A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

I just ordered a case for my Ibanez AS93FM from Sweetwater for $84.99. This is the cheapest price I've seen for an archtop case in a long time. Even a Glarry case costs more than this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -as-series

Don't have an Ibanez AS? No worries... My AS93 fits an Epiphone Casino/335 case perfectly, so I'm sure the Ibanez case will fit a 335-style guitar... as long as you don't mind that it says "Ibanez" on it (there are ways you can remove it, if you do).

It's also available from Musician's Friend for the same price, if you don't care for customer service.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accesso ... s-guitars#

Nice find! As an aside, I'm a fan of Ibanez hollow and semihollow guitars.

golem wrote: ↑Sun Nov 07, 2021 6:53 pm Nice find! As an aside, I'm a fan of Ibanez hollow and semihollow guitars.

So am I, now... I wish I had paid more attention to these guitars sooner. This AS93 blows the pants off of anything Epiphone's got. It feels, and plays (and looks!), like a much more expensive, pro-level guitar. I don't think anybody would blink if I told them I paid $2k for it. I also like the fact that Ibanez has been pulling their manufacturing out of China. Mine is made in Indonesia and I can't find a flaw on it.

Mossman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:05 am
So am I, now... I wish I had paid more attention to these guitars sooner. This AS93 blows the pants off of anything Epiphone's got. It feels, and plays (and looks!), like a much more expensive, pro-level guitar. I don't think anybody would blink if I told them I paid $2k for it. I also like the fact that Ibanez has been pulling their manufacturing out of China. Mine is made in Indonesia and I can't find a flaw on it.

I'm a fan of MIJ Ibanez Prestige but I've been floored by the quality of two MII Ibanez I briefly owned (both shredder type guitars that weren't really my style). So I'm not surprised to hear good things.

They have been making them in Indonesia for some time now. I have never found an Epi that came close to the AS Ibanez series.

I was reluctant to try Indonesian built Squiers at first when they started merging the VM and CV with the CV Jazzmaster based on the early Indonesian Squiers and Cort stuff always seemed way cheaper feeling. However, the Indonesian built Harley Bentons and my Classic Vibes are hot on the heels of my Agiles in terms of quality and I have been meaning to look at Ibanez for a while.

Still looking for an AS55L-TF at some point in the future I think.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

OMB wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:47 pm They have been making them in Indonesia for some time now. I have never found an Epi that came close to the AS Ibanez series.

The last time I was on the Ibanez website a few months ago, if a model was formerly made in China, but is now made in Indonesia, they made a point to mention that in the description. I got curious and checked out a bunch of other models (even ones that I'm not prone to buy), and it looked like the majority of them have made the transition. There were still a few models that were being made in both countries, but said they're soon to be made in Indonesia exclusively. It's like they want people to know they're leaving China in favor of Indonesia.

The only Epiphone guitars I cared about anymore were their arch-tops, and I was kind of a fanboy, but now that I've experienced what Ibanez has to offer, and the fact that they'll soon no longer be supporting the Chinese economy (which Epiphone is deeply entrenched in, now), I'm officially fresh out of reasons to the think about buying another Epiphone.

golem wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:21 am

Mossman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:05 am
So am I, now... I wish I had paid more attention to these guitars sooner. This AS93 blows the pants off of anything Epiphone's got. It feels, and plays (and looks!), like a much more expensive, pro-level guitar. I don't think anybody would blink if I told them I paid $2k for it. I also like the fact that Ibanez has been pulling their manufacturing out of China. Mine is made in Indonesia and I can't find a flaw on it.

I'm a fan of MIJ Ibanez Prestige but I've been floored by the quality of two MII Ibanez I briefly owned (both shredder type guitars that weren't really my style). So I'm not surprised to hear good things.

No question their MIJ stuff is top-shelf, but I think I formed an unfair opinion of their import guitars years ago, and I never let go of it until now. I bought an Artcore back in 2003 when the line was first introduced. It was my first electric guitar, and even still, I was pretty underwhelmed by it (it wasn't an AS, though. I think it was an AG). I knew I didn't like the pickups, but I didn't know jack about modding back then, so when I had to move back to Massachusetts from Arizona, I decided to sell it rather than take it with me. Ever since then I've thought of their import arch-tops as kinda "meh".

Other than that, I always thought of Ibanez as "shreddy" guitars, so I never had much reason to want to check out their offerings that much, and I've never cared for their basses since before I even played guitar, so I'm probably the least likely person to end up being an Ibanez fan. If it weren't for availability issues and consistently bad QC from Epiphone, I'd probably still have no idea what I was missing.

honyock wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 7:05 pm I was reluctant to try Indonesian built Squiers at first when they started merging the VM and CV with the CV Jazzmaster based on the early Indonesian Squiers and Cort stuff always seemed way cheaper feeling. However, the Indonesian built Harley Bentons and my Classic Vibes are hot on the heels of my Agiles in terms of quality and I have been meaning to look at Ibanez for a while.

Still looking for an AS55L-TF at some point in the future I think.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

To be honest, I wasn't nuts about the Indonesian-made VM Telecaster Custom I had. Compared to my CV '50s Tele, you could clearly tell the difference in quality, though it was only $50 cheaper than the CV. When I first heard that Classic Vibe manufacturing was moving to Indonesia, I feared the worst. But enough time has gone by now, and I still haven't heard any negative reviews about them. The VM Tele wasn't lower quality because it was made in Indonesia. It was lower quality because that's how Fender wanted them. They should have been a little cheaper than they were, though... If my one, anecdotal sample means anything.

Ibanez has made some interesting stuff over the years. I just recently stumbled over the AR2000 model which ws only around for a handful of years in the late 90s/early 00s:

tobijohn wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 12:09 am Ibanez has made some interesting stuff over the years. I just recently stumbled over the AR2000 model which ws only around for a handful of years in the late 90s/early 00s:

You can't play that, unless the picture flipped?

It is no secret that I'm an Ibanez fanboy, even thinking about getting something pointy.

and I'm thinking about one of those cases for my AS73, but my stuff doesn't leave the house, but I'm thinking.

ID10t wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 12:31 am You can't play that, unless the picture flipped?

No, I can't but I'm tin the process of turning one of my AD-3200MCCs into one. The original inspiration was the Yamaha SG (SGB) line but the body shape on the Ibanez is closer to the Agile than the Yamaha...

Mossman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:00 pm

golem wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:21 am

Mossman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:05 am
So am I, now... I wish I had paid more attention to these guitars sooner. This AS93 blows the pants off of anything Epiphone's got. It feels, and plays (and looks!), like a much more expensive, pro-level guitar. I don't think anybody would blink if I told them I paid $2k for it. I also like the fact that Ibanez has been pulling their manufacturing out of China. Mine is made in Indonesia and I can't find a flaw on it.

I'm a fan of MIJ Ibanez Prestige but I've been floored by the quality of two MII Ibanez I briefly owned (both shredder type guitars that weren't really my style). So I'm not surprised to hear good things.

...

Other than that, I always thought of Ibanez as "shreddy" guitars, so I never had much reason to want to check out their offerings that much, and I've never cared for their basses since before I even played guitar, so I'm probably the least likely person to end up being an Ibanez fan. If it weren't for availability issues and consistently bad QC from Epiphone, I'd probably still have no idea what I was missing.

Yeah, it's interesting how perceptions and the industry change over time. When I was primarily playing guitar, I too dismissed Ibanezes as pointy shredders and therefore not my cup of tea. But that opinion changed when I discovered Artcore. However, I still don't own any Ibanez guitars.

I play mostly bass these days, and wasn't even looking at their basses, UNTIL MF put their ATKs on SDOTD. I bit, and found out THIS bass was not a slim-necked instrument, which was how I had felt about all of their guitars until the Artcores. The ATK was more in line with my FSO-shaped basses, with a bit more bite! The Talman bass followed in a similar vein, IMO. So, now I own 2 MII Ibanez basses, ATK and Talman.

I began to appreciate Indonesian quality with a Squier Deluxe Jazz 5 and again when I got my ATK. Since then, my positive opinion has been cemented with my G&L Tribbys, Harley Benton Enhanced Series and Sires.

We do indeed live in good times for budget quality!

dabbler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:47 am
We do indeed live in good times for budget quality!

Yeah, I can't believe it sometimes. But that quality is becoming not so "budget" anymore. I think the "golden age" is coming to an end. It won't be long before we're paying $900 for a Classic Vibe and waxing nostalgic about the days when a Player cost that much. But don't worry... The way things are going, this shouldn't happen for another... oh.... two years or so.

Mossman wrote:

dabbler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:47 am
We do indeed live in good times for budget quality!

Yeah, I can't believe it sometimes. But that quality is becoming not so "budget" anymore. I think the "golden age" is coming to an end. It won't be long before we're paying $900 for a Classic Vibe and waxing nostalgic about the days when a Player cost that much. But don't worry... The way things are going, this shouldn't happen for another... oh.... two years or so.

I think we do that every time an AL price raise comes...

Me:"I used to pay $150 in my day for a used Agile AL3000"
My kids:"Yes we know dad, but you sold them all to buy us LOL dolls"

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

honyock wrote: ↑Wed Nov 10, 2021 7:32 am

Mossman wrote:

dabbler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:47 am
We do indeed live in good times for budget quality!

Yeah, I can't believe it sometimes. But that quality is becoming not so "budget" anymore. I think the "golden age" is coming to an end. It won't be long before we're paying $900 for a Classic Vibe and waxing nostalgic about the days when a Player cost that much. But don't worry... The way things are going, this shouldn't happen for another... oh.... two years or so.

I think we do that every time an AL price raise comes...

Me:"I used to pay $150 in my day for a used Agile AL3000"
My kids:"Yes we know dad, but you sold them all to buy us LOL dolls"

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Sometimes it helps to remember that guitars were a lot more expensive back in the '50s and '60s. A Telecaster cost the equivalent of $2,000 in today's money, and it didn't come with a case... which weren't cheap, either.

I don't know what LOL dolls are.

FedEx Strikes (or doesn't) Again!

I had forgotten that Sweetwater uses FedEx for outgoing packages (but if you return something, it goes via UPS... for some reason), and when I first checked the tracking on Monday and was reminded of that fact, I literally let out an audible groan. It said the expected date of delivery was 11/12, and I said "yeah, we'll see". I just checked the tracking a minute ago and it still says it's on time, and it's going to be here tomorrow, but I don't see how that's gonna happen, since the package is in frickin' KANSAS!


The only way it would have a chance of being here tomorrow is if it had already arrived at a nearby distribution center. At first, I thought maybe there hasn't been an update in a while (FedEx tracking can go days without an update, sometimes), but when I checked the history, it said it was there at 1:03 this afternoon. It doesn't say whether it arrived or departed at that time (every update just says: "In Transit".), but even if it hit the road at 1:03, there's no way I'll see it tomorrow. I'm sure there will be a delay notification when I check the tracking again in the morning.

Most aren't aware of it but FedEx uses a worm hole which lets them circumvent the normal space/time continuum

Mossman wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:17 pm FedEx Strikes (or doesn't) Again!

I had forgotten that Sweetwater uses FedEx for outgoing packages...

Because I asked, my Sweetwater rep told me they could respect my preference to not use FedEx for my shipments. Their next default is UPS according to him.

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:21 pm

Mossman wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:17 pm FedEx Strikes (or doesn't) Again!

I had forgotten that Sweetwater uses FedEx for outgoing packages...

Because I asked, my Sweetwater rep told me they could respect my preference to not use FedEx for my shipments. Their next default is UPS according to him.

Thanks, that's good to know. Did you find out why they use one shipping company for outgoing shipments and another for incoming?

tobijohn wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:15 pm Most aren't aware of it but FedEx uses a worm hole which lets them circumvent the normal space/time continuum

Since they almost never deliver when they say they will, I'd have to say that worm hole is more a liability then an asset, and they should stop using it!

They're probably the reason we have all these "Mandela Effect" nitwits running around!

Mossman wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:45 pm Thanks, that's good to know. Did you find out why they use one shipping company for outgoing shipments and another for incoming?

Happy to share, I didn't think it would work to ask, but it did. The conversation never went to return shipments, but that's a good question!

Mossman wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:52 pm
Since they almost never deliver when they say they will, I'd have to say that worm hole is more a liability then an asset, and they should stop using it!

They're probably the reason we have all these "Mandela Effect" nitwits running around!

FedEx Ground needs to reevaluate whatever algorithm they use to determine the delivery date. My last two were supposed to be delivered the day after the items were picked up, both 2000 miles away.

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:22 pm

Mossman wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:45 pm Thanks, that's good to know. Did you find out why they use one shipping company for outgoing shipments and another for incoming?

Happy to share, I didn't think it would work to ask, but it did. The conversation never went to return shipments, but that's a good question!

It would have never occurred to me to request it. I always forgot about it until the next time I ordered something, and then it's too late.

tobijohn wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:57 pm

Mossman wrote: ↑Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:52 pm
Since they almost never deliver when they say they will, I'd have to say that worm hole is more a liability then an asset, and they should stop using it!

They're probably the reason we have all these "Mandela Effect" nitwits running around!

FedEx Ground needs to reevaluate whatever algorithm they use to determine the delivery date. My last two were supposed to be delivered the day after the items were picked up, both 2000 miles away.

Yeah, I can't make sense of what they do most of the time. You want to think there's some kind of underlying logic behind their actions, but then they take your package that was two towns away, and put it on a truck to another state. Or they let it sit in a DC for four days and bring it to you two days late... And it looks like it's been through a war zone. And this kind of performance is persistent... They've been like this for a long time. How do they stay in business? You would think that Sweetwater and other businesses would get a lot of complaints. Sweetwater tells you when to expect your package before you even get a tracking number, so I imagine a lot of people would hold them accountable if it didn't arrive when they said it would. You know how impatient people are.