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Ibanez S521 - Blackberry Sunburst

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Mahogany Body, 3-pc Maple Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, and 2 Humbucking Pickups - Blackberry Sunburst
$399.99

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Exceptional Sustain and Tonal Range

With a hot pair of humbuckers and a rock-solid fixed bridge, the Ibanez S521 solidbody electric guitar boasts aggressive tone with sustain that lasts for days. Five-way switching gives you more tonal combinations than you normally get with a dual humbucker setup, extending the range of this versatile instrument further. And if you're a fast player, you'll feel right at home with the sleek Wizard III neck profile. With a comfortably curvy body shape, the Ibanez S521 is the kind of guitar you can rock out with for hours.

Explore diverse tonal options with five-way switching

While you'd normally expect a three-way switch with a dual-humbucker guitar, the S521 packs a five-way switch for extra tonal range. Position one gives you the neck humbucker as you'd expect, while the second position puts its two coils in a parallel configuration. The third position gives you both pickups, while the fourth position gives you the inside coil of each pickup. The fifth position is all bridge humbucker. Guitarists at Sweetwater dig the extra tonal variety, and we know you will too.

Your fretting hand will fly on this Wizard III neck

One of Ibanez's fastest necks to date, the 3-piece maple Wizard III neck on the S521 is an absolute pleasure to play. This slim and super-comfortable neck lets you pull off lighting-fast runs and arpeggios with ease, but still gives you the substance you need for fretting chords when you need to. From the first time you put your hands on the S521's Wizard III neck, you'll know you've got a guitar that was built with performance in mind.

High-octane tone from dual quantum humbuckers

The S521 packs a pair of their popular Quantum humbuckers, voiced differently for maximum tonal range. The bridge position humbucker is voiced for aggressive chording and rhythm work, while the neck humbucker is a brilliant lead pickup: warm, yet snarling with an enhanced midrange output when you push it. Bottom line? If you're after aggressive tone with character, then the Ibanez S521 will give your amplifier what you need.

Ibanez S521 Solidbody Electric Guitar Features:

  • Sleek electric guitar with aggressive, wide-ranging tone
  • Maximum sustain and tonal impact from the fixed-bridge design
  • Wide tonal range from ceramic humbucking pickups
  • Perfect for fast, intricate fretwork thanks to the Wizard III neck profile
  • Comfortable to wear and play even during marathon sessions and gigs

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape S521 Standard
  • Body Material Meranti
  • Body Finish Gloss Polyurethane
  • Color Blackberry Sunburst
  • Neck
  • Neck Material 3-Piece Maple
  • Neck Shape Wizard III
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 15.75"
  • Fingerboard Material Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay Offset White Dots
  • Number of Frets 24, Jumbo
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Nut Width 1.692"
  • Nut Material Plastic
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece F106 Bridge with Individual Saddles
  • Tuners Ibanez Closed Gear
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Quantum Humbucker
  • Bridge Pickup Quantum Humbucker
  • Controls 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone
  • Switching 5-way blade pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings D'Addario, .009-.042
  • Case/Gig Bag Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: S521BBS

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

It's Perfect

Wanted to try the Wizard III neck after reading about how comfortable and fast it was but I didn't want to spend a small fortune in case I didn't like it, so I opted for S521. It arrived in usual Sweetwater fashion, on time and securely packaged. It arrived in tune and after playing for 2 days only needed to slightly tune one string, so the tuners work extremely well. The guitar is beautifully made and beautiful in appearance. The volume and tone knobs work throughout their range, not the on - off result that many less expensive guitars seem to have. The 5 way pickup switch produces 5 distinctive combinations that work for me. Other players may prefer a different pickup sound or set up but for a guitar at this price I don't think you could find better. Its light weight is a joy compared to my Les Pauls and my Strat.
Now about the Wizard III neck: It is the fastest most comfortable neck I have ever experienced. The neck is as straight as an arrow and solid as a rock. Forgive the metaphors. I contemplated having a Sweetwater set up for a low action and new strings, but decided to go with how it came out of the box. It came perfect. The action is so low that I need barely touch the strings. It is my first Ibanez and now I wonder why everyone doesn't play one. I have never loved a new guitar as much as I do this one.
Rated 5/5

As good as it gets for the price

I bought the S521 mainly because I read so many positive reviews of the wizard III neck and had to try one for myself. The "s" model is a very thin guitar and extremely lightweight ( less than 6 pounds ). The Wizard III neck is unbelievably comfortable and along with the flatter 15.75" radius fretboard it is very fast.
Mine stays in tune very well even after a series of crazy bends. The tuners work fine, but if I do any upgrades at all it would be to put a nice set of Hipshot locking tuners on it, but it would only be for personal preference.
The pups sound better than I expected when on neck or bridge , but do get a bit muddy when you put the 5-way switch in the 3rd & 4th position.
Like I said earlier it is extremely thin and lightweight, and has very nice contours making it the most comfortable guitar I have ever played whether sitting or standing. Because the body is so light it does have a bit of neck-dive, but it is easily overcome.
I have to say for a $... guitar this thing is very impressive and would make an excellent 1st guitar for anyone. You just don't get tired playing it and because the action is so nice it would be very gentle on a beginners fingers as well.
I have a Gibson Les Paul, PRS , SG , and a MIM Telecaster and this $... Ibanez is the easiest to play and most comfortable of them all. The PRS is still my favorite , but the Ibanez is a superb value and well worth buying.
Music background: Playing for 30+ years, non-professional
Rated 5/5

Ibanez s521

Best bang for the buck plays right out of the box ! A great looking guitar and has a great sound ...tuners are good they don’t loosen up after every song and nice sustain ....I wish it had been my first (look no further) .
Rated 5/5

Fantastic Quality, Great Guitar

This guitar has to be seen to be believed. It's absolutely gorgeous - the photos don't come close to capturing it. Beyond its amazing looks, everything on it was flawless - no finish flaws, frets were smooth and level, knobs changed volume and tone evenly (I hate knobs that do 90% of their work in 10% of their distance!), the tuners worked smoothly. The neck is nicely shaped and smooth and not sticky.

Trying to think of flaws - I had to tune it. Gasp! The intonation was fine and the neck was straight, though.

It *is* neck heavy. That's not an issue playing with a strap or on the left knee, but if you play strapless on your right knee, you might tire out holding the neck up.

The pickups are versatile in their sound output and have a nice clear sound.
Rated 5/5

What a Nice Beautifully Playing Guitar!!!

I had placed an order awhile back at SweetWater wanting to purchase an Ibanez S521 electric guitar and knew they were on back order and was willing to wait for a shipment to come in. Fast forward to now.

This past week I was online looking at other items on SweetWater's website and noticed that the Ibanez S521 was in stock. My eyes lit up with excitement so I sent Mike Harris (my sales representative) an email asking him if he was able to put one of these guitars on hold for me, and if he did was it sent to the luthier yet. I even spoke to another very kind employee (name escapes me now) on the phone who helped me by looking up my purchase order and assured me it was being taken care of. This is where I fully realized how efficient Mike is as he sent me an email with beautiful photos of the Ibanez S521 and told me the guitar had already been setup by the luthier and it had been shipped with tracking number included. Talk about amazing efficiency and learning just how good the employee's are at SweetWater!!

The day the Ibanez S521 arrived I was taking a shower as my wife and I were going to visit friends in Montana for their 4th wedding anniversary and spend a few days with them there. I just stepped out of the shower not knowing the guitar had already been delivered and my wonderful wife gave me a real pleasant surprise by unboxing the guitar, and when she heard me step out of the shower she opened the bathroom door and walked in like a model working for Bob Barker on Let's Make a Deal TV show, displaying my new beautiful Ibanez S521 in Blackberry Burst color scheme and I laughed out loud in total surprise that she was showing me the wonderful guitar that made the trip in excellent condition and how stunning it is to just sit and look at it. Since we were pressed for time to get on the road I left the new beauty (the guitar - not my wife) home and figured I'd have a positive experience when we arrived home from our trip.

Arriving home we did the usual stuff like empty the car putting clothes and luggage away. Once we were ready to settle in I opened the box the guitar had shipped in...stared at it for several minutes admiring it's beautiful design and sleek appearance...then turned on the amp...plugged in the guitar and began playing it. Again I want to thank SweetWater...from the purchase of the guitar...to the communications I received from Mike Harris and the excellent job the luthier did setting it up for me. I found absolutely nothing wrong with the guitar and after hearing it for the first time I knew I had made a good choice purchasing this guitar from SweetWater. Knowing there are many individuals who work at SweetWater, it's important to include those working behind the scenes also since they all have a hand in helping us receive the products we purchase...from inspections to quality control to them setting up the guitar to play well right out of the box!! Thank you all for doing such an amazing job that you do, and for making another purchase experience feel like I won the lottery again!!

The play-ability of this beautiful guitar is excellent and it's very easy on the eyes to look at. I just can't stop looking at it...it's that nice looking of a guitar to hold...to admire it's appearance and to play. I am placing it in the living room so I can look at it everyday and for the convenience of playing it when the mood strikes....like...all the time!! LOL Gratefully my wife understands my excitement and has enjoyed watching me play as she reads her book from time to time. This is my 2nd guitar I've purchased from SweetWater and they will get my business again...when I hopefully hone in on one more guitar I've had my eye on and make the purchase...hopefully in the very near future!! Again I want to thank all who have a hand in doing their jobs well and help make us feel a little special knowing they do an excellent job...doing what they do...taking care of business!!

One final point...I just love the candy SweetWater sends along with purchases made from them. It may sound silly but it's another nice touch they include helping their customers feel cared for and a little more special. Kudos SweetWater for having such a great business model!!
Music background: Self Taught Guitarist & Home Studio Recording
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