Ibanez vs Schecter Guitars: Which Brand Is For You?

Ibanez and Schecter are two very popular guitar brands in the music industry! Especially among metalheads and shredders.

Ibanez and Schecter are both well-known in the metal world. They make guitars that are widely used for heavy musical styles. However, Ibanez has thinner necks and flatter fingerboards. Schecter, on the other hand, has a chunkier neck profile and a fuller body.

They both have their specific sounds and styles, but which one will reign supreme? In this Killer Rig article, we’ll do an Ibanez vs Schecter guitar comparison to find out.

Quick Overview: Ibanez Vs Schecter

Let’s first touch on some of the key takeaways before going into detail. Both of these guitar brands make great instruments. But they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

• Ibanez’s guitars are typical of higher quality. Their top models are made in Japan with better materials.
• Schecter’s guitars are also of good quality. But comparative models are made in Korea with lower-quality hardware.
• Ibanez has a wider range of guitars, covering more styles. However, Schecter’s range is growing every year.
• Ibanez has cheaper entry-level guitars in the Gio series than Schecter does.
• Schecters entry-level guitars tend to look nicer than Ibanez. You will find nicer body contouring and inlays. This is price and model dependent, of course.
• Both brands will provide you with a great guitar that will not disappoint!

History of Ibanez and Schecter Guitars

Guitars made by both companies have a long tradition of being high-quality instruments. They take pride in their work and strive to provide quality. But has it always been this way? Here’s a quick history of the two guitar brands.

Ibanez Guitars 

Ibanez guitars have a long history! Notably dating back to the late 19th century with a Spanish luthier named Salvador Ibáez. In 1929, the guitar began to gain popularity in Japan. Manufacturer Hoshino started importing Ibáez classical guitars.

But during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s, the authentic Ibáez workshop in Valencia was ruined.

This prompted Hoshino to start producing acoustic guitars in Japan. But all while using the Ibanez brand.

Hoshino was a pioneer in the mass production of seven and eight-string guitars. He was one of the first Japanese guitar manufacturers to establish a major presence in the import market. Especially in the US and Europe.

Ibanez started producing high-quality replicas of American guitars in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of its replicas, like the Ibanez Destroyer, were initially modeled on the Gibson Explorer. But later became legendary guitars in their own right.

Ibanez started creating their own guitar designs. But only after a couple of legal disputes. Through time, they have advanced from being a copycat to a trailblazer.

Ibanez is known for its fast, thin necks! But also top-notch in-house hardware, and creative designs. They also have progressed to become one of the top hard rock and metal guitar manufacturers.

Schecter Guitars 

Schecter Guitar Research was first established as a repair business in 1976. It was created by David Schecter with a location in Van Nuys, California.

The shop initially made replacement parts for Fender and Gibson guitars. But Schecter soon created full instruments of his own! Once his creations became so well-known among musicians.

In 1979, Schecter released his first fully built guitar. It bases most of its design on the iconic Fender brand. Only about twenty merchants nationwide offered the initial models of Schecter guitars. This is because they were regarded as high-end and pricey.

A group of Texas businessmen bought the business in 1983. The following year they started releasing dozens of guitars and basses.

The most well-known model in this series was a Telecaster-style guitar. It was modeled after Pete Townshend’s instruments.

Schecter has maintained its reputation as being one of the world’s top manufacturers of guitars. Today, the business provides a wide range of guitars! Even acoustics, basses, amplifiers, and effects units to customers across the world.

Check out our PRS vs Schecter comparison here!

Differences Between Ibanez and Schecter Guitars

What distinguishes Ibanez and Schecter guitars from one another? This section contrasts the two brands. We look at the sound quality, construction, design, playability, and musical genre.

Sound Quality 

When selecting the tone that you want, it’s the pickups that usually make the most difference. Both Ibanez and Schecter produce guitars that have active and passive pickups.

The humbucker pickups from Schecter are often designed for metal and rock tones. The Brimstone and Apocalypse sets are two examples of these top-notch pickups.

Their San Andreas pickup that gives a midrange boost to the tone is high quality. Aside from this, some of Schecter’s guitars such as the Hellraiser model use EMG pickups.

Ibanez frequently uses Fishman Fluence pickups in addition to active EMG sets. Fishman Fluence pickups provide a slightly more raw sound than EMG models. They typically have a stronger output and a softer tone.

In some other Ibanez guitars, you will also find Dimarzio pickups. These can also be very aggressive, yet smooth and so if you are a Steve Vai fan, you will know what I mean!

It should also be mentioned that the Fishman Fluence pickups have become popular! You will also find them in some of the Schecter guitars as well.

So in both cases, you will find high-quality sound from both guitars. It just comes down to what you want or need and the price point.

Check out our Ibanez vs Jackson comparison here!

Build Quality

The quality of Schecter’s hardware, electronics, and tonewoods has considerably improved! Especially over the past several years, leading to well-built guitars.

They take the time to construct them correctly, so Schecter guitars are of high quality. Not to mention the above-average quality control internally.

Ibanez also has a solid reputation for high-quality products. They provide high-end instruments for professionals.

But also entry-level guitars and basses of the highest caliber. Ibanez has established itself as a brand known for its fast, thin necks. But also top-notch hardware made in-house, and a unique range of guitar models and styles.

Ibanez also takes great care of their frets by treating the ends by rounding them. This prevents the frets from being sharp or interfering when playing on the neck.

Design

Ibanez is well known for its Superstrat body shape. This helped them become quite famous in the 1980s.

Especially among guitarists who played heavy metal and hard rock. They are the ideal guitar for shredding because they have fast necks and are very light.

With this, Ibanez guitars typically feature flatter, slimmer necks than Schecters. On several of their models, Schecter uses a thin-C neck, which are easy to play and quite comfortable. But the Ibanez necks are thinner yet and are great for lead playing!

Due to its slimmer and flatter profile, the Ibanez neck will feel faster than a Schecter. Although, the Schecter may feel more comfortable when playing barre chords. Schecter’s guitars also have stainless steel frets.

They tend to last longer than the nickel material of Ibanez models.

Feel

When it comes to playability and comfort, Ibanez guitars are typically more comfortable. This is thanks to their thinner necks. They are also quite lightweight, which increases the level of comfort.

The strings on an Ibanez guitar are also light from the factory. This allows you to experiment with various techniques. Because of this, Ibanez guitars are the ideal choice for beginners. Mainly because of how easy they are to play and how comfortable they are.

Schecter guitars, on the other hand, have slightly thicker necks. These are necks that some guitarists prefer.

Many players agree that Schecter’s compound radius necks are a lot more ergonomic. At least when compared to the Ibanez Wizard necks.

Just like Ibanez, Schecter considers every tiny detail and feature of their guitars. Which embodies the comfort that they offer.

Ultimately, these guitar brands make instruments that feel great! They are far more comfortable than others.

Music Style

Both Ibanez and Schecter guitars can be played in a variety of genres. Yet, both companies are known for hard rock and metal guitars.

Ibanez guitars appeal to metal players. This is because of their ultra-flat fingerboards and slim necks. Ibanez, like Schecter, has a reputation for being used only in heavy metal. They are both regarded as shredding guitars.

Despite being largely used and well-known for metal. Ibanez and Schecter guitars may be used to play any type of music, including jazz, blues, and soul. The guitarist’s abilities and interests are the only things that make the difference.

A lot of the models made by these two brands have coil tap switching that allows a player to get different sounds. This means that you can pull a switch and have a single-coil pickup tone.

So not only will these guitars do great cleans, but they can also pull off some mid-gain tones! Which is very versatile. This can provide a guitar player the ability to play many styles of music.

Price Range

Generally, Ibanez guitars are the more expensive of the two. Ibanez guitars are known for their quality and design. While Schecters are known for their quality and affordability.

Schecter guitars are a lot more affordable. Their models can play and feel like comparable guitars that are double their price. In that case, Schecter is a huge bargain for the price.

Both brands offer a wide range of different models, so it all depends on what you’re looking for. Both companies have also been around for years!

So they have a solid reputation to live up to in order to remain a viable manufacturer.

Below you will find a table with comparable guitars and price points. These are popular 6-string models from both companies.

7-string models are also available from both companies. In the table below, you will find comparable guitars and price points.

Who is More Popular?

When you look at the popularity of both brands, one does stand higher. Ibanez is a more popular brand than Schecter.

This is because Ibanez is a much older brand. And by many decades! When hard rock and metal were booming, Ibanez was there selling guitars.

Schecter has become a popular brand in the guitar world as well. But they are much younger, and so this plays a large role in their popularity. But as they continue to advertise and expand their offerings, their popularity grows.

As it is now, Ibanez is a more popular brand. They have had time to work through growing pains and claim their share of the market. They also keep making all the right moves, which will be hard to catch.

Conclusion

It comes down to personal preference when deciding between Ibanez and Schecter guitars. They are both great brands that offer quality instruments. If you are looking for a guitar that has ultra-thin fast necks, then Ibanez is a good option.

If you are looking for a guitar with a fuller body and versatile neck, then Schecter might be a better choice. Whichever brand you choose, you will be getting a great guitar.