Ibanez AZES Essentials AZES31 vs Fender Strat | Which is better value for money? Guitar Shootout
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2024
- Today, we’re comparing the Ibanez AZES31 against my Fender Stratocaster to see how well the affordable Ibanez stacks up against the real thing.
Ibanez AZES31 at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/524899?offid=...
At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/KjW50A
Get the closest current new Strat to mine at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/525002?offid=...
Blue Strats at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/75QgXr
I’ve been so impressed with the AZES line of guitars since they came out. The AZES31 is just a fantastic guitar for the $299/€299 it costs - its features and specifications, its range of usable tones, its looks, its playability and its hardtail bridge are all excellent, and it easily competes with any Squier I’ve played.
I currently don’t own a Squier Strat, so it was straight to a shootout with my 1993, made in Japan Fender Stratocaster. An early 90s Japanese Strat will set you back around three or four times the price of the AZES31 (I paid €900 for mine) and the Fender should be a higher quality instrument in terms of pure specs. Mine has an alder body, nitro-finished maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard, and a previous owner added Fender Custom Shop Texas Special pickups and an Emerson treble bleed kit to improve the tones. It’s a vintage-playing and feeling neck, though: 21 medium frets and a 7.25” fingerboard radius, with a 25.5” scale length.
The AZES31 is more modern feeling, and has been designed to be as comfortable as possible for students and learners. That means you get a maple neck with a 25” scale length, a jatoba fretboard, 22 medium frets and a 10” fingerboard radius. The AZES31’s poplar body is slightly smaller than that of a regular Strat, and the hardtail bridge should mean improved tuning stability. The other awesome thing about the AZES31 is its range of tones: you get the standard 5-way Strat switching system and also an Alter Switch for extra sounds galore.
So, all that said, let’s see how the two compare in the sound stakes! In this video, I play the gutiars in as many different styles as I can to find out just how they compare.
Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:
00:00 Hello!
00:15 Intro and what we’re doing today
02:03 Ibanez AZES31 specs/info
05:42 Strat specs/info
08:16 Today’s rig and plan
Clean Sounds
09:02 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup/Alter Switch options
10:01 Poppy barre chords
10:16 Blues progression
10:39 Ringing open indie pop chords
11:05 Strummed cowboy chords
11:23 Country picked arpeggios
11:36 Picked indie pop arpeggios
11:54 Strummed indie chords
12:21 Funky rhythm barre chords
12:35 60s pop rhythm sound
Overdrive Sounds (Clean Channel w/Mooer Hustle Drive)
12:45 Southern rock picked arpeggios
13:06 Indie octave chords riff
13:31 Fat indie rock rhythm chords
13:59 Groovy classic rock riff
14:25 AC/DC inspired rock riff
14:43 Classic rock riff
14:59 Hendrix inspired classic rock riff
15:16 Classic rock riff
Lead Channel Sounds
15:32 Classic hard rock riff
15:50 Hard rock rhythm riff
16:16 Glam rock riff
16:31 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff
16:49 Alternative rock riff
17:13 Pop punk riff
17:39 Pop punk melodic lead sound
17:55 Punk rock power chords
18:08 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
18:23 Modern rock palm-muted power chords (Drop D)
18:48 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)
Clean Channel w/Revv G3 Distortion Pedal (all in Drop D tuning)
19:20 Metal chugging riff
19:52 Hardcore punk riff
20:07 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff
20:21 Hard rock lead sound
20:36 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff
21:09 My thoughts
21:49 Rating the guitars on looks
23:09 Feel and build quality
24:09 Necks
25:06 Weights
25:57 Playability
26:48 Volume control placement
27:58 Sounds
29:38 Three reasons why you should buy the Ibanez AZES31
31:30 Three reasons why you should buy a Fender Stratocaster
32:58 Final conclusion and goodbye
My setup was as follows: I ran the guitars into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, using my Mooer Hustle Drive for the overdrive and my Revv G3 for the heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.
Here’s some links to those bits of gear:
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H&K Black Spirit 200 head: bit.ly/HKBS200rwm
Mooer Hustle Drive: thmn.to/thoprod/309285?offid=...
Revv G3: bit.ly/RevvG3RWM
Focusrite 4i4: bit.ly/Scarlett414RWM
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Backing music from the UA-cam Audio Library: Duck In The Alley - TrackTribe.
#Ibanez #IbanezGuitars #Fender #FenderStratocaster #FenderGuitars
Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!
@IbanezOfficial
@fender
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And here's those timestamps again:
00:00 Hello!
00:15 Intro and what we’re doing today
02:03 Ibanez AZES31 specs/info
05:42 Strat specs/info
08:16 Today’s rig and plan
Clean Sounds
09:02 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup/Alter Switch options
10:01 Poppy barre chords
10:16 Blues progression
10:39 Ringing open indie pop chords
11:05 Strummed cowboy chords
11:23 Country picked arpeggios
11:36 Picked indie pop arpeggios
11:54 Strummed indie chords
12:21 Funky rhythm barre chords
12:35 60s pop rhythm sound
Overdrive Sounds (Clean Channel w/Mooer Hustle Drive)
12:45 Southern rock picked arpeggios
13:06 Indie octave chords riff
13:31 Fat indie rock rhythm chords
13:59 Groovy classic rock riff
14:25 AC/DC inspired rock riff
14:43 Classic rock riff
14:59 Hendrix inspired classic rock riff
15:16 Classic rock riff
Lead Channel Sounds
15:32 Classic hard rock riff
15:50 Hard rock rhythm riff
16:16 Glam rock riff
16:31 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff
16:49 Alternative rock riff
17:13 Pop punk riff
17:39 Pop punk melodic lead sound
17:55 Punk rock power chords
18:08 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
18:23 Modern rock palm-muted power chords (Drop D)
18:48 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)
Clean Channel w/Revv G3 Distortion Pedal (all in Drop D tuning)
19:20 Metal chugging riff
19:52 Hardcore punk riff
20:07 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff
20:21 Hard rock lead sound
20:36 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff
21:09 My thoughts
21:49 Rating the guitars on looks
23:09 Feel and build quality
24:09 Necks
25:06 Weights
25:57 Playability
26:48 Volume control placement
27:58 Sounds
29:38 Three reasons why you should buy the Ibanez AZES31
31:30 Three reasons why you should buy a Fender Stratocaster
32:58 Final conclusion and goodbye
Thank you for sharing!
Cheers Tomo!
Really thorough comparison & great editing to boot. Super helpful 👍
Thanks a lot, I'm glad you found it useful 😊
I have the AZ40, and I love how it feels and how it plays. So comfortable. I tend to go to it much more often then to my other guitars, some of which are much more expensive.
Yes, it's a fantastic guitar. I also found it kind of addictive, and to be honest would usually pick it up over the Fender as it's smoother to play. Enjoy yours and thanks for watching!
Great video. Really enjoyed your playing and opinions at the end.
Thanks Michael, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful too! Rock on :)
A friggin' excellent demo! When you're holding the two guitars up side-by-side, it's evident how the Ibanez is just slightly smaller than the Fender (as you pointed out early on). I really like that compactness; it just makes things feel more manageable.
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, clever old Ibanez for that... just makes them a tad easier to manage, especially if you're a kid with your first guitar, for example. Then later if you need the extra few mm you can always buy a Strat or a full-size Ibanez. Thanks for watching and rock on!
Great video 👍👍👍 Personally I'd go with the Ibanez for the (subjective) overall feel and playability, and broader tonal option thanks to the switch. And yeah, the price tag too.
awesome playing
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!
I played that Ibanez yesterday at a GC through a used Traynor 40. Amazing strat like tones. It did SRV no problem. The series switch makes it ballsy with bluesy cleans.
Yes, it's a great guitar for sure! And it handles all the typical Strat stuff and a bit more with the extra switching. Rock on!
Rich you are so right I hope someone under reads these comments and watches your videos I had to settle for the Lake Placid blue and satin with a maple neck that came on the fender performer due to the fact just like you had mentioned you can't find a Lake Placid blue with Rosewood fingerboard so easily it just so happens that my friends have worn out very significantly for the two years of owning this guitar I do enjoy it however I've never owned a guitar where the Frets of worn out so fast on me that being said I want to get a replacement Nick not necessarily offender Nick but something was perhaps a Flames Maple neck with a Rosewood fingerboard would be amazing do you know of any Nick companies other than Warmoth that maybe on the more affordable side Rich that I could replace my neck with thank you so much it's good to see your channels slowly growing your great content creator Tim from London Ontario Canada
Awesome comparison, as always! First: I'm a bass player, but team Lake Placid Blue + Rosewood board too, on my J-style bass! 🙌 But I also play a bit of guitar. I have an old Peavey T-27. It shares the hard-tail bridge and shorter scale-length with the Ibanez. But the volume pot is almost as close to the bridge pickup as on a Strat - I'd like it a bit further away as well.
If I had to recommend a really flexible guitar for a beginner, the AZES would be one of my top recommendations for sure. Along with the Yamaha Pacifica, Sire S series, and Eart, if direct order from China is an option. The Eart DMX-9 has the same switching as the Ibanez AZ(ES), but better materials (e. g. roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets) and pickups (AlNiCo 5) and a more classic look (but with nice ergonomic improvements) for about the same money.
Your Strat sounds much better to me than the Ibanez in all settings and styles - much nicer mids, a real voice. But that's to be expected, it's a different league. Really an amazing guitar, Fender Japan is awesome!
I think that AZES holds up VERY nicely. I like the tones as much or better than the Strat at least 50% of the time. And for $300 (less than that used), that is hard to beat. I will be buying one of those Ibanez guitars very soon.
So much into this video - super stuff. IMHO the new Player Series does beat the old MIM Strat in playability. I have the old one and love it but new, side by side, the Player I think. The new AZES does look a great offering. Basically so many super alternatives these days. Versus my American Std strat my Squier CV is just fine for general stuff and just as much fun in all honesty.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! And yes, you're right - there's so many great and affordable options out there these days. In the not-too-distant future I think I'll try and borrow a Player model to try against my Strat and see how they compare, and maybe I can get a Classic Vibe and/or an older MiM model as well. A decent setup can make any of these guitars play a lot better too, of course. I'm still blown away by how good these AZES guitars are!
Great work. The strat sounds significantly better for me.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! The Strat certainly has a more classic, refined sound, which I prefer for certain things. It's definitely a more accepted "good tone" for guitars, and one that more people use. On the other hand, sometimes I find myself enjoying the Ibanez's hi-fi tones a bit more.
I think they both sound fantastic but you are an incredible musician ...The Ibanez is wicked but the Strat is just so rock n roll....Who wouldn't want that Fender...Many thanks for sharing...Thank you...
Thanks Mark, I'm really happy you enjoyed the video and the music! These guitars are both riff machines. And yeah, there's a vibe about the Strat that the AZES just can't match... might be a different story if it was also 30 years old and Lake Placid Blue though! Cheers and rock on :)
Mark Stacey They're completely different animals , the Ibanez sounds better for Rockabilly and Southern rock. But the Strat sounds better for blue's and hard rock and metal IMO!
Good content 👍🏼
Thanks, much appreciated!
Thank you for the amazing Video♥️. Do you think Ibanez is better than Squirer Classic Vibe when it comes to playability and build quality?
Thanks, I'm happy you enjoyed it! On quality terms, it's close... in my recent experience, they have been similar. In terms of playability, I actually prefer the feel of the Ibanez. A big part of that is the satin neck finish... makes it easier to play, at least for me :)
When I blind listen to this I can't tell the difference between the two. They both sound solid.
Me too, in many settings! They're both great sounding guitars and neither will let you down in that area, which means you can make your choice based on other factors.
What is your impression about jatoba vs rosewood? and the measures of the neck? I want to buy one of these to make some upgrades, but jatoba and the feel of the neck, make me think twice,,,anyway I don´t played one yet
I have to say that I love the neck on the AZES31. Before I played it, I thought I wouldn't like a jatoba board (I love rosewood normally) but in reality, you forget about it straight away. The neck feels great too, with the satin finish, and the profile is very comfy - it sits perfectly in my hand. There are Squiers/Fenders which have smaller and bigger necks, but I am not too fussy, and I think the AZES is just right for my hands. Maybe you could try one before you buy? Or, just take the chance and order online :) I have played about 5 or 6 different AZES guitars now, and they have all been excellent! And they are great for modding too, you're right...
Very good Video. I'm glad you said, buy both. Because I have already bought both. After I bought I thought to myself why did I buy both. But, you just answered that question. LOL Thanks: Mike, from the U.S. CHEERS
Ha ha, cheers Mike! You made the right decision for sure 😉 With these two guitars you’ve got every tonal base covered, and they are different enough to make it 100% worth it. Enjoy yours and rock on! 🤘 Cheers from the other side of the pond!
Swap that Fender pickguard for red tortoiseshell already, it's a match made in heaven!
I'd not even considered swapping out the pickguard, but I might have to think about that!
That fender is beautiful wow
Totally agree... when I saw my friend buy it I told him to contact me first if he ever wanted to sell it - and two years later he did. It was worth waiting for!
@@RichWordsMusic looks and sounds like it definitely was
Well, I don’t know about the guitars, but you definitely sold me on those Texas single coils. Ibanez versions need some work in comparison to those beauties.
Yep, the Ibanez has a much more modern, hi-fi tonality to it... gotta love those Fender pikcups!
Having the AZES31 I'm bias because I don't have a Fender Strat , but I have a custom made Strat built by someone in my state. It's absolutely amazing and I wouldn't sell it , it's an HSS with coil tapping. I love them both , but the Ibanez has more options. The only thing is it gets a little muddy at high gains , where as my Strat doesn't break up. I would say it's a draw , considering they both offer the tone's I'm looking for...
Gotta love an HSS model! I love the AZES40 too, for that reason, and I do think a humbucker in the bridge is a more natural guitar for the higher gain stuff. It can be a little too much for a single coil at times. But hey, that's the beauty in being able to own two guitars, so you can have both :) Thanks for watching!
@@RichWordsMusic Exactly right , we can have the best of both worlds! Thanks for the great demo ✌️
I own an American strat with a maple neck. I’m looking for a second strat style guitar that isn’t a maple fretboard. I don’t want to spend a ton. Would you recommend this Ibanez or a player strat for that situation? Both of those guitars have rosewood alternatives for fret board.
Good question. I would say that if you have the chance, try both out at a store - that's always the best way to make a decision (because you can pick the guitar that speaks to you in person!). Because you already have a USA Fender, though, I would say the chances are you will feel more at home straight away with another Fender - and because your other guitar is a high-quality, USA one, you may also feel the Ibanez is a little more of a step down (that's a totally personal thing, but you never know - for me, the AZES guitars compete with all the Squiers and Mexican Fenders I've tried in stores recently).
I terms of the AZES, that guitar has the extra sounds with the Alter Switch, and it's hardtail - which for me is a huge advantage. And it's so cheap, that you could always buy it, pay for the best setup in the world and maybe even new tuners or other mods you wanted, and it'd still be comfortably cheaper than the Player Strat.
Lastly, and I guess most importantly, you have the sounds - if you are 100% into genuine Strat sounds, the Fender will get you there. The Ibanez is very close, but it's not a Strat, and it has these slightly more pristine pickups that just lack a tiny bit of the character of a Strat's, especially on classic clean tones. For drives, it's less noticeable.
Sorry for the long answer, but I hope that helps a bit!
Thank you for the reply. That helps!
I will pick the ibanez for the rock stuffs and the fender for cleans and inspiration
I totally agree, and that's how I'd do it :) So I guess I'm lucky to have both ;)
@@RichWordsMusic sweet, definitely lucky ;) !
31:32 I thought it was to keep it safe from Guillaume??? That blue is gorgeous.
I say get both!!
I know. The man's a fool to sell it, I tells ya... a fool! Although his Custom Shell Pink one is also stupendous. LPB all day for me though, you can't beat it :)
With guitars and comedy it’s hard to not go blue .
@@PooNinja I'd never noticed that connection before, but you're right!
That intro amp tone was awesome. What was that based on?
That's just the Lead channel on the Black Spirit 200 (with the Boost on)! It does great heavy rock tones, even with Strats. That riff is based on 2 Minutes To Midnight :)
The Strat sounds a bit darker, but they are BOTH in the same ball park!
Absolutely! It's amazing how well the Ibanez keeps up, actually...
Should u get the hss or the sss? of the ibanez azes series
For me personally, I would choose the AZES31 (SSS) - I don't need the bridge humbucker as much, and it has a hardtail bridge, so it stays in tune better. I would only recommend the AZES40 to people who 100% need that bridge humbucker!
By the way, I did do a video comparing the two AZES guitars, maybe it'll help you out a bit more: ua-cam.com/video/NwG6iEZuGns/v-deo.html
👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for watching my friend, as usual 😊
The thing is someone with a smaller budget is going to buy the Ibanez or probably the Squier ...NOT anything with Fender on the headstock. Anyone that owns a Squier if asked about it says "But it is just as good as ....they start with what in practise is an apology. A guy with an Ibanez simply announces the guitar and praises it. I can see the Ibanez being in the future like a Gibson Lp Junior that started life from Gibson's point of view as an entry level instrument but over time many found other guitars were more about being different than better.
You are absolutely right... I think I did this numerous times in the video, in fact ;) And it all feeds into the branding ideologies that so many of us adhere to with gear. It's not necessarily an issue, but it does prevent some of us from seeing past the older classics like Fender and Gibson that you simply MUST HAVE in order to be the best. There's nothing wrong with brand aspirations, of course, and it's not something only guitarists suffer from, but yes: Ibanez players have seen the light!
I also agree about Ibanez being seen that way for future generations. These days, look at the most creative younger players, the ones who inspire others on social media. They mostly play brands like Ibanez. There's still loads of Fender around, sure, but unassuming companies like Ibanez are stepping up like never before.
Do they make this Ibanez in left handers?
Not yet, unfortunately - which sucks! Hopefully they will on the back of the right-handed models going down so well. I am actually meeting some Ibanez dudes at an event in August and will ask them if they know of any plans to do so.
By the time I bought my AZES40 it was 350 dollars US. It must be cheaper in Europe?
It's about the same if you convert it - €330 or so, which is about $340. Definitely a worthy purchase, though!
Yeah when I bought the Ibanez AZES31 it was around $300 but now it's almost $350...
@@ErichReid Must've went back down....
azes is the best valued budget guitar. I own an azes40.
I reckon you are right - it's hard to think of anything else better right now! Especially at those prices. I love the AZES40 too... I have a video coming out soon where I compare it against a Fender HSS Strat and it does really well!
@@RichWordsMusic @Matthew I'm not sure, I'm considering these for my first guitar as well:
1. Harley Benton ST-70 (€180)
2. Harley Benton Fusion-III HSS (€333)
3. Yamaha Pacifica 112VMX (300)
haha.... the reason why I never got a fender/squier strat is because i can't stand the headstock shape. there is really no accounting for taste
Ha ha, yeah... it's a strange one. Some people only want the 'real deal' Fender shape, and others - like you - are quite the opposite. The good thing is there's never been a better time to be a Strat-loving guitarist. There's simply so many great models from different builders out there, all with variations on the headstock shape theme! If I had the money, I might be looking at something like a Suhr or a Maybach :) Rock on!
@@RichWordsMusic I just picked up a brand new tokai at clearance price. it comes with the smaller bump at the end of the headstock which I much prefer over Fender's.
but the Tele is a different matter. I love the Fender tele headstock and have a Richie kotzen Tele from 1999.
I was watching and kept thinking he was talking of a different Ibanez model…
Could someone educate me on this?
Which one do you mean? Let me know and maybe I can explain a bit better...
@@RichWordsMusic Ahhh.. nothing worth the fuzz. My bad, perhaps I just went nuts but should’ve just accepted that’s how you pronounce that in your place… w/c could be the right one as opposed to how we pronounce it on our side of the planet.. Cheers. Love your guitars, btw. ♥️
@@candylaria5414 Ha ha, now I think I get it... you say "zee" instead of "zed", right? It does sometimes cross my mind to try that when I do these videos (my biggest audience on here is apparently in North America!), but I always revert back to my British English after a couple of goes and it messes up my brain. At least the language of music is universal ;) Cheers and rock on!
@@RichWordsMusic You’re absolutely right. Cheers 😊
13s? 😱
Apparently so! It's a Stevie Ray Vaughan thing, I believe (I've heard he used 11.5 sets with a 13 on the top!). Either way, for me, who normally uses 9s or 10s, they're massive.
The Fender strat sounds better but the Ibanez is cheaper
Yep, it's quite the choice... you could always get the Ibanez and consider upgrading the pickups later, though.
Ibanez is better than Fender.
If you asked me today about these two specific guitars, I'd agree! As a general rule it's a harder choice for me.
Unrelated question: why u talking so fast?😭😂
Ha ha, sorry! Sometimes I get into a flow and can't slow down. I know I need to be careful of this. Watch me on 0.75 or half speed if it's too much ;)
talk to much
Just watch the playing bits if you don't like the talking! That's what the chapters are for ;)
Fender is better and I am certain it feels better to play. Fender is more pleasant to the ear, the Ibanez kinda harsh.
Yeah, overall the Fender is the higher quality guitar for sure, and it has more of a vintage, warm tone - the Ibanez is very modern and pure sounding, almost hi-fi. Which for some sounds I love, but not quite as much for others ;) Cheers and rock on!