A Bigger Acoustic Idea, Plugged In and Ready
If you've ever felt like a standard dreadnought wasn't quite enough — not quite loud enough, not quite open enough, not quite reachable in the upper register — Ibanez took that exact frustration and built the AAD51CE around it. The Advanced Acoustic series is Ibanez's full rethink of what an acoustic-electric can do, and the AAD51CE is the centerpiece: a Grand Dreadnought cutaway that's 5% larger than a traditional dreadnought body, a solid Sitka spruce top, and a suite of thoughtful engineering touches that make it genuinely different from the usual suspects at this price point.
The Natural High Gloss finish on this one is clean and classic — the kind of guitar that looks as at home at an open mic as it does in a living room. The Purpleheart fretboard adds a deep, rich visual contrast against that natural top, and the Advanced Access Cutaway means your fretting hand actually gets where it needs to go without a fight.
If you want an acoustic-electric that gives you a bit more of everything — more body, more projection, more comfort at the upper frets — the AAD51CE is worth a serious look.
This item is a B-Stock guitar sourced directly from the manufacturer. It is new and has never been previously owned. The photos shown are of the exact instrument you will receive. Before shipment, our licensed technician will inspect and professionally set up the guitar to ensure it is playing its best. During our inspection, we noticed Poly drip in binding, discoloration near top waist. (see pictures) Please note, these may not be the only cosmetic imperfections. As a B-Stock instrument, there may be additional minor blemishes that are small in nature and do not affect playability or performance.
Bigger Body, Bolder Sound
The Grand Dreadnought body shape is Ibanez's own design, developed through years of R&D and sized roughly 5% larger than a standard dreadnought. That extra volume translates directly into more low-end response, greater overall projection, and a fuller acoustic voice that holds its own in a rehearsal room or on stage. The body is carefully contoured for comfort despite the added size, so it doesn't feel like you're wrestling a jumbo.
The solid Sitka spruce top drives all of that. Solid tops respond to your playing in ways laminates simply don't — they open up over time, become more resonant as they're played in, and reward dynamic playing with real expressive range. The X-M Bracing underneath (Ibanez's take on scalloped X-bracing, with added tone and finger braces) is tuned to transmit string vibration efficiently from bridge to body, producing clear lows, focused mids, and bright trebles across the full dynamic spectrum.
Sapele back and sides round out the tonal picture with warm midrange character and a brightness that keeps chords from getting muddy. It's a pairing that flatters strummers, fingerpickers, and anyone in between.
Playability Details That Add Up
The neck is Okoume with a Low Oval Grip profile — a relatively slim, comfortable shape that makes chord transitions feel natural and keeps fatigue at bay over longer sessions. The 25.6" scale length sits right in the familiar range, and the 43mm nut width (1.7") offers enough string spacing without feeling wide. The Purpleheart fretboard has a 400mm (15.75") radius, which is a fairly flat feel that players who prefer lower action and easier barre chords will appreciate.
The Advanced Access Cutaway is genuinely functional here — the deep cutaway paired with a shaved side gives you clean reach up to the higher frets, which is rare to feel this effective on a body this large. Chrome die-cast tuners with an 18:1 gear ratio keep things in tune reliably, and the Ibanez Advantage bridge pins make string changes a noticeably smoother process.
One more practical detail worth noting: the A.I.R.port — a secondary sound port positioned on the upper side of the body — redirects acoustic sound toward the player, so you hear yourself more clearly while playing. It's a small touch that makes a real difference in a loud room.
Stage-Ready Electronics
The AAD51CE ships with Ibanez's own T-bar undersaddle pickup feeding into the AEQ-TP2 preamp system. The preamp gives you a 2-band EQ (bass and treble), a master volume, and a built-in digital tuner accessible via a dedicated on/off switch — everything you need to shape your amplified tone quickly without menu-diving. Both a standard 1/4" output and a balanced XLR output are onboard, so you can go straight to a DI box or PA without an extra adapter.
The balanced XLR output in particular is a genuinely useful feature at this price — it means you can plug directly into a mixing board with a clean, low-noise signal, which matters for live performers who want dependable, no-fuss connectivity.
Product Features:
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Body Shape: Grand Dreadnought with Advanced Access Cutaway (5% larger than standard dreadnought)
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Top: Solid Sitka Spruce with X-M Bracing (scalloped X-bracing system)
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Back & Sides: Sapele (laminate)
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Neck: Okoume, Low Oval Grip profile — 25.6" scale, 43mm nut width
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Fretboard & Bridge: Purpleheart, 20 frets, 400mm (15.75") radius, white dot inlays
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Electronics: Ibanez T-bar Undersaddle pickup + AEQ-TP2 preamp with onboard digital tuner, 2-band EQ
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Outputs: Balanced XLR & 1/4" — stage and studio ready
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A.I.R.port: Secondary side-mounted sound port directs acoustic sound toward the player
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Tuners: Chrome die-cast, 18:1 gear ratio
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Finish: Natural High Gloss
Brand: Ibanez
Model: AAD51CE
SKU: AAD51CENT-2ND
Condition: B-Stock
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