real innovation in a low end

[fazool]

I've had countless Taylors and Martins. I've played many of the popular boutique brands. I love a high end, good guitar - Lowden F35 is my favorite.

My Taylor 700-series if my favorite of my own guitars.

I've been on a bit of a "cheap guitar" crusade lately, needing one for :

• leaving at our rehearsal studio
• banging around at bar gigs
• playing on my patio in summer
• for rare alternate tunings

I've landed on Ibanez as my preferred cheap brand - largely because they have a series that are extremely similar in dimensional specs to Taylor Grand Concerts (so its intimately familiar for me).

Anyway....I have an Artwood 240C which I leave in our industrial-space studio. I have a prototype Ibanez AC10 (a phenomenal upgrade to that other one) for playing at bars.

I just picked up an Advanced Acoustic for campfire/patio playing. Now, mind you - its a very cheap guitar - that was my goal.

The fit and finish show the low price. The wood is the farthest thing from a AAA. So keep your expectations calibrated.

*BUT*....they truly did add a couple innovations that seem more than a gimmick:

The comfort cutaway has a bevel on the neck and then a different bevel on the heel. Other builders have done similar things, of course, but this one is on a cheapie guitar and it feels like a massively better cutaway.

The soundport has reflectors (one flat and one parabolic) inside the guitar. It seems to really "aim" the sound. If you play with the neck horizontal you won't notice much, but tilt the neck up a little and *BAM* the sound hits you right in the ear.

The tapered headstock has a straighter pull....its almost Seagull-esque

It also has a combo 1/4" and XLR- DI output. Again - lots of guitar have his, but this is on a sub $300 guitar.

I did a lot of customizing/setup work and it came out great.

Again - it can't hold a candle to my Martins or Taylors....but its got a lot of clever features and is totally respectable and I am very comfortable knocking it around outside.

I am impressed with how good some of the cheap offerings are getting.

[fazool]

customizations I did

- lowered action
- Elixir 80/20 styings
-custom rosewood armrest
-ebony tiner buttons
- reamed bridge pin holes
- oiled fretboard
-ivoroid bridge pins

[steelvibe]

These are interesting guitars Fazool. I have a couple questions for you;
What is the neck like (profile)?
Does this line have a truss rod? I cannot find anywhere online that indicates such.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

These are interesting guitars Fazool. I have a couple questions for you;
What is the neck like (profile)?
Does this line have a truss rod? I cannot find anywhere online that indicates such.

So I have three cheap Ibanez guitars:

Artwood AC240 - an all mahogany style of okoume wood
Artwood Vintage (prototype) - same as above but much, much nicer
Advanced Acoustic 54 - Sapele body Spruce top


All three have solid tops and laminated bodies.
The two artwood neck feels *EXACTLY* like a Taylor GC. Same profile and almost the same scale length.

The AA model's neck is a little "chunkier", feeling thicker in the middle.

Yes - they all have truss rods - in fact I just tweaked my AA a bit today. The truss rods are located in the sound hole. The AW's are harder to see and you would htink its not there - but it really is and you need the LONG allen wrench that it comes with.

Again, these are the cheap guitars the recent GC hthreads were about. These are *NOT* even medium-range guitars (well the middle one was a proto and I liked it better than my Martin 000-15, but thats a unique thing. Generally, these are beginner level guitars but I want to use them in really rough-and-tumble locations and, honestly I'm madly in love with them.

I know it sounds ridiculous but these are legit good enough guitars.

[steelvibe]

Thank you. The AAM300ce looks like a winner for my needs. I’m not a fan of cutaways in general but this one is designed properly and just somehow works with the overall aesthetic.

…and the pick guard can be removed [emoji846]

[Murphy Slaw]

There have been many classic and historic recordings made with cheap, entry level guitars.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

…and the pick guard can be removed [emoji846]

I agree. most of mine are naked. I removed this one and think it looks better

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Murphy Slaw

There have been many classic and historic recordings made with cheap, entry level guitars.

I made this one with my Ibanez AC340. Fit the song much better than many of my more expensive guitars. I've been pretty pleased with it for a guitar that cost under $300.

[abn556]

I don’t have any Ibanez stories, but I have played a few $350 Yamahas lately that were really good guitars.

[ghostnote]

Back in the day - WAY back, about 40 years - my duo partner and I spent countless hours gigging, recording, and just having fun with our only two guitars: my cheap Ovation and his cheap Ibanez dread. I have no idea what model the Ibanez was, but I remember that it had a cutout. I liked it. Both of those guitars sounded pretty good, and I’d guess they cost about $700 for both. A finely crafted guitar is a beautiful thing, but so is cheap fun.