The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review and Music Article Archive: Review: Ibanez Artcore AFS75T

The Ibanez Artcore AFS75T: Still Standing Two Years Later On

The Ibanez Artcore line caused quite a stir a couple of years back. Most of the guitars wouldn't have caused a lot of comment as higher priced models, but the fact that the lower line started at 325.00 was a revelation in world where affordable Archtops not named used Harmony Rockets were scarce. Archtops had been considered a niche item, but it was obvious that there was a lot of pent up demand in this price range.

Most of the media attention was focused on the large body 75 line, and the fact that it was a lot of guitar for the price. Whether or not it was enough to make it a really good archtop was more or less lost in the hype. The hype included bragging that other companies have asked Ibanez to make them Archtop guitars for rebranding (which they’ve always done, actually, that was never any secret in the guitar world).

There was no question that the lower line was a good deal, particularly if you played rockabilly or blues. The main audience for the guitar were rockers who leaped at the chance to own an archtop that looked good and was fairly priced.

Lost in the excitement was that the upper line Ibanez guitars were high quality and offered real competition to the dominant Epiphone line. It's now 2007, and the Artcores are now just another option and what was good and bad about those archtops is pretty clear. The original inexpensive line is still considered a nice guitar if you don't overpay for it. Its average used price in this area is around 250.00, if you include a hardshell case, and as low as 175.00 if you don't.

Also, no one who plays any amount of jazz takes it seriously as a jazzbox. In fact, it's rockabilly side is promoted more. The AFS75T has also dropped in value, going from a street price of over 700.00 to around 400.00. As such, it's not a bad deal, and a used one at an even lower price would be even better.

The shallow body AFS75 was one of the more popular models back in 2005, but was a bit pricey and was admired more than purchased. Given what it was, it should have been more popular. It was a configuration that could have competed well with the Epiphone Casino, or could have been promoted as an updated Gibson ES-125 thinline. Thinline archtops like the ES-125 (note: there is a full body version also) have always been popular on the used/vintage market and it's always been a wonder to me why Gibson or Epiphone hasn't re-released it.

The Ibanez, with its two ACH humbuckers isn't like the ES-125, which had a single P-90 and no cutaway, but it's a similar guitar. It's very playable, feels comfortable and easy to play.

However, Ibanez chose to go with a multi-dimensional type that could play different styles, and thus it has an all maple body and neck. With that kind of wood, even medium output humbuckers can lose their jazz character and become edgier (since Ibanez didn't choose to use their very fine jazzier humbuckers on this one). It's a bit bright for a lot of jazz applications. However, that’s probably a pickup issue as more than a few expensive jazz boxes use laminated maple to reduce feed back.

As a result, most comparisons are with the ES-335, a semi-solid Gibson type, and only beginners or intermediates are going to think the two are comparable. I've played both (and owned an ES-330), and the Artcore sounds pretty good, but isn't anywhere close to a Gibson.

This guitar in stock configuration would make a nice modern jazz guitar in the Methany mold, or be a good rocking blues instrument. Like all Ibanez's, it is well made, and worth upgrading. The key is to make sure you put in pickups like a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover or 59 model, Kent Armstrong, or Gibson alnico II magnet Burstbucker.

The tremelo bar, is of course, useless for jazz (IMHO). It's main appeal is for blues and rockabilly, which this guitar is well suited for. My lack of excitement for tremelo bars has been well shown in previous reviews, so I won't beat it to death. However, given the cost of a good one, I'd have recommended losing the tremelo bar, and putting in better pickups or a jazz-style tailpiece.

This would be an Artcore I'd recommend, even for a jazz player. It's basic concept of a thinline hollowbody is a good one. Hohner proved with its HS-40 that an all maple guitar can be an excellent medium priced jazzbox (of course, it has Kent Armstrong Vintage Humbuckers, a fine jazz pickup).

This Artcore is at a more realistic price now, as it was never better than an Epiphone Joe Pass. It is very upgradable, and when played stock, you can hear the potential that warmer pickups would bring to this guitar. Also, the blue finish is cool, and looks even better than in the pictures.

One interesting development in the Ibanez jazz line; some of the new models look a whole lot like Joe Pass's, with wood tailpieces (nice idea) and natural grain (like the most popular of the Pass line). Also, another model that's stayed around has a sharp cutaway like the Gibson ES-137.

Perhaps since 2005 the Artcore line has had the cockiness knocked out of it, and with it a realization that the Epiphones dominate the medium price Archtop market for a reason. They know the market, and the market wants more than flash and will pay more for quality and tradition. But in the case of this Artcore, with some upgrades and the right attitude, both you and guitar will soon be on the true path of medium level jazz guitar ownership free of Epiphone envy.

- Al Handa

2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa