Ibanez Electric Buyer’s Guide: RG vs. AZ vs. S Series vs. Artcore
From Japanese Prestige craftsmanship to stage-tested Standard and Premium lines, Ibanez categorizes its electric guitar family into four distinct performance architectures:
1. RG & S Series (Modern Shred & Metal)
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RG Series (Roadstar Guitar): The iconic high-performance superstrat. Features razor-sharp double-cutaway horns, ultra-flat 24-fret Wizard III/Super Wizard neck profiles, high-output DiMarzio/Quantum pickups, and Edge double-locking tremolo systems built for heavy dive-bombs and pitch stability.
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S Series (Saber): Sculpted, ultra-slim carved mahogany body that delivers massive low-end punch and sustain while weighing significantly less than traditional solidbodies.
2. AZ Series (Modern Fusion & Versatility)
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Boutique Ergonomics: Oval "C" roasted maple necks (S-TECH WOOD), Gotoh Magnum Lock tuners, and Gotoh non-locking tremolo bridges.
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Seymour Duncan Hyperion Pickups & dyna-MIX switching: Delivers 9 to 10 distinct pickup voicings spanning vintage Strat glassy cleans, fat humbucker leads, and modern progressive rock growl.
3. Artcore Semi-Hollows & MIJ Prestige
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Artcore & Artstar Series: Semi-hollow (AS series) and full hollowbody (AF series) guitars loaded with warm Classic Elite / Super 58 humbuckers for jazz, blues, funk, and indie rock.
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Prestige & Genesis (Made in Japan): Handcrafted in Japan by master luthiers at the FujiGen factory, offering world-class fret-edge treatment and premium tonewoods.
The Music Street Workshop Promise
Double-locking Edge tremolos and ultra-flat Wizard necks demand bench calibration. Before dispatch, our Huntingdon workshop performs:
- Edge / Edge-Zero double-locking tremolo knife-edges lubricated and balanced parallel to the body
- Nut clamping pads and bridge fine-tuners aligned for maximum tuning range
- Truss rod adjusted for flat Wizard neck relief and low shred action
- Fret edges smoothed and fingerboards treated with conditioner
- Full pickup output balance and 5-way/dyna-MIX switch continuity tested