Ibanez Artcore Af55 Hollow Body Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Great guitar for beginners. Looks better in your hand than in the photo. Quite loud acoustically (without amp). Came tuned with strings provided no extra fee. Delivery as stated next working day. Very satisfied overall.Dean

Received new guitar – fret buzz all over, bridge saddles were touching each other and causing vibration buzz. Originally, I raised action (still buzz) and then adjusted truss rod – still buzzing. Almost returned guitar due to bad buzz. (Utter frustration at this point) Tried one last thing: Loosened strings and started on low E string string (thickest string) – moved bridge saddles so not touching for all strings one by one ( string order E, A, D, G, B, E). Fret buzz or general buzz gone. Lowered string height first — still no buzz and then adjusted truss rod back to original position ( I added more relief originally but not necessary since neck bow was not problem) . Fret buzz still gone and now action is much lower and fast. Great guitar super light in weight – Have Vintage natural finish, finish has no gloss or very low gloss but looks great. Watch bridge saddles that our touching too much, mine had almost no space and jammed next to each other causing buzz or vibration. Watch for this problem on string changes, only need a tiny space.SolarEclipse

I really like everything about this AG75. I was pleasantly surprised. The pickups are very sensitive and responsive, over the full aural range, and with utmost clarity. The slim D neck and finely finished fretboard affords comfort with low and fast action! The overall body integrity is impressive with attention to detail. I have been playing it exclusively for three weeks, and like a good book, it's hard to put down! Makes hours of otherwise monotonous practice FUN and enjoyable again! Just a slight problem with "honking," but it was very easy to adjust it away with the pickup height adjusters. I prefer this over my other two Ibanez Artcore AF types, and they are fine as well. My highest recommendation, especially if you can buy it for under $500.00, total! Sounds and plays like a $2-Grand Gibson when set up and intonated properly.rgwhitlock

WAY better than I expected. I wanted an inexpensive yet playable 335 style axe, and after researching extensively, settled on this one. When it arrived, I gave it intense scrutiny, and after playing it for a bit decided to do the following: polish the frets (they were a little "gritty" on bends) and LOWER the action a bit. I didn't have to touch the neck truss rod at all! The fit and finish were perfect. I then changed strings going to my normal 11's (it comes with 10's) and hemp oiled the fretboard in the process. Then I intonated it…it was close out of the box, but needed a slight tweak. Then I played it for 4 hours at band rehearsal and grew increasingly impressed with the tonal characteristics of the pups Don't let anyone tell you that the pups are in need of replacing. They are fine, and have just enough "bite" to cut through the band mix. I happen to like ceramic pups over Alco's. We do everything from Dire Straits to George Benson to Frank Sinatra to the Stones and George Strait. This axe can handle them all. I particularly like having only ONE volume and tone pot…no one has the time in a live setting to adjust 4 knobs until the "sweet spot" tone mix is achieved. Studios? Yes. Live? No. Next, I installed a LesTrem vibrato and roller bridge I had and they literally just dropped in. All said, I love this guitar. I have Fenders, A custom made Carvin DC-127 and have also had Gibsons and Epiphones. They are all fine instruments. But the neck on this gem stands above them all. And I like the medium frets over the medium jumbo's that most manufacturers put on their guitars. It's a great little player and definitely a keeper. But if you find one, snap it up because they are telling me that the next shipment won't be for 6 months!!! I had to call three sellers before I could find someone who had them in stock. Ended up with AMS, who did a fine job in the sales end.Jazzer John

I've been a pro live player for nearly 50 years. This is my first Ibanez. I bought it just to have a 335 style axe for variety. When it arrived, and I unboxed it, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the fit and finish of the guitar. But the proof is in the playing. After playing it for a few hours and making a few minor adjustments to bridge height, neck tension, et al, I fell in love with it. Forget what people say about the pickups…they're just fine. A pickup is just wire and magnets, and all the hype about tone differences is just that…hype. Some pups are louder than others, but that's why amps come with volume and tone controls. Use 'em!. These pups are a nice "in between" of single coil "bark" and hummer "deep." Which makes this axe able to handle anything from jazz to country. I can't leave a good thing alone, so I mounted Hipshot locking tuners that I had in my parts box on it, a new Tusq nut, and found a perfect old Bowen Handle trem to mount on the TOM studs. Then I polished the frets, gave a file to the fret ends (some small fret sprout) and dressed them… now the beast is comparable to my Carvin DC-127 koa body $1500 guitar in ease of playability. I'm serious. This axe is a sleeper worth three times the cost. I especially like the fact thatit only has one volume and one tone control…who has time to adjust FOUR knobs when playing live, right. This is easy to use, easy to reach, and the pots are just fine without scratch of slop.expertprinter0

It's an Ibanez. I am a long time Ibanez fan. Even when they started the Artcore series. I own for PRS CU24's; American Fender Strat Deluxe and Tele; Les Paul elegant and Explorer. Except when I'm playing with our group I'm usually on one of my Ibanez. If they are lower end units like this I expect to change the electronics, nut and tuners. I did the tuners and had planned on installing Seth Lovers. Mean while I put some A4 magnets in the pickups and… NO SETH LOVERS! I love the tone, the responsiveness/sensitivity. See can be smooth as silk with the volume back or nice and crunchy @ 10. Pinch harmonics reach out and grab you in a nice way. Other than the tuning pegs, nut and strap locks she'll stay this way for at least a while. I got her for the color (I'm not into green guitars or fade finishes but she caught my eye for some reason) and what a friend "the Pickle" has become.Mondron

This is an extremely nice guitar, especially for the price. Great action, set-up, and play-ability straight out the box. Humbucker pickups are nice and warm, giving a nice "dark" tone to the guitar (strong bass and mid-tones) to my ears. Good variation of range of tone from the bridge and neck pickups and so is quite versatile. Lovely overtones/ harmonics going through a Blues Driver into an Orange Micro Terror — you can rock with this! — and the guitar combined well with a Roland Jazz Chorus 22 cancelling out some of the brightness of this amp. Quality of components and finish is very good. It's also a light guitar in terms of weight, so it's a practical instrument to play on stage, especially if you have a long gig — and are starting to get on a bit, like me. Of course, it's green, which might put people off, I guess… Then again, it's very eye catching and people won't miss it on stage! In summary, a great guitar at a great price that provides a different blues or jazz tone in addition to your other instruments.Damian F.

I sat down with the Ibanez AF75 at Guitar Center for over 3hrs. I had traded in a guitar and wanted a jazz/blues machine. I had come in with the Ibanez in mind, but also I had my eye on the Epiphone Wildkat, and the Epiphone Dot. I liked the tone of each, but I kept coming back to the Ibanez. Overall, the build on the Wildkat was poor; it couldn't stay in tune even without using the tremolo. I have owned several Dots over the years and had the same problem with each, the necks broke when adjusted, not by myself, but by 3 different luthiers. The Ibanez just has this warmth to it. Unplugged it sounds like every other semi hollow, maybe a bit tinnier, but plugged in, it just sings. This is perfect for blues/jazz/rock/ or in my case, being in the worship band at church. Do yourself a favor, go to Guitar Center, tune one up, and sit with it for 15min on your favorite amp, just a little overdrive and some reverb, and you will see exactly what I mean. Fantastic instrument. Unbelievable price for this quality. Mine stays in tune like a champ. Minor adjustments every few days. Can't believe it.Davetheworshipguy

Overall: I just got this 3/27/2018, after my Gretsch Streamliner was stolen by a FedEx driver a week earlier and marked it as it was delivered and it was not. but when I followed up a couple days later. I was told by a zZounds customer service rep, that the driver told them he had lost it? So I bought this Ibanez and it is indeed blemished at the neck pocket, just a hair line crack in the finish not the support foundation. the guitar has a very nice acoustic tone and the pickups sound good as well. I recommend prepping the neck nut and the intonation bridge or your strings will not slide smoothly and will hang up and you will be out of tune. the electronics meaning the volume/tone, Input jack and 3way toggle are very cheap but work with a little noise when turning the controls. being in the wholesale / retail business zZounds is paying less than half what it is being sold for in most cases. buy it blemished and save a few dollars…it is a good instrument, plays well and sounds good and I will take it to my next Jazz gig.Chuck

I bought a used (maybe five years old) model of this guitar. Changed the strings and that was that. Can a used Chinese made guitar become a favorite? Yes it can. Yes it has. The construction and finish details on this guitar are at a level of the best American Fenders I have played. Vastly superior to the recent Gibson's, which are, in my view, a disgrace. Set up properly this guitar is very comfortable with no issues such as bridge, nut or tailpiece problems. I am truly amazed. The pickups are not great but with proper amp EQ it will make some very warm music for you.jazznotes

Overall: Thanks again zZounds for fast, efficient service and your awesome payment plans! I've literally done the 'Pay To Play' thing with you guys about a dozen times now; I have some nice equipment that I would've had to save up for, or had to forego completely because of cost. Your return policy is awesome: the very few times I've ever gotten a defective product, you either replaced it promptly or refunded my money. Outstanding!!!Now, to the Ibanez AM 53: I am truly amazed at the quality that is present in this guitar for the $299.00 cost! First, lets hit the basic, "must-haves" for a playable & enjoyable guitar: 1. Truss rod adjusted properly; Yes! 2. Frets level, no dead spots, no sharp ends; Yes! 3. Electronics function quietly & correctly; Yes! 4. Decent, playable strings from factory; Yes! 5. Smooth, well-executed neck; Yes! Subjectively, I find the 'Matte Gloss' type of finish on this guitar beautiful. The finish is also objectively very easy on the hands, as the back of the neck is smooth, and easy to move around on. I find the sound from the pickups to be very good, especially at this price range. To my ears, they do lack a bit of 'sparkle', maybe, but it's not anything to complain about at this price! In fact, when I finally get around to changing pickups (if I do), they will cost approx 2/3 the cost of the whole guitar! The pickups sound good both clean and distorted, and with the Volume knob all the way up, along with the Tone backed down a bit gives a decent amount of 'growl' for a guitar of this style, especially into a decent tube amp. This guitar even sounds decent played purely acoustically: I love not necessarily needing to plug in just to try out an idea; I can get the feel of an electric while having a semblance of the sound of a real acoustic. My friend has an acoustic guitar amp, and I can't wait to hear it through that. Overall, easily one of the best purchases of a new guitar I've ever made. Highly Recommended!Jeffrey

The Ibanez Artcore Expressionist Series is an exceptional line. The AG95 was over sold by Ibanez and a new one, (NIB) w/tags is now hard to find. I bought one of the last from Munro Music In NY – a wonderful music store to do business with. There were currently only a few remaining in The States and Munro Music had one. I bought it and I Love it. Never played a guitar with flat-wound strings, so I thought I'd give it a try. Very smooth with tons of tone and sustain. The body is not as big as a Byrdland and overall easier to handle. The electronics are clean with plenty of roll-on room. The 22 frets on the AS93 are a bit easier to access than the AG95. But, if you want a Gibson Byrdland and can't quite afford one, you can't go wrong with this guitar. Absolutely exceptional.practicalityplus_01

These Ibanez jazz archtops are mind-blowing excellent bang-for-buck value. Now all i've got to do is learn to play the thing, :)) watch out Joe Pass here i come! There's only room for one Joe in this here town. (Seriously, the guitar arrived perfectly set up action-wise, yes, slightly out of tune, detuned during transit, but once corrected, what a beautifully crafted instrument even though the top and back aren't genuine hand carved, but who cares? Not me. The way it plays and sounds both unplugged and plugged in is simply stunning. Man, I love it… Ibanez, you guys are tops! :))Josh F.

Looks are stunning. Sound is great. Pups have high output despite "medium" description. Rocks with all genres of music (Jazz to metal). Love that I can use my clean channel for both sparkle and overdrive just by turning up the vol. The 3 position switches for coil tapping aren't really necessary, but you can "kind-of" sound like a single coil Pup. Dont buy this if you want to sound like a strat style coil. This guitar can give a Les Paul studio are run for its money.Gerry

It's shipped with protective foam underneath the floating bridge. While I understand this is designed to protect the surface in transit, it creates a situation where the bridge needs to be taken off in order to remove the protective foam. Ultimately this is not a major issue, as you're likely going to want to set up the guitar anyway, but it struck me as odd.T as in Tsunami

Overall: Got my new guitar today. I opened the box, looked great; turned it and started to play. The action was dead on and the sound is just what I was looking for in a hollowbody. Thanks for the fast shipping and great service.Norbert

After months of searching for my next guitar I finally settled on the Ibanez Prestige AZ series. As a lifelong strat player, my goal was to find a guitar that married modern features with classic American Strat-like qualities. The obvious choice might be the modern Suhr series, but the pricing on those was too high for me to even entertain exploring. The Ibanez Prestige AZ2402 is the perfect rendition of the featuree I was looking for and after 3 weeks of playing, I could not be happier with this purchase. I was able to secure the guitar for a few hundred less than new, as it was labelled as "minor blemish" on the AMS site. I immediately jumped on it and am ecstatic that I did so. To this day 3 weeks later, I cannot tell what the "blemish" could be. This thing looks, feels, plays and sounds like a brand new guitar. Out of the box the guitar was set up and only just slightly flat of tune. To meet my preference, some minor adjustments were made to the neck and bridge, but the 20 minutes or so that it took to slap some fresh strings on and make the measurements was well worth it. I have even had to do this on product that was brand new before, so I could not even attribute this to the "minor blemish" label. Th pickups are amazing. The coil switch mechanisms are great for added versatility, but the standard humbuckers are excellent and the guitar should still be considered even if you do not plan to use the switching system. The neck is super creamy and clear as a bell, while the bridge is just hot enough for metal and crystal clear enough to jangle some clean chords. The bridge is very solid with comfortable saddles and screams top quality. Tuning stability has not been any sort of issue, even with the use of the bar. I am not an extreme whammy bar user, but I did do some tests on deep dives and the guitar tuning needed no adjustment afterwards. In fact, since I changed the strings and did the setup on the second day, the guitar has not gone out of tune at all. I will highlight that the neck is way thicker than what I was anticipating, but in a few hours I was right at home with the feel. I have played many wizard necks and it simply was not what I was looking for, being accustomed to chunkier modern strat necks. The AZ neck is big, chunkier than the strat but I am now in love with it and this guitar has become my go to #1. Definitely recommend even at the full new price. This same guitar made in the US with all the exact same appointments would cost in excess of 4K. Great Guitar!Ryan

Sound: The Hyperion pickups do a great job overall and offer up a nice array of different sounds for just about every style of music. When in HH mode it goes from blues to rock and beyond with no problem. When the DynaMix switch is engaged the guitar takes on a completely different characteristic from jangly to warm and has some great tonal options for clean and crunch. I like the versatility of this guitar. It takes a bit of time to get used to all the options and you’ll have to tweak your EQ here and there to avoid them sounding thin or shrill, but I think you'll be able to find quite a few useful tones with this guitar. Features: The Gotoh tuners are sturdy and stable. The ratio is great and they really smooth with no issues at all holding tune. I had never used them before and I had to YouTube how to unlock them lol, but they work great. I prefer locking tuners with the knob on the back, but that's just personal preference. The Gotoh bridge feels spectacular. The titanium saddles are so smooth, no more rubbing your palm raw over rough saddles or screws. I don't use a trem much these days but it does a good job staying in tune even with some dive bombs and flutters. The roasted maple neck is beautiful and has a great smooth feel on the back. The cutaway and contours are very comfortable and the recessed input jack is a thoughtful highlight. And yes, most wireless transmitters will fit. I could not get my Line 6 G10 transmitter to fit in the AZ Premium I had. The Prestige is not as deeply recessed and the transmitter fits just fine. This is my first go around with stainless steel frets but I do like the feel of them and they look good too. Ease of Use: It’s a fairly straightforward guitar to use and maintain. Nothing overly complicated here. Changing strings on a 2 point trem is a breeze compared to Floyd Rose or Edge terms and with the locking tuners you can get through the task in just a few minutes. All the back panels open easily for access to trem springs, input jack, and electronics. The exposed truss rod socket makes adjusting the neck a snap. The included multi-tool is really all you will ever need for quick changes. Quality: This is where everyone will say they have high end made in America PRS, or Custom Shop whatevers and this is just as good or better. They will say that for a good reason because it’s the truth. Fit and finish are spectacular. No gaps or wiggles to be found. Fret work and fingerboard are simply top notch. It feels like it’s been your guitar for years. Electronics are smooth and there is an overall premium feel to this instrument. The hype is real…. FujiGen makes great guitars. Value: Value is a subjective measure. This is an expensive guitar for sure but when compared to similar “modern player” guitars out there the 2402 sits right in the middle price-wise. I feel it’s well within reason for what you get and it’s a good value for your money. I’d rather get a painted body with stainless steel frets than a bookmatched top and standard frets. Manufacturer Support: Haven't needed it The Wow Factor: In my humble opinion the wow factor is somewhat unseen. The story behind the AZ series is quite novel in that Ibanez reached out and met with some of the best and brightest guitarists around today. Over a period of 2 or 3 years and through several prototypes they compiled all of those suggestions into this amazing series of instruments. If all the artists involved really feel that this is their ultimate guitar then that’s pretty wow in my book. Overall: OK first let’s talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room. That neck!!!! If you have done any research on the AZ series you already know it’s not a Wizard neck, but you may be surprised at how big it is. When I first grabbed it I was thinking I was going to return it, but after playing on it for a few days it felt like home. Like a lot of things about this guitar, the neck is a paradox. It shouldn’t feel this comfortable to someone who prefers Charvel and Jacksons, but it does. It doesn’t feel like a shred neck, but you can play that way remarkably well on it. It has its own unique shape like nothing I’ve played before. If I had to compare it to something I’d say somewhat resembles a Fender American Elite neck but more of a U shape with bigger shoulders. I can say that I don’t notice a huge change when going back and forth with my other guitars. It’s easy to transition between them without a lot of readjustment time to ‘get the feel’. I’ve seen a lot of forum posts asking about how the AZ Prestige stacks up to other instruments. Here’s my opinion. I own a Charvel Pro Mod DK24 HSS with the roasted neck and I really like that guitar a lot. The 2402 is a little lighter and sleeker and has a higher quality feel. I think the Hyperions as humbuckers are more versatile than the Full Shred. The 2402 neck is thicker and feels a little wider vs the DK which is more like a very thin Strat neck. I also briefly owned the Premium version of this guiAllan

So many professional guitar players choose this Ibanez Prestige AZ2402 and when you get your hands on one you know exactly why. Where to start?!? First off the Japanese craftsmanship on these guitars a second to none! Perfect execution in every way! Neck, body, frets, tremolo everything just fits together in joyful harmony to make for an awesome axe that practically plays itself. Stainless steel frets will last a life-time and pickups offer a wide array of tone arsenal. If you need just one axe in your collection i would recommend this for sure. Its worthy of calling it your #1 if you are a shredder, prog, or jazz player. This guitar is for everyone!usbzoso

Overall: I was not sure what to expect when I ordered this guitar because of the low price point for a book matched flame maple top semi hollowbody guitar. This guitar is just beautiful to look at. The finish is perfect and I could not find a flaw in it. I ordered the blue one. The neck is a little hefty but that gives the feel of it some sturdiness which is a good thing. The neck is surprisingly fast and the fretwork is so much better than I would have expected considering the price. The sound? Nice and beefy and what you would expect for a 3000 dollar Gibson. But this cost 500. What a steal. The Elite pickups are very nice sounding and this guitar sustains for days playing with some distortion. This is at home playing some rockabilly, country or hard rock and I especially like it distorted; it has a big fat low end and a nice treble bite. And the neck is fast! I recommend this guitar for any type of playing. Buy one! You won't be disappointed!Mark

I am really loving the Ibanez AS53 Semi-Hollow! This is my first time purchasing a semi-hollow and it sounds fantastic. It's a little bit lighter than I expected (although not much) and the finish is gorgeous. Also, Sam Ash had a really good deal on it and a staff person was extremely helpful through the website's chat. The guitar had to be shipped because my local Sam Ash didn't have it in stock, so I was kind of worried that the guitar would be damaged en route… fortunately, it arrived in perfect condition!Joseph

To start, this guitar has a great sound. But I have been very disappointed with it its workmanship. I have had the guitar for less than a year. It has multiple cracks, including a large crack where the neck meets the body (I have never dropped it). Now, the input jack is displaced and I can't plug the guitar in. After I discovered the cracks, I took the guitar to guitar center, and they would not help me. I called Ibanez, and while they said they might help me out, I need to ship them the guitar and they will NOT pay for shipping. Either way, I am out time and money on this guitar due to questionable workmanship.Sam

The Ibanez AF55 Artcore Hollowbody electric guitar with the tobacco flat finish is not only a great looking guitar but it sounds simply amazing! If you are in the market for a high quality hollowbody guitar that won't set you back a month's pay then look no further. This is my 2nd Ibanez Artcore guitar purchase and to say you really get your moneys worth with an Ibanez guitar is a huge understatement. In my opinion(I've owned many guitars over the years) it's one of the absolute best hollowbody guitars that's available on the market today.taylor2617

This guitar had a neck pickup that had string spacing that didn't match the strings. The high E and B string were completely out of line with the poles. I returned it and ordered another on. There was a very bad fret buzz at the nineth fret. These are made in Indonesia. I think they need to upgrade their quality control.grassvalleyman

At the base price, I was wondering how well made this would be but I wanted the white/ivory color so I bought it and I am glad I did. I had a guitar that cost a lot more and since I generally only keep one guitar (I am not a hoarder) I wanted to see which I liked better. Of the two, this one was easier for me to play. I like the big hollow-body feel and sound as well. The pickups would be the cheapest part but they are more than passable (though sound is personal and pickups can be changed). The guitar has a lot of heft (weight) to it in, what I consider, a good way. The neck is thicker than what I expected from Ibanez, although it is a hollow-body and not one of their metal guitars. Personally, I will change out the strings for Elixirs, the tuners for locking tuners, and put a Duesenberg tremolo (vibrato) on it (and maybe a roller bridge)(All personal preferences). But even now it is a great guitar to play. I did buy the Ibanez AS100C case for it here on MF (see comment there on the case). This is a great guitar and if anything happened to it I would buy another. It may sound expected in a commentary like this but I would say this is the best guitar I ever owned and I have owned all the brand names. That said, to each their own.BrazilBill

I'm a beginner so I can't say for sure what a super high quality guitar feels like, but I have definitely felt some cheap ones and this does not feel like those. Everything seems to be put together nicely. The action seems pretty good out of the box, and it doesn't seem to have any problems staying in tune after breaking in your strings. Personally, I'm not sure if I would get this rose gold color again. It looks nice, and matches the hardware very well, but to me something about the satin finish makes it feel cheaper than it is. Maybe if the neck was exposed wood instead of painted over I would feel differently, but I'm not sure. It is still a very nice looking guitar and anyone would be happy to own it.Nicolas

I play rhythm guitar in a small combo. Fit and finish on this guitar is excellent. The pick-ups sound very nice for my application. No neck dive. I recommend this guitar to anyone seeking a nice semi-hollow body guitar.Wayne

Overall: I have never purchased a guitar online but my have things changed. My Son ordered an Ibanez AS7312 as a gift for me. I unboxed it and it was stunning and I am particular. I looked high and low for a flaw but found none. I checked the neck relief, it was perfect, fret rocker, perfect – fret sprout, none, it was tuned 1/2 step down and the intonation was as close as you could with 6 saddles on a 12 string guitar. Then I plugged it in and I remembered why I missed my old 12 string so much. All I can say is great job Ibanez and great job zZounds.Stan

I have owned my Ibanez Artcore AS7312 for about a year now, and I will say it is one of the best guitars I own…..and I own many. I was looking for an electric 12 string without the price tag of a Rickenbacker. Even though I looked at this Ibanez many times, it took me a while to order it because I was trying to decide if on a semi hollow body design that the jangly, cutting thru sound that I was looking for would be there. When the guitar came in and I plugged it into my Fender Twin I could not have been happier. The sound continues to amaze me even after a year of hearing it. I don't think I realized at the time I ordered it that it had a solid maple block that the pickups were mounted into much less realize what a difference in the sound, and sustain that this would make. The solid center block, and the back and sides are all maple. The block gives the guitar bite and sustain, while the maple back and sides tends to project with a more brighter sound…….perfect for a great 12 string sound….at least to me anyway. I should have known Ibanez would know what they were doing, but I guess I more equate Ibanez with solid body guitars so it took me a while to order it. I equally enjoy just putting on 6 strings and playing it that way too. I have a '64 ES-335 but I actually like the sound to this guitar better probably because it sounds more like a solid body and that is mostly what I play. It was a little hard pressing down 12 strings until I read that a lot of players tune down a whole step and then capo back up to the 2nd fret. This made all this difference and was then easy to play. This guitar has a great action, great tone, and is pure elegance and eye candy on stage, lol If you're looking for a great 12 string electric at a decent price I would highly recommend this guitar.kareydunn1805

First of all the AR420 is a beautiful looking guitar with the abalone giving just a perfect amount of bling. The setup and action were great out of the box. The pickups are pretty good sounding alnicos and the tritone switching on each pickup give a wide variety of tones. The parallel sounds are a great alternative to the full humbucker and aren’t as thin as the split coils. The neck is very comfortable, fret ends are well finished and the hardware all seems fine. I find it very nice to play and easy to get the sounds I want. Design-wise the shape gives very good access to the upper frets but that also leads to the primary drawbacks, neither of which is an enormous issue for me but just annoying. Firstly the guitar is neck heavy so it does want to dive and secondly the pickup selector switch is directly above the neck pickup as it had to be brought forward towards the bridge due to the cutaway. That does make it susceptible to being knocked while playing with a resultant pickup selection change. Overall I am very happy with this guitar.Andrew C.

I bought the AG95 from MF about two months ago and like it a lot. I have over a dozen guitars but this is my first hollow body. My cousin (who doesn't play) remarked how classy it looks (next to a GLP Studio and Martin acoustic). I closely inspected it for manufacturing/production flaws, but found none. The binding and finish are clean, even, and neat. The neck seems to be straight and the frets (and ends) are smooth. The neck feels like it is between a (2014) Gibson LP Studio and Traditional with very low action. It also stays in tune well. I did make some adjustments to my taste. I lowered both pickups as they seemed nearer the strings than I would like and raised the bridge height a little. This had no apparent affect on its easy playability, but did seem to lessen the output. It now produces very nice clean tones through a small Marshall amp with a little bit of "quack" with the volume knobs at 9/10. The tone can also be easily altered via the pick up selector and tone knobs. This is a very beautiful guitar with the gold hardware against the dark bubinga. I was torn between this and the FM and QM versions. All my research indicated Super 58 pick ups on this one and Super 58 Customs on the FM and QM versions. I can't verify if this is so, but whichever it is – they sound very nice. A word of caution – there is packing foam under the floating bridge. I loosened the strings a little until I could remove the foam without moving the bridge.C-Ville Brent

The AG95 is a smaller bodied / hollow body guitar. And, as such, is a featherweight compared to some more well-known solid body or semi-hollow body guitars. However, the pickups pull that mid-range out so distinctly and smoothly which allows you to add as much treble to the top, or bass at the bottom that you want to hear. It's a very comfortable to play guitar, and the coloring deserves a big round of applause for Ibanez. The downside (if this is a downside – nah) is that, as a true hollow body, it will cause some humming in a small setting. However, nothing a few dishtowels or rags stuffed in the f-holes won't fix! So, that's not really a negative factor, as most hollow bodies do the same, no matter how much you spend. All-in-all, this is a classy, comfortable, and beautiful guitar to play. And you can dress the tone up or down easily to your liking.jimbo210492

I really like everything about this AG75. I was pleasantly surprised. The pickups are very sensitive and responsive, over the full aural range, and with utmost clarity. The slim D neck and finely finished fretboard affords comfort with low and fast action! The overall body integrity is impressive with attention to detail. I have been playing it exclusively for three weeks, and like a good book, it's hard to put down! Makes hours of otherwise monotonous practice FUN and enjoyable again! Just a slight problem with "honking," but it was very easy to adjust it away with the pickup height adjusters. I prefer this over my other two Ibanez Artcore AF types, and they are fine as well. My highest recommendation, especially if you can buy it for under $500.00, total! Sounds and plays like a $2-Grand Gibson when set up and intonated properly.rgwhitlock

They sound good, feel good, look good and so affordable I have 4 AFS75t myself. Also got one each for my two sons. I have 4 other Ibanez archtop models as well. No compulsion to move to a Gibson or Gretsch for me; and I do own other types of Gibson and Gretsch guitars.fingerworken

My order got here about 3 days ahead of schedule. Everything was in good shape and the guitar sounds great. Would definitely recommend this company.brimstone3x6_8

Not as good as prestige series, not as bad as budget ibanez 🙂 Quite nice (but not perfect like prestige) build quality, good sustain, very versatile, very characteristic feeling of playing like the other Ibanez guitars and so on.. If someone said that this one is Japan made guitar – I would delete Ibanez from my list 🙂 But referring that its made in Indonesia, I would notice quite good quality. Shortly speaking I don't regret spending the money buying this guitar. So… Advantages: very good instrument for its price, good option for those, who don't want to spend over USD2 000+ for Japan made prestige models (if you buying a new one). Disadvantages: still needs revision… Indonesian guys didn't spent much time for polishing frets and shielding of electronics. Had to spend additional money for quality frets revision and buying good pickups (PAFs are one of my favourite, but there's something wrong with the stock ones).ua2014.ganz

Beautiful guitar with perfect neck set up right out of the box! This guitar was advertised as a used instrument, but it is MINT! Very versatile with great tone from all three pick-ups. Lighter weight than my all-maple Art Core, (Linden wood.) Also arrived two days earlier than expected.tr4081

While I was waiting for this guitar to arrive, I kept reading the many reviews about this guitar on the internet. While they were almost all positive, a tiny few people complained about little flaws in the fit and finish of this guitar. I figured that in the the worst case scenario I could send it back and upgrade to an AM 153 if the AM 93 wasn't satisfactory. Upon receiving the guitar I inspected it top to bottom. It was basically flawless. The binding looks perfect, no chips or voids. The neck was very comfortable and the frets were nicely dressed. The guitar was beautiful. The AM 93 sounds great with these pick ups and I knew right away that this was a keeper. I bought this initially to set up as a smaller bodied "jazz box" with heavier gauge flatwound strings. My "problem" now is that it sounds so good for blues/ rock with the lighter gauge strings that I might need another guitar to set up with the flatwounds! Eventually, I will probably change the tuning keys. These hold tune fine but a sweet guitar like this deserves silky smooth top of the line tuners. All in all a very nice guitar and an excellent value.Fenderbird 51

This is the 23rd guitar in my collection, and I am blown away by what the Chinese are able to accomplish in 2017. In the past Chinese guitars suffered the same reputation as Japan's earliest efforts. Just like Japan, they have made a determined effort to become a world class builder of electric guitars. They've succeeded. The quality, fit and finish of this guitar is outstanding, and I have paid twice as much for new American made guitars and received much lower quality in the last 10 years. The pickups are especially noteworthy. I almost always upgrade my humbucker pickups to a major manufacturer's " '59 " model for tone and reliability. The reliability of these pickups remains to be seen, since it usually takes years of sweat and vibration to judge the toughness of a set of pickups, but the tone is all there. The tone is comparable to ones that came out of Michigan in the late 50's and early 60's… snappy, plenty of treble and "bite", harmonic overtones that bloom nicely when overdriven. These are less likely to feedback, which is not a plus if you like to use feedback to increase sustain (ala Santata or EVH). It's my feeling that having a decreased tendency to feedback is sort of a plus in a semi hollow guitar. They can get a little unruly at stage volumes. The only possible downsides to this guitar are that the gold plating on the hardware looks a little cheap, and I would not be surprised if it wore off to the underlying brass and aluminum the way "gold" hardware on Asian guitars has a way of doing. Another possible issue for long term quality is that the beautiful quilt maple seems to be a paper thin veneer. On a more expensive instrument, even USA made ones, the maple portions of semi hollow guitars are laminated. This actually leads to a stronger, more resonant instrument that stands the test of time. Since we can't tell what's under this veneer, it raises the long term reliability question. The tone sounds right!Jay38063

The CURRENT version, as sold by a competitor, has an ebony fingerboard and tortoiseshell pickguard. After half a dozen emails with the Hoshino folks (Ibanez America) I found out that my guitar was manufactured in Indonesia. The Super 58 pickups are also manufactured in Indonesia. They no longer make the rosewood fingerboard version because of legal/environmental issues. As well, you cannot get a black pickguard with binding, even from Hoshino, because they are sold only in EU and Sino countries, not in U.S. The nut chipped on the G string slot when putting on D'Addario Chrome flatwounds, 10-48. And some of the frets are not the correct height. This becomes very evident when lowering the action. I've had to file numerous frets and still get some string buzzing. I had to replace the 3-way toggle switch because it makes so much noise when flipping between pickups…so I installed the old Standby, Switchcraft. I replace the turners with Planet Wave Auto Trim Locking tuners and put the 3 ply black plastic pickguard that Hoshino sells and fits this model. It's now a very, very respectable axe and I'm getting nice, sweet, jazzy sounds from the neck pickup. Overall, it's VERY well made, it's beautiful, it sounds great.VonBach

Overall: I just got this 3/27/2018, after my Gretsch Streamliner was stolen by a FedEx driver a week earlier and marked it as it was delivered and it was not. but when I followed up a couple days later. I was told by a zZounds customer service rep, that the driver told them he had lost it? So I bought this Ibanez and it is indeed blemished at the neck pocket, just a hair line crack in the finish not the support foundation. the guitar has a very nice acoustic tone and the pickups sound good as well. I recommend prepping the neck nut and the intonation bridge or your strings will not slide smoothly and will hang up and you will be out of tune. the electronics meaning the volume/tone, Input jack and 3way toggle are very cheap but work with a little noise when turning the controls. being in the wholesale / retail business zZounds is paying less than half what it is being sold for in most cases. buy it blemished and save a few dollars…it is a good instrument, plays well and sounds good and I will take it to my next Jazz gig.Chuck

Overall: This is a truly lovely instrument! The finish is impeccable. The appearance is eye catching. Most of all the sound emanating from it is heavenly. And it is so easy to play! This beats an expensive guitar I own. I love this insrument! Money well spent!Herbert

I was not disappointed! It looks great and sounds great. It has a very comfortable feel. Not a single flaw anywhere. I get a lot of complements (about the guitar not my playing). It has a very nice clean tone. I've had it for about 3 months and it holds tune very well. Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase and I would recommend it to anyone regardless of experience or talent level.JCollins

Great looking guitar and sounded good out of the box. I'm just learning guitar and was very happy with it over all. My brother has a band and has played guitar for years and he was impressed with it. He said he would take it from me if it wasn't a left handed guitar. looking forward to learning how to play itcalwayne

I'm just learning how to play guitar. This is a well made instrument. My brother plays guitar and said if I didn't learn to play it he would use it in his band. The sound was good and the finish is greatcalwayne

Bought this guitar for the jazz songs we do in our band. It's also great for the blues. Powerful pickups. Played great right out of the box.dale57strat