Ibanez LGB30 - An Affordable George Benson Model

[pingu]

There is a $10 solution to your problem:


($9.31 at Guitarfetish)

looks like my af81 ,
ive got one on mine too


coincidence !
yeah it works fine with my
TIflat13’s and a 15 top string

[patshep]

I have been searching and read as much as I could find... but doesn't seem to be enough info
who owns one? the price is right and I'm ready for a hollow body again, but can't afford more than $2000
just offered on an es175vos, but missed it... it's probably either this ibanez, another guild, or an epiphone...

[Michael Neverisky]

I used to own one until it became a down-payment on an old Gibson guitar. These things happen.

In any event, I thought it was a fine instrument. Played easily and sounded good through my SCXD. Actually, the acoustic tone was quite pleasant too. Not loud, but not uninspiring like some other, more expensive guitars I've tried.

[HCarlH]

I love mine...after I had a replacement tailpiece made for the original one that was in danger of snapping off. You might want to contact Ibanez to see if they fixed the problem.

[Bflat]

I bought a used blond LGB30 less than a year ago from Sam Ash for $700. It is a very solid instrument. I really love the playability and seems well made. I find Ibanez to be pretty reliable with their quality. The pickups are pretty good but it took a while to get the tone I like out of it. Once I found the settings that worked for me I was a happy camper. I couldn’t afford an ES175 but at this price it is very gig-worthy.

[rolijen]

The LGB30 is built on the the same production line as the AKJV95. They are virtually identical in construction. The Benson has better fretwork and the switch is on the upper bout a’la ES-175/L-4, etc. If you don’t need the GB logo on the headstock, you can save a little going for the AKJV95. I have had both, but ended up keeping the Benson. Fit and finish is good. I like mine. It’s my L-4 wanna be. And, it does measure up pretty well to my ‘59 ES-175 VOS. If I could have only one, obviously the Gibson is the clear choice, but at one-fourth the price these affordable Ibby’s are wonderful.

Oh, no issues with the tailpiece on my LGB30. It’s a pretty, nice sounding and playing guitar. My 2 cents.

Roli

[jzucker]

i had one. extremely cheap hardware. The pickguard is bracket is so soft, you can casually bend it with one finger pulling up or pushing down on the pickguard. Switches and jack were also very cheap. The guitar itself is made well but I figured I'd have to put a couple hundred into replacing the funky hardware (includes labor). It's also fairly heavy for an archtop (> 8lbs). I returned mine.

[rahsaan]

I've had mine about three years, and I'd agree with the other posters, these are very nice guitars for the money. Build quality, finish, playability are all really good and it seems like Ibanez guitars are set up well in the factory. Recently I bought a Gibson 175, and comparing the two, the Gibson has a better action, which makes me wonder how nice the LGB30 would be with a pro setup. Also the tone is quite different, a lot brighter, perhaps because of the shallower body, and I think because the build of the Ibby is a bit heavier? I had to fiddle with the pickups to get the sound I wanted. So despite the body shape, this is really a quite different guitar to a 175. I've had loads of positive comments on the sound and looks of it though. I've had no issues with the tailpiece (TI 12 or 13) or anything else on the guitar.

[mr. beaumont]

I thought the one I tried was VERY bright, and the tone control was of little help.

2k is a pretty good budget, you could probably have a used ES-165 or a Heritage 575, if it's "175-ish" guitars you're after.