Ibanez AG95

[jbucklin]

This may not help but I too recently played an AF95RW. I was very impressed and had never played an archtop made of rosewood before. I had gone into Guitar Center to see if they had the Ibby SJ300 and of course they didn't. They did have in stock the AF95RW which immediately caught my eye. I played it for awhile and even compared it to a single pup Godin 5th Ave. and I preferred the Ibanez over it. But, I had my mind set on the SJ300 which they ordered for me and I'm quite smitten with that one, let me tell you. I have also recently acquired two semi-hollow Ibanezes: The Artstar AS153 and the Artcore AM93. All this is to say that I am very impressed by what Ibanez is putting out and you won't be disappointed no matter what you get.

[RonD]

Would you guys consider $387.50 USD to be a good price?

[jbucklin]

If it's in good condition, yes.

[TedBPhx]

Played an AFJ95 at GC today. Nice for the price. Not sure what the difference is to the AG and AF?

[Banksia]

AF: Maple back and sides, spruce top, Venetian cutaway

AG: Bubinga top, back and sides. "Rounded" Florentine cutaway, as opposed to "sharp" like a ES175

Bubinga is an African tropical hardwood sometimes called African Rosewood.

[destinytot]

Ahh, DT, nice post and great yodelling. I am a fan now.

Thanks, Jazzbow. And I think you were right that the Sonntag would sound good through an acoustic amp - but it's practising on the little AG95 that's helping me learn.

[diminix]

Played an AFJ95 at GC today. Nice for the price. Not sure what the difference is to the AG and AF?

For me a considerable difference between AFJ95 and AG95 is the body width: 15.75'' compared to 14.50''. The AG95 is substantially smaller. That's the reason I bought a used one. Played (and still own) two Epiphone Sorrento's before. Major differences I noticed after three months:

- Obviously the Ibanez has a better build quality. Nothing like the resonance rattle orgies my Sorrento's are able to provide.

- For me the smaller body is much better to handle, but not on the chair I used to play guitar on. Sitting on my right leg, the AG is too far down. Now I am playing it on the couch, sitting less upright. Position with the AG is perfect than. But the crouched composure is not the best for longer periods of playing...

- Neck is much more playable for me on the AG. It is thicker than the Sorrento's, which I feared to be a problem in the beginning. It turned out to be much better than the very thin neck of the Epi. Although some chord grips with thumb over the neck are nearly impossible now (short fingers). Though using the same strings on both guitars, for some reason I can grab bar chords on the AG's lower frets with less pressure.

- Main problem: AG has 22 frets. I guess that I'll never need more than 19 frets. The additional frets are exactly there, where I am naturally working with my pick. Again and again I'll stab the pick through the strings onto the fretboard, which is a killer to anything I am playing at that instant. Can't manage to play with my right hand some inches towards the bridge yet.

- Can't bond with the sound of the AG, either unplugged or amped. Compared to the Sorrento, the sound is too thin, too cold and brittle for my taste.

Overall, the AG is a great guitar for the 380 EUR I payed, but it doesn't seem to give me what I hoped to get. The quest is going on...

Robert

[destinytot]

For me a considerable difference between AFJ95 and AG95 is the body width: 15.75'' compared to 14.50''. The AG95 is substantially smaller.

The only reason I can see for choosing the AG95 over the AFJ95 would be body size. I see no other advantage. Personally, I wouldn't think twice - I'd grab that AFJ95 with both hands.

[Just Fred]

There's another thread here about buying on Reverb. I just received TWO new guitars I bought there. Both are new, both arrived well packed (and shipped quickly), and are keepers in every respect. Given the nature of this forum, let me introduce you to what I was hunting for: a hollow body electric with an ebony fingerboard. This one checked every box: looks, pups, scale, size, weight. I fell in love the moment I took it out of the box.

Ibanez AG95QA:


And because I've thought of upgrading my little home practice acoustic, a lovely KL?S travel guitar, I ran across this new entry in the "Little Martin" catalog, a LX1ER. It has electronics, where my KL?S does not. However, the KL?S is carbon fiber and has a removable neck, it will continue to be my travel guitar. The Martin is just for grabbing while I'm sitting on my sofa with an itch to play.

Martin LX1ER (with the KL?S):

[Esport]

I had one of the second gen AG95-DBS when they replaced the Alnicos with Super 58s. Really sweet little guitar. Kind of a budget Benson. Good choice!

[rolijen]

Happy NGsD!

That AG95 looks great. Enjoy it and play the heck out of it!

Roli

[rpjazzguitar]

That Ibanez is gorgeous!

My son recorded an album with his Ed Sheeran model Little Martin. Some of it was guitar and voice. Three tracks had bass and drums.

The guitar sounded absolutely terrific.

The Little Martin is a verrrryyy nice guitar.

Congrats!

[Just Fred]

I had one of the second gen AG95-DBS when they replaced the Alnicos with Super 58s. Really sweet little guitar. Kind of a budget Benson. Good choice!

A "budget Benson." I like that. Thanks!

[citizenk74]

I have an earlier AG-95, with a different tailpiece. I love it to pieces. You're gonna love yours! That Lil' Martin is gorgeous , too! Congratulations, and play 'em in good health!

[rbbrnck]

...whatever the reason, the one i tried a few years back didn't click in place... i found it inexplicably heavy in weight, dull when played acoustic, and felt-muffled when plugged in. supposedly, it was one of the Bubinga generation, with the fretboard of a heavily-streaked, red-ish-hued wood. i had placed some serious expectation on it, and failed on it.
yesterday, though, i picked one up almost by mistake, and found out that the fretboard is now ebony, the body is alder (or maybe just the upper veneer, can't say), and the weight is feather-like. i shouldn't have done it, as it ended up i couldn't resist neither its feel, nor its tone.

i'm aware that it qualifies as a "beginner-priced" or "heavily-practice-oriented" archtop, its cost a tenth of the "real" ones, a twentieth of the "landmark" models, and a fiftieth of a "famous-luthier-made" specimen - and yet something i could only afford with one year scraps off the petty change in my pockets.

still, it's perfectly balanced in tone across all frets, any string, any pickup, and has a solid sustain, consistent across its whole range, even with stock hardware and plastic nut...

i can only look forward to feel and hear how a neatly-cut, new nut can further grace it, along with a mirror-like polishing of frets, and hopefully a brass tailpiece and bridge if and when i'll have replenished my piggy bank...

so far, it feels like there's never been a times like these before, when the gap between expensive and moderately-priced instruments does not seem to revolve only around tone and playability...

call me a most happy owner of this one, please!

[citizenk74]

...whatever the reason, the one i tried a few years back didn't click in place... i found it inexplicably heavy in weight, dull when played acoustic, and felt-muffled when plugged in. supposedly, it was one of the Bubinga generation, with the fretboard of a heavily-streaked, red-ish-hued wood. i had placed some serious expectation on it, and failed on it.
yesterday, though, i picked one up almost by mistake, and found out that the fretboard is now ebony, the body is alder (or maybe just the upper veneer, can't say), and the weight is feather-like. i shouldn't have done it, as it ended up i couldn't resist neither its feel, nor its tone.

i'm aware that it qualifies as a "beginner-priced" or "heavily-practice-oriented" archtop, its cost a tenth of the "real" ones, a twentieth of the "landmark" models, and a fiftieth of a "famous-luthier-made" specimen - and yet something i could only afford with one year scraps off the petty change in my pockets.

still, it's perfectly balanced in tone across all frets, any string, any pickup, and has a solid sustain, consistent across its whole range, even with stock hardware and plastic nut...

i can only look forward to feel and hear how a neatly-cut, new nut can further grace it, along with a mirror-like polishing of frets, and hopefully a brass tailpiece and bridge if and when i'll have replenished my piggy bank...

so far, it feels like there's never been a times like these before, when the gap between expensive and moderately-priced instruments does not seem to revolve only around tone and playability...

call me a most happy owner of this one, please!

Longtime AG-95 Bubinga owner/player here. It's really, really hard to beat these compact beauties as a sheer value proposition. I like mine!

[jazzkritter]

My AG is my favorite go-to couch potato guitar). Just fun to play.

[Banksia]

There were 2 different versions. I didn't analyse the differences closely although the pickups seem the most obvious.

AG95 (2007–2012) | Ibanez Wiki | Fandom

AG95 (2013–2018) | Ibanez Wiki | Fandom

[Banksia]

Actually 3 versions. This is the current, usually with QA added - Quilted Ash

AG95QA | Ibanez Wiki | Fandom

[skypeace]

Got an Ibanez AF75 in Jet Blue Burst last week to go with my LGB30 that I have had a couple of years and the GAS got me good so this is moving across the continent to fit in between the two. I have been going through a Jazz thing. You know by the images the sugar drink place that I purchased it from.

[jazzkritter]

Enjoy! A fine “little” guitar)

[PDeville]

I would like to try one of those! Very nice.