Ibanez AR300/2619 Artist

Ibanez Artist 2618 Made In Japan 1978. 24 frets. 2 peice book matched top (probably maple). 2 vol, 2 tone, 3 way switch. 2 super 80 pickups, flying fingers on covers, passive, wax potted. 3 peice neck, ebony fretboard. nitro finish i presume. Les Paulesque but with douible cutaway. bridge is a phat ibanez brdige with alot of room for teh saddles to be intonated, the bridge locks down and under it is a solid brass block for maximum resonance. half brass half bone nut. tuners ateh teh ibanez velvetune tuners with adjustable tourqe thumb wheels. jumbo frets. has a pretti nice case too, not as good as gibson though.

I play Rock, Blues and Jazz in a professional environment. going through a MI Audio Tube Zone(best dist. pedal ever by the way...) to a Music Man 65 combo. the guitar is very quiet because of the sheilding of the cavities etc. has a very rich sound, bright and articulate, responds well to emotive playing. comparable to gibson PAFs. i like the super 80's better actually. this guitar can cope with any style of music-except maybe hair metal. it is highly versatile.

Bought second hand and played really good, even though it had been sitting in trhe shop for several years apparently. i go tit set up by a professional luthier and it became teh best guitar i have ever played in my life. This guitar ha sonly one flaw; the binding on the underside of the bass string cutaway had shrunk a little and come away form teh body. i have seen this occurr on several of these guitars. but otehr than that it was in absoluetly sterling condition for a guitar for 1978.

I get worried about gigging with this guitar because it is so good, if it got damaged or stolen i woul dnever forgive myself. but it still goes everywhere with me. everything on it has lasted since '78 and it last til after I'm gone. I always gig with a backup except when im playing Jazz, but it has never failed me.

i have been playing for 5 years 3 of which i have been in a professional environment. i own a Gibson les paul custom, and Ibanez Lawsuit era Strat and a few acoustics. if it were stolen of lost, i would sell both of my other guitars to get another one.

As can be seen in the other reviews this guitar has been built by Ibanez with the Les Paul in mind. However it has a double cutaway,
gold hardware, mahogany body with a maple cap, three piece maple neck
abolone inlay on its head and position markers.
As for the electronic part: Two 50 humbuckers, the three way toggle switch, and the mini three way toggle switches for single coil, reverse polarity of the bobbins and humbucker sounds. It all ends up with two volume and tone controls. The cavities are covered with alu
backplates as to reduce any interferences with other electronic sources. Finished in cherry sunburst on a nice flamed maple top.

These Ibanez Artist guitars are simply comparable to an original Les Paul custom. I have one in my collection and playing these two after
one another one must come to the conclusion that the Ibanez even has
a nicer edge to its tone. Nice full tone without being muddy also when used in overdrive modes. Suited for all kinds of music styles.
I'm using a Mesa Boogie Mark IIB with it sometimes in combination
with a 19 inch multi effect unit by Digitech.
Simply nothing to complain about! Just awesome!

Action and feel of this guitar are very good. Enough flesh to these necks and nice frets though I think it is a bit strange that no one complains about some outer ends of the frets. The high E-string sometimes tends to get sticked behind the outer ends of the frets.
The same problem I had with another late seventies Ibanez Artist
model ES 175 Jazz guitar. It can be fixed but that's the only minor I am able to complain about. As I have very dry hands I have no
problem with the corrosion of the hardware.

This guitar seems very reliable to me. It is allmost 30 years now but
hardly needs any adjustments and if so it can be easily fixed.
It stays in tune fine and the finish has been done very accurate.

Never dealt with the Ibanez company. All adjustments I do myself.
As I fix most guitars that I ever possesed I'm gradually changing
into a guitarrestorer. I simply like it to bring instruments back
to life if they need to be treated.

I'm playing for about 40 years now and I have all kinds of instruments in my collection: from early nineteen century guitars
to the big brands of today. The last few years I'm involved into the late seventies Japanese products that can be amazing: Tokai, Ibanez,
Tama, Orozco.
If it were stolen I wouldn't search for another one but not because
of any minor of this guitar. I simply have enough fine instruments.
I love the full and if you want it, thick tones in this electric
guitars. The nice edge when using especially the neck pick up is a
big plus for me though I think it can be described to the bridge
construction: The bridge is supported by a metal part mounted in the body that contributes to these bell like effects.

I bought the Artist brand new at Guitar Center SF, - I traded a 1960 SF Les Paul for it... should have kept the SG and bought the Artist, but I was poor at the time and could not afford both. The SG Les Paul had tuning problems like crazy- previous owner had schaller tuners installed but the bloody thing still had tuning problems- If you see a vintage SG with schaller manchine heads on it, chances are that it goes out of tune- you be busier than a one legged man at at ant stomping contest. Its got all the same stuff all the other 2619 artist has- it is all orignal- I love it. I miss the SG for the money I could have for it now, but I am really glad to have this 30year old Artist Oh yeah- tabacco antique finish.
Every one else described it in really fantastic detail.

This thing is really versatile, single coil- no problems- humbucker- don't even ask- puts most pauls to shame- pauls don't have that solid brass anchor under the bridge. Single coil- no probs- tip.. set the neck on single coil tap the bridge pickup on out of phase, the pickup selector in the middle, fiddle with the volume levels on both still you get that strat between neck and middle sound. Really it works! See a Paul do that! I had the pickups far too close to the strings for years - when I was younger I thought more is awesome- just recently lowered that pickups- what a dramatic change! The pickups are just too powerfull to have so close.
Sustains for ever, just back off on the neck and you get a passable jazz sound - but it won't get that jazzbox sound - it doesn't have a acoustic chamber you need for that woody sound. Bridge pickup is great on single coils setting - lots of treble- will give a strat a run.. but in humbucker position - too much magnetism.. maybe I should lower it even more. 9 because it won't do a woody jazzbox.

These things are made like they came out of a custom shop. That would be the only other guitar that would even remotely interest me. The new run of the mill gibbys are a dime a dozen and look on ebay- there's millions of them for sale. Look for a vintage artist - hardly see one. Now what is rare?
The only thing I really did not care for was all that gold plating. Too much show- it doesn't need it. I wonder if there was ever one in chrome or satin finish..

Well 30 years- it sounds and plays even better than ever. Age really fine too. It did have that "new" sound when I bounght it 30 years ago- probably because I had the pickups too high...... Nothing ever went wrong or changed on it except that "sound" developed.

Never even had an inkling to call them.

It is a great guitar. You should really check these out before buying a gibby.. save your money to get a better amp! You really need a good amp to get your own sound, and I do have my "sound".
I play my guitars through all Yamaha DG series . I have the DG60 , the DG80 and the DG100 212. They are fa6ntastic! Woah! Betsby- I own a 1960 210 super - pre CBS - and used to have a Blonde 1969 Blonde 50watt Marshall - I tried the other modeling amps-- come no where near these.. I've been playing since I was 12- I am close to 53 now -have played almost everthing made. Just close you eyes and decide for yourself do you want the label or do you want sound. I hope this works for you.

I've been a single-coil guy for many years, playing mostly Strats and Teles, and wanted to get into Les Paul territory without shelling out huge dollars for an LP. I'd head about the vintage Ibanez Artists a few years ago and have been keeping an eye on the market for one ever since, and I finally managed to score a winner a couple of months ago. My new baby is a 2619 model that came off the line in September 1978. It's pretty much straight out of the catalogue feature-wise: one-piece, 7-layer bound mahogany body with a bookmatched maple cap, three-piece maple set neck with ebony fretboard and MOP/abalone/MOP block inlays, MOP Ibanez logo and "narrow lotus" design on the headstock, brass/bone nut, Ibanez VelveTune pearloid tuners, two Super 80 "trisound" pickups with gold "flying fingers" covers, gold Gibraltar bridge with "cloud" tailpiece, coil tap switches for each pickup for humbucker/single-coil/parallel sounds, 2 volume and 2 tone knobs, and 3-way pickup selector switch. The guitar is completely stock and is in great shape for its age, nothing on it has been repaired or replaced since it left the factory almost 30 years ago. It came with the original hardshell case, and other than a little crumpling of the inside padding, it's in good condition.

It's amazing how many sounds I can get out of this thing, even straight into my tweed Fender Blues Deville 2x12. The Super 80s are pretty hot but aren't harsh-sounding at all, and with everything turned up to 11, the Artist can really scream. Dial it back slightly and you're in "Hammer of the Gods" territory, play with the tap switches and you can get a nice, smooth "Cream-y" tone out of it. It absolutely sings in humbucker mode, and it sustains forever. It has a rich, robust clean tone that's more sparkly than spiky, and even though I'm not much of a jazz player it's easy to coax a nice round jazz tone out of it. In single coil mode the pickups don't have the same snap and bite as, say, a Telecaster, but they can still deliver a decent Strat-like tone that jangles with the best of them. I'm still playing around with all the different pickup settings, but with the right selections and amp/effect setups, it seems that this guitar is capable of producing almost any sound that you want.

This guitar is nearly 30 years old, so it's not in perfect condition, but it's obviously been well cared for by its previous owner(s). The Antique Violin finish has aged very well, it's matured into an dark tobacco sunburst which is very pleasing to the eye. The bookmatched maple cap itself is a little plain, but otherwise flawless, there isn't a nick or a scratch on it (I'll try to keep it that way), and absolutely no checking or crazing of the finish at all. The back has some minor buckle rash and a few small dents, nothing major though. The gold hardware is in surprisingly good condition, although the bridge has a fair bit of pitting, as well as a little on the pickup covers, and I may replace these at some point because they're the only really noticeable blemishes on this beauty. There are a couple of minor cracks in the binding on the lower bout, but the rest is intact. The smooth-heel neck joint is a GREAT feature, the highest frets are easily accessible with nothing to get in the way of your hand. The ebony fretboard is dead straight, the action is almost impossibly low with hardly any buzz and no dead spots that I have managed to find, and the frets themselves are still in great shape after almost three decades. The guitar itself is a heavy beast, easily as heavy as an LP Standard, but it's fairly well-balanced so it doesn't feel as heavy as it is (of course, I haven't played a 4-set club gig with it yet).

Like I said, this guitar will turn 30 in September. It's in great condition for its age, and again, it's all stock and still plays and sounds like it just came off the production line (probably better). The workmanship is top notch and the thing feels like a tank. As I said, at some point I may replace the gold hardware just for looks, but as it is now, it's still fully functional and has weathered the decades with grace. The few times I've taken it out in public it's performed as well as a brand new instrument, and I've gotten lots of positive comments both on its looks and its sound. The wide variety of sounds that the Artist provides, as well as its reliability, means that a second guitar is no longer necessary for me in a live setting. All I really need are extra strings (or not - I still haven't broken any yet!).

I haven't owned an Ibanez before, and since I have no issues with the guitar at this time, I have no real reason to contact them. I don't imagine they'd be very helpful with this model though, as they don't make Artists like this anymore, and that's really too bad. They definitely got this one right the first time around.

I have absolutely no desire to get a Les Paul now that I have this beautiful, versatile sweetheart of a guitar. It looks and sounds amazing, and it can do things that no stock Les Paul can do. To me, that's much more important than the supposed cachet that comes with owning a Gibson. Instead, I now have a top-quality vintage instrument for about a third of the price of a comparable new LP, and I can say with confidence that it can easily hold its own against any Les Paul out there. And no, I'm not interested in selling it or trading for something else, so please don't ask. :)

My first Ibanez was a 1975 Les Paul style. At the time (1976) I had a 67 Gibson Les Paul "Black Beauty", A Yamaha SG2000 and a pre CBS Telecaster. I was professional. Three years later I only played the Ibanez I was so impressed with it. It became my stock guitar. I also own a 70's Gibson SG Standard. I came acrosss the Ibanez 2619 on Ebay and bought it. I no longer have my 70's SG Standard I only need the Ibanez. The construction is similar to Les pauls, Maple capping on mahogany, and the neck feels similar to my Les Paul and the SG. 22 fret ebony fretboard with inlays and easy access all the way up to the last fret, no obtrusive neck joint. Two flying finger embossed pick ups and the usual coil tap switches, volume/tone controls. What can I say, so much guitar for such little money. I am so glad that these guitars are overlooked, I have just bought anothyer, a 2618 24 fret Artist for the price of an epiphone - crazy!. The tonal range is excellent though I am not sure that I need the coil taps. Considering it is 25 years old the neck and body are excellent. The build quality far superior to anything I have ever owned other than the SG2000. It beats everything I have owned. The frets will need dressing but there is still enough of them to last a good number of years before a refret is needed. The neck feels like a good gibson should but with less curve. The action is silky smooth and very low with minor fret buzz due to some frets having had more punishmenet than others.

I have played all styles, Rock, country, blues, soul, etc. The great thing is I only need one guitar and I have it. The pick ups have similar output to a good Les Paul with vintage humbuckers and I am happy with their tonal response. A lot of the tone must be attributed to the brass block inserted under the bridge. I may be tempted to try specialist di Marzio or similar but my instinct tells me its just fine as it is.

I purchased it second hand. The finish is excellent, a few battle scars are evident but the guitar is a tough old lady. Action is very low and the neck true along its entire length.

I will use this guitar without a back up though I amy take the 2618 along just for the sheer pleasure of using frets 23 and 24.

Supposed to be poor, but I am still waiting for a reply from Gibson about my SG...(they needn't bother....sold it!)

Been playing for over 40 years. I only use valve amps and built my own based on Fender-Meesa circuitry. I use a POD for all of my recording sessions. If it were stolen I have the 2618 to get me by until I find another. I just hope that they remain undiscovered but having read the reviews here at harmony-central that could soon be changing.

Built in 1979 with a double cutaway mahogany body (looks like 1 piece), maple cap (very plain unfortunately), maple 3 piece neck with the smooth heel joint and an ebony fretboard with block mother of pearl & abalone inlays. The hardware is gold plated (although after 25 years it is showing signs of wear), the twin humbuckers are Ibanez Super 80's (Flying Fingers embossed covers), with a Gibraltar bridge and the Quik-Change II tail piece. Machine heads are Ibanez VelveTune with pearloid buttons, and are very solid, reliable tuners. There's a brass "sustain block" set in the body under the bridge, whether this aids the guitars tone, I don't know and can't really tell. It has a 3 way pickup selector on the bass side horn, 2 vol, 2 tone pots (a la Gibson), and 2 "Tri-Sound" switches for single coil/humbucker/phased sounds.

IMO it's a kind of cross between a Gibson Les Paul & a Gibson SG.

The spec was changed on these late 79/early 80 when it was redesignated as the AR300 from the 2619 model No. The changes were a slightly thicker body, and a block-y heel (like a Les Paul type heel detail) as opposed to the earlier heel which was smoothed into the body, and again IMO, the earlier heel is much better for getting at those high notes.

Sound wise, IMO, with the Super 80's, is kind of "Hot PAF" territory. It does the clean tones well, but sounds better when shown some overdrive. The "just breaking up" blues-y tones are so sweet on this, it's unbelievable, and the higher gain tones are where the guitar bears its teeth.

A great sounding, versatile solidbody guitar with useable switching (although there is a considerable drop in volume when I switch to the single coil setting, whether this is mine needing a service, or a common trait across the range).

It's finished in a "violin" type graduated tobacco sunburst, which suits it and goes with the gold hardware well. The maple top is quite plain, but it is bookmatched. The neck is a chunky LP affair with a volute at the neck/headstock joint.

As this guitar is 25 years old, it has been used, but it has also been looked after by its previous owners, and although it does have some body wear, it is in really good condition for it's age. The hardware has lasted really well, and the only wear it's showing is on the bridge and the pickup covers, the rest of the hardware is in rather good nick!

It's lasted 25 years so far, and it could well last another, it is that well built. IMO.

Dunno, it was built in 1979, so I think that the warranty may be up.

Overall, this is a fantastic guitar, and with the Ibanez reputation from this era, it makes a fine addition to your guitar arsenal. Try one out if you see one, but be careful, as the prices are rising due to them becoming collectable.

1978 Artist - Model 2619 - made in Japan. 22 Frets, maple top, mahogany neck back and sides. Nice brown antique violin finish (similar to a tobacoo sunburst but nicer). Two humbuckers (replaced with Seymour Duncans, Screamin Demon in the bridge and a Pearly Gates in the neck), three position pickup selector switch, two volume/two tone controls and THE best feature of the guitar: the "tri-sound" selector switches for each pickup (allowing full humbucker, out of phase and coil tap). In fact, with the tri-sound switches and the volume controls, you can select a nice sound out of one pickup and then "mix in" a little of the other for an endless palette of combinations. The body style is like a les paul double cut and it weighs around the same as a regular les paul standard. The nut is a bone/brass combination and there is a brass sustain block under the bridge. The tuners were replaced with locking Sperzels. The neck is wide and the frets are jumbo. Oh, I almost forgot, the EBONY fretboard really makes it, I never want to go back to Rosewood - which feels bumpy and looks cheap to me now.

I can get almost any sound necessary from blues, jazz and rock with the exception of a thin shredding metal sound. Playing mostly through effects processors, an early 70's champ, and a small Marshall combo amp. The Duncan pickups are great and the smooth tone that time and nice wood has created is sweet.

Action is set nice and low though a little buzzing is noticeable. The fit and finish is excellent for an import and the upgraded features (MOP/Abalone inlays, nicely aged full-binding, real nice finish, ebony fretboard) really set this apart. Even though is has it's share of dings, bumps and scratches - from 6+ feet away all you notice is the nicely balanced finish, harware and design.

Built like a tank and I don't think it would be any trouble maintaining. The guitar is already 24 years old and is working like it were new.

Just try and find ANY telephone number for Ibanez..........good luck. Lots of nice links, manuals and support items on the website BUT nothing is a substitute for a guy on the phone......

I would buy another early Artist for sure if this were lost or stolen but NOT without the "tri-sound" setup. The basic construction quality was as good or slightly better than the new Gibson Les Paul double cut I had recently. Best value for the money I've seen yet for this level of quality.

Ibanez Artist model 2619, made in 11/77 (Serial # K77xxxx), probably sold as a '78 model. Has two Super 80 humbuckers w/ butterfly engraved covers, wide tune-o-matic like Gibraltar bridge. Three piece set maple neck has 22 jumbo frets, 24.75" scale, ebony fingerboard with split MOP/abalone/MOP block inlays. Body is carved maple top in cherry sunburst, mahogany back. The neck is bound, and the body has 7-layer white/black binding. The stock electronics on this model come with two "tri-sound" switches for dialing in different sounds. The 2619 was renamed the AR300 in '79, and is probably one of the most versatile guitars I've come across.
The tri-sound switches (one for each pickup) allow each pickup to be used in 3 different ways: humbucker, single coil, or parallel. With the 3-way pickup selector there are 15 combinations of sounds possible. The tuners are sort of like Grovers, but have an extra adjustment mechanism for changing the tightness when turning. The cherry sunburst on mine has aged to give it a rich antique look. Based on the materials, I've heard people call the Artists "Les Paul copies", which isn't really true. Even though they can be compared roughly as Gibson-like, the style and appointments on the guitar aren't like any Gibson out there.
Have put up a few photos at
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Street/1173/2619_1.jpg http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Street/1173/2619_2.jpg

The Super 80 pickups give a rich, warm sound. I've heard complaints (and have complaints) with some Ibanez pickups, but not these, can get really good textures with them. The switches for each pickup allow coil-cutting and parallel combinations. Have found some great in-between combos that are great for blues soloing (combo of parallel bridge with humbucker neck, among others) which you can't get with other guitars. The single coil sound is not the same as on a Strat, but still pretty decent. The thin parallel sound is usually best when combined with a setting on the other pickup.
The guitar sustains forever, there's also a block of metal under the bridge for this purpose. The neck has a half-brass/half-bone nut. The sounds from this guitar can really scream with high gain, or get mellow on clean settings. It can do just about any style of music.

I've had the guitar for over a year, before that it was well taken care of (for dings, etc., it was definitely over a 9 on a 10 scale). The only complaint about playability is that the guitar's a little neck heavy, due to the double cutaway (so -1). Don't know why they didn't put the strap button at the neck heel, probably would have solved the problem.
The neck itself is a bit on the beefy side, especially at the neck heel, and a little wider across than on a LP throughout. Doesn't bother me, though, it's comfortable. The overall quality in the construction is really high, like most Ibanez models of this era. Not sure if the half-brass/half-bone nut was the best idea, though, due to the different ways that brass and bone pull on strings. I'm using graphite paste in the nut slots to make sure it doesn't become a problem. Also, the gold hardware is faded in some spots, but there's no subtraction for it since it's typical for these.
The neck is straight, with plenty of play for truss rod adjustment. I've set the action low with no problems.

Overall it's a 22 year old tank. Could use strap locks with heavy movement, the plastic locking ones from stewmac work for me.

Their email support isn't that great, it has over a week turnaround and may need resends (-5). Could be understaffed, who knows?, not sure why they list an email address if it takes so long...

The only reason these vintage guitars aren't selling for 2-3x more is because they're not made in the USA, the quality is certainly there. I'm not complaining ;-)
I've been playing around 17 years. When I was a teenager I had a used '81 AR100, probably would have bought something else back then if I had the money. Sort of funny looking back, because now I could save for something else but don't need to.