Should I Buy an Ibanez Acoustic Guitar?

When shopping for a new guitar, chances are you will consider an Ibanez Acoustic Guitar. The question that you will need to ask yourself is whether an Ibanez is the right guitar for you. It helps of course to know a bit about the guitar you are looking to buy.

Click images below for reviews of these great Ibanez models ...

IJC30 Quickstart ¾ Size Classical Pack	IJV30 Quickstart ¾ Size Guitar Pack	JamPack IJV50 Quickstart Pack
Cheap nylon string beginner guitar pack for young players	Cheap steel-string beginner guitar pack for young players	Inexpensive dreadnought guitar pack

JamPack Solid-Top Pack	SGT120 Sage	SGT130 Sage
Inexpensive solid-top guitar pack	Attractive starter guitar	Good jumbo guitar for beginners

PF25WC	PC25WC	PF30S
Beginner Dreadnought with Hardshell Case	Value Grand Concert with Hardshell Case	Great Value Engelmann spruce solid-top Dreadnought

V200S	Daytripper DT100E	AC240 Artwood Grand Concert
Great solid-top beginner's guitar	Value travel guitar (case not included)	Solid mahogany top grand concert

Artwood AW3000WC	SGT120LNT Sage Left-Handed	AW300 Artwood Left-Handed
Affordable, quality solid-top dreadnought	Good, cheap left-handed beginner guitar	Solid-top left-handed guitar

Ibanez Acoustic Guitars in a Nutshell

Did you know that Ibanez Acoustic Guitars are part of a company that was originally a bookstore? I know it sounds bizarre, but The Hoshino Gakki Company has an instrument sales division, and Ibanez Guitars are the guitars that they sell.

To be quite honest, I don’t find it that surprising that these guitars were made by a company that really has no idea of the true composition and construction of a guitar. In fact, the first time I actually played an Ibanez it was quite clear that here was a guitar that had been made by a company who was simply out to make money, not one who really cared about crafting quality instruments.

The Quality of an Ibanez Acoustic Guitar

An Ibanez acoustic guitar is usually quite affordable. Most models fall somewhere between $200 and $500 with some models reaching a bit higher. But there is a reason why these acoustic guitars are so inexpensive.

In an effort to keep their prices low (and their sales high), Ibanez tends to skimp a bit on the quality of their guitar’s construction and even sometimes on the quality of the tonewoods that they use to create their guitars. Their guitars are mass produced in their factory, and it shows! While this may keep their overall costs down it can compromise on the overall tone of an acoustic guitar.

Don’t get me wrong, some Ibanez guitars handle quite well. They are, in fact, quite adept at creating inexpensive electric guitars and some of their bass models are quite good. But when it comes to acoustic guitar construction, there is definitely something missing.

Popular Ibanez Guitar

Take the Artwood Series AW3000WC for example. The Artwood guitars are quite handsome to look at and this particular model is at the high end of the Artwood line. But even so, it is decidedly lacking when it comes to quality of construction and tone.

This model is a dreadnought which produces a large, full sound (thanks in part to its solid Engelmann spruce top). But there are issues with its construction that make the guitar’s neck hard to handle unless you have very large hands or very long fingers and many of these models have edgework that is rough and tends to catch on clothing and skin.

Final Thoughts

While many of the Ibanez guitars seem good enough at first glance, you need to pay extra close attention to the fine details. I found that when I checked the neck attachment and trim work closely on an Ibanez acoustic guitar, things were not always as nice as they seemed at first glance, even on the higher end models.

All in all, if it is price that is keeping you from purchasing a higher end guitar from another manufacturer, you would probably be better off looking into a Yamaha rather than an Ibanez. For roughly the same price as the Ibanez Artwood mentioned above (a guitar mass produced in a factory) you can get a Yamaha L Series LL6 Dreadnought that is handmade in Japan. It may be constructed of the same types of tonewoods, but the construction is far better. Of course the choice as to whether or not to purchase an Ibanez acoustic guitar will ultimately be yours.

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