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Ibanez AR520H
Gibson 70s Flying V
VS
Playability
73
Sound
64
Build
55
Value
69
Score
64
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
70
Value
62
Score
72
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Ibanez AR520H vs Gibson 70s Flying V Specs Comparison
Ibanez AR520H Gibson 70s Flying V
General
Brand: Ibanez Gibson
Year: 2021 2019
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China United States
Series: AR Original Collection
Colors: Black White
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Maple Mahogany
Bridge: Gibraltar Performer Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Ibanez Grover Rotomatics w/ Kidney Buttons
Fretboard: Bound Jatoba Rosewood
Neck Material: 3pc Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Acrylic & Abalone block Acrylic Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: AR Slim Taper
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.92'' (23.4mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Plastic Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Super 58 (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson 70s Tribute (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Super 58 (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson 70s Tribute (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Bell
Pickup Mods: Tri-Sound None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Gold Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Ibanez AR520H pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Ibanez AR520H's switch options
Gibson 70s Flying V pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson 70s Flying V's switch options

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AR520H over Gibson 70s Flying V

Decorative Top
Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2021 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
AR vs Slim Taper
Thin neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Tri-Sound vs None
Grants 3 ways to modify the sound of the pickups
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.79'' (20.1mm) vs 0.82'' (20.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm) vs 0.92'' (23.4mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Value Score
69 vs 62
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Gibson 70s Flying V over Ibanez AR520H

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Neck Profile
Slim Taper vs AR
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups Brand
Gibson vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Plastic
Resistant, good tuning stability and rich tone
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm) vs 0.79'' (20.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.92'' (23.4mm) vs 0.87'' (22.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands

Other Key Differences
Ibanez AR520H vs Gibson 70s Flying V

Bridge Pickup
Super 58 vs Gibson 70s Tribute
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Super 58 vs Gibson 70s Tribute
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Jatoba vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Plastic vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Ibanez AR520H vs Gibson 70s Flying V

Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium vs Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Gibson 70s Flying V Prices

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 .

Ibanez AR520H:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson 70s Flying V:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Ibanez AR520H meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson 70s Flying V 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

Ibanez AR520H
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Gibson 70s Flying V
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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 Ibanez AR520H

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Jatoba wood pattern used for guitar building
Jatoba

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.

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.

Woods Used in the Gibson 70s Flying V

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

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.

Winner: Gibson 70s Flying V.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. 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

The Gibson 70s Flying V pickups from a more specialized brand than the Ibanez AR520H. 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: Gibson 70s Flying V.

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 AR520H comes with some kind of pickup modification: Tri-Sound.

Tri-Sound gives you the choice of using the pickup coils at the same time, splitting them or connect them im parallel for a brighter sound.

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 AR520H.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Ibanez AR520H
Pickups 60
Sustain 70
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 64
Gibson 70s Flying V
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 51
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

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 Ibanez AR520H compares to the Gibson 70s Flying V.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez AR520H is built in China while the Gibson 70s Flying V is made in United States.

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.

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.

Winner: Gibson 70s Flying V

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 Ibanez AR520H 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 Gibson 70s Flying V 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: Gibson 70s Flying V.

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.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

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: 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.

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

Both come with regular tuners. The Ibanez AR520H's are Ibanez while the Gibson 70s Flying V's are Grover Rotomatics w/ Kidney Buttons

Winner: Tie.

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 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.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez AR520H
  • Tri-Sound Pickups
  • 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 Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson 70s Flying V
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • 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 Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Ibanez AR520H
Quality of materials 45
Features 60
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 55
Gibson 70s Flying V
Quality of materials 66
Features 50
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 70

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

Ibanez AR520H 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 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Ibanez AR520H and Gibson 70s Flying V'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 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

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

Ibanez AR520H Neck Profile
Ibanez AR520H's neck profile
Gibson 70s Flying V Neck Profile
Gibson 70s Flying V'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 Ibanez AR520H has a SA type of neck. Like most Ibanez necks, it's thinner than most modern C necks. It's very similar in thickness and shape to their unique Wizard profile.

The Gibson 70s Flying V, 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

Ibanez AR520H Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same 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.

Both the Ibanez AR520H and the Gibson 70s Flying V have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Fret Size

Ibanez AR520H Frets Size
Ibanez AR520H's Frets Size
Gibson 70s Flying V Frets Size
Gibson 70s Flying V's Frets Size

The Gibson 70s Flying V has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Ibanez AR520H'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.

Final Playability Scores

Ibanez AR520H
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Gibson 70s Flying V
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73