The Semi-Hollow Quest is Over... I Finally Got a Keeper!

[Mossman]

I actually got this on Monday, but I haven't had time to take pics and post about it. I also wanted to spend a few days with it to play it and make sure there's no issues.

After getting hip to Musician's Friends' shady ways, and realizing that they would neither exchange the guitar, nor honor the original terms of the purchase, I cast about the internet in a last-ditch attempt to see if anybody had this guitar in stock. I didn't have much hope at all... I had been regularly checking all the usual (and not-so-usual) retail sources for some time, and was finding the same thing everywhere... "More Coming Soon!"

Except when I checked zZounds, they had an "open box" AS93FM available, so I called to ask them about it, and they said it was a customer return (not a "scratch and dent"), and that it most likely will just have light signs of play wear. I was feeling a little risk-averse at the time, so I told him I'd have to think about it. By the next day, I was feeling a little more positive about it, so I went online and ordered it.

Whatever the reason this guitar got returned, I can't find it... Apart from some light finish scratches near the control knobs (which I buffed out), there's not a thing wrong with it. In fact, it looks even better than the one I got from MF. It's got more flame, and the finish is a little darker and richer-looking... Oh yeah, and the inlays are straight!

I did a little research into light sources, and bought some lights that most closely replicate sunlight, with a high CRI (Color Rendering Index). The colors are still not 100% accurate, but these are a lot better than the various light sources I've tried so far.

I think it looks better without the pickguard too...

Still not super crazy about the Super 58s, but I'll drop a set of ProBuckers in there as soon as I get up the gumption!

[BatUtilityBelt]

Beauty! Happy NGD. Finally perseverance pays off.

[mighty_duck]

Gorgeous!
Worth the long winding road it took to get it to you.

[SamIV]

Well there ya go. Took a while, but you got a great player there. I like my Super 58’s as well, but there is just something about them that is hard to explain. Something I have never tried, but wonder if a magnet change would help.

[OMB]

Congrats again and before you change pups try different amps and settings. You mind find a combination that works for you.

[sabasgr68]

Great, Ed! This looks like a keeper, finally!

I really like the color.

Now you got to make some quality time apart to play it like it should be played, in total relax...

HNGD!

[redman]

Congrats @Mossman very nice you got a beauty there.

[Partscaster]

Beautiful.
Maybe the return/flaw was the other guy not asking his wife before it arrived.

[Mossman]

Beauty! Happy NGD. Finally perseverance pays off.

Gorgeous!
Worth the long winding road it took to get it to you.

Congrats @Mossman very nice you got a beauty there.

Thanks guys... I'm kinda surprised I didn't get exasperated at some point and just gave up... It's not like I was super determined or anything, but I never got pissed off or impatient, either... Just mildly annoyed/disappointed at times. This was probably the worst period in recorded history to be shopping for a new guitar, but I never lost my cool... I wish I could say I've always been like that.

Well there ya go. Took a while, but you got a great player there. I like my Super 58’s as well, but there is just something about them that is hard to explain. Something I have never tried, but wonder if a magnet change would help.

Yeah, I think I'm just not a big fan of A3s. At high gain, they sound raunchy as hell, and kind of exciting, but the cleans seem stripped-down, and fundamental. Not quite as rich in harmonic overtones... Or pleasant ones, anyway. I get a lot of harsh harmonics off the B and high E, which I try to tame with EQ, and lowering the treble side of the pickups (which I would have done anyway, because these pickups are a little weak in the low end), but I can't get rid of it completely. If I didn't already have a set of pickups to go into this, I would definitely try swapping the magnets for A2s.

Congrats again and before you change pups try different amps and settings. You mind find a combination that works for you.

Believe me, I tweak everything... for every instrument I own. It can make me crazy sometimes... I just already know the sound that I'm after, and these pickups can't get there... Like I said above; I just don't care so much for the sound of A3s.

Great, Ed! This looks like a keeper, finally!

I really like the color.

Now you got to make some quality time apart to play it like it should be played, in total relax...

HNGD!

Thanks Sabas... Yeah, I like the color of this one better too. I took some pics comparing the two side-by side (not sure why I didn't include it in the opening post). It looks like they ran out of brown paint when they sprayed the burst on the one I got from MF! It still looks good, and I would have been happy with it, but the new one looks a little more elegant.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Yes, the zZounds one looks a bit more tobacco, and I like that a lot more too.

[Mossman]

Beautiful.
Maybe the return/flaw was the other guy not asking his wife before it arrived.

Haha... Yeah, that could be. If I had to hazard a guess, though, I'd say it was probably the action. Both of these Ibanezes arrived in dire need of a set-up, including quite a fair amount of truss-rod adjustment. If I were among the new wave of Covid guitar enthusiasts, and didn't know how to do a set-up, I probably would have thought it was a lousy guitar.

Or maybe they didn't like the neck profile (it is a little chunky), or the pickups, etc.

[Mossman]

Yes, the zZounds one looks a bit more tobacco, and I like that a lot more too.

Yeah! Ibanez calls this finish "Violin Sunburst", but on the first one, all I got was "Sunburst".

[jtcnj]

Congrats!
Very nice!

[aullucci]

Beautiful finish and a great guitar. Enjoy!

[Mossman]

Congrats!
Very nice!

Beautiful finish and a great guitar. Enjoy!

Thanks guys... Today was the first time I had a chance to spend an extended period of time with the guitar, and I've been playing it all day... I can't seem to put it down. It's 4:15 in the afternoon and I'm still wearing my bed clothes!

I think this guitar definitely out-classes the Epiphone 335. The construction feels more stout and solid (I think it has thicker top, back and sides), yet it's not as heavy or cumbersome as the Epiphone, making it more comfortable to play. I like that the body of the Ibanez is a little slimmed-down when compared to a 335. It's not drastically smaller (my Casino doesn't dwarf it, or anything), it's just a little more sleek-looking and stream-lined.

The 3-piece neck and ebony fretboard definitely give it a leg up, and the tuners feel smoother and more accurate than the ones on the Epi, though they just look like generic, Asian-made tuners. (to be honest, the Epiphone tuners varied a lot over the 3 examples I received. The tuners on the first one I got felt great, but the other two had 3 or 4 tuners that felt rough and/or tight).

I set the neck almost perfectly flat, with low action, and it's almost effortless to play. It's like the guitar disappears while you're playing it. You know when you pick up a guitar and you don't even have to think about what chords or notes you're playing, and what comes out sounds like music, and not like a mess of random noodling? That's what it's been like playing this guitar... It's given me a bunch of song ideas. When an instrument gives you music, that's how you know it's a keeper!

[Mossman]

It seems I don't like pickguards on arc-top guitars... When I buy a hollow/semi-hollow guitar, I don't immediately think: "I'm gonna take the pickguard off that thing when I get it", but that's what I always end up doing. This PG doesn't bother me so much, and I think tort looks better than black on this finish (they used to use a black PG on AS93s), but I don't care for the type of tort they used. I think this what they call "pepperoni tort"?

One interesting thing I discovered when I removed it was that this isn't just a plastic pickguard. It's made of wood, with PG material glued on top:

I imagine they would have to build it this way in order to put binding around it, but what's really interesting is that on the back, it has a veneer of flame maple:

I thought it was really odd that there would be veneer on the back of a pickguard where no one would see it.

[OMB]

I love a big wide and fat neck but the Ibbies neck are comfortable for me. They are 1-11/16" at the nut and most run around .83" at the first fret. Not big by any means.

Mossman - Love a happy ending...ENJOY!

[SamIV]

I don’t know if they are better built or I just like the look and feel of Ibanez better than the Epi’s. There is a lot of love for the Dot’s out there. I did play an Epi Pro I believe it was called and it played well. But the Ibanez neck profiles just fit me better. Used to own the AS-83 and picked up an AGS-83B that I played so much more than the larger bodied AS, so I unloaded it. My Ibanez Artist have the exact same neck profile as the AGS. It is larger than a Les Paul, but a little smaller than the AS-83, is a single cut like a LP, but not as small as a 339 style. Those 93’s are much better looking than mine though. Mine is a bit too blingy for me. Good it worked out for you eventually.

[Mossman]

I don’t know if they are better built or I just like the look and feel of Ibanez better than the Epi’s. There is a lot of love for the Dot’s out there. I did play an Epi Pro I believe it was called and it played well. But the Ibanez neck profiles just fit me better.

I do think the Ibanezes are better built, and they definitely pay more attention to detail. There's also a lot of nice little added touches that the Ibanez has, which you don't find on Epiphones at the same price point. Like multi-ply binding on the body and headstock, bound f-holes, ebony fretboard, etc.

I owned a Dot back in the late oughts, and I thought it was a dog. No matter what mods I performed, it was never more than just "meh". It was used, and I probably just got a mediocre example, but I never felt the urge to pick up a Dot after that. I've tried a few 335 Pros, but none of them ever really sparked me, and I didn't care for any of the finishes it came in. I believe the neck had that flat, '60s 'D' profile that every Epiphone guitar had at the time, so I don't blame you for preferring the Ibanez profile. My Casino has the flat 'D' profile, and while I can't say it really bothers me, I do prefer the feel of a rounder neck.

I love a big wide and fat neck but the Ibbies neck are comfortable for me. They are 1-11/16" at the nut and most run around .83" at the first fret. Not big by any means.

Mossman - Love a happy ending...ENJOY!

Used to own the AS-83 and picked up an AGS-83B that I played so much more than the larger bodied AS, so I unloaded it. My Ibanez Artist have the exact same neck profile as the AGS. It is larger than a Les Paul, but a little smaller than the AS-83, is a single cut like a LP, but not as small as a 339 style. Those 93’s are much better looking than mine though. Mine is a bit too blingy for me. Good it worked out for you eventually.

I don't think I'm a good judge of what constitutes a "chunky" neck... A lot of people call Furrian necks "chunky", but they're just "normal" or "average" to me. The '60s-spec Allparts neck on my mahogany Tele, is what I would call "chunky", but still, I like it. I'm not really that fussy about neck profiles. As long as it's not a big fat '50s-style neck, or a 'U' profile, it's fine by me. The Ibanez neck looks and feels a little thicker than the Furrian (.83" as @OMB mentioned, according to the Ibanez website), but not as thick as the '60s Allparts neck. It has a pleasing, full feel in the hand, without feeling too round, or too flat. But it has just a bit more of a taper than the other necks I've compared it to. It's not at all drastic, but by the 15th fret, it starts approaching the thickness of the '60s neck. Of course, this all by eye and feel. I could measure it when I take the strings off, but it feels good to me, and that's all that really matters.

[aullucci]

I ended up with a Gretsch at the end of my semi-hollow quest, but I always preferred the Ibbys to the Epis while I was shopping. The only Epi I really liked was the 339 pro with the P90s. I agree that the Ibby necks are super comfortable and all the semi-hollows seem really well made. My uncle had an AS-73 (maybe 75?) that he sold for like $200 to some stranger on Facebook without telling me. I remain angry at him for that.

[tonebender]

Congrats on the new semi-hollow.

[Tiga]

Those Ibanez semi-hollows are impressive - and you got a nice one!

[RiverDog]

Oh my...

That's gorgeous my friend. Congrats!!

[SamIV]

I don’t know if they are better built or I just like the look and feel of Ibanez better than the Epi’s. There is a lot of love for the Dot’s out there. I did play an Epi Pro I believe it was called and it played well. But the Ibanez neck profiles just fit me better.

I do think the Ibanezes are better built, and they definitely pay more attention to detail. There's also a lot of nice little added touches that the Ibanez has, which you don't find on Epiphones at the same price point. Like multi-ply binding on the body and headstock, bound f-holes, ebony fretboard, etc.

I owned a Dot back in the late oughts, and I thought it was a dog. No matter what mods I performed, it was never more than just "meh". It was used, and I probably just got a mediocre example, but I never felt the urge to pick up a Dot after that. I've tried a few 335 Pros, but none of them ever really sparked me, and I didn't care for any of the finishes it came in. I believe the neck had that flat, '60s 'D' profile that every Epiphone guitar had at the time, so I don't blame you for preferring the Ibanez profile. My Casino has the flat 'D' profile, and while I can't say it really bothers me, I do prefer the feel of a rounder neck.

I love a big wide and fat neck but the Ibbies neck are comfortable for me. They are 1-11/16" at the nut and most run around .83" at the first fret. Not big by any means.

Mossman - Love a happy ending...ENJOY!

Used to own the AS-83 and picked up an AGS-83B that I played so much more than the larger bodied AS, so I unloaded it. My Ibanez Artist have the exact same neck profile as the AGS. It is larger than a Les Paul, but a little smaller than the AS-83, is a single cut like a LP, but not as small as a 339 style. Those 93’s are much better looking than mine though. Mine is a bit too blingy for me. Good it worked out for you eventually.

I don't think I'm a good judge of what constitutes a "chunky" neck... A lot of people call Furrian necks "chunky", but they're just "normal" or "average" to me. The '60s-spec Allparts neck on my mahogany Tele, is what I would call "chunky", but still, I like it. I'm not really that fussy about neck profiles. As long as it's not a big fat '50s-style neck, or a 'U' profile, it's fine by me. The Ibanez neck looks and feels a little thicker than the Furrian (.83" as @OMB mentioned, according to the Ibanez website), but not as thick as the '60s Allparts neck. It has a pleasing, full feel in the hand, without feeling too round, or too flat. But it has just a bit more of a taper than the other necks I've compared it to. It's not at all drastic, but by the 15th fret, it starts approaching the thickness of the '60s neck. Of course, this all by eye and feel. I could measure it when I take the strings off, but it feels good to me, and that's all that really matters.

According to Ibanez specs your neck at the nut is 21 mm or 0.826 and my old AGS and AR’s are 20 mm or 0.787. I like necks a little on the thinner side front to back and wider from side to side. I would not say they are not a perfect C shape, but closer to C than D or U. Tempted to remove the thick glossy finish on the back of the neck of one my AR’s, but not sure I could get it looking decent at the edges where I leave the finish. My AGS has a nice, very thin, non-finished feeling neck. Lots prefer the glossy finish though. Guess I could just put a scotch brite pad to it and degloss it.

[MattS]

Wow! That is a beautiful guitar, Mossman! Congratulations, and I'm very happy to hear you finally found a semi-hollow that you thoroughly enjoy!
Matt