A lot of experienced guitar players that participate in online discussions will have you lead to believe that it’s impossible to find a cheaply priced semi-hollow guitar.
While this may be true for the most part, there has been a larger influx of cheaper semi-hollow body guitars on the market in the past recent years.
If you’re interested in purchasing yourself a semi-hollow electric guitar without having to pay top price, the Ibanez Artcore AM93 Semi-hollow electric guitar may be an instrument you’re going to want to check out.
While you shouldn’t expect a budget instrument such as the Ibanez Artcore AM93 to perform like a top-quality professional guitar, purchasing yourself a budget guitar is a great way to introduce yourself to the art of playing a semi-hollow instrument.
Here’s a quick glance at the full specs of the Ibanez Artcore AM93 Semi-hollow electric:
- Les Paul double cut
- Hollow body
- Artcore shake
- Double cutaway construction
- Quilted maple
- Quilted maple top
- ART-1 Bridge
- Tune-0-Matic bridge
- Two pickups
- Active humbucker pickups
- Volume and tone control
- Maple and mahogany neck
- Set neck
- Rosewood fingerboard
- 22 frets
- Pearl inlays
- Six strings
- Pickguard
- 3-way pickup selector
- 24-3/4 scale length
- 1.69-inch nut width
Built with tone woods selected for their beauty as well as their musicality, the Expressionist models are perfect for a wide range of styles, from jazz and blues to rock and folk.
Neck and body
The classic semi-hollow guitar typically has a larger-sized body, which is difficult for some new m musicians to adjust to playing.
However, Ibanez created a semi-hollow body guitar with a standard solid body; by merging the two instrument types together, Ibanez was able to create a guitar that’s easier for musicians to hold.
As for the tonewoods that were used on this instrument, Ibanez chose to use quilted maple for the top, the back, and the sides of the guitar, while the neck is comprised of a three-piece maple and mahogany combination on the AM93.
Hardware
If you’ve ever played an Ibanez electric guitar and are dead set against ever playing one again, try giving the Ibanez Artcore AM93 a chance, because Ibanez really broke their typical protocol when it came to developing this semi-hollow electric guitar.
Instead of finding inspiration in their typical vintage Bigsby style configuration, they went along the path of using a standard Tune-o-Matic bridge with a stop bar.
While this doesn’t improve the guitar’s quality to become a professional-level instrument, it does increase the overall reliability of the hardware while still ensuring that the instrument to be easy to use.
The string action on this guitar is something that’s hard to find on a guitar that’s under $2,000, let alone on a guitar that’s right around $550.
Ibanez did a great job creating a semi-hollow electric guitar that’s extremely comfortable to play, with an equal balance that really ensures that this instrument can be played for hours to come without tiring out.
The knobs on this guitar are also deserving of a mention because they’re incredibly classy looking while also providing users with a rubber ring around the knob, ensuring that the knobs are easy to grip with your fingers.
Electronics
While the electronics on this guitar tie into the sound of this instrument, there are a set of vintage-style pickups that have been installed in the Ibanez AM9 which allows musicians to enter into the jazz territory without feeling uncomfortable with the tone of your instrument. The Ibanez AM93 owes its sound to the Custom 58 pickups that are installed on this semi-hollow.
The Custom 58 pickups on this semi-hollow provide the instrument with a buttery warmth while still providing musicians with a crisp note definition.
Due to the incredible job that Ibanez did on the AM93, this instrument is incredibly versatile and can easily switch between blues, metal, rockabilly, country, classic rock, reggae, and a lot of other musical genres.
While I wouldn’t personally recommend that you purchase this instrument solely for the purpose of playing extreme heavy metal on it, but you could most definitely do metal solos and clean passages on this instrument.
Sound
If you’ve read this far into the article, you should be well aware that this isn’t your typical semi-hollow electric guitar; this means that you shouldn’t be expecting this Ibanez Artcore AM93 to sound like your typical semi-hollow electric guitar.
Ibanez focused on combining electronics and tonewoods to provide users with a variety of different genres without having to feel like you’re pushing your guitar too hard. There is no lack of versatility when it comes to the tonal qualities and sound quality of the Ibanez AM93.
Built with tone woods selected for their beauty as well as their musicality, the Expressionist models are perfect for a wide range of styles, from jazz and blues to rock and folk.
Other alternatives to consider
Maybe you’re not comfortable with the price tag that’s on the Ibanez Artcore AM93 Semi-Hollow electric guitar, but you’re still looking for a semi-hollow electric guitar that provides similar characteristics. We have a few other alternatives for you to consider, so keep on reading!
Epiphone WildKat Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar
This semi-hollow electric guitar is priced right around $450 with an appearance that’s certainly eye-catching.
The Epiphone Wildkat has a mahogany body with a flamed maple top, providing musicians with a warm and balanced sound. There are single-coil pickups on this guitar, which is something to keep in mind if you’re looking for a very specific sound!
With no notable changes in archtop design by anybody in decades, Epiphone took the archtop and practically married it to a solid body guitar.
Guild X-175 Manhattan Hollow Body Electric Guitar
If you’re looking to get yourself a hollow body guitar that has a very similar appearance to the Ibanez Artcore but you’re looking for an instrument that’s hollow body and of higher quality, the Guild X-175 Manhattan Hollow Body is comprised of a maple body with a rosewood bridge and a rosewood base, combined with dual DE-1F pickups.
The precedent for hollow body aesthetic and tone, the X-175 Manhattan Special looks as good as it sounds. The secret to this model’s iconic tone lies in the authentic DeArmond Dynasonic neck and bridge pickups, providing crystal clears highs and a full, round low-end.
However, like the Ibanez AM93, this electric guitar is extremely easy to handle and play.
Conclusion
If you’re interested in getting yourself an entry-level semi-hollow electric guitar, the Ibanez yourself a high-quality semi-hollow that’s also affordable, you should also know that there are many instruments on the market that are better than others while also stepping away from the more conservative semi-hollow build.
The Ibanez Artcore has a lot of features that are found on a solid body electric guitar but still produces an incredible sound quality for a semi-hollow guitar.
This will be the perfect instrument for you if you’re looking for a versatile, affordable, and cosmetically appealing semi-hollow electric guitar!
Built with tone woods selected for their beauty as well as their musicality, the Expressionist models are perfect for a wide range of styles, from jazz and blues to rock and folk.
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