Introduction
Ibanez has a long history of producing high quality yet affordable guitars. Founded in 1957, the Japanese company first gained recognition in the 1960s and 70s for expertly copying popular American guitar designs. But by the 1980s, Ibanez had evolved into an innovative brand in its own right – pioneering new guitar and bass designs, as well as cutting-edge guitar technologies.
Today, Ibanez offers instruments across the price spectrum, from entry-level to professional. The PF Performance series showcases Ibanez’s ability to deliver great sound and playability at accessible prices. Launched in 2014, the PF lineup provides workhorse acoustic guitars ideal for practice, performance, and recording.
The Ibanez PF15ECE is a prime example of this series’ capabilities. As a mid-priced model, the PF15ECE packs an impressive array of features into its elegantly crafted body. Its rich acoustic tone and easy playability make it a versatile choice for players of all skill levels. Read on to find out if this could be the right acoustic-electric to match your needs and budget.
Body and Construction
The Ibanez PF15ECE features a dreadnought body shape with a Venetian cutaway. This iconic body style provides excellent projection and volume with its large surface area and internal air space. The dreadnought design allows the guitar to produce warm, deep bass tones along with clear, articulate highs.
The top is made of solid spruce, which gives the PF15ECE a bright, lively tone with excellent note separation. Spruce is a popular choice for acoustic guitar tops thanks to its balanced tonal response and dynamic range. It allows the guitar to respond well to both light strumming and aggressive picking styles.
The back and sides are mahogany, which complements the spruce top nicely by adding warmth and richness to the overall tone. Mahogany tends to emphasize the low mid frequencies, filling out the guitar’s voice with a smooth, mellow character. This spruce and mahogany combination creates a versatile tonal palette suitable for various playing styles.
The PF15ECE comes in three different finish options: natural high-gloss, vintage sunburst, and black. The natural finish allows the wood grain to show through attractively. Meanwhile, the sunburst and black finishes offer a more traditional look.
Visual appointments include white binding around the body and fretboard, as well as an abalone rosette around the soundhole. These cosmetic touches give the guitar a refined, elegant aesthetic befitting its performance pedigree. Overall, the PF15ECE presents a striking yet understated visual style.
Neck and Fretboard
The PF15ECE features a slim C-shaped mahogany neck with a 12" radius rosewood fretboard. The neck has a nut width of 1 11/16" and a comfortable profile that feels great for chords and lead playing alike. Despite being slim, the neck still has enough meat on it to provide smooth playability even during faster lead runs.
The 12" fretboard radius gives the neck a very smooth, rounded feel that facilitates comfortable chording, particularly when playing barre chords. The fretwork from the factory is very good, with nicely finished medium-jumbo frets. Overall the neck feels fast and playable right out of the box.
Access to the upper frets is easy thanks to the Venetian cutaway. You can easily hit the 19th and 20th frets when soloing without contorting your hand. The cutaway provides excellent balance between upper fret access and mid-range rich tone.
The nut and saddle are made of urea, which is plastic. Upgrading to bone or Tusq could potentially improve resonance, sustain, and clarity. But the stock nut and saddle perform respectably, transferring vibration well from the strings to the top and body. The slots are cut cleanly at the proper string spacing.
Hardware
The Ibanez PF15ECE comes equipped with quality hardware that enhances its functionality, playability, and tone.
The chrome die-cast tuners are high-ratio for precise and accurate tuning stability. The tuners are mounted on a rosewood headplate that matches the fretboard for a seamless look. The tuners feel solid and turn smoothly without any binding.
The guitar has a rosewood bridge with Ibanez Advantage bridge pins. The pins are made of a specialized high-density material that improves string vibration transfer for better volume and tone production. The pins also provide optimal string spacing on the bridge for clean fretting and smooth playability up and down the neck.
For amplification and shaping your acoustic tone, the Ibanez PF15ECE has an Ibanez AEQ-2T preamp system with a few simple but useful controls. It features a volume knob, bass and treble EQ knobs, a phase switch to cut feedback, and an onboard tuner. The preamp packs a surprising amount of tonal versatility in a compact control layout. The tuner is especially handy for quick on-stage tuning between songs. There is a 1/4" output jack for easy plug-and-play live performance or recording.
Sound and Tone
The Ibanez PF15ECE produces a rich, balanced acoustic tone that projects well thanks to its dreadnought body shape and solid spruce top. When strummed, the guitar has excellent articulation and note separation while still delivering robust low-end, allowing both chords and melodic lines to shine.
The spruce top provides shimmery highs and clarity while the mahogany back and sides add warmth and roundness to the midrange. This classic tonewood combination results in a versatile acoustic voice that works for various styles, from delicate fingerpicking to energetic flatpicking. The mahogany adds a touch of compression and evens out the bright edge of the spruce for a smooth frequency response across the tonal spectrum.
When plugged in, the Ibanez AEQ-2T preamp accurately reproduces the PF15ECE’s balanced acoustic tone. The guitar has plenty of volume on tap before feedback, thanks to its dreadnought body and carved cutaway. The onboard EQ provides basic tone-shaping, allowing you to add sparkle or low-end punch as needed. It has enough presence to cut through a mix without sounding too boxy or muddy.
Compared to other guitars in its price range, the PF15ECE stands out with its clear, nuanced acoustic tone and balanced amplified sound. It outperforms cheaper laminate models in terms of resonance and dynamics, while offering better value than more expensive solid wood options. Overall, its acoustic and plugged-in tones rival guitars costing significantly more.
Playability
The PF15ECE feels great to play right out of the box. The action is set nice and low, allowing easy fretting without buzzing. The neck has a comfortable C-shape that fits nicely in the hand. It’s not too chunky for smaller hands but still substantial enough for larger hands.
The 25.5" scale length and 1.69" nut width provide ample room for various playing styles. The fretwork from the factory is very good, with smooth medium jumbo frets. Bending notes and sliding feels effortless. The neck relief and string height create a fast feel that facilitates intricate fretting work.
Whether sitting or standing, this guitar feels well-balanced. The dreadnought body isn’t too bulky or heavy. The arm and forearm can easily reach around the body for comfortable playing position. The beveled cutaway allows easy access to the upper frets without feeling constrained.
Overall, the PF15ECE is a pleasure to play. The low action and comfortable neck make it easy to play for long periods. The construction quality helps it stay in tune and maintain excellent playability over time. It’s equally suited to rhythmic strumming as it is to melodic lead lines.
Features
The Ibanez PF15ECE offers several excellent features that make it a versatile and gig-worthy acoustic-electric guitar. Some of the most notable features include:
Onboard Preamp and Tuner
This guitar comes equipped with the Ibanez AEQ-2T preamp system, which includes volume and 2-band EQ controls as well as a built-in tuner. The preamp allows you to shape your amplified tone and provides the crucial ability to plug into an acoustic amp or PA system. The tuner is highly accurate and easy to use, making quick on-stage tuning adjustments a breeze.
Tonewood Combination
The PF15ECE combines a solid Spruce top with Mahogany back and sides. This classic pairing provides a balanced and rich acoustic tone, with the Spruce offering crisp highs and articulate bass from the Mahogany. It’s a versatile wood combo suitable for many different playing styles and genres.
Finish Options
The PF15ECE comes in three attractive finish options – Natural high gloss, Vintage Sunburst, and Black high gloss. The smooth gloss finishes really allow the wood grain patterns to shine through beautifully. The Vintage Sunburst and Black finishes provide some great alternatives to the traditional Natural look.
Ideal for Various Playing Styles
With its quality build, flexible electronics, and balanced tonewoods, the PF15ECE is an ideal acoustic-electric guitar for players of many different musical genres. It handles both strumming and fingerstyle playing exceptionally well. The cutaway body style also provides easy upper fret access for leads and soloing.
Pros and Cons
The Ibanez PF15ECE offers excellent value in the affordable acoustic-electric category, with many more pros than cons for players on a budget.
Pros
-
Great tone from the spruce top and mahogany back/sides combination, providing clarity, warmth, and balanced response across the frequency spectrum. The dreadnought body yields impressive projection and dynamic range.
-
Smooth playability right out of the box, thanks to the comfortable satin neck and factory setup. The slim nut width and medium jumbo frets are ideal for both strumming and precision playing.
-
Useful features like the built-in tuner and Ibanez AEQ-2T preamp give you control over your amplified tone, while the Advantage bridge pins improve string vibration transfer.
-
Eye-catching looks from details like the abalone rosette and fretboard inlays, ivory body binding, and chrome die-cast tuners. Aesthetic touches you wouldn’t expect at this price point.
-
Incredible value for the money, giving beginners through intermediate players a stage-worthy acoustic-electric guitar at an entry-level price. You’d be hard-pressed to find more bang for your buck.
Cons
-
The preamp offers only basic tone controls – volume, bass, and treble. Some players may desire more EQ flexibility through an external processor.
-
There have been isolated reports of fret buzz out of the box, indicating potential inconsistencies in factory setup. Proper professional setup is advised if issues arise.
-
The plastic nut and saddle may dampen vibrations compared to bone or Tusq versions. Upgrading to bone could further improve tone transfer and clarity.
Alternatives
The Ibanez PF15ECE competes with other popular acoustic-electric guitars in the sub-$500 price range. Here are some noteworthy alternatives to consider:
Yamaha FG800
The Yamaha FG800 is one of the best-selling acoustic guitars and provides great bang for your buck. Like the PF15ECE, it has a spruce top and nato back and sides. The neck is slightly wider, which some prefer for fingerstyle playing. The FG800 lacks the cutaway and onboard preamp of the Ibanez but makes up for it with Yamaha’s quality and reputation in this price tier.
Fender CD-60SCE
Fender’s CD-60SCE is another top seller with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It comes in a few different aesthetic styles. The neck has a similar profile to the Ibanez, and it includes a basic onboard preamp. The tone of the Fender may be slightly warmer than the often brighter Ibanez models.
Epiphone DR-100
The Epiphone DR-100 has a mahogany top, back, and sides. The all-mahogany construction provides a very warm, rounded tone. The hardware and electronics are more barebones, but the DR-100’s vintage styling and tone make it another comparable option. The neck is chunkier than the Ibanez.
Washburn WD20SCE
Washburn’s WD20SCE is close to the Ibanez in price. It has a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The cutaway body style is similar, and it includes a basic preamp system. The Washburn features a wider neck profile that some players may prefer. It provides a balanced tone across different styles.
Conclusion
The Ibanez PF15ECE is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate acoustic guitar players looking for a versatile, affordable, and great-sounding instrument. Its combination of a spruce top and mahogany back and sides produces a rich, balanced tone suitable for a wide variety of musical genres.
The smooth satin neck and Venetian cutaway provide excellent playability and access to higher frets, while the built-in preamp and tuner make it easy to plug in and get amplified. Aesthetic appointments like the abalone rosette and fretboard inlays give it a higher-end look and feel.
While the plastic nut and saddle may eventually need upgrading, and the EQ controls are basic, the PF15ECE punches above its weight class. For under $350, it’s hard to find another acoustic-electric that can match its quality and versatility.
Final Verdict:
The Ibanez PF15ECE is highly recommended for beginner and intermediate players seeking an affordable, gig-ready acoustic-electric guitar. Its great playability, balanced tone, and quality construction make it an excellent value.
Recommendations:
The PF15ECE is ideal for folk, pop, rock and other styles. It’s a great choice for hobbyists, singer-songwriters, worship leaders, and gigging musicians on a budget. Consider upgrading the nut and saddle for optimal tone transfer.
Summary:
With its solid spruce/mahogany build, smooth playability, and quality appointments, the versatile Ibanez PF15ECE acoustic-electric guitar punches above its weight class and is an excellent value under $350.