“Fully geared as much as maximize the acoustic doable of the instrument”: Ibanez joins the secondary soundhole circulation with the AE Performer sequence – which debuts innovative recent A.I.R. Port machine
NAMM 2024: Ibanez has debuted the AE Performer sequence – an all-recent collection of acoustic guitars that joins the Japanese brand’s AE collection, launching a critical functional appointment.
Lining up alongside the regular AE and AE Platinum ranges, the 2 flagship AE Performer six-strings are designed to “provide an instrument with excessive-cease appears and functions at a very participant pleasant brand level”, and does so by recruiting Ibanez’s recent A.I.R. Port machine.
Merely build, the A.I.R. Port acoustic monitoring innovation materializes in the possess of a secondary prime-mounted soundport, which is employed to abet with better participant monitoring.
It’s a critical alteration to the AE format, and a critical recent addition to the Ibanez acoustic range as a entire. Finally, it’s the principle time Ibanez has inclined the A.I.R. Port machine in no doubt one of its archaic builds, having previously perfect utilized the side sound port opinion for its extra innovative FRH10N.
To that cease, Ibanez isn’t very entirely unfamiliar with prime-mounted soundholes. It has also already inclined a side sound port make for its UKC100 ukulele.
The A.I.R. Port is in accordance to new acoustic pattern suggestions, and is the most new excessive-profile brand to search out the aptitude of a secondary soundport after Gibson debuted the Generation Sequence in 2021.
There are other conditions of producers dabbling in the secondary sound port methodology. Taylor has the Soundport Cutaway make, which adds one other projection port to the cutaway of its Huge Symphony guitars, and Breedlove has a Aspect Song Soundhole that seeks to present players one other “sonic perspective”.
As such, the AE Performer format appears to be a critical recent template for Ibanez, that would roll out its A.I.R. Port innovation to other acoustic families in due course.
But for now, two AE Performers dangle been unveiled to herald Ibanez’s most new range. The extra reasonably priced variant, the AE340, functions flamed okoume prime, support and facets, moreover to a Consolation Grip nyatoh neck with rounded fretboard edge medicine.
Elsewhere, a rosewood fretboard with abalone and maple inlays, rosewood scalloped bridge and bone nut and saddle will seemingly be found, with the guitar also boasting an abalone and wood rosette with soundhole binding.
Other principal appointments consist of the Ibanez T-Bar undersaddle pickup with personalized Ibanez electronics, Ibanez Advantage bridge pins and X-M bracing. The AE340 is readily on the market in a single attain: Mahogany Sunburst Excessive Gloss.
Its extra dear sibling, the AE390, is purported to be “entirely geared up with every feature wanted to maximize the acoustic and handsome doable of the instrument”, and is derived geared up with a solid German handsome prime, flamed maple support and facets, and a maple neck – all any other time, with Consolation Grip and rounded fretboard edge medicine.
To up the ante, the extra lavish providing opts for block abalone and maple inlays, flamed maple body binding and an avalon and wood rosette. Other specs are extra acquainted: bone nut and saddle, Ibanez T-Bar Undersaddle pickup, Ibanez Advantage bridge pins, X-M bracing and a scalloped rosewood bridge.
One hanging attain is readily on the market right here: Natural Excessive Gloss prime with Aqua Blue Excessive Gloss support and facets.
Designate-wise, the AE340 is readily on the market for $799, whereas the AE390 has a brand tag of $829.
To search out out extra, visit Ibanez.
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