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Ibanez AZ242 Premium
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS
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Playability
77
Sound
81
Build
77
Value
78
Score
78
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Playability
70
Sound
84
Build
82
Value
69
Score
79
FIND IT ON:
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Ibanez AZ242 Premium vs Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS Specs Comparison
Ibanez AZ242 Premium Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS
General
Brand: Ibanez Fender
Year: 2020 2021
Configuration: HH HSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: AZ American Ultra
Colors: Green Black, Gray Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: American Basswood Alder
Bridge: Gotoh T1502 tremolo Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking 2-Point Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Locking
Fretboard: Roasted Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Roasted Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot White Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: AZ Oval C Augmented “D”
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.81'' (20.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.89'' (22.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.84'' (21.3mm) - 12th Fret: 0.89'' (22.6mm)
Frets: 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 10" to 14"
Nut: Ivory Tusq Locking
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Double Tap Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Ultra Noiseless™ Hot Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Hyperion (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless™ Hot Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Speed Bell
Pickup Mods: Coil Tap S-1 Switch
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Ibanez AZ242 Premium pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez AZ242 Premium's switch options
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS's switch options

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AZ242 Premium over Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
AZ Oval C vs Augmented “D”
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Coil Tap vs S-1 Switch
Lowers output of humbucker coil to create a single coil sound
Pickups
HH vs HSS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.81'' (20.6mm) vs 0.84'' (21.3mm)
More comfortable open chords 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 Floyd Rose
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Value Score
78 vs 69
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS over Ibanez AZ242 Premium

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2021 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Compound Radius
10" to 14" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Augmented “D” vs AZ Oval C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
S-1 Switch vs Coil Tap
Modifies the pickups
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HSS vs HH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.84'' (21.3mm) vs 0.81'' (20.6mm)
More comfortable open chords 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
Floyd Rose vs Tremolo
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs

Other Key Differences
Ibanez AZ242 Premium vs Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hyperion vs Fender Ultra Double Tap Humbucking
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Hyperion vs Fender Ultra Noiseless™ Hot Strat
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 Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Ibanez AZ242 Premium vs Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS

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
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.89'' (22.6mm)
Same neck comfortability
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 Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

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

Price History Comparison

Ibanez AZ242 Premium Prices

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 Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS favors large hands more than the Ibanez AZ242 Premium. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Ibanez AZ242 Premium:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS:
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 AZ242 Premium
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Easy-to-use bridge

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 AZ242 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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS

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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS.

Pickup Configuration

The Ibanez AZ242 Premium has an HH configuration while the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS has HSS pickups.

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.

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

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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS'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: Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS.

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.

Both give you different pickup mod options.

The Ibanez AZ242 Premium offers Coil Tap.

Coil Tap is similar to Coil Split but it works a bit differently. Instead of completely cancelling one of the coils of the humbucker, it only cuts part of the output once activated. Some people believe this gives the split pickups a more real single-coil sound.

On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS 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: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Ibanez AZ242 Premium
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 82
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 81
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 82
Tuning Stability 95
Sound 84

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 AZ242 Premium compares to the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Ibanez AZ242 Premium is built in Indonesia while the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS 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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS

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 AZ242 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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS comes with a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

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.

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.

The Ibanez AZ242 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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

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: Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS.

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.

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 AZ242 Premium
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Tap 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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • S-1 Switch Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Retainer Bar
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Ibanez AZ242 Premium
Quality of materials 81
Features 75
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 77
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS
Quality of materials 61
Features 90
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 AZ242 Premium Nut Width
Ibanez AZ242 Premium Nut Width
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS Nut Width
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS 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 Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS, 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 AZ242 Premium and Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS'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 AZ242 Premium Neck Profile
Ibanez AZ242 Premium's neck profile
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS Neck Profile
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS'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 AZ242 Premium has a C type of 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.

The Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS, on the other hand, has a D neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

Fretboard Radius

Ibanez AZ242 Premium Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez AZ242 Premium's Fingerboard radius
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS Fretboard Compound Radius
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS'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 Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS 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

Ibanez AZ242 Premium Frets Size
Ibanez AZ242 Premium's Frets Size
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS Frets Size
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS's Frets Size

The Ibanez AZ242 Premium has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS's Medium Jumbo 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 AZ242 Premium
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70