IbanezPerformance Series PC12MHCE-OPN - Grand Concert Electro-Acoustic Guitar with Cut-Away - Open Pore Natural

I normally wouldn't buy a guitar online as you don't get to compare and contrast with other models, but I was on the lookout for an electro-acoustic to record through my DAW and this was ridiculously cheap as a Prime Day offer (very nearly half price) so I took a punt. I'm so pleased I did.I own three other guitars - a Les Paul Standard, a Strat Ultra and a Washburn dreadnought. This much cheaper Ibanez, though, has an immense amount of character, looks amazing and fills a nice gap in my soundscape.Be aware that since this is an acoustic with a cut-away, it is fairly quiet and does not have the traditional bright acoustic sound of a full bodied guitar. If that's what you're looking for you'd be better served in this price bracket by a Yamaha and a sound hole pickup (if you want to amplify or record). Of course if you put it through an amp or DAW you suddenly have a lot more options available to shape the sound.Personally I find the unamplified sound beautiful - far darker and richer than my dreadnaught. Both have their place but, like I say, this Ibanez fills a gap in the sonic palette of my guitar collection.The neck is about the same width as my Les Paul (also unusual for an acoustic) but maybe a little deeper. That makes playing acoustically a little easier for those with small hands. The open pore materials feel a little strange at first if you're used to more commonly lacquered necks (there's that character again).The action is relatively low suggesting that it would be a great beginner's guitar, but that characteristic dark sound makes it less of an obvious choice.I've seen other reviews criticising a "thin" sound. I would disagree and describe the sound as thick and rich. Other reviews have mentioned sharp frets (physically, not musically). All I can say is mine was absolutely fine. Almost all those reviews were on the American Amazon site, so maybe it's environmental factors at play.I had to say something negative for balance it would be that, although this is a great looking guitar, some of the details (e.g. the pick guard and the fretboard inlay) are representative of the cheap price, but honestly it plays and sounds remarkably well for such a low cost instrument.

Don't second guess it, just buy it. If you're looking for a throw around to take on journey's with you. Or perhaps something to play in the living room. Maybe you're a beginner starting out, or experienced player who is looking for a parlor guitar.This is a superb-sounding guitar, and much more than a throw-around. I bought this for my daughter at Christmas. A few months later she has already written 5 songs on it and can't put it down. And when she's at school I find myself sneaking a play. It has a great sound. It's not deep and rich like a dreadnought, it's got more top-end to it. It can sound a little bluesy but without the bass. You really can get a tune out of it, and I wouldn't be shy of using this at a local gig.Also, hats off to Ibinez and Amazon, the first received had a slight chip out of the body. Ibinez stressed that was highly unusual, and Amazon replaced quickly and without quibble in time for Christmas '23.My daughter loves it. And so do I secretly.UPDATED 2024It has been a year since we bought this guitar, and it's great. My daughter's guitar playing has come on leaps and bounds, and she's written many of her own songs. The guitar is holding up well, and sounds great - and I still sneak up to her room when she's out and have a play. Again, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from this company their customer support was superb.

The media could not be loaded. This looks and feels beautiful.I'm not a professional,I only play for a hobby.....(As you can tell,by my playing,i'm sure you'll all play in tune,hahaha).The video I uploaded is how it sounds with no amp,although I think it sounds great through my 15w Marshall amp.The built in Equaliser is sufficient enough to vary your sound a bit,and I also find the tuner really accurate.I first found the action a bit high because my other guitars are slightly lower,but after a while it actually felt really playable and comfortable.The neck-back is very smooth and the frets are well laid and easy to slide over,there is no sharpness anywhere on my frets.The slight buzzing you can here while I play is my finger fretting,not the actual guitar,so don't be put off with my clumsy fretting OK,lol !!!There is no fret buzz whatsoever,it gives out a pure clean sound.I find the tone really mellow and soft on the Bottom E,gradually sweetening up to the top E,and I find the sound resonates fluently with my unique style of fingerpicking,haha !!!It honestly,really is a lovely guitar though !!!I am genuinely very,very happy with it.I am growing to love this guitar more and more each time I play it.For £200,I think this is a perfect guitar for beginners and also seasoned guitarists alike I should imagine.Highly recommended in my case.Thanks Ibanez,I love it !!!

As many reviews suggest, you should buy and install quality strings and file/sand down the bridge at least 1-1.2mm (easy to do, even if you are a beginner). I used the Musicman Earthwood medium light strings, and now it sounds MUCH better than I expected. It does have some trouble staying in tune (even after applying some nut lube), but it is good enough so you don't really have to tune it after every song, so don't worry that much. I use a clip tuner instead of the built-in one because I think the latter is not very precise although still useful if you "fine tune" each string against the other afterwards. Nevertheless, these are little details you'd expect for the price, and I am still pleased with my purchase. So in conclusion, It is the best cheap guitar I've tried (after lowering the action, though).(never used it amplified, so no comments on that)

For the money this is a really good quality playable guitar and clear crisp sounds when amped up very happy