Artstar AM200 questions

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Author Message   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 7:21 am:    I found specs, manufacturing years etc on the Internet, and some opinions on ICW. But I didn't find current price info on the net. Is F620907 a proper serial number? Fujigen '96? Are there any AM200 specific things to check before buying? Juha   Artfield Username: Artfield Registered: 4-2001 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 4:16 pm:    AM200's normally go overhere between 800 and 1000 euros. Its a great guitar, personally a bit stiff playwise but thats a matter of taste. Also the lacquer is different compared to an AM205, AM200's have more a glossy look. But its a very fine axe if you can get one for a good price. I like this Artstar headstock, its a great design.   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 4:51 pm:    I thought the first ones were made in the Terada factory (1988). Didn't Acetan post a pic of his AM200 with an H-serial number? Is that serial number correct, or is there a zero missing between the 6 and the 2? Because if you use a letter for the factory, there are two methods to indicate the month: two digits 01-12 or one digit 1-9,X,Y,Z. Anyway they were made from '88-'96, so 1996 is the only possible year. What's special for the AM200 is the pickguard. If it is black, like on the AM205, it's NOT original! Just look at the pictures on Funkle's website: http://www.speakeasy.org/~sven/site/index.html Then it's good to know that the first eight years of AM200 (1988-1995) started with a narrow headstock and a wooden pickguard. These were made in the Terada factory as far as I know. http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1988-2/04.jpg http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1995/25.jpg Then, in the '96 catalogue it is pictured without its headstock: http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1996/06.jpg So I guess the early '96 models were still made by Terada and then they transferred the production to Fuji Gen Gakki, where they made them with wide tulip headstocks: look at the AM200 on Funkle's website. (It doesn't say '96, but I think that's the way it must have been). So, check the pickguard and the headstock. If it's a wide tulip, it was produced for a very short time! Good luck! Ginger   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 5:23 pm:    Thanks guys, I got the serial number in text and a couple of dim pictures. It has tulip headstock and the pickguard is not black (same colour as the body? bad pic) and has white binding. I checked Funkle's site and catalogs to find specs etc, used ICW search ... Somebody said on ICW that Fxxxxxx serial means Fujigen. "AM-200 / Japan / jun96021" written on the label inside the guitar. Got also this in a message. Juha   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 7:32 pm:    Is it a typo in '88 catalog or has the body thickness changed? '88 to ? 35mm '93 to '96 44mm (same as AS200) I didn't find thickness on all catalogs at ibanez.ru. Juha   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007 - 8:24 am:    Perhaps Funkle measured them. F after 1986 is Fuji Gen Gakki, F6 is Fuji Gen Gakki 1996. 2 would be February. It's a wide headstock, so produced only in 1996. Very interesting. Ginger   Petruz Username: Petruz Registered: 5-2004 Posted on Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 7:52 am:    wasn't it johns website? doh.   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 2:43 pm:    I meant Sven/Funkle's AM site. Just click on the link above and you see a table with a pic of each model, the production years and the specs. Here's another of the link: http://www.speakeasy.org/~sven/site/index.html A very beautiful and specialistic site, although I discovered a few missing years for a few models, such as the ArtSTAR AM-50, which was produced in Yoojin, Korea after the 1986/1987 production transfer. So it provides a LOT of info but not everything (yet). But these things happen. Every now and then you find a guitar that was not imported into your country and isn't on your list (yet). Ginger   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 12:12 pm:    Seems this interesting guitar is lost and gone forever I asked the seller to send better pics or opportunity to see the guitar itself. No reply to my email. It was for sale at Finnish auction site with starting bid 1000 EUR, no bids. Juha

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