ibanez aeg8 acoustic electric

[demerix]

hey guys,

anyone had a chance to try out this guitar? im relatively new at guitars and am thinking of getting an acoustic electric for my first. been eyeing the aeg8 for quite some time now, like the looks haha. need some comment from more experienced players.

need some advice tho, should i not bother with an acoustic electric and just get an acoustic? (only difference i presume is it being able to be plugged in to an amp)

oh, and i noticed acoustic electric guitars are somewhat slimmer than normal acoustic guitars. is there a difference in sound (unplugged) due to the profile?

btw, the ibanez aeg8 is quoted at around 400 from swee lee's online store.

thanks in advance!

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Electro-acoustics are not necessarily slimmer than pure acoustics. Consider two dreadnoughts - one with pickup and one without. One is an electro-acoustic and one is a pure acoustic.

If you won't be using the pickup much, you might as well get a pure acoustic, and buy a soundhole pickup to go with it when the need for plug-in arises.

On the topic of Ibanez acoustic guitars, try before you buy because the quality control is very inconsistent with their acoustics (excluding the Artwood series). I've heard good things about the PF60 but when I played one at the store, it was a nightmare. I personally have an Ibanez SGT120 that I like very much, so yeah considering well-made Ibanez acoustics, I'd recommend them.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Oh and about difference in tone between a smaller-bodied acoustic and a bigger-bodied one, the smaller-bodied acoustic will sacrifice a bit of bass response, so they tend to have a much brighter, more trebly tone, which is something some guitarists like.

 

[demerix]

thanks a ton for the input!

yeah i was worried about the inconsistencies in quality as i probably wont be able to tell at the shop being a beginner.

hmm i was kinda looking for a slimmer acoustic as i think it will be easier to play and lug around with the slimmer profile. with a budget of around 400 bucks, would you guys be able to recommend an acoustic and an acoustic electric that has a slim profile and preferably a cutaway shape (just preference, im a sucker for aesthetics =/). sorry i know there are tons of other threads asking for recommendations, i read thru em and noticed most recommend takamines or jack and danny's. i checked out the JnD site and noticed some acoustic electrics they manufacture have plastic (i think) backs. whats the difference there?

pardon my ignorance, thanks in advance again!

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Plastic backs give an unusual sound but they're supposed to give a smoother sound. Ovations use plastic back and sides. Perhaps you could go for an Ovation Celebrity or buy a second-hand Yamaha APX? Both are small-bodied with cutaway and pickup, and their quality control is quite consistent so you don't really have to worry about inconsistent quality, but of course try before you buy.

I'd also recommend Jack and Dannys though. I think they're really bang for buck. But if you're aesthetics-conscious, you can't go wrong with a Yamaha APX or Ovation Celebrity. They're both very distinctive in terms of design.

If you're worried about testing because you're a beginner and can't play much, you can just try them out by strumming open chords, because open chords are a good way to judge a guitar's tonal characteristics. Even I test acoustic guitars with open chords because they really tell a lot about the tone.

Hope this helps!

 

[demerix]

thanks man, youve been a great help. yep im checking out the ovations they look pretty sweet too. any recommended places to check out these ovations? and the rough pricing if possible. i know jack/danny's are from ranking sports from what i read.

thanks man once again! cant wait to start!

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Ovations can be found at City Music. It's at Parklane along Selegie road I think... The website is www.citymusic.com.sg

Rough pricing.. Not quite sure because I haven't really tested the Ovations at City Music before. Everytime I go City Music I always test the Martins. :mrgreen:

 

[demerix]

went to citymusic today to check out the ovations, the cheapest was the cc24 i think at $505. would it be a good first guitar for that price? i read a few reviews and got mostly mixed responses, some saying it sounds funny, not loud enough etc lol

 

[Kinokunya]

have you tried the AEG8 yourself? I was aiming for that same model after deciding to switch over to electric-acoustic. I had only 4 months experience then, but the AEG8 was made on a smaller scale, hence I settled for an AW15ECE at Swee Lee instead. Pickup wise, I had the same mindset as you, that I could just plug it in to an amp when I feel like but I don't play by the amp a lot.

And the extra weight just doesnt justify for that. I'm not complaining, but it I think it would haven been better if I went for a pure acoustic instead. That's the beauty of acoustics isn't it. Sing and strum anywhere u like, unplugged.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Ah. The beauty of the acoustic guitar. No need to use amplifiers, cables, pedals or all that crazy stuff. I personally find the steel-string acoustic guitar the most beautiful sounding instrument out there.

Besides, if you get a pure-acoustic, you can still fit it with a soundhole pickup, which can be fitted and removed very easily and quickly, usually without the need to remove the strings. Problem with this is that you lose the resonance of the guitar. Either way, soundhole pickup or active, built-in pickup, the tone will sound a little 'produced'.

I heard that the best way to really duplicate your guitar's tone is to mic up your acoustic directly by placing a microphone facing the fretboard where the neckjoint is. Prone to feedback and your movement is quite limited, but it will capture your acoustic guitar's tone the best.

But if you're not too particular about tone, you can use any of the three ways. But most recording artists, when recording in the studio, record their acoustic guitars using the microphone method. If I'm not wrong. :mrgreen:

 

[Dime]

What a waste.The Ibz you were referring to didnt come in vintage sunburst.Well I've tried one of the high end Ibz and to tell you the truth it sounds terrible.A much cheaper model sounded better in my opinion.It felt great,sounds great.It had everything the higher end model didnt.

But sadly I cant remember the specific models of the guitars is tested.This is just to show that these guitars do not have consistent quality.

You may want to try the Epiphone EJ-200.A relatively affordable yet quality piece of guitar.Tested it and i think its great.A jumbo size guitar so mind the weight and structure of it.