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Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige
Ibanez ATZ100
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Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
84
Value
74
Score
79
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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
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige vs ATZ100 Specs Comparison
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige ATZ100
General
Brand: Ibanez Ibanez
Year: 2018 2019
Configuration: HSS HHH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan Japan
Series: AZ AT
Colors: Blue, Pink Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: Gotoh T1802 Tremolo Wilkinson-Gotoh VSVG tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P. Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P.
Fretboard: Roasted Maple Roasted Maple
Neck Material: Roasted Maple 1pc Roasted Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: AZ Oval C ATZ
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.81'' (20.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.89'' (22.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 40.5mm (1.594'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive) DiMarzio The Cruiser (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: Series Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige's switch options
Ibanez ATZ100 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez ATZ100's switch options

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige over ATZ100

Pickup Mods
Series Split vs None
Connects pickups in series to imitate a humbucker
Pickups
HSS vs HHH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.81'' (20.6mm) vs 0.83'' (21.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.89'' (22.6mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.594'' (40.5mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Value Score
74 vs 68
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Ibanez ATZ100 over AZ2204 Prestige

Release Year
2019 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HHH vs HSS
High output without hum and tons of tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.83'' (21.1mm) vs 0.81'' (20.6mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 0.89'' (22.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.594'' (40.5mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes

Other Key Differences
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige vs ATZ100

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hyperion vs DiMarzio The Cruiser
Different Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hyperion vs DiMarzio The Cruiser
Different Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hyperion vs DiMarzio The Cruiser
Different Neck Pickup

Shared Features
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige vs ATZ100

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Roasted Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Roasted 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
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Tuner Ratio
16
Same tuning precision
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
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
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

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

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • 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 Ibanez ATZ100 favors large hands more than the Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige:
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

Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

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 Both

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 Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige has an HSS configuration while the Ibanez ATZ100 has HHH pickups.

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.

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.

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: Tie.

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 AZ2204 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 AZ2204 Prestige.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 81
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 Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige compares to the Ibanez ATZ100.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Japan.

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: 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.

Both in this comparison come with 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: 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

They both have 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.

Both of them have a 16:1 tuner ratio. This means that it will take 16 turns of the keys to give the tuning posts an entire turn. Higher ratio means more precise tuning (and more time spent tuning your gutiar). Most guitars have a 18:1 ratio, while the most precise tuning can be achieved with a 21:1 ratio.

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 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 AZ2204 Prestige
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Series Split Pickups
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Tremolo
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • 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

Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige
Quality of materials 86
Features 75
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 84
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

Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige Nut Width
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige 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 Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige 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 Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige, 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 AZ2204 Prestige 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

Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige Neck Profile
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige'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.

Both the Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige and the Ibanez ATZ100 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 AZ2204 Prestige 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 AZ2204 Prestige and the Ibanez ATZ100 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 AZ2204 Prestige and Ibanez ATZ100 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 AZ2204 Prestige
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Ibanez ATZ100
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73