.5mm at the 12th fret was the optimal neck thickness for this process. The neck was then sealed with an oil finish which makes it feel similar to a well-played guitar neck.

Neck Grip

In order to achieve supreme neck grip comfort, the fretboard edge was finished with a smooth curve that extends from the border between the fretboard and the neck to the surface of the fretboard. The detailed neck shape was precisely carved using a ball mill for ultimate consistency. The width measurements of the fretboard are 42mm at the nut and 57mm at the last fret. These dimensions allow for an easy grip in the lower register, and a more modern feel in the higher register.

Body Design

The AZ's shallow back body contour and big forearm contour lets the guitar's body fit the player naturally, thus increasing playing comfort. The AZ's body has a deep waist and different radii on each body edge curve (3 mmR on body top/8 mmR on body back), making it easier to play in both standing or sitting positions.

Seymour Duncan® Hyperion™ Pickups

The AZ's custom Hyperion™ pickups were developed in collaboration with Seymour Duncan. Hyperion™ pickups feature a moderate output through Alnico-5 magnets to keep the clarity of the fundamental tone when using a distortion sound and deliver a clear pick attack. From treble to bass, and from high-E string to low-E string, the overall tonal balance is evenly adjusted, and works well with various effect pedals.

Dyna-MIX 10 w/ Alter switch

The Dyna-MIX 10 offers ten sound variations, and can easily switch from humbucker and single coil modes with just a flick of the mini switch. The Power Tap mode provides a realistic single coil sound despite its two humbucker pickup layout.

Ibanez T1802 Tremolo Bridge (made by GOTOH®)

The new T1802 bridge, a collaboration between GOTOH® and Ibanez, features machined titanium saddles and a machined steel tremolo block for a quick response, thick lows and rich highs. The 10.5mm string spacing allows for easy picking across strings, including techniques such as string skipping and hybrid picking. The snap and hold tremolo arm socket makes it easy to load a tremolo arm, and the arm torque adjuster enables fine torque adjustment without any tools. The 2-point floating tremolo system allows for a super smooth tremolo motion when either raising or lowering the pitch.

GOTOH H.A.P®-M machine heads

The AZ comes with GOTOH® MAGNUM LOCK® machine heads, which have an established reputation for tuning stability. Its H. A. P® (Height Adjustable Post) system allows for the adjustment of string posts for the appropriate tension of each string."