Ibanez AF105F Artcore Custom Electric Guitar (with Case)

5pc. maple/ bubinga neck material. Flamed maple top, sides, and back. IBZ custom F pickup.

Overall User Ratings (based on 32 ratings)
  • Overall:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(32) (see rating details)
Submitted April 22, 2005 by a customer from cox.net

"My Wife has Stolen my new Artcore!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Ibanez has regularly produced exception instruments that are a fantastic value.
Sound
The maple top & single floating pickup give this instrument a really nice voice with subtle, bright overtones, particularly on fully voiced chords. A nice acoustic flavor and initial note attack. I'm playing this instrument directly into a mix board with a good direct box and light amount of high quality reverb and it sounds very good. Overall it's less mid-rangey then my Gretch Double Anniversary or many archtops I've played using the more typical spruce top.
Features
The guitar included a particularly nice hardshell case. One minor issue for my playing style is that I occasionally bump the volume control with my picking hand, but I'm learning to move torwards the fretboard to avoid that. Some players might want to consider replacing the knobs with a lower profile type, although to my eyes the stock knobs are quite attractive.
Quality
Fit and finish on the unit I recieved are excellent. My wife, a piano player, took one look at this guitar and annouced that it was her's and that we needed to buy a replacement for me. Enough said! I've used this as my excuse to order my 3rd Ibanez, a George Benson model GB10, which I'm anxiuosly awaiting. BTW, my first Ibanez is a 1983 Artist semi-hollowbody, tabacco sunburst, which to this day remains my favorite general purpose recording electric.
Value
Compares favorably with instruments (that I own) valued at more than 4 times it's price. Is it a high-end, handbuilt, archtop? No, those start at over $4500.00. Is it worth it current retail? Absolutey!
Manufacturer Support
Truth is, I don't know, in 22 years I've never needed to contact Ibanez with a problem.
The Wow Factor
See above. My wife has become a guitar student, and stolen it away from me, because she fell in love with the look and sound of this guitar. You can bet I'll sneak it away from her on a regular basis.

Musical Background:

AV Project studio owner -Soundscores for Technical marketing presentations

Musical Style:

Jazz, blues, developing classical
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Submitted September 4, 2012 by Bill G in Sedalia, MO

"Ibanez Artcore AF105F"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I am in love with my Ibanez Artcore ASF105F arched top blonde guitar with factory-installed single floating pickup. I perform three nights a week at a local upscale fine-ding restaurant with this guitar plugged into my Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus Stereo Guitar Amplifier that creates my unique (and very popular) "Signature Sound". I replaced the standard Ibanez wood tailpiece on this guitar with a genuine Bigsby Vibrato Tailpiece for added/expanded tonal embellishments. I use no effects pedals. I use only Channel 2 on my Roland JC-120 amp...with the Chorus switch "On" and about 60% "Reverb" setting. I never set the amp Volume Control past "2".I am very impressed with the (rarely mentioned) five-piece neck of the AF105F guitar and the noticeably-superior wood grain of the Maple top, back and sides of this Blonde-finish guitar. The smaller body size of this arched top jazz guitar is much more comfortable to manage than the 17" Gibson L-5CES and the still larger Gibson Super 400...which is important to me since I perform for three hours every evening, three nights a week. The single floating pickup attached to the end of the fingerboard gives the the tonal warmth I need for play relaxing, unobtrusive solo-guitar background music for dinner guests. My repertoire includes Old Standards, Ballads, Love Songs, Classic Country, Show Tunes and familiar easy-listening favorites (Glenn Miller to Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson to Duke Ellington, Dean Martin to Johnny Mathis, et al). Some might call my music "Elevator Music", since I stick to the melody, with no jazz flourishes nor rock pyrotechnics. Folks could sing along with my guitar music and never get lost. I play guitar as Johnny Mathis sings...just stick to the melody and pour your heart into each individual printed note on the sheet music....just let the "velvety" tones of the AF105F and the Roland JC-120 talk for me...without any other electronic enhancements. It is this "Signature Sound" and my laid-back, thoughtful song interpretations that keep me working week in and week out...as other, more skilled guitarists sit home practicing the ruffles and flourishes and dazzling "technique". For the price around $500.00, the Ibanez AF105F arched-top jazz guitar with single floating pickup offers EXTREME value and incomparable bang-for-the-buck when compared to the obscene cost of the Gibson ES-175, the Gibson L-5 or the Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville models. Look at it this way...buy an Ibanez AF105F guitar for about $500...used it for a year...then, if you don't love it, just sell it a year later for $400. That way, you just "rented" it for $100 for a year...that's just pennies a day! Duh. If you like a warm, velvety guitar sound, comfortable size, smooth-as-butter fingerboard actions and superior workmanship, you should love the Ibanez AF105F guitar as much as I do.

Musical Background:

Professional solo guitarist for 40 years performing easy-listening solo guitar background music for restaurants.

Musical Style:

Relaxing, easy-listening background music for fine dining restaurants.
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Submitted June 10, 2022 by a customer from all.com

"Ibanez AF105F"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Following the gentleman’s wonderful story about the Ibanez AF105F blond, one pickup “Jazz” guitar, I can only say I second that emotion! I too am a club date musician having a mere 3000 plus club dates in and around the New York City area. Although only about 1000 or so of the gigs were played on the AF105, I also can attest to the fact that this is one heck of an axe on a non-rock type job, although many Beatle, Stevie Wonder and Willie Nelson tunes were also played.Getting into specs, scale length is 24.75”- nut size is 1 11/16s, width at f holes is 15” just like ES175. Mine was 300.00 bought used, in excellent shape and financially paid me back many, many, many bucks more.There’s still many of these guitars out there in both single & double pickups and price is good.
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Submitted March 4, 2008 by a customer from tlen.pl

Ibanez Artcore AF105F Customer Review

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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For last 14 years I owned 6 hollow and semi-hollow body guitars. I bought it in US and I'm playing on it all the time now. I've changed pickup to Benedetto S-6 and added a piezo. Now it's sounds beautiful!! It's awesome guitar!!!
Sound
Standard pickup is good, sensitive also for acoustic things [picking, etc]. Sound is good but not enough for me. I've changed it to Benedetto S-6 + Fishman Archtop piezo. Now it's amazing!!
Features
Case is enough tough, but it's still poor china made.
Ease of Use
This guitar is...easy! amazing easy to play, small meansure, easy to handle - awesome...
Quality
It is very good quality, even it was made in China. Every detail is done with precission. This guitar is beautiful!
Value
This product is the best deal! I compared it to some yamaha, gretsch, washburn and even to epiphone. This is the best choice in this price range.

Musical Background:

active musican - jazz player

Musical Style:

swing, traditional jazz
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Submitted January 6, 2007

"Wa wa Wee wa!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
BUY IT for those who are possesed by Jazz guitar playing. you will not be upset if you get this baby : )
Sound
The sound is great because it produces the sweetest warm sounds as well as the bright treble sounds. I have tested both ways for lead, and the warm and treble tones both are GREAT for lead guitar.
Features
When I got my guitar, it came in a nice hardshell case with a key for the case and a wooden bridge to replace the metal bridge if you desire too. It is good stuff nonetheless!
Ease of Use
simply put....it is a wonderful sound.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Neo-Classical Shred, Gypsy Jazz, Jazz
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Submitted October 30, 2005

"Great value in a Jazz Box !!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Sound
Great sounding little Jazz box for the $'s. Sounds as good as guitars 2x the price.
Features
The materials, fit and finish are excellent for the price. No complaints at all !!
Quality
No problems at all with fit & finish & quality control. Can't believe this was made in China !!
Value
Absolutely great value.
Manufacturer Support
No reason to deal with Ibanez.
The Wow Factor
Very good looking & well designed.
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