Ibanez PS60SSL Electric Guitar: Full Review

Ibanez (pronounced "ee-bah-nez") is a well-known Japanese manufacturer of electric guitars and bass guitars. The PS60SSL is one of their Stratocaster-style instruments designed for modern rock and metal players. Some key features of this guitar include a double-cutaway basswood body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard, dual humbucker pickups with a 5-way switch, and a vintage-style tremolo bridge. The "SSL" designation stands for Stanley Signature Line, indicating this model is endorsed by shred virtuoso Steve Vai. Overall, the PS60 offers classic Strat tones and playability along with modern aggressive humbucking sounds, making it versatile for a wide variety of musical genres. If you're looking for a well-built, affordable guitar for rock, metal and blues, the Ibanez PS60SSL is worth considering.

Body & Neck

The Ibanez PS60SSL electric guitar has a solid mahogany body paired with a set mahogany neck, providing a rich, warm tone. Mahogany is a popular tonewood choice known for its resonance and sustain. The guitar's contoured body shape combined with the mahogany construction makes this a comfortable guitar to play while seated or standing.

The set mahogany neck has a smooth, fast finish that allows for easy movement up and down the fretboard. It has a 24.75" scale length with 22 medium frets, as well as a 12" radius rosewood fretboard for comfortable chording and bending. The neck thickness is a slim, modern "D" profile that provides a nice hand feel. Overall the mahogany body and neck offer a well-balanced electric guitar platform ready for a variety of music genres and playing styles.

In addition to its mahogany body and neck, the Ibanez PS60SSL also features chrome hardware and die-cast tuners for stability and reliable tuning. The pickups are Ibanez Powersound humbuckers that provide a muscular tone suited for rock and metal styles. There are individual volume and tone controls, as well as a 3-way pickup selector switch for dialing in your sound.

For guitarists looking for a high-quality, affordable electric guitar, be sure to check out the Valencia VC203TBU. This model features a basswood body with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. It has a double cutaway design for easy access to higher frets. The Valencia VC203TBU is equipped with two humbucker pickups and a 3-way pickup selector switch, volume and tone knobs. It comes in an attractive transparent blue finish that really makes the grain of the basswood body stand out.

With its comfortable body shape, quality hardware and electronics, and eye-catching looks, the Valencia VC203TBU is an excellent choice for beginners and intermediate players alike. It delivers versatile rock and metal tones thanks to the dual humbuckers. The basswood body and maple neck provide a balanced, resonant tone. Overall it's a high value electric guitar option worth checking out.

Pickups

The Ibanez Paul Stanley Signature PS60SSL electric guitar features two custom Seymour Duncan PowerSound pickups designed in collaboration with Paul Stanley. The bridge pickup is a PowerSound Power Rails humbucker which provides a powerful, aggressive rock tone with lots of punch and volume. It has an Alnico 5 magnet and coils wound directly over the pole pieces for distinct note articulation. The neck pickup is a vintage-voiced PowerSound single-coil that delivers a warm, resonant tone suited for blues and classic rock. Together, these pickups offer a wide range of tones from clean and warm to searing lead. The 5-way pickup selector switch allows accessing both pickups individually or in combination for excellent tonal flexibility. Overall, these custom-designed PowerSound pickups provide exceptional, professional-grade tone that suits Paul Stanley's hard rock style very well.

In addition to the specialized pickups, the Ibanez Paul Stanley PS60SSL features a basswood body and maple neck for great resonance and sustain. The slim, fast maple neck has a comfortable profile for speed and playability. It has 22 medium frets and a rosewood fingerboard for smooth note bending. Cosmetically, the PS60SSL has Paul Stanley's signature "Star" inlays on the rosewood fingerboard and his signature on the headstock. The chrome hardware also complements the guitar's rock image. If you're looking for an affordable Paul Stanley signature model electric guitar with great rock tone and looks, the Ibanez PS60SSL is an excellent choice.

For guitarists looking for a high-quality, versatile electric guitar, the Yamaha APX600M SMB is an outstanding option. This guitar utilizes Yamaha's proprietary SRT pickup system which accurately senses string vibrations for natural acoustic tone through an electric amp or PA system. The SRT system prevents feedback while retaining the guitar's acoustic resonance. As a result, the APX600M SMB excels at both live performance and recording applications. It can effortlessly switch between acoustic-electric tones to more aggressive electric guitar sounds.

The APX600M SMB has a thinline body shape made of mahogany and spruce for balanced tone with nice presence and warmth. The mahogany neck has a comfortable, slim profile for fast playing. It also enhances the guitar's sustain and resonance. The rosewood fingerboard further augments the warm, rich tone. Aesthetically, the APX600M SMB has a stylish, small-body look available in three great finishes - black, vintage white, and brown sunburst. It's an attractive yet discreet guitar for the stage. For amplified acoustic guitar performance, the Yamaha APX600M SMB is easy to recommend. It's comfortable, sounds incredible plugged in, and offers great cosmetic appeal.

Controls Offer Versatile Sound Shaping

The Ibanez PS60SSL electric guitar features simple yet versatile controls for shaping your tone. It has standard master volume and tone knobs that allow you to dial in your desired amount of volume and treble cut.

The volume knob controls the overall loudness of the guitar. Turn it up to get more volume and output, or roll it back to clean up and tame the sound. This gives you full control over the guitar's dynamics.

The tone knob adjusts the treble response. As you turn it clockwise, it allows more bright treble frequencies to come through. Turning it counterclockwise will cut some of the bite and crispness for a smoother, darker tone.

Between the two knobs, you can easily go from bold and biting to subdued and mellow. Having independent volume and tone controls makes it simple to get a wide range of usable tones out of the PS60SSL. Whether you want a bright, jangly clean sound or a smoother overdriven crunch, the controls give you the flexibility you need.

Hardware

The Ibanez PS60SSL features quality hardware that matches its stylish looks. It has chrome die-cast tuning machines, also referred to as machine heads or tuning keys. These allow for smooth and accurate tuning stability.

The guitar's bridge is a fixed, non-tremolo bridge. This provides solid resonance and sustain compared to tremolo bridges which can lose energy to vibration. The bridge is mounted directly to the guitar body rather than relying on springs. This maximizes string vibration transfer for full-bodied tone.

Overall the hardware is durable and designed for reliable performance. The chrome finish gives it an eye-catching shiny look as well.

Sound & Playability

The Ibanez PS60 stands out with its versatile rock tones and comfortable slim neck perfect for shredding. The pickups provide a balanced dynamic range, capturing everything from sparkling cleans to thick distortion. The neck feels fast and easy to navigate when soloing across the 22 frets.

The 5-way selector switch lets you blend the bridge humbucker and neck single coil pickups. You can go from glassy Strat-like tones in the 2 and 4 positions to fuller, beefier humbucker sounds in positions 1, 3 and 5. This versatility makes the PS60 great for rock, blues and even jazz.

The slim neck has a thin and flat 12" radius that allows effortless, low-action chording and bends. It's perfect for technical lead work requiring wide, fast position changes up the neck. The rosewood fingerboard adds warmth and resonance without feeling too slick. Overall it's a fast, comfortable neck that excels for rock and shred playing.

The scale length and string tension seem optimized for standard tuning and drop-D riffing. It's easy to play complex chords and quick triplet-based runs even with high gain. From wailing classic rock leads to tight metal rhythms, the PS60 is built to deliver versatile high-performance rock tones.

Pros

The Ibanez PS60SSL electric guitar has many great features that make it a compelling option.

• Great rock sound: The dual Powersound humbucking pickups provide tons of output and a muscular tone perfect for rock and metal. The pickups are hot yet retain clarity and note definition even when playing with high gain.

• Fast neck: The PS60SSL has a thin, flat Wizard III maple neck that allows for fast lead playing. The neck has a comfortable satin finish that lets your hand glide easily up and down the fretboard. The 24 jumbo frets also facilitate quick lead work.

• Attractive looks: This guitar has classic Ibanez style with its archtop double cutaway body and headstock point. The transparent blue burst finish over quilted maple gives it an eye-catching aesthetic. The abalone and pearl block fretboard inlays and chrome hardware provide some nice bling as well. Overall it looks as great as it sounds.

Cons

The Ibanez PS60SSL electric guitar does have some drawbacks worth considering.

• The hardware and electronics are a bit cheaper compared to higher-end models. While still decent quality, the tuners, bridge, and pickups don't quite match the components used on more expensive guitars. This can lead to issues staying in tune or achieving premium tone.

• The controls are also somewhat limited. There is just one volume knob and one tone knob, along with a 3-way pickup selector switch. Compared to guitars with more advanced switching systems and tone shaping options, the PS60SSL lacks the ability to finely sculpt your sound.

Overall the cons are typical of an entry-level guitar in this price range. The PS60SSL cuts some corners to meet the lower price point, but still delivers respectable performance and quality. Just don't expect the world-class components and versatility found on pro-level instruments. As long as your expectations align with the price, the PS60SSL represents a great value guitar with only minor compromises.

Comparable Options

The Ibanez PS60SSL is part of Ibanez's Prestige line, placing it in the upper mid-range for electric guitars. Players looking for similar style and quality have some great options from other major guitar brands as well.

Epiphone Les Paul

The Epiphone Les Paul is likely the closest comparable model. The Les Paul style guitar pioneered by Gibson is similar in shape and feel to the Ibanez PS60SSL. Epiphone's Les Paul models offer solid construction and premium pickups at a more affordable price point compared to a Gibson. While it won't have the Prestige appointments, an Epiphone Les Paul provides versatile humbucker tones in a comfortable playing package.

Squier Stratocaster

Fender's budget Squier brand produces Stratocaster models that compete with the Ibanez PS60SSL in a similar price range. The Stratocaster shape is iconic and comfortable. Squier Stratocasters also feature double cutaway bodies and typically have a bright, articulate tone thanks to their single coil pickups. The Strat offers players a more vintage style and sound compared to the modern Ibanez.

Conclusion

The Ibanez PS60SSL electric guitar provides a high-quality instrument at an accessible price point. With its alder body and maple neck, it offers resonant tonewoods found on more expensive models. The Infinity R humbuckers are versatile pickups that can handle everything from rock to jazz. Controls like the coil-tap provide tonal variety, while the Edge tremolo offers great tuning stability and expressive effects.

Overall, the PS60SSL punches above its weight class. While the hardware and electronics may not be top-tier, they perform admirably for an instrument in this range. The playability and comfort of the Wizard III neck also belie the guitar's price. For intermediate players or those on a budget, the PS60SSL is an excellent choice that doesn't compromise on tone or feel. While it lacks some bells and whistles, it provides great value and reliability. For these reasons, the PS60SSL is highly recommended for rock, blues, jazz, and metal players looking for an affordable, well-rounded electric guitar.