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Electronics: | |
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When someone asks us to name the best electric guitar for metal music, Ibanez is a company that pops in a variety of price ranges.
However, when those price ranges are fully disregarded and we just want the crème de la crème, the manufacturer still remains among our top picks thanks to their Prestige series. The specific model we had in mind is the almighty Ibanez S Prestige S5570Q. We took this bad boy our for a spin, make sure to check out the full review below.
We'll focus on the neck first – Ibanez is very well known for their super playable, slim and elegant necks, but their Super Wizard HP maple/walnut series really takes the cake. It hits that sweet spot of being thin and easy to shred on, but still durable and somewhat chunky when rocking those heavy riffs and chords.
The body is mahogany, which is a great option for metal because of its high resonance and sonic thickness. The fingerboard is classic rosewood with 24 jumbo frets.
Needless to say, it becomes very obvious that this is a gorgeous guitar from the very moment you lay your eyes upon it.
The instrument sports a Lo-Pro Edge bridge with a whammy bar and does a stellar job in keeping the proper tune while allowing you to deliver infinite dive bombs. The jumbo frets are top-notch and produce no fuzz whatsoever. Additionally, the set of six tuners does a great job in keeping the instrument in proper shape.
This is where the gold is! Possibly the strongest point is the pickup selection, which features a set of these three bad boys – Hot Grinder 1, a single-coil Short Tracer 2, and a high-output Hot Grinder 2. Each of these dudes delivers a completely different sonic vibe, going from crystal clear heavenly cleans to crush-and-crunch overdrive tones.
The mix also includes a highly versatile 5-way switch plus standard Tone and Volume knobs. Without even a single pedal, this Ibanez is already set for tackling any musical style you can think of.
Sound
Although we said that the guitar is capable of diving into any sound realm you might imagine, metal music is where this Prestige feels like home. This means that you can lock in a certain sound and stick to it, or dive into the progressive waters and combine a variety of audio configurations to get the desired effect. The choices are limitless and they're all yours!
This is a high-end guitar with a high-end price and yes, it's worth every penny. If you want to make a big investment and get an instrument that will follow you to the edge of the musical world, the Ibanez S Prestige S5570Q is it.
If the listed price matches your spending budget, we thoroughly recommend taking this fella into more serious consideration. Top-notch stuff, a big thumbs up from here!
For more info about the Ibanez S Prestige Series S5570Q, click here.
For more Electric guitars for metal, click here.
Joe Kent says
I own the Ibanez prestige w/o trem. Seeking one with it .Why did they discontinue this great guitar? Maybe there was a lack of interest in their color scheme green,purple and brown.People fear the price but better than any Strat.Now the only way I could get it is by ordering it from the mail and off setting colors with a cool body decal but worth the cash and effort