Ibanez AEF18E AEF Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Feature:
The onboard B-Band electronics are very good, especially for the inexpensive price of the guitar. Instead of awkward sliders, thumb knobs are used for volume, bass, mids, treble and "shape". Very fast and instantly adjustable. Very visible in the semi-dark of off-stage or on.

Quality:
Mine is the gloss black model with "fire" inlay around the sound hole. It has a minor glitch in the edge of the nut (tiny missing edge which is cosmetic only). Even though the body is nicely bound in white, the neck isn't which is a bit strange seeing as cheaper Ibanez models do have white bound necks. This doesn't affect its playability. The neck fits my hand very comfortably unlike many necks from Martin, Taylor and Takamine.

Value:
More valuable than the asking price by far.

Desirability:
The Ibanez comes in 3 finishes, black, transparent violet (quite pretty) and natural. I went with the black for the dramatic look it has for stage work. It's cutaway and medium-narrow waist make it very aesthetic to look at as well as being functional. I don't know how the lacquer-coated finish will age and what will happen to the tone, but the smell of the wood coming out of the sound hole is like ambrosia. Ibanez should be lauded for creating a gorgeous production-level guitar that should sell for about twice the price.

Sound:
This guitar is a diamond in the rough. I was ready to pay 2-3 times the amount for this guitar and managed to find one that is like butter to play. The tone is not quite as round on the bottom end as a full dreadnought but its amplified sound is great through a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. and a Bose Personal Amplification System (the "pole"). I coupled the guitar with a Fishman sound hole pickup and had a luthier put the additional jack out the end pin to give maximum flexibility of sound depending on the room and PA system available at the time. The D'Addario EXP light strings are phenomenal and fast. I'd never used them before purchasing the guitar and now have them on this and another acoustic I've owned since 1977. Note: Not all guitars of the same model are as well set up on the fingerboard as mine, however, this can be easily fixed by any qualified luthier in your area. Highly recommended.

Support:
No info on this one as yet.

Overall:
Expect to be very pleased with this guitar. I'm currently 53 and have owned 11 guitars, this one being one of the best. The electronics are first-rate, especially for this price range. Adjusted properly and put through the right system, the tone doesn't have the traditional high-end "slap" of most piezo transducers.

Feature:
No case included. The onboard tuner is very handy. Slim neck. Nice unique color.

Desirability:
Gorgeous guitar! I love it, and I don't even like the looks of an acoustic guitar normally.

Sound:
This guitar sounds crystal clear with a brilliant, rich sound.

Ease of Use:
Sounds AMAZING. Very playable. Would recommend to anyone.