Ibanez AM93QM Artcore Expressionist Series Electric Guitar Jet Blue Burst

I bought this guitar from my local GC (Concord CA) recently. Pros: Fantastic pickups that sound beautiful in all of the three pickup configurations; tone controls that have a smooth sweep for making small changes in tone if desired; comfortable neck; relatively light weight; gorgeous looks. Cons: The 15th fret is too high underneath the 4th, 5th and 6th strings, and ALL of the frets have sharp ends that I will have to file down. Despite the bad fret work, it's worth it to me, given how great this guitar sounds. So far I've used it for jazz, standards, and rock 'n roll. Beautiful, beautiful sound.

Guitar arrived. BEAUTIFUL workmanship as far as the eye could tell. Can't say the same about the fretwork/neck. The 17th fret on the high E would fret out, no matter what. Returned the guitar yesterday.

Great sound

Practice, and recording.

I've never had a semi-hollow body electric guitar before or an Ibanez, and after all the research I've done on this model, and all the positive feedback I've read on it, I decided this to be the first one to fulfill both categories. I took a chance on it too, because this was my first guitar purchase without having played it first. But, I'm pleased to say, the AM93QM did not disappoint one bit. First off, you get quilted maple all around, and it is just gorgeous! The antique yellow sunburst looks so cool, and it really shows off that stunning wood grain. The bound ebony fretboard is beautiful to put it kindly. It plays smooth, and coupled with the mahogany/maple neck, it provides a comfortable feel. The Super 58 pickups are warm and balanced, with a very clear definition of the tone the guitar gives. The gold hardware and inlays tie everything together nicely. When you add everything together, you get one amazing and classy guitar that looks and sounds like something easily twice as much, if not more. There are a lot of guitars out there, electric or acoustic, that fit the bang-for-the-buck ratio, and this guitar epitomizes that ratio. I'm so happy I bought this guitar. It definitely gave me a different dimension of sound, and it has deepened my respect for the semi-hollow segment and Ibanez all together. I know I'll be enjoying this guitar for a very long time.

Pros: 1) this is a beautiful guitar that looks and sounds like a high-end instrument 2) although it's a semi hollow, its smaller body feels like you're holding a regular sized guitar, but super light 3) it is versatile enough to play many styles, and it takes pedals very well without feedback The only quirk about the guitar itself is that I was expecting a more traditional Ibanez neck (I.e thin and narrow). The neck on this guitar is very fat compared to other Ibanez models. But that's a matter of preference. The neck has a glossy finish, and although beautiful, it can get sticky. Now for the cons, let me say that I blame the QC control issues below on Guitar Center online as well as Ibanez. Differently from many other retailers, Guitar Center Online does not open guitars that they receive from the manufacturers to inspect them before shipping to customers. Luckily, the guys at my Guitar Center in Charleston SC are awesome, and took care of those issues for me. Cons about quality control: 1) the neck was not adjusted, and needed some tightening to the truss rod to move it back 2) the action was extremely high 3) the pick up switch had some slack to it, it was loose