Quiet jazzer

That sudden urge to play a semi-hollow so this was the pick: Ibanez TM-71

But before that, a quick re-string.

Some parts of the binding are beginning to show age-stains. This is one of those guitars with finished necks that I like. The wide-thin profile also caters to my type of playing. 

Ibanez: Artcore AGB200

I've been wanting this bass, honest. So when it was still available during the Swee Lee SALE yesterday, it was a sign. Nobody was interested in it maybe because it sports a shorter scale length (30"), not a solid body instrument in its entirety & the fact that the neck humbucker there, sitting flushed against the neck end, presented a limited slap-&-pop technique applications. The shorter scale length was the key interest for me so without hesitation, the Ibanez AGB200 became mine.

I love all the features the bass has to offer but the plastic tuners were quite a turn-off.

Like all Artcore models, the body is arched at the top...

... & at the rear. I've not played the instrument enough to give a final say in terms of tone & playability. This will happen at a later update. I can feel the strings here are not .045s, will swap them out soon.

PS: Do note, this AGB200 is a pre-2011 model sporting the former headstock decal. In addition to this revision, the current AGB200 features a pair of Sure Grip knobs & the easy access truss rod cover.

Talman

It's been a while since a last played my Ibanez Talman- was distracted by active pickups, protruding guitar body outlines, 8-strings & bass, among others. This affordable guitar is definitely my firm favourite namely attributable to the neck profile. I do not favour a finished neck, I sweat too much & the sticky sensation would kick in quickly during play but the overall profile of this neck makes me wanna play for hours (which I did last night). It has that wide/flat feel which helps me play fast with minimal mistakes. The bonus here is that I managed to lower the action to rival some of my RG models so playing it is as inviting as the rest. The default humbuckers are also a surprise; these aren't the darling Super 58s but they are fine through my amps, lots of warmth & clarity.

I'd do well this year to check more Artcore models out.

Ibanez: TM71

The Ibanez TM71 you see here is the only semi-hollow guitar I own. Those familiar with the guitar outline would know it was a member of the discontinued Talman series. The only surviving member is the signature Noodle's NDM2 (NDM1 has also been pulled out of the catalogues WEF2007 but still available in the stores).

The reason I bought this guitar wasn't actually an infatuation with the semi-hollow acoustics but really the regret of not buying the solidbody version when it was still available. Anyway, what intended to be a consolation proved to be rather lethal in terms of driven tone & playability. This is one of the very few guitars sporting a wide neck which I find very manageable. The cleans from this baby isn't stellar (blame in on the shallow body depth) but it's enough to generate a warm midrange response when one utilizes its neck humbucker for some distortion-free moments. This guitar is indeed one of the overlooked tone generator in my line-up, there were times when I plugged it in just to hear how good it sounds rather than embarking on a practice regime. It's also a showcase of the superb Artcore series craftsmanship- I've actually not come across any Artcore model which is a dud.

Ibanez: AF105

One of my favourite Ibanez in my collection is a hollowbody; the AF105. I don't own any acoustic guitars because they are difficult to play namely due to the action & body depth which induce lots of mistakes on my part. Ibanez has a brilliant line of hollow/ semi-hollow guitars in the Artcore series which got me hooked when I first tried them some time back. The AF105 here is a representative from their Custom range (Custom by name, not by make).

Since there are times when I yearn to hear a simple acoustic tone, the AF105 was my answer to owning an acoustic guitar. It's not really one but it renewed my intention of not owning any acoustics on the ground of playability as mentioned above. The AF105 is a joy to play because the neck's profile has more inclinations towards the electric guitar rather than the average acoustic. The resplendent unplugged tones made me play this guitar unamplified most of the time. I do plug it in sometimes but into my bass amp (surprise!!) which would yield a fusion of unique bottom end accentuation & the crystalline acoustics.

However, the real gem in this guitar is the under-rated pair of Ibanez Super 58 humbuckers which are equally superb clean & overdriven. In fact, one of the most commanding distorted tones from the lower frequencies, comes from this guitar.

Owning the AF105 has renewed my belief in the following matters:

• You need not be a jazz elietist to own an instrument conceived for the genre
• Guitars made in China aren't the pariahs they were portrayed to be, in fact, this Chinese AF105 would put some western craftsmanship to shame