Ibanez AS200

Mine is a 1981 AS-200, I payed only 575.00 for it, because the headstock was repaired and the logo design plastic veneer is missing because of it. When I got it I was very pleased that the headstock broke exactly where the factory seem was, so basically the repairman just did what the factory did but better.

It has all the features it needs. Everything including the secondary toggle (which I believe changes the tone in the neck pick-up?) is very usable.

This is kind of a ridiculous category. Giving something a low rating because it doesn't have active pick-up's, LED's, and a Whammy.

I play just about everything except Metal. This guitar sounds very good for just about everything, it's a hollowbody with humbuckers so it's not going to sound like a fender. This guitar have more sustain than the Gibson 335's and I believe generally sound better.

It's a very professional guitar. It wasn't made by CNC machines so the trim is obviously done by hand, like any other guitar made in this period. The top could be book matched better.

I got it and the neck was bowed in the normal way in which is fixed by adjusting the rod. 1 very easy 1/3rd turn made it perfect.

The action is amazing. Nothing on this guitar could be considered poorly done.

Just by looking at it and realizing it's 28 years old and in perfect condition other than the headstock repair I have to give it a 9. I don't know what broke the headstock It could have been slammed????

One problem is the jack placement tends to chip around the edges and might be in a weak placement.

I tried to order the plastic headstock veneer with logo and design that's used on the JSM-200 model's headstock, sending pictures to prove it's authenticity. According to Ibanez they don't carry them stating "we don't carry headstocks" I said it wasn't a headstock describing it perfectly, and condescendingly acted, as if, they had no idea what I was talking about, whaaa!

This is the only guitar company that I've ever dealt with besides Alembic and Hamer. Alembic has the best customer support in history! I lost the brass truss rod nut covering, and the Alembic hippies gave me one for the price of shipping and invited me out to the factory!!! So, I might be a little pampered.

Hamer is also awesome and will help you as much as they can.

I've been playing guitar and bass for 20+ years. I owned a bunch of guitars and this is an awesome guitar.

Just a follow up to my first admission on this guitar, which was about five months ago. I repotted the bridge pickup, no problems now. This is now my main axe, the PRS is relegated to the stand for most gigs, and I sold my tried and true strat cause I never used it anymore.

This guitar gets just about any sound I want, and I have never been one to try to get new sounds out of my rig. Still using the Boogie, a Tremoverb, although I added a couple of new effects to the chain, most notably being an old analog delay and a chorus. Switched to EL-34's in the amp, mostly for something different without buying a new amp. Love the sound I'm getting, which is something I have not been able to say before. We are all searching for that 'perfect' tone, don't know if I found it, but for now I am almost convinced...

Same as before. Bandmate just bought a new Dot 335, I told him he was crazy for blowing that much dough, but he always wanted one. He keeps comparing his to mine, so that should tell you something. I honestly think that if he could do it over, he would have bought an Ibanez AS200, but he will never admit it...

No problems since the trade. I've removed the pickguard, the wood underneath is a little lighter in color, but it has been hidden from the sun for almost twenty-five years. The wood this thing was made from is absolutely stunning. The flame is what Gibson would call AAAA. Stunning.

Same as before. Never had a problem, but if I did, don't know if I would actually contact Ibanez on a guitar as old as this. Would probably eat the repair cost and live with it.

If lost, I'd kick myself in the sack for being dumb. If stolen, I would have to replace the car first, but would definately replace the guitar. Hell, I'd even lie like a rug and say I lost three of them.. fuck the insurance companies, eh'? The only other guitar I have tried that actually comes close to this thing is a Yamaha, a semi-hollow 335 looking guitar, don't know the model. But is was killer as well. Not as nice as the Ibanez, but real close, and in my humble opinion a better guitar than the Gibson.

Just got this guitar, traded a 1993 Les Paul Standard straight across for it, it's a 1991 model. Quilted top, made in Japan (the guy I traded is Japanese, he bought it new). Super 58 pu's, sound really good. I have an issue with the bridge pu, it is starting to go stereophonic. I will have to remove it and have it dipped to cure this, but for a guitar that is almost 18 years old, no problem.

I play a mixture of music, mostly alt-country and blues-rock, but when I was younger I was hooked on progressive rock, and when practicing I cannot help but crank up the gain and relive my youth. I plug straight into a Dual Rectifier Tremoverb, sometimes use a Dunlop wah, but otherwise no effects. I have a Cube 60 for practicing around the house, great cheap practice amp. The guitar is not noisy at all, very articulate sounding, the neck pu is especially creamy. My other guitar, which was my main axe up to now, is a PRS Custom 22, with the dragon pu`s. Beautiful guitar, no complaints. It has the wide thin neck that I love, but the neck on this Ibanez is absolutely beautiful. I can honestly say that after playing it for just a couple of hours, it felt just as comfortable as my old guitar.

The guitar has the fit and finish of something that should cost alot more. This thing has been put together by luthiers that love what they do, and take pride in their work. I bought a Gibson 335 about six years ago, traded it after a few months, dissappointed with it to say the least. I know that you can buy a monday morning guitar, and that may be what I had. That being said, this Ibanez is built with more attention to detail than the `real` semi hollow that I used to own. If every other manufacturer paid as much attention to this important category, what a tough decision we would have in choosing a guitar. As such, I am extremely satisfied with the way this is put together.

It is well put together. But I probably wouldn`t thrash it like my PRS. A solidbody just feels a little tougher in your hands, if you know what I mean. I generally take great care of my instruments, so I shouldn`t have any difficulty here, but it is a semi-hollow, and should be treated with more respect than your average guitar. The strap buttons are solid, alot like the ones on my PRS. I feel I can depend on it, but have to repair the bridge pu first. I always take a backup guitar, and that will never change.

Never had any dealings with the manufacturer. It was made in 1991, so warrenty is definately up.

Been playing about 25 years, studied in university for a while, consider myself a decent player. I have owned just about anything and everything in the last 20 years, look up G.A.S. in the dictionary and my picture is there... This one is a keeper, if lost I would look for another. Love the fit and finish, feel in my hand, and the sound I am getting. It has a great lead tone both with the neck and bridge pickups, clean and articulate. Rythm sounds are great, the pickups are not as loud as some I have tried. Overall, a great guitar if looking for something to cover a wide variety of sounds.

I bought this babe 7 years ago.From the very first touch i knew it was for me. I'm a big fan of Mr. Scofield and jazz generally but also into rock. The quality of this instrument is pro. the controls give a lot of sound variety.

Best part of As200 is THE sound. I just came out of studio after several hours of searching the sound for Pink Floyds shine on you grazy diamond. With my cheap equipment it seemed impossible to find the right sound- yes, i have strato. I tried as200 and that's it. It was the reason i wrote this....
When looking smooth jazzy tones, this babe helps. As200 is my 1st choice, if I'm recording distorded classical rocksounds. it's so full well balanced sound. For blues, light distorded bridge pick up sound works always.

Easy to play, high quality.

If you need one guitar to cover up many styles, I recomment this. From jazz to rock, I have tried it in metal also with nice results.

Guitar is left handed ES335 type semi acoustic in a violin sunburst finish, checked serial number and it was made in 1979 in Japan. 22 frets with mother of pearl inlays in the usual places. 2 humbuckers each with volume and tone controls and a coil tap switch as well so it gets a 10 in my book.

This guitar sounds brilliant. You can tell it has been hand crafted using the best woods and electronics. When played unplugged it has a lovely loud and rich sound that is really resolate. When plugged in it can cover everything from clean jazz lines to the heaviest of rock easily. No feedback at high gain settings either which is amazing considering it's a semi acoustic.

I got this guitar second hand and it does have some dents/dings and a couple of cracks on it where it looks like it's been dropped by the previous owner but I have to say it plays fantastically well.
Lovely binding on fretboard and body. It really is a beautiful guitar to look at - even if it's previous owner didn't take great care of it (the swine!).
If it wasn't for the headstock inlay being a bit too fancy for my taste I'd give it a ten!

I had to have the jack plug switch changed a couple of years ago which is acceptable for a guitar over 20 years old.

No need to contact anyone.

This was the first "proper" guitar I ever got and it's still my best 15 years and 14 decent guitars later. It cost me ??180 in 1991, the shop that sold it to me has since gone bust (not surprising really!). Don't know how much they cost now (are they still being made even?) but I know they were selling for over ??1500 in 1996 so must be over ??2000 now. If I lost this guitar it would break my heart - I would definitely save and get another. I would give it a 10 if it cost me ??1000 so no guesses for how many out of 10 for ??180!!!!

Mine is a 1980. It has the same features as the other as-200's reviewed here. This guitar is an extremely well thought out machine. All controls are sittuated for easy access by your right hand. The split bone-brass nut seems to give you a sharp yet warm tone on the open strings. It doesn't have a ton of features but for me it has the right ones.

There's not much you can't do with this guitar. If you are looking for a semi-hollow 335 type guitar for the typical reasons you couldn't do better than this. I haven't had mine that long, just a couple of months, but I can safely say that for over-all sound and playability this kills ANY Gibson semi that I've ever played and I've played plenty in my 25 plus years as a guitarist. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the Gibsons are bad guitars, I've never played a 1959 335 and that sound is a beautiful classic tone. If you want the 335 sound get a Gibson. If you want that sound and a lot more in a guitar that has the same build quality as the BEST of what Gibson can offer then this is the guitar for you. I can't speak to the quality of newer as-200's but the early eighties ones are consistantly great guitars. To start, the acoustic sound is wonderful. It really surprised me the first time I picked it up at how even and balanced the sound was and loud too. I have a 1964 strat that is the same way - just really resonant. The sound plugged in is a perfect transfer of the natural sound characteristics of the guitar to the amp. Pickups are warm and articulate, nice bite on the bridge pickup and the neck pup is to die for. I have no clue why some people change the super 58s to any other. pickups respond beautifuly to right hand attack, they almost have a slightly microphonic sound to them- very lively. It's great with effects too - just listen to a Scofield record to hear one of these guitars played with a varriety of effects.

I've played a few of these from the early eighties and have a friend who has an 82 that I've played and I must say they're all really good. Mine is no exception. Finish is flawless. For a 25 year old guitar it has stood the test of time well. GREAT neck, 1 11/16 wide at the nut, medium C shape, fantasticly playable. generaly I favour a fatter neck but for some reason this one just has that right feel. I have no idea how it was factory fresh but I can tell you that how ever you want to set it up it can be done. When I got it it had thin strings on it and it had been sitting unplayed for years, the action was high and the neck had way too much relief. I had it set up for 12-52 guage strings with the action set low and even with this drastic change there were no problems, truss worked just like it should and now it has that "just an extention of your left arm" feel.

Pretty much covered this above.

Can't say much about this. I imagine if I have a problem with the guitar I'll take it to my local tech or work it out myself.

I bought this guitar on eBay from someone that had it listed wrongly as an ar-300 and it is close to mint. I've recently gone through a number of guitars looking for a good cross over jazz guitar- the as-200 is the "keeper". It's a tonal playground and I use all its options all the time. It even sounds cool when your strings are all played out and dead. I play it through a 1964 deluxe reverb, an Acoustic image coda R and sometimes a 1959 ampeg jet for recording. It sounds great through all of them and you can always hear the guitars destinctive sound even though these amps are all different animals. I'd replace it in a heartbeat if anything ever happened to it- though they're getting harder to find and more and more expensive al the time. I think people write these reviews to rave about a product or to trash it with not a lot of in between.

I brought this guitar new in 1984. Antique Violin, same as the others.

I have played blues, rock + jazz. This guitar does it all with style.
When I first bought it in 1984, there was quite a bit of bias against Japanese guitars, anyway I took it around to a friends place who is a professional musician and guitar teacher, to get some suggestions on set-up, (I'd been playing guitar for about 6 months at this time). So he plugs it in and starts playing it, first thing he plays Claptons version of crossroads, then he plays a Django Reinhart number, then something by B.B. King. When he is finished the first thing he says is "Shit I don't belive its a Jap", this is from a guy that has arange of Gibson, Fender + Rickenbacher guitars. Three weeks later he's brought his own and playing it live. That's how good it sounds, andthat's how versatile it is and why its the only guitar I've owned in twenty years.

From above story, my friend said nothing needs to be done, and I've never touched the action or set up since, (except intonation when I've fooled around with different string guages.
My guitar is kept on a guitar stand and only cased when taking it out, it's been played on average 4 days a week for the last 20 years, it has a few minor dings where its been knocked here and there but only very minor, the gold on the pick-ups are starting to show their age, but other than that it looks the same as it did when I first took it out of the case. The machine heads are still tight. I oil it with three amigos lemon oil every couple of months, thats about it.

Has never let me down. I've played semi professional, and now occasionally jam with some friends. Fantastic guitar

N/A

Been playing twenty years. Never regretted buying this guitar, it does it all. If I lost it or it got stolen I would be heart broken and be on the lookout for another one.
When I brought this guitar I looked at most other types, the Gibson 335 at the time was a real shocker and about $1500 new.
Considering the use I have hod out of this guitar, and I'm a long way from being finished with it, I'd have to say that iti is the best thing I've ever Brought.

Do you remember Michael J.Fox as Marty McFly inventing Rock'n'Roll for Chuck Berry? This is exactly my guitar! Well, actually it isn't, cause that was a Gibson ES 345 with a Bigsby and on Ebay you have to pay at least 3000 $ to get one (By the way, the one in the movie must have been a prototype because in 1955 it was yet to come ;-).
In any case my guitar is like the original in translucent cherry red with all hardware in gold plated brass and the knobs in black. It is an Ibanez copy from 1975, i.e. the lawsuit era! The semi-hollow body (no sustain block) is made of mahogany with beautiful grain and white bindings. The only difference from the original is the bolt-on neck. It has the black rotation switch, too, though I learned now that the original Gibson switch is much more sophisticated.

I bought this guitar in 1985 used for about 350 DM (circa 200 $). It was without the tremolo and had the original trapeze string holder instead. I've never seen another Ibanez of similar features since.
When I bought this guitar (used) it was in a poor shape. I actually hat to refit the neck, reshaping the cavity in the body. This fixed the problem and for the following 18 years I had a lot of fun with my red Ibanez ?ES 345? (maybe the original name is AS 200 or something like that; as I told you I never saw another one and this is long out of production).

Reading on the net about the wonders of out-of-phase sounds, I recently decided, however, to do some work on it. I started with the 3-way rotation switch, which featured, dissimilar from the Gibson, two simple capacitors to cut the trebles (a job the tone controls do much better). I never used it in 20 years and in the end the contacts were completely rusty. I replaced it with a 3-way 4-pole rotation switch. I lost some sleep to design the circuit, but in the end I got it done to allow out-of-phase as well as serial switching. Position 1 is now for a serial circuit of both pickups, position 2 is for out-of-phase, and position 3 is the original in-phase parallel circuit.
When I first heard the new sounds I was amazed about the new possibilities. I immediately fell in love with the out-of-phase tone and started considering to change all my guitars in a similar manner (I did it with a Statocaster now and the results are even better).

Thanks to Ebay, I then found a Bigsby-style tremolo, just the thing I?d always desired. When I tried the guitar with the new tremolo, it seemed to me that the sustain had substantially improved, due to the additional iron. In fact, the guitar is now much heavier than before (though it is still a lightweight compared to a Les Paul).

With the shiny new gold tremolo the completely worn original pick-up covers seemed somehow out of place on my guitar and that?s why I finally started considering to replace them. Original Gibson pick-ups or Seymour Duncan or DiMarzio are quite expensive and most of the time they haven?t got the gold cover, but then I found a set of Mighty Mite PAF Vintage Buckers (MMHA-F/CR and MMHA-R/CR) with gold covers for 40$. First I was a bit sceptical, but I read some good reviews on Harmony Central and I finally bought them.

When I first played my guitar with the new pick-ups I was almost shocked: I first thought that the tone was just too full (though those Vintage Buckers read only about 8 k ohm). I played for maybe two minutes when my neighbour came in to praise the sound of my new guitar (she had always disliked the sound of my Ibanez with the original pick-ups, but now she was enthusiastic). In fact it seems now a completely different guitar with a very mighty tone. I play it over a little Fender Champ 12 and the full sound really blows me away.

That?s why I tell you to do yourself a favor and trash those cheap 70s pick-ups by Ibanez in order to get some better things into your guitar. Mighty Mite Vintage Buckers are a real bargain for the price and you won?t regret it.
They are even ready for coil-tapping (though not for phase reverse: I had to open the neck pick-up and cut the ground connection of the outgoing wire). Since I always used shielded wire, noise is very low, even in single coil mode. The original wiring is also very good.

Due to the various modifications I got now more than 16 pick-up combinations on my guitar: two for each pick-up alone (double and single coil), four for both pick-ups in parallel (dc-dc, dc-sc, sc-dc, sc-sc), four for both pick-ups parallel out-of-phase (idem) and four for both pick-ups in serial (idem). Moreover there are some special combinations (5 more) and a bleed capacitor for the bridge pick-up. All in all it is a bit too many possibilities for one guitar and I actually use only 13 of the combinations.

In the traditional mode the Mighty Mite Vintage Buckers give a really warm and full tone, perfect for a very equilibrated distortion. The neck pick-up is ready for voluminous riffs and full chords and the bridge pick-up can be brought to a singing lead. The sustain is now very good with an even more explosive attack.
Switching to serial gives you an even fuller sound like from a big motherbucker with 4 coils and 16 k ohm!
Coil-tapping gives you the possibilities for funky rhythm work. As you can choose the mode for each pick-up, you can, for instance, decide to have the neck pick-up as single coil for your rhythm and the bridge pick-up in humbucking mode for the lead (or vice versa).

One of the most interesting features of my guitar is the out-of-phase mode. It gives an authentic twang. Since I learned to recognize the typical sound, I found that many of my favourite songs were recorded with guitars in out-of-phase mode (Smoke on the Water, Apache, Time Waits for No One, Samba Pati?). Maybe in some cases you?ll think that the out-of-phase mode is just too thin and twangy. The Gibson style guitar with different controls for both pick-ups offers a solution even to that. If you put both controls to the same level, the out-of-phase effect is at the maximum. But just put your bridge pick-up to 10 and the neck pick-up to 8 and you will find a much fuller sound, still slightly out-of-phase, but much warmer. It is worth trying around a bit with your volume and tone controls, as you can use them as a control panel for a really astounding three-dimensional mixer (the 3rd dimension is the out-of-phase effect). I found at least 10 distinct and very interesting sounds some of which seem to be burning with mystery while others are quite relaxed (if you want to try it, you can very simply get the same effect on a Les Paul without any modification just by reversing the neck pick-up in its frame).

The action is low and the neck (in mahogany, too) is still perfectly straight. The neck is made of three layers. The profile is very thin and it plays just fantastic. Forcing the neck will bend it and when I had no tremolo I sometimes used this technique for tremolo effects. The fretboard is made of ebony with split trapeze inlays and it still looks like new.

When I bought this guitar (used) it was in an awful shape. The headstock had a lot of dongs from abuse by the former owner. Sustain seemed quite poor and the action was unbearably high, though the bridge was all turned down. Even the trapeze holder wasn?t put in the middle, but a bit on the lower side. All together it seemed as if those guys at Ibanez suffered from double-vision when they built it! The neck inclination was really a big problem, and I think it was the reason why I got this guitar so cheap. I actually had to refit the neck, reshaping the cavity in the body.
When I mounted the new Bigsby-style tremolo, I couldn?t get it straight without fixing the out-of-place trapeze-holder problem by drilling new holes in the body end, about 1 cm above the old ones. Fortunately only one of the old holes appears and I put a gold screw into it, so no one will notice.

Though hollow-body guitars always look a bit shallow, this guitar is rock solid. I once dropped it from 40 cm and it only got a small crack in the finish on the body end. Next year it has thirty years and the finish on the top shows some minor cracks as most older guitars do. The wood and the binding are still perfect and so is the neck (maybe to refret in about ten years). The lockers had to stand several serious collisions, but are still okay. I?m looking now for a roller bridge in complementation to the tremolo. The original one is a bit worn, but I think it can still do its job for some time. In 18 years I could always depend on my Ibanez, but now with all the complicated modifications of the circuits I?d be a bit cautious and carry a back-up guitar.

Never used and probably never will.

I?ve been playing for 24 years now and I think this will always be my idea of a perfect Rock?n?Roll guitar (only a Gretsch or an original Gibson ES 345 can come up to this).
I play a Stratocaster, too, and both together are a perfect pair that gives you almost all variety of tone a guitarist can ask for. I recently bought a Burns Brian May for 750$, a good guitar, but I haven?t yet decided if I really need it. Together with the new tremolo and pick-ups my Ibanez, which has similar features (out-of-phase and serial wiring) cost me less than 350 $ (together with two weeks of hard engineering, but that was fun).

It?s not only the playability and sound, but even the look that really blows you away. The new pick-ups (a bit sanded) and the gold tremolo (sanded, too) look really vintage and contrast perfectly with the red finish and the black control knobs and pickguard as well as the black fretboard with its silvery inlays. The guitar had a great look with the trapeze holder and the worn vintage pick-ups, but now with the Bigsby tremolo it looks like nothing less than Rock?n?Roll in it?s first and finest moment (Gonna get me some lesson on the duck-walk by Mr. Johnny B. Goode now!).

I only wish that I?d done those modifications and changed the pick-ups years ago!!!! Well, I just learned about it on the net. Actually in all those years I didn?t miss a thing to my guitar (except for the tremolo), but it was just because I didn?t know what I (and she) was missing (the Mighty Mite sound!). Now my Ibanez ?ES 345? is really perfect.

I have an AS-200 made in 1981. I borrowed it for a recording and couldn't give it back.

I play in an original rock band ala Tom Petty, The Replacements, so this is not my main guitar, and in fact I rarely play it live, but in the right setting it really shines. I use a Bogner Shiva (don't get me started, it's the best), and a Line 6 DL4. In front of this, the Ibanez gives a wonderful thick lead tone, with excellent sustain and even a bit of a Strat like attack. That's the main use I have for it, the Super Strat lead voice. It also does clean very well, from thin reedy bridge voicing to warm round neck pickup sounds. I wouldn't say versatility is a strength, but it does what you expect it to do beautifully.

This is the first thing that will knock you out about these guitars. They are increadibly well made. I haven't seen many of the later versions, but the early 80's models are flawless. You read over and over that the quality outshines Gibson and that's absolutely true. The attention to detail and is wonderful. And they play as good as they look. The neck on mine is medium width, and a fairly shallow--not my ideal shape--but it's so well done that shape doesn't matter. It's a great guitar to play. Bends are particularly easy and musical.

Hollow bodied guitars always seem a bit frail to me (probably because my first hollowbody was an old Gretsch, which was frail to a fault), but the AS-200 feels rock solid. It's a bit heavy, which adds to it's sense of strength. All of the electronics, including the tri-switch, have worked flawlessly for me for years. I always play with backups, but I would feel completely secure gigging with just this axe if I had to. It's been around since '81 and it's still a killer--I've got no worries.

Never had to deal with Ibanez, nor would I on an older insturment like this.

I've been playing for 16 years, and have been going through guitars since the beginning. I only have a few absolute keepers ('65 Strat, '66 Tele), but this is an essential part of my collection. It's the only hollowbody I own, and fills that role perfectly. If it were stolen or lost I would hunt down another, particularly becasue they're such great values (why pay 2K for a new Scofield model when you can get something with mojo and 20+ years of maturing for half that?) Interesting to note that my main stage guitar at the moment is another Ibanez from the same period, a 1980 Artist AR50 (a little black double cutaway thing, which constantly amazes me). If I were more of a jazz player, I'm sure that the AS-200 would be my main weapon.

I held off writing this review for almost a year, so that I could really get familiar with this Ibanez AS200. I have owned this guitar for 10 months. I had initially wanted to buy the "guitar of my dreams" & was willing to spend $1800 to $2k for it. After looking at Strats and Pauls for awhile (and dealing with the sticker shock), I decided to lower my sights to $1500 and to buy the best guitar that I could for that money. What a smart move! I was considering the Epiphone 335 types, when a fellow guitarist recommended I take a look at a used Ibanez that was for sale at the music store he worked. This guitar looked great with its ebony fretboard, pearl & abalone inlays and beautiful antique violin finish. I was still a little uncertain, but bought it anyway. With new strings and a set-up... I can definitely say I have not looked back!!

I play mostly blues, rhythm & blues and classic rock. This guitar sounds great. The neck pickup features a coil split switch that allows subtle sound changes when used by itself or in tandem with the bridge pickup. I play thru a Mesa Rocket 44, and even thru that "mesa background hiss", I can make this baby purr or growl. I can even get that unique "Robben Ford sound" with this guitar. The things that I find to be a slight bother are: a) that the bridge pickup sometimes sounds a little too clean ( backing off the tone on that pickup smoothes it out nicely) and b) at higher volumes, it will sustain like crazy (something semi-hollow bodied guitars will do. But play some Carlos and things will be fine!).

I bought this guitar used, and it had flat wounds and was set up for jazz. I had it set up with 11s. To be honest... the action is a little too low for what I like. Nonetheless, the neck is comfortable, smooth & fast. I like higher action, as I play slide... and as this guitar is, I don't use it for that (more on this later). Outside of a two minute dents in the finish, this guitar is pure eye candy. The workmanship on this is superb. My guess is that it's a few years old (maybe mid to late 90's).

This is my main guitar for playing out and for jamming, and it holds a tuning very well. I've yet to break a string, too! A little of the gold finish on the neck pickup has worn off... but that's no biggie. Another truly wonderful thing about this fiddle is how good it feels against my body when I stand and play. It is the most comfortable guitar I've held.

No customer support contact as of yet.

I have been playing for about 25 years, and I absolutely love Mildred (that's her name). If lost or stolen, though heartbroken, I would surely attempt to get another. As I've said to my colleagues... this guitar makes me play better. I am inspired when I pick her up. The only thing she can't do is give me that "Strat spank" sound, but... since I was willing to spend $1800 on a guitar, and Mildred only cost me about $900, I went and bought a used Mexican Strat for $320!!! As I alluded to earlier, I don't use Mildred for slide, so I've set this strat up for that!! Anyway... I don't know if this same model is still available in the U.S., as it doesn't appear on the Ibanez web site. It is on the British site, however.

Final opinion... if you are considering something in the ES-335 realm, do yourself a favor & try one of these first. You may find yourself like me: in love with a great guitar, a spare Strat laying around & a few hundred dollars left over to keep the wife happy!! Play on Brothers!!

Probably made mid 90ies. Other features mentioned right before.

Captures evereything from clean Jazz to Hardrock, depending on personal style, amp and gear. Best Pickups I ever played in 30 years - very sensitive responding on how hard or soft you strike. Deeply breathing, playing that guitar through a compressor is just a sin! Never weak or muddy.

Once I started playing on it, I couldn't stop...

No lack of tone wherever played. Even on 22rd fret tones come thick and punchy. I recently played an 60ties 335 - in comparision it weaks.

Typical dislikes on semibodys: Especially lower strings e, a, d don't give that singlecoil/solidbody-brilliance. To contrast sharp-edged rhythm e.g aganist a soundfilling gorgan in the band, I prefer Tele- or Stratocaster.

Tuning is a little hard. First time I thought "oh, oh", but was surprised then: once tuned, it remains stabile thru the night.

Everything on this guitar feels and stays absolutely worthy, highly professional and solid.

No experience.

If stolen, I would by it again. Such a nice guitar is a must in my guitarist life.

I play for 30 years. Some other guitars I own and play live: Fender Strat 1964 and 1981, Fender Tele 1980, Brian Moore 1996, DeArmond Semi Special 2001, Epiphone Emperor II Joe Pass 1995.

My AS-200 is a 1981 and is certainly the best guitar I ever owned. 2 Super 58 pickups plus the tri-sound switch. Flamed maple top and the best quality luthiers work I've ever seen. The neck begsa to be played and action and intonation are very first class.

This baby sounds Scofield, use whatever amp you want, you will always have that sound that is so very special for a AS-200. No other guitar in this world has a sound like this. Pressure, warmth, jazziness and presence. This guitar is versatile but it has that SPECIAL sound, sweet as a melon.

This lady is professional in every way!!!!!!!!!

The binding has nicely aged to yellow and it has some finish marks but that just adds character. This guitar is my main guitar since more than 20 years now and I would never sell it, it's worth a million bucks now. Reason is, the older it gets, the better the sound.

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I play this guitar through different amps like Fender, Boogie, Roland. If this guitar were stolen my life would change on the spot, I wouldn't know what to do, honestly. This is MY guitar, if you know what I mean. It has phisically become a part of myself. This is MY guitar, .....MY guitar and you can't have it, never!!!!!!!!

Mine is a 1981 AS200. I picked it up at a pawn shop in 1994 for $400.00, the best deal I ever got on a guitar. Externally it appears to be identical to John Scofield's guitar in every respect. The "flame" on it never fails to draw comments, the pearl on the headstock and frets is eye-catching as can be. I have replaced the tuners with Grovers, one of the originals basically came apart in my hands. I also had all of the wiring replaced with braided wiring, it is a keeper! Everything else is as it was when I bought it used so I am unsure what is original.

I play jazz, blues, r&b, rock, a little of everything. This is the one single guitar I can use for every last bit of what I play, its versatility is unmatched. I play it mostly through an old Music Man 210/65, sometimes using a Digitec RP7 Valve, but usually with just a taste of reverb. I also use a Roland JC120 for bigger venues. Dark or bright tones are just a twist of the tone knob away, I cannot say enough about the awesome sounds this guitar is capable of making.

I can only comment on the condition the guitar was in as it came from the pawn shop, and it was great then. If there is one flaw in this guitar it is in the bridge -- I pop high "e" strings every other week if I am not careful. I have had the bridge filed down just a little to eliminate any burrs but apparently that has not worked. The wiring and tuning hardware was marginal, I have upgraded all of that. The fit and finish of the body and neck is exemplary and durable.

I use this guitar to play 10-15 shows per month on the average. The finish may outlast me. Refer to comments above regarding hardware. The strap buttons have never failed and I depend on it so much that I quite often take it to gigs in smaller venues without a backup.

I have never dealt with the company.

I have played for over 30 years. I also own a Fender Strat, a Gibson Sonex 180 Deluxe, and a Gibson ES-175. Amps owned are a Music Man 210/65 and a Roland JC-120. I consider this guitar irreplaceable, I have not compared it to any other with an eye toward replacing it. I woulkd certainly check out an Ibanez "335" if anything ever happened to this one. I love its finish, its sound, its all around versatility. I would (and have) highly recommend the Ibanez AS200 to anyone looking for a jazz, blues, or jack-of-all-trades guitar.

Mine is a 1985 model W/2 buckers (splitting,series/parallel for neck p/u via 3-way mini toggle) all gold hardware, smooth tune tuners etc...

I am playing through a VHT Pittbull-45 1*12+2*10 combo and, sometimes, a T.C.Electronic G-Force in the FX loop. This combination serves me well for the music I play which is Jazz, Fusion, Blues, Country (no linedancing crap!) and all traditional style applications. I have changed the p/u's a couple of times, first w/Gibson 490 & 498's. These were too loud and made the guitar sound a little too much like a Les Paul and took away most of the hollow sounds. They did provide some great tones though, including a magnificent old Santana sound. I have since put in some second hand Gibson PAFs. The neck and neck/bridge settings now sound really rich and much cleaner than the Super58s which were standard.The bridge on its own can be quite sharp and nasty at times which can be quite desireable, although a little thin at times, so I am still looking for the ultimate bridge p/u (maybe a Classic57+?). This is a complaint that I would have with all three p/u's Ive had in the bridge. Thanks to these p/u's being equipped with only single shielded cable I have had to forfeit the handy 3-way series/parralel/single-coil function in favour for a 2-way switch which bypasses the tone and volume knobs for the bridge p/u (every guitar should have this function!). As has been said above, these guitars do a pretty darn good Lucille impersonation. My favorite sounds are:1)Bridge with both tone and vol. on half and the amp on ultra clean, bright and loud. 2)Both p/u's with one (either/either) on full and the other on about 3. There are heaps of cool sounds you can get on this guitar though. Extremely versatile!!
Also, the tone improved a lot when I replaced the bridge with a Schaler GTM.This can be done without any major surgery by carefully wedging the base screws (couple of matchsticks needed) into the existing ones.

I bought this guitar second hand with the story (from the salesman)that it had been custom built for a guy who then kept it in the closet for its' entire life (at the time I believed it). The strings were 11's with a wound G and the action was perfect. The workmanship an these guitars is imaculate and consistent. As with any guitar I buy I have replace the hardware with silver for asthetics (I think gold looks a little cheap).

Here is where I have a major compliant. This guitar has developed a ski-jump effect in the neck which causes ever increasing buzzing in the upper frets. Of the three highly reputable servicemen/luthiers I have taken it to, they have all said that this a common problem with the AS200 and that the proper way to rectify the problem is to shave a small amount off the upper neck area. Temporarily you can keep filing down the frets, but the buzzing will return later. Apparently after having this procedure done, you have no such problems in the future. I have also had the neck straightened with heat after it developed a slight twist (I swear I treat this guitar like royalty!!!)

The only thing I've needed from Ibanez was a silver stop tailpiece which they had and delivered promptly.

Apart from the neck thing this is my ultimate guitar. It stays in tune for weeks, has all the sounds I can hear in my head (apart from the voices), looks cool and isn't too heavy. Ten if it weren't for the neck.
If anyone has any ideas on a good p/u's for this guitar, or knows what Scofield uses, please contact me.

Gibson ES 335 copy, but not just another variation of the all too amiliar theme! My example is a `81, with BEAUTIFULLY flamed maple top, a neck begging to be played and a fingerboard that really surpasses even the Les Paul Custom in elegance, with its ebony and its block-with-paralellogram inlays. Wow. It`s a looker. 2 buckers, of which the neck unit can be selected in many different ways with the help of a discreet 3-way mini switch. I find this finesse somewhat useless, but it`s nice to know you can do it if you EVER get tired of the "normal" setup`s well-balanced sounds. Tons of features-and tons of tone, although i find the Pickups` output level surprisingly low. Still, the quality is impeccable, and low output is no hinder unless you want to drive some high-gain amp harder than *@#&. If that`s your thing, a semi-acoustic isn`t what you want anyway!

Jazz, Blues, Fusion. That`s what I play, and that`s what it`s built for, so that works out fine. EXELLENT sound.

I bought it second hand, and had to recut the nut. Otherwise it`s impeccable. Craftsmanship of high class, it seems to ooze with quality. It`s 20 years old, but is in mint condition. No wear on the fretting, so it probably hasn`t been used too much. Of course, changed when I bought it, I can`t put it down.

It`s 20 years old. Mint. `Nuff said. Take good care of it, and it will provide you and your children and children`s children lifetimes of guitar- playing.

Don`t know. This axe will outlive me, with or without customer support.

Buy it.NOW!

See other reviews. The hardware is very good.

This guitar is very versatile. I play many styles with this guitar including Jazz. My setup is just a Boss Chorus pedal and a Mesa/Boogie amp. This guitar is very, very quiet. I noticed that the wiring is well shielded. I use this guitar mostly clean, but sometimes I use distortion for bluesy leads. It has a very warm sound in the neck and a twangy, brighter sound in the bridge position. You can get many different tones with the mini-switch (which can make the neck pickup go in parallel or single coil mode). There is a lot of variety here. All in all, this guitar is great and has a lot tones availible.

The only thing I didn't like about the guitar is the fact that Ibanez didn't set it up with .10 gauge strings. The factory specifications are 10's not 9's like were on my guitar. I have heard of many people having this problem.

Besides that, the finish and other things are good.

This is a very reliable guitar. I haven't broken a string on this guitar yet (under my usual wear and tear). The finish and hardware seems very long lasting. I'd like to note that Ibanez uses great strap buttons. They are made wider so that the chance of the strap falling off are slim. Since this is a semi hollow guitar, it can never be as reliable as a solidbody. This is why I give it a 9.

N/A

I hav been playing 3-4 years and this is probably my favorite guitar. I also own an Ibanez JPM and a Hamer Mirage II. Ibanez is my favorite guitar company. In my opinion, they have the best guitar designs and are about innovation. I think they are more consistant than companies like Gibson or Fender and offer a better price/quality ratio. All in all, I am extremely satisfied with my AS200. It's great feel, looks, and sounds are great.

I am fortunate to own 2 AS200's. The first is a 1981 model (it seems exactly the same as the one John Scofield plays) and a 1982 model. (You can tell by the serial numbers on the back of the headstock). The '82 is basically the same as the '81 with a few really minor changes, ... a slightly altered body shape, and extra bindings around the body. Both are second hand, but in almost mint condition, with original hardware and features (2x humbuchers with tri-sound switch for single coil and phase).
Really nice figured maple tops on both, and excellent finish.

Although both play slightly differently, they are both fantastic. Versatile +++. Great for Jazz, blues, rock .... anything. If you had to have just one guitar to cover a multitude of styles this would do it.
Particluarly good for Larry Carlton type fusion stuff, great woody sound. I can get all the sounds I really like with these any my setup (Boss GT-5 through a Peavey Classic 50 - 2x12) .....Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, John Scofield, etc.
Put on a set of flat wounds and you get a fantastic Jazz sound!
Would suit any style, except possibly heavy metal stuff (but can do a fair job here as well with the right effects).

Action and setup were done by me after purchase, and are great.
Currently using D'Addario's @ .11 - .49
They most confortable guitars I have had (and that's quite a few). At nearly 20 years of age they look and play fantastic.
Worksmanship is great, .... no flaws at all.

Both appear very robust. No problems at all so far.

Have contacted Ibanez in Ayustralia for a few replacement parts and had really good service.

After 30 years of playing, these are my dream guitars. I can't bring myself to part with either, as they are quite distinctive in sound, and would be devastated if they were lost or stolen. ..... would immediately have to start searching for another.
If I had to choose between these and the Strats, Gibsons, Yamahas and other guitars I have owned, and I wouold stick with these any day. (Mind you I still have a Strat I won't sell either!)

See other reviews.

nice case

very nice. these p/u's really do sound great. i have some lindy fralins in another guitar and these are no better/worse than the fralins. this guitar sounds great clean or dirty. i now understand why it is considered a nice "crossover" guitar. very warm in the neck, great for jazz/fusion/blues/rock, very versatile. no complaints here.

i bought it sight unseen, off the internet. it's the 4th guitar i've bought off the internet, the first 3 went back. after the 3rd i said i would never buy a guitar without trying it first, got sick of eating shipping. i'am glad i tried one more time! this thing plays great. it was set up well, but i did take a little dip out and lowered the action.

shape of the neck: mine is barely wider than a strat even though it is suposed to be around 11/16ths. it is a bit less thick than a strat. i was worried that it would be wide and chunky like most les pauls. it isn't at all, feels very nice to my hand. i would say very middle of the road for both thickness and width. and the neck does have a mild to moderate radius which i like, no flat neck here, it may be compound radius but i doubt it. i am very picky do to carpel tunnel symptoms in my left wrist, this neck is very friendly.

there are a few spots in the binding that are not perfect, but not a big deal to me. and a couple frets with some glue, which will be taken care of when i get the frets dressed.

it's new, can't say. the notch on the bridge for the 6th string is not deep enough, so i'll have to find out about that. the string disengages when i hit the string hard.

don't know, i'll find out due to the string problem.

very happy with the purchase. i've been playing over 20 yrs. all my equipment is high end.

Features already described well previously. I would however add that I find the mini 3-wat toggle very usefull when used creatively. For example, using both pickups with neck pickup in parallel "and" adjusting relative pickup volumes. I give a 9 here because Perfection is highly subjective. I would have liked a second switch for the bridge pickup. Other than that the guitar would have been a 10!!

I play heavy rock and fusion mostly. I also dabble in jazz (whenever I venture into that "realm") i.e. Whenever I "attempt" to play jazz! I sincerely find that this guitar - with the right adjusments - can sound any way the player wishes it to. I plugged into a MESA Mark IV and was completely unprepared what what I was about to experience. The clean sound with neck pickup coupled with bridge is resoundingly rich (you can here the effects of "quality" woods). Overall this guitar is "very" hard to beat.

FLAWLESS!

You can not hit your Bass player over the head with this guitar and expect to play your next set. (use your les paul for that!). Treated properly, this guitar is a lifetime one.

Never dealt with them. I do however here both sides on this issue.

This guitar is one of my favorites. It is the first semi-hollow I have owned. With the exception of a PRS Hollow-body-II, I can't see myself buying any other semi-hollow. If you are one of those "brainwashed" who think that a 335 is the only "real" guitar out there, check out an AS200, you wil not regret it. The AS200 wins HANDS-DOWN over any 335 I have played!!

This fine work of art is a 1999 AS200 in the 335 body style in antique violin finish , with a flame maple back , front , sides ,and even the back of the neck has a flame maple skunk strip in it.It has the gibraltar II bridge and two super 58 pick-ups. Ebony fretboard with pearl and abalone split block inlays. All gold hardware and aged ivory fretboard and body binding. Two humbuckers pick-ups with a 3 way switch and a extra 3 way coil tap switch to make the neck pick-up either a humbucker/single coil/parallel. Case included !

I can get a full/rich woody sound out of it with ease. With the combination of pick-up choices almost any sound is in reach. I can get a rock tone and then go to a sweet jazz tone , to blues tone all with a flick of the switches. This guitar is great at the crossing over from jazz, blues ,rock. You can get some feedback with this guitar in a good way. I currently i'am using this guitar with a Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10 and a Vox Wah-Wah pedal.I love this set-up . I have since stopped playing my stratocaster plus and my telecaster plus because i can't put this guitar down!

This guitar was custom ordered from Ibanez.The bookmatching was flawless as was the finish . The fret work was prefect and the inlay work also flawless. Found one little flaw in the binding work , it looks like some of the dark stain from the body got on it about the size of a pencil point. Factory set-up the guitar with .009's when the paerwork said it was suppose to have .010's on it. Other than that it was very, very, very , good. I'll have to give it a 9 due to the fact that the binding flaw and the mis-gauged strings.

This guitar is pretty fragile ( it is a semi-hollow body style )but with carefully handling i belive it will hold up to the test of time. It has oversize strap buttons on it so i can't see it falling off of you at a gig. I would use it at a gig without a back-up if i had to without hesitation .

Only has a one year factory warranty due to the fact that it is a semi-hollow body guitar . Ibanez will not give you the lifetime warranty like their solidbody guitars have . I haven't had to call them yet so i couldn't say at this time.....but i did E-mail them a question before i purchased it and they answered it the same day.

Before i purchased this guitar i tried out several styles,and models. I compared this guitar against other 335 style guitars (Washburn , Gibson , Guild , Samick ,Epiphone) and this manufacturer won hands down for fit , finish , playablity and most of all tone. I love the way it looks and it has the tone i've always looked for in a guitar. I have been playing for 5 years and currently own an Fender acoustic, Fender statocaster plus , Fender telecaster plus and a Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10 amp . So as you can see i was a diehard Fender fan.....until now. The only thing i wish came with it was a can-o-talent ..... because my playing just isn't as good enough to do the guitar justice.

My 1999 AS200 is Ibanez's top model in the Artstar series. It is a 335 clone with Maple top sides and back and a solid Canadian Maple block. Two "58" Humbuckers provide lots of guts. The front pickup can be split by a switch so that it can be single dual or out of phase. The bridge is a Gibralter 2 with locking set screws. Rosewood fret board with Mother of Pearl block inlays and Ivoriod banding. The light Maple and gold hardware make this one of the prettiest guitars made. Chris Melville an Australian guitar maker who sells guitars to Tommy Emanuel says it is a far better guitar than any Gibson 335 he has seen. It came with a custom built case.

I play rhythm in a Blues rock band. I use a Laney dual head 50 with a Tone works pedal. I prefer to play straight however as the tone is beautfull with tremendous sustain. With the split front coil and ability to use different pick ups the guitar has so many sound variations that it almost too hard to remember. The AS200 can sound every bit like Lucille or give a great full crunch. It has no problem spanning the spectrum of sound from jazz through the blues to hard rock. Chris Mellvile indicated to me that he considered the tonal and sound quality to far exceed the Gibsons he has worked on.

The fit and finish of the gutitar as I mentioned earlier is tops. There are absolutly no flaws. Better attention to detail than any other guitar I have seen. However I had major problems when it came from the factory and was set up either there or in Sydney. The strings were supposed to be 10/46 instead they were 9s. The neck was adjusted too straight and the strings buzzed and rattled badly. A rattle inside the guitar was most annoying on playing certain notes. The guitar would not hold a tune and the playabilty was so close to the neck that it appeared they had set it up for a first timer abd wanted to fool them with "close" action. I finally after sending it away under warranty and nothing being fixed gave it to Chris Mellvile to set up. It now plays brilliantly after he set the neck. Changed the strings. Re-did the nut, and set the bridge.

The AS 200 is extreamly well built. Attention to detail other than the set up was increadable. I had great strap buttons but replaced them with locking ones. I have all of the confidence in the world in this guitar now that I have gotten over my original heart break from the set up and thinking the guitar was stuffed. It is a semi accoustic however and is obviously not as durable as a solid piece of wood but will I am sure last many life times.

Here is where the let down is. As I mentioned earlier it came out of the box with major set up problems. I have been told that it was the Ibanez dealer in Sydney who would have been the one who stuffed it up. After I complained at the shop in Brisbane and they were unable to fix the buzz and rattle it was sent under warranty back to Sydney. They f*cked it up even worse. To fix the buzz they took the bridge off and put it on backwards. They did not change the strings and the nut was still wrong. I eventually paid Chris to set it up properly. I hope I never need to get it repaired. I would not want to send it back to Ibanez warranty or not. If this rateing would allow a minus score I would give it.

I have been playing on and off for 30 years with a long dry spell in the middle. I mostly have played accoustic guitars and have been playing electric for the past 3 years. I Also own about 6 other guitars 2- 12 string, 3- 6 string, and 1 strat clone electric. I looked at alot of guitars before buying the Ibanez. I narrowed my choice between the Gibson 335, Guild Starfire and the Ibanze. I clearly made the right decision for playablity, fit and finish, and bang for the buck. I would get another if this one was damaged however I would immediatly take it to Chis to be properly set up.