The Ibanez AG85 succeeds in delivering authentic jazzbox tone and response at a low cost of entry. The fully hollow lindenwood (basswood) body is light and resonant in the hands, creating, together with the Gibraltar Performer bridge and VT06 "trapeze" tailpiece, a balanced foundation for the Johnny Smith- and Seth Lover-inspired Magic Touch-Mini floating humbuckers to work their mojo. The body joins a 3-piece set-in neck of nyatoh and maple by way of a sculpted Venetian cutaway that's perfect for grabbing high octaves up the neck. The AG85's glassy ebony fingerboard plays great and arrives dressed to the nines in black binding and Ibanez's Acrylic Block inlays. Gold hardware and a satin poly finish add an upscale touch to this great-performing hollowbody.

Floating Magic Touch-Mini humbuckers

The AG85's mini humbuckers are positioned above the surface of the arched top (one mounted to the neck and one mounted to the pickguard), so there's no interference with the vibration of the top. The alnico elements allow even complex chord voicings to ring out loud and true, with a healthy blend of definition and warmth that sounds great clean or dirtied up.

Set-neck construction yields big sustain

The set-in nyatoh/maple neck on the Artcore Expressionist AG85 creates a solid connection between the body and neck. on neck design. That means robust vibrational transfer from stem to stern, which means you get a fast attack and long, long-lasting sustain. Plug in the AG85 and turn your amplifier up, and you'll see exactly what we mean.

Smooth-playing bound ebony fretboard

One thing setting the Ibanez Artcore Expressionist AG85 apart from other hollowbodies in its class is the bound ebony fretboard. The high strength and density of ebony is common on high-end instruments, and the fretboard binding adds an elegant look while also enhancing playability. Acrylic Block inlays give this AG85 add an additional touch of old-school jazz cool. Looking for a price-defying jazzbox? The Ibanez Artcore Expressionist AG85 from Music Experience is hard to beat.

Ibanez: a brief history

Ibanez began its life in 1908 as the Hoshino Gakki company in Nagoya, Japan. However, the company didn’t get into the guitar business until 1929, when they started importing Salvador Ibanez guitars from Spain. In 1935, Hoshino Gakki began building Spanish acoustic guitars under the Ibanez Salvador name, which was later shortened to Ibanez. Although Ibanez began manufacturing electric guitars in 1957, the company was relatively unknown in the West until the 1960s, when they started producing guitars based on American designs. By the late 1970s, Ibanez had stopped producing derivative guitars and had begun manufacturing the original designs that the company is now known for. Ibanez is also famous for their effects pedals (most notably the Tube Screamer) and guitar amplifiers.

What Ibanez Says...

The AG has a slightly smaller body width than the more traditional AF dimensions. However, the same depth and true full-hollow body construction make for a big standout sound. For a decade now, Ibanez has continued to energize the hollow-body segment with wide range of designs-with everything from rockin' hybrids to straight-up jazz-boxes. The new Expressionist line begins yet another chapter in the Artcore story. The Expressionist difference? Jazz fans will recognize the Ibanez original Super 58 pickups-the preferred pickup of George Benson, Pat Metheny and John Scofield on their own Signature models. A jazz favorite, yes, but as funk guitarist Eric Krasno has been proving, the Super 58s perform well in a variety of situations. Warm, balanced articulation, and excellent response characterize the Super 58 pickups.