| Author |
Message |
Mingus2112
Username: Mingus2112
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 2:50 pm: | |
Ultimately I want an AS200. I need my "John Scofield guitar." It'll have flatwound .013s with a plain 3rd string, etc. I'd buy the John Scofield "model" if it wasn't way too expensive for what it is. I can have the real thing for the same price or less.
What I want to do now is have a "transitional" guitar. AS120, AS80, etc. Something very simmilar. . .with Super 58s. . .that will hold me off until I can afford a nice early 80s AS200. I was bidding on a AS120 on ebay that never met the reserve. He wanted $500 buy it now. Too much for the "transitional guitar." It was also a later model (larger headstock), and I prefer older. So i'm looking at AS80s. I really like the inlays, etc, on the 120, but the 80 could be enough to hold me off. Any thoughts? What should I be spending on either one of these? Any years better than others?
-James |
Wildfield
Username: Wildfield
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 3:12 pm: | |
James,
I don't know much about these guitars. I did watch that AS120 you mentioned on e-Bay. One thing that puzzled me was the guitar was being advertised as BRAND NEW. When was the last year they made that guitar? It must have been New (Really) Old Stock.
I had an AF120 with the same peghead. I don't know the year, but it was manufactured in Korea. That particular AF120 that I owned sounded terrible. It had so many dead spots on the fretboard and the overall tone was very muffled. I was really disappointed with that guitar, especially after owning a few gems from Ibanez that were built in the late 70's and early 80's.
Based on that one experience, I think I would stick to the older models that were produced in Japan. Just my opinion.
Best of luck. |
Mingus2112
Username: Mingus2112
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 3:25 pm: | |
thanks wildfield! like I said. . .i'm really looking for an AS200, but the price excapes me. I'd rather buy a "decent" guitar for cheap now. . .and then pay "whatever it takes" to get the best example of an as200 i can find later. the alternative is trying to find the cheapest as200 i can find now. . .and having it not be exactly what i want. . .any other wisdom? cheap secrets i don't know about? |
Acetan
Username: Acetan
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 5:18 pm: | |
I think the secret of pre-mid-eighties Ibanez has become too well-known for "bargains" to be easily found like before. You get what you paid for and I would bite the bullet and pay the price for a nice AS100 (or AS50) of the same vintage. You may find that you don't need an AS200 after all. I have owned a 2630, an AS200, two AS100's, and two AS50's, all made between 1978 and 1982. Guess what the best of the bunch is, an 81 AS50.
Good luck and have fun hunting.
Ace |
Mingus2112
Username: Mingus2112
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 10:35 am: | |
Where's a good place to start looking for an AS100 or AS50? You are right. . .i probably don't NEED an AS200 as much as i need an "early 80s Ibanez with the same feel and sound as an AS200." I haven't seen them on ebay. The only AS200s i've seen are out of my price range right now. I remember when ebay first started. . .I was trying to sell my '74 Twin Reverb. I had bought it for $250 at a garage sale a year earlier and REALLY needed some cash. So I tried selling it on ebay. All of the simmilar amps were going for $200 or less. Fast forward 4 or 5 years later. . .My Twin was STOLEN!! AKK! I look on ebay to replace it. . .I couldn't get anything CLOSE to the condition mine was in for less than $600!!! AHHH |
Acetan
Username: Acetan
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 1:14 pm: | |
I found most of my guitars through eBay. Just be patient and it will happen. There is an AS100 and an AS200 on eBay under "Ibanez Artist" as we speak eventhough the price for the 100 is too high in my opinion.
Ace |
Mingus2112
Username: Mingus2112
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 3:23 pm: | |
i was wondering if that was an as100! It's got almost a birdseye maple top. . .i actually think that's cooler than the flamed maple! anyhow. . .i'll keep my eyes open.
-James |
Acetan
Username: Acetan
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 3:58 pm: | |
This is the one I'm thinking and it is an AS100, a bit high priced and missing the pick-guard.
Ace
http://www.qksrv.net/click-1802666-10381315?loc=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI .dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D7359128673 |
Acetan
Username: Acetan
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 10:00 pm: | |
Here's a non-collector grade AS50 on eBay with non-original machine heads and pick guard.
Ace
 |
Acetan
Username: Acetan
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 10:01 pm: | |
Here's a non-collector grade AS50 on eBay with non-original machine heads and pick-guard.
Ace
http://www.qksrv.net/click-1802666-10381315?loc=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI .dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D7360169566 |
Sixvsix
Username: Sixvsix
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 5:34 am: | |
Is that a birch top or maple on the AS50 Ace?
I like the black surrounds. Kinda 59' 335 looking.
six |
Johns
Username: Johns
Registered: 02-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 11:58 am: | |
Six:
According to the catalog the body is laminated Maple. But the neck is 3 ply Birch, not Mahogany like the AS100 and AS200.
I like the tuner upgrade to "Speagels".  |
Acetan
Username: Acetan
Registered: 09-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 12:03 pm: | |
The AS50 has laminated maple top and body with birch neck. All the early 80's AS50's and AS100's I've seen have black surrounds and the AS200's and 2630's have cream color ones.
Ace |