Ibanez AF55

[garybaldy]

I did not plan on buying a new guitar, nor did I really need one, but stumbling across an Ibanez AF55 advertised for $280 at Bax Shop plus having a voucher for a 10% discount made me give in..... I just was too curious to see what you would get.

So I went against all my principles and ordered it online unseen. I figured they have a good return policy so why not.

The excuse was to have a platform for experimenting: my parts drawer is filling up and I wanted to see if I can upgrade this guitar with some nice hardware and see how it turns out

It arrived yesterday:


(Note that the ABR bridge is already changed out for an ebony one in this picture)

First impressions:
An absolutely stunning looking guitar. Flawless finish, I could only spot a minor flaw where the finish rubbed onto the binding a lilttle bit. I have never seen a cheap mass product with such a flawless finish. Eat your heart out Gibson.....

Out of the box it played already very well, they went through the trouble of actually giving it a proper set up! It was set up with heavier roundwounds, 0.011s or 0.012s I think. Intonation was spot on and the top nut was cut at the right depth. Very impressive for this price.

The sound was not quite to my liking though: pickups are very hot. The overall sound was not bad, but kind of meh. A bit clanky and over-blown.

So: away with the roundwounds, on goes a set of 0.013 TI flatwounds. Off comes the ABR tunamatic and on goes an ebony wood bridge. Pickups are lowered at least 1/4 inch. Trussrod is tightened (it had no tension at all to my surprise, but still the action was pretty low). Nice detail, trussrod cover can be opened without unscrewing it, and gives instant access to the trussrod:



I always set my necks almost straight with very little relief and a pretty low action.

Ebony bridge:


Second impression:
Wow, just wow.... this sounds like a jazz guitar, plays like butter and looks very good to me. It even has “thunk”!

But of course I can’t just leave it at that, next phase will be the electronics. Now that the pickups are lowered, they sound a lot better, but they are rather dark and lack ‘openess’ to my ears. One thing to consider is that the neck is 20 frets and the neck pickup sits right at the fretboard, so this differs from a standard ES-175 or ES-335 where the pickups sits closer towards the bridge, more where the 24th fret would be. Also the P90 of my ES-125 sits about in that position. So the neck pickup of the AF55 picks up the sound from a different part of the strings and will therefore by definition sound a bit darker and rounder as the same pickup on an ES-175 for example.

I have several nice pickups laying around:
- a Gibson patent nr bucker with chrome cover (late 70ies or early 80ies)
- an SD 59 classic
- an SD Antiquity P90
- a Lollar underwound 50ies P90



I think I will first go for the buckers:



Let’s see if this guitar turns out to be serious competition for my ES-333 and ES-125! So far I am very, very impressed.

To be continued!

Hi LJ
Regarding the bridge, did you swap out the complete bridge or just the compensated saddle?
Where did you get the bridge/saddle from?
Many thanks

[Little Jay]

Hi LJ
Regarding the bridge, did you swap out the complete bridge or just the compensated saddle?
Where did you get the bridge/saddle from?
Many thanks

I changed the whole bridge. I experimented with ebony and rosewood, split foot, solid foot and now have this $5 rosewood bridge on it, works like a charm!

€ 4,41 45? Off | Polished Archtop Guitar Bridge Rosewood Musical Stringed Instrument Parts DIY
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EGPvGD1

[TexRocker]

If you’d like me to scan/trace my pickguard and send it to you let me know!

I’ve needed a floating pick guard for years on my af55… I would love a copy of that template, that way I can complete my mod after years of hiatus and I’d love to be able to share my rockabilly version of a custom af55 w the forum once finished

[Little Jay]

I’ve needed a floating pick guard for years on my af55… I would love a copy of that template, that way I can complete my mod after years of hiatus and I’d love to be able to share my rockabilly version of a custom af55 w the forum once finished

TexRocker, I’ll get to it next week. Been very busy gigging, but I’ll trace it and post it!

[TexRocker]

Jay you da man…. Cannot thank you enough brother

[garybaldy]

Thanks Jay! Mine are a little lower than that but indeed the stock pickups are kind of hot. I’ll look out for some second-hand seymours or gibsons. Thanks!

Would a lower value vol pot (eg 250k) tame the 'hotness'?

[Pain-in-the-Jazz]

I changed the whole bridge. I experimented with ebony and rosewood, split foot, solid foot and now have this $5 rosewood bridge on it, works like a charm!

€ 4,41 45? Off | Polished Archtop Guitar Bridge Rosewood Musical Stringed Instrument Parts DIY
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EGPvGD1

@LittleJay..... Why did you prefer this rosewood bridge over the others you tried? Was it mainly the tone, wood color, intonation, solid foot instead of split foot, price, et cetera....

[Little Jay]

Jay you da man…. Cannot thank you enough brother

I’ll be home this afternoon, will do your template then!

[Little Jay]

@LittleJay..... Why did you prefer this rosewood bridge over the others you tried? Was it mainly the tone, wood color, intonation, solid foot instead of split foot, price, et cetera....

The difference between wooden bridge and metal one was quite remarkable….. darker, woodier (duh!), punchier.

The difference between the wooden bridges was much more subtle, but present to my ear. Ebony being brightest. The solid foot bridges gave a more firm (solid, haha) tone, fuller than the split foot.

[Little Jay]

Jay you da man…. Cannot thank you enough brother

Here’s my pickguard:


I traced it and scanned it A4 size. Don’t know if it’s 100% scaled if you print it out, therefore I put some measurements as reference.

Can send a pdf as well if that’s better….

[Pain-in-the-Jazz]

The difference between wooden bridge and metal one was quite remarkable….. darker, woodier (duh!), punchier.

The difference between the wooden bridges was much more subtle, but present to my ear. Ebony being brightest. The solid foot bridges gave a more firm (solid, haha) tone, fuller than the split foot.

Thanks for that Little Jay. I put Bootstrap A3 HB-90s in my AF55, and it great, but a little too 'present' yet, so I will try an all rosewood bridge next.

[Little Jay]

Thanks for that Little Jay. I put Bootstrap A3 HB-90s in my AF55, and it great, but a little too 'present' yet, so I will try an all rosewood bridge next.

Present as in too much treble/high frequencies? Tone knob doesn’t tame it down? I think a solid foot rosewood bridge will help. I did have to better match the arch of bridge to the fretboard radius, btw. (Just some light sanding with the help of a radius gauge)

That finish in the darker sunburst is really beautiful as well, btw!

[Pain-in-the-Jazz]

Present as in too much treble/high frequencies? Tone knob doesn’t tame it down? I think a solid foot rosewood bridge will help. I did have to better match the arch of bridge to the fretboard radius, btw. (Just some light sanding with the help of a radius gauge)

That finish in the darker sunburst is really beautiful as well, btw!

Yes too much dobro-like metallic overtone, even with the tone knob rolled down.
And yes, the matte nightburst finish is equally as sweet as the tobacco flat. Both finishes are classy.
I almost want to put an ebony bridge on it to stay with a darker theme, but from what you have written, the rosewood seems like the way to go. How is the intonation with that curved bridge?

[Little Jay]

Yes too much dobro-like metallic overtone, even with the tone knob rolled down.
And yes, the matte nightburst finish is equally as sweet as the tobacco flat. Both finishes are classy.
I almost want to put an ebony bridge on it to stay with a darker theme, but from what you have written, the rosewood seems like the way to go. How is the intonation with that curved bridge?

Intonation is rather perfect! I don't hear any out of tune notes when I play up the neck.

[Little Jay]

Yes too much dobro-like metallic overtone, even with the tone knob rolled down.
And yes, the matte nightburst finish is equally as sweet as the tobacco flat. Both finishes are classy.
I almost want to put an ebony bridge on it to stay with a darker theme, but from what you have written, the rosewood seems like the way to go. How is the intonation with that curved bridge?

I think that overtone is really because of the TOM-bridge. Put a wood one on and I bet you'll get rid of it.

[Little Jay]

Btw, my AF55 does overdriven tones pretty darn good as well!

[pingu]

1239465[/URL]]I changed the whole bridge. I experimented with ebony and rosewood, split foot, solid foot and now have this $5 rosewood bridge on it, works like a charm!

€ 4,41 45? Off | Polished Archtop Guitar Bridge Rosewood Musical Stringed Instrument Parts DIY
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EGPvGD1

Hi Jay ,
i just ordered one of these cause I’m in the uk and can’t order aliexpress
Amazon.co.uk

looks to be the same / very similar
to yours , more dough but still very
cheap

thanks for the tip man

edit …. sorry folks this one actually says it’s ebony (i doubt that but
you never know)
we’ll see what arrives !

[pingu]

1255679[/URL]]Btw, my AF55 does overdriven tones pretty darn good as well!

very nice !
both pickups on ?
what distortion box are you using there

[Little Jay]

very nice !
both pickups on ?
what distortion box are you using there

I think I used both pu’s, yes.
I use an Ibanez Tonelock-series Tubescreamer (TS-7, if I am not mistaking).

[TexRocker]

Sorry I just saw this Jay… so excited. I’m assuming I just blow it up a few sizes before printing? I’ll take a pdf too just to be safe… any way you can send it actual size? I’m sure I’ll figure it out anyway… can’t thank you enough.

[Little Jay]

Sorry I just saw this Jay… so excited. I’m assuming I just blow it up a few sizes before printing? I’ll take a pdf too just to be safe… any way you can send it actual size? I’m sure I’ll figure it out anyway… can’t thank you enough.

Try printing it out at 100% and if the measurements I put correspond with real measurements then you’re good to go!

[frabarmus]

Here is my 2011 AF55!
Mods made: replaced stock pickup with a Gibson P94 and stock tuners with Grover tuners. Love the way it sounds, feels and looks.
A reliable workhorse, no worries about having it damaged or stolen (well, I would be sorry but, at least, could afford another one).
Very enjoyable to play!
P.S. Got the (well deserved) Ibanez AF series case for it.

[garybaldy]

Here is my 2011 AF55!
Mods made: replaced stock pickup with a Gibson P94 and stock tuners with Grover tuners. Love the way it sounds, feels and looks.
A reliable workhorse, no worries about having it damaged or stolen (well, I would be sorry but, at least, could afford another one).
Very enjoyable to play!
P.S. Got the (well deserved) Ibanez AF series case for it.

Nice guitar. Did you keep the same wiring harness? Thanks

[frabarmus]

Nice guitar. Did you keep the same wiring harness? Thanks

Thanks Gary.

I didn't do the job myself, I had my local luthier do it. All I know is he's done it in such a way so that the bridge humbucker is not too loud when I use it (or accidentally switch to it) ...but the fact is: I never use the bridge pickup, anyway. Just the neck pickup.