Gibson vs Ibanez:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Gibson and Ibanez were level in searches among guitar brands in New Zealand, with an estimated 2.4K branded searches each, at 18.9% and 18.6% of the total. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about guitar brands, Ibanez appeared in all five answers and Gibson in three. Ibanez was mentioned before Gibson in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Gibson and Ibanez are searched for about as often as each other.
Who does AI mention more?
Ibanez, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Ibanez, named ahead of Gibson in 4 of 5 answers
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Top guitar brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ibanez appeared in all five answers. Gibson was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Ibanez was listed before Gibson in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Fender1st
Yamaha Guitars2nd
Cort3rd- Ibanez4th
Gibson5th- Epiphone6th
PRS7th
Taylor Guitars8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Fender5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ibanez5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Yamaha Guitars4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Cort4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Gibson3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Epiphone2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Taylor Guitars2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- PRS2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about guitar brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which guitar brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best guitar brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best guitar brand in New Zealand for a beginner player?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“electric guitar nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best guitar brand”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Gibson or Ibanez more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Gibson and Ibanez by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight guitar brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Gibson, Ibanez. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Fender | Gibson | Ibanez | Epiphone | Yamaha Guitars | Taylor Guitars | PRS | Cort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.5% | 20.4% | 19.1% | 12.6% | 5.3% | 5% | 3% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.1% | 20.3% | 17.1% | 12.2% | 5.3% | 7.4% | 3% | 2.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.5% | 19.1% | 18.6% | 14.2% | 5% | 5.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.9% | 19% | 20.3% | 12.5% | 5.2% | 6% | 3.6% | 2.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 32.6% | 20.1% | 16.2% | 12.9% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 3.8% | 2% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.8% | 20% | 16.5% | 10.3% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.5% | 17.9% | 18.2% | 11.2% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 2% |
| May 2026 | 38.4% | 18.7% | 16.5% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 5.5% | 3.3% | 1.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.9% | 18.1% | 16.6% | 10.8% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 5% | 1.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.4% | 18.8% | 17.3% | 10.7% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 3.6% | 1.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.7% | 19.6% | 18.4% | 11% | 5.7% | 5.9% | 3.6% | 2% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.2% | 18.9% | 18.6% | 11.5% | 5.6% | 5% | 3.8% | 2.5% |
How has the Gibson and Ibanez comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Ibanez took it in January 2026, Gibson took it in February 2026, Ibanez took it in April 2026, Gibson took it in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gibson’s share of searches among guitar brands in New Zealand moved from 20.4% to 18.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.6K to 2.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ibanez’s share of searches among guitar brands in New Zealand moved from 19.1% to 18.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.5K to 2.4K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand guitar brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Gibson lost share of searches among guitar brands in New Zealand, from 19.6% to 18.9%.
Ibanez’s share of searches among guitar brands in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 16.6% to 18.6% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
20 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Gibson’s and Ibanez’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Gibson
10 branded search terms
- gibson acoustic guitar
- gibson bass
- gibson electric guitar
- gibson explorer guitar
- gibson firebird guitar
- gibson guitar company
- gibson hummingbird guitar
- gibson les paul
- gibson sg
- gibson sg standard
Ibanez
10 branded search terms
- ibanez
- ibanez acoustic guitar
- ibanez az
- ibanez bass
- ibanez electric guitar
- ibanez gio
- ibanez guitar
- ibanez jem
- ibanez rg
- ibanez ts
Other head-to-heads among guitar brands
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