Introduction
Ibanez first introduced the AEW series in 2010, representing the company’s foray into high-end exotic tonewood acoustic guitars. The AEW lineup showcases premium tonewoods and appointments not typically found on Ibanez acoustics, catering to discerning players seeking rich, complex acoustic tones.
The Ibanez AEW23ZW acoustic-electric centers around an exotic zebrawood back and sides. Zebrawood is an unusual tonewood, named for its distinctive striped figure. It provides a colorful voice – all at once warm, earthy, crisp, and clear. The AEW23ZW pairs this zebrawood with a solid Sitka spruce top, a beloved acoustic guitar tonewood appreciated for its balanced sound across the tonal spectrum. The two woods create an intriguing blend of articulation and body.
Visually, the natural high gloss finish allows the zebrawood’s striking grain patterns to shine. The wood’s complex figuring draws the eye, hinting at the complex tones within. Black and amber stripes undulate across the lower bout and sides, perfectly complementing the AEW’s grand auditorium body shape.
The zebrawood back and sides, spruce top, and gloss finish make the AEW23ZW a truly unique offering within the Ibanez acoustic catalog. It promises exotic visual flair matched by an equally exotic tonal palette.
Build Quality & Materials
The Ibanez AEW23ZW features a gorgeous zebrawood back and sides. Zebrawood is known for its exotic striped appearance and warm, resonant tone. It has a complex blend of overtones and excellent low-end response. Zebrawood is relatively rare and prized for its beauty and tonal qualities.
The top is made of solid Sitka spruce, a popular acoustic guitar top wood. Spruce provides crisp highs, dynamic range and balanced resonance across the tonal spectrum. Spruce tops are known for their versatility and responsiveness.
The AEW23ZW has scalloped X-bracing with a hand-carved bridgeplate, providing excellent structural stability and volume projection. Precise binding and purfling lines accentuate the body, giving a refined and polished look.
Other premium appointments include an abalone rosette around the soundhole, aged bone nut and saddle, and wooden dot inlays on the fretboard. The craftsmanship and attention to detail on the AEW23ZW is evident throughout.
Sound & Tone
The Ibanez AEW23ZW produces a rich, warm unplugged acoustic tone thanks to its zebrawood back and sides. The exotic zebrawood provides a nice low-end thump and pleasant midrange growl that brings out the guitar’s voice.
When plugged in, the onboard preamp and pickup system amplify the AEW23ZW’s natural acoustic sound beautifully. The amplified tones retain the zebrawood’s warm character, with enough crisp highs and articulation from the spruce top. There’s a nice blend across the frequency spectrum.
The AEW23ZW projects very well unplugged, able to fill a room without straining. Notes ring out with sustain and clarity. The balance across the strings is also excellent, with the bass, mids, and treble all working together in harmony.
Plugged in, the AEW23ZW maintains its balanced and articulate voice. The onboard preamp provides plenty of tonal shaping options to dial in your amplified sound, but the natural acoustic tone shines through. Overall, this is a stage-ready acoustic-electric that sounds fantastic both unplugged and plugged in.
Playability & Feel
The Ibanez AEW23ZW features a slim, comfortable neck profile that makes playing across the fretboard effortless. The neck has a nice rounded C shape that fits smoothly in the hand. It’s neither too chunky nor too thin, striking a perfect balance for most playing styles.
The fretboard width is 1 11/16" at the nut, providing ample room between the strings without feeling too spacious. This allows for proper fretting technique and accuracy when playing chords or single note lines. The action is set medium-low from the factory, with a very playable feel right out of the case.
The AEW23ZW comes strung with Elixir Phosphor Bronze strings, gauged .012-.053. This provides great tension and articulation. The notes ring out clearly, neither feeling too loose and floppy nor overly tight. There’s a nice resistance that makes both strumming and fingerpicking a pleasure.
When seated with the AEW23ZW, the contours and curves fit nicely against the body. The arm and forearm bevel provide a comfortable playing position without digging into your arms. The weight is evenly distributed, avoiding neck dive or feeling too bottom heavy. Everything about this guitar makes long practice or gigging sessions enjoyable.
Electronics & Controls
The Ibanez AEW23ZW features a quality preamp and pickup system designed specifically for acoustic-electric performance. It utilizes an Ibanez SST Shape Shifter undersaddle pickup, which accurately captures the nuances of the guitar’s natural acoustic tone.
The preamp packs robust EQ controls including bass, mid, and treble adjustment knobs to shape your amplified tone. There is also a volume knob and built-in tuner for quick and accurate tuning on the fly. The tuner is easily accessible via a discrete button on the side of the lower bout.
One handy feature is the feedback eliminator control, which helps prevent unwanted feedback issues when plugged in, especially at higher volumes on stage. This lets you push the volume without feedback squeals.
Overall, the electronics and controls are intuitive and easy to use. The EQ sliders provide a wide tonal range, and switching between tuner/mute is seamless. The preamp runs on a 9V battery, accessed via a compartment on the side of the lower bout.
Aesthetics & Finish
The AEW23ZW’s visual aesthetic centers around its striking zebrawood grain patterns and spruce top contrast. The zebrawood back and sides showcase an exotic banded appearance with alternating lighter and darker stripes. When viewed from different angles, the zebrawood exhibits a lively chatoyance and three-dimensionality to the grain. This is complemented by the crisp, straight grain of the solid spruce top, which provides an elegant counterpoint.
Binding and purfling accents along the top and back edges add understated vintage flair. The multiple fine lines of wood and ABS highlight the guitar’s contours and body shape. The natural high gloss finish unifies the visual components, with a deep, glass-like coating over the woods. It allows the organic patterns and colors to shine through while protecting the materials and adding fluidity to the look. From a distance, the gloss injects a liquid-like quality to the guitar’s curves and angles.
Overall the AEW23ZW achieves a premium aesthetic combining exotic zebrawood elegance and timeless spruce tones. The striking woods, binding accents, and gloss finish result in a guitar with refined yet eye-catching looks well-suited for the stage. It balances vintage and modern elements into a cohesive visual package.
Value for Money
The Ibanez AEW23ZW typically has a street price of around $1,499, placing it on the upper end of Ibanez’s acoustic lineup. However, given the use of premium solid tonewoods like zebrawood and Sitka spruce, it delivers excellent value compared to similar all-solid wood acoustic-electrics.
When looking at other guitars with exotic zebrawood back and sides, the AEW23ZW is very competitively priced. Taylor’s 510e Zebrawood retails for around $2,299, while Martin’s D-18 E Zebrawood lists for $2,629. So the Ibanez offers exceptional value, with zebrawood construction hundreds less than the big American brands.
The AEW23ZW also compares favorably to other Ibanez exotic wood acoustics like the AVD10A Adirondack/Maple ($1,999) or the AVD9CE Adirondack/Rosewood ($1,599). Considering its premium materials and appointments, the AEW23ZW delivers outstanding value for players seeking exotic good looks and an inspiring musical voice.
While not exactly cheap, the reasonable price makes the Ibanez AEW23ZW a worthy investment for intermediate and advanced players. It’s built to the same high standards as pricier models, with exotic visual appeal to match its rich musicality. For those enamored with the idea of zebrawood’s mystique and allure, the AEW23ZW is a relative bargain.
Ideal For
The Ibanez AEW23ZW is ideal for a wide range of players and musical applications thanks to its versatility. The exotic zebrawood back and sides produce a rich low end that works well for many genres, while the spruce top provides shimmering highs perfect for fingerpicking.
Intended Players
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Gigging musicians – The onboard electronics make this a great gigging guitar. It has the acoustic tone for small coffee shop shows but can plug-in for larger venues. Easy controls and feedback elimination enable quick adjustments on stage.
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Recording artists – With its balanced tone and articulated sound, the AEW23ZW excels in a recording environment. It captures nicely for close-mic’d tracks but also has enough projection for ambient room mics.
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Experienced players – The exotic woods and premium appointments cater to seasoned guitarists looking for a more refined instrument. While beginners could start on this model, it best suits those with developed playing skills.
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Fingerstyle players – The comfortable neck, slick fretboard, and articulate string separation accommodate complex fingerpicking passages and techniques with ease.
Musical Styles
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Folk – The AEW23ZW has the perfect warm, open folk tone. It brings out the midrange richness for strumming while preserving the crisp highs for picking melodies.
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Country – The snappy lows and balanced EQ handle country chord chops and chicken picking articulately. The cut of the spruce top prevents muddiness when playing busier country lines.
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Indie – The AEW23ZW provides an intimate yet cutting acoustic tone fitting indie music’s blend of mellow and punchy rhythms. The exotic woods add intrigue to chord voicings and picking patterns.
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Singer-songwriter – With its balanced voice-complimenting tone, this Ibanez offers a dynamic range for solo performers. The smooth highs and tight lows allow vocals to shine.
Compared To
The Ibanez AEW23ZW stands apart from other models in Ibanez’s catalog thanks to its use of exotic zebrawood back and sides paired with a solid spruce top. This combination of tonewoods gives it a uniquely warm, resonant and articulate voice.
Compared to other guitars in the Ibanez AEW series, the AEW23ZW has a slightly bigger body size and more robust low end, making it well suited for strumming and flatpicking rhythms. The smaller bodied AEW21 models have a more balanced midrange emphasis.
When stacked against comparable exotic wood acoustic-electrics from Martin, Taylor, and Breedlove, the AEW23ZW is very competitively priced. Models from these brands with similar appointments and zebrawood construction can cost $300-500 more.
The Taylor 712ce and Martin D-18E both offer all solid wood builds with excellent plugged-in electronics. However, they utilize more common tonewoods like mahogany and rosewood rather than rare zebrawood.
Overall, the Ibanez AEW23ZW provides an exotic wood option at a more accessible price point than many competitors. The quality of construction and acoustic tone rivals more expensive models.
Conclusion
The Ibanez AEW23ZW acoustic-electric guitar offers a compelling package for players seeking exotic tonewoods, versatile acoustic sound, and premium appointments. Its zebrawood back and sides produce a rich low-end coupled with singing mids and highs. The solid Sitka spruce top balances this with shimmering articulation. Together, they create a dynamic unplugged acoustic voice.
Plugged in, the Ibanez preamp provides excellent amplified tones for stage and studio. The onboard EQ gives you tone shaping control, while the tuner and feedback eliminator aid live performance. Top notch playability makes this a comfortable, enjoyable playing experience as well.
For the money, the AEW23ZW delivers professional level specs at an attainable price point. The exotic zebrawood commands a slight premium, but still presents good value considering the all-solid wood construction. Overall, this Ibanez acoustic-electric earns high marks for its warm, balanced acoustic voice and stage-ready electronics. An excellent choice for gigging musicians, recording artists, and experienced players seeking exotic good looks and dynamic tone.