Introduction
The Ibanez AVN11 is part of the Artwood Vintage series, a line of acoustic guitars focused on providing vintage tones and aesthetics at an accessible price point. The AVN11 is a parlor-sized acoustic, featuring a compact body shape with a warm, balanced tone.
Some key features that give the AVN11 its vintage vibe include the thermo-aged solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and an antique brown sunburst finish. The guitar’s smaller body size makes it a great choice for fingerstyle playing, recording, or just casual playing on the couch.
With its quality tonewoods and appointments like the ovangkol fretboard, bone nut and saddle, and Ibanez Advantage bridge pins, the AVN11 delivers impressive value. Priced affordably under $500, this parlor acoustic is ideal for players looking for an inspiring couch or travel companion.
Specs & Features
The Ibanez AVN11 Artwood Vintage parlor guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top that has been thermo-aged by Ibanez to enhance its tonal properties. The back and sides are mahogany, which provides a balanced and warm foundation for the guitar’s voice.
The neck is made from mahogany as well, with a soft and comfortable V-shaped profile. The fretboard and bridge are ovangkol, which gives a touch of brightness to the tone. The nut and saddle are bone, which transfers vibrations efficiently.
Other specs include:
- Ibanez Advantage bridge pins
- Antique brown sunburst finish
- Pearloid dot inlays
- Tortoiseshell pickguard
- 25.6" scale length
- 1 11/16" nut width
- 18 fret rosewood fretboard
- Chrome die-cast tuners
At just under 4 lbs, the AVN11 is a lightweight and comfortable guitar perfect for extended playing sessions. The compact parlor body combined with the thermo-aged spruce top gives this guitar a focused and intimate voice while retaining complexity in the tone.
Tonewoods & Thermo Aging
Ibanez utilizes a proprietary thermo-aging process on the tonewoods of the AVN11. This involves baking the wood at precise temperatures for specific periods of time. The process helps to mature and season the woods, bringing out their inherent tonal qualities.
The thermo-aged solid Sitka spruce top is the most noticeable beneficiary of this treatment. New spruce can be bright and snappy, but lacks complexity. Thermo-aging evens out the frequency response, tames the brittle highs, and enhances the midrange. The result is a spruce top with excellent resonance across the tonal spectrum. It has the crisp articulation expected from spruce, but with a refined and vintage-like voice.
The mahogany back and sides also benefit tonally from thermo-aging. The wood’s natural warmth and resonance are accentuated. Overall, the AVN11 produces a wonderfully balanced sound where no single register dominates. The spruce and mahogany complement each other beautifully.
Playability
The AVN11 features a soft V-shaped mahogany neck that provides excellent comfort and playability. The profile has a nice rounded feel that conforms nicely to the hand, without feeling too beefy or too slim. It’s a great middle ground that accommodates various hand sizes and playing styles.
Ibanez has set the action and string height at a very playable measurement straight from the factory. The strings have a light, slinky tension that makes chords and lead lines a breeze to fret. There is no fret buzz or rattle anywhere on the neck. Overall, the feel is very smooth and inviting right out of the box.
The parlor body size also lends itself well to extended playing sessions without fatigue. The compact body is lightweight on a strap and nicely balanced whether seated or standing. The reduced size doesn’t seem to sap any projection or volume compared to a full size dreadnought or orchestra model.
In summary, the AVN11’s playability is truly superb. The neck carve and setup facilitate intricate fingerstyle arrangements while the slim parlor body remains comfortable over long periods of playing time. This is a very playable instrument that begs to be picked up.
Sound & Tone
The Ibanez AVN11 Artwood Vintage delivers a wonderfully balanced and nuanced tone, as one would expect from its premium solid wood construction. The thermo-aged spruce top provides a nicely textured midrange, with pleasant overtones and resonance that fills out each note. There’s a certain ‘aged’ sweetness to the AVN11’s tone – it’s not overly bright or zingy, but has just enough crispness and articulation to bring fingerstyle playing to life.
Despite its compact parlor size, the Ibanez punches above its weight in terms of volume and projection. The solid spruce and mahogany body allows the guitar to push some air and maintain clarity even when played more forcefully. It has no trouble keeping up with light strumming, though players looking to really dig in may want something larger. The mahogany back and sides add some low-end warmth that prevents the parlor AVN11 from sounding overly ‘boxy’.
All in all, the Ibanez Artwood Vintage AVN11 generates a very pleasing, nuanced tone. It’s balanced across the tonal spectrum, with the aged spruce and mahogany working together beautifully. Fingerstyle players will appreciate the crisp note articulation, while strummers will enjoy the guitar’s impressive volume. This is an acoustic that excels at many different playing styles within the scope of its parlor-sized voice.
Aesthetics & Appointments
The Ibanez AVN11 Artwood Vintage has a beautiful antique brown sunburst finish that gives it a classic, vintage appeal. The coloring is rich and warm, with darker brown hues around the edges that gradually lighten towards the center.
The fretboard inlays follow a simple dot pattern, which allows the wood grain of the ovangkol fretboard to take center stage. There are small pearloid dot inlays at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, and 24th frets. This uncomplicated fret marker design complements the vintage vibe.
The pickguard has an elegant tortoiseshell pattern that provides an attractive visual accent. The warmer brown and black hues of the pickguard pair nicely with the sunburst finish.
The Ibanez Advantage bridge pins are made of plastic with a faux abalone pattern. They help transfer string vibrations efficiently from the bridge into the body of the guitar for optimal resonance and sustain. The pins also match the vintage aesthetic of the AVN11 nicely.
Overall, the fit and finish of the AVN11 is excellent. All components are tightly fitted with no visible gaps. The sunburst finish has an even shading across the entirety of the body. Close inspection reveals a high level of quality control and attention to detail.
Value & Competition
The Ibanez AVN11 Artwood Vintage retails for around $599, which puts it in the mid-range pricing tier for parlor-sized acoustics. When considering the all-solid wood construction with thermo-aged spruce and mahogany, along with quality appointments like the bone nut and saddle, this represents a good value for the specs and materials.
The vintage inspired aesthetics, balanced warm tone, and easy playability make the AVN11 a great choice for fingerstyle players, recording artists, and those just wanting a fun couch guitar. It’s compact parlor body size also makes it ideal for smaller players or anyone wanting a lightweight, comfortable acoustic.
Some alternatives to consider in a similar price range include:
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Yamaha LS16 – All-solid rosewood/spruce parlor guitar for $599. Brighter tone and more articulate highs.
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Seagull S6 Original – All solid cherry back & sides for $599. Larger dreadnought shape but impressive value.
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Breedlove Discovery Concert – Solid myrtlewood top for $599. Unique tonewood and electronics included.
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Eastman E1P – All solid mahogany parlor for $579. Darker tone but quality materials.
While the AVN11 competes well with others in this price range, the vintage vibe, thermo-aged spruce top, and comfortable playability help give it a unique appeal and great value for recording and fingerstyle players looking for a pleasing parlor guitar option.
YouTube Review
The above video provides an excellent review of the Ibanez AVN11 Artwood Vintage parlor guitar, showcasing its sound and playability. The reviewer demonstrates the guitar’s warm, balanced tone across various styles, from fingerstyle runs to strumming chords. The video highlights the rich low end and bright trebles of the thermo-aged spruce top. It also shows how the compact parlor body is comfortable to hold and easy to play. Overall, the demo gives potential buyers a great sense of how the AVN11 looks, feels, and sounds before purchasing. Watching this review is highly recommended for anyone considering this model.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Thermo aged spruce top provides warm, balanced tone
- Mahogany back & sides offer richness and resonance
- Vintage sunburst finish looks stunning
- Soft V neck profile is comfortable to play
- Excellent playability right out of the box
- Ideal for fingerstyle and light strumming
- Quality build and components like bone nut/saddle
- Great value for the price point
Cons
- Lacks the projection of larger bodied acoustics
- Ovangkol fretboard may not appeal to some
- Parlor size can feel small for larger players
- Not ideal for aggressive strumming/picking styles
- Limited color options besides sunburst
Verdict
After reviewing all aspects of the Ibanez AVN11 Artwood Vintage parlor acoustic guitar, I would give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. This is an excellently crafted parlor guitar that delivers vintage appeal in its aesthetics and pleasingly warm, balanced tone.
The thermo-aged solid spruce top provides great resonance and responsiveness, while the mahogany back and sides lend a refined warmth to the AVN11’s sonic palette. It’s easy to play too, thanks to the slim mahogany neck and compact parlor body size. The playability makes this an ideal couch or recording guitar.
Some players may desire more projection and low end from a parlor guitar. The AVN11 favors balanced tone over booming volume. However, the vintage appointments like fretboard inlay and tortoiseshell pickguard give it undeniable visual flair.
Overall, the Ibanez AVN11 Artwood Vintage parlor guitar punches above its weight class in terms of build, tone, and playability. For fingerstyle players, home recordists, or anyone wanting a pleasantly resonant and playable parlor guitar with vintage vibe, the AVN11 is easy to recommend.