D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford vs Ibanez EH10
Reasons to Get
D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford over Ibanez EH10
Reasons to Get
Ibanez EH10 over D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford
Other Key Differences
D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford vs Ibanez EH10
Shared Features
D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford vs Ibanez EH10
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Frets
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Strap Lock
- Expensive Wood
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Table of Contents
Price History Comparison
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Which One is Better Overall?
After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Ibanez EH10 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 79 compared to the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford's 64 score, which is a significant difference.
The Ibanez EH10 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford in every aspect.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Ibanez EH10.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Ibanez EH10 is the better choice.
The Ibanez EH10 meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Ibanez EH10- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.
D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford Overview
- From D'Angelico's 2021 Premier series
- Bob Weir Signature
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 14" Fretboard Radius
- Basswood body
- Maple Scarf neck
- Ovangkol fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Designed Stack P-90 (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
- 5-way Switch
- 6-Point Tremolo bridge
- C-Shape Set neck
- 22 Medium frets
- Grover 109 Super Rotomatic tuners
- Weight around 7.8lbs (3.5kgs)
- Compare Specs >
Ibanez EH10 Overview
- From Ibanez's 2019 EH series
- Erick Hansel Signature
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Walnut top
- Nyatoh body
- Roasted Maple neck
- Jatoba fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro APS1 (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Gotoh T1502 tremolo bridge
- AZ Oval C Bolt-On neck
- 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
- Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads tuners
- Compare Specs >
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Ovangkol is a beautiful wood that's popular for acoustic guitars. Its tone sits somewhere between rosewood and mahogany, meaning it has a punchy low-end and nice mid-range. Find out more about Ovangkol.
Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.
Woods Used in the Ibanez EH10
Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.
Jatoba is a hard and dense wood that emphasizes the mid-lows, giving a fuller, more round sound than, for example, Mahogany. However, it also has a lot of clarity in the top end. Find out more about Jatoba.
Nyatoh has been replacing Mahogany for guitar building. It's fairly hard, durable, more sustentable and common than Mahogany. Find out more about Nyatoh.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
The D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford has an P90SP90 configuration while the Ibanez EH10 has HS pickups.
P90SP90 is a rare configuration for P90 lovers that want to achieve unique jazzy sounds. The advantage over having three P90s is that the middle pickup doesn't get in the way of your picking as easily since it's a small single coil.
On the other hand, An HS configuration gives you a bridge pickup with a lot of output for playing distortion parts, but you'll also have the bright sound of a Tele or Strat neck pickup for your clean tones.
Pickups Quality
The Ibanez EH10 pickups from a more specialized brand than the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.
We found the same or similar pickups to the Ibanez EH10's online:
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Ibanez EH10.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford gives you 5 switch options while the Ibanez EH10 gives you 3. This means that the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Ibanez EH10 comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Ibanez EH10.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford compares to the Ibanez EH10.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.
On the other hand, the Ibanez EH10 comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.
Winner: Ibanez EH10.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
In this comparison, the Ibanez EH10 is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Ibanez EH10.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
The Ibanez EH10 has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Winner: Ibanez EH10.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
The D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford has a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
On the other hand, the Ibanez EH10 comes with Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Ibanez EH10.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Ibanez EH10
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.9mm (0.034'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
The Ibanez EH10 has the longest scale: 25.5". The D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford and the Ibanez EH10 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Ibanez EH10's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford.
Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.
Hand Size Comfortability
Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford favors large hands more than the Ibanez EH10. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford:
Ibanez EH10:
Fret Size
The Ibanez EH10 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the D'Angelico Premier Bob Weir Bedford's Medium frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
