Ibanez PM120

[Robertkoa]

you're not going to find a tal farlow for $1250-$1500, the typical used price for a PM-120. I like this better than any of the Tals I had by the way. And the construction, build quality and neck/action/playability blows away the Tal. No comparison.

I 've never Played a PM 120 but I just listened to people of all different skill levels playing different types of Music and the PM 120 sounded good to excellent to great..

I think a PM 120 is a steal for $1250 and good at $1500 .

I even like the weird little upper cutaway ..but the even ness from low to high strings...it can be played semi percussively like Benson ..but there's a lot of sustain and 'Bloom' for smoother stuff.

[Boston Joe]

If I were going to invest serious coin in an archtop, it would probably be a PM model. I've had my JSM-10 for a few years now and I'm still over the moon with the thing. It's tied with my stolen PRS as the best guitar I've ever owned, and was half the price. An archtop of similar value would be a great thing.

I'd seriously consider it if I ever played the archtop I have now.

[rio]

If I were going to invest serious coin in an archtop, it would probably be a PM model. I've had my JSM-10 for a few years now and I'm still over the moon with the thing. It's tied with my stolen PRS as the best guitar I've ever owned, and was half the price. An archtop of similar value would be a great thing.

I'd seriously consider it if I ever played the archtop I have now.

It’s a real sleeper - for as good as they are I’m surprised I don’t see any out in the wild on gigs. For me it is either my ‘70 L5 or 2000 PM100 and the quality between them is negligible. The neck on the PM100 is one of if not the best necks I’ve ever played on and I absolutely love the little upper cutaway. It is so comfortable and even after I got a 175 I still play the PM100 when I want a 175 sound.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[HarryPm]

..............

I connected a cheap transducer pickup, directly to the volume pot for the bridge PU. I don't use the bridge PU anyway. It adds some nice highs to the tone that make the tone 'breathe' a little more. Without extra feedback problems of a microphone. When I accompany another player, I dial down the neck PU volume a bit and get a more acoustic sound right away. No extra knobs, no batteries or anything. And just through the guitar amp.

I have a pm120 too.
The mode with the transducer pickup still works for you?
Can you please post a photo or give more details about the placement etc?

[EriktK]

I sold it 'cause I trade in Jazz guitars.

[HarryPm]

I sold it 'cause I trade in Jazz guitars.

Oh I wanted to ask you long ago but I was late after all!
Thanks anyway !

[Dioxic]

For those of you that either own, have owned, or play an Ibanez PM-120, would you say that the small cutaway on the bass side of the guitar is functional for upper fret access, or is it more or a novelty / gimmick?

Do you think it has any noticeable impact on the sound? Perhaps in removing some of the resonance or bass response?

Thanks!

[gitman]

The guitar was made for stage use so it's acoustic response is somewhat reduced compared to a solid-wood instrument. The small cutaway does def. take away any acoustic volume or depth of tone. It was designed for Pat Metheny and he used this model for many years so it's certainly not a gimmick.

[JFranck]

Probably inspired by Howard Roberts' famous "Black Guitar"

[Joeontheguitar]

I have a PM100, which has the same cutaway. It definitely works. The fact that the heel is placed back further into the body helps a lot as well. It has indeed very good high fret access.

[Jimmy blue note]

It's a design so the body contour of a full sized body can be fitted onto a neck with a double cutaway neck.
A traditional body joins the body at the 14th fret, that means anything above the 14th you've got, not open neck, but body and endblock. Double cutaways are great for really high upper neck access but the body adaptations needed to accommodate that result in the double cutaway "double ears" and changes in the body shape. This design, as mentioned by JFrank was designed as a Howard Roberts feature that feels like a regular (ES-175 type) body but has the clear neck access of a double cutaway. That's what that body design does. That little cutaway is just the shoulder of a full sized body fitting a upper bout end block about the 18th (or 19?) fret.
It's not acoustics as much as body shape and a neck with clear frets way above the traditional neck.

[MikeTT]

I had a PM100 and the cutaway is very useful if you play a lot up there. I don't understand why they don't offer such a model anymore, even a cheaper knockoff. It's unique and should exist as a production model. Personally I've found the PM120 and the PM20 the "best" iterations, I only played these 2 at stores. The PM20 doesn't have the upper cutaway but has a deeper lower cutaway which the newer PM2 and PM35 miss. The PM120 is the one IMHO if you play above a certain volume level a lot. I've found the PM100 to be very susceptible to feedback, I remember having to stuff it for one gig with a loud big band.