Product: Ibanez AFR-305
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
04/16/2007
at
04:34am
by
paolo
Features
:
10
Made may be in '96,very limited run.
A shape i its own, currently used on EDA 905. Small carved body
My is signed by luthier Rolf Spuler both with the abolone signature on the body and by pen inside the cavity.
Two pieces highly flamed maple body and set-in glued neck (one piece maple, two-actions trussrod in alluminium channel. Head 3+2, smoked black HW.34" with jazz bass string to string distance: challenging (very close to my Fender Roscoe Beck. Neck is shlaoow end fingerboard (very dense ebony). 24 perfect medium-large frets.
One mag PU, may be humbucker + individual saddles with piezo; balance and active trble/bass stacked controls
Original hard case: touch of luxury
Sound
:
10
Dark and smooth with the magnetic only (but with some nice growling mid with careful use of on board electronics), very acoustics, from doghouse depth to classic guitar definition, with the piezo. And in beetween the experimentation realm I really like.
Personality is what comes out both because of look and sound and it matches me. Not as solid punch as the Manne (to take a piezoed comparison)but much richer of nuances.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
I had to work on the action and B string remains on the medium high side to fully resound with no buzzes. All other strings can be set as low as you like. The individual saddle allows for excellent adjustement. Also trussrod is very effective. I am now used to very rigid instruments, but this one remains acceptabile stable with a very "alive" feel in your hands: very "musical".
appearance is striking, with AAAAAA (but I am no expert) flame maple body and matching veneer on the headstock. finish is a velvet on both body and neck.Construction is perfect.
Not a 10 because of B string.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
seems very good; so far I can not say anthing less than positive, but still it is a boutique bass I would handle with care ....
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
NA
Overall Rating
:
9
What a piece of art!!
A full mark, though, again, not a cup of tea for everyone.
(25 yrs of bass playing, having tested almost everything and possessing a large collection of fine instruments...)
9: it costs ....
