Ibanez GAX70

The standard 2 humbuckers 3 way switch with volume and tone for each pickup. Nothing spectacular, but more versatile than even some PRS guitars. (Which i admit are my favourite.)

Ok, this is where i start ranting. Many people gave this guitar terrible reviews, and i just don't understand it. They complain about things that i think have more to do with thier setup than the guitar. I play through several pedal with a Boss NS and Ibanez Delay in the effects loop of an old school Peavey Studio Pro 112. Some people complained about too much feedbackwhen standing close to the amp. I play in a small room only about 10 feet from my amp and i never get feedback unless i try for it. My guess is they just have the distortion set too high. More distortion does not equal better tone! Look at TOOL, or AC/DC, or U2. They are hailed as kings of tone and use far less distortion than you think.

People mentioned the pickups. I found the bridge pickup a little bright i admit, but i found it very suited for classic Led Zepplin tones, and Jimmy used $3000 Les Pauls! People also said the neck pickup is too muddy. I feel this is great for B.B. King style blues. I was playing through light distortion through the neck p/u with a B.B. song and the people listening could not tell what was him and what was me!

People mentioned that the pickups were a little thin. I found them to be no thinner than the strats these people rave about, in fact this guitar makes some Strats sound paper thin. There is a reason that you can adjust pickup height. The closer the pickup to the strings, the louder and thicker the sound will be! That's guitar 101!

Primarily, i use the neck pickup for blues solo tone and the bridge for classic rock Les Paul tone. Anybody who can't get great tone out of this guitar either needs a new amp or a lesson in general guitar customization, like pickup height or string gauge. (I have the pickups very close and use GHS TNT boomers or Elixir lgt top hvy bottom (.52 .44 .30 .17 .13 .10)

Not every guitar will sound perfect through the same setting on the same amp. I can make this guitar sound like a Les Paul, a hollowbody, even a strat just because i know how to adjust the amp. Please take the time to learn how to use your gear to the best of it's potential before just writing it off as crap.

I got this from a local guitar shop. The action was good, but i needed to adjust things a little to compensate for the heavy strings i use. (I hate high end, so i use heavier bottoms to overpower the high strings, and allow for my style which includes a lot of bends while soloing.)

I have beat this thing, slapped it, even thrown it on the ground when my other gear started acting up. It now has to small dings that are only noticable if i point them out, and that's after droping it on a concrete floor, This guitar is built like a tank and has had no wiring problem what-so-ever.

n/a

You can't just plug in any guitar to any amp and expect to immediately get whatever tone you want. You're gonna have to have a little patience and fiddle with things a little. I own a Squier Strat, a Dano Hearsay, a Samick Strat, a Fender Fat Strat, and 2 acoustics. This guitar has become my primary guitarfor everything for Matchbox 20 to Pearl Jam, from John Mellencamp to Evanescence to U2 to Green Day. Of all the entry level (and even professional) guitars that i have the played, this is absolutely the best. I am amazed the price keeps dropping, and i am currelty buying another one for whole step down tuning for Godsmack and System of a Down. If i had the money, i'd buy 2 or 3 more!

Indonesian made Gibson Les-Paul double cutaway copy (made 1999 or 2000). Two powersound hb's, 3-way toggle, 2 tone and 2 volume knobs. Called "Transparent Butterscotch" finish, looks more like current "Red Transparent" finish. Finish is very durable.

It has a 24.75" scale, rosewood fretboard, 22 frets. Black painted headstock. Standard non-locking sealed tuners. Tune-o-matic bridge with stop tailpiece.

Problems with set-up, switch, and tuners lower this score (see below).

Open-coil hb's sound good to my ears. Body feel resonant after some work. I use it with a Nady rack-mount compressor/gate/limiter, Digitech RP-100 and an old peavey tube amp for a nice straight rock sound. Not good for bluesey, jangly, single coil sound (obviously).

Okay, there were some problems here. I don't do much guitar maintenance myself but I gave it to a friend who is an amatuer luthier and he discovered some problems.

There was a major mess-up on this guitar at the factory---someone screwed in 3 of the 4 bolts crooked and then took them out, and used the same neck and properly installed the bolts--so my neck has 7 holes in it!! Had a big problem fretting out around the 20th fret on the high strings and it turns out the neck pocket was also not properly routed and someone stuck in a sandpaper shim to compensate.

My buddy properly sanded the neck pocket to fit and the body started to resonate properly for a much improved sound. Still have a slight problem fretting out if we set the action too low. Also, the neck pickup is not properly aligned with the strings.

Finally, the guitar was not staying in tune and it seems two of the original tuners were missing the plastic washers under the key. Upgraded the tuners to grovers (non locking) and fixed the intonation and now it is much better. Will upgrade to locking tuners soon.

One more beef--the pickup selector switch is right below the bridge pickup so I'm always hitting it on the downstroke and switching if it's not on the bridge pickup. Stupid design.

All that being said, for $189, this guitar is very servicable and after some good work by a competent person this guitar plays really well---truly a thin, fast neck.

Despite initial problems, this has been a rock solid guitar once it's been set up properly. I'm a poor graduate student, so this was my only guitar for a long while. Strap buttons had to be tightened, but now they're cool. The finish is really great. I've been playing it every day for 4 years and there is no visible wear except for a small dent when I dropped a heavy metal straightedge on it. No pick scratches (and no pickguard).

Unknown.

I've been playing guitar for 10 years or so, and keyboards longer than that, but solely guitar for the last 5 years. I also play an Ovation acoustic, and a Schecter C-1 and Yamaha Pacifica from time to time (my friend's guitars).

I liked the Les Paul styling on this guitar and the finish and the non-trem bridge. I used to have a cheap strat copy with a tremolo that went out of tune if you sneezed and so I knew that a cheap guitar would have a better chance of staying in tune without a trem. I wanted a straight-ahead rocker and I liked the transparent finish too. Ibanez makes cheap, solid guitars, and this is no exception.

If this were stolen and I only had $200 to replace it, I would seriously consider another one, but I would not order it online again without a chance to check it out first. More likely, I would spend $300-500 to go up to the next level of quality---there's nothing in this price range that doesn't have some basic flaws.

I really enjoy playing this guitar---it feels nice in my lap when I'm noodling around and watching TV, and it sounds good and solid amplified. There is nothing I really hate about it, except maybe the positioning of the pickup selector switch.

I just ordered a new Schecter PT-Custom, but the GAX-70 will remain in my posession---as a backup or drop-tuned alternate. I also have thought about keeping it around and raising the action to make it a slide guitar. All in all, I am really happy with this guitar---a real workhorse for small $.

Transparent Red finish, sg style guitar, look pretty nice.
Tune-o-matic style bridge. Two tone, two volume pots, 3 way pu selector.

The powersound pups are really sub-par. They're best suited to heavy high distortion settings but are really pathetic clean...very limited in their range of tones...bridge is shrill and the neck is muddy.
I bought this as a first guitar after having not playing much for 10 years and thought it was okay at first, then MF had a close-out sale on a Yamaha rgx-121 for $115 so I jumped on it and I can tell you that the Yamaha so blows the gax70 away it's not even funny. With its HSH pickups it has a vast array of tones and sound so much better than the gax70 that I am hardly playing it anymore.
I was, and sorta still am, thinking of upgrading the pups to seymours but find it kinda hard to justify spending almost as much on pickups as the guitar cost itself.

The first one I got from MF had to be sent back as it was impossible to get it properly intonated..ie the bridge saddles were maxed out all the way back and it was still out. The second one i got was almost prefectly intonated right out of the box.
It has a really decsent neck for a $200 guitar, width at nut is 1 11/16 so it's not too cramped feeling which I like cause I have fairly chunky fingers...the Yamaha has a really skinny neck which is the only thing I don't like about it.
The gax70 is really poorly balanced. With the wide ass-end and cutaways so far forward it's very uncomfortable to play sitting down.
When standing up, the neck tend to want to fall straight down making you constantly hold it up in position.

The input jack came completely out after a couple of weeks. Screwed it back in but the wood was stripped out so I jabbed a toothpick in them..

I currently play thru a marshall mg30dfx,and a digitech rp200a. I've played off and on since the 70's and mainly like to play classic rock type stuff. With a new set of pickups, it could probably do the Gibson sound pretty well and it might make a fun guitar to mod out with coil tapping switches as such but I'm reluctant to do so because of its poor balance.

Nothing that hasn't been talked about before...two volune and two tones...two pickups...not sure what they are but they sound good. Standard tuners and tune o matic bridge. and the rest is standard also.

I LOVE THE SOUND. I PLAYED THIS AXE IN MIAMI FOR THE SUMMER AT GUITAR CENTER. IT ROCKED. I LOVED IT...PITY I DIDNT HAVE THE MONEY TO GET IT RIGHT THERE AND THEN...

I'm not a really good professional...but when i played this guitar i did things that i never thought possible. I played it through a marshall amp stack. I nearly cried (mostly because i couldn't take both guitar and amp with me). I Play Gospel and Christian Music (Rock, Reggae, Blues, Church Gospel) and i tried the rock and reggae styles on it and it sounded sooooo sweet.

The Stuff was pretty good don't own it so i guess the time will tell when i do get it.

The guitar was set up pretty good...no complaints at the time.

The Guys at Guitar center are Great. I only spent the summer there in miami before i came back to the caribbean but those guys know everything about anything. I'd send anyone to guitar center.

This is a guitar I WANT. I want i want i want. Of course it can't beat a PRS custom 22 but i am going to get it as soon as posibble.

bought it in 2000. my first guitar. 22 fret, solid top, hh config., agathis body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard, solid black finish, a fat sg, tune-o-matic bridge, 25.5 scale neck with medium frets. basic.

i play a wide variety of things from old skewl metal to blues to hard rock to punk and this can keep up pritty well. the stock pu's are desent (esp. for a 200 guitar)versitile guitar but the bridge pu is a bit to bright, but then again i like warmer tone.

this is were this thing shines, the action is great. after a sligh lowering it felt like ive been playing this thing for years.

has the standard sg problems. neckjoint has a hairline fracture, but other then the jonit its build like a tank.

this is probably in the top 3 guitars for under 200$. wonderfull first guitar and will probably end up modding it. 3 guitars later this still gets alot of playing time mostly because of its playability.

but if i could start over again i would save an extra 50$ and get a ic120, or a articore.

The following guitar is from Indonesia
it is a 21 fret neck guitar , with maple neck, and rose wood fret board its solid top, 3 way selecter 2 volumes and two tone controls it has two humbuckers, theres a gibson 496T ceramic coil guitar humbucker on this guitar, the body is bass wood or agathis im not sure much lighter make than strat, the neck is slimmer, the finish is cherry red and the construction is quite solid for a 200$ guitar
much better than i thought t would be. The biggest problem
is the inability to stay in tune after two hours, there is no adjustable tremelo, and the body style is towards that of a bloated sg
so a guitar you would want to play standing up. Other wise its quite decent especially for the price.

The pickups buzz little, how ever the stock neck pickup seems thin , but so does the gibson 496, i think this may be due to the strings and amplifier. The sound is a brite sound, from stock and the gibson pick ups, but the pickups are high pitched.
The amplifiers i use is Behringer GX210 w/ Ibanez TS7, Crate Vintage Club 50, and roland cube 15

the best you'll find on a 200$ guitar

this guitar is very hardwearing
in comparison to other 200$ guitars,
i would use it as a backup at a gig
the finish is very well done , there are no signs of chipping and the guitar is two years old

its a used guitar
no customer support
and from what i've heard
warranties on guitar are bull shit
unless you pay extra for them

this is a great guitar for a beginner
suitable, for punk rock, and metal,
if it broke i wouldnt replace it, but if it was stolen, i'd definitlely consider buying it agian. This guitars sound is similiar to a gibson or epiphone lespaul and definitely worth a try.

not sure what year mine is. made in indonesia. i love the dual volume knob feature. works for the tom morello toggle technique.

sounds very nice and bright. i play all kinds of rock & metal so its usually being distorted. nice good crunch. great clean tone too.

i bought the guitar used. and it only had one scratch on it. everything is still nice and tight on it. nothing slopped out or out of place. finish is a little weak to scratches.

like everyone has said, this is one tough guitar. hardware is all solid on it. finish is weak and chips easy. definatly withstands live playing. totally a durable guitar.

never dealt with them.

i've been playing for about 5 years. and i own 5 guitars, and this one is definately the toughest. its a good one to have as a backup or to use at a gig if you play in multiple tunings. if this were lost or stolen i dont know if i would buy another one because i got a deal on this one, and i dont know if i would pay full price for it because i'm not crazy about the body style, but it is a very nice guitar and sounds great.

You know what the features are. Mines a butterscotch finish model 1999 i think. Basic features but real good.

I play a lot of classic rock, and it sounds pretty good on a lot of the stuff but im def thinking about changing the pickups. Youcant beat it on the hair band stuff and the clean channel even sounds pretty good (like it works fine for Sweet Home Alabama) It seems like its that in-between thats harder to get sounding good

The neck is amazing.strings seem to break easily on this guitar tho, youd probably want to change the bridge or something. even still, i would upgrade this guitar before buying a different one bc it plays so well.

this guitar is tough. I have been playing on it for a few years and dont really have any noticeable marks. Its been gigged and at numerous practices.

they were awful I admit i called for what they probably considered a petty reason (the marker at the 17th fret was pushed in some) but it was a brand new guitar. i spent two hours on the phone just to get some kind of stupid form so i could send the thing off. I never did bc if i rememeber correctly they were going to take months to fix it. just make sure you buy from a dealer with good customer suppport, like musicians friend or interstate. oh yeah, the warranty is five years

You just plain cant beat this guitar as a starter guitar, and with upgrades it would be hard to beat with any guitar. With some new pickups and a new bridge to fix the string problem, this guitar would be amazing. i know when i get the money it will be upgraded.

says Sep 1 2000 on then end of the neck...so there ya go.
All the features that have been mentioned, except for the ungodly amount of changes I've made.

Sounds ok stock, but great with a new set of pickups. I put a pair of Gibson PAF's in mine, and it sounds as thick as a really thick thing now. I play it thru a CryBaby wah, Boss NS-2(noise suppresor), Boss CS-2(compressor/sustainer), and Boss CE-2(chorus) pedals, into a Fender Prosonic head and ToneMaster 4x12. I don't like Gibson guitars, just their p/u's. For about $350, this guitar sounds as good as any Les Paul I've ever laid my hands on, and it plays 10x better because it doesn't weigh a ton.
I play alot of stuff, mostly metal. Everything from Dokken, to Ratt, to Pantera, Hatebreed....extreme is how I like it. I also play some clean stuff, ie.-Dave Matthews, and it sounded ok for all of that stock, but the output wasn't quite there. 6 stock, 10 now.

The action is great, neck is fitted beautifully, finish has been super durable considering my abuse. There were no flaws on the guitar from Ibanez, but there was one from the store. Apparently, someone dropped it on it's head(stock) in the store, which left two small cracks between the neck p/u and the neck itself, but they don't affect the guitar in the slightest.

I've put this guitar thru hell many times over. I threw it across a parking lot(in the case)about 12-15 feet, and when it hit the ground, the case popped open(cause it's cheap), the guitar popped out, and a nice chunk about 1 1/2 inches wide x 3 inches long popped out of the top bout of the guitar, on the back. I attempted the "rock star" move by spinning it over my head, and the rear strap button ripped out(whcih was my fault because I put straplocks on it and the screws were smaller...boy did I learn), it flew away, hit the ground, and took out another nice chunk, right by the input jack, about 1/2 in. wide and 2 in. long. For all of the flying this guitar has done, it still stays in tune, looks pretty(except for the missing pieces), the neck is still rock solid, and hey...it's got character now. I've used it numerous times onstage, with and without a backup...I feel safe.

Haven't dealt with them, b/c the guitar is built like a tank, and I've voided the warranty anyways...new p/u's, ripped off the tone knobs for a hotter sound, moved the switch(I put it where the old neck tone knob was...that fixes the problem many people complained about...the switch being too light to the touch doesn't matter, b/c it's out of the way), etc.

I've played for around four years now, and this guitar has been my main guitar for about 2 1/2, which is how long I've had it. I've obviously put it thru it's paces, and for the price, it's easily the greatest guitar I've ever played. If I lost it or it got stolen, I wouldn't buy a new one, b/c I'd kill my self out of despair, thus making me dead, thus making me unable to buy anything.

Made in Indonesia, 2001 model. It's a double cutaway in the spirit of Gibson's LP, butterscotch finish (really just a nautural stain). 3-way selector, not very good (it knocks out of place easily, and the middle and low end settings are almost identical). There's two volume knobs and two tone knobs, both leave a little to be desired but still function nicely. Stock tuners are excellent in my opinion; I've never had a problem keeping it in tune, even after hours of playing. Really, a nice set of features for the price.

I play alternative style rock, sometimes bordering the grunge sound. This guitar is perfect a grunge/hard rock sound, but I find that the guitar is pretty much limited to that style. I've attempted sludge and thrash on it, and it sounds alright, certainly one of the best for the price. The tone is bright, but you can roll the tone knobs down for a less than perfect fix. The guitar puts out a ton of feedback when standing close to an amp, the pickups are not very versatile and lack high quality. Changing them out probably makes or breaks your opinion of this guitar. This guitar is good for musical styles in the vein of grunge and nu-metal, maybe even some of the more technical metal because of the brightness of tone, but that's really about all. However, it can be argued that for the price, you could do a lot worse.

The factory setup required a little adjustment, not much. The action is nice. Everyone I've talked to that's owned an Ibanez always mentions how fast the neck is, and I'm inclined to agree. It's a little heavy, but very comfortable to wear.

The finish on the guitar looks very good, but it's ultra delicate. I've put a few nics and even a crack in it, and I'm not very rough with my instruments. Despite the delicate finish, this guitar is built to last. It will take some pretty heavy abuse (If you've seen Marilyn Manson's John 5 try to break this guitar at the end of the live show they released, notice that it takes him several tries) and still sound like new. It's quite dependable. I wouldn't gig with it as my main guitar, but it makes a very nice backup. In fact, the only reason It wouldn't gig with it as my main is because I rely on the clean channels just as much as distortion.

I've never dealt with them, but I imagine they'd have a relatively reliable customer support team, because of how large they are.

It's a nice guitar for those players whose styles rely on a fair amount of distortion. I find that for the price, any metal or hard rock player should be satisfied. Most of Ibanez's guitars are the same, so if you are thinking about an Ibanez, this is probably the best way to go. If it ever got stolen, I'd probably just save my money a little longer and purchase an epiphone Les Paul or SG to replace it. If I had to compare the guitar to others I've played, I'd say it's less than a Jackson, but much more than the "specials" put out by Epiphone. Good guitar for the money.