Ibanez GIO Series GRX70QA - Transparent Emerald Burst

The Transparent Green version of this guitar is gorgeous. Everyone who comes to my place see this one and falls in love with it. Great build quality from Ibanez, everything feels and sounds wonderful. The fretboard was so dry when I took out of the box that my clean hands were leaving fingerprints which I've never seen before, but that's easy to fix and after a little lemon oil the life and color came right back. My only problem was that the guitar was shipped in the scariest packaging I have ever seen. a quarter of the box was missing from the top front with the wrapped headstock sticking out in the open, and there were big gouges all over the back and sides. I was sure the guitar would be in splinters when I removed it from the packaging, but it was perfect and the finish untouched. Whew.

The guitar arrived very well packed and played well out of the box …. in my experience almost every new guitar needs a few small adjustments to the bridge and possibly the neck it’s usually moved to a different climate and it’s normal…. all of that is easily interpreted from various online videos about adjusting guitars in general …. That said this guitar had a really good set up and quality control overall is very good and it looks really nice …. the pickups sound very good and the neck is very comfortable …. I’ve been a Gibson and Fender guy forever but I wanted to try this out and it’s really nice …, it’s easily worth the money and it’s easily gig worthy …. there’s a lot to love about this guitar and you will feel like it’s a great deal when you play it and hear it …. Five stars because of the value for money.

Pros:An ergonomic cut out strat style shape. My favorite guitar shape for playability as sometimes I like to practice sitting down. It feels good to sit and have the guitar body curvature fit in shape to your leg and body. Also the double cutout makes upper frets easy.An amazing thin modern C-shape neck. I love this neck profile.A light and comfortable weight. For example: I have a friend that has a Les Paul standard that weighs 11 pounds. I used it before and when playing for long periods of time it begins to be uncomfortable. This Ibanez is nearly half that weight.The bridge pickup is bright, punchy, I love it! One of my fave tones after only a few days.Neck was flat. Action was a little highe out of the box, I had to lower the saddles but it's got really good action. No fret buzz. It feels great to play on this neck.Cons:The single coil middle pickup sucks. It's got that stratocaster style quack but worse. I just use the neck and bridge, and avoid it entirely (even when split with the neck and bridge).Fret edges are a little scratchy.The wood on the fretboard is dry, but a little lemon oil fixed it instantly.The strings it came with are rubbish. But that's always to be expected. I immediately weswitched it to some fresh Ernie Ball super slinky's and it's much better.Is it a perfect guitar? No... No such thing exists. But the small problems it has are solvable. A little change of strings, a little fret polish, a touch of lemon oil on the fretboard, a little adjustment of the saddle and it plays incredibly well. I may switch out the middle and neck pickups, that middle pickup would have been better not existing... However, I love the bridge which has a very nice bright sound clean and a very punchy and crunchy grunge sound with distortion.However after a little setup, the playability is amazing. I love this neck, it is thin, and comfortable. I love the weight, it's a light guitar. I love the cuts and the contours. That's what is most important to me, the playability. The neck is perfect too, no need to touch the truss rod. I was surprised how good the fretwork was with this, the frets are level, and aside from slightly unsmooth edges they feel good.But you know the best part: it's cheap. Because let's be completely honest most musicians don't get paid much (unless you are lucky). You are playing covers in bars and local joints sometimes making nothing but tips. Playing guitar is a hobby that costs a lot of both time and money. I don't have the luxury to buy a 5,000 guitar.

I had to adjust the neck so it was concave, instead of convex. I removed the fret spurs.

Great starter guitar for our daughter just a guitar in a box though, no case so you will need to get one.

It’s a Ibanez plays great

At this price point, if you’re looking for an everyday axe, or a first electric, this is a good choice.Box came open from Amazon but, the neck seems straight, and the fretwork is decent.I oiled the fretboard and it sucked the first application right up. Applied a second dose of oil and it looks and feels alive.Put new strings on it and it was ready to shred.

Excellent guitar for the price!