I own this guitar for over a year now. I was in the market for a budget friendly acoustic guitar for my non electric noodling needs. I always dreamed of a black acoustic, but on my search I found this Ibanez beauty. I'm not yet a very skilled player, so high end guitars were out of the question. I'm always looking for the best value for money and this guitar caught my eye, based on reviews and looks.
It was set up nicely out of the box. It looks stunning, I can't find a single flaw on the enitre guitar. Solid build, nice binding all around, the bone nut is well cut. Even the inside of the body is extremely neatly done. No glue residue, no rough edges, no weird stains or deposits. The strings needed replacement though. The mahogany open pore top gives the guitar a warm look and feel. The neck feels very comfortable - no fret sprout at all and the tuners are smooth and work well. The sustain is massive, as is the clarity of the tones it produces.
Even though it's an Grand Orchestra size guitar, it's loud when strummed hard. It has a lot more character than the Yamaha APX500 guitar I played years ago.
So far I own a Fender Baja Telecaster (Mexico) and PRS Singlecut SE (South Korea) electric guitar, and this Ibanez AC340 is at the same quality level, even though it is built in China. Ideal for people who don't want to spend a fortune, but still expect a quality instrument.
It's hard to find any cons, even after more than a year. Only on the astetics part, I could say that the mahogany back and sides show gorgeous sort of flame, which changes as you turn it around in the light. The top doesn't show this, probably because this is solid. Yet the flame would add even more to the gorgeous looks.
On a relative budget, this guitar offers a lot of quality and playing pleasure. Recommended.
