Ibanez Artwood owners

[bfloyd6969]

Tried the seach function but didn't come up with anything... Real close to dropping the ball on either an AW30 or AW35 (my local shop has both) but wanted to hear from owners of the Artwood's how the build qualities are on these in terms of longevity. The two I have played, play well and sound great but I would like to hear from owners how their's are holding up over the long haul. Prices seem almost too affordable which is why I am asking this. Thanks.

[DeepEnd]

I own an '04 AW120 and it's in great shape. Bear in mind though that mine is Korean made and the two you're looking at are probably Chinese made. You can tell the difference by the shape of the bridge. The AW40 on the left is Korean; the AW35RECE on the right is Chinese. I'm of the opinion that quality slipped slightly with the shift to Chinese manufacturing but that could be just me.

[bfloyd6969]

Thanks, I'll check the label as well to see if they're Korean or Chinese. As you said, most likely the latter. I can't recal the exact looks of the bridge at the moment but I'll check that as well. I agree that the Korean Ibby's were better than the Chinese ones, as I have both in the RG electrics and find this to be true.

[Christhee68]

My brother has a Ibanez AC30NT Artwood that's about 10 years old and it sounds great. He installed a Fishman Rare Earth humbucker in it and it sounds unreal (well I guess "real" would be a better term than "unreal" in this case) plugged in. Anyway, it's a great guitar. Get it.

[Growit]

I have the aw1400.

It was made in China 2005.

I play it every day. And every day it gets a little sweeter.

I only play finger style without finger or thumb picks on this Acoustic.

 

All Ibanez ArtWood series use solid engelman spruce.

 

Here is some good on the two major types of spruce and what you can expect when you have them broken in.

 

Spruce is the standard material for soundboards. These days the most commonly used species is Sitka, due to its availability and to the high yield from its characteristically large-diameter logs. Quartersawn Sitka is quite stiff along and across the grain; high stiffness, combined with the relatively light weight characteristics of most softwoods, is a recipe for high velocity of sound. A strong fundamental-to-overtone ratio gives Sitka a powerful, direct tone that is capable of retaining its clarity when played forcefully. Sitka is an excellent choice of topwood, then, for players whose style demands a wide dynamic response and a robust, meaty tone. On the other side of the balance sheet, the lack of a strong overtone component can result in a "thin" tone when played with a relatively light touch-depending, of course, upon the design of the guitar and the other woods used in its construction. The break-in period for a new Sitka guitar can also be longer than that of other spruces.

 

The most common alternative to Sitka is Engelmann spruce, another domestic western species. Engelmann is often more expensive than Sitka due to the lower yield from its smaller logs and because most logs have a spiral-grained structure that renders them unsuitable for proper quarter-sawing. Engelmann is considerably lighter in color than Sitka spruce, lighter in weight, and usually less stiff, resulting in a slightly lower velocity of sound. Engelmann also tends to exhibit a weaker fundamental tone, although it produces a noticeably broader and stronger overtone component. It is therefore a good choice for players who require a richer, more complex tone than can be obtained from most Sitka tops, particularly when the instrument is played softly. The downside is that Engelmann tops can have lower "headroom" than Sitka tops, which is to say that clarity and definition are often sacrificed when the guitar is played loudly.