Love the pickups, great looking body, lightweight and it's super EZ to play. Cleans are gorgeous and I think the OD and lead tones sound very very good. I know it's nowhere near a top of the line Ibanez-- but the value this guitar provides stands out. Yes--- I did have to do a setup on this but I have to do that on EVERY guitar I buy these days.

The input jack for the cable there's a terrible design, you can actually chip the wood of the body because it's not an all metal input, also you cannot use a wireless system they don't fit at all none of them not even an extender. Plus I had string buzzing that the tech at the store was not capable of getting out of the strings. What I did like about this guitar was how lightweight it is and it did have a beautiful paint finish. But as always Guitar Center took it back I bought another Ibanez guitar that I'm now completely happy with.

Have owed this guitar for a few years now. It was my first electric guitar, but I had been playing an acoustic for a few years. I'm a 36 year old adult who was a beginner at age 30. This guitar is the reason I actually learned to play, and continued to play. I went to GC with an Epiphone LP that was on sale on my mind. The set up was terrible, and I started just playing everything else on the wall. I picked up the s521 and fell in love instantly. The neck is perfect for a beginner, but not just for a beginner. The thin neck makes it easy to fret, and the setting spacing seems wider than other guitars, so it helped me with chords. (I have thick hands, so other guitars were tougher to play without accidently muting other strings). The electronics are solid, and I would consider them very solid for the price point. This guitar is worth every penny, and truly worth more, especially when compared to Fender and Gibson products. To get a guitar of this quality, set up ready out of the box like this in Fender or Gibason, expect to pay close to double the price of this guitar.

Love the light weight and flat neck. And the looks.

My son chose this for his first guitar. He loves the look, feel, and that it is lightweight. The sound is awesome. The salesman at GC was surprised at the great sound and quality pickups. My son chose the red color and it looks awesome.

I don't know how other people got some rough versions of this guitar but (i got mine in ocean fade blue) my s521 came out of the box perfect. I havent had to set it up at all yet 6 months in. Frets are butter and overall is probably the most comfy guitar i own and have played. The wizard 3 neck really is some magic. Its a 24 fret neck that dosent feel like one length wise but it not downscaled like an esp because theres still plenty of room for you fingers up the neck even while having jumbo frets. Its simply perfect. I'll sit this guitar in my lap and play all day sometimes not even taking it off to play video games at my computer. Its that slim. But the tone is still there expecially in the neck pickup. Quite good on high gain as well (yes it djents) and the options for tone is crazy for a five way switch. Electronics click and twist with no fight or noise in the signal. It just changes. For preface i didn't buy this from guitar center i got it from american musical supply so that may have something it do with it. Theres is some crusted white stuff around the jack if you look hard enough. But this is thing is my baby.