Product: Ibanez AW80
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
07/08/2007
at
05:54pm
by
Eddie Parshall
Email: eddieparshall2002 at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
10
I have an Ibanez AW80 dreadnought that was made in Japan I'm not sure what year. It has a high-gloss finish that has gotten an amber cast to it almost over the 15 years or so that I've owned it.It has gold colored tuners that I believe to be Schaller that still work perfectly.It has a slight V-shape mahogany neck,1 and eleven sixteenths of an inch wide at the nut,and a 25 and a half inch scale.20 frets,14 to the body. I'm sure it has a solid spruce top,solid rosewood back (looks like East Indian),and solid or laminate sides in rosewood.No electronics came with the guitar originally. It has an ebony fretboard and bridge and maple binding on the top and back.
Sound
:
10
This guitar is a fantastic instrument,I consider it my all purpose guitar great for any style,fingerpicking or flatpicking. I play folk mainly with some classic country,fiddle tunes,and country blues thrown in and this axe does it all.It has a very full and woody sound that I have always loved.The only flaw is it is a little on the quiet side in a noisy jam situation (banjo present).
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
I bought this guitar at a pawnshop in Tampa,Fl. in 1991,I gave $190.00 for it.I took it home strung it up and haven't changed a thing yet except that I had a Fishman undersaddle pick-up installed with an active pre-amp. The guitar came with a bone nut and compensated bone saddle and there are no issues with either of these.
The frets need to be replaced 1 thru 5,that's it.The action is dreamy,the neck is true,it has a piece of rosewood inlaid where a plastic pickguard would be and I've never seen that on another guitar.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
This was my only guitar for years and it has never given me any trouble. I have played it gigging on cruiseships on open decks at sea and everywhere in between (except snow) and it is a tank.The finish is still flawless,no cross-checking or anything like that.The guitar is a real piece of furniture ,heavy,sturdy,original tuners still perfect.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with the company as there have been no issues with the axe but I have been wanting to find out more about this wonderful Ibanez guitar I have been fortunate to own and play.So I may give them a call
Overall Rating
:
10
I have been playing for 35 yr.s and I'm fairly deeply into the guitar culture,and I've owned and played many axes and this Ibanez AW80 is a great one of that I am sure.It has never let me down.I now own 5 guitars but I make a point to play the AW80 as much as possible,i don't take it on airplanes anymore and I use it a lot for recording in my home studio where the mature sound of a 35 yr. old dreadnought is needed.I have yet to see another AW80 or even a listing anywhere for one.I'm lucky to have had this guitar these years and although I've never gotten any respect for my AW80 in guitar snob circles,any serious player who has played it has remarked at what a quality instrument it is.
