Ibanez AZES Essentials Purist Blue
The Ibanez AZES Essentials electric guitar in Purist Blue is Ibanez most recent entry level guitar line. Launched in September 2021 this new line has brought the AZ series to the beginner and budget guitarists.
The HSS in purist blue has a street price of $349.99. But you can also use my affiliate link to check Reverb.com to see the current used prices. That will bring up search results for this specific model.
I have tried several of the recent Ibanez entry level models: RG Standard, GIO, and the Essentials line. Ibanez are doing something right. The quality of these guitars is impressive. The only one that had some slightly microphonic pickups was the GIO. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this guitar for a beginner. Heck, I’d even recommend it to pros who want an extra guitar to have around to noodle on or take as a backup on gigs.
From the perspective of a guitar teacher I can say these would be great for students. One of the main issue with entry guitar level guitars is playability. But these guitars have the nut slots cut shallow enough that playing at the first fret is comfortable.
Electronics
The Dyna-mix 9 electronics make this a very sonically versatile guitar. Here’s the Ibanez page with the diagram of all the pickup options. The sounds are accessed via the volume, tone, Alter Switch, and the 5 way pickup selector.
More Details
Color options for this model are Purist Blue, Mint Green, Black, and Pastel Pink. So, there is something for everyone.
A couple small details that I appreciate are the vintage style tuning machines. It’s one of the best designs to insert the string in the hole and then through the slot to make string changes so much easier. The other “high-end” improvement is the saddles. They put the screws in the bottom of the saddle so that when you lower the action the saddle screws can’t dig into your palm. Highwood, the company known for originating this design change, charge around $60 for a set of their saddles. Check them out here on amazon using this affiliate link.
So, whether you’re a pro looking for a spare or a parent looking for a first guitar for your child the Ibanez AZES is a great choice.
