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Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
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Playability
73
Sound
77
Build
77
Value
61
Score
76
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Playability
77
Sound
81
Build
77
Value
78
Score
78
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW vs Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium

Reasons to Get
Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW over Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Compound Radius
9.5" to 12" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
SSS vs HH
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Paint Finish
Aged vs Poly
Paint has been artificially aged

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium over Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2022 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
Coil Tap vs None
Lowers output of humbucker coil to create a single coil sound
Pickups
HH vs SSS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Paint Finish
Poly vs Aged
Resistant paint that ages well
Value Score
78 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW vs Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium

Bridge Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Strat vs Seymour Duncan Hyperion
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Strat vs Seymour Duncan Hyperion
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Ash vs Basswood
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Birdseye Maple vs Roasted Maple
Different Neck Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW vs Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium

Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
5
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

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

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW's 76 score, although not by a lot.

The Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

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 Custom American Custom Strat RW
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
  • 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.

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW Overview

  • From Fender Custom's 2020 American Custom series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" to 12" Fretboard Radius
  • 2-Piece Select Ash body
  • 2A Roasted Birdseye Maple neck
  • Round-Laminated Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound RWRP '64 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Custom Shop Vintage Synchronized Tremolo bridge
  • 1960 Oval C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Narrow Tall frets
  • Sperzel Die-Cast with White Pearloid Buttons tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium Overview

  • From Ibanez's 2022 AZ series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • American Basswood body
  • Roasted Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Gotoh T1502 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 Both

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW

Birdseye Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Birdseye Maple
Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Woods Used in the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium

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

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.

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.

Winner: Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW has an SSS configuration while the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium has HH pickups.

SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.

On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even 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 Custom American Custom Strat RW has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

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 Custom American Custom Strat RW.

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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Tap.

Coil Tap is similar to Coil Split but it works a bit differently. Instead of completely cancelling one of the coils of the humbucker, it only cuts part of the output once activated. Some people believe this gives the split pickups a more real single-coil sound.

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW's switch options
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium's switch options

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 AZ42P1 Premium.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 77
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 82
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 81

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 Custom American Custom Strat RW compares to the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW is built in United States while the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium is made in Indonesia.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

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: Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW

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 Custom American Custom Strat RW has 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.

On the other hand, the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium 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: 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 AZ42P1 Premium 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 AZ42P1 Premium.

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 AZ42P1 Premium 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 AZ42P1 Premium.

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 Custom American Custom Strat RW
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Tap Pickups
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Tremolo
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW
Quality of materials 66
Features 65
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 77
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
Quality of materials 81
Features 75
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 77

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 Custom American Custom Strat RW Nut Width
Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW Nut Width
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium Nut Width
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 0.1mm (0.004'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium, 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 Custom American Custom Strat RW and Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium'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 Custom American Custom Strat RW Neck Profile
Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW's neck profile
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium Neck Profile
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium'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.

Both the Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW and the Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium 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

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW Fretboard Compound Radius
Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW's Compound Fretboard Radius
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium'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 Custom American Custom Strat RW is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW and Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium Frets Size
Both have a similar Narrow Tall fret size

Both have a Narrow Tall fret size. Their height is very similar to Jumbo frets, but they have a narrower crown. They won't let you feel the fretboard when playing, which will make it easier to get clean notes. However, if you press down too hard you might get the notes out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW vs Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
General Fender Custom American Custom Strat RW Ibanez AZ42P1 Premium
Brand: Fender Custom Ibanez
Year: 2020 2022
Configuration: SSS HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States Indonesia
Series: American Custom AZ
Colors: Sunburst, Natural Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: 2-Piece Select Ash American Basswood
Bridge: Custom Shop Vintage Synchronized Tremolo Gotoh T1502
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Sperzel Die-Cast with White Pearloid Buttons Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads
Fretboard: Round-Laminated Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: 2A Roasted Birdseye Maple Roasted Maple
Decoration: Mother of Pearl dot Mother of Pearl dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: 1960 Oval C AZ Oval C
Frets: 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" to 12" 12"
Nut: Bone Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive) Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound RWRP '64 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound '64 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive) Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: None Coil Tap
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 2 1