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Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige
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Playability
73
Sound
68
Build
50
Value
74
Score
64
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Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
87
Value
75
Score
80
FIND IT ON:
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Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special vs Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige Specs Comparison
Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige
General
Brand: Fender Squier Ibanez
Year: 2021 2021
Configuration: SSS HSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China Japan
Series: Contemporary AZ
Colors: Black, Blue Burst White, Black, Blue
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Poplar Alder
Bridge: 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Block Saddles Gotoh T1702B
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Sealed Die-Cast with Split Shafts Gotoh Magnum Lock w/H.A.P. machine heads
Fretboard: Roasted Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Roasted Maple Roasted Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Mother of Pearl dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Modern C AZ Oval C
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 9" to 12"
Nut: Graphite Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Squier SQR Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Squier SQR Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Seymour Duncan Fortuna (S) (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Squier SQR Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Seymour Duncan Fortuna (S) (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None Series Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Black Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special's switch options
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige's switch options

Reasons to Get
Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special over Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige

Pickups
SSS vs HSS
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Avg. Weight
7.225lbs (3.3kgs) vs 7.5lbs (3.4kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige over Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Compound Radius
9" to 12" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Pickups Brand
Seymour Duncan vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Bone vs Graphite
Good quality nut with rich tone
Pickup Mods
Series Split vs None
Connects pickups in series to imitate a humbucker
Pickups
HSS vs SSS
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Value Score
75 vs 74
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special vs Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige

Bridge Pickup
Squier SQR Alnico Single-Coil vs Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H)
Different Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Squier SQR Alnico Single-Coil vs Seymour Duncan Fortuna (S)
Different Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup
Squier SQR Alnico Single-Coil vs Seymour Duncan Fortuna (S)
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Poplar vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Roasted Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Graphite vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special vs Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige

Neck Wood
Roasted Maple
Same Neck 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
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
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
Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Frets

Common Weaknesses

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

Price History Comparison

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special Prices

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SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

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

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special meets only 5. 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

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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 Both

Roasted Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Roasted Maple

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.

Woods Used in the Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special

Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

Woods Used in the Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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.

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: Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special has an SSS configuration while the Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige has HSS 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, HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.

Pickups Quality

The Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special. 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.

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 AZ2204N Prestige.

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 AZ2204N Prestige comes with some kind of pickup modification: Series Split.

The Series Split feature allows it to split and connect some of the pickups in series. When wired in series, the resulting tone is similar to a Humbucker's. The pickups will work together and produce a fuller tone with more output than single-coils, but less than Humbuckers.

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 AZ2204N Prestige.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special
Pickups 70
Sustain 65
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 68
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 80
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 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special compares to the Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special is built in China while the Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige is made in Japan.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

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 AZ2204N Prestige

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 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special has a Graphite nut. It's a self-lubricating material that will allow the strings to slide over the nut without a lot of friction. It's a good type of nut if you want to have better tuning stability than with plastic, although it's not as resistant as Bone or Tusq.

On the other hand, the Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige 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: Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige.

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 AZ2204N Prestige 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 AZ2204N Prestige.

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 AZ2204N Prestige 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 AZ2204N Prestige.

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 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Series Split Pickups
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special
Quality of materials 41
Features 55
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 50
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige
Quality of materials 86
Features 85
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 87

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 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42mm (1.654'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special and Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige'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 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special Neck Profile
Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special's neck profile
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige Neck Profile
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige'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 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special and the Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige 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 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special Fingerboard Radius
Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special's Fingerboard radius
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige Fretboard Compound Radius
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige's Compound 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 AZ2204N Prestige 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.

Fret Size

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special and Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige Frets Size
Both have a similar Jumbo fret size

Both have a Jumbo fret size. This is one of the tallest frets you can get. You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. It will give you the best sustain and all types of chords will be easier to play. However, you can end up changing the pitch of your notes if you press too hard, which is something people used to feeling the fretboard do when trying Jumbo frets for the first time.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Ibanez AZ2204N Prestige
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73