NAMM 2020: Ibanez buffs up its AEG and Artwood Series acoustics at some very enticing price points

NAMM 2020: Hot on the heels of its stunning new AZ and RG electrics, Ibanez has unveiled fresh AEG and Artwood acoustic guitar models for 2020.

The updated AEG line consists of five new models, two of which (AEG70 and AEG50) are also available in left-handed versions.

At the top of the range is the AEG200, with a solid Sitka spruce top, okoume back and sides, nyatoh neck and Ovangkol bridge and fretboard.

Other features include an Ibanez T-bar undersaddle pickup and AEQ-TTS preamp with onboard tuner, Ibanez Advantage bridge pins and chrome die-cast tuners.

The guitar comes in a Natural Low Gloss finish with an estimated street price of $499.99.

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The mid-level AEG70 sports a flamed maple top, sapele back and sides, nyatoh neck and walnut fretboard and bridge. There’s also an Ibanez T-bar undersaddle pickup and AEQ-TTS preamp with onboard tuner, acrylic rosettes, Ibanez Advantage bridge pins and chrome die-cast tuners

The guitar comes in a choice of Transparent Charcoal Burst High Gloss or Vintage Violin High Gloss finishes for $399.99.

The entry-level AEG50 and AEG62 ($299.99), meanwhile, offer spruce or sapele tops, sapele back and sides, a nyatoh neck, a walnut fretboard and an Ibanez T-bar undersaddle pickup and AEQ-TTS preamp with onboard tuner, along with a variety of finish options. The AEG50 is also available in a nylon-string version. 

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On the Artwood side of things, the new Artwood Fingerstyle series consists of four guitars: two grand concerts (ACFS580CE and ACFS300CE), a dreadnought (AWFS300CE) and a grand concert baritone (ACFS380BT).

All models feature a solid spruce top, five-piece pau ferro/mahogany neck and either pau ferro or okoume back and sides.

The new guitars also boast Ibanez’s DP1 preamp and T-bar undersaddle and block contact pickup system, which adds in a pickup at the neck joint to enhance bass response and “enrich” the intensity of percussive hits to the guitar’s body.

Additionally, stereo outputs allow for the option to run both pickups through a mono signal or split the undersaddle and block contact pickups to separate outputs, making it possible for players, according to Ibanez, “to get their strumming and chord tones from one audio source, while the bass and percussive elements can be sent to a different one.”

The ACFS580CE is offered with an estimated street price of $1,199, while the ACFS380BT baritone is available for $799.99. The AWFS300CE and ACFS300CE, meanwhile, are each priced at $699.99.

For more information on all the new acoustics, head to Ibanez.