1983 Ibanez Artist

For years, y'all have had to hear my regrets over the Ibanez Artist that I bought in 81 and sold 1.5 years later. And so, I scored one, and it's a beaut: mahogany, maple top. As Gibson-y as it gets.

The neck pup sounds great, but the bridge pup is tinny. So I found the wires to the bridge pup was coming loose. I'm going to solder it today or tomorrow, and I'll report back.

It feels wonderful to play, a bit lighter than my 2012 LP Traditional.

Over time, there's been some work done on it--a few small holes, probably to fit a fishman type pup. But in many ways, it seems the guitar hasn't been played that much. There's little wear on the body or frets. There are a few nicks, but very very few considering this guitar is almost 40 years old.


https://i.postimg.cc/pLdrp96N/844929...604717-CB5.jpg

Belly cut--*I have a big belly--it helps!

https://i.postimg.cc/mrzryv48/C804-B...-E0-DC0-DF.jpg


I think the rubber things on the knobs are after market--Am I wrong, or weren't these a trend in the late 70s, early 80s?

https://i.postimg.cc/fRgLXwGV/22-C05...6-CF05-BD3.jpg



After I took this photo, I went back and Goo-Gone(d) the adhesive clouding the sheen.

https://i.postimg.cc/hvbv7Vnn/517706...A85224-E28.jpg



https://i.postimg.cc/DwKJ5dH4/F99899...3-C33302-C.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/7ZMCRJrs/07-AA3...7-E6-DCDA0.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/k5JVPMnn/6-A2-E...8-D6-EB0-F.jpg

I always liked these guitars. My first electric guitar was an almost new early '80s Ibanez Destroyer II. I later had an early '80s Iceman. They were both more basic models, but the playability was great.

My college roommate (junior-senior years) had an Ibanez electric, and I always wondered why he'd chosen that over a "more established" brand.

Now I know.

:party:

Very good one.

As for the bad pot issue you mentioned down at the LPF, don’t sweat it: just throw a new pot or even redo the wiring and you’re good to go.

I like my guitars as stock and original as possible but there’s a limit. If one of mine starts to fail, I will get it fixed with new parts if I have to. This “only good if all from the factory” mentality is a post 1990 collector’s fad.

I'd love to have an 80s Iceman. I believe they even made some in lefty.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ch willie

I'd love to have an 80s Iceman. I believe they even made some in lefty.

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The Iceman was a cool guitar! It had its own style, yet was balanced- both in style and how it felt on a strap or on my knee. Mine was blue, so it didn't scream "Paul Stanley".

Don, I'd like one of those Paul Gilberts. O shit--GAS. I don't think they made them in lefty. whew....

Unfortuately, Ibanez makes the Iceman affordable. Bitches.

https://i.postimg.cc/Cx7pfnBw/fyart-1-1.jpg

I have been a terrible snob about guitars and where they were born, and I still feel that in ways.

However, a buddy of mine got an Ibanez semi-hollow, and in my head, I said, "What a piece of shit." Then he played it, and I knew I was stupid.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OldStrummer

My college roommate (junior-senior years) had an Ibanez electric, and I always wondered why he'd chosen that over a "more established" brand.

Now I know.

:party:

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I've always loved symmetrical double cutaways. In lefty, I've never been able to find a decent one. I was thining of getting one of the offshore PRSes. I'm glad I waited for this Ibanez. Now I have to install a harness with pots. It's cutting out, and i don't think it's reaching it's full potential the way it is now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ch willie

I have been a terrible snob about guitars and where they were born, and I still feel that in ways.

However, a buddy of mine got an Ibanez semi-hollow, and in my head, I said, "What a piece of shit." Then he played it, and I knew I was stupid.

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That's me, too. Looking to find a way to "preserve" my ES-225, I latched onto an Ibanez AG95QA (who comes up with these names, anyway?). More because it just struck me as a "pretty" guitar. Pulled it out of the box cradled it on my lap and started playing on a wonderfully smooth ebony fretboard, and was transported! So was my Gibson; to its case, that is!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitar-Lo...z_AQ95GA-L.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ch willie

I have been a terrible snob about guitars and where they were born, and I still feel that in ways.

However, a buddy of mine got an Ibanez semi-hollow, and in my head, I said, "What a piece of shit." Then he played it, and I knew I was stupid.

---

Or a :da like me!

after my fiasco with my new 1974 Stratocaster, which ruined me on maple fingerboards for decades, I wanted to go in the Gibson direction. However, their prices were like unobtainium to 18 year old me. I got an Ibanez Les Paul Standard lawsuit in tobacco burst in '76. It wasn't a set neck but it played so damn much better than that POS strat. I had that guitar for 13 years, so far my record for retaining a guitar. It eventually got traded towards my first real Gibson, the anchor-weight 1989 sledgehammer of the god LP Standard in a 3 piece top cherry burst finish. Even my mom heard the difference. Unfortunately, I didn't really bond with it and traded it towards an amp within a year or two.

It was another Ibanez lawsuit LP in Tobacco burst sitting in Daddy's Junky Music (RIP) that got me started again on the dual humbucker 4 control knob configuration, back in 2002.

I've wanted to try an Artist when they first came out. I like CW's version as many of the later ones became almost gaudy with the inlays and bindings. My biggest Ibanez obsession right now is a Rocket Roll Sr, which have gone bonkers. I have search feeds and the prices for player grade are north of 2 grand, if it is really all original and good condition, north of 3. Crazy. I'd buy a Gibson Flying V before I spend that on an Ibanez. Mostly it's a nostalgia thing. My lead player in my first (and only) band started off on one of those before he switched to an Iceman.

That is one beautiful guitar. I've got an 83 Artist AM205 that I got new when I was lusting for a Gibson. Years later I had the bucks to get a 335 but it was to late. By then I had figured out that what I already had was as good as it gets.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rr...-no?authuser=0

Beautiful guitar. I love older Ibanez guitars.

These things are real gems imo. Both the musician and artist models, solid instruments.