Ibanez AG95QA artcore expressionist
 

http://www.ibanez.com/products/image...U_Body_Top.jpg

http://www.ibanez.com/products/u_hb_...=31&color=CL01


I believe that I've been smitten by this beauty; 14.5 inch wide, 3.625 deep. I saw it online and I've got to go find one to try. From what I can find, It sounds like it could be a very versatile hollow body. Does anyone have any experience with it? I think it might be just what I want to try an electrified archtop.

Can anyone help me out with this? What do you think of Ibanez hollow bodies in general?

Nice guitar, though more electric than acoustic in nature.

I tried one the same color in a store awhile ago, and it had a very nice fit and finish. Comfortable under the arm and easy playing, with well dressed frets. Sounded nice through a Princeton Reverb. Definitely versatile for country, blues, jazz, and old rocknroll.

It doesn't have any kind of nice acoustic tone, but you can certainly practice without an amp.

It stacked up very well in every respect against the Gretschs, and Epiphones in it's price range.

I've been playing my Ibanez since 1978, and its an excellent guitar. They make a nice range of models and pricing.

I haven't played the current Ibanez Artcores but I do own one of the early models. I have a AG195 Artcore United. Artcore Uniteds were limited run guitars built in 2004 in China, and then finished and setup in Japan.

There are many similarities between the new AG95QA and the AG195 that I have, including dimensions and Super 58 pickups.

My AG195 is one of my favorite guitars. When I was playing more (weddings, casuals, etc.), I considered this guitar a true workhorse. Laminated top and back plates make this a very durable guitar with very focussed tone and moderate feedback resistance. I used to play with a 10 piece horn band that played at fairly high volumes. I sometimes had to cover the f-holes with tape to further eliminate feedback. Polyurethane finish further adds to the durability of this guitar.

Super 58 pickups produce a classic, dark, rich jazz tone. I eventually replaced my Super 58's with Seymour Duncan '59 (basically a wax potted version of Seth Lover's) which are a little brighter than the Super 58's. Having said that, the Super 58's are really fantastic PAF style pickups.

I think the smaller body (very similar in dimension to Ibanez' George Benson models) helps to create a very beautiful tone at moderate to higher volumes while helping to reduce feedback. Sounds perfectly fine at lower volumes too. The smaller body size is also a pleasure to hold, especially when standing up.

Really a wonderful guitar that has passed the test of time...I've owned it for about 14 years. It's the kind of guitar that really sounds great yet can withstand the bumps and bruises of gigs - crowded bandstand, occasional bump, outdoor stages, etc.

Good luck making your decision and looking forward to hearing about your decision.

I have one. I love it. It always gets appreciative comments for tone and for looks. You won't be disappointed.

As others have said, it's an electric, not an archtop - it has a little acoustic volume such that you can practice on it without an amp, but it needs an amp for anything beyond this.

Yeah, I have to find one to try. I started looking at this style guitar at GC with a Epi d339 and I liked it. I saw that the Ibanez's were regarded as better in online comparisons and when I saw the depth of the AG95, I hoped it would have more acoustic oomph.

Is there any sound advantage of the 95 over a more narrow guitar like the AG73FM?

The deeper body will offer more bass and depth in the amplified tone, but also more feedback. The upside is that you can get a really big sound out of a small amplifier. It's not generally a problem unless you play with very loud musicians. Then it's a problem.

If you really want a good acoustic voice, and why wouldn't you, get something with a solid spruce top and floating pickups. That's what I have, and it's so nice to be able to plug in your favorite home guitar at the gig.