LOVE IT

This is my third archtop. I have an Epi Joe Pass and a Gibson L5, and this one is my favorite. The body size is remarkably comfortable, the tonal range is quite wide. Sounds good through a tube amp with a touch of reverb for the old school stuff and it does nicely with an effects rack. The neck is as fast as the L5. The Ibanez doesn't have the sustain that the L5 has, but few archtops guitars do, and it costs a fifth of the L5 I do wish the plating on the hardware was better quality, I can see it will start to pit and discolor in a few years.

Ibanez George Benson Guitar

I've had my original issue Benson for more than 20 years and it's my go-to electric guitar for jazz. I also have a 1950 Gibson L-5C so the Benson has competition in my rack.

My second choice for that purchase was a Gibson 335, but when I played the Benson it was no competition.
The playability is just so easy with a neck that's just thin enough. The tone is amazing and those floating pickups and carved spruce top work together like no other small-boby F-Hole guitar. It's loud enough to practice with even when not pluged in.

Along with a few other Ibanez arch-tops (including the now discontinued Joe Pass mode) these are amoung the finest guitars regardless of name or price.

You can hear me playing it on my original FunkyJ track on my Air Play CD which released this year at: www.thejazzwhistler.com