I purchased my Ibanez GAX70 in Transparent Butterscotch back in 1999 when i was in 11th grade. It was technically my second guitar, but the first i purchased with my own money. 22 years later it is still the most comfortable guitar I’ve ever played. You can’t find a better guitar to learn on. Straight out of the box it just sounds great and feels great in your hands. In the 22 years since then I’ve played on everything from Fenders to Gibsons, PRS to Rickenbacker, Trusarts to Taylor’s, vintage to new and everything in between. I’ve had the pleasure of getting my hands on lots of quality instruments. And while they have all been amazing (for the most part), the GAX still feels like home.The pickups might not have the same sparkle as a Les Paul, and they may not have the personality of a set of Fender Customer Shop 69’s, but they sound good with minimal effort. Whereas some guitars force you to fight the tone knobs to find the sweet spot, the GAX70 is pretty much plug and play!

Sound
My guitar produces a nice warm/round tone, perfect for rhythm guitar but with plenty of sustain and perfect action for shredding away on lead!

Features
The most useful feature is how easy it is to get a pleasant time out of it. I’ve always had a love for the rosewood fretboard and the tail stop piece makes it quick and easy to change strings and reset intonation.

Ease of Use
Like i said, this… read more guitar is plug and play. I always loved the bridge pickup with the time knob rolled all the way to its brightest. But you really can’t go wrong with any of the pickup/time combinations.

Quality
I’ve had this guitar for 22 years and never had to replace a part. The timing knobs are still smooth as butter and don’t get knocked out of tune easily. Even after being stored for over a decade, i never had to adjust the neck and never had any problem with the electronics or aesthetics deteriorating over the year.

Value
I don’t think you can find a less expensive guitar, much less one that sounds this good.

Manufacturer Support
I never had to deal with any sort of warranty issues. But Ibanez has been around long enough to establish their reputation as a quality guitar maker.

The Wow Factor
Maybe it’s the nostalgia, but I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this guitar. I’ve used it in the studio for Rhythm tracks often choosing it over more expensive bigger name guitars. Nothing against those guitars, but the GAX70 just sounds great and works without hassle!

Musical Background:
Started band in middle school and gigged extensively through college.

Musical Style:
Grew up in concert band, played metal in high school, then grew into funk and blues in my college days. Now I’m mostly into Pop read less