Ibanez AS73G BKF Artcore Electric - Black Flat

I bought this guitar for my 14 year old to learn on thinking it would be a good mid ground between acoustic and electric. I actually was surprised at the quality of the build given the price and the sound was pretty good as well. Its a real cool looking guitar and it plays nice.I have an american made Telecaster that if I'm being honest plays about the same, except it isn't semi hollow. The pickups sound a bit "flat" but for him to learn on they are pretty good. He can distort it and learn his pop punk chords and I can pick it up and play my Radiohead....all in all a good guitar.

I'm a beginner so I can't say for sure what a super high quality guitar feels like, but I have definitely felt some cheap ones and this does not feel like those. Everything seems to be put together nicely. The action seems pretty good out of the box, and it doesn't seem to have any problems staying in tune after breaking in your strings.Personally, I'm not sure if I would get this rose gold color again. It looks nice, and matches the hardware very well, but to me something about the satin finish makes it feel cheaper than it is. Maybe if the neck was exposed wood instead of painted over I would feel differently, but I'm not sure. It is still a very nice looking guitar and anyone would be happy to own it.

Amazing Value... Makes me as happy as an ES 335

Over the years, I had the fever for a Gibson ES 335 and some tasty Jazz boxes. First, I had decide to go ahead and pay the sticker for an ES... then, I started to seek out used pieces. Discovery, the Gibsons have thin sounding treble strings, they look good and feel great, but the sound was nowhere as punchy and strong as the price tag would suggest. so, never bought one. Then, I had the hots for a jazz box. Got a used Pat Metheney, excellent guitar... but, big and no high fret access... as well as just one pickup (not a prob really) and not distortion friendly. So, what was the solution? Look at semi-acoustics, again.... I saw this one in a store quite a while back and immediatley thought it was pretty and had that sweet sound where the notes jump/pop out. Months ... MoreOver the years, I had the fever for a Gibson ES 335 and some tasty Jazz boxes. First, I had decide to go ahead and pay the sticker for an ES... then, I started to seek out used pieces. Discovery, the Gibsons have thin sounding treble strings, they look good and feel great, but the sound was nowhere as punchy and strong as the price tag would suggest. so, never bought one. Then, I had the hots for a jazz box. Got a used Pat Metheney, excellent guitar... but, big and no high fret access... as well as just one pickup (not a prob really) and not distortion friendly. So, what was the solution? Look at semi-acoustics, again.... I saw this one in a store quite a while back and immediatley thought it was pretty and had that sweet sound where the notes jump/pop out. Months later, a holiday sale came around and the time was right (absolutely cannot bet this price-point for what you get). When the guitar arrived, it was better than I remembered. Just like the Pat Metheney I had briefly, this guitar felt immediately light and resonant, just like a fine high-end instrument would/should. The fret-work is basically text-book, as was the setup and finish (nothing needed adjusting, at all). The pickups do not need upgrading as far as I'm concerned, they are well-matched for the guitar (all bass/treble you need). In short, If you are like me, not a pro/accomplished jazzer that can justify a very expensive semi-hollow, this guitar gives you amazing value (the solid color is WAY better than transparent), plays comfortable, fast and sounds anywhere from smooth and creamy to jangly chords and classic-rock styled distorted riffing though a marshall. Again, would I have been more happy spending $3k on a Gibson? No... I just would have been stuck with a high bill to pay.

Exactly What I Expected

Overall:I love hollowbodies, I am not a huge guy (about 180lbs, 5'10") so the shape and style of this 335-like guitar was perfect for me (I dont like the thicker bodies). The tone is superb, the bridge pickup has a lot of bite and the neck pickup can be dialed in for all the genres I play (RnB, Jazz, blues, and gospel). Versatile axe and I couldnt be happier with the purchase. I also bought the Gator Journeyman tweed case and it fits perfectly so I'd recommend that as a hardshell case option too. I opted for the Ivory White version of this guitar and it is very impressive with the gold hardware. Setup and action was very good right out of the box, I only changed the strings to D'addario NYXL 10s. Reliable and fun guitar, industry sound. Exactly what I get everytime ... MoreOverall:I love hollowbodies, I am not a huge guy (about 180lbs, 5'10") so the shape and style of this 335-like guitar was perfect for me (I dont like the thicker bodies). The tone is superb, the bridge pickup has a lot of bite and the neck pickup can be dialed in for all the genres I play (RnB, Jazz, blues, and gospel). Versatile axe and I couldnt be happier with the purchase. I also bought the Gator Journeyman tweed case and it fits perfectly so I'd recommend that as a hardshell case option too. I opted for the Ivory White version of this guitar and it is very impressive with the gold hardware. Setup and action was very good right out of the box, I only changed the strings to D'addario NYXL 10s. Reliable and fun guitar, industry sound. Exactly what I get everytime I buy an Ibanez.

Good sounding guitar.

Beautiful guitar first off. It looks even better in person. It plays really well, even right out of the box. I hardly had to tweak with it at all to set it up properly. I've bought many other guitars that needed much more work. The neck has a nice feel to it when playing chords. It's extremely comfortable for long jam sessions. It's a little on the heavy side, especially towards the rear. I've noticed that when I'm wearing a guitar strap I've been holding this guitar a little lower than I hold others, just for comfort. It's really not bad though. The knobs have a great feel to them. I have very little bad to say about this guitar, especially considering its price. I have to tune it more than most of my guitars. I do bend quite a bit and it just seems to go out of ... MoreBeautiful guitar first off. It looks even better in person. It plays really well, even right out of the box. I hardly had to tweak with it at all to set it up properly. I've bought many other guitars that needed much more work. The neck has a nice feel to it when playing chords. It's extremely comfortable for long jam sessions. It's a little on the heavy side, especially towards the rear. I've noticed that when I'm wearing a guitar strap I've been holding this guitar a little lower than I hold others, just for comfort. It's really not bad though. The knobs have a great feel to them. I have very little bad to say about this guitar, especially considering its price. I have to tune it more than most of my guitars. I do bend quite a bit and it just seems to go out of tune a little more than others. It's nothing to worry about if you're a casual player. My other issue is the tone with both pickups selected. It's tricky to find that happy place in the where there is not an overabundance of mid range tone while adjusting the knobs of the guitar itself, bringing down the mids on an amplifier or adjusting the eq once recorded . Again, that isn't a big deal unless you're playing a gig or something. In conclusion, should you buy it? Yes. No doubt is this guitar worthy of the price.

Great tone beautiful guitar.

The guitar is a wonderful guitar. The guitar is very beautiful and has a very wonderful tone. The things I would recommend doing when you purchase this guitar. Is putting strap locks on it to secure the strap. So it does not fall. Because the guitar does have a little weight to it. The second thing I would recommend is having some new strings. And putting the new strings on before you do anything. I would suggest going with a medium weight string. With the lowest gage being a 11. But that's my preference because I prefer a medium gauge string set. Due to minimum fret buzz. And I find it easier on my fingers. Because I usually play on my guitars 4 to 6 hours a day.

Great value for the price!

This guitar looks and sounds amazing! I had to adjust the action to my taste but thats it. Im very happy to own this guitar. I also appreciated that it was not made in China! Its from Japan. The difference is the fit and finish is a lot better. The pickups are hot! Great for any style of music. It stays in tune very well too. Overall the quality is excellent! Its a pleasure to play even unplugged. I cant stop looking at it. The purple color is not too bright, very classy, not fruity. The black contrast also helps it look good for any player. It is a keeper for sure. Ive been playing professionally for over 50 years and this guitar is a welcome addition to my collection!

Ibanez AS73G Ivory

At the base price, I was wondering how well made this would be but I wanted the white/ivory color so I bought it and I am glad I did. I had a guitar that cost a lot more and since I generally only keep one guitar (I am not a hoarder) I wanted to see which I liked better. Of the two, this one was easier for me to play. I like the big hollow-body feel and sound as well. The pickups would be the cheapest part but they are more than passable (though sound is personal and pickups can be changed). The guitar has a lot of heft (weight) to it in, what I consider, a good way. The neck is thicker than what I expected from Ibanez, although it is a hollow-body and not one of their metal guitars. Personally, I will change out the strings for Elixirs, the tuners for locking ... MoreAt the base price, I was wondering how well made this would be but I wanted the white/ivory color so I bought it and I am glad I did. I had a guitar that cost a lot more and since I generally only keep one guitar (I am not a hoarder) I wanted to see which I liked better. Of the two, this one was easier for me to play. I like the big hollow-body feel and sound as well. The pickups would be the cheapest part but they are more than passable (though sound is personal and pickups can be changed). The guitar has a lot of heft (weight) to it in, what I consider, a good way. The neck is thicker than what I expected from Ibanez, although it is a hollow-body and not one of their metal guitars. Personally, I will change out the strings for Elixirs, the tuners for locking tuners, and put a Duesenberg tremolo (vibrato) on it (and maybe a roller bridge)(All personal preferences). But even now it is a great guitar to play. I did buy the Ibanez AS100C case for it here on MF (see comment there on the case). This is a great guitar and if anything happened to it I would buy another. It may sound expected in a commentary like this but I would say this is the best guitar I ever owned and I have owned all the brand names. That said, to each their own.

Ibanez hollowbody

So pleased with this guitar, really does delivery on looks and playability! I purchased this guitar as I wanted to improve my ability to play blues licks and rock and roll! And this guitar sounds fantastic. Well worth the money! DV247 offered great customer service and the guitar was well setup ready to play straight out the box! I would buy from them again!

Looks as good as she sounds.

I pick up Isabelle multiple times a day because not only is she just a sheer pleasure to play, but I know she's going to be stunning after a couple of years of constant wear and I look forward to it. My first priority when I pick up a new guitar is how the neck feels in my hand. If the neck is good, I can forgive a lot of the other things that can be changed, like hardware. If the neck doesn't fit my hand right, it's pointless to touch that guitar and it's time to move on.This neck profile is amazing, I love it. The guitar has just the right heft, balance, and dimensions for great sustain without being overly bulky or heavy. The hardware seems solid but I consider every guitar under $2,000 a mod platform so it'll all end up in a box at some point. For now, it's ... MoreI pick up Isabelle multiple times a day because not only is she just a sheer pleasure to play, but I know she's going to be stunning after a couple of years of constant wear and I look forward to it. My first priority when I pick up a new guitar is how the neck feels in my hand. If the neck is good, I can forgive a lot of the other things that can be changed, like hardware. If the neck doesn't fit my hand right, it's pointless to touch that guitar and it's time to move on.This neck profile is amazing, I love it. The guitar has just the right heft, balance, and dimensions for great sustain without being overly bulky or heavy. The hardware seems solid but I consider every guitar under $2,000 a mod platform so it'll all end up in a box at some point. For now, it's doing better than just fine. The tuners do well to stay put, the pickups sound good clean, crunchy, and driven, and the little pots don't feel too bad. When you dial the volume back to five it's about halfway down and the tone changes when you roll it back some. I do wish it had coil splitting, but that's upcoming with the new harness and pups. I might actually mod this baby through GFS with some of their relic stuff, just for giggles.