1983 Ibanez Artist

[ch willie]

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.




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




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?





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

[Don]

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.

[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.

[S. Cane]

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.

[ch willie]

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

[Don]

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

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".

[ch willie]

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.

[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.

[ch willie]

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.

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.

[OldStrummer]

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.

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!

[Don]

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 like me!

[DanTheBluesMan]

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.

[BEACHBUM]

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.

[CRonquille]

Beautiful guitar. I love older Ibanez guitars.

[SonOfPyro]

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