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Ibanez AR520HFM Hollowbody Electric Guitar - Violin Sunburst

Hollowbody Electric Guitar with Maple Top, Maple/Okoume Back and Sides, 3-pc Maple Neck, Jatoba Fingerboard, and 2 Humbucking Pickups - Violin Sunburst
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Ibanez AR520HFM Hollowbody Electric Guitar - Violin Sunburst
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Hollow Artist Series Guitar

The Ibanez AR520 is built for players who love the look of an Ibanez solidbody but want to add a dash of hollowbody character to their signal. This guitar has a chambered maple/okoume body with a carved maple top. Two Super 58 Custom humbuckers with Tri-sound electronics give the Ibanez AR520 undeniable tonal tenacity; the hollowbody construction adds an airy quality, yielding a sound that guitarists here at Sweetwater simply can't get enough of. The Ibanez AR520 also features a Gibraltar Performer bridge and Quik Change Ultra tailpiece, providing long sustain and tuning stability. Plus, the 3-piece maple neck and nearly non-existent neck heel offer supreme playing comfort.

Okoume and maple deliver standout tone

The right tonewoods will set the stage for how a guitar sounds when it's plugged in. And for the AR520, Ibanez used okoume and maple to great effect. The okoume's sustain and sonic complexity pairs perfectly with maple's brisk high-end. The hollowbody construction garnishes the rich sonic cocktail by adding an airy feel, resulting in a powerful sound that can serve up soulful licks or biting riffs when you match it up with the amplifier of your choice.

Sonic flexibility from Tri-sound electronics

The AR520 is equipped with a pair of Tri-sound switches to unlock three different "voices" per pickup. Each of the Super 58 humbuckers can be used in series, parallel, and single-coil operation, opening the door for you to explore new and unique sounds. There's a lot of tonal territory to cover here, and you'll love exploring how each configuration sounds through your favorite amplifier or modeler.

Ultra-playable 3-piece neck

The newest generations of Ibanez guitars have begun appearing with multi-ply necks, which is a massive improvement in the eyes of guitarists at Sweetwater. Multi-ply necks are ultra-rigid, which means they need less maintenance and help transmit string energy to your guitar's body more efficiently. The 3-piece set maple neck on the AR520 adds clarity and detail to your performance, which balances nicely with the richness and depth of the body woods.

Ibanez AR520 Hollowbody Electric Guitar Features:

  • Okoume body and maple top deliver a deep, rich tone
  • Hollowbody construction adds extra resonance and sustain
  • Dual Super 58 Custom humbucking pickups with Alnico magnets have a smooth, wide-ranging output
  • Tri-sound electronics for each pickup give you series, parallel, and single-coil wiring options
  • 3-piece maple neck plays fast and smooth, thanks to slim profile and smooth heel
  • Sure-Grip control knobs are easy to manipulate while you're performing
  • Gibraltar Performer bridge and Quik Change Ultra tailpiece contribute long sustain and tuning stability

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Hollowbody
  • Body Shape Standard AR
  • Body Material Maple/Okoume
  • Top Material Flamed Maple
  • Body Finish Gloss Polyester
  • Color Violin Sunburst
  • Neck
  • Neck Material 3-Piece Maple
  • Neck Shape AR
  • Neck Joint Set Neck
  • Radius 12"
  • Fingerboard Material Jatoba
  • Fingerboard Inlay Acrylic/Abalone Blocks
  • Number of Frets 22, Medium
  • Scale Length 24.75"
  • Nut Width 1.692"
  • Nut Material Plastic
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece Gibraltar Performer Quick-change Classic Tailpiece
  • Tuners Ibanez
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Super 58 Humbucker
  • Bridge Pickup Super 58 Humbucker
  • Controls 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone
  • Switching 2 x Tri-sound switches, 3-way toggle pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings .010-.046
  • Case/Gig Bag Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: AR520HFMVLS

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Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 5/5

Ibanez AR420 guitar

beautiful, well made, very affordable - doesn't get any better from Ibanez
Rated 5/5

Buz

Buz issue solve,sweetwater tech was very helpfull,send me some new excellent strings and told me to do some rod adjustment and that solve the buzzing ,thank you,Adrian,will continue to buy from this great
company.
Rated 5/5

Great tone, great looking, great price

You don't get a lot for your cash anymore. This is my new #1. Tap switches gives it real range and versatility, and it has classic good looks. I have Gibson's,Fenders, Ibanez's, Danelectro 12, Yamaha's...and more. This can run with any one of em in ANY genre you want. Abalone inlay is the cherry on top. Great guitar, better value.
Music background: Retired, failed guitar god
Rated 5/5

Nice guitar for the money.

I'm tired of the Les Paul look, as well as stratocasters in their progeny. I wanted a semi-hollow body that look good, we're I could split the humbuckers. Tyler, my guitar wrap Guru, suggested this Ibanez and 3 days later was out of the box and I was playing it. Didn't have to do much of the setup, except for maybe two maybe three strings that was slightly off with the information. The neck have the correct amount of relief. Unlike a full-size Gretsch or D'angelico guitar this guitar was easy to hold, was like wait, and played well. The action was excellent, the humbucker sounds great, and there were three positions to each coil split, we'll all stay on the p r s which I have only other two position coil split. It would have been nice if this model had a tremolo but hey you can't have everything. The guitar looks great, sounds great and plays great.
Music background: Mid-level guitar musician who writes his own music and does an occasional gig
Rated 5/5

Well made and sounds great.

I don't believe I'll be swapping pickups LOL! I fact I don't even wanna take off the control cover but I'm sure I will. Finish is excellent, frets nice.
Mini switches down, are NORMAL SERIES HUMBUCKER. Middle, is split coil and up, IS PARALLEL. Parallel is like split but quiet to my ears. Has pretty decent acoustic volume so it's worth considering instead of a "335". I had an AS73 and it's a lot bigger so the hollow sound is pitched somewhat deeper but I love this guitar so far. I'm more of a jazz R&B guy so you'd think I'd want the bigger one but no.

You can work it into a jazz tone if you like but it's plenty bright too wide open.

You can vary the blend of front/rear pickups by switching the one you want less of to parallel or split. Works nice. If you absolutely need blend control your gonna have to go 335ish (or do a crazy mod).

Fits like a glove in a Les Paul case!
Music background: 40 years pro now just playing arounf
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