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Ibanez GSA60
Ibanez ART120QA
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Playability
70
Sound
64
Build
50
Value
71
Score
61
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Playability
73
Sound
62
Build
50
Value
72
Score
62
FIND IT ON:
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Show Full Spec Comparison
Ibanez GSA60 vs ART120QA Specs Comparison
Ibanez GSA60 ART120QA
General
Brand: Ibanez Ibanez
Year: 2020 2020
Configuration: HSS HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: SA ART
Colors: Sunburst, Black, Brown Sunburst, Black Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Okoume Poplar
Bridge: T102 tremolo Gibraltar Performer
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Ibanez Ibanez
Fretboard: Purpleheart Purpleheart
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: White Dot White block
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: GSA ART
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.77'' (19.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.79'' (20.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Infinity R (Humbucker / Passive) Classic Elite (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Infinity RS (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Infinity RS (Single Coil / Passive) Classic Elite (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Speed
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Ibanez GSA60 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez GSA60's switch options
Ibanez ART120QA pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Ibanez ART120QA's switch options

Reasons to Get
Ibanez GSA60 over ART120QA

Neck Profile
GSA vs ART
Thin neck for playing fast
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HSS vs HH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.77'' (19.6mm) vs 0.79'' (20.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.85'' (21.6mm) vs 0.87'' (22.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Reasons to Get
Ibanez ART120QA over GSA60

Decorative Top
Quilted Maple Art Grain vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Neck Profile
ART vs GSA
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs HSS
High output without hum
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.79'' (20.1mm) vs 0.77'' (19.6mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm) vs 0.85'' (21.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) 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
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
72 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Ibanez GSA60 vs ART120QA

Bridge Pickup
Infinity R vs Classic Elite
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Infinity RS vs Classic Elite
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Okoume vs Poplar
Different Body Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Ibanez GSA60 vs ART120QA

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Purpleheart
Same Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Nut
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Ibanez GSA60 Prices

    SET PRICE ALERT

    Ibanez ART120QA Prices

    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 ART120QA favors large hands more than the Ibanez GSA60. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

    Ibanez GSA60:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    Ibanez ART120QA:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands

    Beginner Friendliness

    The Ibanez GSA60 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Ibanez ART120QA meets only 4. 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 GSA60
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Tall frets
    • Narrow nut
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Short scale
    • Locking tuners

    New Player Friendliness

    Ibanez ART120QA
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • 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 Both

    Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
    Maple
    Purpleheart wood pattern used for guitar building
    Purpleheart

    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.

    Purpleheart (also known as Amaranth) is a hard, dense wood with a brilliant tone. As its name suggests, the purple color makes this wood look exotic.

    Woods Used in the Ibanez GSA60

    Okoume wood pattern used for guitar building
    Okoume

    Okoume is an affordable wood and one of the first to replace Mahogany when the prohibitions started. It's generally softer than Mahogany and the tone has warmer lows.

    Woods Used in the Ibanez ART120QA

    Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
    Poplar

    Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

    Winner: Tie.

    Pickup Configuration

    The Ibanez GSA60 has an HSS configuration while the Ibanez ART120QA has HH 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, 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

    None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.

    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

    The Ibanez GSA60 gives you 5 switch options while the Ibanez ART120QA gives you 3. This means that the Ibanez GSA60 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

    Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

    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 GSA60.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    Ibanez GSA60
    Pickups 60
    Sustain 65
    Versatility 70
    Tuning Stability 60
    Sound 64
    Ibanez ART120QA
    Pickups 60
    Sustain 70
    Versatility 51
    Tuning Stability 65
    Sound 62

    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 GSA60 compares to the Ibanez ART120QA.

    Country of Origin

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

    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.

    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 Plastic nuts. 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.

    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.

    The Ibanez GSA60'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 Ibanez ART120QA'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

    Both come with regular tuners. Both come with Ibanez.

    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.

    The Ibanez GSA60 has 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.

    On the other hand, the Ibanez ART120QA comes with 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: Ibanez GSA60.

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

    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Ibanez GSA60
    • Tremolo
    • 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 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
    Ibanez ART120QA
    • 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 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 GSA60
    Quality of materials 41
    Features 55
    Quality Control 55
    Build Quality 50
    Ibanez ART120QA
    Quality of materials 45
    Features 50
    Quality Control 55
    Build Quality 50

    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 GSA60 Nut Width
    Ibanez GSA60 Nut Width
    Ibanez ART120QA Nut Width
    Ibanez ART120QA Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Ibanez ART120QA has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference

    This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Ibanez ART120QA, 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 GSA60's Scale Length
    Ibanez GSA60's Scale Length
    Ibanez ART120QA's Scale Length
    Ibanez ART120QA's 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.

    The Ibanez GSA60 has the longest scale: 25.5". The Ibanez ART120QA is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.

    This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

    This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

    Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

    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 GSA60 Neck Profile
    Ibanez GSA60's neck profile
    Ibanez ART120QA Neck Profile
    Ibanez ART120QA'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 GSA60 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 Ibanez ART120QA, 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 GSA60 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 GSA60 and the Ibanez ART120QA 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 GSA60 and Ibanez ART120QA Frets Size
    Both have a similar Medium fret size

    Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

    Final Playability Scores

    Ibanez GSA60
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
    Chord Playability 70
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 70
    Ibanez ART120QA
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
    Chord Playability 65
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 73