Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Review & Prices

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Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Review
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  • From Ibanez's 2020 S series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Nyatoh body
  • Panga Panga/Walnut neck
  • Bound Macassar Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker/Active)
  • Middle pickup: Fishman Fluence Single-Width (Single Coil/Active)
  • Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker/Active)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Speed knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Gibraltar Standard II bridge
  • Nitro Wizard Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 75
Sound 78
Build quality 67
Value for money 73
Overall Score 73
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Luminescent Inlay
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $850, which means that the Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label costs around 41% more than the competition. It might be due to it having additional features, but know that you can find cheaper similar alternatives. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Fixed bridge that are made in Indonesia.

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Videos

New Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Electric Guitar – Ibanez 2020
Ibanez 2020 S67ALB Axion Label Demo
Ibanez Axion Label S671 | Playthrough and Overview |
NAMM 2020 IBANEZ S671ALB DEMO
Ibanez S671ALB-BCM (demo, playing only).
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Your feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

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Tuning stability

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Is it Easy to Play?

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. 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 to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's construction favors people with relatively small hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's 25.5" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Scale Length Comparison
Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is the same scale length used in Stratocaster guitars, and it's one of the main reasons they have such a bright sound. It's considered a long scale when compared to most non-baritone guitars.

Since the distance between bridge and nut is relatively long, you'll need to give the strings more tension to get them in tune. This higher tension will allow for a couple of things. First, you can get a lower action (get the strings closer to the fretboard) because the strings won't 'wiggle' too much when pluck and won't cause fret buzz. This can allow you to use lower tunings without increasing your string gauge, and it will make it easier to press down the strings fast.

However, the frets will also have a wider separation between each other, which can make it harder to play, especially if you got small hands. The higher tension will also make the strings feel stiffer, so bending will require more strength.

More with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Neck Profile
Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's neck thickness is approximately 0.75'' (19.1mm) at the first fret, and 0.83'' (21.1mm) at the twelfth.

These measurements were taken either from the official Ibanez website, or, in case this information wasn't provided, by researching multiple online marketplaces and forums where owners of this model have posted their measurements.

It has a Wizard type neck. This is a neck profile invented by Ibanez in the 90s and perfected throughout the years. It's thinner than the C profile that most people like. It's not as thin as their 'Super Wizard' version, so it's a good option if you like thin necks, but like to have a bit of thickness for resting your hand while playing.

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label has a 16" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's fretboard radius compared to others

This fretboard radius is really different than Stratocasters, but it's also a lot flatter than Les Paul fingerboards. It'll heavily favor soloing over playing chords. This doesn't mean you can't use it for chords, but it will be more comfortable to play chords without muting strings in a more curved fretboard. Bending and sliding without losing sustain will also be more likely in a flat fretboard like this one.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

25.5'' Scale Length
Wizard Neck Profile
1.693'' Nut Width
16'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.625'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
Multiscale Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
13.78'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
Wizard Neck Profile
1.693'' Nut Width
15.75'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Nut Width
Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Nut Width

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label has a nut width of 43mm (1.693''). This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Frets

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label has 24 frets. A lot of people mistakenly believe that having more frets will always be better because it gives you a higher octave. This is certainly an advantage, but there's also a disadvantage to this.

Since the fretboard will be longer, the neck pickup will need to be placed closer to the bridge. And as you may know, the further away the neck pickup is from the bridge, the warmer it sounds. This means you'll have a brighter-sounding neck pickup when using a 24-fret guitar, even if you use the same pickup on a 22-fret guitar.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label Fret Size Comparison
Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's frets are Jumbo size. This is a tall fret size that is becoming increasingly popular because it makes it easier to press down the strings cleanly. With this fret size, you won't feel the fretboard when playing, so if you press down too hard, you will get the notes out of pitch. However, this is something you can overcome by getting used to the taller size.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 75

Tone Analysis

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Nyatoh wood pattern used for guitar building
Nyatoh Body
Panga Panga wood pattern used for guitar building
Panga Panga Neck
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony Fretboard

Nyatoh Body: It's a wood type found mainly in Indonesia. It's fairly hard and durable and is becoming popular for building guitars because it isn't expensive.

Panga Panga Neck: It's an African wood often confused with Wenge. It has a dark color with tight grain with a tone that emphasizes mids and lows.

Ebony Fretboard: This is one of the most expensive woods there is, which is why it's mostly used for fretboards. It is dense, heavy, highly resistant and comes in a really dark color that gives any guitar a classy touch. Tone wise, it helps the high side of the spectrum and provides good sustain.

More made with the same wood:

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Fishman. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are active pickups, so you can expect a lot of output with a highly compressed signal that will give your tones more distortion while retaining a clear, defined sound, which is what many Heavy Metal players need. However, they have the disadvantage of sometimes lacking a fully clean sound when playing without distortion.

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's configuration is HSH. Two humbuckers with one single-coil in the middle is a combination that people who love a warm neck Humbucker, but also a high output bridge pickup and cleanliness of a single-coil will appreciate. It gives a lot of versatility, but bear in mind that the middle pickup will have a lower volume, so you might want to adjust its height. The downside to this is that you might touch it with your pick sometimes if you increase its height too much.

More with the same pickups

24 Frets
Fixed Bridge
Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic Bridge Pickup
Fishman Fluence Single-Width Middle Pickup
Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico Neck Pickup
24 Frets
Floyd Rose Bridge
Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Sustainiac Neck Pickup
24 Frets
Floyd Rose Bridge
Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Sustainiac Neck Pickup
24 Frets
Floyd Rose Bridge
Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico Neck Pickup
24 Frets
Fixed Bridge
Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Sustainiac Neck Pickup

Versatility

It gives you a good amount of tone options with its 5-way switch. You can use it to choose at least 5 different pickup combinations.

It has a Multi-Voicing option. This means the pickups can change their output, tone, or sound. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

Diagram

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label's switch options

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with HSH configuration and Active pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Heavy Metal or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 85
Sustain 85
Versatility 68
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 78

Build Quality Analysis

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label is made in Indonesia. Many people prefer the quality of an Indonesian guitar over a Chinese. Respectable brands like Epiphone, Ibanez and Schecter are building in this country because of the great quality and lower price. Some people like to compare them to the ones built in Japan during the 80s, when Japanese guitar makers made a name for themselves.

Still, remember that we're taking about Ibanez here, which is a brand with good renown. They know how to use cheap labor in this country without sacrificing too much quality. So you shouldn't end up receiving a useless or ugly instrument.

Bridge

Gibraltar Standard II: The advantage of fixed bridges is that they don't require any kind of set-up. This makes it extremely easy when changing strings because you don't need to adjust anything besides tuning the guitar. Also, the fact that the bridge is directly attached to the body will help to increase sustain. The disadvantage is the lack of versatility since you can't create the same vibrato effects as with tremolo bridges.

More with the same type of bridge:

Tuners

The Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label comes with locking tuners, which helps with tuning stability and makes changing strings a lot faster and easier. As long as they're high quality, these are the best tuning machines you can have. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier than normal tuners.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label has a Plastic nut. 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.

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Bolt-On neck joint. Even though this type of neck was looked down upon for a long time, nowadays bolt-on necks are well built and provide just as much sustain as any other join method. First of all, it's cheap to make because it consists of simply 4 bolts that attach the neck to the body. And you can travel with the guitar more easily, swap out the neck if you damage it, or upgrade to a more comfortable neck later on.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 51
Features 75
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 67

All Specs

Ibanez S671ALB Axion Label
General
Brand: Ibanez
Year: 2020
Configuration: HSH
Strings: 6
Made in: Indonesia
Series: S
Colors: Blue, Black Burst
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Nyatoh
Bridge: Gibraltar Standard II
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On
Tuners: Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads
Fretboard: Bound Macassar Ebony
Neck Material: Panga Panga/Walnut
Decoration: White Step off-set dot
Scale Size: 25.5"
Shape: Nitro Wizard
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.75'' (19.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm)
Frets: 24 Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 16"
Nut: Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Switch: 5 Way
Knobs: Speed
Pickup Mods: Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 0
Bridge Pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker / Active)
Middle Pickup: Fishman Fluence Single-Width (Single Coil / Active)
Neck Pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker / Active)

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