I can't say enough good things about the Ibanez AF95. It's like having a Gretsch in the corner to play, but without spending $4,000. Seriously. It sounds as good and (seems very similar) to the Gibson ES-175. My dad had one, so that's what he says and he would know ; being a studio and live musician for years. These guys are real (completely hollow, no tone block) hollow bodies made from real maple, and the top and back sides on mine are pretty beautiful when cast in the light. The finish under low lighting looks almost black from a distance.
The Inlay is abalone with mother of pearl framing on the neck, the bridge / tail piece and on the headstock. Features a very nice bridge humbucker (which produces cool 'twangy' cleans, and rich full leads) and a neck humbucker that has that 'creamy' jazz box sound. It's seriously everything that I wanted in a hollow body and I couldn't be happier with this guitar.
Action is quite low (especially for a hollow body) and the neck is a thinner radius ; and pretty fast. Feels like it has some weight, and substance. The top and sides are real flamed maple. The neck is solid mahogany. POTs are crappy and I may replace them -- especially if one acts up in the future. Tail piece is thick, tough metal and nothing looks cheap / thin or like it could break on you at all. It's a well made I-bee. Even the pick guard is made from a solid hunk of curly maple. I also like this guitar because it compliments my other curly maple solid body (visually) and sounds like a much more expensive guitar probably due to just the materials / woods they used as opposed to an Epiphone hollow body for example.
I've never been a big fan of Epiphone DOTs, and I think the Ibanez is a superior instrument for the money. Of course, you'll find as always with any (foreign factory made) guitars some are made much better than others ; which is why you have to play them before you buy them. I almost never buy a guitar without playing it first. The exception was the Fernandes with Sustainer.
The nut I replaced with a graph tech one, and I may replace the tuners with grovers eventually, because the guitar is worth having better hardware added. Perhaps Gibson pickups later too, but I like the stock ones just fine.
Of course, one nice feature of the AF95 is the fact that the tail piece / bridge is pretty dang solid and doesn't go out of tune. Another thing I love about this guitar - turn up distortion, on the bridge pup and she starts to sound like a hearty Gibson Les Paul. It's a really meaty distortion tone with lots of depth. The clean tones range from slightly twangy to silky smooth.
If you're looking for a good, inexpensive hollow body I highly suggest the AF95 - for it's materials, tone, and look. It's worth the extra money over the AF75 too. I played a few AF75 models, and I felt like (while it's the same guitar) it lacked something in the fit and finish department. If I can find one of the limited gold-top AF75's though, I'll have to make it mine.
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