What do you know about this inexpensive electric guitar?

[63dot]

My #2 backup guitar is a 335 shaped Ibanez Artcore, but this smaller Artcore, a AXD81 model, is a mystery to me but I really like it on many levels.

What is this thing?

My local music store just got a large shipment of Fenders and Ibanezes and they got this discontinued guitar, even though they cut that one in the US a few years ago. What did it list for, and what's the typical street price on one of these? The 335 shaped Artcores list for between $550-$750 and street for $399 to $544 at the store and that's pretty consistent with Internet prices. But the store is asking $560 for this guitar and other than a nice abalone inlay and better playing neck than any Artcore I have come across, it has simple chrome parts and stock pickups on their bottom end guitars. The top has very little flame.

One side, at least on this year, is hollowed out with f-hole and other side is solid. Some years have hollow sides and two f-holes. This one has typical adjustable bridge and stop tailpiece though others have had trapeze bridges and may have been fully hollow but I don't know.

I don't know if slightly higher asking price is because they can't get this model anymore.

[StratBluesRock]

Damn that's kinda strange. No help here.

[jackal]

No idea, but if you really like the feel and sound, who cares?

[63dot]

It has a first look of a modified Les Paul copy, but then has a thicker neck, which I like, and a weight and total vibe of a Duo Jet or Pro Jet. I think TV Jones pickups would be amazing on this guitar giving a tight, nicely compressed, high end Duo Jet sound. Acoustically, any semi, even with just one side hollow and maple top, has such a bright and loud sound. As it stands now when the AXD81 is plugged in, it has an open, mellow, warm tone and sounds like the typical semi-hollowbody guitar and not snappy like it sounds unplugged but that's the ceramic stock humbuckers. I think in concept, it's not much different than this discontinued Ibanez Ricky meets Duo Jet type with single side hollowbody chamber:

[studio1087]

The model number is on the paper label that we see in the soundhole.

What is the model number?

Have you googled the model number and have you looked it up on eBay?

I have an Artcore Jazz guitar. See the label in the soundhole?



All the info required for looking things up is on the label.

What is your model number?

[eMGee]

Looks like the list price was 479.99. Old sale price from around 285.00 to 320.00 up to 375.00 HTH

PS. I-Me-Myself would think twice (and then think a few more times) about paying a jacked up price and lining a crook's pockets with cash. Just my 2c

[eMGee]

Originally Posted by studio1087

The model number is on the paper label that we see in the soundhole.

What is the model number?

Have you googled the model number and have you looked it up on eBay?

I have an Artcore Jazz guitar. See the label in the soundhole?



All the info required for looking things up is on the label.

What is your model number?

BTW, this post belong in the "Please comment on this thread without reading any of it!" thread.

[dented]

C'mon now, play nice. I'm interested in finding info on it. Okay everyone scatter and bring back what you find out!

[dented]

http://www.instrumentguide.com/elect...d81%20artcore/

Looks like 359.00 bucks. I read several good reviews about the neck and the fact that is lightweight.

[kelnet]

If you try a Google search for Ibanez AXD81, you'll find lots of information. It seems that the asking price here is way too high.

[kelnet]

Originally Posted by eMGee

BTW, this post belong in the "Please comment on this thread without reading any of it!" thread.

What, exactly, was wrong with his post?

[63dot]

Originally Posted by kelnet

If you try a Google search for Ibanez AXD81, you'll find lots of information. It seems that the asking price here is way too high.

I looked everywhere for specific list or street price, so thanks dented for finding that for me.

I knew the AXD81 had to be between $300 to $500 street price in the late 2000s, not well over $500 like I think it was at the store. That being said, that guitar rocked over $399 AS73 and $549 AS93 in every way. While I love my AS73 and think both it and Ibanez are great guitars, this AXD81 was simply awe inspiring, no matter what the price. I wouldn't put it on the same level as a Gibson ES-335, but it was way ahead of the Ibanez AS series guitars, any Epiphone 335, or any Epiphone Elite 335 (as per my moniker, Epiphone Elite 1963 Dot). It just seemed like this particular Ibanez Artcore guitar was out of context in price compared with the others in the store.

That being said, the Ibanez RG superstrat solidbodies, said to be a step up being Korean made (and one or two Japanese ones) vs. the Chinese made Artcores, were just sky high in price so in that context, even the overpriced AXD81 Artcore was then not so bad. I like the H-S-S superstrats, too but really if they are not Floyded out.

Being that there doesn't seem to be anywhere where the AXD81 is currently sold brand new, one may be at the mercy of the $560 dollars they want for this guitar. Oddly, the entire store they have is guaranteed to match and beat every guitar and amp on the internet and is priced as such. The strings, picks, cables, sheet music, and other stuff is pretty much appropriately marked up. I will look again inside the f-hole (and not at the tag) and see if it is indeed the sub-$400-ish AXD81 and not something higher up in the Artcore line.

[kelnet]

Originally Posted by 63dot

I looked everywhere for specific list or street price, so thanks dented for finding that for me.

I knew the AXD81 had to be between $300 to $500 street price in the late 2000s, not well over $500 like I think it was at the store. That being said, that guitar rocked over $399 AS73 and $549 AS93 in every way. While I love my AS73 and think both it and Ibanez are great guitars, this AXD81 was simply awe inspiring, no matter what the price. I wouldn't put it on the same level as a Gibson ES-335, but it was way ahead of the Ibanez AS series guitars, any Epiphone 335, or any Epiphone Elite 335 (as per my moniker, Epiphone Elite 1963 Dot). It just seemed like this particular Ibanez Artcore guitar was out of context in price compared with the others in the store.

That being said, the Ibanez RG superstrat solidbodies, said to be a step up being Korean made (and one or two Japanese ones) vs. the Chinese made Artcores, were just sky high in price so in that context, even the overpriced AXD81 Artcore was then not so bad. I like the H-S-S superstrats, too but really if they are not Floyded out.

Being that there doesn't seem to be anywhere where the AXD81 is currently sold brand new, one may be at the mercy of the $560 dollars they want for this guitar. Oddly, the entire store they have is guaranteed to match and beat every guitar and amp on the internet and is priced as such. The strings, picks, cables, sheet music, and other stuff is pretty much appropriately marked up. I will look again inside the f-hole (and not at the tag) and see if it is indeed the sub-$400-ish AXD81 and not something higher up in the Artcore line.

As with anything used, there is a lot more negotiating room on this than with a new guitar. I doubt they paid more than $200 for it. It wouldn't hurt to go in with some information about the usual prices for this model and make them an offer. If they say no, then you'll pay more, if you want it. But if they say yes...

[63dot]

Originally Posted by kelnet

As with anything used, there is a lot more negotiating room on this than with a new guitar. I doubt they paid more than $200 for it. It wouldn't hurt to go in with some information about the usual prices for this model and make them an offer. If they say no, then you'll pay more, if you want it. But if they say yes...

For my budget, this guitar fits and in that context, it's a gorgeous model. But I like your guitar with the 40,000 year old wood. Is your guitar heavy, or light?

[kelnet]

Originally Posted by 63dot

For my budget, this guitar fits and in that context, it's a gorgeous model. But I like your guitar with the 40,000 year old wood. Is your guitar heavy, or light?

I haven't weighed it, but it's not especically heavy. It's lighter than my Yamaha SE700 (Strat).

[harold h]

I used to have one just like that. I sold a bunch of guitars off on ebay a couple of
years ago, and my AXD-81 brought $170 + shipping.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by harold h

I used to have one just like that. I sold a bunch of guitars off on ebay a couple of
years ago, and my AXD-81 brought $170 + shipping.

That's a killer deal. I have never done eBay but a friend of mine bought four or five Ibanezes off of eBay, to add to a few he had already from more traditional means for a few hundred each and a lot less than any music store or Craigslist.

I look at Fender and Ibanez these days and mostly people have gotten really smart to the models I seem to like and the deals aren't as common anymore. Too many of them aren't people selling but actual small music stores, and a few mega-stores.

[eMGee]

Originally Posted by kelnet

What, exactly, was wrong with his post?

Studio1087 asked twice what the model was and pointed out how to find out but the OP had already stated what the model was in the first sentence of his original post.

[studio1087]

Originally Posted by kelnet

What, exactly, was wrong with his post?

I was being an airhead. I didn't see that the model number was written in the first sentence.

I hope that I helped somehow......If you know the model number and if you have a computer then search it on google and eBay and craigslist nationally. If you know what they are selling for elsewhere then you know what it's worth.

I don't buy or sell anything without doing so.

My eyes zoomed over the opening sentence and I looked at the photo and read what was near the photo. Judging from the title of the thread I assumed the model number was unknown. I'm an assumer.

Sorry.

[eMGee]

Originally Posted by studio1087

I was being an airhead. I didn't see that the model number was written in the first sentence.

I hope that I helped somehow......If you know the model number and if you have a computer then search it on google and eBay and craigslist nationally. If you know what they are selling for elsewhere then you know what it's worth.

I don't buy or sell anything without doing so.

My eyes zoomed over the opening sentence and I looked at the photo and read what was near the photo. Judging from the title of the thread I assumed the model number was unknown. I'm an assumer.

Sorry.

Hey studio1087, that was just me being a bit of a smart ass. Sorry.