Rather Unique AM205 PW

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Author Message Jeffsailor Username: Jeffsailor Registered: 01-2004 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 12:01 pm:    Can't say I've ever seen an AM205 in Pearl White before... http://www.qksrv.net/click-1802666-10381315?loc=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D130002753552 and for you browser-challenged folks: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=003&item=130002753552 Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 1:59 pm:    I saw this and was shocked. I assume it's the original finish? mk Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 6:21 pm:    IMHO the tailpiece is NOT original. This is a gold Gibson TP6. A rather expensive piece of hardware, especially in gold. http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/TP040.htm I still keep a chrome NOS TP6 new in the box for one my The Paul guitars I bought with an older TP6 installed. The normal tailpiece is a gold Quick Change II, like on the AS200 (all hardware is from II series, Gibraltar II and Quick Change II no cloud!). I guess it had a wear and/or corrosion problem. The seller should give better information. Greetz, Ginger Ale Jeffsailor Username: Jeffsailor Registered: 01-2004 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 8:04 pm:    Ginger, You're correct. The tail is not original. But I'm pretty sure that finish is, although the US catalogue does not show PW as an available finish for the 205. My guess is that this guitar is an Asian/European market issue or perhaps the finish became available after the catalogue was printed. js Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 8:19 pm:    Jeff: Only the AV finish (Antik Violin) is stated in the '83-'83 German catalog. The finish looks absolutely factory original to me. This is another "shouldn't be" courtesy of the master luthiers in the Land of the Sun. The TP6 tailpiece should be easily replaced. I'd love to see if this has a burl mahogany veneer under that PW paint job! Jeffsailor Username: Jeffsailor Registered: 01-2004 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 9:29 pm:    John, Interesting point. We've already seen examples of older PFs and even newer SZs that have had a finish applied over the fancier veneer top. Maybe the wood wasn't up to snuff so they painted it. Either way, its a very sharp looking guitar. I'll be watching that one closely... js Artfield Username: Artfield Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 9:41 pm:    Could be a Spray job , isn't that dificult, only with mahogany body it would be darker. If it is a real factory model than this is big news !!! Jerryneves Username: Jerryneves Registered: 03-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 10:58 pm:    Yes this AM205 has thrown me for a loop also. It appears to be original unless they did one heck of a job with the serial number and made in Japan stamp on the back of the headstock! Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 11:05 pm:    Artfield: Did you see the pictures of the back fo the headstock? The serial number and Crafted in Japan look intact and original to me. The small script type would be difficult to recreate after a respray from dark brown to white. The model number is 205 and that "5" should mean Burl top. Whether it actually has one will be simple to find out. You buy it, strip it and after we find out for sure, you paint it purple. Bluesmeister Username: Bluesmeister Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 4:09 am:    You could poke a dentist's mirror through one of the f-holes, you could probably then verifiy if it was burl mahogany top. Also if the sides and back are burl mahogany, there's probably a greater chance that the top is too. Artfield Username: Artfield Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 7:50 am:    Johns , this time i pass, there already 3 guitars at the luthier for modification.... But could nobody check the Serial ? Which factory is G ? Did Ibanez put a ground (layer spray ) on the headstock back ? check the damage , i have an AM205SE with almost the same damage and it shows the wood. Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 8:21 am:    There's something odd about the bidding history. When I saw it the first time last night, there was a highest bid of $850.=, which now seems to have disappeared: 350-500-1000-1025. Can a bid be removed or retracted? Because of the TP6 / incomplete info perhaps? I'm with Jeff about the finish. This is not the first white AM... There was a white AM400 in 1988: http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/discus/messages/16/2328.html?1118326259 But then it was in the pricelist/catalogue! Still have the list. Ginger Ale Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 9:09 am:    Artfield: The G stands for July. So it's a July 1983 manufacture date. At that time, it was probably Fuji Gen Gakki made. I noticed the blemish at the headstock corner, too. You can see a of couple dark spots showing through. Hmmmm, mysteries...always a mystery. Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 9:58 am:    Those paint chips look exactly like the chips on my ST prototype which is pearl white. You see the clear has yellowed and the white underneath. I will dig her out and post a pic in a few minutes. I believe its a factory finish. Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 3:46 pm:    Here ya go! I had to play it for a while when I dug it out but this will show the PW under the yellowed clear. Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 7:41 pm:    I was refering to the light chip not the dark ones. Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 9:12 pm:    Freak, I recently stripped a white 80's era Artist....the veneer on the back had buckled cracking the back of the guitar, so I decided to strip it. The top coat (s) contain the sparkles and the white looks like a primer/first coat. I literally chipped off the topcoat in large chunks and then lightly sanded off the white, leaving a really cool mildly figured maple top. FOr sure thats a factory finish Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 7:57 am:    Dave was that a Pearl White finish you stripped? That must be a tough finish to color match on a spot repair. I'd really like to know whats under mine but will never have the nerve to do it! Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 8:26 am:    Freak..Yea it was Pearl white and its VERY tough-I had to literally chip the top coat off with an xacto knife-I'll be finding little chips all around the shop for years ! It had to be done 'cause the maple top had actually split right between the pickups and across the back leaving dark black cracks.The top, under all that laquer is a nice maple top, but its three pcs AND NOT MATCHED ! The seam is not symetrical-definitely a candidate for a solid finish ! I send picts later this weekend Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 9:57 am:    OK thanks! Artfield Username: Artfield Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 4:59 pm:    So this is a very special One, maybe the only ever made ? Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 6:13 pm:    As Dave wrote, some guitars are definitely candidates for a solid finish: "The top, under all that laquer is a nice maple top, but its three pcs AND NOT MATCHED ! The seam is not symetrical-definitely a candidate for a solid finish !" I guess that applying a solid finish, either black or white is considered a solution for guitars with tops or top veneers that don't meet Ibanez's standards, instead of cutting them up. Remember the AM205 was $849.= in 1983. You don't throw it away if it's good sounding wood. How many there are depends on the number of top veneers that didn't make it, I guess. In 1987-1988 Funji Gen Gakki did this with MIJ Fender Standard Stratocasters with Kahler Spyder tremolos. They were available in white and black at reduced prices. The sunburst version of the same guitar was 600 guilders more. These 'specials' were good sounding guitars, but nobody could see the gnarls under the paint. Just don't ever strip them if you don't need to! Besides, who wants to know or see what under the skin? It's like watching X-rays of your girl friend. Stop analysing, just play and have fun! Life's too short you know! If you're into white buy white! If you're into black buy black! As long as it sounds well... of course! But this one now seems to be more expensive instead of cheaper, while it might have been the same price or even cheaper than the burl mahogany when it was new. The best looking wood is on NATURAL guitars, then on all transparent colors, then on SUNBURST, and what's under solid paint you just don't want to know! Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Sunday, July 09, 2006 - 10:44 pm:    Well, I took another look at the Artist that I stripped and the top is rather nice-clean center matched, just a hint of figure. The back veneer is also OK, but the edges are VERY DARK in comparison...Also this guitar has an issue that the back veneer is lifting from the guitar and has developed a crack (this crack and a similar one on the front is what prompted the stripping in the first place) Interesting to note that the laminated neck IS NOT symetrical..that is the center strip of maple is offset by at least 1/2 inch..... Im not quite sure how to fix the laminate on the back....its definately seperating from the body as it sounds hollow when tapped near the crack.... Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 6:52 am:    Dave that is very interesting indeed! What kind of finish will you apply? Also can we see some close ups of the cracks? Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 9:58 am:    Dave, have you ever seen another artist with veneer on the back? I thought they were usually just plain Mahogany. Artfield Username: Artfield Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 4:02 pm:    DAVE......PURPLE so beautiful

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