Kickstart a rock career with the Ibanez AZES40 Standard electric guitar, a fantastic entry level shredder for aspiring music lovers looking to learn an instruments, and perfect for experienced sweepers who want some more variety in their arsenal. Single-coil and humbucker pickups, an Alter switch for increased tonality, and superbly playable build specs makes this AZ entry a sonic superpower.

The AZES40 starts with a double cutaway poplar body to supply a well-balanced tone with sturdy density, featured here in a stunning Purist Blue gloss finish. Attached to the body is a maple neck in the AZES profile, a shape that is welcoming to players of all skill levels. Affixed to the neck is a jatoba fingerboard lined with 22 Medium sized frets across the 25" scale length. The jatoba wood in this scenario lends a brightness in leads and defines chords with a push in mid-range articulation.

Tuning is an important aspect for all players, and the T106 bridge with comfort round steel saddles secures intonation even when the trem arm is installed. This bridge also supplies optimal string spacing and additional resonance that makes the guitar sing. But tunes would be stable without the split shaft Ibanez machine head tuners, an easy system to learn everyday instrument adjustments and routine maintenance.

Bringing the AZES tone to life are the Essentials and Accord pickups. Essentials single-coil pickups are found in the neck and middle positions to offer a smooth, slightly twangy tonality, while the Accord humbucker in the bridge lends to a hotter, almost crunchy sound—in conjunction these selections lead to a balanced, timeless tone that is applicable to any style of music and caters to those who dabble between a few different sounds. The controls are simple: volume and tone knobs are intuitive and control the output and EQ of the guitar, while the 5-way pickup selector gives options for single-coil and humbucker allocation. In addition, the Alter switch opens up more tonal possibilities with nine total pickup modes that can combine single-coils to become humbucking machines. There's lots to explore with the AZES, and exudes tone that is heard to be believed.

Inspire shredding dreams with the Ibanez AZES40 Standard Electric Guitar in Purist Blue.

• Double cutaway poplar body with gloss Purist Blue finish
• Maple neck in AZES profile with 25" scale length
• Jatoba fingerboard with 22 Medium sized frets
• T106 bridge with comfort round steel saddles
• Ibanez split shaft tuning machines
• Essentials single coil pickups in neck and middle positions
• Accord humbucker pickup in bridge position
• Alter switch for more pickup selecting options