Ibanez AS73

I have a 2009 model. I wanted the Trans Red, but that apparently isn't part of the 2009 lineup, so I settled for a Trans Cherry. Killer finish, Great bang for the buck. I installed a Bigsby B7 first, then a Wilkinson roller bridge and Kluson pearloid keystone locking tuners. The original tuners seem sturdy and capable, but I wanted the extra heavy-duty for use with the Bigsby.

The original sound was muddy, especially the neck pickup. I removed all the electronics and put in an ES/SG wiring kit, which consisted of CTS 500k pots, orange drop caps, and switchcraft jack and switch. The difference was immediately incredible. I had intended to swap the pickups next, but after the electronics change, I couldn't bring myself to touch it again. Absolutely great pickups!

I had to take it to my local guitar guy to have the sharp-edged frets smoothed down, and do a real setup. I adjusted the pickups myself using trial and error.

For the money, this is a great guitar. The Chinese are getting good at what they do for Ibanez. I replaced the strap locks with schaller locking ones, but I do that on all my guitars. The originals are fine. The AS73 is a tank.

Haven't had any need for them.

Well, I've replaced everything but the pickups, but that was my original intention. I took a sub 400.00 guitar and invested 500 more bucks in a 3 month period. AT the end, I have a beautiful instrument that I would put up against ANY other semi-hollow body. If you buy one and do nothing but replace the electronics, It'll make the value of your investment skyrocket.

I just bought a 2009 AS73 in white (brand new color btw). As a die-hard fan of Rush, especially their 70s stuff, I was inspired to find a good-quality inexpensive semi-acoustic after hearing the opening riff to Rush's classic "Working Man". In terms of looks, I was blown away. This thing looked like a cross between Alex Lifeson's white ES-355 (my personal favorite of all his guitars) which was his main guitar from 1976-1981 and the simple appointments of his sunburst ES-335, which he used on Rush's first 4 albums. I guess that's why I call it, I call it "The Working Man". (Yes that was another Rush reference) My AS73 came with a hardshell case due to a promotion from my local dealer. s

I have to give sound a 9 ONLY because I personally never liked stock pickups in store-bought guitars. Believe me, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SOUND ON THIS GUITAR!!! As a hard rock/progressive rock player, I was looking for something that sounded right in either genre. When I picked it up, the first song that I tried to play was, obviously, "Working Man". Through a Marshall combo, it nailed it right on the head. I played other 70s era Rush tunes on it, and the sound is quite convincing. I tried the same thing with an Epiphone Dot, but it didn't sound heavy enough. The next thing I tried to play on the Artcore was Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan". It has the sweetest clean sounds in the world. I'm changing the pickups to Duncan 59s at a later point, but the stock pickups are not bad in any way.

Everything in this category was perfect right out of the box.

Although the Artcore is great in the other categories I wrote about, here is where it absolutely shines! I believe that this guitar fixes everything thats wrong with a Gibson ES-335. First of all, the tuners are Grovers, which are a million times better quality than crappy Kluson tuners Gibson use. Second, on the Artcore, the input jack is on the rim of the guitar WHERE IT BELONGS!!! (Take a hint Gibson). On a 335, the jack is on the top of the guitar, making it a nuisance and making it easier to get damaged. And third, the Artcore just feels much more solid than a 335. I feel that if it fell, I could just pick it back up. Great job, Ibanez.

Havent dealt with them yet, but I don't think I'll need to.

On a scale from 1-10, this guitar is an 11. If you're a hardcore fan of Cream or 70s era Rush like I am, or if you're a longtime 335 player who's looking for something better, I got 5 words for you; BUY THIS ****ING GUITAR NOW!!!!

Features have been covered by others.

I bought this guitar expecting to immediately upgrade the pickups - I was already pricing some SD Alnico 2 Pros. But when I got the guitar home and plugged it in I was blown away by the tone of this thing! I have a Les Paul Standard (with Burstbucker Pros) and a Strat with noiseless Kinmans, and this AS73 fits beautifully between the two.

Neck PUP: The neck pup is rich, warm and buttery! At first it seemed a little too warm, so I raised it a little and the bright top end appeared as if I had turned up a tone pot. In fact, I had to drop the pup down a little lower after my first adjustment because the highs came out a little too strongly for my taste. I love this pup! It has plenty of mids like a humbucker should, with a big bottom end and nice smooth, buttery highs. It's just the sound I was looking for in a neck pup. I can't believe I didn't have to pay big dollars for a boutique pup to get this sound!

Bridge PUP: At first I thought that the bridge pup was a little too twangy. Then I rolled the tone pot down to 7 and there it was - sweet tones with just the right amount of twang for a bridge pup. In fact the tone pot allows you plenty of scope to produce all kinds of tones. Kick in some distortion and roll the tone back up to 10 and this thing will cut through any band without being harsh or ice picky. There's plenty of meat in this pup - just use the tone pot to find YOUR sound.

MIDDLE POSITION: Beautiful! These pickups are nicely balanced and the middle position produces a sound that I makes me want to play all day. I took the guitar to band practice a few nights ago and everyone commented on the beautiful clean sound from the middle position. With the both tone pots on 10 it produces a well balanced, slightly quacky, sound beautifully balanced across the tonal spectrum.

OVERALL: This guitar makes my strat sound thin and my Les Paul sound harsh. In fact, after comparing these guitars all week I have decided to get rid of the Burstbucker Pros in the LP and upgrade to something else. This AS73 blows the LP out of the water for clean tones. As I said before I wasn't expecting to like these pups but I have found the sound I have been looking for and they are definitely staying! Perhaps it helps that I have a fairly bright amp (50 watt Richards - a boutique hand made valve amp), but my advice to you is to play with pickup heights and tone pots for a while - give these pups a chance.

Action was terrible- way too high and the neck had quite a bow in it. The truss rod was completely untightened and was quite stiff to adjust. I was worried that there might not be enough adjustment in it to straighten out the neck. But my fears were unfounded - I was able to straighten the neck, and even had to back the truss rod off a little because I had straightened it too much. The top nut is too high for my tastes and the machines heads feel cheap and uneven. I have ordered some schallers and my guitar tech is going to install them, file down the top nut and do a full set up for me. The intonation seems quite good but the top nut is so high that fretting notes on the first 3 or 4 frets results in pitch change because you're having to press the strings down so far to make contact with the frets.

Apart from these minor issues, the finish on these guitars is amazing for the price. It is a very well made piece of gear. I've looked it over very closely from top to bottom and everything from the binding to the neck joint to the finish is first class.

Only had it a week but it feels and looks like it will be a very durable, giggable guitar.

Been playing for 34 years and owned lots of guitars (still do). This is my favourite. This guitar has shown up my LP to be harsh and honky. I play in a covers band (funk, rock, pop) and in church and this AS73 is going with me to every gig as my first choice guitar. I'm stoked that I found such a great sounding guitar at such an amazing price.

2008 transparent cherry. Model has been available for a few years, so I won't repeat the feature list. Review is for stock AS73, as shipped by Ibanez. It has the same "features" as the expensive model it replicates, but, obviously, is built to a much lower price.

That said, this is a Chinese-made, semi-hollow 335-style guitar. It equipped with better components than you might expect at this price point. I don't feel compelled to change anything (tuners are solid, pickups are fine for a hobbyist, etc.) but everyone has their own take on upgrading stock guitars. Some guys buy them just to hot rod them into something completely different. Me, if it doesn't sound good off the wall, I don't want it. And this one sounds good.

Sound with stock pickups is outstanding. I run it through an older Marshall valvestate amp, and it sounds great clean and dirty. Neck pickup is rich and full across the spectrum (unlike the muddy neck p/u on two different Epi Dots I tried in the shop the same day). Bridge pickup has a bit of twang to it, but that just adds to the versatility. Handles all musical styles well; it's a very adaptable guitar.

Action just a bit higher than I like, but easily adjusted and a personal issue, not a problem with the guitar itself. Finish was flawless, hands down the best finished guitar I've seen lately. Everything is solid and works properly. You'd never know this was a low-priced guitar from looking at it or playing it.

Don't gig anymore, but don't see why you couldn't. Hardware and finish seem solid. Stays in tune well. Always best to have a backup, but at $300 or so, why not have 2 of these?

Have not contacted Ibanez, as guitar has performed flawlessly. Most customer support for guitars is done at the store level anyway, so who you buy from is probably more important than what you buy.

I've played for over 35 years, and have had a variety of equipment during that time. Good guitars tend to stay around. I currently have a '79 Ibanez Artist 2617, a late '80s MIJ Strat, Ovation 12-string, mid-70s Yiari Acoustic, among others. I picked this one up to see if I could find the sound of a 335 bought and sold in my starving musician days. It's not perfect, of course, but close enough. Since I don't gig anymore, I can't justify big bucks for guitars, and this one is an incredible value for $300. I played a few others (Epi Dot, Sheraton, Casino, a couple of other artcores and a new 335 just for a sanity check) and could find no reason to choose anything else. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if the need arose. Unless and until that happens, this one is a keeper.

Tobacco sunburst - bought in 2007, standard features, no changes made.

Sound is good - the pickups maybe could be a bit sharper, but give a lovely smooth sound played clean or through effects board. I use a Vox valvetronix and the guitar sounds great through this. The electronics are beautifully quiet.

Absolutely first class, don't know how they do it for the money, perhaps it is better not to find out... I lowered action, slight adjustment to the truss rod and the guitar nearly plays itself, it is very fast and the smooth frets make playing a real pleasure.

Looks bulletproof to me, mine fell off the stand at a gig and I just picked it up, slight ding, but no other issues.

Never tried with any Ibanez I've had, never needed to.

been playing more than 30 years now, rock, jazz, and church worship. So glad we can get really good quality guitars for so little money these days, not like when I started out, but I need a bigger house to store them all :)

You can get all the details somewhere else here. I just want to say I love this guitar. Trans Red version with really nice trim.

I have a Fender Strat for the sounds it gives and wanted a semi-hollowbody for those types of sounds. I play mostly rock and this Ibanez gets some great tones for the price. Played mostly through my Carvin Belair 50 watt tube amp it is sweet. I use a variety of pedals and they all sound good but it sounds wonderful with no pedals also. I may, or may not, change the tuners and pickups someday but for now it is very nice just the way it is.

I've had it about a week and it plays great right out of the box. It could probably use an overall setup and will get one when it needs new strings but for now all is good. Fit and finish seem perfect and I have no complaints.

Seems well built and since it won't travel much it should last a long long time.

Never had to deal with Ibanez. I also have one of their electric/acoustics and it is a fine piece too. No problems..

I've been playing for roughly 40 years in and out of bands. Mostly home recording now. I think I would buy another if something happened to this one. I looked at Epiphone Dot guitars before finding this one and the Epi's don't even compare to this. Cheaply made and put together they are, really, pretty crappy by comparison. I also looked at Gibson 335's but at $2500 not a reality......

For the money it is very much worth every penny. The guitar does even more than it's pricetag would have you believe. I had many tones pouring out of the beast when I first got it home and hooked up with my ROSS compressor. The neck is definately a very nice fit, I have bigger hands (skinny but long) and prefer a skinnier neck than most guitars seem to have. The neck was exactly what I was looking for and the tone was even better. Only thing I don't like is, as mentioned before, there is no whammy. However, I never expected one on this style of a guitar, it just wouldn't look good. Also the tuning keys do a great job of staying in tune, I usually only have to barely tweak a couple strings every couple of days. 9 just because of no whammy.

For the money, I don't see how you get much better. Since you're already looking for a hollow-body with humbuckers, it'd be pointless to say this doesn't pull off strat sounds, why should it? It has great warmth; especially when you crank up the volume with overdrive, the body really pickups the sound and makes the guitar sing. Like I said, I found very many different tones, most notably a Gilmour-esque tone on the neck with a very ZZ top via La Grange sound on the bridge. There are many types and a lot of versatility when it comes to finding tones.

10/10 for it's price range, body-style and features. There are no better Hollowbodies for this price range.

Action needed adjusted, as I am a pretty soft player the majority of the time. However, after getting the action adjusted to a pretty low action; it was perfectly set-up. The pick-ups were pretty horribly off-set and didn't hold the same volume, but this was easily corrected when they were alligned straight after getting the string action set up. Overall the guitar factory set-up definately needed work, but what guitar have you ever bought brand new that was designed at the factory to be exactly your set-up for every model produced?

Definate dependability. No problems here.

Never had to use them to this point.

Definitely a 10/10. There's no better value, versatility, and sound quality from a guitar in this price range and this type of guitar.

Really basic features, but what is surprising is the quality of many of the parts. For instance, the tuners stay in tune even with a heavy playing session, which is rather tough to find on a guitar in this price range. Only feature I would like that it doesn't have is a tremolo, but honestly it's not necessary. The stock gear is rather amazing, most notably the pickups that rival some of the big-name stock pickups and sound absolutely phenomenal going through the right tube amp. That is to say, they don't sound -bad- on a solid-state, but I'm just trying to allude to the incredible sound of this baby on the all-tube amps. The neck is fast, fits well in the hand and is perfectly balanced. Seriously, pop a strap on it and situate it, then just gently move your hands off of it, and it stays as is.

6/10 as it's rather standard, BUT bumped up to an 8/10 because of the quality of the stock gear.

Here's where your heart is. Obviously, the most important part of any guitar is how she sounds, and this is without a doubt, an intensely shocking ratio of price/sound quality. I played it in the store and thought to myself, "You've got to be kidding, there's no way this costs under $400." I even asked one of the salesmen, making sure it wasn't mis-tagged or anything like that. Luckily for me, it was not. I mostly play blues, but also dabble in heavy metal, basic rock, and ambiance music. An odd mix, to be sure, and it's hard to find one guitar that can cover a range like that, and this guitar honestly can. As I said in "features," this guitar is a king of the tube amp, and the hollow body sound chimes through perfectly. I've owned this guitar for a year now and I can safely say that the sound is incredible and doesn't diminish with use. If you're considering buying this guitar, but simply aren't sure, plug it into a tube-amp and play it for a while, and I have faith you'll make the right choice.

10/10 for versatility and quality.

The neck is well-balanced and very fast, comfortable in your hands and easy on your fingers. This guitar can suit a metal head and a blues boy both rather comfortably. Stock setup is solid and all the parts are installed right and in the right place, which should be a given, but I've seen guitars that came all willy-nilly out of the factory.

As for finish, this baby looks beautiful. Just the prettiest guitar I've seen in a while. I have the transparent cherry, and love it. I do not like the sunburst too much, but that's no matter as I was given the option of the pretty red! Seriously, the red is gorgeous and has a creamy-white trim on all sides that just perfects the image. Take a good, long look at it and I really think you'll agree.

10/10 for no complaints and a fabulous look.

Here is my single complaint. The input jack, on my particular guitar, was rather low-quality. After a few months, I plugged in an instrument cable and got nothing but electronic hum, and when I strummed no noise came out. The hum was loud, loud as my strumming should have been. The input jack had been broken and needed to be repaired. Easy fix, and the store where I bought it took responsibility, fixing it for free within an hour. However, a few months later it happened again, and upon further examination, I realized that the input jack was simply low quality and the problem would persist if not replaced. Took it to the store I bought it again and they actually replaced it free of charge. Now, the jack is perfect. Solid and tight and not coming loose anytime soon, the jack even picks up the signal better and I have a bit of a better tone. You might look into replacing the jack upon purchase, but honestly, if it costs you even a few bucks to get that upgraded, combine that cost with the cost of the guitar and consider the price of similar hollow-body guitars. You'll do the math and agree that this is a hell of a deal.

9/10 for only one, minor, easily fixed problem.

Have not dealt with Ibanez, only a local music store.

No opinion.

Overall, this is a guitar worth a -lot- more than her price tag. You really ought to take a look at her and play her a bit. You'll likely be as blown away as I was, and as a few other people who wrote reviews here. If this beauty was stolen, I'd scour the globe for it. Okay, likely I wouldn't but I'd make the police do everything they could, and if that fails I'd buy a new one and quickly get a new input jack on it! Anyway, give it a shot.

10/10, my personal favorite guitar, my main guitar, my friend.

Semi-hollow body, maple lam, two humbuckers with dual tone/volume and a single switch. Stop bridge, rosewood fingerboard, some sort of crazy "mahogany material" neck--whatever the heck that is--dot inlays, two f-holes, and binding out the kazoo. Feels fairly sturdy for its light weight. Mine's burgundy and the finish is nicer than on most of my guitars (including a Les Paul). Neck is very thin compared to almost all of my rigs, and access at the top of the fretboard is exemplary. It is effortless to hit those high notes.

I agree that it is a bit muddy when at low output levels. So why not turn it up? That's what I do (Marshall, Digitech modeling), and problem solved. I have always wanted to be Larry Carlton, and this Ibanez gets me a good part of the way as far as the instrument part of that goes. I love the semi-acoustic nature of this thing, which is tonally rich when played at sensible volumes through good electronics. I simply cannot tbelieve how good this guitar sounds for less than my pickups are on most of my other stuff. It definitely gives you more than a small glimpse of that 335 thing, whether you do the rock/metal thing, or more of a blues/jazz bit.I'm a classic rock and blues/jazz guy, and this is my axe of choice for the latter. However, I am increasingly using it for rock. I love the freaking neck! I am sure if you put some nice PAFs of your preference in (Wolf?) that it would really shine. Having several very expensive guitars, I just cannot imagine that paying two grand more for a 'real' 335 would get me two grand more fun or tone. This thing is shocking at the price.

This is where it gets hilarious. I am constantly messing with the intonation on my other guitars, as I am a whammy nut and an note bender-extreme. I will not tolerate my guitar being tonally less than perfect anyplace on the fingerboard. I have a very expensive Dean with about three gazillion pounds of mahogany in it that sounds, as a result, incredible. The neck is buttah. However, I don't play it very much because the intonation is a constant battle (yes I know how to deal with a Fl Rose). So, I open up this Ibanez, and I'm sort of dissing it as I do ("flippin two hundred dollars/friggin joke/whatamI doin' with this piecea-c-drap!'). I hook it up to the Marshall and start playing some chords that I know will reveal what a piece it is, and, presto!. Perfect intonation. Everywherre I go to try to reveal its pathetic nature is spot-on. So, I just start playing, and I'm, like, laughing after a few minutes because the whole thing just feels so comfortable, and easy, and sweet. I played for three hours that day before I realized what time it was.

Action was and remains the best of any guitar I own. No fret buzz, no crazy fret activity that one would expect at this price due to what I knew would be pathetic fret job. They're smooth, nicely rounded, easy to bend, tap, legato, staccato--whatevvah. My pickups are undoubtedly not ideally set up, I am no electronics expert on the guitar side of things, but there is no hum, little feedback, and the tone is pretty darn good for now. I would definitely spend the couple hunski to upgrade these. For me, the machine heads are fantastic. They hold like granite, way better than some Grovers, Schallers, and a locking nut or two I have. It's crazy. I will never replace these, as they rock the house. As others have well said, the finish on this guitar alone would cost you at the very least fivve hundred if done by any reputable person in the US. The binding work they did was not for the amnateur, and it looks beautiful How did they do it?

This is sort of the real question. I do not know how the AS73 would do with some real live gigging. It is, by its nature, not a heavy, sturdy instrument. The lacquer job is substantial, and that will help. But getting banged around and dropped and stuff? I dunno. I am one of the zillions who has had the misery of losing a Gibson Les Paul to a hard floor on a stage. Nuf said. I am always stressed when I see a set neck. You just never know. I think what I will do with this is take on stage, but use it only for those tunes it is best suited for (the few blues and jazz tunes I do). I am using this guitar every day in practice and it is not giving away any ground so far. I suspect this just happens to be one of those weird awesome values that come along from time to time.

No input here. I have no need for any support.

Been playing since 1970. Have owned or do own a bunch of stuff in that time: Ibanez Iceman, Epi SG (my first guitar), custom Explorer, MexiTele, 68 Les Paul Goldtop, Wolfgang USA, Deans, some good and bad Chinese copies, and I don't remember what all else. Couldn't really tell you. I use an old Marshall run clean into the Digitech Modeler (great fun) and I alter my sound markedly, sometimes from song to song. I am so very glad I didn't buy a Gib 335, which I was within minutes of doing. I can upgrade the AS73 and probably get ninety percent of the way there for peanuts. I'm taking that money I had set aside for the Gibson and buying a tricked out Warmoth Les Paul. I will always have one of these and, honestly, I now want the Ibanez L5 copy , too. I am sure the Agiles are quite good, or so I hear, but at this price point, the Ibanez cannot be beaten. The thing I love about this guitar is how it plays, the feel, the comfort. The neck is faster than my Wolfgang and makes the Goldtop feel like I'm playing in quicksand. I only wish it came with some killer PAFs, but that can be handled.

This AS73 I think brings up a really good point for consideration by all but the wealthiest guitar players. And that is, should you struggle and scrimp to buy a big-name guitar or not. I've done it, and I have a very valuable one in the 68 Goldtop. But I just told you that the two hundred dollar Ibanez is more fun to play. It doesn't sound nearly as good, but it provides more enjoyment. So, which is the better buy? Thousands and thousands for something with a big name that you sort of enjoy playing, or a lot less for something that looks great, seems well made, and is tons of fun? My own opinion is that the big American names have all become far too expensive when you look at their cost of goods. It does not cost three thousand dollars to build and market a Les Paul. Do you know what mahogany body blanks cost? Nuf said. What I would suggest, if you are contemplating not doing the amazing value thing (like the AS73), is to check out one of the reasonable custom shops such as Warmoth or USA. You can get a guitar exactly, completely the way you want it (want a panda bear guitar? they'll make you one)for a third to a half what you'll pay in the stores for an American-made rig. Just my opinion, worth what it costs, which is nothing.

This is an archtop semi-hollow body 335 style guitar with dual ACH Humbucker pickups. The body and neck are maple with a rosewood fret board. The neck and body are fully bound and mine is a brown sunburst. The finish is buffed out and this guitar is a real treat for the eyes. The guitar came with chrome hardware but this has been changed over to gold as I think it looks better with the color. The bridge / tailpiece are a Tune-O-Matic style and the tuners are Rotomatic style tuners. I have replaced these with a set of Grovers as I???ve heard the originals can start to slip as they age.
The neck is very comfortable and fast. To me the body is slightly less clunky feeling than the Gibson or Epiphone 335???s. I would suggest replacing those poorly designed strap pins with a good set of strap locks to keep that beautifully made guitar off the floor!
This guitar is Chinese made but don???t let that fool you. They???ve been making instruments and other fine wood products for a couple thousand of years. The people building these obviously take a lot of pride in their work and it shows in their product. My suggestion is buy one while they???re still inexpensive.

The sound this guitar pushes out is truly incredible for an instrument in this price range. I primarily use mine for Rock and Blues and can always find the sound I'm looking for. My primary amp is a Peavy Bandit 65 and I've never had any problem pushing enough sound to fill a venue with this combination.
The ACH pickups put out impressive volume and good clear tone. While these aren???t considered ???state of the art??? top end pickups they deliver the goods with surprising quality. The electronics are very quiet; I get no hum in any switch position or volume setting. This feature alone impresses me. The sustain is very good without having to use overdrive to compensate. The sound output can range from a mellow buttery jazz tone to a screaming lead. The only weak area I can find here is that the manufacturer used budget switches and pots in these guitars. This is a very inexpensive and easy upgrade that would make this an heirloom you could leave to your grandkids. Spend some money on a set of high grade Duncan???s along with the switch and pot upgrade and you have got a guitar that would rival any Gibson 335 for about a quarter of the price. Use the extra money for lessons they???ll take you further than a logo.

From the ones that I???ve played in the local music stores these guitars come from the factory very well set up. The action is very easy even with heavier strings like .011???s or .012???s. There are no buzzing or high frets and all the wires are well dressed making the neck very comfortable in your hand.
The fit and finish of the guitar is better than any of my other guitars and comparing it to a new Gibson 335 it???s as good as it gets. The binding on my guitar is immaculate and the finish looks like you could swim in it. All the joints are tight and I have yet to find a flaw in this area.
My guitar has been to the pro shop for overall check and setup. The technician said he did very little to the instrument other than minor adjustments for my playing and string preferences. This is something all guitar players should consider reguardless of the make they purchase.

This guitar seems to be built like a tank! I can???t think of a gig I???ve ever been to that it would have been out of place or not held up. The body is as solid as any 335 style I???ve ever played and the price tag means you won???t soil yourself if it gets knocked to the floor. As far as not having a backup I play this and a strat copy as my primary instruments as they are each good for different sounds. In that sense they act as backup for each other. Other than the very seldom broken string this rig has never given any sign of cut out.
The only drawback to this guitar right out the box is the strap locks chosen by the manufacturer. This is true of every guitar I???ve ever owned so when I buy a guitar I buy a set of Schaller???s to go with it. I also replaced the tuners with a set of Grover Rotomatics. This is just a personal choice, as I had no real complaints about the origionals but have heard they will start to slip as they age. At some point I will probably replace the electronics with upgraded hardware to make this a ???custom??? level instrument.

Never had to use the warranty or contact the manufacturer...just no problems with this axe.

I???ve been playing for 40 years, I primarily play blues and rock and this guitar fills this position well. It projects a lot of musical character for such an inexpensive instrument. I wouldn???t trade it for 2 Epiphone DOT???s and would replace it without reservation if it were lost, stolen or destroyed. I???ve played it against a Gibson and find that in my hands it feels better than the $2K flagship. The Gibson had all high dollar electronics but for around $250 this guitar could be brought to the same level. If you???re just starting out and want a 335 style guitar you can???t go wrong with this instrument. I never really considered Ibanez guitars until I played this one. From first sight it won me over???now I wonder what I might be missing in their other guitars.

Arch top, semi-hollow 335-style, all maple body and neck, rosewood fretboard, two ACH humbuckers, tune-o-matic style bridge with an Ibanez revision of the stop tailpiece (same basic thing as the classic, the Ibanez just looks different), ivory binding all everywhere, and a very nice deep transparent cherry finish. The neck feels thinner (both ways) than my Epi Dot, but it's comfortable, and it plays fast. The neck joint is extended as compared to the classic Gibson/Epiphone design, and that could be a good thing. Everything looks to be of good quality. If you compare this to the Epi Dot Studio (same price range), this guitar beats it in every single way.

For a $300 guitar, you'd expect to sacrifice some sound, but this guitar will really surprise you. I have an Epi Dot 335 from the mid 90's (not the clunky, new Dot Studio I mentioned before), so I can compare this guitar to that one. For off-the-body (meaning unplugged) tone, they are quite close. Granted, my Dot has the benefit of age, but this Ibanez can only get better. The Ibanez pushes out generous volume and good sustain (which is aided by its extended neck joint). The ACH pickups are not as good as my Dot's, but to be fair, I put Duncan Alnico Pro II's in my Dot. Those pickups, if you've never used them, are heaven in these type of guitars. That said, these Ibanez pickups are no slouches. They have good clarity; the neck pickup isn't too deep, and the bridge pickup isn't too bright. The middle position is my favorite. They are well-suited for any musical style (as most modern pickups are), but given that this is a semi-hollow guitar, I wouldn't use this for metal. Ibanez has plenty of other options for you if that's your thing.

Out of the box, this is a fine guitar. If you're really picky, you can change the pickups, but no audience will notice the upgrade.

The finish is flawless, and the binding also looks great - and this guitar is made in China! This guitar might change your mind about Chinese-made instruments. I've seen U.S. made guitars with really lousy work, and nothing about this guitar seems cheap or poorly made. The frets don't have sharp ends, and they're all leveled well. The action is good, and after a setup it's perfect. I use .012's with a wound third, and this guitar still plays great.

The only knock against my particular guitar is that the tone control to the neck pickup doesn't seem to be connected. The tone is stuck on 10. I did buy this off the wall of a Guitar Center, so that might not be Ibanez's fault. Anyway, I left it broken (they would have fixed it for free) and took a discount on the guitar. I never use the tone control on the neck pickup; I only use it on the bridge pickup. You'd really only use that tone control if you were trying to get a really dead, flat jazzbox tone. I like to play my jazz with some clarity, so I was happy to just take a discount.

It seems to be built well, and the neck joint especially makes it feel sturdy. I always gig with a backup, but now I can gig with two very nice 335-style guitars.

No experience with them.

If you're looking for a 335, and you can't afford to overpay for a Gibson, look here. The Epiphone Dot (the $500 version) may sound just a bit better (the new Anico V pickups in the Epiphones really sound great), but it's probably not worth the extra $200. If cosmetics are important to you, then the Ibanez will not disappoint. I still prefer my Dot with the Duncans in there, but this guitar will still get plenty of play time. The body on this Ibanez is a little more comfortable. If you're in the market for a semi-hollow guitar, you've got to check out the Ibanez Artcore series. The price is reasonable, and you get a great guitar. Forget about Ibanez's reputation for making only shred-metalhead guitars - they can make a very respectable, versatile semi-hollow as well.

The wood and construction is where this guitar really shines. The laminated maple body is just as good and in some ways better than my Gibson. The neck joint is more level and seamless. It has multiply binding on the body, bound head stock and F holes. For 3 grand you would think that Gibson would offer these accents. I gave an 8 because the hardware and electronics are pretty poor. I didn't score it lower because these things can be fixed. The tuners feel a little loose, but it does stay in tune, so I'm going to keep them for now. Replace the bridge, the electronics and the nut and you'll have an guitar that will rival the ones coming out of the Gibson custom shop (for 1/3 of the price)!. One other thing. I could do without the lightning bolt in the headstock logo. Looks a little cheesy for an otherwise very classy looking instrument.

I'm playing through a Marshall JMP-1 preamp and a Marsall series 9000 power amp. Its a very vintage rack setup. I also have a compressor, an Alesis quadraverb and BBE sonic maximizer in the effects chain. At full volume the tone is absolutley amazing. I'm not saying amazing for a $300 guitar, just plain amazing. The pickups have a good PAF flavor to them. I played it side by side against a Les Paul wired with the Wolftone Vinatge PAF pickups. Of course the Gibson came out ahead in this arena, but considering price - not an extra $2100 worth of better! Others have posted that it gets very muddy at lower volumes and I agree completely. A high pass filter similar to the one in my JS-1000 would help a lot. Considering I use the volume pots to roll of some gain from the preamp, this is a critical flaw, but as I said before, replace the electronics and you'll get blown away.

Out of the factory, the action was terrible and the pickups were too high. 10 minutes on the bench and it was like a whole differnt guitar. I'm not going to give it less than an 8 because the guitar is capable of very low action, they just didn't set it that way when they shipped it. The finish was flawless and the neck was set perfectly. The fret job was ok, but could use some dressing. Very mice job on the binding all the way around.

After the upgrades mentioned above, I would definitely play live with it. In fact, it would probably be my main guitar so I wouldn't get my expensive ones all dinged up. I would never gig without a backup for any of my guitars.

Never had to deal with them.

I'ver been playing for 25 years. From Gibson, I have a Les Paul and a Lucille. From Fender I have a strat and a tele. I also have a Satriani JS-1000. After the upgrades, I would put this up against my Lucille any day of the week. Would absolutely replace it if anything ever happened to it. Love the attention to detail in the construction. Hate the lack of attention to detail in the hardware and electronics. I will give it a 10 in the overall category because it truely is a fantastic value. I've played guitars with triple the price tag and half the tone. Go get one!

A 335 copy. It's blue. Not too sure about the specifics, because as soon as I played this guitar I decided I must own it.

It sounds like a 335! The original pickups were okay, but I switched them out with Semour Duncan Seth Lovers and now this guitar sounds incredible. Lots of sustain and midrange and a warm, round, smooth top end. Very nice! Sounds great with distortion, too! Both pickups are useable. I wouldn't change anything about this guitar's sound. It's great for jazz, rock and blues.

No flaws, pretty good action. I have mine set up with .11 gauge flatwounds.

Frankly, some of the hardware gives this guitar a flimsy feel. Mainly the tuning machines. Other than that, it's quite solid.

I will probably never buy another Ibanez again because the company has been so unhelpful. They never respond to their emails, and I must have sent a dozen. Well, there are lots of other companies out there who DO answer their emails and I think I'll give my money to them from now on.

I've been playing about 10 years, and owned guitars ranging in price from 200 dollars to 2500 dollars. This guitar sounds as good as the best I've played, but the pickups and hardware hold it back. Fortunately you can replace all of that! This guitar is a steal for how cheap it is.

Pretty standard for features.
I got mine from eBay.
Original owner upgraded the pickups with DiMarzio
"Humbuckers From Hell"...also came with a NICE
TKL hardshell case.
Very solid guitar...has some weight to it.

I wanted a 335 style guitar...
Big Scofield fan!
The upgraded pickups sound awesome.
I have heard the original Artcore pickups before.
Not bad...
This guitar rings...plugged or unplugged!
Great for rock, blues, jazz...
Check out some samples:
http://www.myspace.com/vonfacevirtualjazz
Keep in mind, my rating here is with DiMarzios!

Workmanship is VERY good!
This is my 3rd Artcore...
Ibanez really knows how to make a great guitar.
There was some slight "fretting out"...
I put a set of 10's on & raised the action just a bit...
Easy fix.
Another plus: This guitar STAYS IN TUNE!!
I absolutely love it.

Very solid guitar.
No worries here.

I have talked with Ibanez through their web site.
Fast & easy.

Been playing for close to 30 years...
Like I said...this is my 3rd Artcore.
Great guitars.
If stolen, I would get another!

I won't go over all of the features because they're covered in every other review. Transparent cherry red ES-335 copy, maple body with set neck. Two humbucker pickups, two volume, two tone and one 3-way switch.

I like blues and classic rock and this guitar is well suited for both. I play it through a Peavey Valve King with only three pedals. The sound is beautiful. Clear ringing notes, great sustain and it breaks up nicely with a little gain.

The finish is flawless but the hardware and setup left quite a bit to be desired. Two of the six tuning heads were useless so I replaced all six. The bridge screws broke so I replaced it with a Gotoh bridge. The bridge and the tuning heads set me back about $50. The intonation, action and neck were all off a little and it wasn't until recently that I had a proper setup job done. With a proper setup the guitar is absolutely amazing. The action is light and fast and this $350 guitar ($300 plus the $50 for new parts) plays better than any guitar costing twice that much or more. We need a category here to rate guitar techs or shops. Because of the hardware issues I can only give it a 6 out of the box.

The guitar seem to be very solid and well assembled. I've had it for almost a year now and except for the two hardware issues it has been rock solid.

I never called Ibanez regarding the hardware.

Every guitar needs to be set up properly so I can't ding Ibanez for that. The hardware that was faulty was inexpensive and easy to replace. The hardware would have bothered me if I had spent a lot more on the guitar. Given the amount of investment and how well the guitar plays, looks and sounds I have to give it the highest possible marks.

I think the features of the guitar have been covered in spades by other reviewers. All I can say is that it has the essentials of a semi-hollow so I gotta give it a "10"

I A/Bed it against an Epi Dot. I think I liked the Dot pickups a little better but I could live with these for awhile. Better than most stock pups. What makes this guitar better than a Dot or other inexpensive semi is that the body is MUCH more resonant -- almost in the territory of a Casino.

This is where Ibanez kicks everyone's ass. Honest to God, I looked at an ES335 for $1,999 in the store that had rough, unfinished fret ends, sloppy paint around the F holes and binding. This Ibanez was spotless. And so were every other one in the store.

The Dots (and I looked at 3) were, quite frankly, a mess. The very helpful sales guy told me that he preferred the Dot and when he picked one up to show it to me, the bridge pup volume knob fell off.
Hmmm . . .

Action is fine for 0.10s it comes loaded with. I plan to switch to 0.11s. Had to tweak the saddles a little but this is as good as you get out of the box.

The hardwar was really what made the deal for me. I bought this for $150 less than a Dot. I really dont gig so I cant vouch for the gigworthiness of this. But I would imagine this thing is gonna hold up very well.

Can't say.

Been playing for 4 year but I am a geek when it comes to gear. I try to read up a lot on stuff before I purchase.

Would definitly buy it again and again.

Compared to Epi Dot. Ibanez 3:16 - "I jest whupped yer ass."

Tobacco sunburst, dual humbuckers, binding everywhere,top, bottom,f holes,neck and head. As nice as it gets.

Sounds are clean clean clean to dark and very sexy when playing through a Roland Cube,my traveling amp. I am playing clean to distored via an Ibanez TS-9 and a DanElectro DanEcho. I usually like to swap pickups but these humbuckers are allright. The pickups are quiet and the tone settings are very usefull and musical. I like it dirty but it will play clean very nicely with good clear sounds. Like it! you bet,for one this is a very pretty instrument,it feels good while you play and is slick as hell.

Action needs to be set to user preference. I had to set neck relief and to adjust the bridge to minimize a little fret buzz. Every external aspect is superb from the head to the end pin, nothing is sloppy, messy or appears rushed. Beautiful tobacco sunburst finish. The guitar came with 10's and I put 11's on it. The strings were a little sticky in the nut slots but I worked them back and forth and put a little slick stuff into the slots and now the strings slide nicely and it tunes great and holds tune very well. I could not find anything negative about the build of this guitar.

I only play this guitar in the living room. I dont gig or carry it out of the house. That being said it is built solid. This is like a truck. I saw comments about the tuners and I would say that they are acceptable for my needs, if you play professionaly you may want to upgrade. Pickups are a matter of preference and some may desire hotter or warmer units.

Couldn't tell you

Been playing for 40 years. I have purchased several dozen guitars over the years and I currently own Gibson, Fender, Guild and many other brands. I am always looking for tone and this guitar has it. For less than 300 bucks you are able to score one great guitar. It is great just as it comes if you want more go somewhere else and pay through the nose. This is a great guitar for playing acoustically or really rocking out. If it was to go AWOL I would definitly get me another.

I bought this guitar new less than a year ago. Beautiful ES-335 style bound body (no pickguard), in vintage sunburst. Basic features; tone & volume for each pickup. The cable jack is on the side rather than the front as on the 335, which is convenient. 22 frets, bound rosewood fingerboard, and the neck feels very nice (at least compared to my very-fat-maple-necked Strat). Basic generic tuners. Nice pearl dot fingerboard inlay. Everything on it is stock for the AS73. Overall it is a beautiful, extremely well-executed instrument. I would, however, prefer that it had an ES-335 style pickguard. Also, I had to pay extra for a case, and the Guitar Center guy had to take time to find one that it fit into, so I'd also prefer that it came with one.

I play blues, rock, psychedelic blues & rock, a little surf, and some unclassified combinations of all of them. This guitar does extremely nicely on all of these except maybe surf. I play through a Fender Blues Junior from about 1995, American made, stock. The sound is very rich and strong, with extremely well balanced highs and lows, and a strong, punchy middle. The reason this guitar isn't perfect for surf music is that the highs are too well balanced with the lows, and when I'm playing surf music I prefer the highs to be almost excessively prevalent, with lows about two-thirds and middle nonexistent. But what the heck, when I play a surf tune I'll set down the AS73 and pick up my Strat! For rock and blues however, this thing is amazing. The neck pickup is the blander of the two, with more low end and less overall tone, and it sounds a bit jazzy, which I occasionally like on some clean blues applications. The bridge pickup, in my opinion, sounds beautiful. Just the right balance of underlying punch and overlying bright sparkle, with not too much of either. I can get a lot of that nice 60s style brightness out of this pickup by picking close to the bridge, but the brightness always drags some mid-level punch up with it, so the sound can never fully degenerate into a Captain Beefheart style pure twang. Either way, this guitar isn't made for "twang" like a Telecaster, but rather for "sparkle," like an ES-335. My Strat is more to the twangy end (with a great Hendrix-style throaty punch), so this AS73 balances that well. It has perfect strength and fullness for anything from Chuck Berry to Jefferson Airplane. Some of my band's songs have really strong, psychedelic, chord-based riffs with plenty of wah-wah. This guitar sounds absolutely beautiful for heavy chords. The sound is beautifully heavy in the Gibson humbucker style, with plenty of sustain (not a HUGE amount, though). Great clean through my Fender amp, with a nice vintage-50s blues style tone, and distortion is wonderful, and brings out the real strength and punch of the pickups. Soloing brings out a lot of strength in the lower ends backing up a pretty chimey-ness to the very-highs that is reminiscent of 1960s psychedelic rock & blues solos, for example, Jerry Garcia's work on the Grateful Dead's 1967 debut (which I believe was done with an SG). Overall the three words that come to mind when I play this guitar are strong, full and balanced. Maybe not the best choice for extreme-treble or extreme-bass situations, but absolutely beautiful, rich, full, powerful tone. For 300 dollars, I'd say the sound is worth about 800.

I haven't changed anything on this guitar since I bought it. It felt wonderful from the second I picked it up in the store, and it still does. The action was perfect. Nothing was wrong with it at all when I got it home. The finish is a beautiful brown sunburst, and the wood grain beneath is very nice. Both the body and the fingerboard are bound, which is very nice. Chrome finished pickups and black knobs look very nice. This guitar feels solid and well-built when playing, and the controls feel firm and durable. I've tried out $2000 brand-new ES-335s that feel almost like you have to tone down your playing so you don't accidentally snap the neck off, but this $300 Ibanez feels almost as solid and tough as a solidbody. I don't have any reservations about playing as hard and fast as I can, and it feels good to do so on this guitar.

Everything on this guitar is as solid-feeling as a fist-sized rock. There's no give or leeway in any part, it all fits together perfectly, and it feels like it would last a long time. I would absolutely use this guitar on a gig without a backup, if I didn't use multiple guitars anyway. Strap buttons are as trustworthy as any I've ever seen. As I said under the above category, I've played expensive Gibson semi-solids which felt almost as if they might fall apart. This guitar feels like I could play it at home, at practice, and at gigs for at least a few years and a few knocks before any issues. Again, it feels as strong as a solidbody. Also, I've found that this guitar tends to stay in tune almost as long as my strings last, which is longer than any other guitar I've owned or tried. I definitely trust this guitar.

I paid for a 12 month warranty (24 was the other choice). Apparently, it's a full warranty, covering anything that could happen to it. I have yet to need it.

I don't have huge amounts of money, so this guitar is an absolute miracle for me at only $300. I've been playing for a few years, mostly with a custom-built Strat copy that I bought from my uncle for $600. That one has Kent Armstrong Vintage Strat Pickups, locking tuners, 5-way switch with pull-up pot for "neck on," which allows all 7 combinations of the 3 pickups, sounds like Hendrix or Clapton, and looks identical to Clapton's Blackie. Being used to that, the AS73 is perfect. It fills in all the gaps in sound where the Strat was too twangy, too throaty, not heavy enough, or anything else. The Strat can still do things the AS73 can't do, but the AS73 is simply a wonderful guitar overall for rock and blues. I bought this guitar from Guitar Center in Hollywood, CA. Before buying this guitar, I took the opportunity to play some of the stores extremely expensive vintage guitars, including a $30,000 '61 SG, a $40,000 '62 Strat, a $40,000 '59 ES-335 and others, all through a 1960 Fender Amp. Even after playing these exquisite vintage instruments, which amounted to a who's who of electric guitar royalty, the $300 Ibanez AS73 still felt and sounded very nice to me, and simply felt "right" in my hands. I love it, and would definitely replace it if it were lost or stolen. The only drawbacks are that it has no pickguard, which I'd prefer it did, and it didn't come with a case. Other than that, this guitar is essentially a $1000+ guitar for only $300.

Basic no-nonsense but TASTY features. Flawless finish. I am lucky enough to have purchased one of the last natural maple production models, the AS-73NT, which came with gold hardward all around instead of the chrome. Because of tuning difficulties with an AS-73TCR (cherry finish), I returned the axe to Washington Music Center and they did an in-kind swap for the natural. They even knocked off $60 for the inconvenience! I'm not going to bore you by going into the features details. Let's just say it's flawless all around--I played and learned to love Ibanez basses and now adore their Artcore series.

A very critical relative--my mom, who was married to a professional musician who recorded with a lot of big-name jazz pros--said that I get a better sound from the gold-hardware natural AS-73 than the transparent cherry version. She said the intonation is definitely better...she thought the middle tones were very similar--I'm plugged into a Peavey 100W Valveking--to Joe Pass and Pat Metheny...exactly the sounds I was aiming for. I dialed up moderate distortion and played an exact duplicate of Santana's intro to Black Magic Woman. I would love to find something to criticize, I'm trying, but I can't find one. I'd love to say something about the pickups being crappy, but Ibanez even got this right--I've considered replacing the pickups but don't hear any reason to at the moment.

I can only find complimentary things to say about the finish. I've owned the guitar for more than 90 days now and still can't find anything flawed in the finish. The action is right on for my purposes. There are no misjoined parts, in fact it's hard to distinguish where the headstock joins into the neck. This may be the only strange appearance on the guitar, that the back of neck is mahogany colored while the guitar is a creamy French-vanilla maple. I'm glad it's mahogany because the sustain is incredible.

I have yet to gig with the guitar, but I have indeed put the strings/bridge through a torture test and it stays in tune. The only string I find myself tuning on a daily basis is G, and it's very minimal. Never had to touch the others after 60 days of ownership. Yes, the guitar feels rock-solid, pardon the pun, and I would comfortably use it as a primary guitar or even--maybe more importantly--as a day-to-day practice/studio instrument. Maple and mahogany are extremely strong hardwoods but are light enough that you don't get back problems.

Haven't had the need to contact them.

I've been playing (off and on) alternately as a pro and hobbyist for 30 years. Other than this guitar, I own a Gretsch G5120. Peavey Valveking 100W 212, fretless Fender J bass and Fender bass amp. Yes, if it were lost or stolen I would buy one again, but I think since I know so much more about Ibanez Artcores, I'd buy her sister, the AS-103NT.

A trans-cherry semi-hollow(ES335 copy) body guitar. The finish looks great, more of a walnut color with a hint of cherry. The tuners are pretty good(much better than my Gibson Gary Moore Signature Les Paul). 2 Humbucker pickups with 2 volume and 2 tone controls. Body is made of maple I believe, and the neck is mahogany.

I play mostly straight up rock music through a Line 6 PODXT Live into a Tube Works TD-752 1x12 combo amp. The sound from the pickups is pretty good for a guitar at this price, definitely not the best out there but they are good. The tone controls don't vary the sound too much, but they do well enough. Good sustain clean or distorted, not a Les Paul but it hold it's own.

Finish is beautiful, it came setup pretty good from the factory, but I set up the intonation, action, and pickup height for my personal taste(I do this on every guitar I own). I can't believe I paid 2 grand for a Les Paul when this guitar was only $350 and it looks just as good if not better!

I have no doubt that this guitar will hold up over the years. I haven't played out with it yet, but I'm sure it will do fine. I would bring a backup guitar no matter what I was playing.

Never had to deal with Ibanez, and hopefully I won't have to.

I've been playing for 15 years, and this is a great guitar for a beginner or veteran. You can't beat it at this price, trust me I've played a bunch of guitars over the years, and this one is up there with the best. If it was stolen I would cry then buy another one ASAP.

Chinese made (2001) semi-hollow body electric. Black satin finish.

No name tuners and pick-ups.

2 pickups, and a volume and tone control for each.

This guitar sounds ok acoustically. Plugged in, it sounds warm. The pickups are very quiet, and sound decent.

This is my first electric, and I mostly play classical, fingerstyle and soft rock. This guitar suits all of these pretty well. It seems to be able to go from a nice soft tone to an overdriven tone quite easily.

All in all, I quite like the sounds that this guitar can produce.

Action, fit and finish were all good. Could not find any blemishes, or flaws.

This guitar is built superbly. It will definitely withstand live playing.

I do not gig, and if I did, I would use a backup, no matter what.

Never had to deal with customer support.

This is my first electric guitar. I have played others, though - and this is the one I liked the best of the lot.

Other than this guitar, I own 2 acoustics.

If this guitar was lost or stolen, I would buy the same model again.

nice tuners that really keep the axe in tune, pickup switch feels more solid than the one on my gison custom shop. volume knobs are super comfortable and are perfect for doing volume swells.

I'm a jazzer who plays with a clean sound. I've used it with my polytone mini brute II and my fender deville 2x12 and it gets a great jazz sound out of both. it definitely could pass for a much more expensive guitar it doesn't sound like a cheap entry level axe.

nut needed to be sanded down a little bit when I put 12's on it. I thought it needed a fret job, but then I got it set up and it played _perfectly_ and it did not need a fret job. pick up position needed to be adjusted, but thats a preference thing, not a flaw.

I bought this b/c I needed something inexpensive to take to jazz gigs where I didn't like bringing my $2000 custom shop gibson, as I have had some incidents where drunks have tried to play that guitar. I've yet to bring a backup. this seems like it is rugged and will last a long time. as indicated above, the hardware seems extremely solid like it could withstand a lot of wear and tear. for the $280 I paid, this is perfect for an experienced veteran looking for something inexpensive, or a young player who wants their first semi hollow. I expect this axe to last a long time.

I've been playing about 17 years, besides the above mentioned gibson full holow body, I have also have a strat. in some ways I really like the neck on this axe - it is much more narrow than my gibson, so my hand doesn't have to stretch as much before and after playing. of course, my gibson has 13's and I have 12's on the ibanez which is a contributing factor as well.

The only thing I would consider changing is where the pickup switch is - perhaps where the switch goes on a gibson rather than near the volume knob.

I did compare this to other semi hollows in this price range but this one seemed to be of the highest quality and the least like an entry level axe.

Classic sunburst look on my model, though a wine red is available. Made in China, bought through Regent Guitars, a Warwickshire company in the UK. 335 copy in its conception, but has the extra advantage the output jack is not on the belly, but conveniently on the side. Although it has 335 look, it is different, and vastly preferable, with a nice "horn" shape to the cutaways, less rounded than the 335s. 22 frets are all I need. P/ups are Ibanez own, bridge/neck arrangement, and 3-way switch, vol/tone control for each p/up. Set-in neck makes guitar feel like "one instrument" rather than a bit of wood with a neck bolted on! Own tuners, good, keep the thing in tune.

I play latin, jazz and some rock (not that good at the latter!), and use it for gigs but also in church where I lead a worship band. Needed a good jazz guitar that could do open string playing well, and this stands up pretty well. Two Ibanez pickups, both good sounding. Contrast not always that great, but I love the sound made by the middle position on the switch (good for jazz sound with an "edge" to it, and also for playing Latin jazz). Neck p/u with tone pulled down to 6-7 is lovely jazz sound on this guitar. I play through a Roland Cube with no effects or pedals and really enjoy the fantastic straight sound I grt. The sound has really improved since I bought it.

Came with D'Addario 10s on - kept them on to see how the instrument settled - wasn't disappointed. Will move to 11s next change, but the 10s feel good. Set up was first class. The engineers at the shop I got them checked it over before shipping to me, and they did a great job. Early buzz on the frets disappeared in a couple of weeks as guitar settled. The finish is beautiful - mates have commented really favourably, and the weighting and action are first class. Nothing has broken so far, though I am keeping an eye on the pots as others have commented they are not always that durable. And then the frets! Fantastic, smooth and quick, an almost perfect neck for the player. Others have commented on the speed of the neck - I can only agree.

Great for live playing, and the finish seems pretty bombproof. In fact, the downright toughness of this instrument is a major plus. I usually gig with the 73 and a lovely Samick acoustic (also great for jazz). I wouldn't think of taking a back up for the 73. It feels reliable.

Don't know about warranty - but I know where the dealer lives and can corner him in an hour.

I have been playing non-professionally since I was 15 - over 30 years now, have always played jazz on acoustics, and with a folk background, have relied on a succession of Yamaha and Samick acoustics. The AS73 is my first semi - I saw a couple of UK jazz guitarists using this and loved the sound. It has a sweet and open sound for Latin that I have never really heard except on a 335 - I can play Metheny-type "liquid" lines as well as more grungy Ry Cooder rootsy stuff with equal ease. Never tried really murdering the thing with metal, though I am told it does this as well. The competitors for me were the Yamaha SA500 (headpiece too heavy, sound a bit dark, though fantastic looks) and the Washburn HB35 335 copy (more expensive). For under ??220 this has been a fantastic buy, addictive in the extreme, and I would replace it tomorrow if it got stolen.

Semi Hollow 335 style guitar. Two Humbers Neck and bridge. Two tone and volume knobs. 3 way toggle switch. two pice stop tail bridge. It's a 335 copy!

I put new pickups in it, so before this I say a 6. With the new pickups a 10. I put a Seymor duncan (SD) Jazz neck SH-2N (or something like that, i forget the model number) in the neck, and a SD scream'n deamon' in the bridge. I don't really use middle positions to much on toggle switchs, so the contrast between the two is awesome. I get Mellow amazing jazz tone, and crazy in your face metal, in the same guitar. So with the new pickups a strong 10.

Action is great if it is adjusted properly. The guitar is made extremley well

Have had no problems so far and don't expect any. 10.

?

Get it setup real nice, and put new pick ups in it and I promise you will love it. I do. I can't decide now between my PRS or the 73 (which to play on stage that is). Amazing deal for the money.

Bought new on ebay, dark red, with all stock features you can read on the other reviews. Made in China. Have it for a month now.

Sounds very good, stock pickups looks good to me. Real Hollow body sound. Can play very clean or very dirty if you wish. Surpringly good soud for the price paid. Sounds better than an Epiphone dot to me.

The guitar arrive perfectly set up...surprising from an ebay purchase. I adjust the neck and the bridge for personnal taste, but it was playable perfectly when it arrived. The quality of the finish looks a lot more expensive than what the price is. All the hardware looks first class, feel solid and respond perfectly...hope it will continue this way.

This guitar is perfect to gig. ( I did it and it resond like a $2000 guitar. The hardware seems it will last. The finish will stay nice as long as you take care, like any other guitar I presume. You can certainly depend on it, but no guitarist taht gig should take any chance to work without a backup. For instence, this Ibanez is my backup..Lolll

Never have to deal with Ibanez, no warranty, because was bought on ebay from USA dealer and I'm leaving in Canada...so I don't care...

I'm playing for over 40 years, in band over 35 years, giging regularely. My main axe is a Fender american stratocaster, and this Ibanez is the back up,but serve in 15 to 20% of the songs. Amp is a Fender Stage 1600 and both guitars suit with it pretty well, We are playing Classic rock. This Ibanez was a very good surprise to me. I tought I would hang it in my studio and play it a few times, but it really serve me well for more works. I would certainly buy another one if it get stolen. For the price/quality ratio, I don't think you could expect a better guitar in this category. I shopped a lot and I'm happy with my decision to choose that AS73. I would recommended it to anybody.