Ibanez AZ2202A-TFB AZ Prestige Electric Guitar, Tri Fade Burst

Even though Ibanez is thought of as a modern guitar brand, they have decades of accumulated knowledge and a history of pushing the boundaries.

The AZ series carries with it all of the hallmarks of these tried and tested Ibanez qualities: the smooth oval neck grip, the well-balanced asymmetrical body shape, and a neck heel that allows unrivaled playability. It also features details such as a new tremolo bridge, as well as new pickups developed in collaboration with Seymour Duncan.

Tried and Tested Ibanez Qualities

At first glance, the Ibanez AZ2202A AZ Prestige may seem like an enigma to some. The magic of this new series is not something that may be apparent by just visual observation. The magic, however, does become instantly apparent once an AZ model is played. The AZ series represents the future of guitar playing and we welcome you to play one and see for yourself.

AZ Modern Oval C S-TECH WOOD roasted maple 1pc neck

AZ Modern Oval C S-TECH WOOD roasted maple 1pc neck S-TECH treated Maple was used for the AZ’s neck construction, a first.

Its nitrogen-heating-treatment increases the wood’s stability, durability, water resistance and tolerance of temperature changes. After extensive prototyping and trials, Ibanez concluded that 20.5mm thickness at the 1st fret and 22.5mm at the 12th fret was the optimal neck thickness for this process.

The neck was then sealed with an oil finish, making it feel similar to a well-played guitar neck. Neck Grip In order to achieve supreme neck grip comfort, the fretboard edge was finished with a smooth curve that extends from the border between the fretboard and the neck to the surface of the fretboard.

The detailed neck shape was precisely carved using a ball mill for ultimate consistency. The width measurements of the fretboard are at 42mm at the nut and 57mm at the last fret. These dimensions allow for an easy grip in the lower register, and a more modern feel in the higher register.

Body Design

The AZs shallow back body contour and big forearm contour lets the guitars body fit the player naturally, thus increasing playing comfort. The AZ body has a deep waist and different radii on each body edge curve (3 mmR on body top/8 mmR on body back), making it easier to play in both standing or sitting positions.

Seymour Duncan Hyperion Pickups

The custom Hyperion pickups for the AZ were developed in collaboration with Seymour Duncan. The pickups feature a moderate output through Alnico-5 magnets to keep the clarity of the fundamental tone when using a distortion sound, and deliver a clear pick attack.

From treble to bass, and from high-E string to low-E string, the overall tonal balance is evenly adjusted, and works well with various effect pedals. The metal covers on the pickups display a classic look and create a sweet and warm tone in combinaton with the 22-fret neck and Ash body. dyna-MIX 10 w/Alter switch The Dyna-MIX offers ten sound variations, and can easily switch from humbucker and single coil modes with just a flick of the mini switch. The Power Tap mode provides a realistic single coil sound despite its two humbucker pickup layout.

Ibanez T1802 Tremolo Bridge (made by GOTOH )

The new T1802 bridge, a collaboration between GOTOH and Ibanez, features machined titanium saddles and a machined steel tremolo block for a quick response, thick lows and rich highs. The 10.5mm string spacing allows for easy picking across strings, including techniques such as string skipping and hybrid picking. The snap and hold tremolo arm socket makes it easy to load a tremolo arm, and the arm torque adjuster enables fine torque adjustment without any tools. The 2-point floating tremolo system allows for a super smooth tremolo motion when either raising or lowering the pitch.

GOTOH H.A.P Machine Heads

The AZ comes with GOTOH MAGNUM LOCK machine heads, which have an established reputation for tuning stability. Its H. A. P (Height Adjustable Post). system allows for the adjustment of string posts for the appropriate tension of each string.

Ibanez AZ2202A AZ Prestige Tri Fade Burst Key Features:

• AZ Oval C S-TECH WOOD Roasted Maple neck
• S-TECH WOOD Roasted Maple fretboard w/Black dot inlay
• Seymour Duncan Hyperion Pickups
• dyna-MIX 10 switching system w/Alter switch
• Gotoh T1802 tremolo bridge
• Oil-impregnated Bone nut /Stainless Steel Frets
• Super All Access Neck Joint
• Luminlay side dot inlay
• Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P.(Height Adjustable Post)
• An ergonomic body back contour
• Ash Body

Ibanez AZ2202A AZ Prestige Tri Fade Burst Specifications:

• MPN: AZ2202A-TFB
• Colour Name: Tri Fade Burst
• Number of Strings: 6
• Neck Type: AZ Oval C
• Neck Joint: Bolt-on
• Neck Material: S-TECH WOOD Roasted Maple
• reinforcement rods: -
• Neck finish: Oil
• Neck thickness (1st fret, mm): 20.5
• Neck thickness (12th fret, mm): 22.5
• Scale (mm): 648
• Nut width (mm): 42
• End width (mm): 56.4
• Number of fret: 22
• Fretboard: S-TECH WOOD Roasted Maple
• Fretboard Radius (mm): 305
• Inlay: Black dot
• Body Top material (For Solid): -
• Body Material (For Solid): Ash
• Body finish: Gloss Polyester
• Total length (mm): 978
• Body thickness (mm): 44
• Body length (mm): 452
• Body Width (mm): 309
• Bridge: Gotoh T1802
• Active or Passive: Passive
• Nut: Bone
• Machine Head: Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P.
• Hardware Color: Chrome
• Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (H)
• Middle Pickup: -
• Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (H)
• EQ (Active): -
• Preamp (for Acoustic): -
• Controls, Pickup selector: 1 Volume, 1 Tone, 5-way lever switch
• Other Switches: dyna-MIX10 switching system w/Alter Switch
• Side Dot Inlay: Luminlay side dots
• Strap Lock: -
• Special Strings: DAddario EXL110
• String Gauges (from top to bottom): .010/.013/.017/.026/.036/.046
• Tuning (from top to bottom): 1E,2B,3G,4D,5A,6E
• Included case or bag: M20AZ
• Recommend case or bag: Hardshell case included
• Other item(s) included: Tremolo arm, Multi tool