Ibanez GIO
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Manufacturer URL
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http://www.ibanez.com/
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Features
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7.6 (36 responses)
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Sound
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8.3 (36 responses)
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Action, Fit, & Finish
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8.1 (35 responses)
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Reliability/Durability
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8.4 (31 responses)
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Customer Support
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9.6 (9 responses)
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Overall Rating
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8.5 (35 responses)
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Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: USD 100 USED
Submitted 07/13/2009
at 05:01am
by guitarcomet
Email: lespaulemail<at>yahoo dot com
Features
:
5
I picked this up for $100 used.
The year is a mystery (2003-2005?)
It was originally silver metallic, but somebody put an aftermarket strat shaped vinyl sticker that resembles diamond plate (like a step bumper or toolbox)
Two humbuckers w/3-way switch, non-vibrato, maple neck, body (?)
Volume/Tone
An average starter electric with everything essential needed to rock.
Sound
:
8
I was very surprised! Not the best sounding guitar, but the pickups don't squeal, which for the price is unheard of.
The bridge pickup is a little weak, but this would be nit-picking and only a seasoned pro (like me) would notice this difference. (I'm use to a SD-SH1 or 59er)
I bought this gutar to play a few songs with my band, tuned down to D. I used 10s and it sounded great! (Of course, nearly anything sounds great through my Randall RM 100)
I never had a breakdown. Always stayed in tune fairly well.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
I set this guitar up (as no one had done it right yet) and after the intonation was right, it played just fine.
I even had other players eyes light up when I told them I paid $100.
It feels great...but as other players pointed out, I'm not likely to put my '82 Les Paul Custom in the case over this cheapie.
But if it were my only guitar/first axe, I'd be proud of it.
It blows away my first guitar (a super cheap Lotus LP special copy) and shows that in the entry level guitars, Ibanez is a leader.
This thing is better than my first 3 gutars (but that was back in the 70s)
You young players out there don't know how easy you have it!
Lucky little brats!
Reliability/Durability
:
8
I think this guitar is gig worthy, but the tuners are not top-notch.
I'd probably change them, but otherwise, I'd gig with it.
(Never without a backup)
It seems durable and nothing extra or flashy to come loose or break off. No wammy bar, so it stays in tune fairly well.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with them. I've not owned much Ibanez stuff, but I've never had any of it breakdown. I guess that says something right there.
I've heard they keep poor records of their past guitars & stuff.
No biggie.
Overall Rating
:
8
I give this a 8, but only because of the cost.
For the money, I'd say this is the best (or one of the best) guitars on the market...for the money.
$100 well spent.
I did have to buy a case for it....$79
Kinda feel stupid buying a $79 case for a $100 guitar...but...
Oh well....
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: Euros 260
Submitted 09/16/2008
at 06:51am
by 857
Email: ate5seven at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
10
This is a black superstrat style, HSS pickup configuration, black, rosewood fretboard, 22 frets, trem, 5-position switch, one tone and one volume knob.
This was in a package:
It came with a 15 Watt amp, gig bag, tuner, strap, cable, and some picks. And a fairly thorough user manual.
Sound
:
7
Sound is bright, clean, ringing. No muddiness anywhere. The bridge humbucker doesn't sound as hot as I might like. I end up playing with the middle single-coil alot.
Variety of sound is middling; I would have liked more. But it's OK for most rock-type things. Sustain is pretty good, and there's no buzzing or anything like that.
The amp it came with is a gem, I love it, lots of possibilities with just a few simple controls.
Trem works fine and doesn't de-tune the guitar, which is rare in this price range, so that's a positive point.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
6
Setup was poor, or rather, the action was too high. I tried to redo it myself but that didn't get me very far; I need to have it properly done by a luthier. Still, it's playable enough for me to keep putting that off.
Middle PU was too far down at first, I adjusted it and now it's OK.
Reliability/Durability
:
7
Everything seems OK, it's well enough put together, keeps its tuning, all that functional stuff is good. Finish seems fine.
If this was the only guitar I had I would certainly gig with it, and I wouldn't be embarrassed, but it would not be my first choice.
I would definitely want a backup. Or rather, I could see using this one as a backup to something better, and do actually plan to use it that way when the occasion arises. As a backup I think it would be fine.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
7
This is my "middle" guitar. Below it is a Behringer V-Tone which is strictly for practice, above it a Vantage Avenger which is my gigging machine.
If it were stolen or lost or abducted by aliens, I would spend a little more to get something a little better, quite possibly another Ibanez but with a lower action and hotter humbucker.
Together with the amp it was a good buy and I feel like the value for money is there. I've seen plenty of guitars that cost this much for the guitar alone and aren't a whit better - yet this one came with an amp.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 08/30/2008
at 12:18pm
by WiggLioxxicko
Features
:
7
I really don't know what model I have. As an idiot, I only just realized there is more than one type of Gio. It is shaped like a strat, has 2 humbuckers, volume/tone, strat style whammy. I've had it 5 years or so (maybe longer. I honestly can't remember when I bought it I've had it so long). This is a barebones guitar.
Sound
:
8
Surprisingly the sound is pretty good for the type of rock I play. (hard melodic rock). I am a notorious pickup changer/experimenter having spent $1000s on pickups over the years, yet, I didnt bother to change these. I found that they had a unique character that I might be able to use. I especially like the lead tone I get with these thru my old line 6 POD. Not my favorite sounding guitar I own but usable for my recording projects when I need a little different flavor for my solos.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
6
I bought this guitar new years ago and frankly..... I never really touched it beyond the first year I owned it because I went out and bought an ibanez jem. It just sat in my basement closet collecting dust while my other more expensive guitars got all the playing action. I rediscovered this guitar last week while looking around for my cat and said "oh thats right. I remember this" and took it back out, dusted it off, gave it a complete setup and played it for a while. Now I remember why I bought it to begin with. It is a fantastic playing machine for the money. The action is just as great as any guitar I have in my eyes (some exceptions). On the negative side, it isnt the most resonant or loud guitar I've ever played. This block of wood has the resonance of a rock but this is no big deal really. I'm not that big a snob. Thru your cranked amp, you wont notice.
Paint job? Pleaseee!!! Of all the guitars I own, this one (black) is the most chipped and banged looking, yet, I dont remember ever manhandling this axe. Just laying it around up against walls and on floors banged the paint job silly. I've had an old ibanez roadstar II for ages and ages and it still has yet to get a chip in the paintwork (of course that was midpriced guitar in its day). So be prepared to use magic markers to ink in chips.
Everything else about this guitar is great. As for "tuning", I know how to rectify tuning problems so that is never a problem with me. Some people need to spend a few bucks on guitar maintenance books.
The strat style vibrato bar? forget it. I have never used it. I cram it full of springs and use it as a hardtail.
For the money, this is a great guitar with awesome playability but the cruddy paint quality is going to cost it in the points! yah I know. "corner cutting on certain aspects like 'paint' is how they can price it so low". Yah yah yah. 6, buddy.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
Its made of wood. It will outlive anybody who reads this (with or without its paint).
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
no personal experience with them.
Overall Rating
:
10
While its not the only GOOD cheapo guitar in existence, it is certainly one of them. I can recommend GIO's to anyone on a budget. Will I get rid of my Ibanez JEM or Gibson LP to play this one exclusively? hahaha. Not sanely, but it is a very good guitar as long as you set it up right.
Some entry level guitars out there are an embarrassment to the industry.
Ibanez does entry level right with the GIOs.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: USD 180.00 USED
Submitted 08/11/2008
at 06:33pm
by Nick
Email: birdmankustomz at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
7
Its a great beginner guitar for the money. It has a 5 way pickup selector, 2 single coils and humbucker on the bridge, whammy bar, one volume and one tone knob. Basic guitar but enough features to help you decide what you want in your next guitar
Sound
:
8
The guitar sounds awsome for the price. The bridge pickup is a bit noisy but the middle is pretty quiet and the humbucker is dead silent. Pretty rich sound, its hard to get it really bright. The volume knob is a bit noisy unless it is cranked above 7 or 8.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
7
I bought the guitar used, though it looked flawless when I got it. Bought it set up already so the action was perfect as well as the pickup adjustments. This is not a fast neck, and you won't be ripping any solos on it. So it you want to play fast get a squire.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
I would gig with this guitar in a heartbeat, its bulletproof. Isn't my first choice for a gig guitar but I wouldn't have a probem using it in a show. The strap buttons should be replaced with locking ones if you plan on standing with it alot as the strap will kinda slide off them. The finish is rediculously hard, if you need to get it off you'll be using a chisel. I've dropped it several times on wood and the scratches it has would easily buff off.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
The guitar has been great, and if it broke I would fix it myself.
Overall Rating
:
8
I've only been playing 4 or 5 months, I've been a drummer 6 years. I have a Fender acoustic, the Ibanez, 2 ukuleles, a mandolin, a drumset, an S-101 bass, and a Yamaha keyboard. If it was lost I would probably build a tele because I'm ready for a better guitar(I'm a fast learner, I'm better than my friend whose been playing 5 years). I paid more than it's worth because it was set-up before I bought it, you can get them for $130 new and they are worth every penny. They are better than squires and epiphones for beginner guitars less than $200.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: USD 150
Submitted 08/10/2008
at 08:31am
by daniel mcconkey
Features
:
8
under the skin this guitar has a lot on it. it may look plain but mine has a floating bridge h/s/h pickup arrangment, volume plus tone, whammy bar, 22 frets and is all adorned in puke yellow body finish i paid ??150 pounds for it "bargain" oh i forgot it has got some snazzy shark tooth inlays as fret markers "did i say plain"
Sound
:
6
to be honest this is not the greatist sounding axe but wot do you expect for the money. i like to play mainly rock or metal and that is wot this guitar is good for. i would like to play blues but my gio is not really suited for it. but on the other hand the guitar dont sound to bad and i have been playing it for a year so it cant so its not all that bad
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
5
the finish is of quite a high standered for a cheap guitar no complaints there but the guitar was set up like a dogs dinner when i first got it i think it may have sitting in the shop for a long time on account of its funny colour. it took a long time to set up properly but now it is very playerble the whammy bar is very durable and the guitar doz not go out of tune easierly. But the pick up selector switch is very noisy and the neak pickup makes a horrible popping noise when you try to dampern the strings. the pickups are basic stock but they do their job reasonbly well (apart from the neak pickup on mine)
Reliability/Durability
:
10
the gio fills like a tank. i doubt if i droped it of a cliff it woude not brake i have droped mine about 3 times and it is still ok
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
i have never delt with ibanez
Overall Rating
:
6
i like this guitar and its flaws some how make it more endearing to me but i wish i had saved my money and had bought a gibson (i was trying to penny pinch) i am now going to alot more and buy a gibson but i will keep hold of my gio mostly becoz of its crap colour and that it makes my mates laugh when i turn up with it
ps
it makes a good first guitar dont do wot i did and buy a flying v style axe, looked good but was horrible to play.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: USD 150.00
Submitted 05/31/2008
at 01:30pm
by mike
Features
:
10
10 10 10
I love this guitar! I been playing for 1 year and is my 1st bought electric! I love it can play anything i want it rocks!
Sound
:
No Opinion
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
No Opinion
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 02/08/2008
at 07:04pm
by sam
Features
:
8
The features have been said, no point repeating.
Sound
:
8
I think for the price the sound is pretty good. this was my first ever guitar and I thought it was altight. I play a variety of music, from grunge to blues. I quite like playing this clean on the neck pickup, you can get a good sort of grunge/metal tone with the bridge with loads of overdrive. I dont really like playing 'indie' with it, low gain, it doesnt really suit it, thats why im getting a fender tele.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
7
noisy pickup selector. action is great, really easy guitar to play. looks great. input jack extremely dodgy from day 1, but they are on every cheap guitar. tuners are a bit crap.
Reliability/Durability
:
4
OK, heres my problem, nobody else seems to have had it. The frets have worn away, from like a year onwards. The strings have worn into the frets, so whenever you try to bend them them get stuck in what basically is a 'trench'. very dissapointed, i know its cheap but you wouldnt expect this to happen so soon. everything else seems fine and durable.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
7
I think this is a great guitar to learn on, it took me a while to settle on a mid range priced guitar that i liked simply because this sounded better than many others. If i were to learn again id buy this, despite the fret damage. If it wernt for the frets id be raving about this guitar saying every beginner should get one.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: USD 220
Submitted 08/19/2007
at 02:07pm
by ZZ
Features
:
8
Has a great whammy bar, doesn't screw up the tuning of the strings, great sound for a basic beginners guitar.
Sound
:
9
Has great sound, you wouldn't believe its a beginners guitar. Though the pickups can be improved upon, but its still great for a beginner!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Looks great, looks incredibly sharp, design is great.
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
I've had it for a year and its great! Nothing wrong with it, very tough and durable guitar.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had to contact them for anything.
Overall Rating
:
9
Great beginner guitar, well worth its price. Great value and tone. Looks great too.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $150
Submitted 01/30/2006
at 07:20pm
by roxstar
Features
:
4
My first guitar and spent two years on it. I really do not know where it was made or what model. It just said GIO on the headstock. It was made in early 2003 and I bought it new in a pack. This had 22 frets. This guitar had a glop top, meaning the translucent finish was glopped on so thick you could'nt see in. Just basic vol, tone, 3-way with 2 HB. I think they were stock Ibanez which were quite durable, yet the neck pickup was always really low and being the total novice I was I couldn't raise it. The controls were passive. The neck wood was most likely maple w/ a rosewood imitation fingerboard. The body was maybe pine or plywood. Great grain on the back, though. The finish was an ultradeep red.The best way I can describe the body is like an SG's retarded cousin. The bridge was stop, Though the intonation screws came loose after about 10/11 months of sporadic use and I replaced it with round wood saddles. The tuners moved like butter but did not lock and did not keep their tuning with the 9s I had on there. It had a super slim neck and good scale, maybe 25". It came with a tuner, strap, fuzz, gigbag, and amp. As I said it was a pack.
Sound
:
10
It was really versatile, and I needed that. It suited my every move, since I play almost everything. From Green Day to jazz comping it sounds great. The only quirk was the wimpiness of the tone when I dropped D or Eflat-C#, or tuned to Eflat tuning. I used primarily a Crate GA-15R with an occasional fuzz and/or reverb. It was never that noisy, the only real hum was from the crappy amps and cords I was using. The sound was rich and full in standard tuning. The neck pickup could go rather dark and muddy, to a good degree, and the bridge pickup has snarl and bite aplenty. It can be mellow or rip your head off.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
The guitar was set up well at the factory, but constant use and fucking around in general set it up bad. The action was always good, but the bridge sucked: I lost a saddle on the way to a lesson and never found it agai8n. I cut7 new saddles out of chopstick. The intonation suffered dearly because of it. Otherwise it was all right
Reliability/Durability
:
10
Yes, I used it for about 3 months of live situations(I'm not even in high school yet:))meaning playing to family and friends. I've only had about 10 major gigs as of now. The hardware wore with general use, not live playing. The glop top will stand up to everything except a 4ft or higher drop. The strap buttons are super solid and I never have had a problem w/ it. I had to depend on it as it was all I had for 2 yrs.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I can't really say as I have only done real novice repairs and lost the papers
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
I would get it again, since I gave it to a 7yrold down the street for lessons. Though I would replace the bridge and Tuners. It's more versatile than a Squier( of which I have)strat, as it can get real dark
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: $250 - 270 (CDN)
Submitted 12/12/2005
at 03:32pm
by Anonymous
Features
:
8
2001 model ...details mentioned in previous posts ...its all the same
Very plain and standard, good for beginners
Sound
:
9
It has a very limited sound power and quality when compared to some of the mid range/ high end guitars. HOWEVER, the price/performance ratio is suberb - meaning you get what you paid for.
Very verstaile. You can play virtually any type of music with this guitar and it will sound decent.
My rating is based on the money spent. If compared to the more expensive guitars. This would be a much lower rating.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
Everything was setup perfectly! Flawless! Great finish, everything was sturdy and seemed to fit just fine. Very solid feel.
Only complaint: The pickup selector was noisy.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
I've had this guitar for 4 years. No problems. However, I have taken care of it well.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had to deal with them - after 4 years of loyal service.
Overall Rating
:
10
This is probably the best guitar you could get if you are a beginner and looking for a moderately cheap guitar to start off. Excellent overall for the money in all categories!
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $150
Submitted 11/07/2005
at 10:47am
by TJD
Features
:
8
Standard black finish GIO. 2 passive humbuckers, one volume and two tone pots. 3-way selector. Hardtail. Great neck, decent tuners. Rosewood fretboard.
Sound
:
10
I was truly impressed when I plugged this in. I play anything ranging from jazz to metal, and this guitar has the versatility for most everything. It can give that twangy Strat sound, fat Gibson sound, meaty metal ESP/PRS sound, and is just very warm and creamy. I have around 7 guitars (working on an 8th) and stick to this, my RX170, and my Gibson SG.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
Action was/is great. Have never had a problem with Ibanez in that respect. The finish seems fine, although I plan on giving it a new paintjob soon.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
I'd play a gig without a backup with this. Seems durable so far.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
10
Great guitar. I hope that it'll survive for a long, long time.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $86.00 used
Submitted 11/05/2005
at 09:41pm
by Tammie Burden
Features
:
No Opinion
Ibanez GIO. Not sure what year( I think 2003) I bought it on EBay for 86 bucks.All I know is that I took it into the local guitar store, where my daughter takes guitar lessons, and they said I got a good deal. I had some Fret work and knobs replaced for 30.00 bucks. I have not heard it yet, because it is a Christmas present, but I have looked up some info. online, and it seems to be a Ok guitar. What do you think?
Sound
:
No Opinion
Awesome blue mettalic color with gold pickguard. I bought a yellow and blue sun type of thing for the strap(looks good!)
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
No Opinion
It does have a chip on the lower left bottom of the guitar. Not bad.
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
I cannot wait to hear her play it in a band form during lessons. Everyone says it's a bargain.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I bought it on EBay.
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
I love the blue matallic color w/the gold pickguard. My daughter ownes a candy apple red Samick electric and an Acoustic. She does'nt know about this(christmas present) I've heard Ibanez is a great brand. Is it true?
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $200
Submitted 08/22/2005
at 10:29pm
by Bo
Features
:
7
I have a black Ibanez GIO. I'm assuming it was made in Japan, in part because on the side of the package it said, "made in Japan". Just a hunch. It has 2 humbuckers, 1 volume, 1 tone, 3 way switch, 22 rosewood fretboard, ect.
Sound
:
10
The quality of sound that comes from this guitar is amazing. I was truely impressed. I prefer this guitar over my Fender. I run this guitar through a Presonus Tube Pre (NOS), Optical Compressor, Behringer Virtulizer Pro~ All in the effects loop. I run a Tech 21 Double Drive straight to the input of my Marshall 250 DFX, which has been slightly modified. The humbuckers are incredible on this guitar, with little ground noise coming from this instrument....I have tried numerous guitars and originally was going to purchase a Gibson. Then I came across this gem and was instantly impressed. It has a very modern tone, but can still carry a vintage sound fairly well... I play Alternative Rock, Punk, Blues, Folk.....I like my distortion with cream
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
This guitar has a very low action. Our lead singer owns a Custom Made Brazillian Rosewood Taylor, which is the only guitar that I can name that has a lower action. I would consider his Taylor to be one of the finest acoustics you can purchase, if not the finest. Finish is good. The only flaw I found is that this guitar can loose intonation rather quickly, which can be a huge pain in the ass if you have no clue what your doing. I had to teach myself. It wasn't fun.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
I'm not sure. I have one dent, which occured after my strap fell off. I was surprised it didn't break, in part because it is one of the lightest electrics on the market. If you take care of it you shouldn't have any serious issues.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Not sure!
Overall Rating
:
10
The best quality of this guitar is not the sound, but it's weight, at least in my opinion. I can't stand overweighted guitars, reguardless of how great they may sound. The sound quality is amazing, especially considering the price. Add in an unbelievable action, and you may find yourself with a winner!
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $280
Submitted 07/08/2005
at 08:16pm
by yo mama
Features
:
6
I got this guitar in a beginners package and it came with an amp. It was my first guitar, 22 frets, two single and one dual humbuger. Its a relatively plain guitar, nothing special. It has one tone knob and it does almost nothing. The volume control works though. I got it with a floating bridge but I know you can get a fixed one.
As I said it is a plain simple guitar and it isn't anything special.
Sound
:
8
Im going for the classic rock/metal sounds and with a digitech grunge distortion pedal it sounds pretty good. It has full sound and rarely makes any unwanted humming. It is really really sensitive and just picking it up off of the stand causes it to scream (I guess its like me, a lazy couch potato.)
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
It was excelent. I've never had any problems with it and it was always in good shape. and in almost a year and a half Ive never broken a string even though I play pretty hard.
Reliability/Durability
:
7
You can definitly depend on this guitar but it is not very unique. The finish wears off pretty easily and it just looks like a standard fender squire. It is pretty sturdy though.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
7
Ive been playing for a while now and its a pretty solid, guitar but it doesn't have any outstanding features.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: #good (uk pounds)
Submitted 05/06/2005
at 05:37pm
by russ
Features
:
8
its a GSA60 Ibanez in a brown sunburst finish.Its got a floating trem system .. non locking ..
2 single & 1 humbucker pickups. Its got a fairly lo radius kneck & has the usual type machineheads for a lo price guitar. A double cutaway arched body that i find nice to look at.Its a slightly smaller
than the normal thick body .. which makes it feel a little lighter.
The frets were a real let down. I bought the guitar after having looked at two GSA60,s .. the straws were drawn as to wot color finish to choose. Id decided to replace the strings with 10,s lights as i prefer those to 9,s .. so having got the strings off i found the frets to be quite scored .. (im sure a little fine polishing will sort it out ) but not so impressed. since it had been a 3 day haul visiting several shops to find this guitar that i liked the look & feel of .. i think the frets are not a too big a deal .. the guitar still plays fine except for one or two frets are a bit scratchy. They may wear in after a little while .. my other guitar is about 6 years old now & has had time to bed in. Even on examination of my other guitar .. thats not free of a marked fret here n there either.
It didnt come as a package deal .. but the guy in the shop was very nice & beat someone eleses price & threw in some strings & a strap ..
& i still had some bus fare home !! so how can i complain ? after all .. it is a new guitar.
Sound
:
8
Wot is my music style?? well i like most jazz or rock mainly .. im not a pro player but enjoy messing with my sequencer & jamming along ( as best i can ) so the guitar will be used mostly in a home set up. ( u can see also my other review about my Washburn BT2)
Ive got my guitar fed into a zoom 505 then into a zoom 1201 for extra reverb if needed .. which sounds brill when jamming to a sequence to minidisk .. the results ive been told are really pretty good for a home set up .. but it does take a lot of experimenting to get the sounds right. Anyhow .. so tonight i finished fitting the heavier strings & put it thru my set up & can only say the guitar has got a long way to catch up with my W-BT2 !!
The sound generally is extreamly sharp & brittle .. but having said that it is a clean sound .. not as warm & full as the BT2. This has not dissapointed me because .. "WOTS THE POINT OF A 2ND GUITAR THAT SOUNDS JUST THE SAME!!!" .. no its very different .. twangy.
But wot i did find out .. was that the single pick ups were picking up noise from the TV & PC !!! thats a bugger ! .. ill get round that somehow.
As far as comparing the 3 pickups go .. the bridge is very sharp & clear .. & the other 2 & combinations are as u would expect slightly
more bottom end .. the volume & tone seems to be the same as most passive circuits.Its ok .. i cant compare it to a Fender like some do as i aint got one !!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
The action of the 1st guitar in the shop was a bit high .. but could be adjusted .. the 2nd guitars action ( the one i bought ) was more like my other guitar .. I have to say i didnt buy it for this reason .. i could have lowered the bridge a fraction on the 1st guitar
.. but i got the vote on the sunburst finish ..
The finish is really tasty .. reminds me of my mums furniture .. hi !
.. its got that kind of finish .. highly polished with some of the grain showing thru .. & acually about the same color. The edges of the frets are silky smooth but i soon found out when i took the strings off .. the tuners needed the locking nuts on the head tightening up a bit as the washers were not being held down.The floating bridge seems to be of a good quality for a manufacturer,s
own type .. but i had to fiddle about to get it to square up after i fitted those heavier strings. Generally not bad.
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
To this category i cant really coment. I fitted a strap & the pegs seem ok .. so far.I dont normally use a strap indoors .. but i thought id try it & buy the guitar a strap.Err .. well the pickups are hardwear .. arnt they ?? .. it maybee the reason it sounds a bit toppy .. maybee some alternative pickups may modify the sound .. but as far as i can see they look like the run of the mill .. no pole adjusters .. some guitars at this price do have.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
No problems yet
Overall Rating
:
8
How long ?? i started back around the early 70,s .. trying to mimic Hendrix & Ritchie blackmore .. etc .. Listened to a lot of jazz too .. & i think i got on fairly well at the time .. but got into a rut .. lack of enthusiasm / practice .. then got sidetracked .. im sure someones been there. Then later my son suddenly realised there were things called guitars & got me interested again after about 20yrs of not really doing anything !!! I still enjoy messing about.
If it got stolen .. errr .. well id be Psssss$ off a bit .. having to search round again to find that one .. all over again .. mmm
Yeah i compared it to my good old Washburn BT2 & Falcon ... see my reviews
Anything i wish it had .. yeah i know .. i wish it had been free !
thats about it ..
One last thing .. i did notice that on all the reviews i needed to look at .. the ratings seemed to be biased .. about 50/50 .. if the guitar was good .. it was a cheap guitar & better than one costing ten times .. & on the other side of the coin .. if it was rubbish .. wished they,d have paid ten times more & got the one they really wanted !!!!
Thats life ...
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $200
Submitted 05/05/2005
at 09:55am
by John Giuca
Features
:
7
This was my first guitar that i got about 5 years ago. it's a 22 fretter and it's a solid top. volume, tone, and 5-way selector. it's got a humbucker bridge and 2 single coils. I got the Startup kit from ibanez so it came with different goodies, haha
Sound
:
8
Well, i play rock and little bluesy stuff... umm, this guitar is pretty amazing for rock. and if you like a fat sounding blues tone, this guitar's got it covered. I I really can't get over the sound. and i say this because the damn thing was 200 bucks... if i bought a 1000 dollar guitar and had this sound i'd prolly be upset, lol. but amazing for it's price so i give it an 8
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
when i tell you that this damn guitar came in the most perfect condition, i don't think you understand what perfect is, lol. action, intonation, no buzz, perfect everything. the only thing that's wrong is the strings are starting to wear into the frets about 4 months ago making a few notes unplayable... but for 5 years of rough everyday play and the amount that this guitar was, it really doesn't bother me much. besides that though, everything is totally intact and working like a gem.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
all i have to say is that i have dropped this damn guitar sooo many times over my 5 years of axe playing and it hasn't changed anything on this guitar. without a doubt the most durable guitar i know of. i have chips, dents, scratches and i knock the damn thing around all the time... this axe is one fine built machine... and i really can't get over the quality price combination... amazing price
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
never dealt with em
Overall Rating
:
8
I don't own anything else, but i'm getting a schecter c-1 classic... you want value? haha, that's a great guitar. if it were stolen i wouldn't replace it only becuas eit's a beginners guitar.
AMAZING BEGINNER GUITAR!!!
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $800 used
Submitted 09/27/2004
at 02:50pm
by aaron davis
Email: snoop_doggi_dog_727 at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
9
This guitar is a excellent one for recording, performances, all of the above. It was made in japan. I paid a reasonabley good price for this guitar. it's got 22 frets, solid top. It has a single volume and a single tone and has a 3-way selector 4 humbucker pickups in groups of 2. The electronics of this guitar are excellent. It's got a black finish and has a kinda strat body. the neck is normal size and came with alot of accessories: gig bag, strap, 2-cables, a stand, and a amp.
Sound
:
10
This guitar has great sound no buzzing, jus pure holesom sound. The sound is jus all around good.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
5
When i got this guitar it had alot of dents, dings, scrates and still does but that doesnt effect the sound
Reliability/Durability
:
9
This guitar will most deffenitly withstand live playing. The hardware is realy good. This is a very, very, very depindeble guitar
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
9
This guitar is a ver good one couse it is jus the best u could get for a knda low price. OH! did i mention it is a 7- string ibanez gio,I bought it just this month (sep.) havent playedtoo much but as much as i have played it i loved it!!!!!!!!!! Oh and if you want to email me dont ask me to sell it
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: $250 (Aust) used
Submitted 08/19/2003
at 05:12am
by Reverend Neil
Email: janac_music at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:
10
2 humbuckers , a tone , Volume for each and a 3 way switch,, mine is a GAX70 made in Indonesia, so @~!#!$# what, ITS AWSOMME. Solid machine heads, ??? what wood but not Ply, 22 fret , its a Burgandy Colour,, did i say Its Awsommme...
Sound
:
10
well apparenty the Media Reackons we are GARAGE PUNK, we just Orig Rock, But a Bit Fast and Loud,, This Guitar People say is for METAL. Whats the Go there, I Have to Pry it Off my Lead Guitarist, whom Owns a Jackson Performer PS-3 Rhodes, he wants it..I reackon Its more Tonal, Jazzy, NOW STAB ME IN THE EYE, but Either i got a weird 1, or People just whack them thru lots of Distortion,, Either way, it still rocks,, I Have No complaints whatsoever
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Ok i bought this 1 like 5 yrs ago set it up to How i Like it, as im a Low action Boy.. the Colour is Burgandy no Marks , everything in Great Nik,
Reliability/Durability
:
10
This is the Bestestest Guitar i Have Played, Now thats a Big statement, But i gave my Fender to my Lead so he could Have a Detuned 1 Handy(I DON'T NEED A FENDER) or any other Guitar, I Put stap Locks on, as i Have a Habit Of Jumping around and them Falling off, plus the Position of the strap holder too,, I have thrown it Live a few times when excited, only cracked the switch cover,, So they are Tough,, I dont Need a Back up EVER, why i lent fender . LOL
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
dunno, never had any Probs.. just Broken strings, and the cracked switch thing, But that still works so,,
Overall Rating
:
10
rather than be more Boring,,
im in JaNaC , www.janac.coolfreepage.com
this is my Fave Guitar, Its Insured now for $1500(no shit).If it was Taken, would be tragic.
I have like 12 Bass's , yet 1 Guitar
I'd prefer to Play this, than Have a Dud Root, beat That.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: #180 (UK)
Submitted 04/17/2003
at 04:53am
by X
Features
:
9
This is simply the best guitar i have ever played! i have had it for just over a year and i have not broken any strings on it, and there still isn't a chip or scratch on the awesome hard-wearing finish! BUT THIS GUITAR!
my G10 has 2 humbuckers and 1 single coil pickups. It is well equipped with a single tone and single volume switch, SO EASY TO USE! it also has a 5 way selector switch.
Sound
:
10
this guitar has the nicest sound of all the guitars i have played, (and i have played over 25 different types!) It sounds amazing on distorsionm with the humbuckers, and is an amazing metal guitar! It also sounds equally amazing without distorsion, using the single coil pickup.
LOVE THE METALLIC SOUND, SOUNDS GREAT!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
this guitar, when i bought it new was flawless, and it still is!
AMAZING FINISH IN BLACK!
Reliability/Durability
:
9
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:
9
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $200
Submitted 03/05/2003
at 06:47pm
by daniel
Features
:
8
My Gio is a step up from my last guitar. It has two single coils and a humbucker. I replaced the humbucker because it was making a fatter tone than a bridge humbucker should make. It has one volume and one tone knob. Overall, it is a good guitar.
Sound
:
7
It has a good metal sound and it sounds good clean. I usually just plug it into the amp that came with it. It is sensitive to electrical interferance but it isn't as bad as other guitars. The bridge humbucker has too fat of a tone so I replaced it. The neck pickup has a little fatter tone than I like but it is great for playing metal. It has a fatter tone than you would expect.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
The pickups came really high up so I had to lower them. The intonation and truss rod were adjusted perfectly when I bought it. It has an overall flawless setup.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
The strap comes off rather easily if you are not careful. It seems reliable and durable. It is a very dependable guitar. This guitar most likely won't let you down, it hasn't ever let me down.
Customer Support
:
8
It came in a package from Ibanez, I haven't had any problems with the guitar so I haven't had to contact Ibanez.
Overall Rating
:
9
It is a great guitar. It is great for such a low price. I might tune it up by putting in some new pickups and some inlocking straps. If you can't afford a Gibson or a Fender but want the same quality, get this guitar.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $200 used
Submitted 12/23/2002
at 10:50am
by Sebastian Ohr
Email: aiken dot bcd<at>gmx dot de
Features
:
7
The guitar has a humbucker and two single coils so you get a good distorted sound as well as clean sound. You can adjust tone and volume both is pretty helpful.
Sound
:
6
Well the sound you get of this guitar is ok but pretty noisy when you try to get a good distorted sound.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
6
One of the pickups got loose when I was just playing a slow clean sound. This shouldn't happen ! Anyway the rest of it was fine.
Reliability/Durability
:
4
Since that pickup fell off and its too noisy I would not use this on stage.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
7
If you remember that this guitar ist quite cheap in the USA and Europe I think its a very good guitar when you are just starting out and want to find out if you like playing an e-guitar. If you are going to play in a band or on stage or something than better wait until you can afford an RG oder K7 or something like this.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $299 with some goodies
Submitted 12/07/2002
at 01:00pm
by Lee
Email: zero_551<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:
7
nice all around hardcore guitar. 7 strings, 2 humbucker pickups, 1 volume & 1 tone control, 3 way selector, 22 frets, mine is just plain black with a black pickguard with a white outline on it. the neck is quite big, but hey its a 7-string.
Sound
:
9
i play lots of hardcore stuff and stuff that requires wierd low tunings. and with this guitar i get versatility, i can play staind's baritone tuning with this guitar or korns dropped A style with only dropping the strings a few steps. not a noisy guitar. i play it through a crate GX-1200H head & a crage 4x12 cab. sounds very badass through it, and when i throw in a cool effect from the korg ax1g effex processor it sounds ever better. it gives off a very nice full, rich sound. it can give off great tone when on a clean channel or can crunch harder than hard on some hard distortion.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
the guitar was fine when i bought it, it was new so there shouldn't be any problems. everything was set up how it was spose to be. when i did buy it it did have a small scratch where the neck meets the guitar in back. but i think it was just a scratch of someone's ring who played it in the guitar store, not a big problem.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
this guitar withstands live playing and doesn't break strings easily, i break lots of strings and of my 4 guitars, this one breaks strings the least. the strap buttons have always stayed on and never needed tightening. i've had this guitar about 2 years and its never needed much repair. the finish is still great with almost no chips
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
never dealt with ibanez, just the store i bought it from.
Overall Rating
:
9
i've been playing guitar for about 5 yrs. and when i plug into my crate halfstack it sounds just as metal as you can get. it has everying i need and always meets my expectations. if it were stolen i'd probably buy another one or one like it.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: US $229
Submitted 12/01/2002
at 04:38pm
by Anonymous
Features
:
9
Sound
:
10
its great cause i play in a goth band
great heavy sound
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
Reliability/Durability
:
10
great for live playing ive used it on 21 gigs
it will last a long time
Customer Support
:
9
Overall Rating
:
10
playing for 5 years
if it was stolen deffinety would buy a new one
its definetly better than my fender strat alot heavier
alot of guitar for little money
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: 450 (Euro)
Submitted 07/03/2002
at 10:39am
by J.C. Alves
Email: jc dot alves<at>netvisao dot pt
Features
:
8
Sound
:
9
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
Reliability/Durability
:
9
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
9
For some guyz it may seem strange that a guitar so "entry level" can compete with the top blasters. Just the other day I played it and a friend was playing a Fender Stratocaster... and he said: "How much was that again... cause it sounds great!" Well... what can I say... i love my Ibanez Gio GRX70. But still i'll buy the new EDR47EX cause i've just played it and felt in love... But my Gio is still going to preform on stage as long as it lasts, and I hope, for a very long time.
Product: Ibanez GIO
Price Paid: 540 (austarlian)
Submitted 05/14/2002
at 06:17am
by Anonymous
Features
:
7
two humbuckers and a vol and tone switch. The body was extremelt shaped like a paul reed smith very rounded and looks cool, but is light and didn't feel like wood. it felt the same as my dano which is hollow and made of fibre board, so i question what it's made of. the tuners felt good and tuned excellent and the bridge seemed allright, and the tremelo was very smooth. The neck was typical Ibanez which i don't like, it's very flat, gets bulky towards the headstock, and has a very dodgy looking nut, which is on all there guitars.
Sound
:
4
As it has humbuckers and is surposed to be a metal guitar you would expect a nice dark tone with lots of punch from the neckup ? and a slightly brighter sound from the bridge pickup? well this had neither.
the neck up was neither dark nor punchy and had a muddy somewhat bassy sound that had no deffintion nor a whole lot of bass.
the brigde pickup sounded allmost the same and was more tiney rather than bright.
keep in mind i'm comparing it to a cheap 80's jap LP copy w/humbuckers
which managers to give out an awesome dark yet chruncy sound with lots of bite, and this guiatr cost a 5th the price GiO.
I live in Australia and this Guiatr cost $530 and i think it's a joke, much better guitars can be had for the same price and less
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
The guitar was set up execellent, had a great finish and every thing felt good. I suspect the pickups are very poor and could do with replacing and this might improve the sound, but why spend anoth $400 on the guitar when you can get a way better one for that much.
Reliability/Durability
:
5
the guitar is very light and feels quite breakable, the switchs look dodgey, and i'm sure wouldn't stamd up to much abust, input looked good.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
5
to be honest i don't like this guitar, i don't like ibanez much anyway so i may be a bit biased. But it has a poor sound and seems flimsy, and cost a lot. it did look very cool and wiil impress all your mates who like linkin park
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