Ibanez AS200

[Ray175]

Thanks Rio
I looked at a few 2630s and they are great guitars, but I really wanted the super 58 pickups of the AS200 - a bit darker and much closer to a PAF to my ears.
Ray

[fabienlag]

Great great guitar. Congratulations!

I bought an identical one, same year, new, in 1980.
As a silly twit I exchanged it in '85 for a '76 ES355 because I wanted the G on the headstock I still regret today.
It's Scofield's guitar.

Enjoy!

[citizenk74]

Thanks Mike
I look on it as an early retirement present for next spring. It will be my main machine for bluesy stuff but my 1961 ES175D will stay number one for thunkyness
Listening to Gregor on the video putting it thru that vintage vibroverb pushed me over the edge. I love my princeton but that Vibroverb is amazing - sadly Gregor won't consider selling it and here in Europe they are as rare as rocking horse manure..... I can wait....

I have one of these, an original '63/'64, if I am not mistaken, with which I gigged extensively. Gregor's position is well founded. Mine will not be sold in my lifetime.

Congratulations on a fine guitar, and play it in good health!

[kris]

I/ve used As-200 about ten years.Great instrument!
Best
Kris
Attachment 45922

[GNAPPI]

"Hesitation blues" I like that!

You went straight to the Jewel of the Ibanez semi line, you can't go wrong there, have fun with it.

There are a few AS-200's around but finding one in a nearby state / country, in a finish you want, in the condition you like, at a target price point you want / can afford / when the funds are liquid is some kind of an alignment in the cosmos, believe me, I know.

Speaking of AS-200's what finishes were they available in over the many years of production? I know of or have seen:

Natural and vintage yellow.

Were these the only finish variations?

[Fred Archtop]

Dear Jazzers,

Here is mine, from the early '90s, in a red-amber finish.



Cheers.

[Ray175]

Seen a couple of natural (NT) models in the late 80s in London. Never seen an AS200 cherry although the "junior" models AS100 and AS80 offered that finish. Other 1970 clones of 330, 335 and 355 were in cherry too

Ibanez specifications tended to be a "moveable feast" before the mid 80s - that's half of the fun......

[palindrome]

I remember seeing a white one on ebay for a while but don't remember any details as to the year of production or suchlike. It thought it looked gorgeous (but the price point envisaged by the seller was raising my eyebrows, too).

[Gitfiddler]

When Ibanez reintroduced the AS200 as an 'Artstar' model, they offered a Natural finish, mostly in the Asian market.

Then they had a limited number of exotic looking woods for the AS200. Great semi-hollow instruments, but the Artstar neck profile was slimmer than the original model.

That's the only reason I sold this beauty...

[pingu]

I always wanted a blond AF200 ...
You think blond AS200's are hard to find !

[Ray175]

Update
After 5 days in transit from Germany to Paris, France (of which 4 days in transit within France by a highly inefficient french postal service) the guitar finally arrived yesterday whilst I was at work, but luckily whilst my wife was at home.
She called me to tell me the packing box was torn open in 2 places, so I asked her to take the case out of the box and open it before accepting delivery. This of course pi**ed off the delivery man who said he was only permitted to take one minute to hand over and get receipted signature for packages, but she stood her ground and stared him down (yup, she scares me sometimes, too!).
The good news is that both the case and the guitar were in fine condition. Gregor Hilden had done a good job of packing around the case inside the box - God bless bubble wrap! He even put a copy of his latest CD in the case. A really nice guy to do business with
When I got home I brought a bunch of flowers to thank my wife for being so caring about my new girlfriend, with whom I spent the better part of the evening. After 37 years of marriage I have to say she's a gem and understands (tolerates?) the place music has in my life.
I won't go into a detailed review because anyone who knows these early AS200 knows that they are like. Suffice it to say it fufilled all my expectations, pressed all the buttons and ticked all the boxes. I now have my master-built semi in my stable. Those early Super 58s are so incredibly close in sound to the PAFs on my 1961 ES175D - just a fraction hotter, but that's fine.
It'll take a bit of setting up so that I can get it the way I like, but that's personal choices on any guitar. Someone fitted a bone nut at one stage, but the original half and half bronze/bone nut was supplied - for the moment I like the "reduced" degree of sustain, but I'll give it a few months to decide whether or not to put the original nut back in.. The only thing that I will "change" is to rotate the tri-sound switch through 180° so that the humbucker position is "down", like on my Artist 2619 Prestige.
My thanks to all of you who shared this journey with me and made friendly and positive contributions in their posts.
Ray

[cactusthorn]

I picked up an unplayed as100 about 10 years and have played the heck out of it since. I love it almost as much as my 60 Gibson 330.

Does anyone know what year the as100 stopped being an Artist and became an Artstar?

[Ray175]

My recollection is that in europe the first Arstars (acoustic) appeared in the 1990 catalogue, and the AM and AS models appeared in the the 1991 catalogues under the Artstar banner (as opposed to Artist).





Trawling the following site will probably give you a more definitive answer: Ibanez Catalogs

[Tiankhean]

I just got a 1983 AS200. Is there any difference with the 1980 model in build or electronics? Also, is it less sought-after. Thanks.

Sent from my X9079 using Tapatalk

[BigMikeinNJ]

Tiankhean,

you have what most Ibby buyers want, an early 80s model, people think the Terada made versions from th 90s had a slimmer neck, too slim. The electronics are the same.

[Ray175]

Minor differences will be in tuners yours appears to have the gold velvetune II whereas mine has the perloid velvetunes - otherwise much the same beast.
Congrats on a geat acquisition! Enjoy it

[Ibbys rock]

The fujigen guitar builders circa 1980s were amazing. I have a 1981 AS200 and it’s the best semi hollow I’ve ever played. The super58s and warm and clean !

[Ibbys rock]

my 1981 AS200 such great versatile guitars!

[Durban]

The Super 58s came out around 1982, so one could find an AS200 with Super 70s, .)
.

Hi Mike

Super 58S alnico III magnet were certainly around in 1980, possibly '79-78,

My early 1980 JP20 has & my AS200 1980 also had Super 58.

They have changed the recipe over the years, I believe the original Super 58 changed in 1986.

Made by Maxon (Nisshin Onpa)

[JohanAbrandt]

ibanez wiki says super 58 introduced 1980.

[pingu]

Hi Mike

Super 58S alnico III magnet were certainly around in 1980, possibly '79-78,

My early 1980 JP20 has & my AS200 1980 also had Super 58.

They have changed the recipe over the years, I believe the original Super 58 changed in 1986.

Made by Maxon (Nisshin Onpa)

Are the necks very different on those ?

[velja]

I got one from 90s today. It came in Gibson 335 case. The previous owner made things right with the stamp on the case