 IBANEZ | | ELECTRIC: ARTIST SERIES | Artist Series models debuted in 1973. By 1977/1978, there were at least three variations being offered: The Artist (Model 2618), which had a dual cutaway body engraved tailpiece, gold hardware, 2 humbuckers with engraved pickup covers, and dot fingerboard inlays. The Artist EQ (Model 2623), a favorite of guitarist Steve Miller during this time period, had an onboard 3-band EQ (three extra knobs).
In 1981, the Artist Model AR-300 featured a tiger maple (flamed) top and Super 58 humbuckers with coil taps.
Many of the late 1970s Les Paul-styled Artist models are seeing a pricing resurgence of $700 to $900 in the vintage market. The 1980s models are less collectible at this point and are asking between $500-$650.
Between July 1972 and July 1973, luthier Rex Bogue constructed the heavily inlaid doubleneck "Double Rainbow" guitar for jazz guitarist Mahavishnu John McLaughlin (the inlay work alone was over 80 hours!). McLaughlin's doubleneck attracted the attention of Jeff Hasselberger at Ibanez, who received Bogue's permission to duplicate the "look" of the guitar. Ibanez' vaguely SG-shaped doubleneck re-creation debuted in the 1975 Ibanez catalog as the Model 2670, under the Professional or Artist Autograph series. While the Model 2670 was available from 1975 through 1980, it is estimated that only a dozen were actually produced. The 1975 retail list for the Model 2670 was $1,500. The Artist Series was reintroduced by Ibanez in 1997. | | AR200 ARTIST | | - dual cutaway mahogany body, bound maple top, set-in maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, three-per-side tuners, chrome hardware, Full Tune II bridge/stop tailpiece, two humbucker pickups, four knobs (two v, two tone), three-way pickup selector, available in Black or Trans. Red finish, mfg. 1997-99, reintroduced 2004-05. |
| AR250 ARTIST | | - double cutaway select mahogany body, flamed maple top, one-piece maple set neck, rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, 22 large frets, three-per-side tuners, Full Tune II bridge, two humbucker pickups, chrome hardware, available in Vintage Burst finish, disc. 2003. |
| AR300 ARTIST | | - double cutaway select mahogany body, flamed maple top, three-piece maple set neck, rosewood fingerboard with pearl block inlays, 22 large frets, three-per-side tuners, BR-EG bridge, stop (2004-06) or deocrative triangle-shaped (2007 only) bridge, two Super HB-58 humbucker pickups, chrome hardware, available in Brown Sunburst (2007 only) or Honey Sunburst (2004-06) finish, mfg. 2004-07. |
| AR300RE ARTIST PRESTIGE | | - double cutaway select mahogany body, flamed maple top, three-piece Prestige set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl split block inlays, bound headstock with decorative inlays, three-per-side tuners with pearl buttons, Gibraltar bridge with sustain block, deocrative triangle-shaped tailpiece, two Super HB-58 humbucker pickups, four knobs (two v, two tone), three-way pickup switch, two mini pickup switches, gold hardware, available in Cherry Sunburst finish, mfg. 2008-present. |
| AR305 ARTIST | | - similar to the AR300 Artist, except has a Burl mahogany top, available in Antique Violin finish, mfg. 2007 only. |
| AR700 ARTIST | | - similar to the AR200, except features 3-piece maple neck, abalone dot fingerboard inlay, Gibralter II bridge/stop tailpiece, gold hardware, 2 Super 58 humbuckers, available in Stained Brown Sunburst finish, mfg. 1997-99. |
| AR2000 ARTIST PRESTIGE | | - similar to the AR200, except features a flamed maple top, 3-piece maple neck, abalone dot fingerboard inlay, Gibralter II bridge/stop tailpiece, gold hardware, 2 Super 58 humbuckers, available in Vintage Violin finish, mfg. 1997-2003. |
| AR3000 ARTIST | | - double cutaway select mahogany body, AAA flamed maple top, 3-piece maple set neck, rosewood fingerboard with pearl block inlays, 22 medium frets, 3-per-side tuners, Gibralter II bridge, 2 Super HB-58 humbucker pickups, gold hardware, available in Vintage Violin finish, mfg. 2004 only. |
| ARC100 ARTIST | | - single smooth cutaway mahogany body, B/N/H binding, set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with block inlay, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two covered humbucker pickups, three knobs, three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Black or Brown Sunburst finish, mfg. 2006-07. |
| ARC300 ARTIST | | - similar to the ARC100 Artist except has a flame maple top and fancy block inlays, available in Dark Violin Sunburst finish, mfg. 2006-07. |
| ARC500 ARTIST | | - single smooth cutaway mahogany body, quilted maple top, B/N/H binding, set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with decorative inlays, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two covered humbucker pickups, three knobs, three-way switch, gold hardware, available in Natural finish, mfg. 2007 only. |
| ART100 ARTIST | | - single sharp cutaway mahogany body, set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with 12th fret decorative inlay, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two exposed humbucker pickups, three knobs, three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Black, Silver, Trans. Cherry (new 2009), or White (2008-present) finish, mfg. 2007-present. |
| ART100L Left-Handed | | - similar to ART100 ARTIST, except in left-handed configuration, available in Black finish, new 2009. |
| ART300 ARTIST | | - single sharp cutaway mahogany body, scalloped maple top, one-piece mahogany set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with diamond and 12th fret decorative inlays, black headstock overlay, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two Ibanez LoZ active pickups, three black numbered knobs, three-way pickup switch, black chrome hardware, available in Black Caiman, Brown Caiman, or Green Caiman (new 2009) finish, 24.7 in. scale, mfg. 2008-present. |
| ART400 ARTIST | | - single sharp cutaway mahogany body, koa top, one-piece mahogany set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with diamond and 12th fret decorative inlays, black headstock overlay, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two Ibanez LoZ active pickups, three black numbered knobs, three-way pickup switch, black chrome hardware, available in Honey Maple finish, 24.7 in. scale, mfg. 2008 only. |
| ART420 ARTIST | | - single sharp cutaway mahogany body, spalted maple top, one-piece mahogany set neck, 22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with diamond and 12th fret decorative inlays, black headstock overlay, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two Ibanez LoZ active pickups, three black numbered knobs, three-way pickup switch, black chrome hardware, available in Honey Amber finish, 24.75 in. scale, new 2009. |
| ARX100 ARTIST | | - double smooth cutaway mahogany body, B/N/H binding, set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with block inlay, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, triangle-shaped tailpiece, two exposed humbucker pickups, three knobs, three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Candy Apple finish, mfg. 2006 only. |
| ARX120 ARTIST | | - double smooth cutaway mahogany body, B/N/H binding, set ARX neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with diamond and 12th fret shining star inlays, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two exposed humbucker pickups, three knobs, three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Black finish, mfg. 2007 only. |
| ARX140 ARTIST | | - double smooth cutaway mahogany body, set mahogany ARX neck, 22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, bound headstock, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two exposed humbucker pickups, three knobs, three-way pickup switch, chrome hardware, available in Black or White finish, mfg. 2008-present. |
| ARX300 ARTIST | | - similar to the ARX100 Artist except has a flame maple top and fancy block inlays, available in Cherry Red Sunburst finish, mfg. 2006 only. |
| ARX320 ARTIST | | - double smooth cutaway mahogany body, quilted maple top, B/N/H binding, set ARX neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with diamond and 12th fret shining star inlays, three-per-side tuners, Gibraltar III bridge, Quick-Change Ultra tailpiece, two exposed humbucker pickups with chrome trim plates, three knobs, three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Marine Sunburst (2007 only), Trans. Black Sunburst (new 2009), or Trans. Cherry (2008-present) finish, mfg. 2007-present. |
| ARX500 ARTIST | | - double smooth cutaway mahogany body, quilted maple top, B/N/H binding, custom set ARX neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with decorative inlays, three-per-side tuners with pearl buttons, Gibraltar III bridge, decorative triangle-shaped tailpiece, two covered humbucker pickups, three knobs, three-way switch, gold hardware, available in Amber Burst finish, mfg. 2007-present. |
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