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Ibanez SA120
List: $600
Construction/ Fit/ Finish
The Ibanez SA120 is new for 2005 but it`s not available everywhere (not offered in USA), I am grateful it made its way here. If you are new to Ibanez, the SA series is a derivative of the S-series but with a flat back. So how`s the new family member doing?
Fine indeed. The SA120 sports a mahogany body, nothing hefty in its overall mass, a sleek SA-profile neck. It`s not super thin like the Wizard make, neither is it a rounded, fat incarnation of the SZ profile. It`s an in-between, a D-profile, a more rounded version of it, to be precise. Unlike the RG models, the SA sports 22 medium sized frets, the test model I played (excessively) had well installed frets to appease shredders & others in general.
With the 5-way pickup switching on board, you get a very useful tonal options. The various positions activate the pickups in different combinations, one of which offers the neck humbucker in parallel for a sweet, Duncan `59-like tones. The audition model has fine appointments, everything is worth the asking price, except the tuners- some were loose & they don`t retain tuning well. It`s nothing you can`t rectify with your screwdriver…
Playability/ Tone
Ah, the proverbial Ibanez default humbuckers are inherently midrange inclined but in this guitar, the midrange sounds clipped- a good thing if you don`t intend to replace pickups immediately. However, the humbuckers lack the low-end response a typical bass notes peddler would enjoy. I tested the guitar initially with neutral EQ & it sounded lacking in the lower frequencies. If you decide to acquire this guitar, make sure your amp gives you more bass/ supplement your low-end with pedals.
Medium frets isn`t the shredder`s cup of tea, but they are adequate. I have no problems accelerating, it`s all a matter of adaptation. If you finger full chords often, you`d appreciate bigger frets on the SA120 as the tone on offer here isn`t as full as you`d want it to be, but a chorus pedal would cure that inadequacy. This guitar sounds best overdriven. Clean tones are decent but it`s nothing as immaculate as an all single coil unit would offer.
The SAT30 unidirectional vibrato here is a thoughtful inclusion. Rounded string saddles ensure that you enjoy palm placement comfort all the time. The non-locking feature also ensures that string changing is a breeze. I did not try the vibrato, but having tried them in the SA260, I must say that it`s one of the better vibrato units out there. If you must know, the SAT models were developed to rival the Wilkinson units which IMO set the standard in non-locking vibrato functionality.
Last say
Albeit the loose tuners on the test model, the SA120 is a winner for those of us looking for a simple guitar to enjoy playing. Its playability is tops but tone versatility is a compromise. I am saying this in retrospect to the discontinued SA160 which offers an S-S-H pickup combo to give a true single coil tone. The tapped/ split tone from the SA120`s humbuckers would pass as good emulation, it`s nothing fantastic. However, if you wish for that pickup combo, all is not lost, you still have the SA260 to audition. The SA120 is an impressive starter, definitely a steal at this price. I`d rather you invest in this worthy guitar than opting for the GSA model instead, no offence GSA owners, but this guitar is worth every cent & represents better value for money. The SA120 is now my firm recommendation for starters to the electric guitar (Ibanez) realm, in addition to the RG321 & SZ320.
This is a review...
