Ibanez Artcore Expressionist AM93 - Antique Yellow Sunburst Reviews

I need to make a correction on my previous review. I wrote reviews for two guitars, this guitar and another Ibanez. This guitar does have binding on the neck, the other did not. Even though I prefer unbound necks, the binding work on this guitar is excellent quality, along with everything else about this guitar. Sorry for any confusion.

Every now and then you get lucky and stumble on to something that just completely defies logic and/or experience. ...delivered to my door, I was expecting something pretty good, perhaps even great, (past experience with Ibanez guitars in this price range), but not the kind of "WOW" that I actually received.
I have owned this guitar for about 18 months now. And truly, the best description is WOW!
The sound, feel, build quality, the look/finish, everything is top notch.
The pickups give a nice clean bite from the bridge as well as a beautiful warm/lush feel from the neck p/u. When overdriven, it has outstanding tone/articulation and sustain. Ibanez did a great job on the pickups!
The neck is deep, more traditional, but still has a comfortable contour for positioning your hand/thumb when changing your grip between bends, hammer on/offs, bites, etc. The fretwork needed nothing, they were well polished with the ends rounded off nicely. The rosewood fretboard and inlays are equally well finished. No binding on the fretboard, but I actually prefer non-bound fretboards.
I was initially considering modifying the bridge p/u with a split-coil tap and push/pull volume knob, to add that dimension to the tone; but, I decided to stay with the stock configuration since it gets a very nice "bite" as it is, reminds me of a Firebird bridge tone. Not quite twangy like a Strat bridge tone... but I have a Strat for that tone...
The finish is absolutely stunning, mine has what I would consider a 4A quilt pattern, with a nice deep look to it.
The Ibanez AM93 is an outstanding semi-hollow body guitar designed and built for playing jazz, blues, classic blues-rock, rockabilly, and even country. Like many others who have posted reviews on this guitar, I have owned and/or played Gibsons, Gretschs, Fenders, etc. I have enjoyed playing almost all of them (some were not as great as the hype or name recognition would lead you to believe, I know.... surprise!). This Ibanez AM93 competes head-to-head with similar designs costing 3x the price, or more in some cases.
What more can be said about Sweetwater. From guitar setup, to packing/shipping, to follow up, asking for help with anything (hold shipping due to last minute business trip, thanks Brandon!), no BS/excuses, you name it, these guys are the real deal. If you're in the market to buy a guitar, amp, keyboard, drums, or whatever, give Sweetwater a try... you'll probably make them your goto choice from then on.

Picked up an Ibanez Artcore Expressionist AM93 - Antique Yellow Sunburst from Sweetwater a couple of weeks ago. Had to have it, the beautiful Antique Yellow Sunburst gloss finish on the quilted maple top and back looks like a zillion dollars. I bought it mainly on it’s looks, (shape, size, design, color and finish), as well as it's reviews from various retail sites. It plays decent and sounds decent though I haven't fully broke it fully in yet. Nich Magnani Sales Engineer (how has helped me out in the past) helped me acquire this baby which was delivered within two days by the loving hands of FedEx. The FedEx delivery man took great care of it, especially since he is a guitarist and takes extra care with big boxes coming from Sweetwater It's like a beautiful looking woman that you can't take your eyes off. Best looking of my collection. Meanwhile, I have to go.., go back and keep staring at it...this guitar is addictive!

So... I am now a few years into owning this instrument and have read the recent reviews. IGNORE the naysayer. This instrument is phenomenal and worth well more than twice it's price. Not sure what the culler is having an issue with, but it's not this guitar. Some folks need nametag verification, some just want tone and quality. I don't give two shits about anything but reality, and the reality is that this is a killer guitar at any price , but given the price it is incomparable. I am considering a second one right now!!

Usual story, Sweetwater always comes through. The guitar looks better than hoped and plays beautifully.

I've never been a huge fan of overly expensive guitars (Gibson, Fender, PRS, etc.) due to the fact that it has never been in my budget to purchase one, and because you can usually find a guitar of similar quality for considerably less expensive. This is absolutely one of those guitars, somewhere in between an ES-335 and an ES-339 in size and sound, everything about it is fantastic. The overall tone is monstrous, Ibanez really hit a good sweet spot with the S-58 pickups, coupled with the semi-hollow design, this thing really sustains quite well. The finish looks fantastic, however I do think it looks better with the red burst, which is not available through sweetwater, unfortunately, but the clear coat is fantastic, and resists scratches quite well. The only changes I made after getting it was changing out the strings, everything else was perfect, I just prefer flatwounds, especially because this has become my primary jazz guitar. Overall, it's really a fantastic product, it's honestly a no brainer to buy it, and if you are on the fence, you really won't be dissapointed.

Ok, so I bought this guitar as a kind of consolation prize since they didn't have the one I wanted in stock. I thought 599, ok. This is a great guitar. The neck is perfect (as ever Sweetwater did a wonderful setup job on it), the frets are level and the edges smooth. I was playing it through a 1w and 5w home built amps and it basically just sounded wonderful. Clean and jazzy in the 5w and edgy in the 1w. I really like the pickup sound and it definitely has that hollow body tone to it. Oh, and it is beautiful as well. If you are looking for a cheap, awesome guitar to add some tones to your collection, this one may be the one for you.

I too have owned Gibson guitars as well as other famous names, but this Ibanez AM93 is just right up there with them all! Looks, sound, attention to detail, feel, everything is what this guitar is about and for the price you can't go wrong. The only thing you have to do if you decide to buy one is buy the Ibanez case that Sweetwater sells for this guitar it too is excellent and the price again is right. This is my first guitar purchase with Sweetwater, I always bought off the self because of feel and all that but with there 55 point evaluation and set up, all I had to do on my end was tune it and play! For me the set up was prefect so hats off to the tech. who went over this amasing guitar and that goes for my sales engineer as well Anthony Longano. This guitar was shipped from Fort Wayne, In. to Kent, Wash. and the shipping box and the way it was packed you would of thought it came local, I think Sweetwater keeps close tabs on how things are handled. Just can say enough about this company and my experiences with them!

I've played Fender and Gibson all my life and this is my first Ibanez. I have friends who own Ibanez and they are happy with their guitars. So, when I was looking for a jazz guitar, I spotted this on Sweetwater.

I am normally a person who needs to play a guitar before I buy it because it has to speak to me in not only sound and tone, but in feel. If it doesn't feel good in my hands, I won't enjoy playing it. This is the third guitar I have bought online at Sweetwater and it is the third guitar that I have loved right out of the box.

OK... this is just too good to be a $600 guitar. I have been wanting to get back into a semi hollow body for quite sometime now. I used to have a '67 335 and let me tell you this thing sounds every bit as rich and definitive of a 335 type of guitar. I was thinking of getting the AM73, but since this has the better pickups I decided to go with the 93. It just sounds amazing. I mainly play jazz with the occasional grit and bite through a sliverface Deluxe Reverb and the tone is just what I have been wanting for a LONG time. AND the neck is perfect. It play much better than my old 67 335. Just chunky enough. Finish is great out of the box. Really the only thing you will need to do is figure out what strings you want to use for your tone. I ended up with GHS Bright Flats and man does it sing.

I too, like some of the other reviewers have owned numerous guitars over the years. Prior to the AM93, I owned the Gibson Equivalent. I found both instruments used, so they were on par in terms of condition.

I had some very good times with the Gibson, however the fretwork left alot to be desired. The upper register was a mess, Even after a Pro fret dress, it just never really happened.

When I came to notice the Ibanez AM93, I thought,"Here we go, another lawsuit version of a Gibson". Boy, was I wrong! So many aspects of this instrument edge past it's rival, from the neck shape, to the pickups, to the setup out-of-the-box.

Bottom line is, I sold the G to a student, and bought the AM93 and never looked back and have never regretted it. I too was biased about Origin of Mfg, but this axe is truly superb, no matter where it came from. I'll be gigging it often.

I am in love with this guitar. I have been playing guitar for almost 30 years. I have had many, many guitars. Some great and some not so great. My current stable prior to acquiring the AM93 includes a 1995 Les Paul Standard with a 60's neck and a late 80's Japanese Tele customized to perfection. I really like both of those guitars. I like Les Pauls so much I have one tattoo'ed on my arm! However, this guitar is beyond comprehension for the money. I was scared to death of the Made In China factor but I stand corrected. This guitar is not only one of the most beautiful to look at but it plays and sounds like guitars costing 5 or 6 times this amount. If you like semi hollow tones and want a great guitar without breaking the bank look no further this is the one. I am one happy camper!!!!

this guitar sounds oh so creamy and good...i had forgotten after years of fenders and gibsons why i love ibanez so much ,good action great intonation super good tone great finish the small body shape is a real plus and looks cool i cant really think of any negatives . this is what i have been looking for in lieu of the glut of 335 look alikes (yawn....) out there, something a little different with that creamy smoky semi hollow sound

I just bought this guitar about a month ago and I have to say I'm very impressed. This is my first Ibanez, and I was a bit skeptical about it at first. I'm a big fan of Fenders and Gibsons, but I needed something that could do jazz better than a Strat or SG. I decided on this guitar mainly because of the smaller body shape. This guitar is fantastic! The first thing you notice is how beautiful it is. The finish is absolutely gorgeous, and the bindings look great as well. If this didn't have an Ibanez logo on the headstock, you could easily mistake it for a guitar costing three or four times as much. The most important thing though is how it sounds and plays. The set-up was really good right out of the box. I just tuned it up (no neck adjustments or anything), and it was ready to go. The neck on this guitar is really nice. Its not too thick, but not too thin either. It makes it easy to play lead lines as well as chords and shell voicings. When you plug this guitar in, it really comes alive. I wasn't expecting much from these pickups, given the price of the instrument. I planned on buying the guitar and then swapping out the pickups for a set of Lollar's or Duncan's. Now that I've been playing it for a while, I can honestly say I have no desire to change out these pickups. They give you a great clean tone that's fantastic for jazz, but then when you turn on your overdrive or distortion, you get an amazing rock and blues sound. Overall, I'm amazed that Ibanez can offer this guitar at this price. I highly recommend this guitar for anyone who is looking for a great-looking, great-playing, and versatile instrument.

Ibanez did a great job on these guitars! I think the Epiphone 339 Pro and PRS SE semis are great options as well, but I prefer the AM93 in design and execution. The tailpiece and truss rod cover are well thought out improvements. I also think the neck plays great, except for the frets feeling a little scratchy when bending strings. I think this may be due to cheaper fret wire. The frets are leveled well however, and perhaps the frets will smooth out over time. The smaller body is lighter and more comfortable to hold than my Gibson 335. This guitar is so good I'm wondering what's better about the AM153. I don't think I'll upgrade anything.
It's not as nice as my '06 PRS CE24 (love it after several pickup swaps), my Guild X-170, or even my Gibson 335 but it's not even close to the same price range. If I lost those guitars, I could definitely make due with this.

Have had this for over 2 yrs and absolutely love it. Beautiful deep jazz tone as well as creamy overdrive tone with the right setup. Playing this through my 80's Rivera Super Champ is a joy. Excellent balance and intonation on the neck. No mods. Great guitar

I can't claim to have owned a pile of other name brands. I played acoustic for a year and needed to expand my options, and this guitar suited my tastes.
My goal when choosing my first electric was to find something that I would love to pick up and hammer on while not breaking the bank on something stuffy or poseur. This has fit the bill perfectly. I wanted to be able to play a wide range of material but I don't really do drop-ridiculous tuning.
For me, the AM93 is a perfect balance of quality, appeal, playability, and affordability. I won't need to replace it anytime soon, and yet if it were wrecked or stolen I wouldn't have to call in sick to work over it.
Excellent, excellent value from this beginner's perspective.

Let me start by saying I currently own American Deluxe Fenders (Tele and Strat) and 2 Gibson Les Pauls in addition to Taylor, Martin, Breedlover and Ovation acoustics. This Ibanez is by far the least expensive guitar I own. However, it plays like silk, has flawless fret work, a gorgeous finish and the most buttery, bluesy tone I have ever heard through my amps. Clean it has a nice jazz flavor. I wanted it because I had no semi hollows and wanted one especially for playing blues. I would buy this guitar in a heartbeat again. It is as good or better than anything else I own. Ibanez did a great job on the pups as they sound like the Gibson humbuckers found on the 50's models that are so highly prized. The only reason I did not give this guitar 5 stars is I wish it had come with strap locks. Other than that I would put this up against ANYTHING made by PRS, Fender and Gibson at any price it is that good!

I have some really nice guitars, and I thought I was getting another one based on the other reviews. Nope, not even close! This guitar is total crap. The neck was decent, but too thin for me. The pickups are probably the worst I've ever hear... ever. The pics online looked way better than what showed up at my house. The guitar was supposedly set up... nope. If it was, it was a poor job. The knobs looked and felt cheap to me. Maybe I got a lemon, considering all the reviews, maybe not. Either way, I've never been one to order an instrument online, and this is exactly why. I have a custom tele, strat, and les paul, I think I'll stick with them. If you're in the market for a hollow body, don't try to cheat. If you don't mind cheap guitars, this will be perfect for you. I wanted to like it, but it just screamed $10 to me. I don't really want to give it one star, but according to their star system 1= just not right for me, and that's exactly what this is. I'd give it 2 or 3 just to be fair, but it's definitely not "really good!" hope this helps someone out there!