The AZ242BPB is an AZ series solid body electric guitar model introduced by Ibanez for 2021. It was produced in Indonesia as part of the mid-tier Premium line and was sold in very limited numbers by Japanese retailer Ikebe Gakki.
The AZ242BPB features a flamed maple top on an American basswood body bolted to a roasted maple neck with a roasted maple fingerboard with 24 stainless steel frets, black dot position markers and luminescent side dots. Components include a pair of Seymour Duncan Hyperion humbucking pickups, a Gotoh T1502 two-point synchronized tremolo bridge, a Graph Tech TUSQ nut, Sure-Grip III knobs, and Gotoh locking tuning machines with height-adjustable posts.
The AZ242BPB employs a dyna-MIX10 switching system (see diagram below) with an "Alter switch" toggle which allows the user to access ten distinct tones. The Alter switch appears to tap one coil of the humbucker (as opposed to a traditional coil-split which disables one coil completely) to achieve a sound similar to a single coil without the drop in output which typically accompanies a coil split.
The AZ242PBG is a similar model with gold hardware. The AZ242F and AZ242BFM are related models with flamed maple tops. The AZ242BC is a related model with a bocote top. The AZ242BQM is a related model with a quilted maple top. The AZ242 is a related model with a solid American basswood body.
