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Ibanez AT100CL
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
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Playability
73
Sound
79
Build
75
Value
66
Score
76
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Playability
70
Sound
79
Build
70
Value
68
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Ibanez AT100CL vs Fender American Professional II Stratocaster Specs Comparison
Ibanez AT100CL Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
General
Brand: Ibanez Fender
Year: 2009 2020
Configuration: HHH SSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan United States
Series: AT American Professional II
Colors: Sunburst White, Sunburst, Black, Blue, Green, Brown, Gray Burst
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: Wilkinson-Gotoh VSVG tremolo 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles, Pop-In Tremolo Arm and Cold-Rolled Steel Block
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P. Fender® Standard Cast/Sealed Staggered
Fretboard: Maple Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: AT Deep C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.8'' (20.3mm) - 12th Fret: 0.92'' (23.4mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 9.5"
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 40.5mm (1.594'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: DiMarzio AT-1 (Humbucker / Passive) Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive) Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive) Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None S-1 Switch
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 2 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Ibanez AT100CL pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez AT100CL's switch options
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AT100CL over Fender American Professional II Stratocaster

Pickups
HHH vs SSS
High output without hum and tons of tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.83'' (21.1mm) vs 0.8'' (20.3mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 0.92'' (23.4mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.594'' (40.5mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster over Ibanez AT100CL

Release Year
2020 vs 2009
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
S-1 Switch vs None
Modifies the pickups
Pickups
SSS vs HHH
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.8'' (20.3mm) vs 0.83'' (21.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.92'' (23.4mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.594'' (40.5mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
68 vs 66
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Ibanez AT100CL vs Fender American Professional II Stratocaster

Bridge Pickup
DiMarzio AT-1 vs Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat
Different Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
DiMarzio The Cruiser vs Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat
Different Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup
DiMarzio The Cruiser vs Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Strat
Different Neck Pickup

Shared Features
Ibanez AT100CL vs Fender American Professional II Stratocaster

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Bone
Same Nut Material
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
2
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
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 vs Narrow Tall
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • 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

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

Ibanez AT100CL:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster:
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

Ibanez AT100CL
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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 Both

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

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.

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 Ibanez AT100CL has an HHH configuration while the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster has SSS pickups.

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.

On the other hand, 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.

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 American Professional II Stratocaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Ibanez AT100CL's and use them on any guitar:

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 American Professional II Stratocaster.

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 Fender American Professional II Stratocaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: S-1 Switch.

An S-1 switch can do a lot of different pickup combinations. It can split them, connect them in series, parallel, add more pickups to each position, and more. Check out the diagram to know how it affects this model.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender American Professional II Stratocaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Ibanez AT100CL
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 79
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 82
Tuning Stability 65
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 Ibanez AT100CL compares to the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez AT100CL is built in Japan while the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster is made in United States.

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.

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: 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.

In this case, both have Bone nuts. 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.

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: 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 AT100CL 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 AT100CL.

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
Ibanez AT100CL
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
  • Made in United States
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • S-1 Switch Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Ibanez AT100CL
Quality of materials 66
Features 65
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 75
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
Quality of materials 61
Features 60
Quality Control 90
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 AT100CL Nut Width
Ibanez AT100CL Nut Width
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster Nut Width
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 40.5mm (1.594''). This is a 2.3mm (0.091'') difference

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

Scale Length

Ibanez AT100CL and Fender American Professional II Stratocaster'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

Ibanez AT100CL Neck Profile
Ibanez AT100CL's neck profile
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster Neck Profile
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster'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 Ibanez AT100CL and the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster 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

Ibanez AT100CL Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez AT100CL's Fingerboard radius
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster'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 American Professional II Stratocaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Ibanez AT100CL'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 AT100CL.

Fret Size

Ibanez AT100CL and Fender American Professional II Stratocaster 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

Ibanez AT100CL
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70