Ibanez AS200 good Jazz guitar?
Docbop
the guitar John Scofield played before there was a Scofield model.
He has the original PUPs, but there is a pair of Bill Lawrence PUPs in
it now. So think this would get a good Jazz tone ala Adam Rogers or
similar 335 player? Also what would be a good price for one of
these?
pmfan57
I still have mine. Great guitar. I get a good sound out of it. But
everyone's fingers are different.
Travis
@u6g2000vbh.googlegroups.com>, jwra...@aol.com says...
The AS200 is a great guitar and it's been my jazz buddy for almost 20
years. Don't know about the Lawrence PUP's but the originals were just
fine in my book. I still have mine and won't part with it. I think
it's the best semi-hollow ever made...but I'm biased :) Don't know the
prices nowadays but I don't care either 'cause I'm not selling.
--
Travis
ScotGormley
<travissomewhereinthemiddleharr...@charter.net> wrote:
> In article <bd959cf2-d2aa-47ea-a1ec-a1ff926abe06
Excellent guitar. I traded an ES 335 to get mine in 1987 and have
never even considered selling or trading the Ibanez. I put Duncan
pickups in (JB in bridge and Alnico II in the neck, I think), but the
stock pickups sound great, too. I just wanted a slightly different
sound than stock. It feels and sounds a lot like the ES 347 I had
years ago (like Dave Striker's main axe).
pmfan57
> @u6g2000vbh.googlegroups.com>, jwrag...@aol.com says...
I agree that it's the best "production" semi hollow. Back in the
early to mid 80s the Ibanez off the line "artist" type guitars were of
(what we would now consider) "custom shop" type quality and
consistency. You could play them straight off the shelf with hardly a
tweak and you knew they'd play perfectly. This probably was quite a
shock to Gibson, whose product was really hit and miss. (Of course
the problem was that you couldn't resist getting them. I still have
my AR-100, AS-200 and GB-20 and which I still had my GB-10 and
JP-120. All of them play/played perfectly.)
Phil T
All I ever seem to see about these 70's/80's Ibanez 'copies' is that
present owners love them and will never sell them, and previous owners
regret having sold them.
Travis
Well mine is an early 90's and it's also not for sale.
--
Travis
Tim McNamara
Phil T <va...@yahoo.com> wrote:
I've been hanging on to my GB10 since 1986....
--
"It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may
judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their
own liberty ‹ to oppress without control or the restraint of laws all who
are poorer or weaker than themselves." Samuel Adams
jjtko75
Take this for what it's worth. I've never played one, but I've played
plenty of 335s.
There is a big demand for the Ibanez "335" type guitars like the
AS200. There must be a reason, which I would hope is more than just
being the kind of guitar Sco plays. Tell your buddy to hold out for
top dollar. I saw recently on eBay that an AS100 from 1981 sold for
$1,125. The AS200 looks more expensive.
But to me, Sco had a far better tone when he used his late 50s Gibson
ES-335 (like on Who's Who, Rough House, Live and other albums from the
late 70s). I saw him play that Gibson many times at the Village
Vanguard and other clubs back in the day. His tone had a much
different character then, much more subtle. No delay, no chorus, just
a hint of overdrive. But he must have a reason for using the Ibanez.
I don't know why he switched to the Ibanez, and I'm not knocking it at
all. I've played other models of theirs and they were fine guitars, so
I may just be holding the AS200 to an impossibly high standard by
comparing it to Sco's 50s ES-335.
John
pmfan57
The AS-200, AR-100, GB-10 etc. are not the Ibanez "copies". The
copies were the earlier "lawsuit" models.
Travis
8b016e...@k15g2000prk.googlegroups.com>, jjt...@gmail.com says...
> I don't know why he switched to the Ibanez, and I'm not knocking it at
> all. I've played other models of theirs and they were fine guitars, so
> I may just be holding the AS200 to an impossibly high standard by
> comparing it to Sco's 50s ES-335.
>
> John
What I read somewhere is that his 335 broke somehow and he was offered
the Ibanez which he liked better and has stayed with ever since.
--
Travis
JBAFromNY
I saw Sco a few years ago, and he played both the Ibanez and a 335.
IIRC it was a block inlay, so probably not late 50s; I don't know if
this is one he used way back when. He was mostly playing the Ibanez,
but at some point, he switched. Same amp, same pedals, same
everything, and the 335 sounded REALLY different (and to my ears
better). It had more of that classic, flute-y rich Gibson jazzy tone
on the neck pick-up, and a fatter, richer, bluesier bridge pick-up
tone. To, me, hearing that guitar made it clear what all the fuss is
about with old 335s. But he was clearly frustrated by the guitar,
constantly tuning, fiddling with knobs, and just generally acting like
a fidgety toddler with it. He lasted only a couple of tunes with it,
and then switched back to the Ibanez. My takeaway is that whatever we
might think about tone, he likes the Ibanez better for getting the
sound and feel he wants.
John
sheetsofsound
that shouldn't be surprising. The AS200 has a maple/mahogany/maple
neck with ebony board (way brighter)
ScotGormley
>
> - Show quoted text -
That's why I changed pickups. The Duncan Alnico really warmed up the
guitar.
sheetsofsound
i actually like the maple / ebony combination. Makes for more of a
bensony sound
ScotGormley
>
> - Show quoted text -
I like it, too. One of my favorites has always been an ES347--it
really had a wonderful sound, bright but fat, too. I'd play my Lee
Ritenour licks on it with a big smile on my face. That was my guitar
when I was 15, and I just didn't realize what I had. Sold it for $500
and bought a Kramer Pacer, I think. Good move on my part ;-)
The AS200 reminds me a lot of that 347.
sheetsofsound
agreed! I wish I could play ritenour licks when I was 15 though!
Yvan
I don't own a AS200 but I recorded this with the newer Scofield model.
http://www.youtube.com/user/gibsonl4c#p/u/3/FAbnbRKBbdI
Yvan
David J. Littleboy
"Yvan" <forti...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
I don't own a AS200 but I recorded this with the newer Scofield model.
http://www.youtube.com/user/gibsonl4c#p/u/3/FAbnbRKBbdI
<<<<<<<<
Tasty playing there! Very tasty.
Do you have any clips playing an L-4C???
--
David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan
Yvan
> "Yvan" <fortiny...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> I don't own a AS200 but I recorded this with the newer Scofield model.http://www.youtube.com/user/gibsonl4c#p/u/3/FAbnbRKBbdI
> <<<<<<<<
>
> Tasty playing there! Very tasty.
>
> Do you have any clips playing an L-4C???
>
> --
> David J. Littleboy
> Tokyo, Jap
Sorry, I don't.
Phil T
>
>>
>> All I ever seem to see about these 70's/80's Ibanez 'copies' is that
>> present owners love them and will never sell them, and previous owners
>> regret having sold them.
>
> The AS-200, AR-100, GB-10 etc. are not the Ibanez "copies". The
> copies were the earlier "lawsuit" models.
I do realize that and I probably should have said "spin-offs". The real
Ibanez copies of Gibsons were made from about 1970 to around 1976 at
which time Ibanez started changing them enough that couldn't be called
copies any more. The 'SA' and 'AS' models were obviously spin-offs of
the Gibson 335.
pmfan57
Yes. But no more so than dozens of semi hollow guitars from the 60s,
such as the Guild Starfire IV and V. That shape generally was there
for the taking. The AS-200 is no closer to the 335 than those
Starfires, for example.
All of them were inspired by the original gibson semi hollows
obviously.
ScotGormley
Sounds great! Thanks.
ScotGormley
>
> - Show quoted text -
About 6 months ago, I noticed an Aria Pro II 335 style guitar that had
been hanging on a wall at Uncle Sam's Pawn Shop in Columus, OH. It
had been there over 20 years and was brand new. No model number is
listed, and there's no tag inside the F hole, but it's obviously a
Japanese model. After a thorough clean up and fret dressing, it's a
fantastic 335, and the stock pickups are outstanding. The quality is
every bit as good as my Ibanez AS200 and/or the Gibson 335s I've
owned. If you ever run across one of these Arias, be sure to check it
out.
pmfan57
The only Aria Pro I remember playing at a store in the 80s was the
Herb Ellis model. But it was a fantastic playing guitar right off the
rack.
Craig
model until around 1988, when Ibanez changed to the maple/mahogany/maple
version.
"sheetsofsound" wrote in message
news:8dac0b43-bb21-4403...@s3g2000vbf.googlegroups.com...
Docbop
Okay my buddy dropped the guitar off today and its NOT a AS200, it
appears to be an early 2630. There are some things a little unusual
for a 2630 but in general looks to be a 2630. It was his working
guitar and pretty beat up and frets are shot and needs a refret, then
there are some sort of Bill Lawerance blade PUPs in there. I do like
the width of the neck, but a refret and replace the PUPs would cost
quite a bit. So on the fence on if it will be worth buying.
Thanks all for your info been informative.
Phil T
The 2630 makes it 'collector' material. However if it's beat pretty good
and the original pickups are gone, that lowers it's value significantly.
Docbop
Thanks all but I'm going to pass on this guitar. The cost of a good
set of PUP's and a refret and other repairs exceeds what the guitar is
worth. Maybe at another time, but not in tight economy.
David J. Littleboy
"Docbop" <doc...@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks all but I'm going to pass on this guitar. The cost of a good
set of PUP's and a refret and other repairs exceeds what the guitar is
worth. Maybe at another time, but not in tight economy.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
I'm not into that sort of guitar (although I owned one briefly (the smaller
version)), but I'm a big Ibanez fan. Amazing quality control and
workmanship, and the necks are all a joy to play on. Maybe they ain't L-4s
or boutique guitars, but my AF105FNT is easier to play than my L-4C or
boutique guitar.
--
David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan
Docbop
I agree I have a old Ibanez GB20 that is my main guitar.
Bill Williams
Bill
ScotGormley
> I have had a black 330-type (no solid block) Aria Pro II since the early 80's and I have always been very happy with it [although an infant knocked it over and the neck snapped off so I've never been 100% confident about the repair for gigging it since then]. Does yours have a solid block then, Scott?
>
> Bill
Bill, mine has a solid block. It's a real beauty--tobacco burst and
bound rosewood dot fingerboard.