Ibanez AS80

1997 AS-80 Semi-hollowbody. Two humbuckers, pickup selctor, 2 volume and 2 tone controls. Honey Blonde finish with Maple neck and body. Made in Korea. Outstanding Super 58 pickups. Bought it used from GC for $295. No case, but I picked up an SKB 335 case for it. Wasn't expecting much for that price, but I was wrong! The only thing I've had to replace was the beat-up bridge that was on it and I put in a graphite nut. No dings or scratches and the frets were in perfect shape. I bought it in 2008 and waited a year to write a review to see how it held up under my abuse.

I've always been a strat and tele man and I still am. But, this guitar is a perfect second guitar for me. I use it 1/4-1/2 the night, sometimes the whole show if it's really singing to me. I play this and my tele through a Boss ME-50 to a Peavey ValveKing 112. The front pickup is kind of muddy, but I don't use that one alone anyway. The bridge PU is honkin'! I play Country, Southern Rock and Blues and it gives me a gorgeous, Toy Cladwell-kind-of-sound for all of it. I generally keep the bridge PU full on, the tone rolled back to 7 and the front PU on 8 and tone full on and I get a clear, full sound going from rear to middle setting.

Factory sttings, I couldn't tell you. The action was high and had too much relief when I got it from GC, but that took about 30 min. to set right. For a 12 year old Korean guitar that I bought used and sight-unseen, OMG! Everything was factory on it when I got it. Like I said, the bridge was pretty beat up and the plastic nut was crap, but that was the only things I've had to change.

I know it's reliable! Setting up at a gig, the bass player knocked my guitar stand over and the AS80 went face first onto the hardwood stage with a loud thud. My heart sank, I threatened to kill him, then I checked the guitar. Not a ding, no cracks and only 2 strings went out of tune. Try that with a REAL 335 and see what you get. As I said before, it's my second guitar behind a tele, but it doesn't need a backup.

Way out of warranty when I got it. Not much support from Ibanez Customer Support. I ordered the new bridge from them to have factory parts on it. It took a month to get it in and every time I called to check on it, I couldn't get a straight answer and was treated like I was bothering them. Never got that from Fender.

Been playing 35 years, Ive had more strats and teles in that time than I care to recall and I can tell you that this guitar is a keeper. If it were lost or stolen, I'd try to find another. I've tried all the low-end semi's including Epiphone, PRS SE's and Gretsch and none of them moved me to purchase. I'm not going to go out and pay $3000 for a real 335 as a second guitar (or even a first, I don't think they're worth it for what you get). So , I'll stick with my AS80.

1993 vintage Artstar AS80. 22 Frets. ES335 copy. Made in Korea. 22 Frets.

So that we don't compare chalk and cheese - this is not an 80s Artist. its a mid 90s Ibanez Artstar box. I think the Artists became Artstars when they started outsourcing the lower end models to Korea in the 90s. Experts correct me.

Featurewise it's just what you would expect. H/H passive with gibson style controls. The jack is on the top, like on the 335.

Missing features? Well the upscale AS's have coil taps. This doesn't. Easy to fit them though.

I'm so pleased by this instrument. Let me tell you how I came to buy it.

I was in the market for a 335 clone and tried out a bunch of contemporary models in a local music store.

The cheap Epi's Dots felt like off-cuts from a furniture factory, awful! I don't think they are made of wood, they felt like fiberboard or something. Necks like baseball bats too.

I tried a Epi Sheraton. Its way big and heavy, the build is respectable, and I guess it would sound OK with real pickups but for me simply had no mojo.

Next up was a Hofner contemporary Verythin. I have some vintage Hofners and they are good guitars. The modern German built Hofners are excellent as their 3000Euro price tag tells you. This 390Euro chinese built Hofner was simply junk . Just as bad as the Epi Dots. Hofner should be ashamed of themselves putting their name to this.

Next up was a Ibanez AS 73. The cheep veneer finish looked a bit plasticky but the guitar was playable enough but sounded like a solid body. No semi sound at all. Loud but boring ceramic pickups. I'd have bought it if I was 17.

I was very disappointed so the sales guy let me try one of the cheaper (1800Euro) Gibson 335s. Just as I suspected, a real Guitar. The difference was night and day. Not a great great guitar but at least a real one with pickups you would throw away 30 seconds after you got it out of the shop. Couldn't afford it though. I gave up.

A few days later, this Artstar box appeared on Ebay, since it wasn't a 80s Artist, and the guy selling failed to mention John Schofield 6 times in the ad, nobody was much interested in it and and I got it for a laughable 300Euros.

Well what a bargain! 'cos this, people, is a very fine instrument indeed.

You simply can't compare this box with any instrument available for less than 1500 at the moment. It's simply a Gibson/PRS class guitar. Sure, not a top of the line vintage or custom shop 335 but definitely a way better instrument than the lowend Gibson faded 335s. As for the Epis and Artcore and Hofner's - well less said the better.

The finish is faultless. No silly wood finishes, plane maple, with a clasic cherry sunburst paint job. The hardware is like new after 16 years and the neck is wide but extremely comfortable, one of the best I've played.

The hidden gem in this instrument is the pickups. They are Ibanez own Super70s. Why doesn't Ibanez put these in their Artcore models instead of those horrible lifeless ceramic cheepo and the scratchy bass-free Super 58 Customs they fit in the upscale models?

These Super70s are fabulous, as good as any SD/DiM pickup you can name. Probably as good as a boutique pickup. Balanced, refined, detailed. Great distorted or clean. They are not very PAF like but have their own more modern detailed sound and higher output.

I bought this guitar mainly for Jazz, but I'm so blown away about how great is sound loud that I might get back into Rock playing. The note sustain is incredible, better than my Les Paul. Yet you can hear every note in a power chord.

If you are looking for that Mr335 sound, its all here. If you want BB put the selector in the middle and you have it. If you are in the mood for mellowed out archtop sounds (without the bulk) it delivers a very respectable Jazz tone.

Apart from a pleasing mellow yellow aging in the bindings (even the f holes are bound) the finish is still new condition.

The like new condition says everything about the build qualty.

No problem with the action. They previous owner had it high. I jacked it down a few notches and it plays great now.

If you are looking for a guitar with sexy wood finishes, like the AS200, then you are going to find this a bit dull. But if you are looking for playability and sound its all here for a stupid 2nd hand price.

Well it's 16 years old and there is only one flaw - the 20th fret buzzes slightly and needs dressing. An easy job. One tone control crackles occasionally. Again after 16 years they should be replaced I guess. No big effort to replace it.

2nd hand but Ibanez generally are good at shipping spare parts.

I've been playing for 35 years and own Fenders and Gibsons and a bunch of vintage German Jazz guitars. I think this is the best bargain I have yet bought.

Basically the deal is everyone who is in the market for an AS series want's the hip 80s AS1000 and AS2000. They are collectable and you get to bore anyone in reach by mentioning that, yes, John Scho. plays one.

The younger players who don't know who Scho is, go for the fancy finishes on the Artcore series and Epis.

Nobody wants these 90s Ibanez boxes despite the fact that the quality is probably higher than the low end 1980s AS series. And that, my friends, keeps the prices low low low for great great great instruments.

Thats my tip.

1983 Japanese AS-80 3/4 hollow body
Cherry-red
Chrome hardware with "Smooth Tuners"

They came with chrome-humbucker type pickups (good for blues but I found them muddy and not versatile enough). I replaced with a DiMarzio PAF in neck and a Dual Sound in bridge (toggle switch: single coil/clean vs. distorted). Excellent p/u combination for rock, blues, pop, and jazz. Sounds great with/without pedals.

I have owned dozens of top brand electic guitars and this has best action and feel of anything I have ever played. This is the guitar I could not replace. It feels just as right today as it did 25 years ago. Beautiful color and finish.

I have played out many times and usually reach for this guitar. It is extremely-well made and looks/sounds great when I play back a video recording of a gig.

I just recently had to get the neck adjusted after 25 years. This was done through store where it was originally purchased. No experience with warranty.

I bought a ES-335 in 1974 for $440. Regretably, I sold it in late 70's. In 1983 I went to the local music store to buy another ES-335 but wanted to see the Ibanez because Patrick Simmons of the Doobies was playing an Ibanez. I saw both side by side and the Ibanez just looked and felt right. I paid $ 508 (I think the ES-335 was about a grand at the time). I had enough for the Gibson.

Korean made ES-335 Version. Replaced PUs. One Kloppmann '58 (neck), one Kloppmann '59 (bridge). Replaced Bridge (Duesenberg steel), replaced tail piece (Duesenberg alu), replaced tuners (sperzel trim lock), replaced nut (bone), replaced potis (500 K-Ohm), replaced PU-rings (better ones). And what you have got? Wow !!! There are just two ES-335 style guitars out there which have complete solid, unlaminated sustain-block. One is the Aria T(itan)A(rtist)-100 and the other one is this here. Accurately made by Samick in 1995.

Very nice, peercussive sound with a lot of sustain. I also have an ES-335 original from 1967. This Ibanez comes very close to this original sound. Closer than all other copies I have had. Acoustically it is a bit louder than the Gibson. I bought it with the Kloppmanns already installed. No reasons, to put them out ;-)
Ther is a 10 down there, but i would have given an 11.

Adjust what you want, you can.

I do not exactly know how this guitar is right from the factory, but this way it is forever. Just do not drop it.

Wasn't necessary.

I also have an original ES-335 from 1967, but this guitar might be the second for the rest of my live. There is nothing collectible on it for all the changings, but these changings really made a first class custom shop instrument out of it.

This one is Japanese one from about 1981. Pretty standard. Double Hum, Two volume, two tone,, stoptail. Basic 335 style. Sunburst. Chrome hardware.

If I could give it an eleven, I would. The guitar sounds great. Definitely one of the most versatile semi-hollow guitars I've ever played. I bought it with flat wounds and was using it strictly for jazz, but this guitar just has too much balls to not unleash it every once and a while. The tone controls are super responsive. I can make it super growly if need be, but roll off just a little it becomes super smooth.

These old jap ibanez artists all play better than just about anything Gibson makes now, if you ask me. I worked for a gibson dealer for five years and never picked up a post kalamazoo 335 that could hold a candle to this guitar. Finish looks great it's a rather dark sunburst but it fits the guitar.

Truss rod still has plenty of play. Could use a refret but. it's almost thirty years old. Stays in tune great. Never had a problem.

It's past warranty because it's vintage.

These old jap artists are incredible for the buck. MAKE SURE IT SAYS JAPAN. The korean ones are not the same quality. AS200's sell for upwards of 1500 bucks sometimes because it's the one scofield plays, but the AS80 and AS100 are virtually the exact same guitar for far less. You couldn't pay me to own one of the korean ones though not the same guitar.

Typically ES335 style body and electronics...vintage sunburst finish. I'm pretty sure it's a 2000, but it may be a '98 or '99. After that they changed some of the design characteristics (truss rod cover and headstock logo), so I'm pretty sure it's not from any later than 2000 or so.

It sounds pretty friggin' amazing. I play alot of stuff, but my main focus is harder rock/stoner rock kind of stuff. A couple years ago I picked up an Ibanez Artcore AF75 (big bodied single cutaway full hollow body). I love it, but I always wished it could take heavier overdrive better...since it will feedback uncontrollably at high volumes and gain settings. So I was shopping for a semi-hollow double cut ES335 style. I found this used for $250 and I couldn't pass it up. It sounds INCREDIBLE over all ranges. Clean to bluesy to crunchy to full fuzzed out heaviness. I'm running it through a Fuzz Face reissue and a Peavey Classic 30...it fuzzes up real nice but stays clear. It adds a nice element of airiness that my SG just doesn't have. Keeps it heavy and clear.
At first I wasn't too keen on the neck...thought it was a little too thin for my liking. I'm used to thicker Gibson necks...and not the slim taper variety. I've always like the fatter log-type necks, like that found on my 2002 Gibson SG Special Faded (also amazing, if anyone was wondering). But anyway, I got used to the neck quite quickly, and now I find it more comfortable. For longer periods of playing, my hand doesn't ache from gripping chords. I have a hard time going back to my SG after playing this.

Everything was set up nearly perfectly right from the store. The frets and neck feel great, thanks to the binding. The finish is in perfect condition. I can't even believe it's used, the condition is pristine. I didn't even have to intonate when I tune it down.

Seems rather durable. I haven't had it that long yet (month or so) and I haven't played out...but it seems like a powerhouse. It's weighty and can take a pounding.

Never had to deal with them.

Amazing. Worth every penny. Ibanez has been putting out great semi and full hollow bodies for years while keeping the price down. Because of this, not as many people know about them as they should. If the price was higher, people would notice them. It's kind of a shame that more people don't play these. I played mine alongside a whole bunch of Epiphones and a few Gibsons before purchasing. In my opinion, it beats out the entire line of Epiphone semis, and I found it more comfortable than the Gibsons I've played (including an ES335 that cost over a grand). Of course, Gibson is spot on with their ES series, and I'm sure they sound as good if not better than the Ibanez...and I'm sure the quality control on the Gibsons is better as well, but for my money, I'm sticking with the Ibanez's. I've played alot from their semi and full hollow series, and most are quite good. Probably worth double what you'll have to pay.

My AS80 is from the post-2000 era, and although I know that people love to say the older ones were better, this guitar is an absolutely amazing piece of work. I don't believe they make this model anymore, but it's a reddish sunburst, showing the beauty of the wood underneath. The binding is perfect, as is everything else about this guitar.

I got it used, and changed out the neck pickup, since it seemed rather muddy, but now it's much better, and I can dial in some of the sweetest jazz/blues tones you've ever heard. I also can get some twangy country licks out of just the bridge pickup.

I play it through a Fender Super Reverb, and the sounds I can get are enough to make people swoon. I can't say enough good things about how beautiful this Artstar sings. Hdd to give it an 8, though, because I had to change out one of the pickups to get that incredible sound.

I got it used, but it had been professionally set up, and it is fantastic from a playability standpoint. The neck is fantastic, thin and fast, and I can play all the way to the top frets because of the extra room in the horns, which I can't do as easily with either my Gibson ES330 or ES335, since I have large hands. As a playing machine, this guitar is BETTER than either of my Gibsons, and I couldn't be happier! My Gibsons now sit in the closet...having been relegated to collector's items. The AS80 is the guitar I play on stage and in the studio.

I did add some witch hat knobs, like I have on my Gibsons, simply because I like the way they look. It's fun, because it makes it even harder for people to tell what kind of guitar it is from a distance. Often people come up to the stage and ask me what kind of guitar it is. I LOVE telling them it's an Ibanez AS80, because nobody has ever heard of them...except other Ibanez enthusiasts. It's a well kept secret...

I use the guitar in live settings all the time, and in the studio. It will last, of that, I have no doubt. I always use strap locks, so I don't worry about them. I don't need a backup with this guitar. It has never failed me, and I'm a forty year professional. I demand great playability and sound, and this guitar delivers!

The cool thing is that people ask me about it all the time, since it's got a somewhat different look than the Gibsons...but I guarantee that they NEVER complain about how sweet my AS80 sounds!

I have visited Ibanez's site, but it doesn't appear to be geared toward having people ask questions. That doesn't bother me, though, since I always either take care of my guitars myself or have a local guitar tech help. I can't imagine having to contact a factory for any of my guitars.

I own a project recording studio, so I have tons of equipment. I have been playing some forty years, and spent many years on the road, touring, recording, writing...I play through a Fender Super Reverb, use a Korg AX1000G pedal for various sounds, and this amazingly versatile AS80. If it were stolen, I'd instantly look for another one, although I liked it well enough that I bought two more...and I STILL don't have as much into them as I would for ONE ES335!

I'm a total professional, and I can tell you honestly that this guitar blows away my two Gibsons...and at about 1/10th the price! I used to be a Gibson snob...but now I'm a devout Ibanez snob. I bought one for my son for his high school graduation, and an Ibanez bass and amp for my wife for her birthday. My AS80 made a believer out of me. It's an incredible value...AND a joy to play!

Korean made, uncertain of vintage. 335 copy with same controls. Stop tail piece with fixed (screwed to body) adjustable bridge. Butterscotch finish over quilted maple top and back, very sweet looking. Binding was either finished to look aged or has become yellow toned, in any case a very nice presentation...appears very vintage. Fine understated appearance.

Purchased for studio use to offset inventory of single coil guitars. Main rig is AS80> Clark Gainster> Ibanez AD202 Delay> 1965 Twin Reverb Reissue. Pickups exceptionally quiet, very rich sounding with the neck pup alone as well as combined. Nice funk out of the bridge pup alone. Some frequencies drop out when the volume knobes are rolled off, the more volume rolled on, the more bright tone. This is not much of an issue when using effects for gain when stepping up for leads. With the selector switch in the center position all kinds of tones are possible by using volume and/or tone adjustment. All in all a very versatile guitar.

Purchased used but set up exceptioanlly well. Super low action, STAYS IN TUNE, harmonics and intonation are right on the money. Fit and finish are extraordinary, there is nothing "cheap" about anything I've noticed. The neck set and heel joints are A-1 and this is an area where sloppy workmanship with the binding shows on poorly constructed instruments. The pickguard has found a way to work istelf loose, which in this case is OK...cause it was coming off anyway.

Stays in tune...what else is there? I would recommend locking strap buttons for any hollow body, but thats it. I'd gig it without a backup, but would probably have another couple on the stand anyway.

Screwdriver, pliars, allen wrenches and a soldering iron.

10 years ago I was shocked to see Toy Caldwell playing a 335 through pair of 180 watt Super Twin Reverbs. In a bar setting it was extremely loud, but Toy was able to effect some excellent controlled feedback. I'll never forget that particular show, not long before his death. That etched the tonal possibilities of a 335 or clone with a high watt fender amp into my potential bag o' tricks. With the rig I've assembled a ton of excellent tone possibilities are at hand and complimented with other guitars. My main guitar is a 50th anniversary Tex Mex Strat> Clark Gainster> Ibanez AD202 delay> 65 Twin Reissue. I also buy - sell - trade smaller amps that never seem to stay around long. I did make it a point to check out the newer Ibanez Artcore models before deciding to go with the AS 80. In general, this guitar seems to rank a notch or two above the newer models in all areas of concern. If stolen I would go to prison for tracking down the thief and murdering him for being the lowlife dog that he is.

Year: 2000. This one is made in Korea. Earlier models were built in Japan and there are those that say the Japanese ones are of better quality. I cannot see how... this is a spectacular instrument in every respect. Details: pointy double cutaway, 22 frets, 2 humbucking Super 58s, butterscotch/blonde finish (although there is a dark sunburst available), Tune-O-Matic style bridge, 2 volume and 2 tone control knobs. 3-way pickup switch. Laminated maple body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard with abalone dot inlays, chrome hardware. Triple bound body, f-holes, neck and headstock. I removed the black pick guard and replaced the 4 black tone/volume knobs with solid chrome ones. Very pleasing to the eye!

The AS 80 offers a "punch" through the 2 Super 58 pickups. The center block construction delivers a sustain that rings but you can still hear the rich warm tones of an instrument well-suited to the jazz musician. Rock to jazz -- this baby works! My amps include a Peavey KB-100 and a Peavey Bandit 112 Scorpion played in stereo through a Boss Chorus effects pedal.

This guitar is from the Artstar series and features that famous super-fast neck familiar to Ibanez players. Low action. I use D'Addario 10/46 gauge strings. I've set the bridge pup higher for a driving bite, the neck pup low for the deep rich sound. Easy to adjust tone and volume controls give you the best of both worlds. Slim bodied so it wears easily.

I've been gigging with this one for over 2 years and it's held up perfectly. Never seems to go out of tune. The strap pin on the tail is very shallow so I've been using a strap lock to secure the strap. Other than that, everything works.

Never dealt with them.

You've got to love this guitar... you could best compare the Epiphone Dot or Sheraton but I find them to have a "cheap" feel, especially the tuning keys. A Gibson ES-335 is way overpriced and my experience with inconsistent quality from Gibson (late 70's) has left a lingering sour taste for their products. I'll stand by Ibanez any day over Gibson. From what I've read on this board, the prices paid are all over the map. If you can find one for under $500 US, it's a terrific bargain.

Two Super 58 humbuckers. Tone and volume knobs for each. 3-way pickup switch. The usual. This model is fully bound, including the f-holes and entire neck and body. I never was keen on wanting/needing binding, but after having this for a while I think going forward I'll require it of most non-fender guitars. Tune-o-matic type bridge.

I bought this for jazz. It gets an overly bright, but nice, jazz tone. Not the traditional dark sound, but a lighter, brighter tone. I'm using flatwound d'addario chromes, size 12. I have not tried this guitar with roundwounds on it.

The super 58 pickups have a good rep. I think a PAF or clone would be better for jazz, but for rock I think these pickups are great. Especially the bridge pickup. Since I'm using it mainly for jazz, I'd prefer PAF's. But for the price I paid ($400 shipped from an online dealer, including new strings and OHSC) this is an excellent guitar. Better than the epiphone and equivalent stuff in this price range. They don't make these anymore. The artstars are MUCH better guitars than that artcore stuff they are selling nowadays.

Mine came with fret buzz at the 12th fret on a couple of strings, but this is a used guitar so that is irrelevant for this review. The finish is good - excellent actually. Fully bound and a nice looking guitar. I have the natural finish version. Not a beautiful guitar, but nice. Then again, I don't like natural finishes.

It's a guitar, so reliability/durability is kind of a dumb thing to consider in my opinion. It either works or it doesn't. The tuners seem fine. Other than that, what could go wrong?

I don't call customer support for anything.

For the price it is an excellent value. I wanted something with a darker sound but took a chance on this axe via online mail order. I'm happy with the purchase. It gets a good jazz tone, though a bit bright. I think PAF's or some other more traditional pickups would help, but I won't bother. I recorded some rock stuff tonight into my PC via a Vamp2 with this guitar (with flatwounds no less) using the bridge pickup into an overdrive and distortion models and it sounded fantastic. So for rock these pickups are great. Overall this is an excellent value guitar. I have some sound clips up at my site: www.sixstringtheory.com

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I play blues funk with an orginal feel. Rig is AS80 -> Vox Wah -> Ibanez TS 808 (original) -> Wasabi Rock-a-bye -> Fender Stage 160 DSP. Not noisy at all. Sounds excellent w/ a bassier sound. Guitar is extremely versatile (think Gibson ES-335 - VERY good copy w/ a unique twist of its own)

Had the guitar set up at the shop I bought it at. The finish is truly impressive. It has an amazing look and quality all its own. Some have menntioned some minor flaws in previous post - but look before you buy and don't buy online - my particular guitar has no noticable flaws

Been gigging hard with the axe for over a year without any problems at all - except for the pick guard. It's not as flimsy as some of the previous posts have alluded too. The problem is in the attatchment hardware - the screw comes loose and requires constant tighting. After a few months of fighting with it - I just took the pick guard off. The guitar looks better and provides easier access to higher frets. If you must have the pick guard, buy an ES-335 pick guard and have it installed

Never have had the misfortune of finding out

I've been playing for over ten years and own a number of guitars. My electric collection includes an ES-335 that I use in studio. I sat down with this guitar at the store just for kicks and was so impressed that I bought it for gigging. If it were stolen - I would most definitely replace it with the same model (though I'm unsure that this particular model # is still made - though siblings definintely are) I highly reccomend this axe.

Mine is an early 80s model, natural finish, bought new in 1984 and "crafted" in Japan. I say crafted because this really is a fine guitar. Construction is very solid; all maple 3 piece neck and laminated maple '335' style body with solid centre section. The face woods are very nicely featured. Not flamed or quilted, but seem to have a marking like watered silk. Very pretty in the right light. Two 'Super 58' humbuckers with the usual 2 volume and 2 tone controls with 3-way toggle pickup switch. 'Gibraltar 2' bridge with locked down saddles and height adjustment. The tailpiece is another special Ibanez item with slots in the top to allow rapid string changing. Neck is a shallow 'C' profile in the 60s Gibson style with a rosewood fingerboard, bound neck and dot markers. Frets are wide oval medium height and quite comfortable. In fact, this neck is always a pleasure to come back to. If I 'fall out' with one of my other guitars I can always get my chops back in shape on this neck. Odd that. The non-locking tuners are Ibanez' own design and very very smooth.

I play blues mainly with a little jazz and rock'n'billy (sic) thrown in for fun and this guitar suits all these styles very well. The Super 58 pickups have a warm bite in their character that can sound less 'transparent' than, say, the Gibson. It's a subtle, but noticeable difference that gives the AS80 a sound of its own. It can sound a bit forceful in the mix when perhaps you'd want 'air' or clarity, but in a trio format it helps to put body into the sound. I've read elsewhere that some folks think these are low ouput pickups. Well, they're not high output that's true, but equally, they're not low ouput either. They're just typical humbuckers.

Construction is totally top-drawer. Not a fault to be found with the assembly or adjustment. No fret filing marks on the fingerboard unlike a very expensive Gibson I once had. The action was perfect straight off the wall - I fell in love with this guitar the second I first tried it. Now, 20 years later it's still rock solid. If you're considering buying one secondhand I'd say if it looks OK then it is.

Build quality is really solid. Totally reliable. No unexplained noises, crackles, rattles or hums ever! Strap buttons are an unusual design that I've only ever seen on this guitar, like small swept back wings. I've been playing this guitar on and off for 20 years and it still looks great. The chrome hasn't deteriorated at all, but then I do clean it after each session. If you leave acidic sweat on any guitar it'll rot.

Never had to call them.

I've been playing about 25 years and owned all sorts of guitars in that time; Strats and Les Pauls mainly. Overall I'd rate this guitar very highly. The sound and build are first rate. If I lost it, it would be hard to replace but they are still about. I'd probably look for the fancier version, the AS200, with its flamed top and abalone fingerboard inlays. If there's one thing I DON'T like about this guitar it's the weight. My guitar is significantly heavier (about 2-3 pounds) than every other 335 (or similar) I've ever played and frankly I prefer the lighter guitars these days. I don't know what wood they put inside for the centre section, but it must be very dense! The guitar doesn't balance on the leg well. It'll slide off and smack you in the teeth if you're not careful.

Bought new. I think one of the last of them while this product is discontinued. This model is full maple, vintage burst. Two humbuckers 2V2T control configuration. Well known good copy of ES335. Semihollow. Passive electronic. Pretty wood. Made in Korea. What means to me: You never know what You get. This time You get gooooood!
What You can get as features from semihollow? Nothing really matters but the sound. (Very good keys as for such price, and very good pickups as for such price)

I felt in love. You see, next day I'd announced all two other guitars for sale. And finally sold them after a week. You see, this is not so versatile sound, but, it is sooooo preeety. I'm getting older, I use distortion less and less. I'm looking for a good sound. And I got it. Round, woody, reach, not muddy, not buzzy, not scratching, not ringing. Full, harmonized, equal. No holes, no peaks.

Action is correct, fit is correct, finish is correct. I don't like gold on the instrument so this guiter is for me. More important how it will be after four years. We'll see.

It is NO versatile guitar. It is pretty hard to play loud because of feedback. Believe me, the feedback is strong when compared to LesPaul and other solid-body. But speaking of reliability simply I don't know yet. We will see in the future. Looks very reliable but this not mean that it IS reliable.

In my country I don't know yet what You mean "customer support". Go to hell. When I wanted to buy that guitar or her sister I was told to wait a 6 (six) months. I was told by official Ibanez distributor. Customer support? There is a saying: God, help me with my friends, my enemies I will handle by myself.

Speaking of love! I have no choice other but 10.

I think around 2000 -Korea -22 frets-laminate top-Gibson 335 layout- sweet '58's-Sunburst finish-bought used but basically stock-Added large strap pegs. This is a great guitar but I think there's too many people giving 10s to anything and everything out there.

Sounds Great! I play blues, rock. I use a blues Jr. straight, or a peavey bandit 65 ('86), with Boss effects of Route 66 Distortion. The tone and volume controls are very reponsive. The sound is fat and full
which is strange because it sounds bad unpluged. The neck is terrific but the frets aren't finnished a little cheaply. Great for slow blues but the fast neck can handle fast runs and big cords, all with a poweful focused sound.

I got it second hand for around $600 1.5 years age. It playyed great.
Like it glowed in it's corner of the store- Rogue in NYC. I changed the 10's to 11"s, the frets seem a little short on the ends. everything else was tight and right.

I've brought this to gig. It stays in tune very well and oh, even with the bigger strap pegs it still slipped off WHOO!!! Finish is too thick if anything, Like my '98 AM STD STRAT. I would use it without back up. But when you ride to gigs on the subway you like to travel light.

No contact

Been playing @ 30 years. Own, besides previously mentioned stuff For example; Bl. Les Paul Std. '89, Marshall 100 watt, Jazz Chorus 120 watt, Jackson pro4, Epiphone SG, Mexi Strat. Acustics, Monster Rack,
Tama Travel Drums, Cort Bass, Tascam 8 track+ lots more. I thought I was buying a Yamaha guitar until I got home! I don't usually like Ibenze guitars since I had a beautiful Fly'n "v" that had the worst tuners and electronics( I wish I had keep it- it was priceless- with upgrades). I would get this guitar again in a minute if it were "lost"
I compared it to many semi's; Epi's, Gibsons (My Les Paul Bites), I wish it sounded more than half decent unpluged. This Guitar is Phat- with the Blues Jr. this guitar can rip the blues more then my beautiful Strat, my over priced Les Paul, Image wise I wish it said Gibson or Guild or Hamer, but in tone it's right on.

I got this from the harmony Central classifieds for $350.00 including a brand new SKB case! I was told it's an early eighties model. Has a maple finish. Dual humbuckers and other features as described in other reviews.

I love this guitar! Sounds great for what I do. Rich sound both clean and dirty. Has a little more twang than say a Gibson 335. I like that. I also like the fact that the tone gets darker when you back off the volume. (I know some others don't prefer that) My signal goes like this AS80> Boss compressor>Akai Variwah>RAT>Digitech Tone driver>Peavey Transtube 212EFX.

I got this thing with .009s and upgraded to .011s. great improvement. Sets up well and stays in tune OK.

Seems to be reliable. Survived for twenty years.

I've been playing a long time. My style is mostly R & B and blues, with occasional roots rock. When I play rock I sound like Neil Young. (is that a good thing?:) I've owned numerous strats, teles, hybrids, etc. This is the coolest guitar I've ever owned! Also the best deal.

GREAT AX ALL FEATURES BELOW! THIS IS AN UPDATE. I ADDED A GIBSON TUNE-O-MATIC BRIDGE TO THE AS-80. THE GIBSONS DROP RIGHT ON, IT WILL ELIMINATE A INEXPENSIVE ABR STYLE IBANEZ BRIDGE. TO USE THE GIBSON STOP-TAIL EITHER THE SEATS WHERE THE STOP-TALI SITS NEEDS TO BE GROUND DOWN. OR THE THREADS NEED TO BE RE-TAPPED TO A FINE THREAD. I HAVE THE STOP-TAIL BUT HAVEN'T THREADED IT YET. BUT THE GIBSON BRIGE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE TONE. WARMER SOUNDING. NOT AS BRIGHT AND BRITTLE.

AX SOUNDS SUPER. DROPPED IN A 3-WAY GIBSON TOGGLE. ALL-PARTS GRAFITE NUT [they drop right in] MINIMAL FILING. GIBSON TUNE-O-MATIC. THEN SET UP THE GUITAR WITH ERNIE BALL 10-46'S SOUNDS VERY VERY GOOD NOW.I LIKE THE SUPER 58'S I'M GONNA STICK WITH THEM. HAVE A NEW SET OF DUNCAN 59'S IN THE TOOL BOX. I JUST CAN'T BRING MYSELF TO CHANGING. I LIKE THESE P/U'S THAT MUCH.

I REDO ALL MY GUITARS, NEW USED, DOESN'T MATTER. AFTER THE ORIGINAL STRINGS AGE. I GO WITH 10-46'S E.B. THEN RE-SET ACTION,TWEAK INTONATION. FINISH WAS VERY GOOD OUT OF FACTORY.

VERY DEPENDABLE AX. USE IT ALL THE TIME.

THEY ARE VERY, VERY, GOOD.

THIS AX HAS BECOME MY #1,I AM VERY VERY IMPRESSED WITH IT. I'LL LET YA KNOW DOWN THE ROAD THOUGH. I'M LOOKING AROUND FOR A USED 335, I GOT A FEELING THIS AX WILL BE HARD TO BEAT.

THIS IS A 335 TYPE GUITAR, 2 SUPER 58 PASSIVE HUMBUCKERS. TWO TONE, TWO VOLUME, THREE WAY TOGGLE SWITCH. TUNE-0-MATIC BRIDGE STOP TAIL. ROSEWOOD BOARD, ABALONE DOT INLAY 22 FRETS. MULTI-BOUND BODY, NECK, HEADSTOCK. I BELIEVE THE AS-80 ONLY COMES IN VINTAGE SUNBURST, WHICH IS WELL DONE. NO FLEAWS ON THIS AX.

RIGHT OUT OF THE STORE THE AX SOUNDS GREAT. FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO CHANGE THE PICK-UPS. BUT I MUST TELL YOU I HAVE A USED SET OF GIBSONS, AND A SET OF 59 DUNCANS. THEY BOTH REMAIN IN THE TOOL BOX. THE OUTPUT ON THE SUPER 58'S IS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN ABOVE MENTIONED. BUT THEY HAVE AN INCREDABLE SOUND. I JUST CAN'T BRING MYSELF TO CHANGE THESE P/U'S. YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A BETTER SOUNDIND GUITAR AT ANY PRICE RANGE, NEVER MIND THE 550 PRICE RANGE.

I BOUGHT THE GUITAR BRAND NEW. I ALWAYS IMMEDIATLY CHANGE STRINGS TO 10 UP AND RESET THE ACTION AND INTONATION, THE GUITAR WAS SET UP WELL THOUGH.

THE GUITAR IS SOLID. WELL BUILT. IT IS VERY DEPENDABLE. BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH IBANEZ 3 WAY TOGGLES, THIS IS A 2 DOLLAR SWITCH AS OPPOSED TO A GIBSON/HAMER 30 DOLLAR SWITCH. THEY ARE PROBLEMS WAITING TO HAPPEN! I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS AX AND A JS-100 ALSO. IBANEZ PUT A GENUINE GIBSON SWITCH IN FOR ME! THE ALLPARTS CO. MAKES A GRAFITE STRING NUT THAT FITS RIGHT IN THIS AX WITHOUT HARDLY ANY SANDING. BOTH OF THESE UPGRADES GIVE A NOTICABLE DIFFERENCE. I ALSO HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT PUTTING A BETTER TUNE-O-MATIC, AND TUNING MACHINES ON. BUT THIS IS NOT ABSOLUTLY NECESSARY. THE STOCKS ARE DECENT.

RIGHT ON THE MONEY. TRICK IS TO PURCHASE THROUGH A VENDER THAT STANDS BY WHAT THEY SELL. IN OTHER WORDS. IBANEZ ISN'T FIXING YOUR AX! THE STORE YOU BOUGHT IT IS. THEN IBANEZ REINBURSE'S THEM. WHICH THEY WILL DO.

THIS A GREAT DEAL. DON'T TAKE MY WORD TRY IT. READ GUITAR PLAYER REVIEWS. LOOK WHO USE'S THE GUITAR? SCOFFIELD, BENSON, METHANY. YOUR IN GOOD COMPANY WITH THIS AX. IF SOMEONE STOOD IN FRONT OF ME WITH A GIBSON AND A AS-80 AND TAKE YOUR PICK FOR FREE. I WOULD TAKE THE GIBSON. GIBSONS ARE 2000.00 MORE TO DATE. BUY THE IBANEZ. DOESN'T KILL YOUR POCKET. AND OVER TIME THE REQUIRED UPGRADES DON'T KILL YOUR POCKET. 6.00 NUT, 30.00 SWITCH, 150.00 P/U'S, 50.00 BRIDGE, 50.00 LOCKING TUNERS. NOW YOU HAVE A GUITAR BETTER THAN THE GIBSON AT HAVE THE PRICE. LORD YOU COULD ADD A CUSTOM FRET JOB YEARS DOWN THE LINE AND STILL BE A THOUSAND UNDER A GIBSON. AND YUOU KNOW WHAT THE SUPER 58'S ARE SO GOOD THAT THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD PUT GIBSON 57'S OR DUNCAN 59'S IN, WITHOUT HAVING ANOTHER IBANEZ AROUND WITH THE SUPER 58'S. THEY ARE THAT GOOD! I'VE BEEN PLAYING LONGER THAN MOST READING THIS HAVE BEEN ALIVE, HAVE PLAYED WITH AND THROUGH EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN. AS I SAID, YOU'D BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A BETTER AX. AND THE ONLY REASON I'M WRITTING THIS REVIEW IS I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS IN THIS WORLD TO FIND QUALITY AND NOT BE MISLED. BELIEVE ME I'VE SPENT THOUSANDS ON EQUIP. THAT WERE LEMONS. AND A WORD TO THE WISE. DO NOT BUY A GIBSON WITHOUT PLAYING IT FIRST, AND PLAYING SEVERAL. THERE QUALITY IS VERY INCONSISTANT. IBANEZ IS NOT BY THE WAY THIS IS THE ONLY GUITAR I OWN NOT MADE IN THE USA. AS A GENERAL RULE, USA RULES! BUT KOREAN QUALITY IS GETTING BETTER. I ALSO OWN 4 GIBSONS, 2 HAMERS 1 PRS, 1 FENDER. AND SEVERAL TUBE AMPS. FOR THE MOST PART THE AS-80 IS WHAT I PLAY GREAT VIBE, FEEL, TONE, LOOKS. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR.

I had a previous review but needed to add this. My guitar needed work, and Ibanez bent over backwards to help me. They are great to deal with. Emails were immediate, customer service was great. I'm very happy with their support and help.

Bought new in 1996, I went back and forth in the store between a Fender Telecaster and the AS 80 and settled on the AS. It had more control over the tone, better action, and a more natural feel to my hands. I love the humbucking pickups (always have) over the single coil. Neck has sustained well as have the frets. Tune-o-matic bridge is okay, but I've seen better. I've put several different kinds of knobs on it, but I always go back to the originals. Tuners are very good, not great, and the nut is, well, lacking. The case is great.

I play everything--jazz, rock, country, swing, folk--and this guitar fits all the bills. I feed it into a pair of Roland Jazz Chorus amps and can range it from soft to brilliant tones without touching the amps. It has one incredibly redeeming feature: Rolands are notorious for the poor overdrive, but the AS 80 gets perfect overdrive out of them at about a 5 setting on the OD control. If you've ever bitched about the Roland's overdrive, run this through it and you'll change your mind. If the bridge were better, the sound could be a 10.

Everything was perfect on this guitar except...the bridge, the bridge, the bridge. I am a guitar technician and so I set it up myself and have been very happy. The bridge was okay at first, but age has not fared well for it.

I use this guitar every week at a club. I can bang it or caress it and it always responds well. The finish is hard enough to withstand some minor abuse, but I ALWAYS clean my guitar after every job. It still looks new.

I've never dealt with any guitar company, so I have no comment.

I've been playing for 37 years. I own three guitars (AS 80, Fender F-12 acoustic and Gibson CL-40 acoustic), two lap steels (Maganatone 6-string and Rickenbacher double 8-string), one pedal steel (Sho-Bud Pro 1), one autoharp (Oscar Schmidt 21-chord), two Roland amps and various pedals. The only pedal I use for gigs is a Peavey Delta Stomp.

I would replace this one with another like it.

Features have been pretty well covered by others. Mine is a '98 with the 'butterscotch' finish. It is basically a clear maple finish with a little bit of an orange cast to it. The tri-sound switch found on the AS180 and AS200 would be a nice addition. The vol pots are a little too linear for my tastes - I will probably have them replaced.

I don't want to rehash the numerous reviews found here, so I will try to add something new.

I bought this guitar for playing jazz primarily, but I wanted something versatile that could cover other styles as well such as funk, fusion and acid jazz; This axe definitely fits the bill. With the neck pickup active, you can get a pretty good dark jazz tone out of it with the right amp settings and the tone on the guitar rolled off. Put on some .012 flatwounds and it will be even jazzier. It's not exactly the tone you would get from a true jazz box, but it is VERY pleasing nonetheless; it is a little more springy and bright, but it is a very warm, woody brightness. This is probably a result of the maple construction and the fact that it has a solid block in the center. With a little gain, the neck pup provides a lovely warm bluesy tone. With the bridge or neck/bridge combo and a slightly dirty amp setting, think Scofield - you can definitely come pretty close to Sco's classic nasally jazzy tone. You can get a great trebly bridge pickup tone without that annoying screechy "nails on the blackboard" sound you get from some solid bodies. You can also nail a really good fusion tone ala Larry Carlton. The stock pickups are really superb, there is no need to replace them. I think the "Super 58" pickups really excell at bringing out the tone of the guitar in a positive way, without coloring the tone to a large extent, I have another guitar with these pickups (an AM300) and they sound radically different. All of the sounds produced by this guitar have an addictive kind of bouncy, woody quality - it is mellow, but with a lot of presence and vitality. One area where I would say it lacks for my style of playing is for slappy funk comping on the high strings - my S470 is better for that.

I really love Ibanez necks! they are all so damn fast. The neck on the Artstars is not as thin or fast as a Sabre neck, but it's way thinner than the neck on a Gibson ES335. The quality of all Ibanez guitars is in my opinion unbeatable for the price. And it is consistent; you can't say that about Gibsons. This guitar is very well made; comparable to guitars costing many times more. The action is quite good, but it is not quite as playable as some of the higher end Ibanezes, although a professional fret/setup job might remedy this. Also, strings heavier than the .009s that came on mine will help as well; 9s are a little too slinky for a 24 3/4" scale guitar according to my tech. The bindings, finish and workmanship are all top notch for a Korean guitar of this price.

I haven't had any problems so far, but I haven't had any of my Ibanezes very long. Part of the Ibanez appeal though, is that they seem to be very sturdy, reliable, giggable *working* instruments. It seems that almost all the musicians I admire tour with them, even if they don't record with them.

No experience here. Haven't needed it.

I think another reviewer summed it up best when he talked about the whole being greater than the some of the parts, and the need for a catagory called "vibe" - the AS series would get an 11. This guitar has such a satisfying intangible quality. I think it is very soothing to the soul. metaphysicallity aside, I have a really hard time putting it down sometimes - it has caused me to be late for things very often. The only improvement would be an upgrade to an AS200.

This year I purchased an AS80 from Guitar Center in Maryland for 550.00. If you have the cash, they will wheel and deal.

The thing plays very well, and I had the opportunity to purchase several other type of guitars at the time, but this one played so well, I never really considered another one.

It sounds great. Playing clean, it has a great fat sound. I use a PX3 for effects and play through a Peavy Deuce pushing 4 JBL 15" speakers. The fat low end rocks your socks off. In the neck pickup position, it has a great blues sound.

It is well made, although the plastic nut could be better. My G string occasionally tunes up, but I may lube it on the next string change and it may go away. The factory finish is excellent.

Never took it from home, although I would be scared to mistreat it. It is fairly light and I'm scared that I may mash it.

Ibanez has always been great.

I have played for 26 years, and have an Ibanez destroyer- which caused me to buy this- I like the way they play. I also have a Strat, but the Ibanez guitars get played more frequently. Only if it had a better nut...

Christmas came early this year...over the past few years I've been getting away from my hard rock/punk roots and getting more into playing jazz and blues... Coveting jazz boxes for a long time now, but not crazy about acquiring something that costly and high-maintenance. So, fully aware that 90% of the lower-priced guitars are all manufactured in the same factory in Korea, I set off to play a few...tried out a few epiphones, gretsch reissues, in both hollowbody and semi-hollow configurations, and I just kept coming back to this Ibanez. Its playability, tone and overall solid feel were what kept me coming back. I was thinking more along the lines of a true hollowbody box, but I just couldn't put this one down. So, that was it--vintage sunburst, ES335-style guitar. Brand new, right off the rack.

I fully expected to need a pickup replacement. In this price range, the pups are usually the first thing they skimp on. Not so in this particular case...the "super 58s" sound wonderful--nice full clean tone, which break up wonderfully with slightly overdriven tubes....the tone knobs are very interactive--so in the middle position--with both pups on, adjusting individual volume/tone settings modifies the tone in a very subtle and controllable way. Backing off the lead pickup gives a great neck pup jazz tone with a bit more articulation than just the neck pup. Woman tones abound....and the lead pup by itself is a terrific, cutting blues tone. Took it to band practice, ran it through a very loud marshall stack, had very problems with feedback......just a little when I leaned into it. Nice. Wonderfully full and breathing clean sound....

Guitar plays great. Though it's a pressed top/laminate, it looks terrific and feels very solid...more so than the epi's that I tried (though for $400, the epi dot was pretty decent--I just didn't like how narrow the neck was). The only thing that might get swapped out are the tuners....although they can be tightened (as on my les paul), the screws are not heavy duty and I expect will strip pretty easily. It holds tune OK, but I've yet to put it through the paces of a gig.

Because it isn't a solidbody, and because I've never had a brand-new guitar, I'm treating it a bit more gingerly than my usual. I'd like to keep it mint as long as possible, so I'm not taking it out unless the gig truly calls for it. For the price paid, if something goes astray--a loose wire, or a buzzing fret, I have the ability to fix minor problems, and can fix it myself. I expect to gig with it, but don't expect to be doing any scissor-kicks with it.....

Guitar Center--thank you for leaving me alone so I could demo a few different guitars without your blatantly scripted sales pitch. I don't even mind that you don't stock an inventory of cases for the guitars that you sell, or that you tried to convince me to buy a case the guitar did not fit, but an order that was supposed to take a week is taking many weeks--I called you (not vice versa) and was told it would be another week--I called a week later and was told that the order was cancelled and I have a credit.....I DON'T WANT A CREDIT, I JUST WANT A CASE, THAT'S WHY I PAID YOU FOR ONE!!! I normally avoid these big stores--this is why. (btw, thanks for cranking the heavy metal--it really made my shopping experience a treat.) So I'm still waiting for that case.....seeing as GC is affiliated with Musician's Friend, I imagine I could have ordered one myself and had it by now. In what way is this "customer support?"

However, I do like the guitar. Perhaps one day I'll be able to put it in a guitar case and take it out of the house.....

I've been playing 2+ decades.....many solidbody guitars, a few acoustics, a handful of amps, lots of stompboxes, bass, keyboards, home studio, blah blah blah......it's nice to acquire something that is an entirely different animal from the other stuff......I'd like to compare this to one of the other AS-guitars (such as the scofield model) to see if there is a difference in feel, tone, etc., because I feel this instrument is great bang for the buck.....very versatile in tone, and if you're a long time solidbody player like me, another nice feature that I hadn't anticipated is the comfort level of just playing it sitting down, in front of the tv, noodling. the width of the body's belly is a lot more comfortable than balancing a small solidbody on your leg, or hugging the entirety of a flat top acoustic. Loud enough acoustically to play unplugged, not so loud that you'll annoy anyone else in the room...great neck feel, good intonation, and nice to look at.

I have no idea the year of manufacture. However, the dealer mentioned he brought this guitar in early this year (2001). The rest of the features are very well mentioned already by others here. Anyhow, the guitar does not come with a hardcase. I have to buy a SKB 335 case and the guitar does not sit very well due to the longer horns as compared to the Gibson 335. The dealer mentioned that this is a prototype Ibanez and as such does not have a serial number. I am suspicious initially but then this is a reputable dealer here. I reckon this is Korean made. Other owners please email me and let me know if your guitars come with serial numbers.

I love the tone of this guitar. If you are looking for a Gibson 335 sound I reckon you will be disappointed. My assessment is that the tone is a cross between the Fender and a Gibson. If you tweak your amp or roll back on the tone knobs you will be able to get a variety of sound. The pickups handle overdrive/distortion very well. Very versatile tones for blues and rock. A very unique and pleasing tone which you will not be disappointed. The tone was better through my Marshall AVT50 compared to the Peavey Bandit that I tested at the showroom.

The factory settings was quite satisfactory. The thin neck and low action is a joy to play. However, fret buzz was present on all strings of the first fret. The pick guard and the pick up selector switch was slightly loose. Nevertheless, I usually bring my guitars to be set up by a guitar tech. Overall finish is beautiful for a guitar at this price. Hey, it comes with binding all round and abalone dot inlays.

I reckon the guitar will last my lifetime as I tend to "baby" my guitars. I am mainly a hobby guitar player hence I cannot comment and rate in this department.

I tried to find out more from Ibanez about this guitar. What do they mean by prototype and the lack of serial number. Check with their website but there was no customer support or contact details available. I was actually scouting for the AS120 but sadly 335 type guitars are very hard to find in my area. I was actually a bit confused when the dealer mentioned this is a prototype when actually the AS80 is an old model. The dealer only brought in one unit which I bought. I would appreciate it if other owners out there can enlighten me on this issue.

I have been playing for 25 years, mostly accoustic though. Electric guitars in the last 8 years. I also own a Fender American Std Strat, Fender Traditional Strat and Taylor Big Baby. If this guitar was stolen or lost I would seriously replace with a similar Ibanez but higher range (AS200 perhaps).

This guitar is actually a 335 copy.A thin hollow body with two humbuckers, and all that usuall stuff for a blues baby. One thing unusual is the extension of the neck that continues all trough the body, so it doesn't feed like hell when you pump up the volume. Pick up are ok, fat cheesy classic humbucker sound, but bridge pick up seems to lack some high ends. Whatever, don't expect to get that 335 sound, but a more modern version of a blues twang sound. It takes a hole lot better overdrive and distortion, but clean seems a bit weak. I was searching for an okay guitar without having to sell my car to afford it, and I think this guitar overules the price range its in.

Shit I talked all of that below, mmm, whatever. So be aware this is a blues, jazzy sound with as much agressivity than a mid 60s hippie, but with a pleasing low end, comfortable to hear. Just plug it in, pump the thing high and start smmmmmohkin'(yeah.....whatever)

That is pretty unusual, since I had the chance to find a pearl, I mean, not all those as 80 out there are as well thigh as mine, you can always find one that does the job. Finish is okay, tuning is bad as hell as on all those blues shitty guitars, and fret work is just fine. But one thing for sure, take off that plastic tupperware pick-guard or else you'll get static electric shock when playing, i dont how the hell its happens, but it just does.

It depends on your habits, but I guess itll get very crumbled in my case because of the thin wood and the fragile tunning keys. Again the pick guard is really a fucking shit, mine blew off on an unnacurate chord slamming, just before I decided to take it off. Will last surely longer than an Fender guitar, still...

Ive been playing for now 10 years and studied it in university few years ago. it an okay guitar but try to get an erection from a 600 guitar, you know.It sounds fine on my peavey classic 50 (what a great amp), but im looking forward to buy a 175(gibson that is).

Whatever, if you think this guitar sucks, its only because you cant play the thing..Ha

I recently purchased a 2001 Artstar after reading copious reviews and doing my homework. I will say that the guitar plays incredibly well for its price and is a good bang for the buck - since I ordered it, it was shipped with guage .09 strings, which I find bizarre. I was also very displeased that it arrived defected - the tone knob for the bridge pickup was useless. I'd like to believe such misfortunes are flukes.

I play in jazz groups, funk groups and a jam band and this guitar shines, especially in the jazz setting. Typically, I don't use many effects, but when I do, my pedal board arsenal includes auto wah, delay, gain, volume and phase. The guitars tones are versatile. The tone is buttery and warm when played through my 2X12 fender tube amp. I probably prefer my custom american strat for funk, especially when handling rhythm chords, etc.

Like I said, I was disappointed with some of the craftsmanship; the bridge pickup tone controller did not function. Other than that, the knobs seemed strong and smooth and the finish and action were acceptable.

I was very pleased that I didn't find any buzz frets.

I will not hesitate to use this guitar for a gig, however, i would treat it with care. In a calmer setting, it's the perfect ticket - I've played plenty of frat parties and might worry about the guitar in that type of setting.

I ordered this from musicians friend and unfortunately had to return it right away because of a bad tone knob - it'll take them a little while to fix it or ship me a new one, so the wait is very unfortunate because I should be using the guitar for gigs. On the other hand, the return policy, valid within 45 days of receiving the instrument, seems solid and I'm assured of ending up with a quality product. I was also disappointed that the guitar did not come with a hardshell case - I had to purchase a seperate 335 case.

I have been playing for 8-9 years. I own a marshall amp, and solid state fender and my main amp is a 60watt Fender Hot Rod Deville tube amp. Like I said, this guitar plays wonderfully through the Deville.

I wish these guitars were easier to come buy in your average guitar shop - if that had been the case, I could probably have been saved the headaches of ordering via mail.

I bought this guitar a couple of months ago, so it's a 2001. I'm adding my review because after reading others' reviews, I felt this guitar was a little better than what was said about it. I've been playing for 35 years. I have had a Gibson 335, 175's (2), Les Pauls (2), Fender Strats (4), a Gretch, a Guild X-175, a Yamaha SA2000, an Ibanez 175, Johnny Smith and L-5 (all pre-lawsuit), and a few more. And to me, this guitar is in the same catagory as those. What does a 335 have that this doesn't? Two tone, two volume knobs and a 3-way toggle. To me, I can't tell the difference in quality between the two.

I play light jazz, blues, R&B and some rock. As far as I'm concerned, this type of hollybody guitar is extremely versatile. I play it through a Fender Princeton 65 amp (but am still searching for a great overdrive pedal. Let me know if you found one). It has a nice, warm sound. I like the sound better than the 335 I had. I like Steve Lukather's playing (and sound on his No Substitutions CD). I also like Larry Carlton, Frank Zappa, Pat Martino, Jeff Beck, Jeff Golub and a few others.

Well, the action was horrible when I purchased it. I even had to have the nut changed. (Bad, Ibanez!) But I had it set up and it plays absolutely great. I haven't touched anything else. No flaws. The finish is beautiful. Oh, one other thing. The pickup guard was loose. No big deal, but hey, these should be the "little things" Ibanez does to make sure what they send out is quality.
Nice action. Nice neck.

This guitar is as good as quality as any Gibson, to me. But what matters is the one who's playing it, right? I long for the pre-lawsuit days with Ibanez. But this one is a keeper.

Never dealt with them. Don't know.

Like I said, I've been playing for about 35 years. Along with this guitar, I use an old Washburn Nuno. I prefer the semi-hollow body feel and sound. I had looked for a long time for "the" guitar. I went to every music store in town and tried 'em all. And I bought this one. Hopefully that should tell you something.

essentially, a ES335 copy. Korean made (by/for?)Ibanez. Laminated maple semi-hollow body, maple center block,set two piece maple neck (ES335 has a one piece mahogany neck) joined under the first and second fret. Standard configuration with two humbuckers (Ibanez super 58), two tone controls, two volume controls, and one three-way switch. Abr-1 style bridge, and stop bar tail piece. NIce finish touches include bound neck, f-holes, and headstock, triple layer binding on body, and mother of pearl dot markers on the rosewood neck. Jumbo frets. The neck is thin and comfortable, and feels more like Strat dimensions, than a 335.

I stupidly sold a Gibson ES335 many years ago, and didn't have the money to replace it when I decided to recently (Gibson's prices are OBSCENE!). I tried an Epiphone Casino a couple of years ago, but after replacing the pickups, and trying to keep it in tune, I sold it too. I was originally going to buy an Epiphone Dot, to get the 335 sound back - Epiphone is using "Gibson USA" pickups now, or so the stickers claim, but they sound nothing like real Gibsons - no bottom end - and the guitar has plenty of acoustic bottom. This besides the open string buzzes on two of the epi's I tried, and the cardboard feel to the guitars, made me take a stroll around the store - and there were the Ibanez Artstars. The Artstars cost more, but the minute I picked one up... I'll get to that in the next section. Where the Epi's had been bassy acoustically the AS80 was a bit thinner, but then I plugged it in! The neck pickup had about 90% of the warm bass tone of a 335 with a little more treble (but with character). The bridge pickup has some bass, but definately more treble. This was something I always wanted in a hollow body - that warm bluesy neck, but more of a Fender/Gibson hybred to the bridge. The middle position produces that nice B.B. King sound (with the tone down and the amp UP!). The pickups are very quiet (they're humbuckers), and tehy sounded great with the Peavey Classic 30 tube amp at the store, And great with my Fender Ultra Chourus. The clean B.B. sound with this amp is SO clear and mellow. The jumbo frets allow finger pressure effects and great pull offs, and feedback is pretty well controlled.

What impressed me at the store was that the Ibanez FELT so good. The set up was almost perfect (I still played with it when I got it home). When I fine tuned the intonation it came out perfect. The action is very low with no buzzes, and the action is smooth and effortless. When I first played it I couldn't believe an moderate-priced guitar could feel that good and solid (it weighs almost as much as a Gibson). As with all humbuckers (Gibson or otherwise) I had to adjust the pickup pole pieces for even volume. The tone and volume pots are much smoother and more solid than the Epi, and even my Strat Ultra! The finish is a nice dark yellow, nearly invisable (just enpough for transition) red, and black sunburst. The finish seems very thick and durable, and very glossy. My only critisms here would be that the sunburst is applied to fade in, and out on the sides, and on the neck. I think it would have looked more like an expensive guitar if the neck and sides were solid black ( and it would probably cost the factory less). Also there are some faint sanding marks which come through the surface. There is a bit of quilting to the top, and although it is uneven, it is still welcome at this price point. The tuning pegs seems smooth and substantial, and the guitar stays in tune very well.

The thin dimension of the neck, while comfortable, makes me wonder about it's resitance to rough handling, but I baby my guitars so no problem for me. Everything else is very solid, and even the pickguard hardware is solid and built like a 335. I would use it without a backup.

One year warrenty

It is the closest thing to the 335 I have had since (including a very poorly made Gibson Lucille!), I sold my original, and probably the closest I will get now. I would definately replace it with another

Not sure when it was made, prolly late 70's or early 80's. Same features as everyone else here, no special mods. It's a ES-335 copy.

Bought it to gig. Needed a humbucker guitar. Not what I play at home typically, it's somewhat boring in my opinion. Nothing like a real 335. But then again, I don't like seeing a real 335 get beat to shit from giggin'.

Pick ups are nice and twangy. Lots of gain and high end. Good lows, and smooth mids. The electronics are... okay. They do the job (and that's what I bought it for, I suppose). Nothing special, though. They just do the job.

No ringing, chiming quality like a Gibson boxtop. I've played a few Gibson 335's, both old and new. This Ibanez looks nice, and is dependable. But it doesn't get me excited, like a true blue Gibson.

Nice finish.

The action... well, uh. It's okay. I got 10's on there. Maybe I'll try 11's next. Came with 9's, but it wasn't that thrilling to play and the tone sorta sucked. I'll probably get tendinitis with those 11's, but oh well.

It feels well built. Just lacking something, I don't know what. Doesn't RESONATE like a true blue semi-hollow, that's the problem. Sustain is okay. Build quality great. Just no personality.

Seems real solid. Totally dependable. I got it to save harm to my Gibson - I'd rather bust the headstock on this one, if I find myself in that predicament.

I don't speak Japanese, sorry.

Not a bad piece of wood. To me, it lacks the character of a real 335 or other box top. But then again, it's fairly free of defects too. A good solid, useable axe.

Nice finish too. Not really rock 'n roll, more sophisticated looking. The "supper club" model, woo hoo.

This 335 type guitar has your basic two volume, two tone control setup. It's all maple design has a laminated top, one piece maple neck with rosewood board, dual humbucking design (Super 58's) and tune-o-matic style bridge.
Its vintage burst finish is somewhat of an antique violin burst and it flawlessly applied. The cosmetics of this guitar are impeccable considering the price. The only flaws I have seen is the f-hole binding which is some what uneven. The rest of the antique binding is perfect. The only other niggle I have seen is a plastic nut, though not problematic seems to be a bit soft and not expertly carved. The tone and volume pots are robust and seem as they will last.

The sound of this Artstar is excellent for blues and jazz. Plugged into a Fender Vibrolux in the bright channel second input (less gain) this guitar exibits a natural warmth in that the guitar responds to the nuances of your fingering without the amp doing the work. It really breathes. The Super 58 pickups sound fine. These will probably remain on the guitar. Their medium output compliments the guitar well. Rolling off the tone control darkens the tone of both pickups though not excessively (it really works). The pickup selector switch allows you to dial in any amount of volume of each pickup (from 0-10) without shutting the guitar off which I feel is a great feature. My favorite settings are on the front pickup (volume at 8), middle combination (front at 8 - bridge 5) and middle position (front 6 - bridge 10). The bottom line is that this is a versatile guitar from rck to jazz.

The action from the factory was ok. The bass side was a little high for my taste and the strings came with 9's installed (????). I immediately installed 10's and will probably go up to 11's on the next changing.The neck is slightly on the thin side compared to other more rounded necks but is very sleek and fast. The action is very smooth and will handle the 11's nicely. The vintage sunburst is excellent and the hardware is robust. This guitar looks quite nice.

As far as the durability, this guitar will stand up to a live gig without any problem. It is in the ball park quality wise of a Gibson 335 but at a fraction of the price.

Don't Know

I have been playing for 30 years and have always loved the semi-hollow body sound. I have also owned my share of Strats,Les Pauls, SG's, Hamers, G&L, Epiphones etc. Having become disenchanted over the last years with the quality foremost and price (what are they thinking) of Gibson & Fender, I have searched out other manufacturers such as Hamer & G&L for their instruments which I feel are better quality than the standard manufacturers.
This guitar satisfies me for the 335 semi-hollowbody sound. Although there are guitars of higher quality this is a pro guitar that looks and sounds great for the price. If you are looking for this type of instrument, give this guy a shot. It is a league above the Epiphones and others in its price range.

Already been covered below. Pretty much a Gibson 335 with a different headstock. Standard 2 pickup, 2 volume, 2 tone controls, and a 3 way toggle switch. I prefer only one vol. and one tone ala Telecaster, but I can live with it. I've owned many Gibsons in the past, although I'm primarily a Fender player, but I can live with this setup. One thing that I should mention is that, according to Ibanez website, these guitars have slightly pointy cutaways compared to a real 335, and mine is exactly like a 335 - more rounded. Hmm... oh well, I like the looks of mine better that way anyway.

Sounds like it's supposed to for this kind of guitar. I find it to be a very versatile guitar for a wide variety of Gibson tones. It can do a reasonable Les Paul facsimile, or any other humbucking equipped Gibson for that matter. It won't do a proper jazz hollowbody tone, but it can get close - close enough for me. I play mostly blues, but do occasionally fill in with other bands that need a pickup guitarist for one evening. In those circumstances I'll have to play a wide variety of stuff - classic rock, country, R&B, oldies, some standards, etc. I feel that this guitar can do well with all of those styles except for trying to mimic Fender tones. You can use it for a country gig, but you may want to lay off of the signature Telecaster licks. I'm running this into a Sovtek Mig-50 head and a Peavey 410E 4X10 tweed cabinet. External attachments are limited to some kind of boost pedal(I have several that'll serve this purpose), and a little slapback delay, since I have no reverb.

I bought it used and I'm playing it as is at the moment. It's set up pretty light with what seems to be 10 - 46 gauge strings (my preference). I like to keep my Fenders set up ridiculously high - as high as the strings will go and still intonate at the bridge. I'll probably get around to raising the action on the Ibanez as well eventually. I like a guitar to fight back a little. It would be nice if the finish wasn't so thick, enabling the wood to resonate more, improving the tone, but it sounds great just the same. I noticed the tinniest little flaw on the neck binding right at the edge of the fretwire. No biggie. Other than that it's great.

I've only had it for a few days now, so it's hard to say, but I'm sure it'll be fine for the long haul. I'll just have to try to go a little easier on it than I do the Telecaster, which gets tossed around a lot. If I take only one guitar to any gig without a backup, it will always be the Telecaster, and most of the time I take only the Tele. This guitar will be a nice change of pace, but I wouldn't want to live with it all night.

Can't say

When compared to the Epiphone semi hollows, I thought the Ibanez was WAY better. The Epis just feel so cheap. Also the Epi's need a pickup makeover, the Ibanez pickups are not only fine, but they're actually quite excellent, as humbuckers go. I've noticed that people that buy this guitar are not changing pickups and hardware, which is a good sign. I'll keep it as is. I've always wanted a semi-hollow, and this fits the bill just find. If lost, or stolen, I'd scout around for another used one. If I could afford it, I'd go for the Heritage 535 I think, but in a blindfold test, the Ibanez doesn't present itself as being a lesser guitar.

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.