Ibanez DN500 Electric Guitar  

I have had many guitars over the years (Gibsons, Fenders, Carvins ect) and this one is as good as any of them. I have built isnstruments and know a little about finishes and I can tell you this one is outstanding. The fretboard detailing and binding are flawless. Pickups sound great and the coild tap is nice. The single coil sound isnt as bright as a Fender but very usable for country or blues. This guitar is capable of covering any style. If I have any complaints it would be that this is a heavy guitar similar to  Les Paul or if anybody remembers the old ovation preachers.

i have owned many epiphone lp (customs, standards, and the 2010 tribute with gibson hardware and wiring, etc) and also a gibson les paul, and many ibanez and ltd and ESP guitars. this guitar has had the best quality control of them all. it stays in tune, the intonation is PERFECT (or as close to perfect as humanly possibly)!!!! (never thought i would be able to say that about a fretted instrument). tone was great with stock pickups. I ended up adding a Gibson 500t in the bridge for a little more power (i love the gibson tone and love explorers as well) It looks beautiful and has amazing bells and whistles (coil tap, binding, inlays, versatility, etc) This guitar has been one of my main guitars and will most likely stay in that position for many years to come. BUY THIS!!!!!!!!

The Ibanez DN500 "Darkstone" is not only a quality built, versatile and great sounding guitar.  It's also damn sexy. The overall fit and finish of the guitar is extremely tight, and you can tell that, even though it's manufactured in China, they have some serious quality control in place.  I was unable to find any blemishes in the finish at all. The neck-through design on this guitar is very comfortable - they've rounded off the entire area, which allows your hand to naturally move up the neck to the highest frets without obstruction.  It's slightly thicker than a LP, but not as thick as a Strat, and I find it to be comfortable and easy to play.  The action seems a bit high, even with the bridge lowered all the way, and the guitar strung with .11s.  I may need to experiment a bit, but it looks to me like the saddles are a bit taller than normal, and that's making the difference.  The fretboard is glass-like, and beautiful, and the quality follows suit with the rest of the guitar. Some of the frets were a bit rough upon arrival, but not so much that I needed a professional to condition them.  A couple of careful swipes with some very fine grit sandpaper did the trick. The body is nice and thick, and has a completely flat face, with the only ergonomic contouring being found on the upper-rear of the guitar.  While the flat face does make for a better look (in my opinion), it's not as comfortable as a guitar that is contoured, and I find myself noticing the edge pressing against my forearm after a couple of hours of playing.  It's not bad, just there.  The overall balance and weight are perfect if you like a substantial guitar.  It hangs right where you put it, and it's about as heavy as a LP.  The Sapele wood (a relative of mahogany) Ibanez used in this guitar feels dense, rigid, and durable, and the tone is gorgeous. The tuners feel tight, but not as fluid as Grovers.  The bridge and tailpiece are the result of some thoughtful engineering, and are very easy to adjust while being fully lockable in every possible way.  I would be surprised if other manufacturers didn't start releasing similar designs, as the DN500's hardware is just smart.  I did have to set up the guitar since it arrived with all of the saddles cranked to the front of the bridge (really?!?), but truly, it was a snap. The new PP1 pickups are HOT.  Luckily, they are also very clear and precise, and the coil-tap in the tone knob adds some versatility to your tonal arsenal.  You don't get the individual pole adjustments like you would on a standard humbucker, but I don't find myself missing it either.  Likewise with the universal volume and tone controls - you lose the individual pickup adjustments, but I find that I actually prefer the simplicity. Since the coil-taping feature adds some tonal variety, and with the overall quality and playability of the DN500, I can't find a whole lot of reasons not to recommend this guitar for most playing styles.