i ordered an Ibanez AMH90, the most recent small-bodied archtop.
contrary to the already existing models in the range, this isn't "semi-solid" like the AM93, for instance, but totally hollow.
Ibanez forgot to add mention of this hard case model, among the case compatibility list with such new model on its website, so before ordering i enquired with the ever kind, ever profi, ever-of-service Thomann staff that verified its exact sizing.
format is a bit proprietary, so it wasn't to be taken for granted that any generic case meant to house an Epiphone or Gibson ES339 would do the same with Ibanez AMs, and (to me at least) the lure of saving a few bucks with a roll of dice didn't do it, being as there is a dedicated hard-case.
matter-of-factly, this isn't exactly cheap, as its value amounts to a hefty 27% of the guitar price itself... but as it is of exact size, and carries the same brand, i thought it was ok to risk the money (and take advantage of money-back guarantee, in case).
honestly, the case is better than i had expected, and better than some other makers' cases within the same price range – it's worth the money spent for it, to my judgement.
the shell is made with what seems like a good quality polyurethane mould that's thick enough to hold, and elastic enough to take the hit – not brittle, not too-soft, and not too-stiff as i've seen others from famous brands.
the alu ring surrounding the closure is neatly bent and installed in place, its coupling is correct – and finding the exact correspondance when closing the case isn't an option, but a given: you just lower the upper half, and it mates with the lower one, punto.
latches are of high quality, too, although made of a hard-plastic, and they're shielded on all sides from accidental hits by a surrounding cage that does its job right... i doubt you can throw it five-hundred times in a cargo holdall of a commercial flight and survive it, but that's what cases ten times its value are there for... the price of my guitar and this case wouldn't even cover the cost of a professional, fiberglass custom-made case alone!
my hint here: if you plan to load your car or van with guitars and amps for the gig, get one along with the instrument, as finding an exact fit off a generic-made one isn't necessarily an easy or short process (or both). this one looks the part right, and does the job better than plenty of fancy ones that tick the boxes on looks alone.
the plush interior wraps the guitar in all the right places, which (given the hollow nature of the the AMH90)
