I’ve been a big fan of Ibanez’s low-cost Artcore Series of jazz boxes since they were first introduced in 2002, so I’m more than happy to see that the line is continuing to expand, and looking better all the time.
Over the weekend, at Austin’s Summer NAMM 2007 show, Ibanez introduced this gorgeous new hollowbody archtop––the Artcore Custom AF105SM.
While the guitar appears to have excellent specs––It’s one of the higher-end Artcore Custom models––the obvious standout here is a body made of highly-figured Spalted Maple: top, back, and sides.
Other features of the AF105SM will include a 5-piece Artcore Custom neck (set-in construction,) rosewood fretboard with 22 medium frets, block-style Artcore Custom fingerboard inlays, binding all around (body, fretboard, headstock,) and an Ibanez ART1 bridge.
Electronics include a pair of IBZ Custom 58 humbuckers, dual volume controls, dual tone controls, and 3-way pickup switching. No word from Ibanez on pricing.
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- Summer NAMM 2007: Squier Announces Avril Lavigne Telecaster
- Ibanez & Bungie Giving Away Custom Halo 3 Xiphos Guitars
- Truly Stylin’: The Ibanez Artist ARC100
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:52 am
Ibanez needs to move that pickup switch on the full-hollow bodies to the upper bout like an LP. It doesn’t look right. I owned one of these a few years ago and that always bugged me.
June 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I own one now…. LOVE IT. Paid about $1000 for it brand new. Tonally speaking it blew the $1800-$2000 Gibson es-137 away! I spent a long time myself, and another very talented player, A/B-ing them and it was no contest… The AF105 just sounded better and had more personality than the gibson…. It certainly likes heavy strings though, don’t try to put 11s on it and expect to get anything out of it… .13s w/ a .26 wound G works great. Sounds great through my hot rod deluxe and my pro reverb. Lots of tonal variety. Cons: Feedback machine at high volume… and had to change the cheap tuning machines right away, those stock mother of pearls SUCK!. I also had to do some basic set up to get the intonation right, and I had to loosen the toggle switch and spin it a bit to change the angle so it was easier to use… I guess I could agree with the dude above as well on alternative toggle placement. Either way, great guitar and sharp looking to boot! I recommend it.