I upgraded to this guitar from an old and cheap no-name brand, and the difference is like night and day. The Ibanez sounds amazing even when unplugged, the sound is louder, richer and more vibrant. It's an absolute joy to play it and has low action which makes it easier on the fingers. It also looks stunning and unique with the tree of life inlay, and feels quite sturdy in hand. The low gloss finish is also better looking in my opinion and doesn't show fingerprints. As a minor downside, mine came with some of the fret wires slightly tarnished straight out of the box, even though the packaging seemed untouched so most likely it was due to Ibanez's quality control. However, Muziker guys have been extremely nice and sent me a fret cleaning kit to remedy the problem! Tldr; Love this guitar, love Muziker!