Introduction to the Ibanez Artwood Vintage Series
Ibanez first introduced the Artwood Vintage series in the mid-2000s with the goal of recreating the tones and aesthetics of vintage acoustic guitars. The series pays homage to guitar making techniques from the 1920s-1960s using modern manufacturing methods and materials.
The Artwood Vintage line features all-solid tonewoods that are specially treated through a process Ibanez calls "Thermo Aging." This proprietary technique is designed to mimic the tonal maturation that occurs in vintage tonewoods over decades of aging. By replicating this process in a controlled environment, Ibanez aims to give brand new Artwood Vintage guitars the warm, balanced sound and vintage vibe of old guitars right out of the box.
The series also utilizes traditional construction techniques like dovetail neck joints, hand-fitted braces, and thin finish coats. Open pore finishes highlight the natural grain patterns and beauty of the wood. Combined with the vintage-inspired shapes and appointments, the Artwood Vintage series offers an authentic nod to the acoustic guitars of yesteryear.
The Ibanez AVC9CE: An Overview
The Ibanez AVC9CE Artwood Vintage is a high-quality acoustic-electric guitar with a distinctive vintage vibe. It features a classic grand concert body shape made from solid mahogany on top with mahogany back and sides. This tonewood combination produces a warm, balanced sound with good projection.
The neck is also mahogany with a rosewood fretboard and 20 frets. It has a bone nut and saddle for enhanced resonance and sustain. Electronics consist of an Ibanez AEQ-TTS preamp system with a built-in tuner, giving you versatile plugged-in performance.
Other specs include:
- Headstock: Ibanez AdvantageTM bridge pins
- Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid dot inlay
- Bridge: Rosewood bridge
- Hardware: Chrome die-cast tuners
- Strings: D’Addario® EXPTM strings
- Finish: Open pore natural
With its impressive looks, vintage-inspired build, and quality electronics, the Ibanez AVC9CE delivers exceptional value in an acoustic-electric guitar. It’s an attractive option for players who want classic acoustic tone and styling along with stage-ready amplified sound.
Thermo Aged Tonewoods: The Secret to Vintage Sound
Ibanez’s proprietary Thermo Aged process is what gives the AVC9CE its authentic vintage tone and resonance. Thermo Aged wood undergoes controlled heating in a special oven which gently "ages" the wood, opening up its pores and causing the lignin and cellulose fibers to reform.
This process enhances the tonal qualities of the wood in a few key ways:
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It reduces stiffness and increases vibration, giving the wood more natural resonance and sustain. The sound "opens up" and has more complex overtones.
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It creates an opened grain texture, similar to very old vintage tonewoods. This allows the top to vibrate more freely.
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The wood’s internal damping is reduced, resulting in longer and richer note decay.
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The tone becomes warmer, woodier, and more "played in" right out of the factory. It takes on the mature tonal characteristics of a 30+ year old vintage guitar.
The solid mahogany top of the AVC9CE benefits greatly from Thermo Aging. Mahogany is already known for its warm, round, mid-focused tone. The Thermo Aged process enhances these traits, giving the AVC9CE a beautifully balanced and projecting vintage voice. It’s the secret ingredient that makes this an exceptional fingerstyle guitar.
Open Pore Natural Finish: Showcasing the Guitar’s Beauty
The Ibanez AVC9CE features an open pore natural finish that beautifully showcases the guitar’s solid mahogany top. This type of finish enhances the instrument’s vintage appeal and allows the wood’s natural grain patterns and figuring to shine through.
Unlike many modern acoustics that utilize a closed pore, glossy finish, the AVC9CE embraces a more traditional open pore satin look. When examined up close, the subtle pores in the mahogany are visible, creating an organic, raw wood aesthetic. The finish has a smooth semi-matte sheen that flatters the deep reddish-brown hues of the mahogany. There’s a noticeable woodsy, earthy quality to the appearance that adds to the vintage vibe.
One benefit of the open pore treatment is it allows the top to vibrate and resonate freely. The lack of a thick gloss finish means the wood can breathe naturally, transmitting tone with nuance and clarity. This helps contribute to the guitar’s balanced, articulate voice.
Caring for the open pore finish takes a delicate touch. Using standard guitar polish and cleaning methods may clog the pores over time. Ibanez recommends using a dry cloth to remove dirt and debris. Lightly dampening the cloth with water is okay for stubborn marks. The finish can be maintained with a small amount of lemon oil applied sparingly. Avoid commercial guitar polishes and waxes that may diminish the open pore look. With proper care, the finish will age gracefully, taking on an antique patina.
Grand Concert Body Style: Comfort and Clarity
The Ibanez AVC9CE features a grand concert body style, which provides a nice balance of comfort, playability, and balanced tone. This mid-sized body shape measures approximately 15 inches across the lower bout and 4.5 inches deep. While not as boomy as a dreadnought or as delicate as a parlor, the grand concert produces a clear, articulate voice that excels for fingerstyle playing.
The width of the lower bout gives enough real estate for comfortable fretting, while the manageable depth is easy to hold against your body or on your lap. The curved cutaway allows excellent upper fret access too. Overall, the grand concert body promotes great playing ergonomics during long practice or jam sessions. You won’t fatigue easily thanks to the smart dimensions.
When playing, the AVC9CE projects a balanced tone across the tonal spectrum – neither too boomy nor too bright. Notes are clear and defined, not woofy. There’s enough low-end to provide a solid foundation, while the mids and highs come through with detail and nuance. This allows fingerstyle techniques to be dynamic and expressive. The notes bloom with complexity but don’t overpower. Strumming maintains definition too. Ultimately, the grand concert body generates a versatile, playable voice perfect for various techniques.
Electronics and Preamp: Plugged-In Performance
The Ibanez AVC9CE comes equipped with Ibanez’s own AEQ-TTS preamp system, designed to accurately translate the guitar’s natural acoustic tone when plugged in. It features a built-in undersaddle piezo pickup that captures the guitar’s resonance and dynamics.
The preamp has simple and intuitive controls, with independent volume and tone knobs, plus a built-in tuner. The volume knob allows you to dial in the perfect level for performing live, while the 3-band EQ tone knob provides boosts for lows, mids, and highs to shape your amplified tone.
In testing, the AEQ-TTS preamp performs admirably for its class. It produces a balanced, clear tone without excessive boominess or harshness in the highs when plugged directly into a PA system or acoustic amplifier. The EQ controls are quite responsive and allow you to tweak your tone for a variety of playing styles.
The undersaddle piezo pickup reproduces the AVC9CE’s tight low end, woody mids, and crisp highs accurately. There’s no unwanted quackiness or piezo "quack" that can occur with inferior pickups. The tone comes across very natural, maintaining the articulation and dynamics of the acoustic sound.
While the preamp may not be as transparent or have the tonal shaping capabilities as higher-end electronics, it gets the job done admirably for a guitar at this price point. The plugged-in sound quality makes the AVC9CE stage-ready for live performances and recording. It’s definitely one of the better preamp systems available in an affordable acoustic-electric.
Playability and Feel: A Fingerpicker’s Delight
The Ibanez AVC9CE features a slim, fast neck profile that makes it an absolute joy to play, especially for fingerstyle techniques. The nut width measures 1 11/16 inches, providing ample room for complex chord voicings and fingerpicking patterns without feeling too wide.
The action is set low and comfortable right out of the box, with very little fret buzz. The bone nut and saddle provide a smooth surface for the strings to glide over, enhancing note articulation and clarity. The neck has a satin finish that allows your hand to easily move up and down the fretboard.
During extended practice or gigging sessions, the AVC9CE remains comfortable to hold without any sharp edges digging into your body or fingers. The grand concert body’s modest size and tight curves fit nicely against your torso whether seated or standing. The smooth neck heel allows easy access to even the highest frets.
Overall, the AVC9CE excels as a fingerstyle guitar thanks to its fast, slim neck, quality nut and saddle, and comfortably contoured body shape. It feels great to play right out of the case and inspires you to keep picking for hours on end.
Tone and Sound: Warmth, Balance, and Projection
The tone of the Ibanez AVC9CE is warm, balanced, and projecting, making it an excellent choice for fingerstyle playing. The solid mahogany top produces a rich low end with plenty of bass and low mids. The notes have a pleasing roundness and warmth to them without being overly boomy. The mids are clear and focused, allowing complex fingerstyle patterns to shine through. Highs have sparkle and sweetness without sounding harsh or brittle.
The overtones are nicely balanced across the frequency spectrum, contributing to the guitar’s vintage character. There’s enough complexity to keep things interesting when playing, but not so much that the tone becomes muddy. Notes decay smoothly and evenly. The grand concert body provides enough projection to be heard in small to medium settings unplugged. It may not be loud enough to cut through a full band unamplified, but the AEQ-TTS preamp provides ample volume when plugged in.
The AVC9CE is responsive across the dynamic range, capable of both subtle, delicate tones and bolder, more aggressive picking. Notes speak clearly and the guitar articulates each note when playing complex passages. The tone remains balanced when switching between fingerstyle and strumming. Overall the Ibanez AVC9CE offers warm, vintage-inspired tones with excellent balance and projection for fingerstylists.
Craftsmanship and Build Quality
The Ibanez AVC9CE showcases excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail, especially considering its affordable price point. The all-solid wood construction gives it a sturdy, resonant feel that belies its cost.
The fretwork on the guitar is cleanly done, with smooth and rounded fret ends that don’t snag on your fingers during playing. The nut slots and saddle are cleanly cut and properly set for good action and intonation. The neck joint and heel are smoothly joined for seamless upper fret access.
The guitar’s fit and finish is impressive, with tight seams on the binding and no visible glue spots or uneven joints. The open pore finish is executed tastefully, allowing the natural wood grain to shine through attractively. The rosette and fretboard inlays are neatly done as well.
In terms of durability, the AVC9CE feels solid enough to withstand the normal wear and tear of regular playing and transporting. The all-solid wood construction gives it better resilience against dings and dents compared to laminate models. The finish may require a bit more care than a closed pore polyurethane, but won’t easily chip or crack under normal use.
Overall, Ibanez did not cut corners in terms of build quality with the AVC9CE despite its reasonable price tag. The guitar feels like it will age well, with its excellent construction and materials that lend themselves to years of musical enjoyment. This level of craftsmanship exceeds expectations and helps make the model a great value.
Conclusion: Is the Ibanez AVC9CE Right for You?
The Ibanez AVC9CE Artwood Vintage acoustic-electric guitar punches well above its weight class, offering players vintage appeal and modern versatility at an affordable price point. Its resonant Thermo Aged tonewoods, smooth playability, and quality electronics add up to a fantastic fingerstyle guitar that outperforms many models costing twice as much.
While not the loudest unplugged acoustic, the AVC9CE has a wonderfully balanced and articulate voice perfect for intricate picking. The open pore finish and vintage aesthetics also provide visual appeal to match the vintage vibe in its tones. With the onboard preamp, it transitions seamlessly to stage and studio use with amplified tones retaining the guitar’s acoustic character.
The build quality and attention to detail at this price range is impressive, with solid construction that should provide years of enjoyment. Overall, the Ibanez AVC9CE Artwood Vintage model is an excellent value for acoustic guitarists seeking pro-level playability, vintage mojo, and stage versatility without breaking the bank.
Overall rating: 4.5/5 stars
For fingerstyle players or vintage enthusiasts needing amplified tones under $500, the Ibanez AVC9CE Artwood Vintage is easy to recommend. Its well-rounded performance and aesthetic make it a joy to play while sounding fantastic plugged in or unplugged. While the open pore finish requires some care, this guitar punches well above its weight class.