Ibanez AS200

**kris** · 11-12-2014, 11:09 AM

Attachment 15736 Attachment 15737
I experiment with Thomastic strings on my AS-200.
Flatwound 13" Swing series are great for fingerstyle playing...:-)

**Archie** · 11-12-2014, 03:55 PM

I could never get on with the AS series. The fit and finish was great but they seem to lack soul. They can sound thin and very bright unplugged. I also found the string tension to be too high for my liking. I know others that feel the same way about these models. I never really did understand why Lee and Sco played them but thats just because I have never really liked them.

Heres my 1983 AM-205. They play much more the way you would expect unlike the AS series (imo)

Ibanez AS200-ibanez-am200-11-jpg

**jkstigma** · 02-27-2015, 04:33 AM

what do you think about

ibanez as200 (80') vs gibson 335 ?

**jzucker** · 02-27-2015, 09:22 AM

the as200 is a much brighter guitar than a 335. Great jazz sound but i've never heard a smooth overdrive out of one.

**kris** · 02-27-2015, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

the as200 is a much brighter guitar than a 335. Great jazz sound but i've never heard a smooth overdrive out of one.

Scof use some dirty overdrive sounds...

**jzucker** · 02-27-2015, 01:08 PM

Smooth overdrive, not clean amp and rat pedal!

**John A.** · 02-27-2015, 02:40 PM

Slightly off topic ... I've seen Sco a bunch of times (lost count, but probably ~10), and he always played only his Ibanez AS200, except once. I saw him in one of his groups with Avi Bortnick, and for one tune he switched to an actual 335. Through the same rig, it really sounded markedly different. It was very noticeably less bright than the AS200, with the mid-rangey, flute-y singing quality neck pick-up tone that semi-hollows are known for. It sounded better to me (I sometimes find his standard tone kind of fatiguing), but he was grimacing, re-tuning, and just generally looking really unhappy with the 335 throughout. As soon as the tune ended, he switched right back to the Ibanez and stayed with it the rest of the night. So, there you go -- it seems he plays an AS200 because that's what he prefers.

John

**kris** · 02-27-2015, 02:53 PM

As-200 is different guitar....I tried Gibson es-335 and prefer Ibanez.
As-200 has big palete of sounds and I think Scof feel more his Ibanez.

**jzucker** · 02-27-2015, 05:11 PM

what i'm referring to is smooth 335 style overdrive for fusion ala carlton / robben ford. I don't think you can get that out of an as200. With the maple and ebony in the neck it's too bright. Maybe a pickup change would help?

For jazz I think it sounds great , it's got more of an hollow sound than the 335 i've never heard it get really funky/bluesy ala freddie king, bb king

**mymixture** · 02-27-2015, 06:30 PM

Hello

I have two AS200, an 1982 and a 1986, I love them both, the 82 is a better guitar to me. I made some videos of mine so you can here them, also on my channel I have some live videos playing my 82 AS200. To me a much better guitar than a 335 and I played a lot of them.

enjoy
Wolfgang

**kris** · 02-28-2015, 05:00 AM

Ibanez as-200 model has different nuts...sometimes it is bone nut sometimes it is metal-bone nut.
I have Ibanez as-200 from 1982 and nut is from bone.
I know Scof has Ibanez as-200 /1981/ and his nut is metal - bone mix.
New Ibanez JSM has metal-bone nut.
Attachment 18378 Attachment 18379

**mymixture** · 02-28-2015, 08:09 AM

Hi

that I din´t know, I thought is was always half bone, half metal. On my 82 it is bone and on the 86 it is graphite. I still think the graphite one on the 86 is not original

thanks for the info
Wolfgang

**John A.** · 02-28-2015, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

what i'm referring to is smooth 335 style overdrive for fusion ala carlton / robben ford. I don't think you can get that out of an as200. With the maple and ebony in the neck it's too bright. Maybe a pickup change would help?

For jazz I think it sounds great , it's got more of an hollow sound than the 335 i've never heard it get really funky/bluesy ala freddie king, bb king

I have a maple neck/ebony board semi, and I can get any of the tones associated with a 335. So can BB, who also plays a maple/ebony semi. Robben Ford gets the Robben Ford tone out of a Tele, or a Fender Ford Model. Larry Carlton gets the Larry Carlton sound out of lots of different rigs, etc. Ford and Carlton in particular, I've seen both several times, and it's uncanny how much they just sound like themselves, even through multiple guitar swaps through a set. I think that those two elements of construction have a vanishingly subtle effect on tone once you're going through multiple stages of distortion and playing with a band. I think other differences in the guitar's construction and electronics are more significant, and when you're aware of the differences you compensate for them in other parts of the signal chain (or accentuate them, depending on your intent). I think it's more likely that the people you've heard playing AS200's weren't trying to get the tones you're describing than it is than it is that an A200 can't be made to get them. [I realize this seems to contradict what I said earlier about Sco's 335 and AS200 sounding so different, but in that case, when I saw him swap between the two he didn't touch any knobs; he just plugged in.]

John

**jzucker** · 02-28-2015, 04:01 PM

Point me to any video of an as200 getting a robben ford or bb king sound. I've had a bunch of them and a bunch of 335s

**kris** · 02-28-2015, 05:49 PM

There is Robben Ford with the sound I like...:-)

**JanLF** · 03-08-2015, 05:32 AM

Hi, old thread I guess, but anyhow:

The AS-50 was introduced in 1980 with V-2jr PU's. The Super 58's came in 1981 but was not offered in the AS-50 until 1982. Monder says he bought his in '83 and has the Super 58's. I think it must be a '82 because it was not offered in the '83 catalogs.

FWIW, /J

**jzucker** · 03-08-2015, 07:19 AM

Ben Monder is using an as153 now...

Ibanez AS200-ibanez-as153-jpg

**JanLF** · 03-08-2015, 09:35 AM

Oh really? I know he did an add/video for them in 2013 but I've yet to see him live with it. Not even in pics or on YT? Ok

**jzucker** · 03-08-2015, 09:51 AM

yeah, you might be right. I thought he had said he was using it but it appears that he just talked about it and did the clips for ibanez...

**nado64** · 03-15-2015, 04:43 PM

I saw ben Monder this autumn with Jerome Sabbagh, and he came with his as-50.
Crazy player !!

**Cunamara** · 03-16-2015, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by JanLF

Hi, old thread I guess, but anyhow:

The AS-50 was introduced in 1980 with V-2jr PU's. The Super 58's came in 1981 but was not offered in the AS-50 until 1982. Monder says he bought his in '83 and has the Super 58's. I think it must be a '82 because it was not offered in the '83 catalogs.

Well, he did buy it used- according to the AS153 ad-video on YouTube- so that would make sense.

And there ya go- a top drawer musician using a basic, lower end guitar for over 30 years and sounding amazing with it. What's my excuse?

**Ronstuff** · 03-16-2015, 01:41 PM

Saw Monder last saturday, he was playing his As-50. Great music!!!

**Ray175** · 09-15-2017, 10:06 AM

It's finally happened.

After five years playing the "hesitation blues" I've jumped with both feet.

Seen on Greg Hilden's German site - good asking price, good counter-offer and deal agreed! Cosmetic ding (not structural) on base of neck, and refretted with jumbos recently.

Bought within Europe so no import charges and modest transport costs between Germany and France

Full pictures here.

Three extracts follow to get the saliva flowing....
Ibanez AS200-capture1-jpg

video of the guitar in action here

Can't wait for delivery :-) My Princeton is going to love the super 58s. My wife is going to be away for a few days so headroom will not be a problem whilst I get acquainted with my new love :-)

**Fred Archtop** · 09-15-2017, 11:30 AM

Great axe. It was my workhorse for more than 15 years. Incredible sustain and dynamics.

**rio** · 09-15-2017, 03:04 PM

You are going to love it. I have the grandfather model, a '77 Artist 2630, and it is the best semi I have ever played. I just don't need any other semi's after getting that. Congrats!

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