Product: Ibanez Artwood AW 95
Price Paid: Euro's 35 USED
Submitted
12/09/2006
at
04:37pm
by
Noud
Email: noud<dot>koevoets at wanadoo<dot>nl
Features
:
9
The Ibanez Artwood AW 95 is a 12 string dreadnought model not to be
compared with the later Korean models though I won't say anything bad
about those guitars. I just don't know them.
This instrument is the high end twelve string of Ibanez around 1979 -
1983. It was made by the TAMA team that made such brilliant guitars
in the seventies in Japan.
Gotoh tuners. Neck has a good feel, enough flesh!
This one must be produced in 1980 though serial numbers for acoustics
have other rules as opposed to electrics. Solid top, back and sides.
(Spruce top, indian rosewood back and sides, great mahogany neck)
Sound
:
10
Being a guitarplayer for over thirty years I never had a twelvestring
guitar. This came to me as a complete surprise. I bought a lot of 3 guitars in an auction. The AW95 sounds bright with enough richness
from the basstones. Big volume and also beautiful at low volumes.
I compared it with other twelvestrings but this one can be ranged between the top brands! Having guitars like Martins, Guild, Levin, Gibson and Ovation I could have been spoiled but I want to give these guitars the credits they simply deserve! One minor: change the
cheapy plastic bridgesaddle with a bone or better: ivory one!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
The action was really too high but everyone has to keep in mind these instruments come all the way from Japan and in my opinion that's what the owner of a music shop should do. The woods used in
this instrument can compete with my Martins (both seventies)
Nice top and bookmatched sides (!) and back. I particularly like the
volute they added at the back of the head. Stringspacing OK.
They really had their thoughts about bridgecompensation but why the use of this cheapy plastic material? Nice finish and beveled frets!
Tasteful use of decoration. I like the wooden bindings.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
At first feel I must say: Will it hold the stringtension as it seems
to be built like a 6 string. But I bought it in 2006 and being 26 years old I can't find anything to complain about: straight soundboard and neck. Bridge properly glued. (never came off)
My guitar had an accident: a crack but happily in the lower bout far
from the bridge area. I have fixed this properly and he can live on
with it!
If you care for this instrument it will serve you a lifetime to my
opinion.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
For what I payed for it I'm not interested in whatever support.
I am just so glad I came across this guitar!
Overall Rating
:
10
I,m a professional guitarplayer for all my life. I started as an autodidact but later on took some lessons on classical guitar.
I later studied classical music and I owe some very special guitars
in this range. Besides being a teacher I play a lot with my band but
being more into electrics formerly I'm returning into acoustics.
At the end of the seventies I studied classical music and the first
Kohno classical guitars came to the Netherlands in larger quantities.
Rumours went that the by then also imported Juan Orozco guitars were built in the same factory. I recently did some investigations:
Kohno, Sakurai and Orozco designed a guitar built by the TAMA team
that built both high end gut strings and steelstrings and later, yes,
these earliest IBANEZ ARTWOODS!
