Ibanez AZ22S1F-VLS

Ibanez AZ22S1F-VLS review

The Ibanez AZ22S1F-VLS has a promising specification sheet for a $513 electric guitar. Its alder body, flamed maple top, roasted maple neck, and jatoba fingerboard give it a familiar modern foundation, while the HSS pickup layout and Dyna-Mix9 switching system offer more tonal options than a basic two-pickup setup. The tremolo, locking tuners, and accessible neck joint round out a practical feature set.

My experience with the guitar was mixed. The instrument sounded excellent, and its electronics were a particular strength. However, the specific guitar I received had a damaged fret that caused strings to catch during bends and vibrato. I also found notes that would not ring at the 18th fret. Those are serious problems on a new instrument, even though they may not represent every AZ22S1F-VLS.

Construction and specifications

The body is alder with a flamed maple top, finished in Violin Sunburst. A white pearloid pickguard and chrome hardware complete the look. Ibanez lists a bolt-on roasted maple neck with a Super All-Access neck joint, intended to keep the upper frets reachable. The jatoba fingerboard has 22 jumbo frets, and the scale measures 648 mm, or 25.51 inches. Nut width is 42 mm, or 1.65 inches.

The guitar includes an Ibanez T106 tremolo and locking machine heads. Its controls consist of a volume knob, a tone knob, a five-way switch, and an Alter-Switch connected to the Dyna-Mix9 system. The pickup arrangement is one Ibanez Classic Custom humbucker at the bridge and two Ibanez Classic Custom single-coil pickups. No bag or case is included.

These details make the model look versatile on paper, but they do not guarantee a consistent setup or flawless fretwork. In my case, the main concern was not the choice of materials or the range of controls. It was the condition of the frets on the individual guitar.

Sound and controls

The electronics delivered the best part of my experience. The guitar sounded very good, and the pickup system provided a convincing range of tones. Its humbucker and single-coil pickups, combined with the five-way switch and Dyna-Mix9 system, give the player useful options without a complicated control layout. The volume and tone controls are straightforward, and the Alter-Switch adds another switching option.

I would describe the sound as a real strength, based on the instrument I played. That positive impression is worth noting, but it does not erase the physical problem. A guitar can have appealing tones and still be difficult to play if a fret catches the strings or certain notes fail to speak.

Fret issue on the reviewed instrument

One fret on my guitar was damaged. When I bent a string or used vibrato, it caught slightly and produced the unwelcome impression that the string was sounding on its own. The fret surface looked shiny, but appearance was not the issue. The problem was how the string behaved during playing.

I also had two notes at the 18th fret that would not ring when played or bent, despite the action being fairly high. Other notes sounded normally. That made the problem especially frustrating, since raising the action had not prevented the dead notes.

For clarity, I scratched the neck myself while trying to remove a truss rod wrench that had become stuck during my initial adjustment. That mark was my responsibility, not a factory defect. I did not return the guitar after that incident, and a local repair estimate was $200. That was a substantial expense against a guitar that cost about $500, so the fret problem left me with a poor overall impression.

Verdict

The Ibanez AZ22S1F-VLS offers an appealing specification and excellent sound in my experience. The roasted maple neck, 22 jumbo frets, locking tuners, T106 tremolo, and flexible pickup switching make it an interesting option at its listed price of $513. The model has been available since April 2026.

My recommendation comes with a clear qualification: inspect the individual guitar closely before keeping it. Check that strings move cleanly across the frets during bends and vibrato, and test every note high on the neck. The damaged fret and dead notes I encountered may be specific to my instrument, so they should not be treated as proof that every example has the same fault. Still, fretwork is central to playability. For me, the strong electronics and sound could not make up for the problems on this particular guitar.