Are Ibanez Guitars Good? (And What Makes Them So Special?)

Is Ibanez a Good Guitar Brand?

Considered as one of the major manufacturers, Ibanez is a guitar brand with a strong reputation in the industry. But compared to the competition, are Ibanez guitars good?

If we take a snapshot of the brand’s best qualities, Ibanez guitars are easy to play, comfortable, and dollar-for-dollar, offer excellent and consistent build quality.

In short, we can say yes. Ibanez is a very good brand of guitar. But let’s have a closer look at what makes the Ibanez brand tick.

What Makes Ibanez Special?

Over the years, Ibanez has managed to gain an exceptionally strong following by developing their own trademark.

The brand offers unique designs, a continuous commitment to quality, and like any smart guitar manufacturer, fosters relationships with artists.

They’ve also managed to make user-friendly improvements to their predecessors original designs such as:

• Easier to play comfortable necks
• Ergonomic design
• Extended tones through electronics
• Lightweight construction
• Consistently great build-quality
• Affordability

You’d be hard pressed to find all of these qualities offered to the same degree by one of the more established brands.

Where Did the Ibanez Brand Come From?

It’s a matter of fact – the Ibanez brand is actually older than Fender, but not as old as Gibson or Martin.

Back in 1935, Japanese manufacturer Hoshino Gakki (the literal translation being “Hoshino Musical Instruments”) decided to leverage the name “Ibanez” in tribute to Spanish luthier Salvador Ibanez.

The newly launched brand name was then used for the production of their spanish guitars.

In the late 50’s , the Ibanez brand was used to promote instruments hitting the emerging and energetic electric guitar market.

Around that time though, imported Japanese products had a reputation for inferior quality. A result of a defeated country trying to rebuild its manufacturing industry after the ravages of WWII.

In terms of perception by the average North-American consumer, the 60’s was a time where “Made in Japan” was very similar in meaning to “Made in China” today.

The “Lawsuit” Years

As the 70’s rolled around, Japanese guitar manufacturers sensed an opportunity as major North American brands, such as Fender and Gibson, became more interested in siphoning off corporate profits instead of reinvesting in the companies and maintaining quality levels.

Thus, the Ibanez brand, along with others such as Greco, Aria and Tokai, were able to gain a foothold by offering guitars that were very well made and reasonably priced by comparison.

Of course, American guitar manufacturers (particularly Martin, Gibson and Fender) became concerned about the influx of copies such as Ibanez’s Destroyer which was a blatant reproduction of Gibson’s Explorer.

The long and short of it is, Gibson sued the distributor of the Ibanez brand (Elger) during the late seventies.

But Ibanez had already decided to shift production to their own designs such as the original Artist Series and popular Iceman designs – which are still in production today.

Is Ibanez Popular?

A brilliant decision to create their own designs, along with a commitment to building quality guitars, was the official launch of Ibanez becoming popular and considered as one of the better guitar brands available.

The interesting thing is, this rise to mainstrem popularity happened only a couple of short decades after the inception of the Fender brand.

To this day, the Ibanez brand is still considered by many to be “the new guy”, which essentially gives them license to design and do whatever they want.

The additional benefit is that this gives Ibanez the stylistic freedom to freely pivot and easily maneuver through changing market pressures.

In contrast, iconic brands such as Gibson, Fender and Martin are still heavily dependent on their historically original designs, which are often perceived as expensive.

Where Are Ibanez Guitars Made?

The majority of Ibanez guitars come from factories located in Japan, China and Indonesia.

Cheaper Ibanez guitars, such as the GIO and S Series which make up a large portion of overall sales, are produced in Indonesia and China.

Meanwhile, high-end Ibanez guitars such as Prestige Series are produced in Japan and Korea.

Furthermore, just as major competitors such as Fender have Custom Shop instruments developed for individual artists and promotional purposes, custom Ibanez guitars are often made in the US.

Why Do Metal Players Use Ibanez?

As mentioned, Ibanez as a brand is a relative newcomer to the guitar landscape. In a similar sense, metal is a relatively recent addition to the musical landscape.

Even though a lot of time has passed since these inceptions first came about, they happened to be born within a few short years of each other.

Whether or not the guitars were intentionally designed to appeal to emerging metal players is debatable. But considering the timing and the affinity the two share, the connection is highly probable.

It’s also easy to point out the visually sharper Ibanez guitar aesthetics perfectly compliment the harder audio edge that comes with metal music.

Who Plays Ibanez Guitars?

Here’s a short list of popular guitar players who use Ibanez guitars:

• Paul Gilbert
• Lari Basilio
• Munky
• Ichika Nito
• Noodles
• Joe Satriani
• Paul Stanley
• Nita Strauss
• Fredrik Thordendal
• Andy Timmons
• Steve Vai
• and many, many more

Ibanez vs Gibson

Is Ibanez better than Gibson?

It would be better to consider each brand as neither better or worse, just different with their own strong and weak elements.

Everybody has an opinion and, depending on many factors such as musical taste, budget and style, will prefer either one over the other.

Regardless, there are some objective points that can be pointed out:

As you can see, for every benefit there’s an equally important drawback.

If we could nail down one particular item that separates the two, it would have to be price points in the higher-end instruments.

As the price goes up, Gibson products (and Ibanez as well) will have more refined, expensive and labor-intensive cosmetic elements.

Pricier Ibanez guitars will also incorporate more diversity in electronics and sonic output.

The other key factor is a Les Paul will pretty much always sound like a Les Paul – which is a trademark tone many players desire.

Ibanez on the other hand, has a much wider sonic footprint and can reproduce nearly any tone you’re looking for.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you as to which one you prefer.

Which is Better Ibanez or Fender?

As with comparing Gibson and Ibanez, each brand will have it’s own sweet spots and corresponding detriments.

For the sake of taking a different approach, let’s compare two popular models offered by each brand to see where they really differ:

Ibanez vs Fender Comparison

Are Ibanez Guitars Good Quality?

Being a production made instrument using the most modern engineering methods ensures Ibanez branded guitars stay within tightly controlled specifications.

But, like any product that’s made using such processes, the end product is subject to the quality of the materials being used and the training of those who actually put the product together.

Depending on the price-point, you can expect to see minor variations or little imperfections. This is true for virtually any major guitar manufacturer.

Within just a few seconds of research (especially on social media channels) you’ll easily find complaints from those buying anything from a relatively expensive Gibson Les Paul, to a reasonably priced guitar made by Fender.

To answer the question directly, in terms of dollar-for-dollar quality, you can’t go wrong with Ibanez.

Are Ibanez Acoustic Guitars Any Good?

Ibanez acoustic guitars, as with their electrics, are feature design innovations that make them stand out.

Many models feature eye-catching finishes and body styles, with quality electronics found on their acoustic-electric models.

For the most part, Ibanez acoustic guitars tend to lean more towards the affordable range. Hence, many of them are laminate construction. Still, they do offer acoustic instruments using traditional tonewoods and solid tops for better resonance.

If you’re looking for an acoustic guitar design that’s stylistically a little off the beaten path, Ibanez acoustic guitars are definitely worth looking at.

Are Ibanez GIO Guitars Good?

When you consider these entry-level guitars cost no more than a nice night out over dinner, it’s hard not to be impressed.

in comparison, the Ibanez Gio Series is to the Ibanez brand what Epiphone is to Gibson and Squier to the Fender brand.

Designed to provide a versatile range of guitars for beginners, the Gio series offers new players a reasonably priced and very well made instrument that easily satisfies a look, sound and budget.

By keeping costs under control through material choices and cosmetic appointments, the Gio range is an ideal Ibanez guitar for any newbie player.

This also makes it a great choice as a second instrument for those just starting to add new voices to their guitar collection.

In terms of overall quality, you get the usual comfortable and very playable Ibanez neck, plus the excellent build quality.

If you’re in the market for a budget guitar from a recognized brand, you can’t go wrong with in Ibanez GIO.

Are Ibanez Guitars Worth the Money?

This is where the rubber meets the road. Regardless of your personal taste in musical styles, there are a few points that make Ibanez guitars stand out:

Excellent Playability

Fast, thin necks and innovative extended range designs are hallmarks of the Ibanez brand.

Their electric guitars in particular aren’t just great instruments, but strong competitors compared with similar offerings from other brands.

Sonic Versatility

Known for being creative with electronics and tonal shaping, Ibanez is not shy about offering factory options you’d normally find on custom built or electronically upgraded instruments.

Great Price Points

From entry-level instruments to signature guitars of exceptional quality (and everything in between), you’ll have no trouble finding an Ibanez model that both fits your budget and looks good.