5 Great Ibanez Electric Guitars Under $600

April 25, 2012March 14, 2013 Tim Monaghan 1 Comment

Ibanez has been around for a good long while now – and in that time they have proven that they can provide a really above average guitar for the dollar amount you’re paying. I remember getting my first Ibanez Acoustic – it was about $300 at the local guitar shop – and for the money it was a dream to play and it sounds beautiful to this day.

After that I owned several more acoustics from Ibanez, and several like the ones we’re looking at here.

If you’re either just starting out with electric guitar – or if you’re one of the majority of musicians for whom money for a new axe is hard to come by, Ibanez certainly is a solid choice when compared to the Epiphones and Squires in this price range.

We’re starting with a budget of roughly $200 – and working our way up to just under $600. Of course here we’re also assuming you’re into hard rock or metal – but for those who aren’t, there are plenty of other solid body styles as well as hollow body electrics and acoustics, all in the same price range.

So here is our comparison chart:

5 Guitars made by Ibanez that won't break the bank!

GRG121DX	GRG250DXB	RG351DX	RG350DX	RGA42E
Click to Enlarge	Click to Enlarge	Click to Enlarge	Click to Enlarge	Click to Enlarge
$199.99	$299.99	$349.99	$449.00	$599.99
Pickups: H-H - Ibanez STD H1, STD H2 Humbuckers	Pickups: H-S-H PSND1, PSNDS, PSND2	Pickups: H-S-H INF3, INFS3, INF4	Pickups: H-S-H INF3, INFS3, INF4	Pickups: H-H EMG 85, EMG 81
Bridge: Fixed	Bridge: Edge III Locking Tremolo Unit	Bridge: Gibraltar Fixed Bridge	Bridge: Edge Zero II Locking Tremolo System	Bridge: Gibraltar Standard
Basswood Body, Maple Neck	Mahogany Body, Maple Neck	Basswood Body, 3 Piece Wizard III Maple Neck	Basswood Body, 3 Piece Wizard III Maple Neck	Mahogany Body, 3 Piece Maple Wizard III Neck

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Here is a little bit of Ibanez history – an image gallery we did awhile back covering the growth and change of Ibanez since the 30’s:

Image Gallery: A Trip Through Time With Ibanez Guitars – 1930s Thru 2010s

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If you’re looking for a locking tremolo system, you’re going to be spending at least $300 – which is a pretty good bargain for the Edge III system. The Edge III does have some issues with the quality of materials they used to build it however – specifically with the knife edge – but it should last at least a few years of abuse. The knife edge on the Edge III is not replaceable.

You’ll find the Infinity (INF) pickups to be a huge improvement over the STD series – but they’ll be a tad muddy in my opinion. Luckily pickups are one of the easier things to replace on a guitar if you’ve got a bit of mechanical / electrical skills. I say they’re muddy – they’re not bad, but hell, Ibanez had to make these guitars affordable, and I have heard the INF pickups sounding pretty darned good, so maybe it’s just a flexibility issue.

The pickups on the RGA42 are going to make you happy. They’re the tried and true EMG 81 / 85 combination.

It goes to show that you can get quite a bit for less than $600 from Ibanez – and these are just 5 of the many options they have available.

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