Ibanez Artcore AS53 - Tobacco Flat Reviews

This is one of those guitars that inspire. You think you'll play something in particular and you end up with something totally fresh. Wonderful instrument.

If you're looking for a comfortable and great sounding guitar, This is seriously the guitar!! I'm a lefty but I play this guitar as is and because it's a double cutaway I can easily get up on the high frets compared to the rest of my guitars, Its a must have!

Had this for about a year. Great guitarjust buy it, you won't be sorry. I changed the strings for elixer nanotech coated strings and have done nothing further, it doesn't need it. Sweetwater service is as good as there is. Lee was fantastic, followed up with calls letting me know it was coming and after I got it asking if there were any issues. There were none, and he called a couple weeks later as a follow up. Kudos to Lee and Sweetwater. Ibanez as well.

Great guitar for the money!
The guys at Sweetwater did such a good job, the guitar arrived with a perfect setup - it was nearly in tune!
I swapped out the tuners with Guyker locking machines and the strings with D'Addario XL Chrome and added Schaller strap locks. The SKB 1SKB-35 Thin Body Semi-Hollow Guitar Case fits perfect. This guitar is NOT the standard 335 size as it is slightly smaller - which is nice.

This guitar has the fundamental qualities of an instrument one would expect to pay a lot more for . Very good build , very tasteful natural wood finishes and styling and great playability in the neck designe . If you spend a bit more on upgrading the pickups to ones of your choice , level down the odd high fret etc. you end up with a very fine guitar indeed for less than you would assume possible . Above all ,this is a guitar that makes you want to pick it up....play...and contine playing ,which is the highest recommendation I can think of for describing a musical instrument .

When Tim Vanslyke, had this brought up to me in the store and we un-boxed it I was hoping it would remind me of my old Guild that I had when I was younger. When I played it I was totally impressed. Buying this allowed me to afford another great guitar to add to my collection.

I got this Ibanez AS53 a few days ago from Sweetwater. Can't beat their shipping deal. Got it in a couple days. So far I am totally impressed with this guitar. Especially for the money. It's an outstanding value.
The frets are really good, the neck feels good and the fit and finish of the guitar looks super good.
It sounds good, even with these ceramic pickups. Really surprised about that. I may upgrade down the road on pickups but for now these are more than fine. Two thumbs up on this one and also thanks to Nick and Sweetwater crew for taking care of this one!

I've had this axe for a year now. So I thought I'd update my review. I have played this guitar on gigs ranging from country to R&B to blues and jazz and it has never failed to live up to the tone and playability I require. I did do a couple of mods on it for personal taste: I added a vintage "Bowen Handle" trem that just drops onto the tailpiece studs. I did level and finish and re-crown the frets as a couple were a little high...not bad, but I'm picky about that. Finally, I replaced the pickups with some Fleor hummers I had been hearing a lot about. Cheap ones. But they ARE remarkable and made this guitar sit up and bark at you. And since I had added a trem unit, I installed a roller saddle bridge I had in my parts box along with a set of Hipshot locking tuners I also had laying around. The result is an amazingly easy, soulful guitar that my band prefers in tone over ALL the other ones I play. The AS53 is good out of the box, but it is also a terrific foundation to mod and tweak and in the end, you have a guitar that will rival ANY of the Big Buck labels out there in tone, ease of playability, and quality. Buy one.

I've had this for about four or five months now. It's one of my favorite guitars. It needed some setup out of the box, but after that it sounds great. It plays so nicely I end up playing for hours. I sometimes have to remind myself to play my Gibson once in a while. The finish is nice and vintage looking. It's not laminate. The pickups are actually really good once you get them set up properly. The hardware is really nice and the pots are smooth and responsive too. That's something you don't normally see in lower end guitars. I've been against Indonesian made guitars forever but this one surprised me. I don't gig, but if I did I'd totally use this. However, I might go for the as73 for the independent volume and tone controls. And for the price you could easily buy two and have a backup. I recommend this guitar strongly.

I wanted to buy a "cheap" guitar that I could leave at Church and not have to tote and carry. I liked the looks of this one for it's solid traditional styling. Almost every review I read was positive, so I ordered it. Two days later it arrived. (Astonishingly good customer service.) When it arrived it was actually very close to being in tune, 1/2 step low. Upon close inspection it was flawless, and it plays like a dream.

The kicker is, I didn't take this to Church, I took another. This is the only guitar I've been playing (at home) since it arrived. It is a 10 out of 10 for me.

I know it's not super high-end, but it is an extremely comfortable guitar to play.

I've been playing pro for nearly 50 years. I own or have own and played all the major "brand" guitars with the exception of PRS. Some I like, some I don't. I have found that price has little relation to quality. I've had expensive guitars that didn't have the same "mojo" and playability of "entry level" axes. Such is the case with the AS53. From the time I opened the box, this guitar has not ceased to amaze me. After a few tweaks to set it up to my own preferences, I played a band rehearsal for 4 hours on it, and grew to appreciate it more and more. It's simple. One volume and one tone pot. Who has time to fiddle with FOUR adjustments live, right? You just want a master volume and tone...hit them and start playing! The amazing little "flip cover" on the truss rod means you don't have to unscrew 3 tiny screws (which fall on the floor and get lost) to adjust the rod tension for neck relief. It just flips open, make the adjustment with the included hex wrench, then slide the cover back into position. Voila! Quick and easy. Those who have commented on the pups being too bright apparently have forgotten that they have tone controls on their amps, as well as on the guitar. I prefer ceramic pups myself, and these are bright but not harsh at all, and cut through the band mix with ease. The neck is the same profile as on their $ guitars and is a wonderful "in between" of the "C" profile found on Fender Strats and Epiphone/Gibson early 60's models. Slightly chunky, but not massaive. Feels good and full in the hand. And the matte finish is smooth and non-sticky. As I said, it's beauty is in its basic format. No bells or whistles or fancy paint jobs and fake plastic fret markers. Just 100% playability. Personally, I like the "flat" finish. It doesn't show fingerprints. Buy one...

I would not trade this guitar for 10 Fenders. I love this guitar so much I want to get it in all colors. It sounds classic and is great for rocking. Hi quality build. No need to replace tuners.

I have owned an Ibanez Artcore AS53 for approximately six years. This has been one of my all-time favorite guitars that I have owned over my 61 years of playing guitar. It is one of the lightest semihollowbody guitars I have ever played. I was much surprised that the stock ceramic Infinity R pickups sounded so good. I had planned on replacing them with some quality Alnico humbucker but after gigging with it a few times realized that would be unnecessary. I did eventually add plain chrome pickup covers, a black pickguard, a bass roll-off pot and moved the pickup selector switch to the lower bout. Even stock my guitar got a lot of compliments in its appearance and playability from other musicians including jazzers and rock guitarists.

When I downsized this was one of my many guitars I kept. Sweetwater is selling these at the same price I paid for mine in 2014. With Sweetwater's attention to detail and excellent service I'm certain you will find this a great guitar.

I am a guitaroholic. I saw one of these on sale... so I decided to give it a goat that price. The neck was extremely comfortable and set up well with the intonation almost dead on. Small adjustment on the saddle G string and it was right on. The pick ups did sound a bit on the tinny side and sort of cheesy. At this price point they are acceptable stock out of the box. However, I saw an ad on craigslist for a pair of Hummbuckers from a Epiphone Les Paul so I thought what the hey maybe they will sound better and it is a cheap upgrade at that so, I grabbed them. I switched them out for the IBZ pups and the difference was not just good but outstanding. Now I am getting a nice warm creamy rich tone in all positions and evenly balanced across the board. At the time I was thinking of buying a Gibson ES335 of which I have owned before but I really see no need for it anymore. I have since have used it on recordings which is on the radio but I cannot divulge who I am. By the way I did own an Ibanez AS93 at one time but I did not care for the neck or the sound so I sold it. In fact in 57 years of playing I have owned every amp and guitar under the God given sun. This guitar with an inexpensive upgrade of pups will totally get the job done no matter what Genre you are playing. I personally play Jazz, Blues, Country, Rock and yes even Classical on this guitar. The pup change made all the difference in the world. If you can't find some Epiphone pups I would recommend, Classic 57's. I think it would sound fantastic with a set of those in it and it would be money well spent. All though I did not buy this from Sweetwater, I have bought a lot of gear thru them. I can only say if you are buying online they are the best for customer service and very reliable to deal with. I hope this helps you make a wise decision. Peace Out!

I've been a vocalist most of my life, but only seriously started playing guitar a couple of years ago. I've got a great sounding acoustic, but I wanted to add an electric option.
Right out of the box, this guitar is kind of amazing. Warm, rich tone from the neck, and plenty of country twang on the bridge. The feel of the neck is silky making for easy motion even when my nervous hands get clammy on stage. Fit and finish are excellent.
I'm playing through a Boss Katana 50 for what might be the best combo available for the price! This is pro quality sound for entry level cost! Don't think I could be happier.

I have been playing Ibanez guitars most of my career, and the wizard neck profile is so comfortable. Well the AS 53 has a great neck profile that is very comfortable and feels familiar as soon as you pick it up. Some people have complained about the stock pickups, but I find them to be a good quality. with no feedback issues unless you turn the amp up to ear bleed levels. The acoustic non amplified sound is actually pretty good for a thin semi hollow body guitar. The AS 53 has a good mass to it with the semi hollow design which helps a lot with the sustain and feedback control. Of course the guitar came from Sweetwater set up with just a quick tune required to play. The action and intonation were spot on. Great job Sweetwater!!!! I am not a professional jazz player, just a metal head that also studies Classical guitar, and I dabble in blues on occasion. Would I recommend this guitar? yes I would!!!! Would I recommend Sweetwater.com? In heart beat!!!!!

I wanted to add one more thing to my review below about the upgrade. I have had 2 Gibson 335 which in my opinion is the best of all but price point is a bit harsh on the pocket. My Epi copy of the 335 was very dark sounding and the neck was very uncomfortable to my hands and so for those two reasons I sold it. This is a very comfortable C shaped neck and handles extremely well for me. Note that each person is different and certain guitars feel and sound better than others to each individual. The pickups I installed that came from an Epi les Paul seem to deliver a very close sound to the Gibson 335 and there smaller body little brothers. Again I give this guitar a 5 star recommendation because of its price point, comfort to play, and over all tone to begin with coming stock. For this kind of money I have yet to see anything come close. I also owned an Ibanez as93 which was not as good as this lower end version nor was it as comfortable to play and does support a larger body. To each their own. I wish you good luck in your search and hope that my 2 reviews help in your choice. Last, let me say Sweetwater is an excellent company to deal with and deliver accurate information and knowledge of the products they sell as well as the best customer support I have ever dealt with. I hope you read my other review called Upgrade. Please excuse misspelling of words.

I recently purchased a brand new as53 and was more than pleased with it. I couldn't believe how well the guitar handled first of all and second of all the tone was pretty good but the highs were a little tinny. I happened to see a guy online selling the set of Epiphone Les Paul Standard pickups for $30 so I thought what the heck I'll give him a try. I couldn't believe how much better this guitar actually sounded . I am not recommending that you upgrade your pickups because this guitars for the money is really good. However if the high-sounding little tinny to you you may want to consider upgrading the pickups with a cheap set of humbuckers from a Les Paul Standard Epiphone or something of that nature. The highs that was very nice warm tone to him now and it's guitar rocks it's plays classical is plays Jazz and plays any kind of genre that I want to deliver to it. I have been playing for 56 years and so I'm pretty familiar with tones. I thought about putting classic 57 in it but they do have a little bite and I'm not looking for bikes I'm looking for clean. I can get all the bite I want for my pedals. I highly recommend this guitar and it's stock nature with no upgrades at all. It is a sure pleasure to play.

I have been playing guitar for about 4 years now and have several guitars acoustic and strats and LPs and wish this had been my first one it is very easy to play and is very comfortable. If your trying to decide to get one just do it you wont regret it goes from rock to country very well

I have played guitar for about 40+ years and I have a dozen or so guitars including some pretty pricey hollowbody and semi-hollowbody vintage Gibsons (i.e 335's/355), Strat, Tele, Kramer, Dean, Epi, Yamahas, etc.
This is my first Ibanez guitar and I can easily say that not only does this guitar play more easily than all of my other guitars, but it absolutely hands down beats all my guitars when it comes to its sound, including my Gibson hollow and semi hollow bodies. I had wanted an Ibanez Artcore for years and I did a ton of research before I bought this guitar. I saw Richard Daude playing one on several videos on YouTube and it sounded terrific. SO I took a chance and finally decided on this model. I have heard tales about people getting them all our of adjustment but thanks to the fact I only buy from Sweetwater their 55 point setup had it totally perfect. I cant find a thing wrong with the guitar and I cannot believe that the best guitar in my collection is an Ibanez.
Wow! you wont be disappointed!
And my next guitar will for sure be another Ibanez!

This guitar has one of the nicest natural wood finishes I've ever seen . It's altogether a very attractive guitar with a wonderfully playable neck and a great overall feel . I was expecting the tuners to be lousy as that seems to be a common complaint with Ibanez , but they seem to have sorted that detail out . The pickups are not bad , although their plastic frames are tacky and the bridge one doesn't present the pickup square to the strings ( I had to sand it down ) . But really the basic instrument is excellent value for the price . I'm very happy with my choice .

Been playing for over 50 years. Had/have almost every guitar and amp made. Still have quite a bit of them and I won't bore you. I never could bond with my '01 335 because of how large the body was to me (I'm kinds short and portly), and this just fits the bill. I'm a retired guitar repairman/builder and for almost any price this is a very nice one. The frets were kind-of rough and grindy - but for me - that was a non issue. I didn't expect it to have great fret work LO. After my set-up - this just fits my body better - pups are fine - hardware the same. There is not an issue with any of the build quality - it's beautiful - and it replaced a real Gibson 335 LOL Thanks to Greg Savino and the Sweetwater crew for all your patience, time and research for answer's to my questions.

Honestly, I was not sure what to expect from a guitar this inexpensive. I have played in bands, duos, trios and solo (mostly bass and vocals and some guitar). The photos looked very nice and other reviewers were impressed but I had no idea what their basis for comparison was. I just stopped playing 3-4 nights a week a few years ago and have been used to equipment meant for pros and a lot of abuse. This guitar feels nice, plays very well (thank you Sweetwater & your setup process) and if I would have picked it up in a store with no tag I would have never guessed the price! Of course, the electronics are fairly basic, but it gives a number of tones, plays well and feels solid. I really did not think a guitar this inexpensive could be this nice!

Setting price aside for a moment, sapelle as a tonewood just works great with humbuckers. This guitar is its own thing, with its own voice, even among nearly identical Ibanez siblings made of more expensive woods.

You already know that Ibanez is a super reliable, modern guitar maker. They produce quality instruments at every price point, every day of the year. Normally, I don't buy them because their big market niche is pointy guitars with hot pickups and whammy bars, while I am more of a vintage guitar person, but I've tried customers' Ibanez gits, basses and accessories and all are very good quality for money.

Since I've worked on many rare and valuable instruments and amps over the years, I have developed better taste that I can afford. For my own use, I must mod affordable guitars until they meet my totally unrealistic expectations. My (red) Ibby AS53 didn't have far to go to become a real gem among the firewood.

The build quality, the geometry and humble matte finish were as perfect as Japanese robots can make them, which is to say, perfect. The low price point comes from the species of wood, which I really like in this application and the budget "hard parts" - electronics and tuners. In no time I replaced ceramic pickups with decent AlNiCo V units, tossed the stingy little pots and screwed on some new tuners - with my shop discount that added about $75. The results are really good compared to anything.

Though I like A2 HB pickups in most solid bodies, A5 is great is this softer wood. The tone has a nice complexity in the middle, with a rich, sculpted low end. The wood also sweetens the tart A5 highs into smooth, tasty custard, without sounding dark.

Played into a small tube combo with the guys or plugged into a home studio audio interface or digital amp modeler, this guitar delivers the goods. It feels nice in hand, plays in tune, holds it setup over time and just sounds surprising good at playback. It is not finicky or fussy at all with simple Tele-like controls and vintage, woody tone.
Don't delay, this thing is a real working player's tool for low money.

I'm mainly a drummer, but picked one of these up at the beginning of quarantine last year. I was looking for something fun to noodle around with since my kit is in a shared practice space, and while I'm not new to guitar, I just wanted something that had a little different feel to keep me motivated/practicing.

Overall, it's a pretty solid no-frills guitar. The woods are all nice looking, the satin tobacco finish looks low-key great, and feels great on the neck (I like it a lot better than the gloss finishes on more expensive guitars I have). It's a hefty neck shape, which I like for the chordal/rhythm stuff I usually use this guitar for, but if you want something thin/fast feeling, this isn't it.

Electronics are pretty basic. Just a master tone and volume, but hardware all feels sturdy. The input jack needed some serious tightening, but has held up since. I honestly don't have a huge opinion on the pickups - they're nothing particularly groundbreaking, but also aren't noticeably bad either, which for a guitar at this price is more than what you might otherwise get.

That said, I ended up replacing the tuners with just some 3rd party aftermarket locking tuners - the stock ones weren't bad per-se, but even cheap locking tuners were a huge upgrade in tuning stability. I lowered the action after a few months, which brought out a few seriously buzzy frets. Since getting the frets dressed professionally would be over a third of what I paid for the whole guitar, I eventually figured I could just get a fret rocker and some basic files, and was able to find the high frets and knock them down pretty quickly. It plays great now, but if you're not willing to do some minor hardware work, you may have to just deal with either slightly raised action or some fret buzzing. That said, it took over a year before it annoyed me enough to do anything about it.

Overall, it's a solid, fun guitar with some minor flaws, but definitely worth the price.

The guitar I bought is not the exact guitar I wanted. But it is what I could afford. That being said, the guitar plays really well and I did have to set it up to fit my hands. The simplicity and placement of the controls are a definite plus. My hand doesn't accidentally bump or move the knobs and or switch. The only thing I am going to do is replace the pick-ups with the type I have on my herman lee. The split pick-ups. The neck is straight and all the hardware is tight. Overall very worth the investment because it will be easier to upgrade and I can do it without breaking my bank.

looking for a semi hollow that wont break the bank, thats what this is . not the greatest but after a string change and about a week of heavy playing its starting to come around . i can get mellow sounds but was looking to copy that EC sound from CREAM days check it out, im playing thru a positive grid amp , i can mike it up to a large cabinet and get that vintage 60's lead tone

I've noticed that there aren't many of these for sale as used. so that tells me that people are holding on to these and enjoying them. I must agree. They're really a nice well made guitar! Great service as always with sweet water and Bob Koch certainly does his job and is very knowledgeable on all gear that they sell. Well Done!

I got this back in February, 2013. It's a good guitar for the money. I had to fix a little string buzz, not a big issue just some bridge adjustments, and a 1/2 turn on the truss rod and everything was good. Pickups aren't the best sounding, of course, this is a $300 dollar guitar. Build quality was excellent. I will upgrade the tuning machines. The ones on it are okay, but I prefer ones that lock. If you want an ES-335 on a budget, and found the similar Epiphone Studio a bit lacking as I did, then this one is worth a shot. But as I say in the tittle, it's about how much you want to spend. There are better ones to be had, (obviously).

My review has nothing to do with Sweetwater as they were great and extremely helpful from start to finish. Maybe I expected too much... but I thought it would at least stay in tune. I had tuning issues from the beginning. I would tune it and it would sound OK, then 20 minutes later I would have to retune it again - and again, etc. After talking to my Sweetwater rep I realized that the gear ratio of the tuners was just not up to snuff. So, I bought some that had a finer gear ratio and installed them. Now the guitar tunes properly and stays tuned. So, if you want to spend... on new tuners, then this guitar is a good choice... Maybe you would just want to spend... on a better guitar in the first place.