Ibanez SA160

ibanez sa160,made in 2003, black, standerd everything

this guitar is great i love to play ska and punk music and this guitar sounds great with both, if u set it for only the single pick-ups it soundes great for ska but a bit more deeper the nmy old guitar that was and eipihone les paul special 2, and with just the double pick-up going it sounds great for punk or rock or and distorted music

the action is great most people told me for a guitar to stay in tune with a wammy bar u need a floyd rose bridge but this stays in tune great and its not a big ass bridge like the floyd rose its nice and small

reliability is great

great guitar

Not gonna waste space for this, everyhing has been said already. I would just add this - if it had fixed bridge, it would have been perfect. All tremolo designs, even high end ones in the market, are pure garbage.

I think you can play anything through this baby. Many different sounds can be extracted. I use it with Kustom Tube 12 and Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808, and sound melts like a butter! I had RG270 before, could not wait to get rid of Floyd Rose Trem. This one suits me just right.

Setup - excellent! I just had to lock tremolo bridge by tightening screws holding the springs all the way - and no more tunning problems! Paint job is really amazing, except inside the hole around the cable connector.

Yes, yes and yes. It will probably last forever.

Never dealt with them yet, don't think I ever will.

I've been playing for more than 10 years, but not very often and usually at home. This is the best guitar I have ever tried.

Tip: lock the tremolo as soon as you buy the guitar by tightening two spring hold screws under the plastic cover at the back of the guitar. Prepare to be amazed.

Made in 2000 in Korea this SA160 was bought from Mansons Guitars in Exeter, UK. Its standard SA but I have upgraded the pick ups. In the Bridge position I put a Dimarzio PAF Pro and 2 Dimarzio FS-1's for the Middle and Neck positions.

Due to the pick up change it is now a peach - the lead sound is every bit as full on as you would need for a blistering solo and knock it back to the combination of neck/middle/bridge is soon turns into a smooth but chunky dare I say it strat like sound. Perfect for me.

I cant fault it here, obviously it is not a JS or Jem777 type finish, but for its target market it is great, no blemishes or marks.

Ideal for live playing, thats why I bought it, quick string changes can happen. the tuning is stable, even when I drop the E to D for the odd song, and even if it wears, it can only add character and could be refinished should I want to but no, this is ideal for live work, not expensive, does the job. Now there's the million dollar question - gig without a back up? Yup! ever since I ditched Floyd Rose Trems I have that luxury!

Never needed it.

I run it through a Line 6 Flextone II and its a great combination, all the elements and sensible prices, when I get that elusive deal, I'll consider giving it a golden coat! Seriously, if your thinking of buying one and torn between say a Yam or Strat, go buy the Ibanez its the industry standard.

2002/03 model, red, reall y nice color and finish
2 single coil and 1 humbuckers
neck is very nice, extremly thin, and the action is low, maybe a little too low, but u can't hear the buzz when u trun the amp up
the neck and weight won me over though

i play everythin and anythin, the sound is brighter than i thought, i wish the humbucker delievered a bit of a richer (gibson, epiphone) sound but itz alright
i play it simply through a fender frontman 25r

the action is extremly low, thatz all i'll say, nope, had it for a few days, no flaws at all

lookz very studry
but i've only had for few days

if stolen, i'd probably get the same thing

A quick review for info that's already been covered; HSS, SAT30 bridge, 22 frets, rosewood (or some "dark wood") fingerboard, strat style body

Ever walked into a guitar store with a preconceived notion of what you wanted, and then changed your mind? That's what I did with this Ibanez screamer. I wanted to upgrade my "metal guitar". I had seen a dual humbucker with a Floyd Rose in my price range, but really wasn't all that keen on wrestling with the Floyd. Overall, great sound. Pickups have super output. Humbucker at the bridge is great for hard rock, and the single coils are not your typical strat single coils. Distortion sounds great! And when doesn't it?

Now here's where this axe shines. Ever get a new guitar and just gush about how great it is (for that matter, don't we all do that with any guitar?). This is one guitar I'm glad I found. The action and everything was great right out of the box, literally. I played one hanging on the wall, and they ended up saying there's an unplayed one in the back. They pulled it out of the box, slapped another spring on the trem to hold it down, and voila; no buzz, everything was perfect. That's the first time that's happened to me. Now, setup is a personal choice but this thing is a "10" from the go. Nice Candy Apple finish, frets are nice and smooth. The volume pot was a tad crooked but nothing I couldn't fix.

Have only had a couple of days. I did play it the morning after I bought it and it was still in tune, despite repeated wammy bar wankage the night before.

Hopefully they won't be needed.

This is a sonically great guitar; you can get a great range of tones. I also own an Epi Les Paul Standard and Fender Hwy 1 Strat. So I have a collection that can suit a lot of styles. This Ibanez is a great add to my "herd."

Solid body, strat-like shape, chrome hardware, very thin neck, 22 medium frets, Ibanez-made S/S/H pickups.

Slim body, light weight mahogany, maple neck with rosewood fretboard, made in Korea, bought in December 2001.

Ibanez SAT30 non-locking trem, sealed tuners.

Mine was in black finish, though later Ibanez came out with many beautiful colours as well.

I have used this guitar with a variety of amps and effects, and it has served me well in all occasions.

To start with, the pickups are a bit noisy, yet much less noisy than any other guitar in this price category I have tried. With a typical practice amp they may sound a bit weak, but with a proper amp (concerning wattage) they sound fantastic. They can give very delicate sounds in a wide tonal range, ranging from almost acoustic strumming to heavy blues, from jazz/funk to classic metal or really heavily distorted stuff.

Sustain is surprising for such a light guitar, thanks to the mahogany body. Still some styles will sound better on a more appropriate guitar, for example neoclassical on an RG, but the versatility of this guitar exceeds everything I have seen so far.

My style combines acoustic rock, classic rock, heavy metal, hard blues, and this guitar fits the bill right. The sound is lacking with some heavy stuff, but the guitar does sound very versatile.

The guitar was setup pretty well when I bought it. The action was really low, but there was some buzzing. I am in the habit of tuning one flat (Eb), and when I did so everything came to be 100% right. Minor intonation adjustments were also needed, but there were no flaws concerning the finish or the electrics or anything else.

This is a solid piece of guitar, the hardware is of very good quality, and I would depend on it even without a backup. I can't comment on the finish durability, as I take great care of the guitar anyway. The pickup selector looks like a weak point, but other than that everything looks very reliable. The sealed tuners are problem free and the guitar stays in tune for really long time. This is not the case if you use the whammy, but even then the tremolo (a Wilkinson-like one) is pretty solid for a non-locking one unless you abuse it a lot.

The 1-year warranty holds for electric parts only. I haven't dealt with Ibanez, but their local representative (where I bought the guitar from) has been very helpful and I often visit them to ask questions. I didn't have to deal with them for something serious (like a need for a repair), but I have bought parts for my other Ibanez gear and had a positive experience.

In lack of a hard test (like having to get something repaired) I can't be absolute, but generally the local Ibanez representative is friendly and gives good vibes. Their care for the instruments they sell is obvious and I enjoy visiting them.

The Ibanez site however leaves a lot to be desired. If you select "USA" from the menu you get access to support stuff like wiring diagrams etc, but if you select any other country you don't get this stuff.

The manual accompanying the guitar is clear and explanatory, though I would like more details included.

Harmony Central reviews made me buy this guitar, so now I return the favour. This is an almost perfect guitar (for my budget). At an affordable price you get a good quality instrument, with a slim neck, a slim body, very thin and light and elegant. There are a few weaknesses, for example the pickups could have less noise and the pickup selector could have a more solid feel, but still this is in comparison to much higher price ranges.

By today's standards there are other guitars that also represent good value for money and can get a 10, but this was for me, destined to become my sweet baby.

Made in Korea 2002. Similar to a Strat style body only meaner looking. Not rounded. Very sharp. It's a pretty nice design, with 22 medium frets, laminated black top, 1 volume and 1 tone knob, a five way pickup selector switch and s/s/h pickup configuration.The body is made of mahogany, and it has a maple neck, with a rosewood fretboard. It has the new Ibanez floating bridge, which is fairly easy to adjust and a pretty good tremolo system. It has non locking tuners, but they still hold tuning really well. I don't use the bar much. I have put my guitar down for the night, Picked it up the next day and it was still in tune. Got to LOVE that. This thing really holds tune.

I play rock and metal. I like everything from Grungy rock like Alice in Chains/Jerry Cantrell, Nickelback, UPO, Default, Seether, STP, Soundgarden, Audioslave, Dust For Life. Also, Heavy and southern dirt rock like Down, Pantera Zakk wylde's BLS, Pride and Glory, Book of Shadows, COC, Brand New Sin. some Goth and industrial like NIN and Type O negative. Some Nu-Metal like Stereomud, Boy Hits Car, Sinch and Full Devil Jacket. These just some of the bands I listen to. I play my Ibanez with a Marshall lead 15 micro stack. some of the pickup settings are noisy. Some are not. You may get a slight hum. You have 5 to choose from with the 5 way pick up selector. It really isn't a big problem. You have a variety of sounds to chose from. I think this guitar can play any style but I think it is best suited for rock and metal. It is WELL worth the price. Made and sounds better than the price indicates.

The action was PERFECT when I picked it up at guitar center. Perfect height felt great. Pickups where adjusted a bit high for my taste. So, I lowered them. No biggie. Everything else was perfect. The action, fit and finish. Color is black. Very dark looking guitar.

I have had it for nearly 1 year. I do not gig. This is my hobby. Fanatical at times. One time my strap gave out and the guitar hit the floor. Aaaarrrggg!!!! However, No damage. I was surprised. Very durable. This guitar may not play like a Les Paul or a PRS. But, It is well worth the $340 I paid for it. This thing plays like a $500 or $600 guitar. Reliable.

I have never had to deal with Ibanez directly. However, My fiance purchased an Ibanez guitar for me from guitar center. Can't remember the model. It was white with a Spawn painted on it. It was a surprise gift. She knew I liked Spawn. It had the Floyd Rose. I hated the Rose. Nothing but trouble with that AX. Guitar center told me it was NOT under warranty because she got it as a close out sale. I explained to them I have spent a lot of money with guitar center. They agreed to take it back without hassle. That was really cool. I got credit and picked the Ibanez sa160 and never looked back. It plays like a more expensive guitar.

I've Been playing for a year. I've Been around music and musicians most of my life. If I lost this guitar, it would be worth buying again. My favorite thing about this guitar is the feel. It just feels good in my hands. From the second I picked it up. It felt right. I give it a 9 due to the price. As I said it isn't a Les or PRS but for the money it is incredible.

This guitar was made some time in 2002, in Korea. It's a pretty standard design, with 22 medium frets, laminated top, 1 volume and 1 tone knob, a five way pick-up selector switch and s/s/h pickup configuration.The body is made of mahogony, and it has a maple neck, with a rosewood fretboard.It's got a sort of strat shaped body, though it's probably closer to the Ibanez S series than anything else.
It has a fairly standard floating bridge, with Ibanez's new bridge design (which is much easier to adjust the intonation with)and a pretty good tremolo system. It has non locking tuners, but despite this, they still hold tuning really well.I got some strings (ernie ball power slinkies- that was a bit of a mistake; I'll tell you why later).

I play a bit of a mix match of everything, rock,punk and metal are probably my main styles though.I also play quite a bit of blues, sometimes with a slight country influence, and a little jazz too.My current setup is the SA 160 through a Boss DS-1 Distortion and a Boss BF-3 Flanger, into a Marshall AVT 20. My previuos amp was another Marshall, an MG15 RCD and dear lord it was dreadful! The hum on the pickups was really loud and the sound was filled with a lot of excessive twang, which seemed to drown out everything, especially on the bridge humbucker.However, the new amp changed all that...
Now the sound is wonderful! The neck and centre sinle coils together produce a really nice warm, full, bluesy tone, which is definetly one of my favourite sounds on the guitar.Add a little flange and things get really interesting: you can do really funky kinda leads or a seriously cool sweeping distortion, when combined with the DS-1. The bridge pickup offers ideal ground for metal and hard rock.Trust me distortion is what this pick-up really loves.The bridge can still produce a little hum at times(when the tone is cranked), but with distortion you won't notice.The clean is capable of a nice twang, provided you don't over-do the tone.I'm thinking about changing the bridge pickup, and possibly replacing in with a DiMarzio or maybe a set of Duncans, but I havn't decided on that yet. I'll probably change it in a few months...

The factory set-up was pretty good, I can't complain. The pick-ups could probably do with being adjusted, but that's nothing a good guitar tech can't fix.The action is great!Not too high or too low.
The body is fine, no flaws or visible markings I can see.I got the Noble Grey finish(altough if I were buying it again, I'd go with the quilted maple version).The pick-up selector is a little noisy, but this isn't really the kind of guitar you'd switch pick-ups with in the middle of a song.The tuners are very stable and really hold onto tuning by the balls!It is a little prone to going out of tune if the tremolo gets over-used, but once you don't swing out of it, it's usually fine.

I have giged with it a few times and it really did a great job.The finish and the hardware are extremely solidly built and could probably withstand a 4 megatone blast!The strap buttons are really solid too(unlike my old Ibanez GAX 70-those were a real pain in the ass!).As I said above,I had problems with strings.I'm by no means a beginner(I've been playing a good while), however my old guitar had a stop-tailpiece an tune-o-matic bridge, which would accept virtually any gauge strings.In my lack of framiliarity with this kind of bridge, I got a set of 0.13's,not realising it was set-up for 0.09's! The tension of the thicker gauge on the strings caused the bridge to lift up as far as it goes!Thankfully after about two days I realised the problem and got it fixed, so that was ignorance on my part, not the guitar's fault!

As I said,I got it set-up again and it works perfectly now.It came with a 1 year warranty, but I don't expect I'll need it.When I got it fixed, the job was free and the guys in the shop were really helpful.

I've been playing for a good few years now, and have owned 3 other guitars: a 1989 strat(which was an amazing guitar, but unfortunately wasn't mine), a Rockson strat copy(fit to be a door stop!) and an Ibanez GAX 70 (a nice guitar, though it left a few things to be desired...) and this is definetly my favourite.If it were stolen or lost I'd probably get this again, although in the qulted maple finish, I think(the noble grey isn't really that nice). When I was looking for a neww guitar, I looked at a Jackson S 20 also (or at least that's what I think it was called..) and this blew it away! The sound and upper fret access were much better,by comparison. The only thing I'd really like is a better bridge pick-up, but I'll probably change it soon anyway.Trust me this guitar is a real keeper-play one and you'll understand!

Esta guitarra tiene dos capsulas simples y una hambucker, selector de 5 posiciones, el cuaerpo es de caoba y tiene puente flotante su cuerpo es similar a la serie S a un precio mucho mas economico.
tiene un look espectacular y muy buenas terminaciones el unico punto negro es el puente flotante, una mala Idea de Ibanez a mi juicio este no es ni un tremolo estandar ni floyd Rose y desde que la compre que he tenido problemas con la afinacion e incluso la tuve que mandar a que la calibraran y me tuvieron que bajar el puente dejandolo como un tremolo estandar.

La mejor palabra para describir el sonido de esta guitarra es versatil, yo toco desde Pink Floyd hasta Rush y el sonido que necesites lo puedes encontrar, la capsula del puente suena exquisita, muy calida y con muchos armonicos tono exelente para el Blues y esas sutilesas que uno a veces busca, la capsula Hambucker tiene una gran salida y me satura tremendamente las distorciones, es ideal cuando te quieres esuchar en un solo porque te sube el volumen lo unico malo es que el tono no es muy bueno, tiene muchos medios y pocos agudos y bajos al tocarla acustica es asqueroso, pero al combinar la Hambuquer con la single del medio no suena espectacular y esa es la posicion que yo mas ocupo.
Yo toco con un Fender performer 650 de 65W, tengo un Boss DS-2, Chorus/Flanger Ibanez CF7, Electro Harmonix Small Tone y Zoom 505 que ocupo para afinar y algunos esfectos de modulacion y esta guitarraha ha sido un complemento espectacular.

Con lo unico que he tenido problemas es con el tremolo y a mi me gusta ocuparlo pero la estabilidad de afinacion que te da el tremolo que trae es malisima incluso yo le puse un resorte mas porque traia dos y no ubo caso hasta que tuve que mandarla a calibrar y por ahi quedo mejor pero nunca al 100%

Como digo el terminacion de fabrica de la guitarra es bastante buena para el precio que se paga yo le modifique el tono porque no me gusto, yo queria algo mas parecido a una Strato y parecia mas una RG asi que cambie el Condensador de 22nf por uno de 68nf.
Tambien al disminuir el volumen iba perdiendo agudos, bueno eso no es nada nuevo a todas las guitarras que no tienen este arreglo les pasa, asi que le puse en paralelo con el pote de volumen un condensador de 0.1uF con una resistencia de 150K tambien en // y ya no pierde mas agudos.

Hasta ahora no se me ha soltado nada ni salido algo no he tenido ningun problema de ese tipo y tengo la guitarra hace como un a?o.

Bastante buena la pagina de Ibanez e incluso estan los diagramas de circuito de varios modelos, aunque no esta de este. en todo caso no he recurrido a garantia ni a nada por el estilo.

Muy buena guitarra y para ser de origen Koreano, de las mejores diria yo, muy versatil, de sonidos calidos, debe ser porque el cuerpo es de Caoba creo yo porque realmente hace la diferencia. Me gusta mucho la configuracion de Capsulas y lo unico que le cambiaria es el puente y le dejaria un tremolo estandar ya que para los que quieran Floyd Rose esta la lnea S. Bonito dise?o, muy liviana 22 trastes Jumbo.

yo creo que voy a tener esta guitarra unos 2 o 3 a?os mas y la voy a cambiar por una Jackson DK2 que se parece mucho a esta y el cuerpo es de caoba pero con Floyd Rose.

nothing super special but it has just what it needs.

i will play anything fun. the pickups are poo... change them sucka's. i use what ever effect i want(why does it matter?)i have not found it to be noisey. good sound when you get rid of those pickups(really just the bridge sucks but it souds like it is trapped in a meddal box or something.with original pickup you better stick with distorted crap. i like it alot... i love it... wish it had a better paint job though.(worth buying)

everything with this gutar fits nicely make take a few days to get used the the size of the neck but it's all good.mine had no flaws.

it all seems very durable. if you got the amp for it it can go with live playing. the plastic handle on my selecter switch fells off but who really cares? do you? good paint job. i think it is very dependable. Rock solid baby!

never delt with.

this guitar kicks ass in my opinion. change the pickup and your good to go. i think mine will last a very long time.For the price it is the shya.