Narrowing the search - which Ibanez 335 to buy?

[bebopdeluxe]

Hey there - thanks for the help in the other thread to give me ideas. Right now, I have it narrowed down to a couple of Ibanez models - a late 90's MIK Artstar AS80, or a used - but very clean - JSM10 (the made in China Scofield model). The AS80 is in their Butterscotch finish - which is close to natural. The JSM10 is not a natural, and it is $300 more ($900 for the JSM10, versus $600 for the AS80). I know it is more money for the JSM10, but it sounds like from a build perspective it is probably worth it.

Any thoughts? My guess is I will be happy with either one - both have the Super 58 pickups, I believe.

Thanks!

 

[chrisjnyc]

$900 for an Artstar? Are you sure thats right? I bought an Artstar for around $350 a few years ago. You can get a Gibson 333 for around $1000

 

[NorCal_Val]

See if you can find an AS200.

 

[Jim85IROC]

My instructor has a JSM10 that he never bonded with. He and I compared it to my AS93, and they feel, play, and sound essentially the same. The only real "improvement" that the JSM10 offers over the AS93 is the series/parallel and coil splitting options. If those aren't important to you, you can save yourself a bunch of money by going with the AS93.

 

[bebopdeluxe]

$900 for an Artstar? Are you sure thats right? I bought an Artstar for around $350 a few years ago. You can get a Gibson 333 for around $1000

The JSM10 retails for $1200. It is not in the same catagory as the AS series.

 

[bebopdeluxe]

My instructor has a JSM10 that he never bonded with. He and I compared it to my AS93, and they feel, play, and sound essentially the same. The only real "improvement" that the JSM10 offers over the AS93 is the series/parallel and coil splitting options. If those aren't important to you, you can save yourself a bunch of money by going with the AS93.

That is good info. I am actually leaning towards the 90's MIK AS80. I just read a lot of "great price/value" reviews of the JSM10, and I like both the headstock and the coil splitting...but I could definitely pass.

 

[bebopdeluxe]

See if you can find an AS200.

If I am not mistaken, the AS200 is made in Japan, so it is in another price league - like $1000 more than the AS80 ($1600 on Reverb versus $600).

 

[NorCal_Val]

If I am not mistaken, the AS200 is made in Japan, so it is in another price league - like $1000 more than the AS80 ($1600 on Reverb versus $600).

I should've said "used".

 

[Jim85IROC]

That is good info. I am actually leaning towards the 90's MIK AS80. I just read a lot of "great price/value" reviews of the JSM10, and I like both the headstock and the coil splitting...but I could definitely pass.

My instructor read a lot of the same things before he bought his. Now it just hangs on his rack. Not long after he bought it, he got a D'Angelico Mini DC that became his #1 and he hasn't touched the Ibanez since. To be honest, I can see why... that D'Angelico plays and sounds amazing. It came with a JB/Jazz pickup combo, which is surprisingly nice in a semi hollowbody.

The JSM10 is nice, but like I said before, the coil manipulation is really the ONLY thing that separates it from the AS93, which is significantly less expensive.

 

[bebopdeluxe]

I should've said "used".

The cheapest used one I saw on Reverb was $1600...which makes sense. I doubt that you can get a Japanese-made 335 copy these days for under $1200-1500. I think that is out of the range I want to play in.

 

[GenoVox]

You can get a Gibson 333 for around $1000

Not anymore you can't...

 

[GenoVox]

I can't stand the poorly applied sunbursts on the China-made Scofield models... way too striped-looking, no subtlety

So between the 2 the OP mentioned, I'd go for the AS-80

But my personal recommendation (based on my personal experience with it) is still a used AS93

 

[NorCal_Val]

‘81 AS200
The only hollow body I own.

 

[bebopdeluxe]

‘81 AS200
The only hollow body I own.

That is beautiful. Is it a Fuji-Gen?

 

[NorCal_Val]

That is beautiful. Is it a Fuji-Gen?

Yep.

 

[bebopdeluxe]

Yep.

I have an Epiphone Elite LP that was built by them. They do great work.

 

[jamester]

My instructor read a lot of the same things before he bought his. Now it just hangs on his rack. Not long after he bought it, he got a D'Angelico Mini DC that became his #1 and he hasn't touched the Ibanez since. To be honest, I can see why... that D'Angelico plays and sounds amazing.

That's interesting. I play a AS73 and one of my students got a D'Angelico (not the mini), comparing them side by side they were very similar, and had traits that lead me to believe they came out of the same factory (both made in Indonesia). The necks were almost identical...

As for the OP, the JSM10 has a slightly different neck than the AS93 but otherwise they are built on the same bones. Until you get into the high dollar Japanese-made models, the Ibanez semi's are all mostly alike in sound and feel. The differences and price upcharges are more to do with flame maple, gold plated hardware and extra coil-tap pickup switching.

One final thought, those older Ibanez from Fuji-Gen are really well made but tend to run very heavy. Even the newer ones, actually. I've owned a couple, and have played many. I'll take my cheap and upgraded AS73 that is 7lbs over those high end boat anchors, but that's just me...

 

[pickdropper]

I had an MIK AS120 that I mostly loved. It played well and the stock pickups were fantastic.

The only beef I had was that it has a very thin shredder style neck on it. I've had other Ibanez's with similar necks, but it always bothered me on the AS120. It felt incongruous on a semi-hollowbody guitar.

 

[Jim85IROC]

That's interesting. I play a AS73 and one of my students got a D'Angelico (not the mini), comparing them side by side they were very similar, and had traits that lead me to believe they came out of the same factory (both made in Indonesia). The necks were almost identical...

As for the OP, the JSM10 has a slightly different neck than the AS93 but otherwise they are built on the same bones. Until you get into the high dollar Japanese-made models, the Ibanez semi's are all mostly alike in sound and feel. The differences and price upcharges are more to do with flame maple, gold plated hardware and extra coil-tap pickup switching.

One final thought, those older Ibanez from Fuji-Gen are really well made but tend to run very heavy. Even the newer ones, actually. I've owned a couple, and have played many. I'll take my cheap and upgraded AS73 that is 7lbs over those high end boat anchors, but that's just me...

Well I'll be damned. I had a response all typed out about how odd it is that your AS73 would be made in Indonesia since my AS93 was made in China. I decided to check the tag on my 93. Indonesia.

It's probably true that the Ibanez and D'Angelico are both coming out of the same plant, and since virtually every mid-line and lower imported guitar seems to have the same vanilla neck profile, they probably do feel real similar. The major benefit to the D'Angelico was the Duncan pickups and the smaller body size. To your point, the Ibanez and the D'Angelico are both equally well made.

 

[Steadfastly]

There is nothing wrong with the Ibanez models in my book but I would also take a look at an Eastman T386. They are around $1100.00 new and $800.00 used.