Ibanez S521 - Ocean Fade Metallic Reviews
With a hot pair of humbuckers and a rock-solid fixed bridge, the Ibanez S521 solidbody electric guitar boasts aggressive tone with sustain that lasts for days. Five-way switching gives you more tonal combinations than you normally get with a dual humbucker setup, extending the range of this versatile instrument further. And if you're a fast player, you'll feel right at home with the sleek Wizard III neck profile. With a comfortably curvy body shape, the Ibanez S521 is the kind of guitar you can rock out with for hours.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Nothing to complain about
Insane sustain, light-weight, nice pickups, & nice 5 way switch.
My first Ibanez
After a lot of research for the best I could get in this price range, the S521 was a no brainer. Marcus (my sales guy) made the purchase easy. I got a notification once the guitar was available and once I decided to move forward I received pictures of the guitar shortly after. The guitar plays well. THe action was not bad at all (1.50mm on high E and 1.75mm on low E). The guitar is light and plays nice. The body is super thin and contours to you so that it is super comfortable playing. I have not seen a bad review of this guitar , and based on the quality of the instrument at this price point I can see why. This guitar is a keeper!
What a great guitar!
I love Ibanez S type bodies, as well as their JS series. This guitar is EXCELLENT.
One caveat: the back of the neck on the guitar was kinda rough in finish (that is, the clear lacquer was a big 'bubbly'). I rubbed it with 0000 steel wool I had around and it became nice and satiny.
Awesome guitar
This is my 3rd Ibanez guitar. I will never buy any other brand. This guitar sounds great. It's a pleasure to play.
I've added a Kahler tremelo and replaced the pickups with EMG Active pickups. Which brings me to the only problem I have with this guitar. The electronics are crammed in there, so tight that I couldn't use a standard 9 volt battery, (wouldn't fit). I had to use 3 2032 pancake batteries. I need to change them a lot more frequently, and it requires a bit more time than just popping in a 9v.
I would recommend this to anybody that wants a great guitar for under $
Just what i needed.
This guitar rocks, Like the neck on it, Plays like a more exspensive guitar. Beautiful color and stays in tune.
Outstanding Axe....
This is my third Ibanez. Once again I got an outstanding guitar at a great price.
It played beautifully, right out of the box. The action was perfect. The tone was great. I love it.
Added a Kahler tremelo and two EMG Pickups to make this the nicest guitar that I have owned in years.
Good budget guitar for woodshedding
This guitar is really great - the biggest draw to anyone who may be considering it should definitely be the playability and this should be the main selling point (especially if you like to shred). It plays INSANELY well - it also required zero setup adjustments. It had insanely clean and smooth frets right from the factory, and had great intonation/action (super low with no buzz). The finish is amazing too, and rarely will you find a guitar with such a great finish at this price that's not poorly built. I've had this guitar for well over a year and play it almost every day and it still looks brand new, so the finish is not cheaply made either. Now the negatives. The input jack is too deep and I have some cables and peripherals that will not fit it. Second, I noticed an overall tonal improvement when I upgraded the pickups on the guitar, so you may want to consider this depending on personal preference. The stock pickups have a lot of treble and shrillness. Great for some things, bad for others. You can EQ it to some extent, but I switched them for something a little more mellow. Despite these two issues, the 521 is such a star otherwise that I highly recommend it.
One fine guitar and customer service
The pictures do not do the guitar justice, it is beautifully crafted with a stunning finish. It is also a dream to play The S521 is very comfortable and ligh, the 5 way switch on a dual humbucker guitar is one of a kind. The people at Sweetwater are very determined to make your buying experience a good one.
Great Playing Guitar!
The performance you get for the price is outstanding - it's easy to play and lightweight. The action is fast and low, all the way up and down the neck, which is dead straight and flat. Plus the Ocean Fade Metallic finish really looks good. In person the body is just a bit smaller than all my other electric guitars but this is nothing bad. I'm glad I bought it, and I'd buy it again.
Thanks to my Sales Engineer Jose Gonzalez for making the buying experience painless and enjoyable, as always!
Great Guitar
This beautiful guitar sounds just as good as it looks. I have back problems and this lightweight guitar helps a lot. It is super slim and the neck is super easy to play fast on. Also thank you to John Beckas for making my order come together!
Great guitar
Very nice. Beautiful color. Unique. Excellent fir and finish. The bezzels sround the pickups are a nice touch for a guitar in this price range.
SUPER GUITAR
This truly is the best guitar you can get for under a grand ! This is literally the only guitar that I own where I don't feel like I need to change anything about it. It has incredible 5 way switching that allows you to find most likely any tone you want. The humbuckers are simply great. You can never go wrong with a fixed bridge. The fit and finish of this model is absolutely perfect in every way. Out of the box the setup was perfect and all I had to do was give it a quick tuning. You will not be disappointed if you decide to purchase this guitar !! My only regret is that I didn't buy it from my friends at Sweetwater !
Nice
Great guitar for the money. Gave it 4.5, due to minor things. Nothing critical. No need to go into details.
Look at the price. Wanted a simple, well made guitar. ... for practicing and more.
It surpassed expectations. Well made. Very playable. And gorgeous.
Thanks again to everyone at Sweetwater. Customer Service is top notch. I also love the fact that most items come with 2 yr warranty, and I'm not getting soaked with those extra charges.... like some other places.
Special thanks to David B. , in sales !!
I'll be donating more $$ to the cause in the future.
BTW.... where's the t-shirts and mugs !?
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