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Ibanez AZ226 Premium
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
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Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
77
Value
77
Score
77
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Playability
72
Sound
77
Build
70
Value
68
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Ibanez AZ226 Premium vs Fender American Professional II Telecaster Specs Comparison
Ibanez AZ226 Premium Fender American Professional II Telecaster
General
Brand: Ibanez Fender
Year: 2020 2020
Configuration: HSS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: AZ American Professional II
Colors: Black White, Sunburst, Black, Blue, Green, Brown, Yellow, Gray Burst
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: American Basswood Alder
Bridge: Gotoh T1502 tremolo 3-Saddle Top-Load/String-Through Tele with Compensated Brass “Bullet” Saddles
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads Fender® Standard Cast/Sealed Staggered
Fretboard: Roasted Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Roasted Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot White Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: AZ Oval C Deep C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.81'' (20.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.89'' (22.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.8'' (20.3mm) - 12th Fret: 0.92'' (23.4mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 9.5"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive) Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive) Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: Series Split S-1 Switch
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Ibanez AZ226 Premium pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez AZ226 Premium's switch options
Fender American Professional II Telecaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Professional II Telecaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AZ226 Premium over Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Pickup Mods
Series Split vs S-1 Switch
Connects pickups in series to imitate a humbucker
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HSS vs SS
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.81'' (20.6mm) vs 0.8'' (20.3mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.89'' (22.6mm) vs 0.92'' (23.4mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Luminescent Sidedots
Yes vs None
Assists you when playing in dark environments
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
77 vs 68
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Professional II Telecaster over Ibanez AZ226 Premium

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Pickup Mods
S-1 Switch vs Series Split
Modifies the pickups
Pickups
SS vs HSS
Beautiful cleans
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.8'' (20.3mm) vs 0.81'' (20.6mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.92'' (23.4mm) vs 0.89'' (22.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Ibanez AZ226 Premium vs Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hyperion vs Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hyperion vs Fender V-Mod II Single-Coil Tele
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Roasted Maple vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Roasted Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Ibanez AZ226 Premium vs Fender American Professional II Telecaster

Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
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
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

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

Price History Comparison

Ibanez AZ226 Premium Prices

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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 Fender American Professional II Telecaster favors large hands more than the Ibanez AZ226 Premium. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

    Ibanez AZ226 Premium:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster:
    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 AZ226 Premium
    • 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 Telecaster
    • 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 the Ibanez AZ226 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.

    Woods Used in the Fender American Professional II Telecaster

    Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
    Maple
    Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
    Rosewood
    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.

    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: Fender American Professional II Telecaster.

    Pickup Configuration

    The Ibanez AZ226 Premium has an HSS configuration while the Fender American Professional II Telecaster has SS 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, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

    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 Telecaster 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 American Professional II Telecaster.

    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

    The Ibanez AZ226 Premium gives you 5 switch options while the Fender American Professional II Telecaster gives you 3. This means that the Ibanez AZ226 Premium gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

    Both give you different pickup mod options.

    The Ibanez AZ226 Premium offers 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.

    On the other hand, the Fender American Professional II Telecaster comes with the following: 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: Ibanez AZ226 Premium.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    Ibanez AZ226 Premium
    Pickups 90
    Sustain 80
    Versatility 80
    Tuning Stability 75
    Sound 81
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster
    Pickups 100
    Sustain 75
    Versatility 64
    Tuning Stability 70
    Sound 77

    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 AZ226 Premium compares to the Fender American Professional II Telecaster.

    Country of Origin

    The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez AZ226 Premium is built in Indonesia while the Fender American Professional II Telecaster is made in United States.

    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.

    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: Fender American Professional II Telecaster

    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 AZ226 Premium has 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.

    On the other hand, the Fender American Professional II Telecaster 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: 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 AZ226 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 AZ226 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.

    The Ibanez AZ226 Premium's brige is a 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.

    On the other hand, the Fender American Professional II Telecaster's is a 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

    The Ibanez AZ226 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 AZ226 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
    Ibanez AZ226 Premium
    • Stainless Steel Frets
    • Locking Tuners
    • Ivory Tusq Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Series Split Pickups
    • Luminescent Inlay
    • Tremolo
    • Made in Indonesia
    • No Expensive Woods
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Weight Relief
    • No Compound Radius Fretboard
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Strap Lock
    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster
    • Made in United States
    • Expensive Wood
    • Bone Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • S-1 Switch Pickups
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Locking Tuners
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • 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 AZ226 Premium
    Quality of materials 81
    Features 75
    Quality Control 75
    Build Quality 77
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster
    Quality of materials 66
    Features 55
    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 AZ226 Premium Nut Width
    Ibanez AZ226 Premium Nut Width
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster Nut Width
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Professional II Telecaster has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.8mm (0.031'') difference

    This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender American Professional II Telecaster, 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 AZ226 Premium and Fender American Professional II Telecaster'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 AZ226 Premium Neck Profile
    Ibanez AZ226 Premium's neck profile
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster Neck Profile
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster'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 AZ226 Premium and the Fender American Professional II Telecaster 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 AZ226 Premium Fingerboard Radius
    Ibanez AZ226 Premium's Fingerboard radius
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster Fingerboard Radius
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster'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 Telecaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Ibanez AZ226 Premium'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 AZ226 Premium.

    Fret Size

    Ibanez AZ226 Premium and Fender American Professional II Telecaster 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 AZ226 Premium
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
    Chord Playability 60
    Solo Playability 80
    Playability 73
    Fender American Professional II Telecaster
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
    Chord Playability 70
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 72