Ibanez discontinues the AFC series?

[Strbender]

So as some already know. I own an Ibanez AFC95 Contemporary Model. I know a few members also own one or one of the other models in the AFC series. So yesterday I was searching for some more user reviews as there are only a few and much to my disappointment, I found mostly music store listings them with either a "No longer available" or "Back ordered with no ETA" and one store on Reverb had a new one marked down as new but once gone there wont be anymore.

The AFC Series has only been available for less than 2 years and Ibanez has already given up on it? It's a shame. I know that the AFC95 competes with some other excellent Ibanez models in the $699 price range. I've been really pleased with mine and the couple of guitar players who I showed it too also thought it was a nice guitar. Maybe it will become a collectors item

[IMadeYouReadThis]

That's a shame, really. I'm relatively new to jazz and was considering the single pickup version as my first archtop...

[mr. beaumont]

Very interesting...never saw one in public. And now I probably never will.

I thought several of the designs in that series were really nice, hip, modern looking instruments.

Jazz guitar players are a crusty old bunch, I guess.

[Gitterbug]

I side with Lobomov. I don't want spoil anybody's joy, and I wanted to fall in love with an AFC when they were introduced. Interestingly, the higher the model number, the less archtop-y they felt. I think I've reported before about the opportunity I had to A/B/C/D... a gorgeous red AFC-155 against several other Ibanez jazz axes representing different price categories. It just felt acoustically dead and the pickup sounded too thin for jazz. A Super 58 would have made a big difference, I'm sure. Besides, the lower numbers appear to have much thinner coats of paint/varnish, suggesting a less petrified instrument. I sent these observations to a dedicated Ibanez forum - can't remember which - but they were censored.

[John A.]

Very interesting...never saw one in public. And now I probably never will.

I thought several of the designs in that series were really nice, hip, modern looking instruments.

Jazz guitar players are a crusty old bunch, I guess.

I dunno, GC's website still has both models at the original ($979/$999) price and shows them as in stock and ready to ship. I saw one (the blue one with two floating pickups) at Sam Ash and tried it. Nice guitar, with a very GB10 sort of sound. But it does invite the question "why a floater on a laminated guitar?"

John

[Gitfiddler]

Ibanez has the problem of too much of a good thing, especially in their full hollow body (AF) products. Across their entire product line they over-produce models that are similar to each other, thereby competing with themselves for market share. Then they offer signature models that are nothing more than slightly upgraded/blinged-up versions of their base AF models. This practice extends all the way through their higher priced hollow body and semi-hollow body guitars.

To me it looks like they've saturated a diminishing market with far too many versions of the same or similar products. The good news is that company's like Ibanez made it possible for many guitarists to play and own well made instruments.

I'm a huge fan of the brand and have owned many of their guitars, mostly due to the amazing quality and value. Times have changed however, and the market for full hollow jazz boxes has dwindled. Basic rules of economics have reached the boardrooms of Ibanez. If it don't sell...stop making them. That's the same truth that Gibson has realized, thereby discontinuing the iconic 175, and only taking on custom orders for any high end jazz box. And for us jazz guitar lovers, that's too bad. Time marches on.

[Strbender]

I have the AFC95 Model that sold for $699. It's this one Access to this page has been denied.

I was thinking that the more expensive models have a very bright finish that might turn some off. I know it's a Contemporary Series but It was one of the reasons I chose the lower cost one which has a flat finish. As others have mentioned already. Buyers in the archtop market tend to be cresting over the top of the mountain and are on their way down.

[Greentone]

To use the old Disney trope, we archtop buyers are the lemmings at the front of the queue. We are staring at the sheer drop off at the cliff.

Meanwhile, the guitar companies are selling small-bodied semi-acoustic guitars and single- or double-coil pickup equipped solid-bodies to the lemmings behind us.

[HarryPm]

Are they really so much bright guitars?
I was hoping to get one as an experiment (floating pickup - laminate top) but I never had the chance to test one so far.
I thought the GB 10 recipe is successful.
Maybe it works only for small body archtops...

[GNAPPI]

When they came out with the AFC155 I hoped that Ibanez would eventually offer it in another color other than the JBB but no, they have not. I like the JBB on their semis but the 155 looks clownish in blue, and their sunrise red on the 151 is even worse, the color looks like a bollywood actress with excessively applied red lipstick. Oh well, maybe the discontinuance of some models will let them expand the color availability of the AFC155.

[Gitterbug]

Had an opportunity try an AFJ-125 (black) and AFJ-151 (red) today, only unplugged. Contrary to what I recalled from a previous encounter (see my comments above), they were acoustically quite alive, while not loud. And the neck and finish were excellent. Perhaps my taste has also taken a turn towards the brighter - the jazz demo videos I watched earlier today all sounded pristine. Must go back with my own backline and perhaps grab that black 125, which is now deep-discounted. There's certainly similar end-of-series opportunities here and there. A less busy and nervous model policy would probably dispel confusion and boost resale values.