Craftsman EG Series vs Ibanez GIO GSA

[zhijie46]

Hi I've been looking around for a new affordable electric guitar and have so far come to the above two.
The Craftsman EG series guitars from CityMusic have a great appeal to their designs but have never heard the sounds that come from them before.
The other is the GSA60 from the well-known brand of Ibanez which I had come across on SV Guitars.
http://www.svguitars.com/products/Ibanez-GSA60-BS-WH-BKN.html

I was highly inclined to get the GSA as I currently own a GIO RG one that is 4 years old now and also tried a number of better quality ones like the RGA guitars. But after stumbling on the Craftsman EG series guitars and hearing some good comments about it I'm now in a dilemma as to which one to get. I mostly play metal songs, mess around with Paul Gilbert/Mr Big stuff too.

If you have tried or heard the EG guitars hope you can provide some comparisons with the GSA and help me with my choice Thanks!

 

[subversion]

i'm an ibanez fan through & through but i have this to recommend based on:

*quality control
*tone
*playability
*price considerations

ARIA XL Standard

apologies if your choice is currently rooted in the above 2 guitars but i'm just sharing the good stuff...

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Owner of a GSA60 here.

Pros:
- Good, balanced sound. It actually sounds fuller than my Yamaha Pacifica which costs twice as much.
- Solidly built.
- Easy neck access due to the lack of a backplate at the neck joint.
- Very well-finished maple neck that feels great and does yellow with age (which makes it more beautiful, by the way).

Cons:
- Due to the big-name branding, it's a bit pricey for the specifications it offers, compared with Craftsman, Aria, SX, etc.
- Quality control for Ibanez GIOs can be quite inconsistent - make sure you get a good piece.
- Finish was quite uneven on mine.
- Rather bland appearance. The Aria Standard XL may also be basic-looking but with black, it's fine. With Ibanez's "jewel blue", it looks like a beginner guitar indeed.
- Low-end tremolos aren't great. Expect it to go out of tune if you use the tremolo a lot.

On the overall, good guitar, but there are better choices out there. I performed with mine before, by the way.

 

[zhijie46]

My main concern would be the sound and tone and the reliability of the trem bridges. Where can I find the Aria?

 

[subversion]

ARIA guitars @ Davis. i bought the XL Standard: CLICK

non-locking bridges have limited tuning stability, do keep this in mind.

 

[zhijie46]

Thanks for the recommendations and comments, gonna go check it out real soon!

 

[K2desoog]

you might want to check out the guitar review forum for a CS EG-95 & other models reviews


http://www.soft.com.sg/forum/guitar-reviews/170956-craftsman-eg-95-guitar-review.html
http://www.soft.com.sg/forum/guitar-reviews/190254-craftsman-gs-90-a.html
http://www.soft.com.sg/forum/guitar-reviews/184172-craftsman-gs200-review.html