Ibanez AC240-OPN Review: Popular Artwood Series Acoustic Guitar

Ibanez AC240 Open Pore Natural Acoustic Guitar

Brand/Model: Ibanez AC240-OPN

Number of Strings: 6

Hand Orientation: Right

Body Material: Mahogany/Mahogany top

Neck Material: Mahogany

Fretboard Material: Ovangkol

Price Range: Under $300

Our Rating: 10/10

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Ibanez AC240-OPN Acoustic Guitar Review

Step back if you’re not ready to hear projection like never heard on a guitar. The AC240 has a trending record as a loud, strong, and willful guitar that can easily fill the room as orchestral guitars do.

Ibanez does it again with their gorgeous Artwood Series, and how does this AC240 acoustic guitar hold up to the high expectations of the buying crowd?

We’d say, they hold up better than you’d expect. If anything, the AC240 astounds in ways that can compete with Martin, Taylor, and Gibson. This isn’t just coming from our lips, but from the lips of the buyers.

With its grand concert size shape, all-mahogany body including a solid mahogany top, and an open pore finish, we can see why it’s invoking a raw emotion with the masses. It’s absolutely a beautiful guitar to look at and play.

You have a 25.32″ scale, 20 frets, and a 45 mm width at the nut. The mahogany body sports an ovangkol fingerboard that matches the ovangkol bridge.

The nut is made with real bone and the saddle is made with compensated bone. The tortoise shell pickguard goes beautifully with the abalone rosette, and the pearloid dot inlays finish the look.

The gear heads are definitely something to look out for. These are chrome Grover die-cast tuners with half-moon knobs. You can save the expense of upgrading the gear heads since Ibanez spared no expense on this git.

With an all-mahogany body, solid top, X bracing, ovangkol bridge and fretboard, you can bet that the sound is going to be powerful. Strong, yet rich, and warm, yet vibrant. The entire guitar is designed to enhance the traditional aspects of the orchestra guitar with modern compliments to fit into today’s world.

But, you really can’t put an expiry date on timeless.

This is a classic guitar that has no business in this price range. We say it should cost a heck of a lot more!

Pros

Price
All-mahogany
Solid top
Grover gears
Excellent sound quality

Cons

May require setup

Ibanez AC240 Artwood Series Reviews

Obviously, how can there be a negative comment on this gorgeous guitar that hits it out of the ballpark with anyone who sets eyes and hands on it? It’s a perfect specimen that offers loud sound, balance, and perfect intonation.

Buyer’s absolutely go gaga over the open pore finish of the AC240 that allows resonance and sound projection while also providing a raw and elegant aesthetic appeal.

The action is excellent out of the box, and little, if any, changes need to be made. However, we are realists when it comes to getting a perfect instrument out of the box.

It might not happen to you, but it may be with another buyer that may need to make a few personal tweaks to get it just right. Good thing it seems that there won’t be much tweaking to do with the Artwood guitar!

Alternative Acoustic Guitars to Consider

We’ve also reviewed the Ibanez Artwood AW54 acoustic guitar with an open pore finish. It’s also an all-mahogany guitar with a solid mahogany top. However, the AW54 has a dreadnought body versus the grand concert of the AC240.

If the budget just isn’t there to buy the AC240, then don’t give up on your hopes to own an Artwood Series guitar. The AW54 is a guitar that comes in under $200! It could be yours for the taking.

However, if you’re wanting to explore outside of the Ibanez brand, then look no further to the Alvarez Artists Series AD-60 guitar. It’s a gorgeous specimen of both mahogany and a solid spruce top. It has scalloped X bracing, a bi-level bridge, and real bone for the nut and saddle.

But that isn’t all, you’ll have to skim by the full review of the AD-60 guitar to get all the hot details!

IbanezAC240PN Artwood Grand Concert Open Pore Acoustic Guitar

Bracing: X Bracing
Tuning Machine : Chrome Grover Die-cast Tuner w/Half moon knobs
Saddle Material : Compensated Bone saddle

Ibanez AC240-OPN FAQ

What does OPN in the model name mean?

OPN stands for Open Pore Natural finish. This means that the guitar itself sports the natural color mahogany and has not been lacquered with any type of gloss or finish to fill, level, and polish the soundboard.

It’s a raw finish to allow maximum resonance and string vibration to do its job.

Are Solid Top Guitars better than Laminate?

For true acoustic tone, solid top guitars are the better option. However, they’re a lot more susceptible to accidental abuse, improper maintenance, and humidity. Especially with an open pore finish, more care and maintenance will be required.

Is this AC240 a Small Guitar?

This is a grand concert guitar that’s considered an adult or full-size guitar, however, it’s still smaller than a dreadnought. The body is 19.5″ long, 15.25″ wide, and 4.25″ deep. The guitar from tip to base is 40″ long.

Do Grand Concert Guitars have Steel or Nylon Strings?

This guitar comes pre-strung with steel strings.

Does the Artwood Guitar come with Ibanez Strings?

We’re not aware of Ibanez having their own line of strings. This guitar comes pre-strung with D’Addario EXP strings.

Does the Artwood AC240 Guitar have Ibanez Bridge Pins?

This guitar does sport Ibanez’s Advantage bridge pins. The bridge pins have a tapered edge to prevent the ball end of strings from getting caught causing the pins to come out.

The pins also have a stopper design under the bulb head to prevent pushing the pins too far into the bridge plate.

Is Rosewood and Ovangkol the same tonewood?

Ovangkol is an African relative of rosewood. Essentially, they have similar tonal properties, but ovangkol is much stronger with the mid-range with bright trebles that resemble, but don’t quite match, maple.

Hardware/Electronics You’ll Need

As you can guess, the AC240 guitar comes with no accessories included in the buy. You’ll have to buy all your own equipment and include the added expense for it too.

We admit, it can get quite hefty when you’re buying premium and quality accessories like tuners, cases, and the like. But, for a beginner, how do you even start putting together a list of items when you’re not even sure what you need?

We’ve done the heavy lifting and have thought of all the possible essentials you will want to know about.

Our accessories guide is a comprehensive list of various accessories that you absolutely need and what you should consider. Here’s a sneak snippet of what you’ll need to be on the lookout for.

Standout Features of the Ibanez Artwood AC240

All-mahogany with solid top
Ibanez Advantage bridge pins
Open pore finish

Our Verdict on the Ibanez AC240 OPN

To strum it up, the Ibanez AC240-OPN Artwood guitar is truly a work of art. Every aspect has been designed and executed flawlessly. It’s a guitar made for a musician who appreciates beauty in all forms.

If you have any doubt that this guitar isn’t for you, you’re not fit to wield it. This guitar calls to true artists, and if you heed that call, you’ll be making music magic for the rest of your playing days!

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