Ibanez AW700NT

It's a solid spruce top, so you get that rich sound, but they used maple for the neck and curly maple laminate for the back and sides. They look beautiful. Plus, there's a spectacular vinework inlay in abalone around the tone hole. It's a very pretty guitar. The only missing feature is the lack of an electric option. Fortunately, the guitar sounds good enough to amp with a microphone.

It's a beautiful, rich, round tone. The base notes are quite strong, and the high tones have a lovely bell-like quality. I play mostly folk and find this guitar to be the perfect companion for my style. For tight vocal harmonies or a clear, rich sound, this guitar couldn't be beat for the price. If you've ever had a "moment" with a guitar, you'll know why I rave about this one. I sat down with this guitar and played a bit. It made me want to keep playing forever.

The action is nice and tight. The bridge is carefully tuned so the intonation is spectacular! Poor intonation is a deal breaker for me (I have relative pitch and can't abide an out-of-tune scale or chord). This guitar really satisfied my high standards. The fit, finish, and look are spectacular. It felt comfortable just to hold it, to press down the strings, and to strike the chord. It was love at first note. This is quite obviously a carefully constructed and meticulously designed guitar.

As to the look, it couldn't really be prettier. They used a clear pick guard which really emphasizes the overall theme of the blonde wood finish. They really pulled it off with this one. It's as lovely a piece of visual art as it is a spectacular instrument. The detail work is classy, dignified, and breathtaking. It's really a Katherine Hepburn of the guitar world. Smart, classy, dignified-looking, but not too fussy. There's no painted or stained finish. No overblown, overdone scroll work. Just the spectacular beauty of the clear, gloss-finished wood in its natural color.

I haven't had it long, but this doesn't seem like a flaky guitar. The hardware is smooth and well tooled. Time will tell, but I wouldn't have any trouble relying on this as my only axe.

Never needed it so far. However, I'm going to knock 'em because they discontinued this wonderful guitar! I'm crushed! BUMMER DUDES!

Overall, I'd be crushed if anything happened to this guitar. It's a discontinued model, and I'd have a hard time replacing it. I've so fallen in love with this guitar that I'd be terribly sad if I had to find something else. It's the guitar of my dreams. Creamy blonde wood, a rich, clean sound, and a heart of gold. I can't fathom doing better than this at the price. The only possible improvement is that it'd be more versatile for band play if it was acoustic/electric. I wouldn't change anything else about it, though.