Ibanez Artcore | Musician's Friend

There are a lot of guitar players who are interested in semi-hollow and hollow bodied guitars, and they all have different interests and expectations from the instrument. A Bebop Jazzer wants a different set of features than what a Rockabilly cat or studio session musician wants. Ibanez has attempted to offer something for nearly everyone with their affordable Artcore series guitars. The Ibanez Artcore line is comprised of both semi-hollow and full hollow bodied models, with arched tops on most models. Traditional archtop guitars are time-consuming and difficult to produce, and are often priced accordingly. The Ibanez Artcore line of semi-hollow body and full hollow body guitars are built in Asia in order to keep costs low, but are still highly regarded and well-reviewed, with a reputation for excellent value.
The Artcore Custom is the flagship model of the Artcore line. With a warm and punchy sound that has made it a favorite with many jazz guitarists, the Artcore Customs feature a venetian cutaway, bound rosewood fingerboard, 5 piece set-in maple / walnut neck, large frets, quilted maple top, sides and back, dual Custom 58 humbuckers, ART1 bridge and wooden control knobs and matching pickguards. The AK series models such as the AK80 and AK95 are deep-bodied (70mm at the tail) Jazz and Blues flavored full hollow guitars, with spruce instead of maple for the tops, and all-wood traditional style rosewood bridges, giving them less brightness overall. Florentine cutaways, set-in 3 piece mahogany / maple necks, large frets, a rosewood bridge and bound fingerboard, flamed maple back and sides and two ACH humbucking pickups are all featured on these beautiful instruments. The AF series also have the deeper 70mm thick full-hollow bodies, and are possibly the most traditional of the Artcores with their Venetian cutaways, set-in mahogany neck, maple top, back and sides, bound rosewood fingerboard and large frets Some models, such as the AF75TGD, have a VBF70 Vintage Vibrato. The AF series models also come equipped with the Ibanez ART1 bridge and two ACH humbucking pickups.
The AFS series Artcores have the same single Venetian cutaway body shape as AF series, and are also fully-hollow, but the body depth is one inch thinner. They have a set-in neck of mahogany or mahogany and maple, depending on the specific AFS model. The Gretsch-licensed VBF70 Vintage Vibrato on both models is paired with roller saddles on the bridge for increased tuning stability. They also come equipped with dual ACH humbuckers, and maple tops, backs and sides. The Rockabilly approved AFS models are available in hot-rod Roadstar Orange, Roadstar Green and Starlight Blue metallic finishes. The AM / AMF series give the player semi-hollow flat topped models with somewhat smaller bodies that will feel more familiar to modern solidbody players. The top, back and sides are made from maple, and is paired with a mahogany set-in neck, ART-1 bridge, dual ACH1 humbucking pickups, and a double cutaway shape for excellent access to the upper frets. The versatile AS series archtops are also semi-hollow, with a "center block" running down the center of the guitar for increased sustain and greater feedback resistance, making them equally well suited to heavier rock as well as pop, blues and jazz.