Ibanez GART60 - cheap and good

I mentioned in The highest reviewed electric guitars in the UK that the Ibanez GAX30 is a great axe. Here in the USA, the GART60 model is similar, low-priced and just as good.

When comparing the GAX30 to the GART60, the 60 is a single cutaway instead of a double, does not have a pick guard, has a top-loader Tune-O-Matic style bridge and tail piece instead of the Strat-style hard tail string-thru, and instead of 2 knobs and a blade selector switch, you get 3 knobs and a 3-way toggle switch.

Technically, the 60 is more advanced than the 30 is. You are getting more for the money even though it sells at the same low price as the 30 does.

Dark Violin Sunburst is the color shown above, but if you want to be different, there is also Mustard Yellow.

Also, if you're willing to spend slightly more, there is the GART60FA model that has chrome cover humbuckers, body binding and speed knobs.

The end result here is that this is basically the American market version of the same guitar, but it's good for what it is. The price is right, it's a good guitar to buy as a gift for someone else or yourself, and the basic hardware makes it easy to work on if you want to swap out the pickups and electronics.

And will this guitar last? Yes. Ibanez makes certain that even their lower cost models stand the test of time, meaning this isn't a guitar that will fall apart in a month. You can beat on it and it will keep working, not to worry.

Published 2017 Oct 30