Ibanez George Benson LGB300

The first electric guitar I'd ever owned was an Ibanez double cut-away, thin-line hollow-body with F holes that I received for Christmas in the mid-80's. It was inexpensive, but it took all the abuse a kid could throw at it. I moved on from that guitar, but I never forgot about it, especially with George Benson tearing it up on his very own Ibanez signature model. As I've owned quite a few Archtops over the years - L5s, D'Angelico, Epiphone, etc. - I've loved every one in one way or another, but they've all had their quirks and/or unexpected shortcomings. I'm not finding any "real" negatives with this guitar. In studio sessions, this guitar has proven to be a tonal powerhouse. Pickup combinations, volume, and tone management on this guitar can be subtle or right down in-your-face - your choice, as you can dial it in with unexpected tonal diversity. I paired it with a Henriksen JA 312, BOSS RV6 Reverb, and strung it up with TI JS 112 flat-wound Jazz “Swing” strings, and man does it sing. I did change up the action to 1/16" (6) - 3/34" (1) with dead-on straight neck relief, and the guitar handles this perfectly without buzz or drop-off. The rolled-edge neck edge is simply a must for chordal melody, and long sessions in general, and the guitar has it... so comfortable. There's one other thing about this guitar that is worth nothing... it's built like a tank, with beautifully sculpted thickness were it matters. Nitrocellulose is an awesome finish and pays dividends over time, but if you're traveling consistently with your guitar, you're going to ding that finish and then cry about it, because it's going to typically be very obvious. The finish on this guitar... I bumped the headstock into a running ceiling fan and there was no noticeable ding to the finish, but the ceiling fan blade did not fare so well. Doh! (I do not endorse or in any way recommend attempting to reproduce my stupidity, 'cause as always... results will vary). The trade-off with the finish Ibanez uses is that it adds weight to the guitar, but if you're resting that guitar on your thigh, you won't likely notice it. Overall, the fit and finish of the guitar is immaculate and impeccable, and the attention to detail is en par with the big archtop makers, if not surpassing them.

Submitted by: mahoney-bellevue on 12/13/2021 11:27:59 AM