Ibanez AZ2204N-AWD

Ibanez AZ2204N-AWD review

The Ibanez AZ2204N-AWD is a Japanese-made electric guitar with an alder body, a bolt-on neck, three Seymour Duncan pickups, and a Gotoh tremolo. Its specifications point toward a versatile HSS-style instrument, while the supplied owner feedback emphasizes a comfortable neck and particularly strong build quality for the price class. The listed price is 1,885, with availability dating to August 2021.

There is a discrepancy in the supplied specification summaries: one lists a maple fingerboard, while the detailed specification identifies rosewood. The more detailed entry also describes the neck as roasted maple, consistent with a maple neck that has been heat-treated. Buyers should confirm the fingerboard material with the seller before ordering. The listed finish is Antique White Blonde, although the general color field describes it simply as white.

Neck and playing feel

The neck has an AZ7 Oval C profile and a bolt-on attachment. Its stated thickness is 21 mm at the first fret and 23 mm at the 12th, with a 42 mm nut width. These measurements describe a relatively slim neck, while the rounded C-shaped profile gives it a familiar outline. The owner comment supplied for this review calls the neck excellent and the playing feel comfortable. That is a single user report, rather than a measurement of how every player will experience it.

The 648 mm scale is equivalent to the familiar 25.5-inch format. The fingerboard radius changes from 228 mm near the lower end to 305 mm toward the upper end, a compound design that becomes flatter as the fretboard rises. Ibanez fits 22 jumbo stainless-steel frets and mother-of-pearl dot inlays. Stainless steel is specified for the frets, but no additional claims about their wear life or setup are included in the supplied data.

Pickups and controls

The guitar uses three Seymour Duncan Fortuna pickups, positioned at the bridge, middle, and neck. Although the product summary categorizes the layout as HSS, the detailed specification names the Fortuna model at all three positions without separately identifying a humbucker. Check the exact pickup configuration with the retailer if pickup type is a deciding factor.

Controls consist of a volume knob, a tone knob, and Ibanez's dyna-MIX 10 switching system, selected through a five-way switch. The control set is designed to offer more than a basic five-position arrangement, though the supplied information does not detail each switching combination. It is therefore better to judge this system by its stated range of ten configurations, rather than assume particular coil combinations or sounds.

The available data identifies the pickups and switching but provides no recorded listening impressions or measured output. Tonal descriptions would go beyond the evidence here. For a player comparing the AZ2204N-AWD with another guitar, the practical details are the three pickup positions, the dedicated volume and tone controls, and the expanded switching system.

Hardware and included accessories

A Gotoh T1702 tremolo handles vibrato duties, and the hardware has a chrome finish. Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads are fitted for tuning. The listed strings are.010 to.046, a common medium-light set, though string preference and setup can be changed after purchase. A case is included. The product data separately says that a bag is not included, so the case is the supplied carrying option.

The guitar is listed in a single-piece sales unit and carries item number 511472. There is no separate top listed, and the body wood is alder. These details, along with the Japanese manufacture, help define the instrument's construction without implying anything about an unverified production process or quality-control routine.

Verdict

The AZ2204N-AWD brings together a roasted maple neck, compound-radius fingerboard specification, stainless-steel jumbo frets, three named Seymour Duncan pickups, a Gotoh tremolo, and locking tuners. Its control system gives it a broader switching specification than a basic five-way setup, while the included case adds practical value. The conflicting fingerboard entries and abbreviated pickup-layout description are worth resolving with the seller before purchase.

The owner feedback is strongly positive: the guitar was described as among the best-finished instruments the player had handled in its price class, with a very comfortable neck and broad usefulness. The owner also said it might be a guitar for life. That is an individual impression, but it fits the instrument's combination of detailed hardware and flexible controls. Players considering it should focus on confirming the fingerboard wood and pickup configuration, then decide whether the 1,885 listed price suits their budget.