Ibanez AW54OPN Acoustic Guitar: Full Review

The Ibanez AW54OPN is a dreadnought style acoustic guitar with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Part of Ibanez's Artwood series, it delivers warm, balanced tones well-suited for a variety of musical styles. The AW54OPN features a classic dreadnought body shape with a hand-selected solid Sitka spruce top, known for its excellent resonance and volume projection. The mahogany back and sides provide a warm, rounded low end that balances nicely with the crisp treble tones from the spruce top. With its traditional design and quality tonewood combination, the Ibanez AW54OPN offers an authentic acoustic guitar voice at an accessible price point. This guitar provides a great option for players looking for an affordable, well-made dreadnought with classic looks and sound.

Body Style and Design

The Ibanez AW54OPN has a classic dreadnought body shape with a gloss natural finish. As part of Ibanez's Artwood series, it has a stylish and refined but simple aesthetic. The dreadnought design produces a full-bodied and loud acoustic tone, while the smaller lower bout adds balance and increased comfort while playing. The natural finish nicely shows off the solid ovangkol back and sides. Overall the body style and design provides an attractive and functional package for acoustic players.

The dreadnought body style is one of the most popular and iconic shapes for acoustic guitars. Its large body produces a booming, bassy tone that projects well. The GLARRY AEG-Black-73 (see GLARRY AEG-Black-73) is another acoustic guitar with a classic dreadnought body for full acoustic resonance. The Ibanez AW54OPN follows conventional dreadnought proportions with its wide waist and sweeping lower bout. This provides the balanced and comfortable feel that makes the dreadnought so playable. While the Ibanez has its own stylish design flourishes, the core dreadnought shape is similar to many other acoustic guitars like the AEG-Black-73. This timeless body style continues to be popular because of its versatile sound, comfort, and classic appeal.

In contrast to other common acoustic guitar shapes like the auditorium, the dreadnought produces more low-end punch and projection. Its larger size generates louder volume and more bass frequencies. The tradeoff is that dreadnoughts can sometimes sound a bit too boomy when played very hard. The Ibanez AW54OPN looks to mitigate this issue by using a solid ovangkol back and sides. Ovangkol has a nicely balanced tone that still has good lows but more articulate highs than mahogany or rosewood. This helps the Ibanez cut through a mix better when strummed hard. The GLARRY AEG-Black-73 uses laminate wood rather than solid wood, so it may not have quite the same tonal nuance and clarity.

Tonewood

The Ibanez AW54OPN features a solid spruce top, which gives it a bright and responsive voice. Though spruce is a common choice on acoustic guitars, it is highly regarded for its balanced and detailed tone that suits many playing styles. The back and sides are made of mahogany, which adds warmth and depth to the guitar's overall sound. Mahogany produces a mellow mid-range, rich overtones and good bass response. Together the spruce top and mahogany back and sides create a versatile acoustic guitar that can handle fingerpicking and strumming across a range of genres. The all-wood construction also allows the AW54OPN to have excellent resonance and projection.

When choosing an acoustic guitar, it's important to consider the tonewoods used in its construction. The type of wood affects the sound, playability and aesthetics of the instrument. Spruce is a popular top wood prized for its balanced tone, while mahogany backs and sides add warmth and sweetness. Another fantastic option for a quality acoustic guitar is the Fender 145233500. This model features solid sapele back and sides paired with a solid Sitka spruce top. Sapele has a bright, focused tone with excellent note separation. Sitka spruce provides a balanced sound with rich overtones in the mid and high frequencies. Together they create a versatile guitar suitable for all styles of playing.

The all-laminate construction of the Fender 145233500 allows for consistent sound and durability. Laminates resist cracking and warping better than solid woods. The guitar also has a slim neck profile that is comfortable for most hand sizes. It comes equipped with a Fishman preamp system that includes a built-in tuner. You can plug into an amplifier or PA system for more volume and control over your acoustic tone. Single coil pickups accurately capture the nuances of the guitar.

When shopping for an acoustic guitar, pay close attention to the tonewood combination. Spruce and mahogany is a tried and true pairing that offers balanced tone and good projection. Alternatives like the Fender 145233500 with sapele and spruce produce a slightly brighter sound with crisp note definition. Look for all solid wood construction for the best resonance. Laminates provide great durability and consistent tone. Test out the neck size and profile for comfort. Onboard electronics like the Fishman preamp give you flexibility when plugging in. With the right tonewoods and features, you can find the perfect acoustic guitar to match your budget and needs.

Neck and Fretboard

The Ibanez AW54OPN features a mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard that provide excellent playability. Mahogany is a popular tonewood choice for acoustic guitar necks because of its stability and balanced tone. It has a warm, round sound that pairs nicely with the crisp highs of a spruce top. The mahogany neck is designed for comfort, with a soft C-shaped profile that fits nicely in the hand.

The fretboard is made of rosewood, which is known for its rich overtones and complex harmonics. Rosewood adds a touch of brightness to the sound, complementing the lows of the mahogany neck. It also has excellent fretwear resistance, providing smooth playability even after years of use. The rosewood fretboard has a standard 25.6" scale length with 20 frets and pearl dot inlays. Overall, the mahogany and rosewood combo allows for vibrant, balanced tone and smooth playability that both beginners and experienced players will appreciate.

Hardware

The Ibanez AW54OPN features quality hardware that enhances its playability and tuning stability. It comes equipped with chrome die-cast tuners that hold the strings in tune exceptionally well, even during intense playing sessions. The tuners are mounted in a classy gold housing that matches the aesthetic of the guitar.

For the nut and saddle, Ibanez chose to use plastic rather than bone. While bone is considered higher quality, the plastic nut and saddle perform adequately on this model. The plastic nut helps provide clean fretting, while the saddle gives balanced string intonation across the fretboard. While an upgrade to bone may yield marginal improvements in resonance and sustain, the guitar sounds great with the stock plastic nut and saddle.

Overall, the hardware complements the guitar nicely without driving up the cost. The chrome tuners keep it in tune, while the plastic nut and saddle offer reliable performance.

Electronics

The Ibanez AW54OPN is equipped with Fishman Sonicore pickup and preamp system, which helps produce a natural amplified acoustic sound. The pickup uses an undersaddle piezo pickup design that accurately captures the guitar's natural acoustic tone. This gets fed into an onboard preamp with a simple 3-band EQ and volume control, allowing you to shape your amplified tone.

The preamp packs a good amount of power while keeping the electronics discreet. You get plenty of volume for playing live gigs or at band practice without overwhelming the guitar's inherent acoustic sound. The tone shaping options add versatility as well, letting you tweak the bass, midrange, and treble to your liking.

Overall, the Fishman preamp and pickup system provides quality amplification and flexibility in a compact unobtrusive format that doesn't distract from the AW54OPN's traditional aesthetics. It's a nice feature for players who want to occasionally amplify their acoustic guitar without compromising on natural acoustic tone.

Sound and Playability

The Ibanez AW54OPN produces a balanced, warm tone that works well for various music genres. The solid sitka spruce top provides good articulation and responsiveness while the ovangkol back and sides add bass and low-end richness. The combination of tonewoods creates nice sustain and resonance.

This acoustic guitar is known for playing very easily up and down the neck thanks to its fast, slim mahogany neck and 12" fretboard radius. The action is set low from the factory which allows effortless fretting and makes it comfortable to play for long periods. The cutaway provides easy access to higher frets. The AW54OPN plays as great as it sounds.

Pros

The Ibanez AW54OPN dreadnought acoustic guitar has several excellent qualities that make it a great option for players looking for a nice affordable acoustic.

• Quality Materials: The AW54OPN features a solid mahogany top, back, and sides. Mahogany is known for its warm, balanced tone and good projection. The guitar also has a rosewood bridge and fingerboard which add to the overall resonance and sustain.

• Onboard Electronics: The guitar comes equipped with an Ibanez AEQ-SP2 preamp and onboard tuner. The preamp provides quality amplification and effects, allowing you to plug into an amp or PA system. The tuner makes it easy to keep the guitar in tune without needing any additional accessories.

• Pleasant Sound: Overall the AW54OPN produces a very warm, balanced acoustic tone. The mahogany body results in good mid-range punch and definition. It's a versatile guitar well-suited to playing chords, fingerpicking, strumming, and more. The sound projects well unplugged or amplified.

Cons

The Ibanez AW54OPN may lack some projection and volume compared to higher-end models. The instrument uses a plastic nut and saddle rather than bone or other upgraded materials. While functional, these plastic parts can impact tone and resonance. Players looking for loud acoustic projection may find the AW54OPN lacking in this regard.

The thin polyurethane finish may also limit acoustic volume and dynamics. Heavier lacquer finishes allow more vibration to move through the top wood. This Ibanez model opts for a lighter poly finish instead, potentially reducing projection and volume.

Overall, the Ibanez AW54OPN offers playable tone at an affordable price. However, the plastic nut/saddle and thin finish likely reduce acoustic power compared to similar sized guitars with upgraded materials. Players who need more acoustic punch will have to spend more for bone nut/saddle and thicker finishes. But at this price point, some projection trade-offs are expected.

Conclusion

The Ibanez AW54OPN Artwood Series Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar is an excellent value for an entry-level acoustic-electric guitar. It delivers impressive sound and playability at a very reasonable price point.

The combination of a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides produces a balanced and full tone. The SST active preamp provides punchy amplification while retaining the guitar's natural acoustic character. Features like the comfortable mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, and chrome die-cast tuners enhance the playing experience.

While it may lack some premium appointments, the Ibanez AW54OPN excels where it counts - tone and playability. The guitar's quality construction and electronics allow it to hold its own against more expensive models. Overall, the Ibanez AW54OPN Artwood dreadnought is a great choice for acoustic guitarists looking for an affordable, quality acoustic-electric.