1987 Ibanez Artist AR-300 Super Edition Vintage Guitar Antique Violin Sunburst 100% Original, Japan

Up for sale, a 1987 Ibanez Artist AR-300 Super Edition electric guitar in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. The successor to the 2619 model Artist, the AR-300 features a thicker mahogany body and neck inset slightly further into the body to eliminate neck dive. A classic example of the finely crafted guitars pioneered by Ibanez in the '80s, this Super Edition features a quilted mahogany top and solid mahogany body with a maple neck and medium output PAF-style humbuckers. The Super 58 pickups are a versatile and dynamic pair, perfect for everything from glassy cleans to singing overdriven leads. And with the original pair of Tri-Sound three-way mini toggles (offering coils in series, parallel, or tapped for single coil operation), the sonic range of this model is astounding. The solid ebony fretboard adds note attack and treble articulation to the rich midrange character and inherent warmth of the mahogany body, and the guitar has a powerful, defined natural acoustic tone with plenty of punch and sustain. This Artist weighs 9lbs 9oz and has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.

The maple neck has a slender C shape at the nut with modest shoulder, filling out with a bit more roundness up the board while still feeling very fast and easily navigable in every register. The profile measures .825" deep at the 1st fret and .950" at the 12th. The bound slab ebony fretboard features pearl block inlay bisected by abalone trapezoids with a Special Edition inlay at the 21st fret. The original medium jumbo frets are pristine, and the guitar plays well up the straight neck with an ideally adjusted truss rod. The scale length is 24 3/4”, and the nut measures 1 11/16” in width. The headstock is fitted with the original gold Ibanez Smooth Tuner II tuning machines which turn very smoothly as the name would suggest.

The electronics are untouched and work as they should, with both humbuckers featuring "Super 58" embossed baseplates. The Tri-Sound three-way toggles work as follows: 1. Coils in series 2. Single coil operation 3. Coils in parallel. Each humbucker has its own dedicated Tri-Sound toggle in addition to the primary three-way pickup selector switch, offering a truly staggering array of sounds. The guitar features the original gold plated Gibraltar II bridge and Quik Change II tailpiece, and the stock Sure Grip knobs retain the grippy rubber gaskets for exacting on-the-fly adjustments.

The dark Antique Violin finish highlights the quilt figuring in the mahogany across the top, framed by aged multi-ply cream binding. Cosmetic wear includes a bit of chipping of the clear coat of the gloss on the binding mostly along the treble edge, a finish chip on the treble side body horn, and some scattered smaller finish chips and scuffs on the back and lower bout edge. Wear on the top is limited to a few light marks and faint finish scratches. The neck profile is remarkably clean with a single isolated spot of stand rash and an otherwise pristine smooth gloss finish.

The original brown Ibanez hardshell case with "Ibanez - Setting the Pace" silkscreening on the exterior is included.