The Things I've Learned About This Guitar - Ibanez AZ 2402-PWF Prestige One Year Later 

CORRECTION: Even after a year I hadn't figured out how the tuners actually work. Now that people have explained to me how they work they are actually pretty awesome. My mistake. Hope you can enjoy the video anyway. ;)

Great guitar!I agree on every aspect of this review. It's always a pleasure to pick my AZ up and play a few licks. Fun guitar, very well made and full of useable tones. Even the tuning stability has improved over the months

I recently upgraded the pickups in my Ibanez to Seymour Duncan Alpha & Omega pickups and have been super pleased with the results. There's a lot more clarity in the bridge pickup than there was before, and I've also noticed a huge change when I use the pickup selector.

I would suggest a Dimarzio PAF PRO. I have one and it sounds great clean, over driven and with effects. It's a little bright, but just a little. I play metalz but I also play ballads and it works well. I think ibanez makes great guitars. I want stainless frets, and I'm curius if that guitar has them? I think I will buy a premium AZ, or a used Japanese S with a floyd made by gotoh, but I love old school 80s metal with Floyd's. So much fun and once you understand them and get them in t un e, you can't knock then out! I also love my LP special flattop I custom built though, and if has one humbucker. A Dumarzoo PAF pro. Great pickup. Good video my friend.

It’s niiiiice❤️❤️😍😍

I've started with Ibanez, have gone over a Stratocaster era and now I'm back full circle. I've bought AZ2204 and it immediately became my dream guitar. So light, versatile, and high-end. If you played Stratocaster for a while, please try this guitar. It does something to you.

i have the same guitar, i needed a versatile superstrat and this ticked the boxes, i agree i dont like the tuners much but theyre ok, the neck heel could have been better but its ok, i can still get to the 24th fret no problem, the body is a bit ugly in places too but i can live with it my trem will be ok with mild use but an aggressive dive bomb will put it out of tune, i dont feel the need to change pickups they sound fine to me, i would like closed pickups though my acidic sweat seems to get into open pickups and kill them, i dotnt use many of the alternate sounds but i enjoy messing around with the single coil neck and bridge modes, i am glad they are there, all in all i like it

Great review! I have the AZ2402 aswell! Couldn't agree more with the Machine heads! So much so a changed them to Gotah Magnum lock staggered set with one additional extra long one for perfect break angle on the nut, its a straight out swap with no additional drilling and its FAR better, if you want an image or the links ill send you it over! I have also been thinking of trying new pickups! If you find a new pair be sure to post a video!

I agree. I almost never use the tap switch either. My favorites are the full bridge humbucker, and both humbuckers together both for cleans and with loads of gain. I sometimes play with the two outer coils too.

thx, mate

I absolutely love these guitars but trying to find one in shell pink is really difficult nowadays. They've discontinued the finish and used ones very rarely show up on market places. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

You could get PAF style pickups for lower output vintage clarity and change the single coil switch to a series/parallel switch that makes the lower output pickups go into each-other as an extra gain stage in case you want to boost the output

Great review. I’m also considering switching out the bridge humbucker. Did you switch it out? If so what did you go with and did it fit? Im considering Suhr or an EVH.

Great video thanks. Was just wondering, if you have the guitar on your left left, does the jack socket get in the way? This is important for me as I get shoulder pain if if have the guitar on my right knee so not an option to change position.

Hi! Loved the video and the guitar! Just one question... can you easily tune from standard to drop d? Its just the 6th string that goes to d? Or does the bridge suffer and the strings go out of tune? Thanks!

The wood shrunk temporarily giving you ˋfret sprout‘. Thanks for the demos of this guitar

I know this is an "oldish" thread, but you guys do know that Gotoh make a thumbwheel replacement, right? I have a 2204 and now (just two days ago) a 2402 and for around 65 USD, I got the replacements for each. FAR SUPERIOR!!!!!! Not only are they much easier to change strings, but tuning stability is much improved. The new LM1 (which I'm first in line to get at Sweetwater) has Luca having them on straight away. They are just better. In the states, I got mine at Stumac, I think the model number is Gotoh SG381 MG-T. Anyways, it sucks to have to replace them but they are SUPER easy to replace and you'll likely enjoy them much more.

❤❤❤

I have that exact guitar and tuning has been perfect. I can grab it after days on the wall and it's still perfect. Can almost dive bomb with that trem and still stays in tune. I love it

Nice video! I have the AZ 2204 Prestige and I have some light tuning issues. I use 9-42 strings. How many springs do you use on your tremolo?

Very nice guitar with great specs. I've been looking at and considering adding this to my arsenal. A question I have...being that it has a flat finish, in high friction areas on the body like where you rest your arm, and from your fingers under the strings, etc. does the finish buff shiny spots from your sweat and friction? I've seen on a strandberg with a flat finish, that after a short time, you get shiny spots where areas are getting buffed from arm and hand. I would really like to know this prior to pulling the trigger to understand what to expect. Thanks!!

Hello! Nice video! I have a question: i saw photos where the paint peeled off in the "guitar in" area. Do these guitars have this problem?

thank you

what are those tunera anyway if they are so complicated????

Hey man, great stuff! I have an Ibanez az2402 TFF myself, and I love it. However, I have been noticing that the roasted maple in the neck is kind of soft-ish. I discovered this when I started playing with my thumb behind the neck (instead of wrapped around the neck) that the nail of my thumb on my fretting hand could make indents (or 'lines' rather) in the neck, even when really (!) softly moved across the back of the neck, which is a movement that is kind of unavoidable when playing in a somewhat more excited fasion. Have you found that your maple neck also damages or dents easily in general, and if so, do you know how or if I can avoid further damage (apart from being extra carefull obviously haha)? To my recollection the maple neck was slightly 'harder' when i first bought the guitar, but this could be my imagination. I’ve theorized a little bit myself, and maybe it has something to do with the roasted maple sucking up moisture, and thereby getting softer, but this did not seem logical to me, because the neck has only been played inside and Ibanez seems to be really proud of their 'humidity defying' necks. Thanks in advance! All the best. 🙂 p.s. since yesterday i started putting silicon packets in the hardcase, to see if that solved anything, but obviously i haven't seen any results from that yet haha

Hello there. What if I’m in the market for a new guitar. I am looking for Ibanez with a trem bridge, but don’t like the AZ neck and don’t want a Floyd Rose. What ibanez options exists?

Still love my Miller AZ and have a Charvel Pro Mod 24 HSS. But wish I’d have another AZ HSS instead. Love the neck. Also no issues with tuning or the tuners. I play 3mm or 2 mm big stubbies and they fit nicely.

does this finish scratch easily ?? because i’m hesitant to buy it since i don’t wanna accidentally scratch it, i want the bkf version

Might wanna give the SD Nazgul in the bidge position a try. Not too hot and great note separation.

does it stay in tune still? looking to get an AZ maybe but only thing holding me back is floating trem, i prefer decked out trems like strats etc

Pro tip on the az tuning stability, have your bridge set a little micro amount forward, leaning forward ever so slightly, not dead level. This solved my tuning stability.

You're not supposed to insert a pick into the tuners to tighten them. Just slide the string through and turn the tuning pegs, it tightens them as you turn the peg.

What's that black thing near the nut?

have you considered Seymour Duncan P-Rails?

Id say try out the tosin fishman set!

Lovely guitar. I think I too would just stick to the basic sounds rather than using the switch. Just an idea for the switch when you change the pickup, you can use it as a "straight to output" switch, basically giving an increase in volume and treble by bypassing the volume and tone knobs: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W8uV1ISnxbY.html

More differenter him In the bridge and a sustainiac and a hot rail in the neck . That way the switch could be used for the sustainiac options. That neck is gorgeous btw.

Throw some bare knuckle silos in there. You wont need to switch out your input jack (for charging) like you would with fishmans.

Suhr thornbuckers would be great in that guitar.

Can you lock the tremolo?

Fish man fluency are the best no debate

sorry but the TUNERS are one of the best on the Market, you just used them WRONG!!!! you pull the string through, turn until it locks, which should be one or two short turns and then tune it up. Now put your pick in and give it a little turn. that's it! I've switched all my guitars from the Schaller or back knob ones to the HAPM top locking Gotohs. They are way lighter and staggered too.

Bare knuckles!?

omfg its cheaper tuners..... :D

You don't need to insert a pick into the tuners to lock and unlock.. It's automatic noob.