essentially it's got humbuckers, and we all know humbuckers go well with rock/blues/etc. the hollowbody tempers the edginess of the pups, it gives an 'airy' and 'breathy' quality, a kind of resonance and decay that les pauls lack. it's very good for a good rhythm sound, but if pushed it'll handle lead equally as well. after all, bb king uses a hollowbody with humbuckers.
the jazz/blues angle these guitars get = primarily due to the humbuckers being so warm and all, and the sustain these guitars get (set neck, stop tailpiece) as well as the classic good looks.
the artcores are very well made guitars. one of my band members has one, and it's built to japanese standards. the fretboard is typical ibanez: thin, a bit wide, flat as hell and fast. construction is clean, very meticulous and worth the price paid. tuners are smooth and the pups are decent. will handle rock well, but not metal, not nu-metal, not anything that heavy. britpop has a special affinity with hollowbodies: the jangle they get is very much due to that.
