GIO GRX70QA

Name: Ibanez GIO GRX70QA — Transparent Black Sunburst
Brand: Ibanez
SKU: B006LE8AI8
Rating: 4.6 (2567 reviews)

Transparent Black Sunburst

The cheapest honest route into a fast neck and a humbucker at each end

7.2

Fretline score

Amazon rating

4.6 (2,567)

Price band

Under $300

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The short version

The GRX70QA has been Ibanez's entry-level workhorse for over a decade, and its appeal has never really been the quilted maple veneer that sells it in photographs. It is the neck. The GRX profile measures 19.5 mm at the first fret, which is thin by any standard, and pairs with a flat 12-inch jatoba fingerboard — the combination that makes Ibanez the default recommendation for players who want to move quickly. The HSH pickup layout is more useful than the HSS arrangement most rivals use at this price: humbuckers at both ends for weight, a single-coil in the middle, and a 5-way switch that splits into the half-positions for cleaner sounds. Note that Ibanez has revised this model over the years; current production is poplar-bodied with a jatoba board, where earlier runs used basswood and amaranth.

Score profile

Six axes, scored 1-10. These are editorial judgements about what this instrument delivers for the money — not measurements, and not anyone else’s ratings.

Build: 6.0
Tone: 7.0
Versatility: 8.0
Comfort: 8.0
Hardware: 5.0
Value: 9.0

7.2overall / 10

Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.

Full specifications

Full specifications for the Ibanez GIO GRX70QA
Body
Brand	Ibanez
Model	GIO GRX70QATransparent Black Sunburst
Body	GRX solidbody, double cutaway
Body wood	Poplar
Top	Quilted maple art grain
Neck & fingerboard
Neck joint	Bolt-on
Neck wood	Maple
Neck profile	GRX (19.5 mm at 1st fret, 21.5 mm at 12th)
Scale length	25.5" (648 mm)
Fingerboard	Jatoba
Radius	12" (305 mm)
Frets	22
Fret size	Medium
Inlays	White dot
Nut width	1.65" (42 mm)
Hardware
Bridge	Ibanez T106 tremolo
Hardware finish	Chrome
Electronics
Neck pickup	Infinity R (H)
Middle pickup	Infinity RS (S)
Bridge pickup	Infinity R (H)
Configuration	HSH
Electronics	Passive, ceramic magnets
Controls	Volume, tone
Switching	5-way blade
General
Type	Electric guitar
Strings	.009-.042
Finish	Transparent Black Sunburst
Orientation	Right-handed

28 verified fields. Specifications come from the manufacturer first, then the Amazon listing, then authorised dealers — sources are listed at the foot of this page. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.

The good and the bad

What we like

Genuinely thin GRX neck profile with a flat 12-inch jatoba fingerboard
HSH layout with a 5-way switch covers far more ground than a typical budget HSS
Infinity R humbuckers respond well to overdrive and pedals
One of the best-documented budget guitars on the market, with a huge owner base

What we do not

T106 tremolo loses tuning quickly under anything beyond light use
Non-locking tuners compound the tuning-stability problem
Pickups are unshielded and audibly hum
The output jack working loose is a widely reported nuisance

Who it is for

Skill level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedProfessional

Styles it suits

RockMetalBluesPunkPop

What owners and reviewers report

Patterns we found across published reviews and owner feedback. These are summaries of recurring themes — we do not reproduce or invent individual testimonials.

What comes up most

The neck and fingerboard combination is the most praised feature, described as fast and comfortable for solos and quick chord changes
The quilted maple art grain top is repeatedly called out as looking far more expensive than it is
Reviewers report the pickups handle high-gain overdrive well

Frequent complaints

Sub-par tuning stability, attributed to both the tremolo and the non-locking tuners
Unshielded pickups that hum
The input jack coming loose over time
Pickups described by some reviewers as bright or brittle without tone-control adjustment

Recognised strengths

Widely regarded as one of the strongest beginner instruments available, with several reviewers noting examples arriving playable without a setup
A common platform for hardware upgrades, precisely because the neck and body are worth upgrading around

Recognised weaknesses

Hardware quality is the clear limit of the instrument
Reviewers agree that heavy tremolo users should look elsewhere or block the bridge

The verdict

Buy it for the neck and the pickup layout, not the finish. For a beginner heading towards rock or metal, nothing else at this price gives you a genuinely thin profile, a flat board and humbuckers at both ends. The hardware is where the money was saved and it shows: the T106 tremolo will hold up to occasional vibrato and drift out of tune under anything more enthusiastic, the tuners are non-locking, and the pickups are unshielded so they hum. Treat the tremolo as a decoration, block it if you want stability, and you have an instrument that punches well above its price.

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