Ibanez Artcores

cassius987 · Post by **cassius987** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:36 am

Is anybody familiar with either the AF95, AF75TDGIV, and/or the AG95? I am looking at these models right now.

I need a versatile hollowbody sound, IMO, and these really deliver--especially compared to similarly priced Epiphones I have tried. Obviously I'd shoot for a 330 or something if I thought I could afford it but I'm going into this thinking of the instrument as a studio-type of investment, probably not (but possibly) something I'd take out to gigs--since I consider myself a bassist through and through. However, I can fake being a guitarist well enough, apparently, to get a 30-year old guy to ask me to be in his country band! (This happened when I was trying out the AG95D at a pawn shop last Saturday... I don't really let stuff go to my head on my bass skill because I consider it my ever steeper hill to climb... but since I don't consider myself a guitarist, really, this was neat for me!)

I want the guitar primarily for recording, as I said. I am doing a lot of production for a trip hop outfit and I feel limited by not having a good guitar to plug in and lay tracks down with. As we all know, the skill behind good trip hop isn't really in your guitar chops, it's in how you layer the piece, so I am in no way intimidated to fill this role. If I can fake it well enough to fool people in used guitar shops (the country player wasn't the first one), and even at gigs like with my ex-electric blues band Apia, I think I'm ready to take this up. My grasp of theory helps.

If five years down the road or so I have $1,000 + to blow I may shoot for a Ric. In the mean time these things sound KILLER in their own way and are setup much nicer than their price, from what I can tell. Any advice/criticism/compliments/etc.?

cassius987 · Post by **cassius987** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:31 am

Are these guitars not worthy of talking about? Does it have to do with the company's history in copying?

kiramdear · Post by **kiramdear** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:39 am

I don't mind a mention of Artcores. If you want my evaluation of them I would say they are typical Ibanez but beautifully decorated. Ibanez in general don't speak to me and the Artcore is no exception, either in acoustic or electric flavors. I know one fellow who loves his, and there's nothing wrong with the quality, but they just don't get me. I like old school vibe guitars.

weemac · Post by **weemac** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:09 am

Hey Josh!
Here is another option:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Waterstone-Carnaby- ... 7C294%3A50

Great value and at times remarkably good quality..(I play their 12 string basses) Make them an offer.
I'm not knocking Ibanez though, I've had a few goodies!
Eden.

Darkhollow · Post by **Darkhollow** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:46 am

I don't have an Artcore, but I do have an Artstar AS120 in Sunbrust. Although I do not play it a ton, I have had it for about 10 years and it has always played and sounded well. For the money, it is tough to beat Ibanez in the market on these style guitars in my opinion. The pickups are fairly good for stock, if I played it more often I would probably swap them out though. Thought about throwing a bigsby on her many times, might still do it too.

Not sure how much that helps, but mine has been pretty solid for a long time now.

blueflamerick · Post by **blueflamerick** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:44 am

I've played a few of those Artcores. They're nice for the price. If I were in the market for an affordable (semi)hollowbody, I'd go for a Gretsch Electromatic before an Ibanez Artcore though.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:14 pm

cassius987 wrote:Are these guitars not worthy of talking about? Does it have to do with the company's history in copying?

They just don't have much soul. They feel like what they are--mass produced products of a factory in a galaxy far, far away. Or maybe it's the atmosphere at the GC where I ogle.

I've always liked the Waterstones, though. I own several, and they feel "nicer" somehow.

cassius987 · Post by **cassius987** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:38 pm

Well, I have no desire to say these are great or even very good guitars--I'm just looking for a cheap workhorse. But having heard several people play them--good, young jazz guitarists in my area and the Lawrence, KS area, mostly--I can at least vouch for them somewhat. I wouldn't call them soulless. I was shocked to find I like them better than some of the Gibsons I've tried.

That said I'm not a guitarist and I probably value totally different things in a guitar than a lot of you. Thanks all for your advice and I will try to come up with a reasonable offer on that eBay auction Eden...

Darkhollow · Post by **Darkhollow** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:55 pm

I would take most comments here with a grain of salt. This being Rickenbacker purist forum, you probably wont find a ton of love for companies like Ibanez here.

Josh, go youtube up some George Benson, Pat Metheny & John Scofield to see some Ibanez semi hollows in action.

Of course mine is a standard off the shelf version, but looks identical to this one played by John Scofield:

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:04 pm

They're nice guitars, though I'd probably go with an Epiphone semi-hollow first. I've had this one for several years now - swapped pickups and added the Bigsby B7. It is and has always been a fantastic guitar.

deaconblues · Post by **deaconblues** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:38 pm

+1 on Epis, especially from the Elite series. Make sure you play them first, though - quality can be inconsistant.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:41 pm

dpowell wrote:Make sure you play them first, though - quality can be inconsistent.

+1, and same with the Artcores. Some just seem to be louder than others (of the same model), for whatever reason. There are some very nice ones out there, though.

cassius987 · Post by **cassius987** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 2:56 pm

Based on playing a handful of Epis (5-6) recently and a nearly identical number of Artcores, I am going to have to say the Artcores have thoroughly outperformed them... but it could just be a stroke of weird luck. It took me 20 MIA P Basses to find a good one of those recently.

wj350 · Post by **wj350** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 6:01 pm

Never owned one, but have noodled in the shops. Very nice guitars, at a very attractive price point, IMO. As others have suggested, probably best if you can test drive a few, but I'd recommend that for any make of guitar.

I will add I see quite a few Artcores being played in the clubs over in the French Quarter.

Bill

cassius987 · Post by **cassius987** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:02 pm

I have noticed Artcores almost ubiquitously amongst young people in various city jazz scenes. And they all got good tone with their stuff.

Still test driving... haven't gotten a chance to play a semi-hollow yet but I'd like to try one, such as the AS-73. I'm kind've scared of feedback with a full hollow.

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