With a lineage that dates back to the early 20th Century, Ibanez entered the guitar building fray in the 60s making copies of American designs before branching out into their own, quickly gaining attention of artists such as Bob Weir and John McLaughlin. 

The Artist series was their first offering, launching them onto the world stage.

The guitar is in great condition. The poly finish is durable and as such has survived well. The grain of the ash is well showcased here.  There is only some slight damage on the lower horn. The strap button has also been moved.

The three piece rock maple neck too is in great condition with plenty of life left in the original frets and no signs of wear to the ebony fretboard. The use of binding and abalone is very subtle and compliments the guitar. 

The hardware has worn as you’d expect but shows no real signs of corrosion. The Gibraltar bridge and tailpiece show the most wear though this does not affect functionality. 

Plastics are in good condition. Neck pickup surround has broken slightly but doesn't affect how it works. Knobs are correct but have cracked a little.

Electrically everything looks correct. Interestingly the neck pickup is a correct Maxon Super 70 Humbucker and the bridge is a Maxon Super Single which is a single coil pickup in humbucker case. There is no indication that this is an aftermarket addition. These pickups were designed with input by Jerry Garcia and were more commonly seen on the Artist 2618/12. They were designed to “provide excellent clarity and definition but with more mid and low frequencies than a typical single-coil for a mellow balance”

The guitar comes with its correct green lined hardshell case.

This is a great guitar, a testament to why US manufacturers were understandably concerned by these guitars from the land of the rising sun. Its well balanced and a joy to play, the mix of pickups offering a wide palette of tones.

Looking for something a little different? Look no further.