Ibanez AC340OPN Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand with a long history and reputation for high-quality, innovative instruments. Founded in 1957, Ibanez has become one of the most recognizable names in guitars and bass guitars.

The company first gained popularity in the 1960s and 70s by copying popular American guitar designs, often with improvements. This helped Ibanez guitars get noticed by big name guitarists like George Benson, Joe Pass, and Paul Stanley of KISS.

By the late 1970s, Ibanez was designing its own original guitar models, focusing heavily on playability, tone, and modern rock aesthetics. Key Ibanez innovations included fast, thin neck profiles, exotic tonewoods, bold body shapes, and cutting-edge electronics.

Today, Ibanez offers guitars in a wide range of styles and price points. Models like the RG and S series exemplify the Ibanez commitment to shred-friendly electric guitars. On the acoustic side, Ibanez designs incorporate unique body shapes and electronics options not found elsewhere.

With its distinctive designs and high build quality, Ibanez has cemented itself as a leading guitar brand for professionals and aspiring players alike. The AC340OPN reviewed here aims to bring classic Ibanez playability and looks to the acoustic world.

Construction

The Ibanez AC340OPN features an all mahogany body, which produces a rich, complex tone with strong mid-range frequencies. Mahogany is commonly used for acoustic guitar bodies due to its resonant qualities and ability to project sound.

The top is made of solid cedar, which helps produce a warm, sweet sound. Cedar is light in weight, allowing the guitar to resonate freely. It also has a tight, straight grain that helps reflect overtones back into the body.

The back and sides are open pore, which exposes the wood's grain. This gives the guitar a more natural look and feel compared to a glossy finish. Open pore is also more environmentally friendly since it avoids the use of lacquers or synthetics.

Overall the all-mahogany body with solid cedar top provides a balanced and responsive acoustic tone. The open pore finish allows the Ibanez AC340OPN to vibrate naturally for optimal resonance and sustain. The construction quality of this Ibanez model makes it a great option for players looking for a rich, resonant acoustic guitar tone at an accessible price point.

Another comparable acoustic guitar to consider is the Yamaha CG122MS. This model features a solid Engelmann spruce top paired with mahogany back and sides. The combination produces a balanced tone with crisp highs, warm lows, and pronounced mids. The mahogany neck provides stability and sustain. It has a natural satin finish that allows the wood to resonate freely. The Yamaha CG122MS utilizes a scalloped bracing pattern that optimizes the top's vibration. This results in a responsive guitar with impressive projection and volume. The slim neck profile and comfortable body size make this a very playable instrument. The CG122MS delivers quality Yamaha craftsmanship and impressive specs at an accessible price point. Overall, it's another great option to consider for players looking for an affordable, quality made acoustic with versatile tone.

Body Style

The Ibanez AC340OPN has a classic dreadnought body shape with a generous lower bout that provides balanced and powerful acoustic resonance. The body depth is 4 1/4" deep, which gives it a robust bass response while still being comfortable to hold.

The dreadnought design with its wide waist allows easy access to the higher frets while the shape puts the soundhole in an ideal position for volume and projection. The body is made of ovangkol which has a dense grain resulting in bright and defined tone.

The standard dreadnought scale length of the AC340OPN gives it a rich, deep voice that fills the room. The body proportions and bracing work together to create rich lows, balanced mids, and clear articulate highs.

In addition to the AC340OPN, Ibanez also offers other high quality acoustic guitars such as the Ibanez GRX 6 GRX70QATVT. This is a 6 string acoustic guitar with a grand concert body style. It features a spruce top with mahogany back and sides for a balanced and rich tone. The GRX70QATVT has a slim neck profile for comfortable playing and 20 frets for extended range. Electronics include an Ibanez AEQ-SP2 preamp with onboard tuner for plugging into an amplifier or PA system.

The grand concert body shape of the GRX70QATVT provides excellent comfort and playability while still delivering full and vibrant acoustic tones. The smaller body style compared to a dreadnought allows for greater maneuverability and ease of playing, especially for smaller framed players. The spruce and mahogany tonewood combination produces a balanced frequency response across the tonal spectrum.

Other features of the Ibanez GRX70QATVT include chrome die-cast tuners for precise and accurate tuning stability. There is also an Ibanez Advantage bridge which allows for optimal intonation and saddle position adjustments. The rosette and body binding provide an elegant cosmetic touch to the instrument as well. For amplification and live performance, the Ibanez AEQ-SP2 preamp gives you quality onboard electronics.

In summary, the Ibanez AC340OPN dreadnought and GRX70QATVT grand concert models exemplify the diversity of body styles and features available in Ibanez acoustics. While they have their distinct voices and playing characteristics, they both offer the craftsmanship and attention to detail that players expect from Ibanez guitars. Whether you prefer the booming projection of a dreadnought or the comfort and versatility of a grand concert, Ibanez has an option to match your needs.

Neck

The AC340 has a Mahogany neck which contributes to the guitar's warm, mellow tone. Mahogany is a popular choice for acoustic guitar necks as it provides strength and stability as well as good tone. The neck has a comfortable slim taper "C"-shaped profile which allows easy access to the higher frets. The width at the nut is 1.69” (43mm) which is a good size for most players. The scale length is 25.6" (650mm) which is a conventional scale length found on many steel-string acoustics. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret, giving the guitar a classic dreadnought look and feel. Overall the neck design offers a nice balance of playability, comfort, and traditional aesthetics.

Fretboard

The AC340OPN features a beautiful ovangkol fretboard. Ovangkol is known for its warm, round tone that enhances the guitar's acoustic resonance.

The fretboard has a 12" radius and 20 frets. The flat 12" radius provides a nice in-between feel - not too curved like a classical guitar, but not super flat like an electric guitar. This allows for comfortable chording while still facilitating subtle string bending.

The 20 frets give a nice range on the fretboard, going all the way up to the 20th fret before hitting the body. This allows access to higher notes on the neck when soloing or playing leads. Many cheaper acoustics will have only 19 or 18 frets.

Overall, the ovangkol fretboard with its 12" radius and 20 frets gives the AC340OPN a very playable feel that provides versatility for both rhythm and lead playing.

Bridge

The Ibanez AC340OPN features Ibanez's Acoustic Guitar Aged Alder Bridge. This bridge is made from Alder wood, which is known for its balanced tone and ability to give crisp, defined notes. Alder is a warm, full-bodied tonewood that provides a nice contrast to the brightness of the spruce top.

The bridge design on the AC340OPN has a classical look with a rounded belly shape. This rounded shape allows the strings to vibrate freely. The bridge is glued directly to the top, allowing excellent energy transfer for a full, rich tone.

Overall, the Alder bridge complements the spruce top nicely, allowing both warmth and brightness to come through. The classical design gives it aesthetically pleasing looks and provides room for the strings to resonate. This is a thoughtfully designed bridge that suits the character of the AC340OPN.

Hardware

The AC340OPN features quality hardware that enhances its sound, playability and tuning stability. It has open gear chrome tuners with a vintage aesthetic that provide precise and reliable tuning. The tuners are mounted on an ebony headplate that matches the fretboard for a unified look.

The nut is made from bone, which is an ideal material that promotes clear, resonant tones as the strings pass over it. Bone absorbs little vibration compared to other synthetic materials, allowing all the string vibration to reach the body and produce full-sounding notes. The bone nut is precisely cut for proper string spacing and low friction.

Overall, the hardware components on the AC340OPN are high-end and built to last. The tuners keep the guitar in tune through playing sessions and transport, while the bone nut optimizes tone production. This hardware allows the solid spruce top to ring out with its full potential.

Sound

The Ibanez AC340OPN produces a warm, balanced tone thanks to its solid mahogany top, back, and sides. The all-mahogany body gives it a rich, rounded sound with nice bass response and sweet mids. However, the mahogany construction also means it lacks the sparkling highs of spruce or cedar topped guitars. Overall, the mahogany body creates a pleasing, mellow voice perfect for blues, jazz, and fingerstyle playing. It offers enough projection for playing solo gigs, but doesn't have the cutting treble tones to compete with a loud band. The open pore natural finish allows the mahogany to vibrate freely, enhancing resonance and sustain. While not as loud as spruce tops, the AC340OPN still projects nicely when played with a light touch thanks to its medium depth body. Players looking for more volume can use heavier strings to help drive the top harder. The smooth mahogany sound makes this a great choice for those who want an affordable, bluesy acoustic with lots of warmth.

Playability

The AC340OPN features a super smooth action and comfortable neck that makes it a joy to play. The slim neck profile provides excellent comfort and playability for a wide range of hand sizes.

While some acoustic guitars can have high action that requires pressing the strings down hard, the AC340OPN has very low action right out of the box. This allows easy fretting and makes it comfortable for long practice sessions without fatigue.

The soft finish on the back of the neck also enhances the guitar's playability. It feels smooth and allows fast up-and-down maneuvering. Overall, the Ibanez AC340OPN excels when it comes to playability and makes playing for extended periods a breeze.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Solid top acoustic guitar at an affordable price
• Mahogany back and sides provide a balanced tone
• Thin neck profile is comfortable and playable
• Fishman Sonicore pickup system captures natural acoustic sound
• Attractive open pore natural finish

Cons

• Not as loud as a fully solid wood guitar
• Electronics can produce feedback at high volumes
• Midrange tones can overpower bass and treble
• Heavier than other acoustic-electric models
• Prone to fret buzz on lower frets