Ibanez AZES40 AZ Essentials Series Electric Guitar in Black

The Ibanez AZES40 is an electric guitar from the AZ Essentials series, designed to bring the acclaimed features of Ibanez's premium AZ range to beginner and intermediate players. It features a solid poplar body with a gloss polyurethane finish in black, providing a neutral tonal foundation with good sustain. The bolt-on maple neck has a player-friendly 25-inch scale length and a comfortable 250mm fingerboard radius made from jatoba wood, making it easier to navigate for those still developing their technique. The guitar is equipped with a versatile HSS (humbucker/single-coil/single-coil) pickup configuration, consisting of an Accord humbucker at the bridge and Essentials single-coils at the middle and neck positions. This is paired with Ibanez's Dyna-MIX9 switching system, which offers nine distinct sound variations via a combination of a 5-way lever switch and an 'Alter' mini-switch. This allows players to access both humbucker and single-coil tones, covering a wide range of musical styles from clean rhythms to driven lead sounds. Practical features include the 'All Access' neck joint for comfortable playing in the higher frets, 'Comfort Round' steel bridge saddles on the T106 tremolo system to reduce hand fatigue, and a durable 'Mono-Unit' output jack designed for reliability. The guitar comes strung with D'Addario EXL110 strings (10-46 gauge). This model is well-suited for learners seeking a versatile instrument that can grow with their skills, as well as intermediate players wanting reliable performance across various genres without the premium price tag.