Ibanez S521-MOL

Smuk openpore finish på et smukt stykke mahogni.
Halsen er en Wizard 3, lidt tykkere end de helt tynde halse, nok nær en "modern C" hvilket passer mig perfekt. Med 5 pickup variationer kan du få både humbucker og singlecoil lyde ud af guitaren og jeg bruger dne fra alt til jazz til metal. Fretwork har der ikke været noget at sætte på. Kroppen er meget ergonomisk og spilbar fordi den er så tynd dog let.
Jeg ville tage den her med til et gig. Eneste downside er at den ikke har en tremolo, men det kan eftermonteres. Humbuckerne lyder meget godt til prisen. Kan bruges som en god platform til opgraderinger. Holder stemningen godt, trods den ikke har locking tuners.
En guitar der er en keeper!

Guitar arrived perfectly packed. The unboxing was with great anticipation! Amazingly lightweight, just 2370 grams! Ok it is neck heavy but not like the EssssGeeeees, you easily play both sitting and standing.
The guitar has a sustained sound played unlugged, you will be surprised to stick your ear to the back and play a barre chord, sustains like a keyboard! So much for the heavy-body-long-sustain myth we 'buy' for so long!!! Neck is good, thin, and the frets well taken care of. The pots were stiff, I used some contact spray. Wiring was ok but I did some extra grounding of the 5way switch. The natural color looks elegant and I think nothing beats a natural guitar! The sound of the pups is balanced and 'correct' although I would like hotter pickups. The 5way switch gives nice combinations (apart from the classic 3 options, you get neck pup parallel and both pups split). Tuners work correctly. The bridge saddle screws bothered me and I used lower ones from Start set, I think.
Once again Mr Robin Nunn ,head in guitar dept was extremely helpful and pro, I give him a 20 in the scale from 1 to 10 !!!! Same goes to the Greek person in charge of Greek orders, Mr Stamatis Koutouzis! Always helpful and professional!
The guitar is a great choice for all. The big 'C' that makes them ( c-o-r... factory) makes good instruments for less money and this is good! Please note I owned USA Gibsons, USA Fender Strat, 2 Mexicans etc., I also made 3 handmade superstrats to a good luthier here in Greece, I also own USA Washburn Les Paul type, among others. I think I have a wide sample and my judgement of this S521 is not so biased, the guitar is really a pleasant surprise!
Totally pleased with this S521 !

I'm not very experienced guitarist by any means but I do have certain expectations and demands in this price range. S521 is technically my second guitar, I swapped to it soon after buying my first one on Thomann, and guess what I think I'll hold on to it. What I was looking for is a) playing comfort, b) flexible tones, c) balanced build quality, and oh boy does this Gerät deliver in all departments!

Pros:
+ It's seriously light: this thing is second to none in terms of weight yet somehow sustains.
+ Thin contoured body & famously fast neck for ultimate playing comfort.
+ 5-way switch for quite a variety of tones (including pickups performing as singles). Now of course you don't expect strat tones from 2H layout (I didn't) but you're absolutely not doomed to metal tones only neither. There is certain flexibility to leverage from for sure.
+ Build: metal pickup frames, branded bridge, unfortunately non-locking yet pretty decent tuners (and it all matches!)
+ Looks, for those who appreciate natural satin finish, just like I do.

Cons:
- Little neck dive: I don't actually experience it because of the way I hold it in seating position but someone might. Just saying.
- QC: bridge pickup is slightly misaligned with strings, and there doesn't seem to be a way to fix this ever. The hole is just drilled 1-2 mm off. I don't care much since this doesn't affect tone in any comprehensive way yet might drive someone with OCD some big nuts.
- Looks: Ibanez could do a better job matching the headstock with the deck.