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NGD - Any Vintage Ibanez Love?

Texsunburst59

Active member
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
765
I've always liked the late 70's and early 80's Ibanez Artist series guitars and heard good things about them, but never had a chance to audition a vintage one in person.

I finally was able to score an 1980 Artist AR50 earlier this week for a killer price.

These things are HEAVY,but they have a great neck and even more amazing pickups. The original Super 70 humbuckers sound incredible.

The Super 70's are really strong, have a lot of clarity, and go into singing sustain with little effort. These pickups sound a lot like late 70's Dimarzio Super Distortion pickups.

I'm very impressed with this Ibanez guitar.

Any other Artist owners want to chime in on their take of these guitars?

1980 Ibanez Artist Black AR50:

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Marcel M

New member
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
555
I've never tried one but it looks really cool. Nice score! As an LP guy I've always been curious about these and the Yamaha SGs.
 

Texsunburst59

Active member
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
765
Thanks guys. Supposedly these guitars are called 'Les Paul Killers". I don't think they kill Gibson LP's at all, but the do sound REALLY good
with the Super 70's pickups. They can hold their own for sure on guitars above their price point.

The ONLY negative of this guitar is the weight. These guitars are HEAVY as heck.

I'll have to use a super wide guitar strap if I'm going to play this one out anywhere.
 

brandtkronholm

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,737
I want one of the 24 fret Artists with the butterfly pickups in Violin Amber-burst.
Yes please.
The have a funny "double-dowel / no-neck-tenon" neck joint which can get weird - but this is unusual.
But I sort of don't care.
They even made a 12-string version...:XRE
(These are pictures from the internet.)
2629_Ibanez_Artist_003_1.jpg


Ibanez77ArtistSB_15.jpg
 

Marcel M

New member
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Nov 28, 2014
Messages
555
They also call the Yamaha SG, "les paul killers," and also basically any 70s Japanese knock off LP. Its basically a term for guitars that look like Les Pauls that sound good lol
 

Rev.WillieVK

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Jul 26, 2002
Messages
9,268
FWIW - I had a very flamed cherry sunburst Ibanez Artist in the early '80s - gorgeous and perfect in every way (except a bit heavy) - but it was the most sterile, generic, dead guitar I've ever owned.

YMMV! :salude
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
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Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
FWIW - I had a very flamed cherry sunburst Ibanez Artist in the early '80s - gorgeous and perfect in every way (except a bit heavy) - but it was the most sterile, generic, dead guitar I've ever owned.

YMMV! :salude

I agree and felt the same way about the Yamahas. The 70s Les Pauls that came my way were better.
 

hughjampton3rd

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Joined
May 27, 2016
Messages
12
Awesome guitars, i have a few Ibanez artist models, have an early 80s AM500 hollow body is my favourite of them all, will take some pics tomorrow and post on here.
AM%20500%20Downbody_zpsh3xzdxxp.jpg
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Tubes 'n Wood

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Nov 9, 2013
Messages
401
Had a Bob Weir signature model from 78? It was grungy as all get out when I got it, cleaned the hell out of it, set it up and then sold it after about 1 year cause I needed money (story of my life)!?
 

rockabilly69

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
I agree and felt the same way about the Yamahas. The 70s Les Pauls that came my way were better.


My feelings exactly!I don't think of Ibanez guitars as Les Paul Killers! I spent years in the 70's and 80's playing as many two humbuckered guitars I could until I found "the one", a early 70's LP Deluxe, that slayed all the Ibanezs and Yamahas that I tried. I played that guitar on more club dates than I could count with that rig! I didn't know much about repair then and it needed a fret job and perhaps a neck set so I traded it in. The second most foolish thing that I have done in the world of guitar deals. I really miss that guitar!

GibsonLPDeluxe.jpg
 
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sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
If it was guerilla marketing or whatever, the term "Les Paul Killer" worked wonders in the early 80's. I saw a lot more Ibanez/Yamaha double cuts than real LP's in music videos. Everybody from country artists, to post punkers, to new romantics appeared to have them.

My older brother's friends never gave up on their Norlins, and I always thought his buddies were cooler than the mascara/androgynous crowd preening and prancing on the Television.
 

SuperReal

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Joined
Apr 7, 2007
Messages
372
Just to add a little historical perspective, in the late 70s-early 80s Gibsons and Fenders were considered kind of old-fashioned by a lot of younger players. At the same time Japanese stuff was considered exotic and cool.

I played in a popular touring band at the time and I used an Ibanez Artist solidbody because I wanted to be different. It was a very nice guitar and a great deal for what it cost. As others have said, not bad sounding but not awesome either. I didn't love it and moved on to a strato-partscaster with a Floyd Rose (another fad ).
 

Wilko

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Mar 11, 2002
Messages
20,853
I have enjoyed a few Ibanez guitars. The George Benson was fun in the late 70s. I hadan early 80s AM-50 in sunburst that was just killer.

And last week I sold this 1979 IC-200:

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Texsunburst59

Active member
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
765
I have enjoyed a few Ibanez guitars. The George Benson was fun in the late 70s. I hadan early 80s AM-50 in sunburst that was just killer.

And last week I sold this 1979 IC-200:

10380580_774880632533128_9012479624180748338_o.jpg

Very nice Wilco. I've always wanted to stumble onto one of those in great condition for a killer price.

One of these days!!
 

BURSTGANG

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Sep 8, 2013
Messages
438
I had several Ibanez Doublenecks one of which was this AR1200................it played great and sounded great but as you can imagine it WAS heavY.:hank
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