Ibanez AR520HME-NT

Ibanez AR520HME-NT review: specifications and design

The Ibanez AR520HME-NT is a semi-hollow electric guitar with a natural finish. Its listed price is 711, and it has been available since February 2026. The supplied specifications identify it as semi-hollow, not hollowbody, so it should be assessed as a guitar with a semi-hollow construction rather than a fully hollow instrument. No customer reviews are available, which means this assessment is based only on the listed construction and hardware. It does not make claims about playing feel, sound quality, or reliability from hands-on testing.

The body uses maple and okoume, while the top is ebony. Ibanez also specifies a three-piece maple neck that is glued into the body. These material and construction details describe the instrument's build, but they do not establish how it will sound or respond in a particular room, amplifier setup, or playing style. The natural color leaves the listed wood combination visible, and the gold-finish hardware provides a contrasting hardware finish.

Neck, fretboard, and scale

The glued-in maple neck has an AR profile and a jatoba fingerboard. The fingerboard carries 22 medium frets, with acrylic and abalone block inlays. The nut is plastic and measures 43 mm wide. Ibanez lists a 305 mm (12-inch) fingerboard radius, with neck thickness of 20 mm at the first fret and 22 mm at the twelfth. Those measurements offer a clearer basis for comparison than the profile name alone, although they cannot substitute for trying the neck in person.

The 628 mm scale is shorter than a 25.5-inch scale. That figure is useful when comparing the AR520HME-NT with other guitars, but scale length by itself does not determine string tension or playability. String gauge, tuning, setup, and individual preference also matter. The supplied string set is D'Addario EXL110, with gauges from.010 to.046. The specifications do not state whether a different gauge would require setup changes.

Pickups and controls

Two Super 58 humbuckers provide the listed pickup configuration, abbreviated HH. The controls include separate volume and tone controls, a three-way pickup selector, and two Tri-Sound switches. The pickup names and switching hardware are specified, but no wiring diagram or switch-by-switch description is included. Buyers should therefore check the product documentation or seller for the exact pickup combinations and functions available from each Tri-Sound switch rather than assuming a particular set of sounds.

There is no tremolo. The bridge is a Gibraltar Performer, paired with a Quick Change Classic tailpiece. Together, these components identify a fixed-bridge arrangement in the specifications. The machine heads are listed as Ibanez, and the hardware has a gold finish. No further details are provided about tuning ratios, bridge adjustment range, or the materials used for the bridge and tailpiece.

What the specifications establish

The AR520HME-NT is a defined choice for players comparing semi-hollow guitars with a glued-in maple neck, a 628 mm scale, two humbuckers, and a fixed bridge. Its listed dimensions and components make it easier to compare with other instruments on paper. They do not confirm how comfortably the guitar balances, how the neck feels during long sessions, or how its pickups sound through a particular rig. Those questions require a physical trial or reliable product-specific testing, neither of which is represented in the supplied information.

The product listing says that one piece is sold per sales unit. It also states that neither a case nor a gig bag is included. Buyers who need protection for transport should account for a separate purchase and confirm suitable dimensions with the seller. The item number is 633057.

Verdict

On specification alone, the Ibanez AR520HME-NT has a clear semi-hollow format, a maple and okoume body with an ebony top, a glued-in three-piece maple neck, and a two-humbucker control layout with two Tri-Sound switches. Its short scale, fretboard measurements, and included string gauge are useful comparison points. The missing case or bag is a practical extra cost to consider. With no customer feedback and no independent test results supplied, a confident judgment of tone, comfort, or value beyond the listed price of 711 would be unsupported. Check the switch functions, final price, and available protection options with the retailer before buying.