Ibanez Acoustic Guitar: AC240 Artwood Grand Concert

by Guitar Guru
(play-acoustic-guitar.com)

”Solid Top Mahogany Beauty”

The Ibanez AC240 Artwood Grand Concert Acoustic Guitar is a gem of a guitar. With a solid mahogany top and mahogany back and sides combined with a Grand Concert body, you not only get an extremely playable guitar, but one whose richness of tone set it apart from others in its price range.

While the guitar reviews of instruments in this price range are usually not encouraging, the AC240 is a good acoustic guitar that should not be overlooked. Using a Grand Concert body gives the AC240 a volume that projects its sound above those around it, and it’s slightly shorter body length makes it easier to handle and an ideal choice for those who are into fingerpicking.

The solid mahogany top gives the AC240 an extra zing when it comes to tone; a paunchiness that is unusual for a mahogany bodied guitar, and which gives both its treble and bass notes the extra clarity that so many guitars in this price range seem to be missing. Pay attention to the strings that come with this guitar, anything lighter weight than what is provided tends to make the tone go ‘fuzzy’ and you may even find that the frets begin to buzz lightly, which can detract from its overall clarity.

While it sounds great, there are some drawbacks, such as the trim work, which is a bit rough around the edges. You can actually catch yourself or your clothing on some of the edging, and while it is nothing serious, it can be annoying. But when getting a solid top guitar for just ~$279, it is to be expected that there will be some shortcomings.

While the tone is definitely not on par with a Gibson, it holds its own for the most part, and gets better sounding over time thanks to its solid top. And if you want an inexpensive solid top acoustic guitar, you’ll be hard pressed to find one that looks and sounds better than the Ibanez AC240 in this price range.

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