Ibanez AS80

The other reviews say it all. A nicely bound jazz, hollow-body with sweet, clean humbuckers.

Nice mellow jazz and decent blues tones (doesn't honk quite like I'd like, but the sound is sweet all around). The existing electronics also provide some nice classic rock tones straight into a fender twin. Through a decent floor processor this guitar is capable of some very nice Les Paul-esque distorted tones, despite the fact that the classic 58s are NOT high output by any means. This axe sounds best through a tube amp (I use a Pignose GT40 powering twin 1960s blue Alnicos in a closed cabinet. For an ultra-clean jazz sound, I run it through my little Fender Stage 112SE combo (it sparkles). For a smooth, thick jazz tone I keep it primarily set on the neck pickup with the volume between 5 and 8 at the guitar. Too, I have to keep the treble rather low regardless of which pick-up I use (set from 2-4) or else it tends to be far too sharp...almost twangy. To add dimension to this guitar I will almost certainly replace the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB (Jeff Beck series).

This was what sold me on the AS80...at least the one I actually purchased. The action was perfect, the fretwork superb and the neck infinitely playable. I tried offerings by DeArmond, Epiphone and Gibson and the Ibanez won hands down for comfort, ease of play and sustain. The wood acceptable though not beautiful, but at the price I have no complaints. The binding work on the other hand is much nicer than I'd expected for a guitar at this price and the standard Gotoh tuners are quite good. One caveat I would offer is that the AS80 I purchased has really fine finish work. Ones I've seen since haven't all been up to snuff (some as good, several not so good). I would suggest you avoid buying an AS80 through a catalog as the craftsmanship varies significantly from axe to axe.

I gig with the AS80 regularly. The electronics are tried and true and the hardware is plenty stout. Of course it's a hollow-body, and thus requires a bit more care than my strat or tele, nevertheless, if you're strictly a jazzbo, you definitely won't need a backup. Hey...it's an Ibanez and I've never had a problem with one (this is my third)and the AS80 is well appointed.

I doubt I'll need support.

I've been giging for over 20 years. I play blues, classic and hard rock and I like to pretend I can play jazz. To that end, I purchased this guitar and have been thoroughly pleased. If it were stolen, I'd probably save up and buy the AS180 as it is just enough nicer to be worth a try. An added bonus of the hollow-body is that it is nice and light. I have a '78 strat (my workhorse) and it has a solid maple body...damn heavy. I loved it when I was 25, but it's getting awfully heavy anymore and I just don't play as much Hendrix as I used to anyway. With some modification to the electronics, the Ibanez could end up getting the lion's share of stage time (maybe).

1987, Korean made, hollow body with solid center block ES-335 type instrument, all maple constuction solid neck with scarf joint and 5 ply body, electronics are 2 passive super 58 pickups (standard on all AS and AF models) 2 vol 2 tone controls and a 3-way selector, vintage burst (2-tone tobacco sunburst) finish, Tune-O-Matic bridge, stop tailpiece, die-cast tuners, hardshell case.

This guitar really soars in the lite jazz and blues music genre. Overall, it has a very smooth sound when played clean or distorted. Think Larry Carlton or Lee Ritenour. The sound of this guitar is truly addictive and soul-soothing. It is also very satisfying when fingerpicked. In general, notes seem to swell after they are plucked, giving you a fabulous sustain with rich overtones. Did I mention I love the sound of this guitar? You will too! Of course versatility-wise, you are limited. This axe will not sound like a Strat or Tele. But by the same token no Strat or Tele will sound like this guitar. It does it's thing as well as most any guitar in its category and much better than any in it's price range. Have you checked out Ephiphones or Washburns in the $650 price range?

The setup was a little too low, I had to raise the strings a bit, but I can still get away with 2/32" on the bass or treble side of the neck without any major buzz. Most everything was fine, finish or fit-wise except for some roughness in the F-holes

It's not a solid-body, so it's not idiot proof. It is, however, pretty sturdy. As long as you don't pour lighter fluid on it and tosss a match I don't see why it couldn't withstand a few rough gigs or road trips.

Have no idea

Overall, I have to rate this guitar a 10. I realize I didn't give it a 10 in any previous categories, but this axe is equal to more than the sum of it's parts. There are no categories for "Vibe", "Groove", "Soul" or "Value" but if there were, this gem would rate 12 in all of them. And yes, if it were stolen I would look for another.

The sticker on the back of the headstock clearly states its Korean origins. 24.6" scale, 22 jumbo frets, maple body and neck, rosewood fingerboard with abalone dot markers. Fingerboard and body are both bound. Simple two-volume, two-tone passive electronics with three way selector switch. Two Super 58 pickups (Ibanez-made). The ES-335-esque body has a transparent "blonde" finish. The bridge is a Tune-a-matic type, with a stop tailpiece. All hardware is chrome plated. I got a Gibson ES-335 case and strap with the guitar.

For jazz and blues, this guitar is surprisingly good - it has a very nice fat, warm sound which compares very well to even more expensive models. Obviously though, it doesn't suit all music situations and I have since moved to other genres, so I will probably be looking at other guitars. But what it does, it does admirably.

The guitar setup was excellent, I have not touched the setup apart from lowering the bridge slightly (however, I'm really not using the guitar the way it was intended since I play it with .008s). The pickups were adjusted perfectly for how it was setup, but I had to lower them slightly after lowering the bridge to prevent the strings buzzing against them. The wood is beautiful and the finish is superb - I remember wondering whether they had encased the wood in plastic! I found absolutely no finish flaws.

This guitar will certainly survive many a gig! The hardware is well made (except the Tune-o-matic bridge, which I will probably replace soon; and also the screw which mounts the pickguard, which is continually loosening itself and falling off). The strap buttons are good - straps don't fall off them, but they're not too difficult to unstrap from after a gig. Whenever I use it it's almost always without backup, unless I need a different sound (in which case I borrow a Strat).

I have never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for half my life (I'm 18), and this is currently my only electric guitar. However when I bought it I was not very familiar with electric guitars, and I wanted an Epiphone Sheraton simply because it looked awesome. Fortunately I bought an excellent guitar, one that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a semi-hollow electric. However, if it was stolen, I probably would not get another one because it doesn't suit my current electric style (I will probably get an Ibanez JS1000), but I'm still too attached to it to sell it off. I don't think I will ever sell my first electric.

Laminated maple 335 style guitar with maple neck. Super 58 chrome covered pickups. 22-frets, 2vol, 2tone, tunomatic bridge, diecast tuners, 24 3/4 scale, with hardshell case. I give this a 7 because the features are just standard 335, nothing extra like coil tapping or variphase.

I play jazz and blues. This guitar is great for either. This giutar has a very rich and warm sound, and it sounds smooth and creamy when distorted. I play it through a Soldana Astroverb, with a little gain for blues leads, or through a Silverface Fender Princeton Reverb tube amp. It is harder to get bright sounds, but I don't desire a strat or tele tone anyways so I am happy. I'm very impressed with the stock pickups for the price. I personally think these pickups are much better than those that come with similarly priced Epiphone guitars. I give this an 8, because there are better pickups out there, however, the Super 58's are great and I plan on keeping them. The sound is very impressive for the price range.

This is where the AS80 really excells! The factory setup was great. I have since adjusted it for my own liking, but really have just changed the string gauge (I like 11's). This guitar is great when it comes to playability. I've played several other 335 guitars, including a Guild Starfire 4, a 60's Gibson, a Heritage 335, and the Ibanez AS200 (top of the line version of this guitar). The only guitar that played better than the AS80 was the AS200! This guitar is easier to play than 335's that cost 2 to 3 times as much! Mine is a Vintage Sunbrst finish, which is very pretty. I do have one complaint about the finish though. Therre was some roughness in the lacquer near the binding on the neck. I give it a 10 anyways because the playability more than makes up for the finish flaws.

This guitar is very solid. I hit a wall with it by accident the other day, and the guitar won! The wall now has a big dent while the guitar was unscathed. The lacquer is very thick, so no matter how bad you abuse this guitar it is unlikely you'd reach the wood. The hardware is solid, although I may replace the tunomatic bridge because to a more robust bridge. This bridge seems a litle flimsy, althoug I doubt it will give me any problems. I've played it at jams many times and have had no problems whatsoever.

No clue.

This is a great guitar for the value. I researched my purchase thoroughly, and there are many reasons I chose this guitar. If you have enough money, I recommend getting the Ibanez AS180 however. It is the same as the AS200, minus the fancy inlays, gold etc. The reason I recommend this is that the AS180 is actually better from a playability standpoint, and it comes standard with a coil tapping switch, which would be nice to have. If this guitar were stolen, I would cry because it is my first major guitar purchase and I want to keep it forever. I would then go out and buy an Ibanez AS180 after saving up some money (Not too much though, it only cost a few hundred more than the AS80), or get another AS80 used, if I could find the same color.

I'm not sure of the year this guitar was manufactured, but it was within the last five. It has been hanging around one of my local shops for about 1 & 1/2 years or so. I have been very keen on it for some time, but have not had the money to get it until a month ago. This axe was made in Korea (no longer a dirty word). This baby has the traditional 22 frets. The top is 5 ply laminated. The controls are two volumes and two tones; a set for each pickup, bridge and neck. A 3-way switch controls the pickup selection; bridge, bridge/neck, & neck. The pickups are passive Ibanez chrome covered humbucking super58's (used on all AS and AF models).The body is maple (5 ply) and the neck is maple (solid). The finish is called vintage burst, which is a two color sunburst; reddish-brown and black. The body style is Gibson 335, but the horns on the cut-a-ways are compact, not mouse-eared like a 335. The bridge is a standard Gibson style Tune-a-matic. The tuners are die-cast and presumably cheapo's, but are very smooth and hold tune very well. The scale of the neck is the same as most Gibsons, 24 & whatever inches. You get a rosewood fretboard with medium frets. The overall thickness of the neck is a little thiner than a modern strat (but not much). The case is really nice, plush velvet everything, plus a special blanket/cover which goes over the guitar before you close the case (go figure?).

This guitar is a refreshing alternative to my Stratcocaster. I play Blues and have wanted to get into hollow-body sounds since way back when. I play through a Fender Deville 2X12 using a Dunlop Wah-Wah, DanElectro Cool Cat & DanEcho, Electro Harmonix Small Stone, Snarlin' Dogs Verytone, & Digitech Rp3. This guitar is very quiet, till you turn it up. Then you get feeedback, like any hollowbody (a man's got to know his limitations). In general, this guitar really growls whether you play clean or distorted. You get great sustain and a sweet disposition. The sound is really full, but defined. It's sort of halfway between a Strat and a Les Paul (how many times have you heard that promise?). I can't find anything to dislike about this guitar's sound, except that it really whistles (feeds back) at high volume, but hey, that's the nature of the beast.

The factory setup was pretty good, but I had to raise the action a bit to eliminate buzz (but it still is very low; 2/32" bass and treble side). I also had to raise the neck pickup to equalize the pickup volume. The top is bookmatched very nicely. The finish on this guitar is pretty good in general, but I found some rough spots around the F-holes. I was also not too excited about the nut, which could have used some more attention to detail.

This guitar is not a Strat or a Tele, so I don't expect to see it last forever, but it's a sturdy guitar and can probably stand the occasional abuse from a knuckle-headed guitarist. If you play live, you don't want to use this axe to destroy speakers or floor monitors, it was was not intended for those purposes.

Have no idea.

1997 AS-80 Semi-hollowbody. Two humbuckers, pickup selctor, 2 volume and 2 tone controls. Natural finish with Maple neck and body. Made in Korea. Hardshell case came with purchase. Although older and newer versions of the AS80 have a distinct body shape, this one is a straight ES335 rip off. The sales person told me that it was manufactured in the same plant as the Epiphone ES335 copies(e.g. The Sheraton). They just put a different neck/headstock on the thing and call it an Ibanez. Like most production guitars, lower line Ibanez guitars are outsourced to countries where labor is cheaper(i.e. they move production from Japan to Korea).

When I bought this thing I was looking for a cheap Jazz box. I have to admit it sounds great. With the pickups in the neck position I can get a nice fat sound, and the bridge pickup is not too shrill. The humbuckers are exactly that, no hum. At the time I compared it against and Epiphone Emperor II. The Ibanez had a much better tone.

My guitar was set up decently when I purchased it. I have to say that the fretwork on the guitar was terrible. They set it up with very light strings, which I think is a terrible combination with a hollowbody. I had my guitar guy set it up with D'Addario Chromes(11's). If you're going to play Jazz these are the strings! Once I got the heavier strings on it, it really optimized the sound. The finish was nice and all the controls seem to be of decent construction. The neck is a little narrow for my tastes.

I've had this guitar for a while now and have had no major problems. Recently I've been experiencing some fret buzz. Probably due to the lousy frets. I think you could pretty much trust it at a gig, beyond the occasional breaking string etc.

For the price I paid this is a great sounding guitar. The particular make I have is kind of a anomoly in that, other versions look entirely different. The fretwork could be better but all the other hardware seems to be solid. I don't like the fact that it's an ES335 rip-off, but then again, I can't afford a real ES335. The newer versions of this model seem to be vastly improved. Great guitar for the beginning Jazz, swing or rockabilly player.

MY AS -80 ARTIST IS THE LOWEST OF THE IBANEZ SEMI HOLLOW BODIES AND COSTED ME 515 DOLLARS USED. I HAVE TWO HUMBUCERS OF ISSUE I DONT KNOW. THE BODY I A TURTLE SHELL FINISH WITH A TOUCH OF YELLOW. IT WAS WAS MADE IN JAPAN ABOUT 1980. THE ASSESORIES ARE KIND OF ORDANARY ALTHOUGH I WOULD PUT IT UP AGAINST A GIBSON LES PAUL EASY.

I USE MY GUITAR IN A PUNK ROCK BAND AND A JAZZ /SWING BAND. THE SOUND IS VERY DIVERSE AND ITS GREAT. IT GIVES A GOOD RICH CREAMY SOUND THAT ADDAPTES TO MY TUBESCREAMMER RATHER NICELY FO SOLOS. ITS ONLY LIMITS AS OF YET IS THE LACK OF SCREECH NEEDED FOR A LEAD SKA PART.

NO FLAWS

I PLAY IN A BAND AT SHOWS ALL THE TIME AND I EVEN LET OTHER BANDS USE IT WHEN I BREAK A STRING! I SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON THIS THING AND ITS A GOOD THING I DID. I DONT NEED A BACKUP

KICK ASS GUITAR FOR PEOPLE NOT TOO SELECTIVE ON GUITARS. I SUGGEST THE HIGHER MODLES ALTHOUGH THE PRICE CANT BE BEAT.