Ibanez AW300EC

Dreadnought style steel string guitar with built in active microphone. Solid maple top. Tone and volume controls. See other reviews for more details.

I play in a rock/soul/blues band. I mainly play electric guitar (a Hamer Studio), but use this acoustic for variety. I use a Rivera M60 112 combo for amplifing both guitars. This is not an ideal setup, due to that the amp is not suitable for acoustic guitar amplification. When i purchased the guitar, I played it through a quality Marshall dedicated acoustic combo amp - pure bliss. When I get the cash, I'm buying an new amp for this acoustic.

Plugged in or not, this is a sweet sounding instrument comparable with much more expensive guitars.

It is loud with a good bass and shimmering highs. Lots of overtones-
A joy to play really.

It is probably one of the very best sounding in its price range. Compared with the other guitars i was trying out (app. same price)it was in a class of its own soundwise.

Nice setup - medium action

No flaws worth mentioning

Seems well built

I have been plying guitar for (lets see..) 18 years now. I play this guitar in a rock band, but I also play classical guitar on my own with a Yairy nylon.
When I went shopping for a semi acoustic, the clerk handed me this one, saying it was the only guitar they were selling in the price range (though they had many other guitars in stock). When i got to play it I understood why. The sound is simply superb compared to the competition. I compared it to Takemine, Washburn, Ovation and Yamaha guitars

Now - here's why I'm not giving it a 10 overall. It is, in my oppinion, NOT a good looking instrument! The color of the deck looks like pee. I'm not a fan of the boxy dreadnought shape either. The inlaid mother of pearl logo is a plus on the apperance side.

Simply: It looks like a semi-cheap instrument, which it of course is

The "bang for buck factor" is great soundwise - therefore I still recommend this guitar.

I bought this guitar new last year (99). See other descriptions for the particulars. It is a single cutaway with Fishman electronics. I purchased a hard shell case for the guitar when I bought it. Fishman has 4 band EQ and a volume control; what more can you ask for?

I play rock, and have always been a fan of acoustic guitars in rock songs. I loike a bright, clear sound with a loud tight bottom end. Not interested in too much midrange. The Ibanez has a very full sound. The on board electronics allow me to tinker with the tone.

Set up from the factory was fine. After 6 months I had it adjusted, cleaned, etc... No flaws that I can see.

So far, so good. I wouldn't carry a backup acoustic to gigs, but I always have an electric with me.

Haven't had the pleasure.

I've been playing for 20 years and have owned some good electrics, but this is my first high quality acoustic. I tried a lot of others; Guild, Takamine, Fender, Martin, etc... and price wasn't critical. This guitar has the fullest, clearest sound of any others I tried, except for Taylors. For the price I don't know how you can beat this guitar.

this guitar features a dreadnought cutaway, rosewood bound body, solid sitka top and fishman 4 band eq..very nice..looks kinda like a taylor from across the room..gold grovers..

i like the sound a lot..i have a seagull, and i like this one more cos its brighter..fingering picking sounds great on this guitar...its very rich in sound..not too bassy, when pulged in this guitar is awesome...

Action? hopefully playing this guitar in front of girls, i will be getting more action, you know what i mean...i bought it used and the action was awesome..i didnt have to get it adjusted either...the finish high gloss, their were a few gloss cracks in spruce, but unnoticeable..i bought it used, i paid half what most people buy new..looks very nice still, i also have a seagull cedar top that has no gloss..

well it a used guitar and still looks and sound beautiful..i will gig with this when opporntunity comes..

none, i got it used

have been playing for 3 years..played alot of acoustics at guitar center, but cant afford them..compared to other guitars, liek takamine, and those mid range price range..i got a steal for my guitar..i just got it and played in front of my music class...my friends all love the sound..you dont need to buy a new guitar, find one that sounds good and bid on it...if this was stolen i would be pissed off..i will save my dimes up to buy an ibanez acoustic..maybe aw900..i heard its even better than 300..

This is a dreadnought body acoustic with a cutaway. It has a solid Sitka Spruce top (scalloped bracing), Rosewood back, sides, fingerboard & bridge, One piece Mahogany neck. 20 frets, gold Grover tuners, Fishman Sonicore pickup with AEQ40 4 band equalizer. High gloss finish. made in Korea. Came with a hardshell case and a Kyser quick change capo.

The projection is excellent, I mean this guitar is LOUD. So much so that I've really had to work on my touch with the flatpick so my wife won't kick me out of the house. But as my friend said it's nice to have that punch there in reserve if you need it. I strum & fingerpick, playing mostly folk and rock and this guitar produces great sound with every style. It has great balance across the strings which gives it a really full sound and allows for great variety depending on how it's played. It has great low end. I note this only because that was the one thing I found hardest to find when I was shopping around. The only other guitar that I found that had comparable bass was a Guild DV52, and that cost almost exactly twice as much as my Ibanez. I have a friend who's been playing for over 60 years and when he first tried my Ibanez he exclaimed "Wow, that's really got great sound!"

I didn't have to do anything to this guitar. In fact a friend of mine who's been playing much longer than me, remarked on how great the action was the day I bought it. All the electronics seem to be just as they should. I am a woodworker so I am confident in saying this guitar is made from excellent materials. The grain in the top is very tight, about 2.5 times tighter than the top I saw on a Martin D28 recently. This should prove to be a very stable soundboard for years to come. There are a couple of scuffs on the rosewood on the sides, under the finish, but these aren't anything major.

The hardware is excellent and should last a long time. I have banged it a couple of times and so far there are no marks. I didn't like the high gloss finish at first, but it has grown on me. Especially after it hit the coffee table and emerged unscathed. I feel like I can count on this guitar.

Haven't had to call them. Limited lifetime warranty.

I've been playing for a year and a half. I own an Estrada classical guitar, which I learned on, and an Aria Pro II Stray Cat electric. If it were stolen I would definitely buy another one. I feel like this guitar was a tremendous value. For the price it's head and shoulders above the competition. I love the way this guitar feels. It's so comfortable, like it was custom designed for me. I love the variety of sound that can be produced both acoustically and especially when amplified and employing the equalizer. I compared this guitar to similarly priced Yamahas and Takamines, and unsimilarly priced Taylors, but this one blew them away. Both in sound and looks. Those others just couldn't compare with the quality of materials that went into mine (except the Taylors regarding the materials and looks). I think I'll be playing her for a long time.