Ibanez AZ2204NW Vermillion Red

Ibanez AZ2204NW Prestige Vermillion Red. Made in Japan.

AZ - Players Player Project - v2

Visually you don't see much difference between the previous AZ models and the N version, you can see that the fretboard is rosewood instead of maple and that the pickguard is a different color. In terms of play, however, the difference is quite big. Many features are the same, alder body, 1-piece necks in S-Tech roasted maple, stainless steel frets, tuning screws, luminlay side dots, oil-impregnated bone saddle, dyna-MIX9 switch system, etc.

Fortuna's new Seymour Duncan pickups

Generous, more vintage than the other models' Hyperion pickups. They are passive pickups with alnico magnets. They are pickups with lower output more angled towards clean and less distorted sounds. You get a larger dynamic range with a wider frequency response.

A compound radius fingerboard, from 228mmR to 305mmR

The other AZ models are 305 across the entire fingerboard. Simply explained for those who are not so familiar with radius numbers and meaning. Radius is the curvature of the fingerboard, how flat or arched it is. Generally, most guitarists find that flatter fingerboards are better for soloing and less flat makes it easier to play chords.

The N version's fingerboard is therefore less flat than the previous AZ model's fingerboard. The N version is compound ground, which means that it is more arched at the first fret and then gradually becomes flatter the higher up the neck you go.

T1702B bridge

In function and appearance, it is identical to the previous T1802, it is based on the same plate. What differs is the material of the bridge, it is a solid brass block iff steel and the saddles are brass iff for titanium. The bridge gives the instrument a different tone, warmer and a bit softer attack. It is also not milled under the bridge, the bridge on the N version lies flat against the body for a better transmission of string vibrations down into the body which gives a different type of tone, more resonance and with more sustain.

Specs

• AZ Oval C S-Tech Roasted Maple neck
• 22 frets.
• Alder body.
• Rosewood fretboard with Mother of Pearl dot inlays.
• Compound fretboard radius. 228mmR to 305mmR.
• Jumbo stainless steel frets with Prestige fret edge treatment.
• Bone nut.
• Seymour Duncan Fortuna (S) neck pickup.
• Seymour Duncan Fortuna (S) middle pickup.
• Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) bridge pickup.
• dyna.MIX9 switching system
• Gotoh T1702B tremolo
• Goto Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P.
• Luminlay side dots
• Chrome hardware
• Hardcase included

Neck:

• 648mm/25.5” scale length.
• Width at nut: 42mm.
• Width at 24 frets: 56.4mm.
• Thickness at first fret: 20.5mm.
• Thickness at 12 frets: 22.5mm.
• Compound Radius Fretboard (228mm - 305mm