When I first spotted this beauty, the seller had set an opening bid of $700, with no bids offered the first week of sale. The second week, he lowered the opening bid by $25, and still had no bids. The AEX looked intriguing, so I e-mailed the seller after the second auction ended, writing, “I’m sorry there were no bids on this guitar, but I think you’re asking more than the market will bear. I could give you $450 plus $25 shipping if you’re interested.”

After two weeks, I figured he had blown me off, but then he e-mailed me out of the blue, and accepted my offer. I wasn’t even sure I still wanted the thing anymore, but a little research revealed the AEX-1500 listed for almost four times my offer. I decided it might be worth the gamble.

The guitar arrived several weeks later, and I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it looked. It sported a natural blonde finish with a highly figured sycamore top, a flame-maple back and sides, an ebony fretboard, a floating magnetic pickup and a built-in piezo, gold hardware, an ebony bridge, a bone nut, and onboard 3-band EQ. The strings were old, and, after changing them, I was treated to wonderful sounds. This is quite a versatile guitar. The piezo bridge pickup has a bright, yet woody acoustic sound that’s perfect for fingerpicking, as well as strumming. The neck pickup gives off a darker, more rounded tone that’s reminiscent of a Johnny Smith Jazz box. You can also combine both pickups for even more aural sensations, and the 3-band EQ with parametric midrange sets you up nicely for any live situation. I really dig this guitar, and it plays fantastic. She’s definitely a keeper!