Ibanez AS73 Review – Great Value for the Money!
If anyone knows how to make a quality low-cost instrument, it’s Ibanez. The AS73 is one of their dozens of low-cost instruments where the price of the guitar doesn’t indicate just how great a value it truly is. The made-in-China AS73 has a street price of less than $400, but the tones from this hollow-body instrument sound much more expensive. Let’s take a look at the details!
The AS73 has a maple top, back, and sides. The mahogany neck sports a bound rosewood fingerboard with attractive pearl dot inlays.
The pickups are dual humbucker, with an ACH1 in the neck and an ACH2 in the bridge. The double-cutaway design allows for easy access to the AS73’s 22 large frets.
Finish choices include Ivory, Sunburst, and, our favorite, Transparent Cherry. When we first started putting the guitar through its paces, we were a bit surprised at how good it played and sounded for such an inexpensive instrument. Overall, the build quality is excellent.
Since it’s a hollowbody, the acoustic sound is important, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a hollow-body guitar in this price range this good. Even if you triple the price, you’ll have to search to find a solid competitor to the Ibanez AS73.
We tested the instrument with a variety of instruments playing several different styles, and from blues to jazz to rock, we liked what we heard. It responded well to a number of different amplifiers and unwanted feedback was never an issue.
We did have some very minor issues. The plastic nut is pretty cheap, and could stand to be replaced, but that’s a relatively minor repair for a good repairman. While the finish wasn’t 100% perfect, it was still excellent for a guitar at this price.
It’s amazing what relatively little money can get you these days. The Ibanez AS73 is really a quality instrument, regardless of where it’s made. If you’re looking for an inexpensive, quality hollow-body guitar, it’s hard to beat.
If you are searching for the absolute best price on a used or new Epiphone AS73, then you need to visit Ray’s Guitar Shop, which offers the lowest prices on all new and used guitars (both acoustic and electric). Whether you want to buy a PRS, an Epiphone, or a Gibson, Ray’s Guitar Shop has what you’re looking for!
