A Lot of Guitar at a Solid Price — Just With a Story to Tell
The Ibanez AZES40 is the kind of guitar that makes you do a double-take when you check the price tag. Designed as part of the AZ Essentials line — Ibanez's way of bringing the celebrated AZ series to a broader range of players — the AZES40BK packs genuine features into a gloss black solid body that looks sharp and plays even better than it looks. Think fast neck, responsive body wood, and a pickup system that gives you real tonal options without needing to swap guitars mid-set.
This particular example comes to us as a B-Stock unit with a buff burn and sand-through on the back middle body. Cosmetically noted, set up by our in-house tech, and ready to play — at a price that reflects the blemish honestly.
Whether you're picking up your first electric or looking for a lightweight, versatile second guitar that won't keep you up at night worrying about dings, the AZES40 punches well above its class.
This item is a B-Stock guitar sourced directly from the manufacturer. It is new and has never been previously owned. The photos shown are of the exact instrument you will receive. Before shipment, our licensed technician will inspect and professionally set up the guitar to ensure it is playing its best. During our inspection, we noticed Buff burn and sand through on back middle body.. (see pictures) Please note, these may not be the only cosmetic imperfections. As a B-Stock instrument, there may be additional minor blemishes that are small in nature and do not affect playability or performance.
A Body and Neck Built to Move
The AZES40 centers around a poplar body — a tonewood that delivers a well-balanced response with solid sustain. Poplar keeps the guitar light and comfortable for long practice sessions or a full night of playing. Paired with a gloss polyurethane finish in Black, the double-cutaway body has a clean, confident look.
The maple neck is finished in satin polyurethane, which keeps things fast and comfortable under the fretting hand. Its AZES C profile — 20.5mm thick at the first fret and 22.5mm at the twelfth — is a slim, easy-to-grip shape that won't fight you. The All Access Neck Joint means the upper frets are genuinely reachable, not just technically present.
Jatoba Fretboard and a Player-Friendly Scale
The jatoba fretboard brings a reddish-brown character to the neck along with a mid-range focused response and crisp high end. White dot inlays keep navigation clean and simple. With 22 medium frets across a 9.84" radius, the board offers a comfortable, forgiving surface — not too flat, not too round — that works well for chording and single-note playing alike.
The 25" scale length is a deliberate choice. It's slightly shorter than the standard 25.5", which makes bending a touch easier and reduces tension for players working on technique. It's a real scale length that you'll grow with, not a compromise.
Nine Tones From One Guitar — The dyna-MIX9 System
The AZES40's electronics setup is genuinely more interesting than the price suggests. The HSS pickup configuration features a pair of Essentials single-coil pickups at the neck and middle positions alongside an Accord humbucker at the bridge — all passive ceramic designs. You get the chime and clarity of single coils AND the thickness of a humbucker, right there on one guitar.
What makes it stand out is the dyna-MIX9 switching system with Alter Switch. Beyond the standard 5-way pickup selector, the Alter Switch unlocks a total of nine distinct pickup combinations — including series wiring of the single coils and coil-split options on the humbucker. That's a wide tonal range available without ever touching an amp setting. The T106 tremolo bridge with comfort round steel saddles rounds things out with smooth vibrato action and reliable intonation, while the split-shaft Ibanez die-cast tuners keep things in tune without fuss.
Product Features:
-
Body: Poplar, solid body construction, gloss polyurethane finish
-
Neck: Maple, AZES C profile, satin polyurethane finish, bolt-on with All Access Neck Joint
-
Fretboard: Jatoba, white dot inlays, 9.84" (250mm) radius
-
Scale & Frets: 25" scale length, 22 medium frets
-
Nut: 1.65" (42mm) wide plastic nut
-
Pickups: HSS — Essentials (S) neck, Essentials (S) mid, Accord (H) bridge — all passive ceramic
-
Switching: dyna-MIX9 system with Alter Switch + 5-way selector — 9 total pickup combinations
-
Bridge: T106 tremolo with comfort round steel saddles, 10.5mm string spacing
-
Tuners: Ibanez die-cast machineheads with split shaft
-
Hardware: Chrome throughout
Brand: Ibanez
Model: AZES40BK
SKU: AZES40BK-2ND|I251108553
Condition: B-Stock
Since 1872, C.A. House Music has been helping musicians across the Ohio Valley find the right gear -- with real advice from a team that actually plays. We're your authorized dealer of all the big names in guitars, keyboards, band instruments, drums, pro audio, and more. With four family-owned and operated locations in Ohio and West Virginia (plus a full online store), you don't have to go far for instruments, lessons, rentals, and repairs. No matter your musical needs, our team of musicians wants to help you Play Music for Life.
