Need to identify an Astist. Help!

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Author Message   Hooper (Hooper) Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 9:42 am:    Hi guys!, greetings from Spain. Hope you understand my english. My loving RG470 was stolen a month ago and now i´m thinking about getting an Artist but i don't know exactly what model i have. The guy told me it was the 2500 but as far as i know that model doesnt exist. The serial number is I900429, which i think means it was made in 1990. It has gold hardware, tri sound switches and the original pickups were replaced with a pair of Seymour Duncan (don't know the model). It may be an AR200 but i'm not sure. What was the price of a new one? The guy is asking me 900-1000$ case included, is it too much for this guitar?. Artist series isn't very common here. Please, I need your advice! Thanks. Here are some pics   Johns (Johns) Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 11:29 am:    Hooper: This is an excellent looking Artist! I've never seen one like it before. Is that a mahogany top? From the headstock shape, I'd guess it to be an '89. The closest AR model that I've seen to this is the 1500 and 1505. They had the block inlays, no tri-sound switches but had Spruce tops. Are the volume knobs push-pull pots to get the tri-sound variations (parrallel and single coil)? If you are talking US dollars, $900-1000 seems very high. Especially because the pickups have been changed, I'd guess the value at $650-750.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 4:22 pm:    Hooper, Where are you located? The unusual combination of features makes me think this is a non-USA model. The serial number would be consistant with a 1990 build. I need to look at my catalogs tonight. Multi-layer binding, Sure Grip II knobs, block inlays, Artstar headstock, and mohogany top is unlike anything I've ever seen. Damned cool ax! Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 4:23 pm:    Duh, SPAIN !! Must learn to read more closely... Cheers Steve   Hooper (Hooper) Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 5:44 pm:    uups sorry, I made a mistake in my first message, (guess I need some english class). I meant 3 way pickup selector not tri sound switches. Thanks for your messages guys, they have been very useful.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 1:39 am:    Hooper, I'm looking at the 1990 catalog and guess what's at the top of page 29? Two Artists, models AR200 and AR300. Here's the specs from the catalog: AR200 Body - Mahogany Neck - 3 ply Maple Fingerboard - Rosewood Hardware - Gold Pickups - 2X Humbucking Finish - BK AR300 Body - Maple top, Mahogany back Neck - 3 ply Maple Fingerboard - Ebony Hardware - Gold Pickups - DiMarzio PAF Pro Finish - AV These models are also listed in the 1991 catalog. All have Gibralter II/Quick Change II bridges and tail pieces, block inlays, multi-layer binding, and the ArtStar type headstock. The "I" prefix in the serial number indicates it was built in Iida Japan. Cheers Steve   Johns (Johns) Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 12:20 pm:    Steve: So the AR200 resurfaced in '90-91? I don't recall that the "original" AR200 had a mahogany top. I'll have to check JD's site for info. No name humbuckers? V2s maybe? And the AR300 went from Super 58s to DiMarzio PAF Pros? Hmmm, the early 90s was a wacky period. Are you saying that both years had the thin Artstar headstock? Any chance that you could upload the pictures of these models from the catalogs?   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 2:09 pm:    John, Notice that the photo provided by Hooper apparently shows an AR200 (no maple top) with a transparent red finish. Whereas the catalog only lists black for that model. Typical Ibanez documentation at it's best! The photos in both catalogs ('90 & '91) are small, but the guitars look identical. ArtStar headstocks and all! Specs in the '91 lists V3 & V4 as the pickups in the AR200. I don't have a scanner available, but I'll see what I can do about posting the catalog photos. Cheers Steve   Johns (Johns) Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 3:44 pm:    The only picture of an AR200 on Jim Donahue's site shows it with dot markers. It looks like a '79 or '80 catalog. His listing of models available by year, only goes to '87. But here's what shows up for the 200 series: 1979: AR200, AR200L, AR250, 1980: AR200, AR205, 1984: AR205 I wonder what a 250 was? I tremolo version in '79? The 205s might have been burl mahogany.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 4:12 pm:    I would agree with you on that one. AR*05 = Burled Mahogany top AR*50 = Tremolo AR*55 = Both Same with the AM series. BTW, you were right on the '89 serial number. I just assumed a late '89 build for the '90 model year. Cheers Steve   Hooper (Hooper) Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 7:44 am:    Hi guys, Finally I found some information about the guitar.. the problem is that is in japanese... It is definitively the AR200. do you know what is the price of a new one? this is the page, if you want to have a look http://sound.jp/hasenobu/collection/collection23.html hooper   Johns (Johns) Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 9:56 am:    Hooper: Nice pages. This guy has a bunch of nice guitars! When you ask about the price of a "new one", do you mean how much was it in 1989? (I can't tell you that.) Or how much is a new AR250? Ibanez reissued the AR200 a few years ago (now discontinued) and currently are selling the AR250. In either case it looks like $400 and up for used and up to $600 for a new AR250. However, IMO neither of these Korean made guitars compares well to the "original" AR200 of the late 70s or your "next generation" AR200 from the late 80s/early 90s.   Hooper (Hooper) Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 11:08 am:    Thanks for the information John. I think I will finally buy it, but I'll try to get a better price. Oh, I forgot to mention the guitar sounds great!. Agur!   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 12:01 pm:    Hooper, Let us know how the deal turns out! Cheers Steve

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