2024 Ibanez AM153QA semi hollow body guitar. It is a beautiful dark brown sunburst on an amazing figured ash body. I‘ve had a few Ibanez hollow body guitars and this is easily the best model that is not part of the high end MIJ Prestige premium series. Prior to this AM153QA I had the John Scofield JSM10 siganture model and it is a truly wonderful guitar in every way. Eventually I came to the conclusion that the 335 body size was a bit too large for my liking. After perusing several different Ibanez catalogs online, I realized that the AM153QA was the only model in the catalog that checked all the same boxes that the JSM10 did, but in a smaller 339 sized body. It has an ebony fretboard, bone nut, Super 58 pickups, Tri-sound switch, medium frets with the beautifully smooth Artstar fret edge treatment, and an amazing TSA approved hard shell molded flight case. After doing more research I found the Ibanez beat out all other competitors in its class including the Epiphone 339. Once I purchased the guitar I quickly realized I made the right choice as it had the same quality, feel, and playability as the JSM10. Since the guitar was so nice right from the the factory, I decided to tastefully modify it and bridge the gap and bring it as close to the Prestige level that I could. It has over $300 in top quality premium mods and is an amazing looking, playing, and sounding guitar. Here is some info on the updates and modifications:

ELECTRONICS/KNOBS & POINTERS

The Super 58 Pickups are renowned for their tone and a key component to the Ibanez sound. Introduced in the early 80’s, they are known for a warm, creamy, earthy and thick tone. As a result they became a favorite for jazz, fusion, and rock players and are still being offered today in various models all across the Ibanez lineup. If you purchase an Ibanez with Super 58 pickups and you plan on modifying the guitar, you should leave the pickups be and build around them. In the case of this guitar, the original pots have been replaced with 550k CTS mini pots and K40Y-9 .022uf red PIO tone capacitors. The improved quality of the pots combined with the higher resistance values allows the Super 58 pickups to have increased clarity and definition. The K40Y-9 capacitors allow a wider range of useable tone control. The Tri-sound switch allows for the neck pickup to be split into series or parallel operation. The overall improvement of the caps and pots when paired with the Tri-sound switch translates into an almost limitless possibility of sonic variation. The original Sure Grip III knobs have been replaced with black Gibson style speed knobs and gold knob pointers for a more premium look.

HARDWARE/TRUSS ROD COVER

Perhaps the biggest improvement on this guitar is upgrading to MIJ Gotoh hardware and an all gold Switchcraft mono input jack. The tuners have been replaced with Gotoh SG381 tuners. The tail piece and studs have been replaced with the Gotoh GE101A aluminum model. The bridge has been replaced with the very rare Gotoh Ti104B Tune-O-Matic style bridge with titanium saddles. The tuners greatly improve tuning stability. The aluminum tail piece and titanium saddles increase both sustain and note definition. Since the Super 58 pickups and the natural sound of a hollow body guitar are both known to promote a softer rounder sound, the combination of improved hardware and electronics creates the perfect blend of thick creamy tone with added clean clarity and note articulation. The strings have also been top wrapped for a “slinky” easy feel when bending notes and playing leads. Since the tail piece is as low as it can be resting just in top of the body there is an increase in resonance and sustain. Some people top wrap their strings and some people don’t. I am a true believer in top wrapping and do it on all of my stop tail piece style guitars. Lastly the original blank wooden truss rod cover has been replaced with a super cool custom made vintage style “Artist” script logo truss rod cover similar to the original style that Ibanez used on Artist models in the late 70’s and through the 80’s.

This is a truly amazing guitar and I’m my opinion the best value and body size in the hollow body world of guitars. It can do anything and would be a strong contender for the most versatile guitar for rock, jazz, and blues. It is in excellent overall condition as shown in the photos with no notable flaws, scratches, or issues. The bridge pickup cover has some very small pitting spots too faint to see in the photos. The tail piece does have some minor scratches from top wrapping the strings and there are super fine scratches on the pickguard from general play and handling. If you have been looking for a AM153 guitar, or hollow body in general, this is the one. There are very few available on the used market and Ibanez may discontinue them or possibly dilute the build quality very soon. Includes all of the original “case candy” as shown in the photos. Please see photo #20 for more info on the operation of the Tri-sound switch and photo #21 for detailed specs on the guitar. I hate to sell it, but I just purchased another guitar and sadly have to pass this one on. Email any questions. Will ship to the lower 48 States ONLY!! THANKS!!