1978 Ibanez Artist 2626b Bass Antique Violin Rare Japan MIJ

Amazing Ibanez Artist 2626b Bass.  Quite rare and rarely seen for sale.  This one is really in great overall condition.  Plays and sounds amazing.  Even the neck pickup, being so close to the neck, has some bite and clarity.  Comes with brand new, economy hardshell case.
No major repairs - ever.  Everything works as it should.

I've tried to eliminate dust (it's always there) and adjust for accurate color representation of the original Antique Violin finish.  All details will be described.

The Artist 2626b was the predecessor of the Ibanez Musician basses.  The 2626b went through a few minor changes since it was introduced in the early '70s.  This version is an example of what the 2626b was near the end of its model manufacture.  In fact, considering that Musician basses were being made in 1983, this Artist from March, 1978 may be the last 2626b ever made.  I wouldn't be surprised.

Everything is original to this guitar except the mini switches (replaced due to faulty switch), and the knobs, which are my own "almost-sure-grip" style knobs...close to what they would have been stock.

The specs and good stuff:
34" scale
Antique Violin finish
Solid Ash body
Solid Maple neck
Set neck construction
Beautiful rosewood fingerboard with abalone dot inlays
Almost zero fretware.  Appears to have always had flatwound strings.
Brass/bone nut
String through body
Rosewood headstock veneer
Chrome parts including heavy, 3-point adjustable bridge
2 Musician style wide range single coil pickups
2 pickup selector mini switches
2 volume controls
1 tone control

Issues:
Very few dings or scratches, which is really surprising.  Photos detail the 2 dings on the body that are especially visible.
Neck heel and nut show stress cracks which are typical for Ibanez instruments this old.  None of the cracks go beyond the finish, and the bass is structurally sound.  Built like a tank.
Other than the dings and finish defects detailed in the photos, any dings or scratches are few and very small.
There are a couple places there the finish appears gold.  This is where the finish "pooled" during the original finishing process.  Interestingly, this shows that Ibanez used some metallic gold in its Antique Violin finish!  Guess it makes the finish "pop" a bit more.

Great opportunity to own a great instrument!  You'll love it.

Guitar Tech Craig