Just bought a '81 AR500 or 3000 how t...

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Edit Profile

Author Message   Shane P Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2001 - 10:34 am:    I must be dreaming because I just bought either a'81 AR500 or 3000 for $400 Aussie bucks!That's about 215 of your greenbacks.In very good but not mint condition with original case.And what a sweet baby it is.Totally original and plays like a dream.I'm so impressed in the short few hours that I have had with it.That EQ is so versatile, I wonder why more big name players never played these models.From what I can see the only difference between the 500 and 3000 is a rosewood or ebony fingerboard, are there other differences? This guitar has so much tone and character, amazingly the guy who owned it for the last 15 years wife told him that he was only allowed to have one guitar in the house, and he wanted to put the money towards a seventies strat, which he said he had never played but had heard were good.Boy is he in for a shock IMHO.Well I guess one pussywhipped mans loss is another mans gain. I spotted the ad for this described as "Ibanez electric guitar with preamp" and I thought Mmmm can't think of any recent models with a preamp.When I got around to see it my eyes nearly popped out of my head.Will try to post a photo soon.This may top the bill as #1 over the beloved PF400, time will tell.   Joerg Tretter (Jht) Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2001 - 3:16 pm:    Congratulations Shane: You caught a real beauty! The differences between the AR-500 and the AR-3000 are (according to my '81 catalogue): "ARTIST LIMITED EDITION ...The body is bound with grained ivoroid with a fine line of Mexican Abalone set in by hand. The headstock is also bound with Abalone and features a rare wood headplate." As to be seen on the pics: The truss rod cover as well as the toggle switch knob and the 3 main controls (Master vol, master tone, EQ cut/boost) are made of rare wood (rosewood?). No "Limited Edition" logo on the fingerboard - despite the fact, that it is limited! Plain truss rod cover (AR-500: "Artist" engraved in double layer black&white plastic). Ebony fingerboard (AR-500 = AR-3000 = AR-5000).   Shane P Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2001 - 6:26 pm:    Thanks for that info, then in that case it's an AR-500.Just wondering what sort of battery life do you get with these.Boy whan you turn the gain knob up on these there is some output to these pickups. I assume these are super 58's, can't understand anyone not liking the stock sound of these pickups.   Mark Munchenberg (Munch) Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2001 - 8:28 pm:    Shane, Good for you!!! You were saying only a month ago that there was a real lack of good guitars on the market in QLD. It just goes to show that patience and vigilance pay off. I've been wanting a nice Artist myself, so you can probably feel the waves of jealousy floating across the outback right now!!!! BTW, how did you make out on the Les Paul and SG replicas at that pawn shop?? Regards, Mark   Shane P Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2001 - 11:47 pm:    Mark, There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to when these things turn up.I did look for about 2 years without success before I saw anything I was remotely interested in, then I spotted a whole cluster together in two days.Being strapped at the time I had to make a choice and went with the '81 AS-100. I have been very happy with that choice.It now occurs to me that of my 5 vintage Ibanez(modest collection by the standard of many here), they are all set neck. 74 true lawsuit Les Paul 2638 77 Custom Agent 78 PF400 81 AS-100 81 AR-500 I must admit I am delighted with what I have. realistically if I could add a silver series strat and one of those beautiful burl mahogany AM series that would do me, an AR-5000 would be the ultimate I reckon.Those other two in the pawnshop are long gone now.I'm sure an Artist will turn up for you, when of course is anyones guess.   Mark Munchenberg (Munch) Posted on Friday, March 02, 2001 - 1:19 am:    Shane, A Custom Agent with a set neck is a great piece to have. How does it sound when compared to your PF400 and 2638?? Do the passive sounds on your new Artist sound the same as your PF400? Cheers, Mark   Shane P Posted on Friday, March 02, 2001 - 2:33 am:    The CA is an old rock and roll workhorse,I would love to know the hisory, the mandolin curl has been sheared off at some stage,and generally some bumps and bruises apart from that it is fine and the neck is arrow straight.Also the pickups are non original Dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and another Dimarzio(unknown) in the neck.The tuners are also non original but good quality and it has no pickguard.So to a collector the value is greatly diminished, it is still quite beautiful with lots of pearl inlay in the body and snowflakes in the F/board.It was yet another pawnshop special and for $200 I couldn't pass it up.As a players guitar it is great. But I would say that the PF400 is undoubtedly better in all areas, although very heavy I think this and the two artists are in a different class in terms of build quality and sound.The super 58's when the active EQ is switched off sound good not as high output as the PF's super 70's to my ears anyway.They sound a little more hollowthan the PF if that makes any sense and perhaps a more vintage sound, but my zebra pickups on the 2638 are the most vintage of all. Did you read in the latest Aus guitar mag the lead guitarist out of Rose tattoo said that in the early seventies he bought a Ibanez LP copy(couldn't afford a Gibson) and to this day it is the best guitar he has ever played, "nothing sounds quite like it through a Marshall".And I'm sure he has tried PLENTY over the last 30 odd years.

Add Your Message Here Post: -Color- Black Red Green Blue Yellow Purple Orange Cyan Gray White -Font- Arial Courier Symbol Times Verdana -Size- Smallest (-2) Small (-1) Normal Large (+1) Largest (+2) Enter Item number: Username: Posting Information: This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here. Password: Options: Enable HTML code in message Automatically activate URLs in message Action: