AM 50 'vs' AS 50 ...... which is t...

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Edit Profile

Author Message   Benifin Username: Benifin Registered: 11-2007 Posted on Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 8:48 pm:    Hi all My first post here - this is a really great forum. In short, here is my dilemma. A very good friend of mine is a bit of a "semi-acoustic guitar collector" and has offered me either of the following guitars:- -> Ibanez AS 50 March 1982 AV Finish with the original Ibanez case for $US800 - Serial C82XXXX or -> Ibanez AM 50 October 1982 [also] AV Finish but without the original Ibanez case for $US760 - Serial J82XXXX [it comes with a generic rectangular hard case - he said if he still had the AM 50 original Ibanez case, the price would have also been $US800 as per the AS 50 with its original case] Both guitars are in very good condition and all original. I've played both and both play nicely and sound, to my ears at least, absolutley %100 identical. My questions therefore are:- - are the asking prices "about right" / "reasonable" ? - if not, what would be fair / reasonable prices for such an 1982 AM 50 and / or a 1982 AS 50 ? - is either model "better" than the other ? - generally speaking, given they are both 1982 guitars, is the AS or the AM "more collectable" ? All thoughts, comments and advice, much appreciated. Many thanks, Ben   Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 9:07 pm:    They're both good guitars. If they sounded the same, then I suspect the AS50 had Super 58 pickups just like the AM50. The early AS50's has V2's which are much different. I think if you played them both for a long time, you'd notice some differences. Personally, I really like the size & weight of the AM50 which is smaller & lighter than the AS50, however, I'm smaller than the average player. I would say that the AM50 is more collectible and I've seen them go for more. I think both prices are reasonable (not cheap, but not overpriced), especially with the recent run-up in prices. How about comfort? Did one feel better to you than the other? Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with either guitar. mk   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 9:15 pm:    Welcome, Although I have only the AM-50, I would choose the guitar with the original case. Finding the original case is difficult. The original case gives the best support to the neck. My AM-50 was sent to me by mail in the original case with just some packing tape. It arrived undamaged. I wouldn't try that with just some rectangular case, unless it's a custom made flightcase. Try to find an AM50C (original case type for the AM-50) and you'll see that you will have to pay considerably more than $40.-. I expect at least $89.- if you can find one (that's the price of the newer AM100C, which will fit too). Both prices are very realistic. I you have the money for both and they are really in the condition that you described, you could consider buying both. They are both good investments. Ginger   Benifin Username: Benifin Registered: 11-2007 Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2007 - 3:35 am:    Judging by the comments then, purely in terms of "collectability" and "value growth over time" perhaps the AM 50 is the way to go ? Ben   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2007 - 3:47 pm:    I think that is not necessarily so. The fact that Saltapaya paid $1599.- for a (beautiful grained) AM-50 with W.A. Adams and some numbers engraved in the back of the headstock does NOT mean that that is the real value of the guitar. Saltapaya reacted on a BIN price. He tried to sell the same guitar and had to lower the price with hundreds of dollars. And there is this shop with a minty one, which is asking a lot of money at moment. I think that they are actually of equal value and like Michael says, it depends of YOUR body size whether you get along with an AS model or not. What people ASK for a guitar on eBay is not always relevant. And the BIN prices aren't either. Because people make mistakes: impulse buys. Saltapaya is one example, but look at the Challenger NT that was sold at a BIN price of $1978.- Does that mean that a Challenger is worth more that an Artist AR100, AE300 or even AR500? Guess not! Let your senses be the judge: ears, eyes, hands, eyes, the pressure receptors of your body. How does it sound, look and feel? If that's all equal: What original accessories do I get with the guitar? I find $40.- extra for the OHSC (compared to the rectangular case) reasonable. Ginger   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Monday, November 26, 2007 - 10:08 am:    Nice AM50 that makes $760 feel like stealing Ebay Item #200174696302 Juha   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Monday, November 26, 2007 - 9:54 pm:    Mine is just as minty, just as beautiful with the same OHSC, but I'm astonished by this price. The value of the Artist AM-50 is of course lower than that of the Artist AM-205. The latter has an ebony fretboard, luxory inlays, mahogany neck, burled mahogany top etc. and they went for $1500-1800. Let's say that their value has increased to $2250.- (hypothetically), then the difference between these to guitars should be expressed in this price. Of course I like to be the owner of a $2000.- guitar, but let's stay a little realistic here. An AM-50 was 60% of an AM-255, which was in its turn the same price as an AS-200. So the value of a MINTY AM-50 with OHSC is in fact 60% of the value of an 1984 MINTY AS-200 with OHSC. As an illustration of how the relative values of these instruments were I've a link to the old pricelist of 1984 for you. Nevertheless, the Artist AM-50 is an excellent guitar, with a value between let's say $800-1200 if we put the Artist AS-200 on $1320-2000. (this is just a calculation example, if the guitars are in poor condition the values are even less). So, I think that both guitars are interesting, just like Michael says. The prices are fair and will increase during the years to come. Ginger   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Monday, November 26, 2007 - 9:58 pm:    Oh yeah, I promised a link to that pricelist: http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/price/1984/Feb /p01.jpg Ginger   Jason43 Username: Jason43 Registered: 9-2007 Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 4:00 pm:    I'd have to vote for the AM50. A smaller, almost LP sized semi-hollow electric isn't something people see every day and would probably be more of an attention getter to the non-Ibanez enthusiast. I usually get bombarded with questions whenever I break mine out. Of course, I am biased.   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:10 pm:    Hey Ben, Did you see this one? 1983 Artist AM-50 with OHSC in the same condition as mine. 1 day and 21 hours to go... Ebay Item #260186833162 No BIN, no impulse buy, 26 bids already. For me an opportunity to see the actual market value of my guitar if it were in the USA (which it isn't). Did you take a good look at the multifunctional lid of the string compartment? I really love this case. Did you decide yet and did you close the deal already? Because if they are as minty as this one the seller might regret these $760 and $800 prices. Just look at what price it ends next Sunday. Ginger

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: