Product: Ibanez Performance PF400NT
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
05/03/2009
at
11:50am
by
Finn
Features
:
8
Ibanez 'performance PF400 NT
Made in China.
Plain dreadnought
22 fret
A Project Guitar re upgrading hardware and fittings
Got it for $75 in a thrift store. Factory set action fairly heavy.
Solid Spruce Top and back and sides are Mahogany. Neck is some indistinct hard wood fingerboard and bridge are rosewood. Rough finish, bevels in the bouts or sides,Varnish Nitro flakes easily. I might remove the varnish carefully and oil polish the wood. I haven't checked the bracing I'mn not qualified for that work yet, there are no loose issues or is is there a 14th fret hump. Heavy guitar.
Upgrades
Loud, louder still with a fitted mammoth ivory saddle a touch high for volume. Left the xchanging nut until later.
Frets needed leveling and edges remove. Put on a set of one screw Grover Gibson style tuners,no new holes, factory machine heads were doubtful. Fitted with Martin 11-50 Studio Phosphor Strings. Rings like a bell sounds like a Martin D-18 but the bass notes are not as warm as the Martin. I added a Strap button and installed a LR Baggs M1 with end pin fitted.Bought $100 hardcase.Played at gig, done the job.
Upgrade Material Costs including so far about $350.00
The LR Baggs M1 and hardcase being the most expensive. I'll see if I get an even warmer sound by installing a brass nut and if not I'll use the new parts, except the modified saddle on a another factory solid wood ibanez maybe one that has a 1 3/4 inch or larger nut for fingerpicking
I play celtic stuff,mostly in DADGAD, flat picking jigs and reels and all forms of song and instrumental backup. I don't use a capo except for set songs. Good session guitar for a small attentive session audience.
It's not a big dreadnought sound more an excellent couch or home studio guitar. It just a guitar you buy cheap and upgrade with your personal know how. Then your set for visiting pupils and musicians who came unarmed with a new tune or song. A keeper I would only change out the saddle and the nut next time with a compensted B string set up at the saddle. fair for fingerpicking if you have lady fingers figerpickers need a classical neck or at least 1 3/4" nut with steel string set up.
Sound
:
7
Good true harmonics
Full equal sounding bell sharp srings
No dislikes for $75 initial cash layout
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
6
Poor Plastic Saddle
Nitro laquer over mahogony, marks too easily except on hardwood neck neck, head stock is a mahogany separate piece and flakes like the back and sides. Came with crappy advertising sticky label on pickguard, impossible to remove cleanly. Bridge solid as a rock so far, no peel away.No dislikes for $75 initial layout My other mainstay acoustic Guitars are a Martin DC-28E Elipse 2008, 1977 Guild D35nt with K&K stereo pickup
Reliability/Durability
:
7
Live it's ok. Not for Carnegie hall though
Solid, played gigs with it and left the big sisters sitting in their stands all night. Small dependable workhorse and whe I travel I detach the LR Baggs and put it i9n my carry on til i retrieve the guitar at the hold baggage. Cost a lot more than the guitary other mainstay acoustic Guitars are a Martin DC-28E Elipse 2008, 1977 Guild D35nt with K&K stereo pickup
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with ibanez
Overall Rating
:
6
First guitar EKO Model 100.
Other mainstay acoustic Guitars are a Martin DC-28E Elipse 2008, 1977 Guild D35nt with K&K stereo pickup. Yamaha red label 12 string usede as 6 string. Jackson. Gibson and Fender electrics.
