Ibanez AS73 Artcore Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar
Over the years, Ibanez has become great at making semi-hollow and hollow body guitars. Iconic players like George Benson decided to make it their guitar of choice. If people like that choose it for turning out their jazz, you are doing something right. They have been making these designs for over 30 years and have built a big reputation at all levels. In many ways, they have set new standards of what a semi or hollow body should be.
The AS73 is an Ibanez semi-hollow electric guitar that is a member of their Artcore range of guitars. They were first sold in 2002. Ibanez wanted to provide a range of semi-hollow and hollow-body guitars at cost-effective prices.
The Artcore range of guitars has developed a reputation for being a good value guitar. Well made with a good sound and easy to play. But perhaps most importantly, at an affordable price.
Quality semi-hollow and hollow-body guitars were once out of the reach of many people. And especially too expensive for starters and improvers. But Ibanez has with their Artcore range changed all of that. The Ibanez semi-hollow electric guitars are a force to be reckoned with.
It is obvious that the design inspiration for this guitar comes from a cross between a Gibson 330 and a 335, both iconic guitars. This guitar has a remarkable resemblance to them.
First introduced in 1958, the 335 has been heard in the hands of some of the best. Chuck Berry, Otis Rush, BB King, Dave Grohl, and of course, ‘Big Red,’ the 335 played by perhaps the best of the lot Alvin Lee of Ten Years After.
Body
When making a semi-hollow body guitar that resembles a classic 335, you can’t recreate it. Even Gibson themselves can’t. Instead, you can produce a similar-looking guitar with a great sound. If you’re going to do that, you’d better be prepared to get it right.
Starting with the body, the essential elements have got to be there. Quality selected Maple has been used for the back, sides, but also the top. Compared to other woods, Maple gives a crisper and brighter sound and is very resonant. It is often used on the top surface of guitars. When the back and sides are Maple as well, it adds to this resonance.
The sound of Maple is quite unique because it is a dense wood. It is, therefore, good as a tonewood for guitars. There is also a solid Maple wood block running down the center.
The basic design is what is known as an archtop, and it is considered by most people to be a Thinline guitar. It is thinner than most, which makes the guitar so easy to handle and to play.
Neck
Some will argue the most important part of a guitar. If indeed, one part can be referred to as more important than another. It has a smooth design with a comfortable shape that makes it easy to hold. It is a set-in neck. This means that it is wood-jointed, not bolted.
It is made of Mahogany and has a satin finish. There is a classic bound Rosewood fingerboard. There are 22 frets, all of which are accessible. It has block inserts on the fingerboard and also dots on the top edge. It is a ‘C’ shaped neck with a slightly flatter radius.
Hardware
Having ensured that the body and neck are as good as they make them, there have to be some cutbacks somewhere. This is a budget range instrument, after all. Ibanez hasn’t gone overboard with the hardware fittings.
The headstock is stained black with an inset decor effect. The machine heads are a chrome-plated die-cast with sealed backs. They are basic and not the most expensive of tuners you can get, but the intonation is good and stable, which is all you need.
It is fitted with an ART1 bridge and tailpiece. They are of reasonable quality, and the tailpiece allows quick string changes if necessary.
Pickups
The early designs of semi and hollow-body guitars came with bad external noise problems. The hum they created, sometimes at 60Hz, made them difficult to manage at times.
The solution was the humbucker that ‘bucked the hum.’ Ibanez developed their own range of humbuckers for their Artcore series called the Classic Elite. They were designed to give you a full tone with plenty of response. With the AS73, they have fitted two humbuckers: the ACH1 at the neck and ACH2 at the bridge.
They provide a decent sound for certain genres. For jazz and easy listening styles, they are great. They give off a warm, lush sound with just enough bottom and top end. They have great resonance; clear and articulate.
Some have commented that they love the guitar, but at greater volumes, the pickups let it down. Experienced players, who may want that humbucker growl, may be disappointed. They respond differently to the type of amp being used.
Controls
Although these differences have a minimal effect on the sound of a guitar, they have a drastic effect on the manufacturing cost. Accordingly, Epiphone Les Pauls cost a great deal less than a Gibson model. However, the more expensive, fully featured Epiphone Les Paul guitars do overlap with some of the lowest priced Gibson Les Paul models.
You’ll find some of the cheapest Epiphone options for beginners start out around $150. Many models sit in the midrange, costing a few hundred dollars. More delicately crafted, limited edition, and signature models, near $1000—but you can be sure they’re worth it
Playability
The ‘C’ shaped neck makes playing easy and smooth. The binding on the edge of the fingerboard means there are no nasty abrasions with frets. It has a great playing action. There is a slightly flattened fingerboard shape, which adds to the comfort level.
This is a great guitar. For the experienced player, it gives you the impetus for a bit of fast playing. It is not often you find what is essentially a budget guitar with such a good neck. With this Ibanez semi-hollow electric guitar, it is certainly one of its major assets.
Sound
The natural sound of a semi-hollow body is a warm, resonant style. It has a character that has always appealed to the Jazz guitarist. ’
This guitar also has a brutish streak in the natural harmonics of the design. The pickups let it down at volume. They are very good at quieter levels. Jazz, Country, even Blues will all work wonderfully. The sounds are there. It has character, and it has style.
The build is excellent, and the craftsmanship excellent. It plays great, and despite our concerns over the pickups, it does have a nice sound at quieter levels. The hardware, whilst basic, is more than adequate, and the controls well made and accurate. For the price, this is an excellent guitar.
Writing this Ibanez AS73 Artcore Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar Review has let us appreciate what a fine guitar this is. For a starter and a beginner, it is an excellent choice. For an experienced player with a few adjustments, it will give great service.
It doesn’t come with a case or gig bag, but those are minor issues in our book. There is a fitted case that is sold separately.
This Ibanez semi-hollow electric guitar is worth every penny and is a quality instrument.
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