Ibanez AS153 Artstar Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar (with Case)

No longer available at zZounds
Whether you crave a clean jazz, soulful blues, or a dirty rock sound, this guitar's Super 58 custom pickups will amaze you with their tonal versatility.

What's special about this item?

Feature: What it does:
Flamed maple top, back and sides Premium wood grain with bright, projecting tone
Synchronized tremolo with Graph Tech saddles Adjustable vibrato; more sustain; less string drag
Bound ebony fretboard Luxurious looks and focused tone
Semi-hollow body Enhances sustain, more open tone and feel

The Ibanez AS153 Artstar semi-hollowbody electric guitar is not a guitar to be boxed into one category. A warm, colorful, and versatile sound can be attained with this baby's pair of Super 58 Custom humbuckers, and this artful axe's reverberating maple top, back, and sides will envelop you and your listeners. The smooth-edged bound ebony fingerboard spans 22 medium frets on a resounding three-piece mahogany/maple set-in neck. You really can't go wrong with this beauty -- an axe that plays as remarkably as it sounds.

Versatile Sounds from Bright to Dark

While smooth and elegant enough for jazz, the AS153 Artstar's tone, when pushed, breaks up nicely. If you want a dark, slightly distorted bluesy tone, or if you want a brighter rock sound that cuts through sharply, your choices are just a few knob turns and switches away. Your tone controls include dual tone and dual volume knobs for each humbucker, and your pickup selector blade gives you three pickup combination settings. The Tri-Sound neck pickup switch gives you even more tonal options to play around with. This Artstar's wider range of tone leaves more room for sonic expression.

Choice Tonewoods: Maple Body and Mahogany/Maple Neck

You'll consistently get a rich, warm sound as your playing resonates through this axe's maple top, back, and sides. You can hear your notes sustain well even when you're not plugged in, so practicing silently is still a treat. Your three-piece mahogany/maple neck transfers your playing over read more to the body thanks to its set-in construction, and this neck not only sounds nice and warm, it feels comfortable to the touch. A bound ebony fingerboard of 22 medium frets expresses your chord changes with ease, sustain, and solid intonation.

Super 58 Custom Humbuckers: All Tone -- No Hum

Your pair of Super 58 Custom humbuckers deliver on their promise of bucking the hum. Early semi-hollowbody guitars sometimes carried the dreaded unwanted low-end hum. These humbuckers keep your tone clean, clear, well-defined, and free of unwanted noise. They also give you a sound that's unique and versatile at the same time. Plug these babies in and see all the punch your AS153 Artstar can pack.

Features:

- Maple back, top, and sides
- Three-piece mahogany/maple set-in neck
- Bone nut for added sustain and resonance
- Pair of Super 58 Custom humbuckers
- Two tone and two volume knobs
- Three-setting pickup selector blade
- Tri-Sound neck pickup switch
- Bound ebony fingerboard with 22 medium frets
- Art-1 bridge and Quick Change III tailpiece
- Hardshell case included
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- Neck Type: Artstar 3pc Mahogany/Maple set-in neck
- Body: Flamed Maple top/back/sides
- Fretboard: Bound Ebony fretboard w/Acrylic & Abalone block inlay
- Fret: Medium frets w/Artstar fret edge treatment
- Bridge: ART-1 bridge
- Tailpiece: Quik Change III tailpiece
- Neck pu: Super 58 (H) neck pu (Passive/Alnico)
- Bridge pu: Super 58 (H) bridge pu (Passive/Alnico)
- Hardware Color: Gold
- Hardshell case included

Neck Dimensions:
Scale: 628mm/24.7"
a : Width at Nut: 43mm
b : Width at Last Fret: 57mm
c : Thickness at 1st: 21mm
d : Thickness at 12th: 24mm (at 9F)
Radius: 305mmR

Body Dimensions:
a : Length: 19 1/4"
b : Width: 15 3/4"
c : Max Depth: 2 5/8"

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-669-8262
Web: https://www.ibanez.com/usa/support/

Ibanez AS153 Artstar Semi-Hollowbody

With its flamed maple top, back, and sides, the Ibanez AS153 Artstar Semi Hollowbody Electric Guitar emanates great jazz, blues and rock tone and vibe. The bound Ebony fingerboard sports medium frets with edges that are noticeably smooth to a sliding hand, the product of a skilled crimping technique generally found on instruments costing twice as much. The AS153 Artstar features a set neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a bone nut for increased resonance and sustain.

Ibanez gives the AS153 guitar their famous Super 58 Custom pickups, known for their balanced tone character as well as sonic fullness. Whether restrained to jazz-clean or cranked up to rockin blues dirty, the Super 58 Custom gets the job done.

Ibanez calls their Artstar models, "Hollow-bodies of the highest order." As the guitar builder for some of the brightest luminaries of modern jazz guitar, Ibanez has paved some middle ground between their upscale signature models and their popular Artcore series.

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (14 ratings)
Submitted October 29, 2017 by William von Zangenberg in Holiday, FL

"Amazing axe for the money"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This is one great guitar. You can get most any tones out of it. I was going to get an ES 335 until I played this one. It is more comfortable and feels more solid. Color, fit and finish are beautiful. Neck is amazingly comfortable. For the money you can't go wrong with this instrument. I've been playing for over 40 years and have many high end guitars and this is right up there with the best of them.

Musical Background:

I play professionally and at home.

Musical Style:

Pop, Jazz, 60's Rock, Country, and Blues
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No longer available at zZounds

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