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Rating And Reviews: Ibanez AF55 Artcore

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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
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"Big bargain for just over 300$" submitted December 24, 2011

By a customer from hotmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
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Musical Background: Wish I played better. Still learning a lot.
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Sound: With flatwound strings this, well designed full hollowbody, is sweet and retro sounding. It's simplicity of style produces a sound that is truly as good as many more expensive guitars. The pickups are also in many of Ibanez's more expensive guitars. Sound is vintage 30's to 50's with good flatwounds. Sometimes sustain can get in the way of the emotional atmosphrics of a guitar. This guitar has, with flatwound, an abundance of atmospherics that good Jazz needs. Not too much sustain, with flats. Try this surprise guitar. Feature: Basic feature. Simple tail plate. One tone and one volume control. Three way switch. Fairly laid back humbuckers that will follow the attack if you do. Ease of Use: Perfect weight and balance make this as easy to play as possible. I have a very heavy Les Paul and a very heavy semi ES335 copy (Aria) which need a lot more minfulness. Quality: I thought physically very good, but I had to get a luthier to get the intonation perfect, which was very poor from factory. Value: For the money...amazing. Manufacturer Support: No idea The Wow Factor: Many people will not like the vintage finish. Bearing in mind that, often, vintage finishes are more expensive, some people will love it. For Just over 300$ this is really underprced. Get one before it gets pulled by Ibanez. Overall: Sound with flats is pure Jazz. Don't expect to play metal or shred. Maybe a little blues...but this is what it says on the tin...... "Jazz Guitar"
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"Ibanez does it again, quality guitar at a quality price. Great buy" submitted December 20, 2011

By a customer from yahoo.com
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
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Value
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Musical Background: I play whatever I can find. I'm better at some things but I play anything from Piano to Ocarina
Music Style: Indie/Blues/Garage Rock
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Sound: Got mine awhile back, it was a huge difference than the Jackson Dinky I was using, but I'm in an indie band... The AF55 delivers a really pretty sound whether you are looking for a jazzy edge or as for me, an indie tone. I use this guitar for my more chilled out songs and on stage. It's a huge improvement from my last guitar and I don't regret trading both my Jackson Dinky and Ibanez V70CE. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a lighter sound. Feature: It's bridge isn't attached to the guitar which potentially could be a headache, if the bridge isn't in the correct spot you get flat or sharp frets and your strings will buzz a lot more than usual. The string buzz is also a huge headache in a recording scenario. But the guitar delivers just enough tonal control to have a rhythm guitar that can also play lead in the same song. Just the turn of a switch and you go from backing noise to a kick ass solo. Ease of Use: This guitar is really easy to write with, no matter what genre you play, I wrote half of my bands demo with it (my little brother has also written a few post hardcore songs with it) it is good weight and riffs just come to you when you play it. I played mine through a pretty cheap Marshall Half-stack at my last recording sesh and the guitar flowed just as I needed it to, it plays just as good live as in the studio too. Quality: This guitar is gorgeous, and it is built really well. the only things I would suggest would be to upgrade the pickups and strengthen the input (I dropped mine and the input caved in. 15 Dollar repair). Other than that it is a really amazing guitar and the stock pickups work just fine and it gives you the simplicity of a nice vintage guitar. Value: If you've only got the money for this, get it. I have no regrets Manufacturer Support: Haven't had to, the guitar is really nice. The Wow Factor: I love the guitar, it has an amazing vintage look with a new wave sound that really pops in the particular genre I play. I do use a Strat to reach some levels of intensity this guitar can't provide, but I could use this guitar to get there too if needed. Buy it, that's all that need be said. Overall: I'm going to keep it forever. Even if I get a much better guitar, this guitar has just made my life in music a lot easier.
26 of 27 people (96.3%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"AFTER 45 YEARS OF PLAYING EVERYTHING WITH STRINGS" submitted February 28, 2013

By T,J, Allen in Yuma, AZ
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Musical Background: 45 years blues country jazz and southern rock, 20years doing barband road gigs
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Overall: unplugged your not going to sound like George Benson, the problem that has been addressed with the bridge is easily fixed, 1, use Diadario, 11-49 with a wound 3rd string, 2 bring the bridge as far foreward as it takes to tune the neck with the 3rd string in about the middle,3 adjust the truss rod until it has a reasonable amount of tension on it and sight the fret board from the back to make sure its straight, 4 tune the fret board from there, ( with a tuner, not your ear ) 5 whether you use a tube amp or a solid state, set your parametric EQ flat, and adjust from there, I've owned and played a lot of Gibsons, recently I was looking for another es 335, I have a freind at guitar center at phoenix. and he let me play everything he had in there over the years Gibson has had some problems with quality control. they are beautiful instruments and stand out among their field, but I have a problem paying 5,000 dollars for a guitar, believe it or not most of the guys that own those are either collectors or endorsed players, anyway I picked up an Ibanez artcore 335 knock off, and the first thing that struck me was the smoothness and attention to detail. it played well and was around 350.50 or so and I bought it, I've never had a regret, recently I ran across an AF55 and fell in love with it I set up the neck using the steps I detailed above, and it plays like a dream, I am a diehard sold Ibanes convert. they have instruments for any kind of music, but before you buy this guitar, put it in a stand, back up and look at it. it is what it is. if your buying this guitar for a punk rock or heavy metal application rethink your approach Ibanez has guitars for those applications but this is not one of them. have fun and good luck. if it's not fun don't do it.
1 of 2 people (50%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Cheap as chips. Sings like a mellow middle aged Diva." submitted November 30, 2011

By a customer from hotmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Guitar. Not very well.
Music Style: Blues, Folk, Jazz, Pop, Eastern European
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Sound: Look will appeal to some. Some will not like vintage look. Flatwound strings on this make a wonderful tone. Because the guitar is fairly minimalistic the sound is totally right for Jazz. Better sound than Washburn J5. How do I know...I have owned a J5. Try it. Feature: Full hollow body gives a sound uncomparable to both solid bodied or accoustic guitars. Came with soft, but good Ibanez case. Ease of Use: My guitar was poorly set up by Factory. Intonation not good. But!!.......After my Luthierr set it up properly it sang. Weight perfect. Not to heavy and well balanced. Quality: Actually very good quality for such a low cost guitar. Nice vintage finish. Manufacturer Support: Not dealt with Ibanez. The Wow Factor: Better than would be expected for the price...especially the sound after setting up and using good Thomastik flatwound strings. Lot of Jazz guitar for little money. Vintage style suits laidback Jazz. Very retro sound with flatwounds..sort of 1930's. Overall: Never satisfied. Always fascinated by guitars. But this is a keeper.Wish my playing was a lot better.
5 of 6 people (83.33%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"cheap price! cheap guitar..." submitted November 19, 2011

By a customer from cfl.rr.com
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: playing a very long time over 50 years
Music Style: any thing that has a beat and I like it
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VERIFIED BUYER
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound: Not very good Feature: sounds like a tin can Ease of Use: after I set it up, it sounds like a tin can Quality: I just got it Value: its a wood guitar Manufacturer Support: no I havent The Wow Factor: little did I know Overall: Im looking now and I have only had it for 3 days
3 of 31 people (9.68%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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