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Fender Brad Paisley Esquire
Ibanez ATZ100
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Playability
72
Sound
72
Build
60
Value
63
Score
68
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Playability
73
Sound
79
Build
82
Value
68
Score
78
FIND IT ON:
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Show Full Spec Comparison
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire vs Ibanez ATZ100 Specs Comparison
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire Ibanez ATZ100
General
Brand: Fender Ibanez
Year: 2021 2019
Configuration: SS HHH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Japan
Series: Artist AT
Colors: Blue Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Spruce/Paulownia/Spruce Alder
Bridge: 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Strings Through Body Tele with Compensated Brass Barrel Saddles Wilkinson-Gotoh VSVG tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P.
Fretboard: Maple Roasted Maple
Neck Material: Maple 1pc Roasted Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Enhanced V ATZ
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm) - 12th Fret: 1'' (25.4mm) 1st Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm)
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 12"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 40.5mm (1.594'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Custom Brad Paisley Spec Vintage-Style Telecaster (Single Coil / Passive) DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Brad Paisley Secret Agent (Single Coil / Passive) DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire's switch options
Ibanez ATZ100 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez ATZ100's switch options

Reasons to Get
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire over Ibanez ATZ100

Release Year
2021 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Enhanced V vs ATZ
Combines vintage and modern feeling
Pickups
SS vs HHH
Beautiful cleans
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 0.83'' (21.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
1'' (25.4mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.594'' (40.5mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Ibanez ATZ100 over Fender Brad Paisley Esquire

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
ATZ vs Enhanced V
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HHH vs SS
High output without hum and tons of tone versatility
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.83'' (21.1mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 1'' (25.4mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.594'' (40.5mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
68 vs 63
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire vs Ibanez ATZ100

Bridge Pickup
Custom Brad Paisley Spec Vintage-Style Telecaster vs DiMarzio The Cruiser
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Brad Paisley Secret Agent vs DiMarzio The Cruiser
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Spruce vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Roasted Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Roasted Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire vs Ibanez ATZ100

Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender Brad Paisley Esquire favors large hands more than the Ibanez ATZ100.

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Ibanez ATZ100:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

Both meet 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez ATZ100
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

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 Fender Brad Paisley Esquire

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Ibanez ATZ100

Roasted Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Roasted Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Brad Paisley Esquire has an SS configuration while the Ibanez ATZ100 has HHH pickups.

SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

On the other hand, A triple Humbucker (HHH) can be intimidating at first, but it's one of the combinations that offer the most tone versatility. You'll be able to have from a lot of output for Hard Rock genres, to warm and clean sounds that are more common in Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Fender Brad Paisley Esquire has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Ibanez ATZ100'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: Fender Brad Paisley Esquire.

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 Ibanez ATZ100 gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Brad Paisley Esquire gives you 3. This means that the Ibanez ATZ100 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

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 ATZ100.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72
Ibanez ATZ100
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 79

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 Fender Brad Paisley Esquire compares to the Ibanez ATZ100.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Brad Paisley Esquire is built in Mexico while the Ibanez ATZ100 is made in Japan.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

Winner: Ibanez ATZ100

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 Fender Brad Paisley Esquire has a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

On the other hand, the Ibanez ATZ100 comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

Winner: Tie.

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 ATZ100 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 ATZ100.

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.

The Fender Brad Paisley Esquire's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Ibanez ATZ100's is a 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 ATZ100 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 ATZ100.

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.

Both have a 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: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez ATZ100
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • No Expensive Woods
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire
Quality of materials 51
Features 50
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 60
Ibanez ATZ100
Quality of materials 86
Features 65
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 82

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

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire Nut Width
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire Nut Width
Ibanez ATZ100 Nut Width
Ibanez ATZ100 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Brad Paisley Esquire has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 40.5mm (1.594''). This is a 1.5mm (0.06'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Brad Paisley Esquire, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire and Ibanez ATZ100's Scale Length
Both have the same 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.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

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

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire Neck Profile
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire's neck profile
Ibanez ATZ100 Neck Profile
Ibanez ATZ100's 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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Fender Brad Paisley Esquire has a Soft V to C type of neck. This neck is also called boat neck because it resembles the shape of the bottom of a boat. It combines the Soft V many people like for playing chords for the first frets, and it transitions to a rounder shape as you get closer to the highest frets. It's a neck that takes a while to get used to, and it's not as popular as a simple C shape.

The Ibanez ATZ100, on the other hand, has a C 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

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire Fingerboard Radius
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire's Fingerboard radius
Ibanez ATZ100 Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez ATZ100's Fingerboard 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 Fender Brad Paisley Esquire's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Ibanez ATZ100'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 Ibanez ATZ100.

Fret Size

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire Frets Size
Fender Brad Paisley Esquire's Frets Size
Ibanez ATZ100 Frets Size
Ibanez ATZ100's Frets Size

The Ibanez ATZ100 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender Brad Paisley Esquire's Medium Jumbo 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.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Brad Paisley Esquire
Bending & Vibrato Ease 65
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 72
Ibanez ATZ100
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73