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Ibanez ART300
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Ibanez mahogany body maple top single cutaway electric guitar with active pickups.
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Searched Ibanez ART300 in Reviews
Hard rocking guitar that's quiet 
| Sound |
I first fell in love with the ART300 at the western USA Ibanez importer's showroom. The unique finish is what first attracted me and I'm glad I took the next step and plugged it in. I noticed even without amplification that it projected very well and was bright and resonant. When I plugged in I was quite surprised by a smooth and hot sounding rock and roll guitar...that was super quiet. Thanks to the active pickup system the guitar is very easy to keep quiet under high gain. I use mine with a moderate crunch more reminiscent of classic rock than metal and get all the bite and body that I need for straight ahead rocking out. It sounds great with all the Peavey, Fender, H&K and Marshall tube amps I have. Also sounds good through a Crate Power Block and a Behringer Vamp Pro. Great tones for rock all the way baby.
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| Action, Fit, & Finish |
I like the neck because it's different than most Ibanez necks. This has a thick vintage girth that is substantial but not too thick. It's very stable and transfers a lot of energy through the whole body. The bridge is wonderfully smooth with no sharp edges. It provides a very comfortable place to rest your hand. The finish is amazing. All the tops are identical as they used a mold to shape and sculpt the maple tops to give them a crocodile finish texture. It catches light and reflects if from many different angles so it's pretty flashy under stage lights. Position markers are clean and straight as well as the binding too.
Overall it is a very well constructed guitar yet both of mine had issues with high frets which I fixed myself by giving them a level.
It's a thin mahogany body with a tummy cutaway and it makes it super comfortable to play with just a slight bit of neck droop. It's not much but it still happens. The guitar doesn't way a lot yet it still is very resonant for a Chinese made guitar.
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| Reliability & Durability |
So far the tuners hold up beautifully. I have to retune very little and I bend strings a lot. The maple cap should hold up just like any other but I suspect that over time the high spots on the texturing will start to show finish wear from sleeves and arms. That's not a problem for me because it will just add more to the whole cool factor of this guitar, and it is a very cool guitar.
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| Customer Support |
If I have any issues with Ibanez guitars I just travel for an hour to the importer's service center and they very graciously take care of me. Mostly though they really take time to check them over and set them up well BEFORE they go to the dealers.
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| Liked about it |
I love the neck, the medium action with low string tension, the smooth bridge saddles, the tone and the active electronics as well as the thin and light body with the tummy bevel. First class looks are also a huge plus and it stays in tune.
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| Didn't like |
I was unhappy with the high fret issues but once I took care of that I have no complaints. Batteries last a long long time too. If I really had to niggle it would be over the little bit of neck drop when I let go. I hardly ever do that though because my job is to play it and I can't do that if my hands aren't on the neck.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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