02R96 Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae32/02R96/IbanezAM73B-TF.jpg Ibanez AM73B-TF Semi-Hollowbdy Archtop Thinline Electric Guitar I stumbled upon a few of these on Ebay. I'm intrigued to the point of GAS kicking in. The asking prices are not bad at all, but I don't have a clue as to how it (or this style guitar) actually sounds. Is it a clean tone/acoustic tone specialist? Is it more of a jazz guitar than say folk or rock? Buying one would be way out of the norm for me, and maybe that's why I'm intrigued so much. I'm a prog rock guy, and I'm thinking this might open up some new sounds for me... Dan "I hate what I've become, trying to escape who I am..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I'd look it up on YouTube: some of the Artcores are voiced for jazz, some for R&R and other genres less interested in pristine cleans. What is it about the Ibanez that intrigues you? Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I'd look it up on YouTube: some of the Artcores are voiced for jazz, some for R&R and other genres less interested in pristine cleans. What is it about the Ibanez that intrigues you? Danny, Good call on the YouTube research. The guitar came right up with several examples of how it sounds. In addition, I think an examination of the overall design probably would offer some insight into its intended usage. IMO, the Ibanez Artcore series offers a very high level of performance and playability at very reasonable prices. First, it is probably a semi-hollow center block design (like a 335). The main claim to fame of a semi-hollow is that you get the sustain of a solid body with the added warmth and liquidity of a hollow body in addition it will be less susceptible to hum and howl at high volume than a hollow body . Perfect for the Blues. Second, although this is not universally true, the metal bridge will tend to sound brighter than a wooden bridge on a jazz box. There are exceptions to this such as an Epiphone Sheraton which has an incredible blues tone and a very nice, mellow jazz tone as well. The lack of covers on the pickups are also indicative of a brighter sounding instrument that is intended for a Rock/Blues sort of style. If you are looking for a Jazz tone as well as a Blues/Rock tone, switching to the neck pickup, your choice of strings and rolling back the tone control will go a long way toward achieving this tone. The comments on YouTube all seemed very positive. Looks like a nice axe. Good Luck with it. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-AM73B-Electric-Guitar-106566797-i1697599.gc <--- here's a new one. They have used ones much cheaper too. Wouldn't hurt to try before you buy and see how you like the sound and how you like the feel. Try it on a few different amps too while you're there (if you have a GC nearby). Looks like a good all-around guitar, especially if you like playing above the 12th fret (real good access.)... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Nice breakdown, Fred C! Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbqbob Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 It seems like Ibanez guitars are in every music shop I have been in (not just Guitar Center) so you should be able to try one out easily. As mentioned by others, Ibanez makes pretty high quality guitars for a very reasonable price. I just bought an AFJ81 recently and the fit and finish is great, as good as some guitars costing $1000 more. There is some criticism of the pickups used on their base models but they sound pretty good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Beautiful guitar, 02'! Those tend to be very nice axes. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEHpicker Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Very nice! It reminds me of my Godin Flat Five which is an awesome guitar - plays fantastic & sounds warm & buttery. SEHpicker The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it." George Orwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Very nice! It reminds me of my Godin Flat Five which is an awesome guitar - plays fantastic & sounds warm & buttery. Hey SEH, I can recall drooling over that Godin Flat Five. I thought it was a beautiful and reasonably priced jazzbox. What sort of music are you playing on it? Regards. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEHpicker Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Hey Fred - actually the Flat Five is excellent for almost any kind of music although it does lend itself to jazz and warmer sounding tones. I use it for "Blue Sky"(among others)and it sounds very similar to Dickey's ES 335. But it can rock with the best of them with some minor adjustments to the tone knob and the pickups being used. Godin is a great guitar maker - the build quality is superb and the quilted maple top is gorgeous. And amazingly you can sometimes find them used on Ebay in the 8 to 9 hundred dollar range. I think mine is easily comparable to guitars that cost 3 to 4 times as much. SEHpicker The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it." George Orwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 That's one of the reasons why I was asking 02R96 what it was he was looking for in a semihollow- I like the Artcores, but I'm also aware of other very affordable semis out there from companies like Godin, Reverend, Hagstrom, etc. Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 That one isn't one I'd peg for jazz, but maybe others in the series. Everyone's hands are different; people tend to get along with Ibanez necks or not. My hands never liked Ibanez guitars. I recently bought the Guild 175 Manhattan reissue (maple), which is jazz but also rockabilly and has P90-type pickups. Only slightly over $1000 including top quality hardshell road case. Guilds have specific necks that are different than anyone else's and especially different from Gibson's. Variety is great! Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 I recently bought the Guild 175 Manhattan reissue (maple), which is jazz but also rockabilly and has P90-type pickups. Only slightly over $1000 including top quality hardshell road case. Guilds have specific necks that are different than anyone else's and especially different from Gibson's. Variety is great! Hey Mark. Are you a jazz player? I'd be very interested in reading more on the Guild. Will those single coil P-90 pickups yield a convincing jazz tone? At "just over $1000" I assume that they're imports. Where are they being made? Regards. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I'm also aware of other very affordable semis out there from companies like Godin, Reverend, Hagstrom, etc. Hey Danny, Yeah, I concur. It seems to me that if you're knowledgeable about guitars and are capable of recognizing a good quality instrument when you see/play it. You can find an instrument that plays/sounds/looks like a pro quality axe for somewhere around $1-2K and if you look hard enough, you can find a great axe under $1K. My Ibanez AF-125 hollowbody only cost me $700 w/case (MF return) and it is a killer jazz box! It's gorgeous and plays like a dream. An incredible value. Regards. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winston Psmith Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 In that price range, the Epi DOT guitars are also very nice, with all the features you'd want from a semi, including the 335-style center block. I know a number of players who have bought the DOT, then swapped out the pup's, later on. You should probably be able to find Epiphones almost anywhere that carries Ibanez, so you can do a side-by-side comparison. BTW, the Studio DOTs are lower-quality, overall, and don't look nearly as nice - no gloss finish, one Vol. & one Tone knob, no pup covers. "Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King http://www.novparolo.com https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 In that price range, the Epi DOT guitars are also very nice, with all the features you'd want from a semi, including the 335-style center block. Indeed! I have seen several pros out there playing Epi guitars, especially the semihollows and hollowbodies over the past few years. The most recent and obvious one was the rising star, Gary Clark, Jr. Also of note, "Captain" Kirk Douglas of The Roots has a few Epis in his stable of workhorses, as does Vigilante Carlstroem of The Hives, and Trustworth Samende, the lead guitarist for the Zimbabwean band, Mokoomba. And if a pro thinks they're good enough to use for a gig, I think they're definitely good enough for MY amateur-hour antics. Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Speaking of which: http://reverb.com/item/8214-epiphone-zephyr-late-90-s Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Epiphone Sheratons are very cool. Easy to play, look and sound great and are easy on the pocket book... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 In that price range, the Epi DOT guitars are also very nice, with all the features you'd want from a semi, including the 335-style center block. Indeed! I have seen several pros out there playing Epi guitars, especially the semihollows and hollowbodies over the past few years. The most recent and obvious one was the rising star, Gary Clark, Jr. Also of note, "Captain" Kirk Douglas of The Roots has a few Epis in his stable of workhorses, as does Vigilante Carlstroem of The Hives, and Trustworth Samende, the lead guitarist for the Zimbabwean band, Mokoomba. And if a pro thinks they're good enough to use for a gig, I think they're definitely good enough for MY amateur-hour antics. And for the gig I mentioned here a couple months back none other than Paul McCartney his own self pulled out his 65 Epiphone Casino to do "Paperback Writer". Remember that, at a time when they could afford any guitar in the world, McCartney, Lennon & Harrison all bought Epiphone Casinos. I'm a big fan of Epiphone semi & hollowbodies & am currently on the prowl for the right Sheraton II to round out the collection. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Speaking of which: http://reverb.com/item/8214-epiphone-zephyr-late-90-s That's pretty high for that guitar. I got mine on Craigslist for $450, though without the upgraded pickups & Bigsby. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 It also has that (minor) "celebrity" connection. That will boost the asking price some. Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 [quote= Indeed! I have seen several pros out there playing Epi guitars, especially the semihollows and hollowbodies over the past few years. The most recent and obvious one was the rising star, Gary Clark, Jr. Also of note, "Captain" Kirk Douglas of The Roots has a few Epis in his stable of workhorses, as does Vigilante Carlstroem of The Hives, and Trustworth Samende, the lead guitarist for the Zimbabwean band, Mokoomba. And if a pro thinks they're good enough to use for a gig, I think they're definitely good enough for MY amateur-hour antics. [quote= And for the gig I mentioned here a couple months back none other than Paul McCartney his own self pulled out his 65 Epiphone Casino to do "Paperback Writer". Remember that, at a time when they could afford any guitar in the world, McCartney, Lennon & Harrison all bought Epiphone Casinos. I'm a big fan of Epiphone semi & hollowbodies & am currently on the prowl for the right Sheraton II to round out the collection. I think Keb Mo plays a Sheraton when he plays electric. Danny, when you find your Sheraton, try to find one made in Korea. I think that they are currently being made in China or Indonesia (I'm not exactly sure where Indonesia is and don't particularly care). Although I admit that I have not played one of these instruments and therefore, this is a completely uninformed opinion. I think that the Korean made instruments may be of higher build quality. If you find a good one, you are going to be knocked out by the tone. Regards. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winston Psmith Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 If you find a used Epi with a serial # that begins with an "S", it's Korean; the "S" stands for Samick, who made most of Epi's guitars until 2004 or so. Epiphone now has their own factory in China, making nothing but Epi's. My Chinese-made G400 (SG) has a serial # that starts with "EE". "Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King http://www.novparolo.com https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 If you find a used Epi with a serial # that begins with an "S", it's Korean; the "S" stands for Samick, who made most of Epi's guitars until 2004 or so. Epiphone now has their own factory in China, making nothing but Epi's. My Chinese-made G400 (SG) has a serial # that starts with "EE". Epiphones with serial #s starting with R were made by Peerless in Korea & IMO have all been uniformly excellent. I've been much less impressed with more recent Epiphones. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Yes, I concur! I have an S stamped Epiphone Joe Pass that plays great. I'm not a convincing jazzer (see my 'Jazz' post) but for ebow playing it rocks. I'm really keen on getting a centre block guitar and those Ibanez and Epi's mentioned above look like a good deal. Guitar Speak Podcast www.guitarspeakpodcast.libsyn.com https://www.facebook.com/guitarspeakpodcast www.itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/guitar-speak-podcast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I'm really keen on getting a centre block guitar and those Ibanez and Epi's mentioned above look like a good deal. Hey Harvey, As I had written above, I can't recommend the Epi Sheraton II highly enough. Incredible tone and amazing playablity (Oh yeah and gorgeous too). The neck has the old Epi "V" shape which makes is very comfortable to play. I know you'll seek out a good one. And as you may have read in a previous thread, evidently the Alnico V humbuckers on these guitars are equal to anything Gibson has on the market currently (this from Gibson customer service). Killer tone, playability and looks for under $700 w/case! (That's for a new one). If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Cool...is a Sheraton just a fancy looking Dot? Guitar Speak Podcast www.guitarspeakpodcast.libsyn.com https://www.facebook.com/guitarspeakpodcast www.itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/guitar-speak-podcast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Cool...is a Sheraton just a fancy looking Dot? Hey Harvey, That's a negative. A Sheraton is much more than a "cool looking Dot." The Sheraton is not a Gibson design. It was originally marketed as the Top of the Line (hence, all the gingerbread) Epiphone, designed by them. It's heavier than a Dot and is IMO a significant step up in quality. It's also about $200 more expensive (new) than a Dot. However, I would strongly recommend finding a used one that was built in Korea. String her up a little heavy to really get the tone to sing. I would recommend at least an 11 set. A 12 set will take you to Jazzland. Unfortunately, 12's were just a hair too heavy for my stubby fingers. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Cool...is a Sheraton just a fancy looking Dot? http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-dot-electric-guitar (bluesy) http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-sheraton-ii-electric-guitar (pricey jazzy) http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-es-335-dot-plain-top-electric-guitar-with-gloss-finish (real McCoy) http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-custom-1963-es-335-historic-block-reissue-electric-guitar (pricey real McCoy) They have both a lot in common IMHO, and are a great value when comparing them in price to a real 335 by Gibson... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hey Dan, I apologize for the BUMP. I don't know what made me think of this. I'm curious. Did you ever pull the trigger on this Ibanez? If so, how do you like it? Regards. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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