NGD: Ibanez Artcore AS83!

[telefunk21]

I actually settled on putting a pair of GFS Retrotron Hot Liverpool Humbuckers in there, they seemed to please my ear the most

 

[bdrhythm]

I, too, own an AGS83. I've put in a bone nut, changed the tuners out for nice Gotohs, new bridge and tailpiece. And when my luthier set it up I had him buff it out to get rid of the dull finish. It now looks and plays great. I don't find the pups to be so bad at all. I just hate the look of the tarnished pup covers, but the overall sound is fine. It's a great crossover guitar for rock, blues, r&b, but with the heavier strings I use works respectably well for jazz, too. Only issue is I need a softcase/gig bag that fits the axe and will protect it--been looking forever for a quality softcase/gig bag for this. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Donelson]

Bdrhythm, it is hard to find a good-fitting gig bag for guitars that aren't strats, teles, LP's, or dreadnaughts. A must to help your axe withstand the rigors of NYC gigging, meaning train/subway/bus/cab, etc. Been there, done that. Good luck!

P.S. We'd love to see a pic of your AGS83, with its "new look".

 

[63dot]

I have AS73 and couldn't be happier. For four hundred it's better than popular Epiphone Dot (which is also an excellent guitar, too).

If you can get Super 58s or Duncan 59s you should be set for basic jazz and rock guitar. Also the popular Duncan JB and Duncan Jazz set would work, too.

If you want something different, more Beatles like, put in a pair of Duncan Phat Cats.

 

[studio1087]

Bdrhythm, it is hard to find a good-fitting gig bag for guitars that aren't strats, teles, LP's, or dreadnaughts. A must to help your axe withstand the rigors of NYC gigging, meaning train/subway/bus/cab, etc. Been there, done that. Good luck!

P.S. We'd love to see a pic of your AGS83, with its "new look".

I have the AS53 and I keep it inan Access 355 case.....

(link removed)

These cases are like the Taylor 100 or 200 series cases. They have rigid side walls and semi rigid tops and bottoms. Really nice semi hard cases for jazz guitars and acoustics. I bought a parlor guitar Access and the jazz case from Elderly.

 

[63dot]

I have the AS53 and I keep it inan Access 355 case.....

(link removed)

These cases are like the Taylor 100 or 200 series cases. They have rigid side walls and semi rigid tops and bottoms. Really nice semi hard cases for jazz guitars and acoustics. I bought a parlor guitar Access and the jazz case from Elderly.

I have been looking all over for one like that.

I store solidbodies and semi-hollowbodies on the wall on String Swing hangers.

But for all nice acoustics and archtop full hollowbodies, then it probably makes sense for hard case to protect from changes in temperature and humidity and the movement/warping of the top that those pesky factors cause. I don't care if I have a $300 dollar full hollowbody or an expensive Super 400, the elements even in a room are murder on them and all those puppies live in hard case.

But with the space a hard case takes, I don't like to use it for stuff I feel I can safely keep out in a room all the time which is not easily prone to warping (solids and semi-hollowbodies) thus soft cases for those. There's nothing worse than a studio taken up by tons of hard cases, and for most of us closets are not usually real estate most have a lot of either. Of course if I had a Jem, however indestructible, I would still keep it in hard case every second I wasn't playing it.

The best option would be to have all soft cases and all hard cases (and the room for all of it) and have the discipline to wipe down each time after use and keep a perfectly neat music space. Oddly, or maybe not, the only neat studios and often the most kick ass collections of gear are from those who do not play or play very poorly. The good players I have met in my 40 years doing music tend to thrash gear, even if not intentionally.

 

[vintage clubber]

Great score! I just got a pristine condition AS73 with hard case for $250. Love those artcores!

 

[ReaL Madras]

I have the AS103BM ABR and it is a beautiful and very good quality guitar

 

[Fearnot]

Beautiful guitar. My 83 Ibanez Artist has the Super 58's. Best humbuckers I've ever played. They would take that AS83 to a whole new level.

What he said! I don't know why Ibanez fools around with other HBs when they have Super 58s... at least on the non-pointy guitars.

 

[pcampbell]

I have an Ibanez as73 (really like it) and I put Seymour Duncan phat cats in place of the stock humbuckers and the guitar can cover a lot of ground with them. I have often thought the gfs Liverpools would be excellent in an as73 or similar 335 style. Based on the demos from the gfs website you could really nail that early 60s Beatles sound if you like that (I certainly do). Enjoy it. Seems you got a great deal, whatever you end up choosing.

 

[63dot]

I have the AS103BM ABR and it is a beautiful and very good quality guitar

That is the ultimate of the Ibanez AS series and they don't make them anymore but have retooled it as the AS153 "Artstar".

The 153s have different finishes now and the inlay design is slightly different but is otherwise the same guitar. It's not $899 anymore which it was for a long time but now it's $999 MAP and the Super 58s are the magic that makes this a real contender to the ES-335.

 

[Jeff R]

I've got the bigsby single cut one - AFS-75, I think. Really unhappy with the pups until I played with the height and lowered them - a lot. Guitar's a lot brighter now and she can growl with the volume wide open. Sure wasn't looking forward to changing them out.

 

[Donelson]

I was interested to learn just now, from Wikipedia, that the Ibanez Super 58 PUs are and have always been made by Nisshin Onpa, AKA Maxon. They use Alnico III magnets.

 

[tele-bastard]

Congrats... I think the stock pups are great... they are not bum pickups check the specs on GC website... they sound better than EPI dots. I love my Artcore AF75D.

 

[bluzjamer]

Hi guys,
I have one of these identical to Telefunk's no case in hardly played mint condition with flat wound 10's on it. It is for sale at $300 firm. I don't want to ship this so if you are near me and looking for one of these, here you go.
Located in Warwick RI 02889.

 

[ReaL Madras]

That is the ultimate of the Ibanez AS series and they don't make them anymore but have retooled it as the AS153 "Artstar".

The 153s have different finishes now and the inlay design is slightly different but is otherwise the same guitar. It's not $899 anymore which it was for a long time but now it's $999 MAP and the Super 58s are the magic that makes this a real contender to the ES-335.

Thanks for the info. Since I bought this guitar I have traded many and ended up with a nice collection of what many would consider "better" or more desirable guitars but for some reason I just think that this one is a keeper and wouldn't consider letting it go.