Ibanez AW-54 OPN review/demo

[@vinaymulukutla358]

I just bought this guitar this afternoon itself. The story is that I had been looking to get a good acoustic but didn’t know where to go from there. So I went to my local guitar store and decided to look at some acoustics. The salesman suggested this guitar. I tried it and I loved the feel of it. It wasn’t the shape that was particularly endearing to me but I did love the all mahogany appearance. Then I tried several others, some considerably more expensive. None of those had such a smooth and warm sound as well as a very comfortable feel. In the end, I ended up talking this one home. I know it will be an epic experience with this guy.

[@Frans_Zietsman]

Got one today. So far one of the best acoustics ive ever owned.

[@outsidethepyramid]

... but you have never owned one previously.

[@hadeseye2297]

@@outsidethepyramid xD

[@ちくてぬしくけて]

Wow! This guitar feels like a $600 guitar, but is only $200! It's not going to be the best sounding guitar, but for its price, I am totally stumped at how well it's built! I can't get over the sound! My seagull s6 slim sounds slightly better, but that's a $600 guitar. Ibanez, keep up the good work in making great budget/starter guitars!

[@David-q1k4k]

That AW54 with all that mahogany has sustain that is incredible, it sings ! 🤩

[@chasterling237]

I got one of these a few months ago, I can't get over the low end you get out of this thing. You normally have to fork out some good money for the low end. Super well balanced and sounds better than my Epiphone masterbilt and that was an actual 600 dollar guitar.

[@hoffguitars479]

I agree! I recently got an ibanez aw150 and it still can’t match low end with the aw54.

[@notenoughodinson5912]

really appreciate this review, I was on the fence about buying it but you've convinced me.

[@bullseye11b]

Bought a lefthanded model of this over a year ago. It’s held up well. I want to upgrade the nut and saddle to bone. I would like to lower the action a little more. I got lucky with it, I did not really know the first thing about guitars when I bought it. It was just a good looking guitar in my price range and later found that it had positive reviews.

[@piotrdabkowski457]

I have this model since last summer. This is not only for playing. I spend a lot of time just looking at it ;) is just beautiful ;)

[@fezze0830]

I have had this guitar for about a year now. I love it. Interestingly, I bought a Taylor Big Baby and I’m not crazy about it. It feels like quality, but I’m still on the fence about it.The Ibanez has made more expensive guitars disappointing to me. I got the Ibanez set up with a tusq nut and saddle and the plays like a dream.

[@joshfeatherstone8546]

I have the cutaway version of this guitar. It lives on my couch so I can grab anytime I feel like playing. My bandmate has the cutaway as well and he even uses his to play live in small venues. It’s definitely a good looker and it sounds great at the price point . Thanks for the video

[@bazthehandyman]

Had mine about 18 months and love it.

[@michaelmarcantuono1374]

Was looking at a Fender Paramount! This for my second guitar after learning the basics on a crappy amazon one with a damaged fretboard. Just noticed this as it has a simular design and has glowing reviews :) thank you so much i just bought one of these Ibanez ones

[@tiagogomes4114]

love the bassy sound

[@jilliampee7529]

I agreed!! It has a big sound and projects very well. I just had mine for a month actually :)

[@todd92371]

Great review. Great playing and thank you.

[@lengross4126]

Finally located one to buy as they are in short supply these days. If mine sounds as good as yours I'm going to be a happy camper.

[@gustafsk]

Thanks for the good review! I ordered one and can’t wait to try it out

[@hoffguitars479]

Awesome! I do really love those guitars and I’m sure you will to!

[@BGM6474]

Love this video i got a solid top cutaway with a solid spruce top with lamnate mahogany back and sides and im also playing for my church.

[@ambiguationdotnet]

thanks for this! just ordered one! :-)

[@Nilzipan]

I bought a B stock for 150 British pounds. Brand new with a tiny scratch on the neck. It's an absolute beauty 🎸🎸🎸 a lefty too.

[@jniterry4194]

Great video! I'm thinking of getting one of these guitars. I would probably be playing mostly country/western and bluegrass music with it. Do you think it would do well for those genres? Thanks.

[@hoffguitars479]

yes it does! i play mostly christian and country/ western and it is great. i will say that finger picking on it is great but it doesn’t sound quite as good when strumming as my old pf15 ibanez that i have.

[@jniterry4194]

Thank you.

[@PatrickAllen]

Great vid jordan. Thanks! Looks like a real great guitar! Does it stay in tune?

[@hoffguitars479]

actually it does stay in tune pretty well. also thanks for the feedback!

[@eddiet2]

I have it also. It came with strings too high, but I fixed that. Now it plays wonderfully. Would buy again.

[@indianrockstrat]

I just picked mine up. Sounds great acoustically or through my Helix multi-effect. I think the location of the front strap pin made my strap just barely long enough when extended as far as it will go. I was wondering about lemon oil etc ? Seems the advice on the forums is only put a little oil on a rosewood fretboard, nowhere else. And they suspected Ibanez did put a finish on this guitar despite the "open pore." So no oil or polish anywhere?

[@hoffguitars479]

i have never used oil but that is because most of my knowledge about guitars i picked up myself. it sounds like a good idea though because it will protect against dust and finger oils.

[@armandpaterno1492]

how much is it?

[@stormengine3261]

The newer ones are Okoume top, sides, and back. And the necks are made of Nyatoh now. No longer mahogany but supposedly sounds similar. Looks kinda like hogs. I'm getting one and changing out the nut and saddle for bones. Should sound tons better when I do. Sucks Ibanez doesn't sell a hardshell case for dreadnoughts on sweetwater though. That's where I'm getting one. 229$

[@lukaszstefaniak2025]

Good one. My Cort MR600F NS sounds so similar. Greetings from NL Mate🎼🎸

[@karelkalus7319]

What about Fender CD-60 S all mahogany? It is slightly cheaper in our country. The main difference I see is glossy vs. open pore finish. I found a lot of good reviews on the Fender. Not so much on Ibanez. They tend to test electro-acoustic version, which is probably overkill for beginner like me :-) Unfortunatelly right now it is not possible try them out in the shop. I guess they should be quite similar, right?

[@hoffguitars479]

I just tried a CD60 a few months ago and I really liked it! Good sound and played well.

[@Bucanero95]

Is it just me? Or this guitar is just too good for the price?

[@demolitionwilliams7419]

It's too good for the price. I own one (the AW54CE-OPN: cut away and acoustic electric version) and it'd my absolute best guitar I've owned including the martins I owned. Im buying one for my friend here in abt 30 min. 199?? Come on everyone should own this

[@armandpaterno1492]

how much is it tho? please include if its usd or euro

[@dimitrisoikonomou5607]

@@armandpaterno1492 The Ibanez AW-54 OPN costs 210€ in Greece.

[@dimitris70]

​@@dimitrisoikonomou5607Γειά σου Δημήτρη Την έχεις δοκιμάσει αυτή την κιθάρα;

[@mertgunes9854]

Hey mate, great videos! I've been wondering about getting this guitar but they don't have it in stock at my local shop, they just have the smaller, travel version of it (aw54jr). I'd like to learn Tommy Emmanuel type of fingerpicking, so I guess I shouldn't start learning on the smaller guitar. If I order the bigger one, it'll come from another city, so what are your thoughts?

[@hoffguitars479]

i would order from amazon if they have it in stock. easy to return if it comes broken and pretty good customer service. if not, you can order from sweetwater or guitar center too.

[@ricktemmen6272]

Nice review, thanks. BTW does it come with Grover Turner's my Ibanez ac240 which is the 000 version did come with Grover Turner's. Thanks again 👍

[@hoffguitars479]

you know im not sure. i will have to check!

[@ricktemmen6272]

@@hoffguitars479 I'm guessing that it doesn't. Mine has Grover Tuners but cost $100 more ... Now that I have the 000 version I think I might like the Dreadnought version too. Ibanez is a great Company. 😎👍

[@PeekaPeep]

Got my eye on the left-handed version of this guitar as a possible 2nd purchase in the pure acoustic department at some point down the road. This might be the one where I end up upgrading the nut and saddle to either bone or Tusq, though. For the price it's listed at, kinda puts Yamaha's higher-priced FG-850 to shame to be honest. Ibanez's R&D staff must be doing something right if the AW54's any indication... >;-)

[@copyandoriginal]

Hi ....I got two options.... ibanez aw54opn and Takamine gd11m.... which one you recommend?

[@hoffguitars479]

You know they’re almost the identical guitar, just made by different manufacturers. I think you’ll like both but I’ve never played a tech Takamine gd11m. I looked up a couple of videos about the takamine and I think it’s an awesome guitar. I think the Ibanez has a little bit of a deeper tone though. That’s the best I could tell from the videos. They’re both about the same price so I think either is a great bye! Also for $300, you can get either of those models with a cut away, And electric pick ups.

[@indianrockstrat]

I'm looking at the AW54CE OPN and wondering how it would sound with some reverb, chorus or delay direct to PA? I run my electrics through a Line 6 Helix at church.

[@hoffguitars479]

i’ve never tried it. i know that the guitar itself will sustain great by itself! if you were to buy the basic AW54 and get a microphone style pickup that will mount inside the sound hole, you will get great tone even without affects.

[@chasterling237]

Sounds great with a hall reverb effect

[@jqjosh]

Is that the normal size or the junior I can't tell! please get back to me as I'm deciding which one to get

[@hoffguitars479]

It’s the full sized dreadnought. I’m about 5’9” and it fits my size really well.

[@Andres-dm2tn]

Hello .. I want to buy an acoustic guitar .. but I would like to find a specific one that is a little different .. for example, I really like Gustavo Santaolalla's compositions, and specifically those of The last of us 1 and 2 .. and I would like to know which one would be better so that it is the same sound for this type of music and many more, thanks❤

[@hoffguitars479]

A lot of that will be determined by how you play and if you are using the original arrangement or you’re own. I’m not familiar with that sound track sorry.

[@bravozavalaguillermojoel8864]

You recomend this or a hummingbird artist epiphone

[@hoffguitars479]

honestly i think i would still buy the ibanez. i like the warm sounds i get when strumming or finger picking. if your going to just play a melody line than the hummingbird might be better because of a sharper clarity when picking individual strings. also, by using elixir strings you can get way better sound out of a guitar so i would recommend those for ether of instrument.

[@tusharmundra8909]

How would you compare it with fender CD-60s all mahogany ? Would be great if you could do a comparison video ?

[@hoffguitars479]

I have never played one but I would imagine they were made to complete. I personally would not buy a low end fender but that is only a personal opinion.

[@tusharmundra8909]

Acoustic Scribblings have got a budget for 200-300 usd...any particular reason for keeping off Fender at the lower end ?

[@hoffguitars479]

It’s partially due to not having played a lot of the lower end fenders lately. When I did try them out I was not impressed and just have stayed away from them since. I know Ibanez makes the quality I like because I’ve owned several of them. Once again, that’s just a personal opinion and I don’t want to steer you away from a fender guitar if that’s the right one for you. I would however recommend Orangewood guitars as I know they do wonderful quality and are very inexpensive even brand new. I will do a little research on the fender CV 60 and see what I come up with though.

[@hoffguitars479]

So I did some looking into The fender CE 60 S and I think they look pretty good. I would actually like to try one now. They get pretty good reviews online when I googled them, and I know you get pretty good tone from Mahogany, usually a little bit warmer than Spruce. Depending on if you want used or brand new, you can find the Ibanez AW-54 for both cutaway and standard, and the fender CD-60 cut away and standard on both Reverb.com and eBay. If you want them brand new I would recommend ordering through Sweetwater or Guitar Center.

[@tusharmundra8909]

Acoustic Scribblings yeah they both had good reviews so that’s what stumped me...main differences I believe are - gloss vs open pore, overall neck profile...but how that translates into sound and playability is to be seen. I was surprised that given the similarity and the obvious competition, nobody has done a review comparing them ! I am trying to find a seller here in india who has both Ibanez aw54opn and fender CD-60s all mah but haven’t been able to yet. so was hoping someone who has access to both could do a comparison.

[@Adrian-bf6zh]

where im at, its okoume and not mahogany. still worth getting?

[@hoffguitars479]

Okoume is a mahogany alternative, very similar in sound and color. When I originally made the video they advertised these as mahogany guitars but now they are all okoume. They are still great guitars.

[@Adrian-bf6zh]

@@hoffguitars479 alright. Thanks mate

[@indianrockstrat]

Any problems with the location of the front strap pin? ( as far as causing the guitar to roll in your arms )

[@hoffguitars479]

nope not with the AW54! super comfortable.

[@bigbaba6263]

is the thing for the strap supposed to be under the neck?? i'm starting out pretty soon and i already have a strap but how can i attach it to the guitar correctly?

[@hoffguitars479]

Yes it will be on the base of the neck.

[@iliketohelp8336]

SOUNDS AAAAAMAAAAZING ☘☘☘☘☘👏

[@AW-ec4mk]

Does it suit small hands?

[@andresapolinar21]

Beautiful Guitar, Hello from Colombia🇨🇴 I would like use it on church

[@sebastian_aft1793]

What's the difference between this one and the Jr version, i guess the jr is smaller right? I've never played guitar before but i wanna learn so bad, but idk which one would fit me better, I'm 5'7. Which one do you think i should get? (is it true that this guitar is the best one i could get for that price u think?)

[@hoffguitars479]

Over the last year I have played and researched lots of good guitars at good prices. These are great but there are some others out there that are about the same price and are also great. I would definitely get a full size guitar and I would make sure it has a solid top. Also, for another $100 you can get an acoustic/electric that would make it a lot easier to play live.

[@cdbtheclaw]

Do you think this is a good guitar to start learning guitar for an adult? Most beginner guitars I found or got recommended were 120-150€ and this for 50€ more looks like a steal.

[@hoffguitars479]

Yes I do. They are truly great guitars for the price!

[@cdbtheclaw]

@@hoffguitars479 Damn thank you for the quick answer! Didn't expect that on a 1 year old video.

[@c0ff33drink3r]

How is the sound compared to martin guitars?

[@hoffguitars479]

Warmer but not as clear as the lower end Martins I have played.

[@chrisd.8106]

The Top is solid okume Which is more like Maple Than Mahogany But this sounds great live, I've played it at my local GC

[@hoffguitars479]

the cutaway aw54 has an okume top but all the info ive found on line for the standard model that i have is an all mahogany design.

[@JayLovesProgramming]

just got one on ebay for £165 is that a good deal? they seem to be pretty rare nowadays

[@hoffguitars479]

That sounds pretty good. They have gone up in price since I did this video and there seems to be fewer on the market, not sure why.

[@PepRex]

This or Yamaha FG830?

[@hoffguitars479]

I have never played a Yamaha that was not made very well, but the same for the Ibanez AW series. They both feel good and sound good. I don’t think I can tell you which one you will like better. I don’t know which one I would like better! The Yamaha will probably have better articulation and the Ibanez will be a little warmer. Based on what kind of music you play it might make a difference.

[@PepRex]

@@hoffguitars479 Thanks for the reply, I will just be learning.

[@ryanseanmusicandlove]

Cant decide this or aeg 19ii tiger burst

[@hoffguitars479]

I would decide based on tone. The tone from the aeg is going to be a lot shallower with a lot less sustain. However it is very pretty the neck looks pretty nice on it, and it has a pick up built into it. However if you get the aw54 Cut away, it will have great sustain and also comes with a pick up. It’s also about $100 cheaper. Personally I would go with the AW 54 but the aw150ece is great to. I’ll be doing a review on those soon.

[@ryanseanmusicandlove]

@@hoffguitars479 goid info #) ty!

[@ryanseanmusicandlove]

@@hoffguitars479 perfect. I appreciate the insight cant wait to get it and record/busk with it.full mahogony it is.

[@johnlestercedalla9230]

Is this guitar similar to aw54ce in terms of sound quality?

[@hoffguitars479]

I have not played the 54ce but they are made to be the same thing as far as quality and specs. The only real advantage in my opinion are the electronics.

[@klara8963]

This one or AW70ECE ? Would appreciate suggest! ❤️

[@hoffguitars479]

I will always recommend the AW54. I haven’t played an Aw70 but I’m sure they are fine too.

[@weiyungau6133]

Hi, this or a Fender CD60S All Mahog?

[@hoffguitars479]

I will always buy an ibanez before a fender but they are very comparable in specs.

[@weiyungau6133]

@@hoffguitars479 Why though? Price point they are pretty similar, and both brands pride more on their electrics rather than acoustics too. Also, the are the back and sides solid or laminate for Ibanez AW54? Because Fender's back and sides are laminated so im not too sure. Thanks! But yea why ibanez over fender?

[@hoffguitars479]

I think the sides on the Ibanez are also laminate. I will have to find a spec chart to know for sure though. As far as why Ibanez over fender, it goes back to when I first started playing guitar The fender acoustics at the music shop near me just felt really cheap. I just know that if I buy an AW series I’ll get the quality that I would expect out of a $200 guitar. I’ve never had that confidence with fender, but that might just be a preference too.

[@pmtpesmobiletrick8663]

What brand of string you are use ?

[@hoffguitars479]

Elixir. I like the nanoweb series.

[@johnlestercedalla9230]

Where can I buy this guitar?

[@hoffguitars479]

You can get them at most online music stores such as Guitar Center and Sweetwater but also Amazon.

[@johnlestercedalla9230]

Does the guitar come with a case?

[@hoffguitars479]

No just the guitar as far as I know.

[@hoffguitars479]

No just the guitar.

[@4changeyourmind662]

Ibanez aw54 or ac340 :)?

[@hoffguitars479]

Depends on the music you like. Finger picking the ac340 is probably better. All around, I’d choose the aw54 because of its versatility for strumming and finger picking.

[@fileo7777]

Почему когда рекламируют гитару,обязательно играть соль мажор ? и ре мажор,других аккордов видимо нет