Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 A day after trading away my AS73B, this ART300 showed up on cl for the right price. I've been keeping an eye out for a home for the BB Pro 1 & 2 that I had sitting around. I had originally gotten them for my Epi Les Paul, but after trying the BB in the neck, I preferred my old pups in that guitar. I let the, uh, "unique" top slide. Wow, that carved top is...something...else. Haha! It's already growing on me, though. I'm also not one for elaborate inlays, but do I like the look of these. It didn't sound horrible with the active pickups, but they definitely were not my thing. I was hanging out around 2 or 3 on the volume knob with those. There were just a tad flat or sterile or something. I'm extremely pleased with how it sounds now. I kept reading how these play way above their price level, and I have to agree. It's a great player. Everything about it is comfy - awesome neck, light, thin, belly cut, the Gibraltar III bridge - just a pleasure to play. I'm getting up to my armpits in buckers, but I can really see getting into this one as much as my others. And man, what a conversation piece! haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kayd_mon Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Woah! How do you like that bridge? It looks interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Yeah, I do have several 'Gibson-like' Ibanez guitars and have had several others and every single one was a fine guitar, some better than others though. I admit I'm not crazy about the look of the top of your guitar, but I played one just like it but all black that played outstandingly well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Woah! How do you like that bridge? It looks interesting. One of my favorite parts of this guitar. Like a little pillow for my hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Yeah, I do have several 'Gibson-like' Ibanez guitars and have had several others and every single one was a fine guitar, some better than others though. I admit I'm not crazy about the look of the top of your guitar, but I played one just like it but all black that played outstandingly well. Consider yourself lucky - you don't have to look at it every day. Yeah, it really is a great player that sounds excellent (now), so that may just save it for me. Plus, when I'm playing it, the top is facing away from me - so I figure that will have to be incentive to play more, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fusion1 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 What are you doing with the Lo-Z pickups you took out of the ART-300? Did you just swap in new pickups or did you change all the electronics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Woody_in_MN Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 I would say too, that the finish is not my thing - but I love the Ibanez's as well. 3 paws up from Lamb Chop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flatspotter Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 My nephew has that same guitar, in gray/black. It's a nice axe, and the pickups suit the cookie-monster music he plays. HNGD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreatDane Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 wow~ ripple-riffic. seriously, congratulations on a very cool guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fusion1 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 I have flatwound 11 Chromes on mine and it sounds awesome for heavy stuff and sounds great for jazz/fusion. I'm probably one of the few that actually likes the Lo-Z pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 What are you doing with the Lo-Z pickups you took out of the ART-300? Did you just swap in new pickups or did you change all the electronics? I don't know, I was thinking of holding them until I decide how permanent this is, but I'm not really worried - I think it'll stick around for a while. And I'm not really worried about turning the guitar over if I get tired of it - I've got more in the Burstbuckers than the rest of the guitar. The 50k pots had to come out with the active pickups. Battery harness is still intact in the guitar, but can come out easily enough. If you are interested, shoot me a PM. I'm sure we could work something out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 I would say too, that the finish is not my thing - but I love the Ibanez's as well. 3 paws up from Lamb Chop. 3 paws? For that? Woody, I think you need to get that dog to a vet, ASAP! Haha, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members weather.at.8 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Does that top have a texture you can actually feel, or is it smooth to the touch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fusion1 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 It has a texture, in a weird way like some kind of plastic reptile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Does that top have a texture you can actually feel, or is it smooth to the touch? That's texture. It's not going anywhere without a belt sander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 It has a texture, in a weird way like some kind of plastic reptile. Hey, I resent that "plastic" remark! Under those 12 coats of poly, that wood is actually carved! The rest of your statement, I embrace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceProg Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Great score, mate. Those Ibbys are some of the best out there. I like the finish. Looks like an alligator's belly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members srspud Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 I've got a brown one like yours, and a black one too. If you think those are good then you'll really be in for a treat when you discover the passive version, the ART100. It's a little easier to find a variety sweet tones on. I'd been playing the 300s for quite a while and they really do rock pretty well but I didn't feel like I ever had real control over the sound. With the 100 that isn't a problem and the 100 sounds really good with the stock pickups. (you're welcome for the extra GAS) So now I've got 3 ARTs. I find that I'm not playing much else these days, and I have 50 guitars to choose from. The ART is just a great playing, simple usable guitar. The tummy bevel on the back makes it so much friendlier to play than my Les Pauls. Now - THE SECRET - put fresh Duracells in your ART300. The tone changes quite a bit as the batteries wear down. Fresh ones will keep the pickups sounding really sparkley. Interesting thing about the tops on the 300s - that is a wet stamped maple top. The maple is wet, it goes into a press and gets stamped with the scallop pattern. If you compare yours to every other one out there you'll notice the pattern is identical. What makes them each unique is the dye jobs. That is where they vary. I ended up getting a totally black one and all the others I've seen have a bit of gray on them. The light stripe on my brown one is not as wide or bright as yours either. So that makes them each a bit unique. They look awesome under stage lights. Those scallops act like prisms and reflect light everywhere. Truly a fine under appreciated guitar that is dead silent thanks to those active pickups. Someone is unloading those ART300s brand new on Ebay right now for $279. Killer deal! EDIT - I just noticed that yours doesn't have the stock pickups in it. Did you change them? What did you put in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fusion1 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 When I said plastic, I wasn't mocking it otherwise I wouldn't own 2 Caiman Black and 1 Caiman Brown models. On the lookout for a goldtop ART100 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 EDIT - I just noticed that yours doesn't have the stock pickups in it. Did you change them? What did you put in? I'm guessing the Gibson Burstbucker 1 & 2 combo. :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 When I said plastic, I wasn't mocking it otherwise I wouldn't own 2 Caiman Black and 1 Caiman Brown models. On the lookout for a goldtop ART100 as well. Ahhh... I never knew what those finishes were called. I always thought the looked like alligator, but with more evenly spaced 'scales'. Still not sure if I dig it or not. It was the main thing that stopped me from getting that all black one a while back... well and the fact that I had way too many guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceProg Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Alligator, caiman, crocodile... whatev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 EDIT - I just noticed that yours doesn't have the stock pickups in it. Did you change them? What did you put in? Yep - as Cratz2 mentioned below, a Burstbcker Pro #2 in the neck, and a #1 in the bridge - for all the reasons you mentioned. Cool info on the tops, I did not know they were "stamped". EDIT: flip that, #1 in neck, #2 in bridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RufusFussbuster Posted March 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 When I said plastic, I wasn't mocking it otherwise I wouldn't own 2 Caiman Black and 1 Caiman Brown models. On the lookout for a goldtop ART100 as well. Yep, I was just kidding - I gathered you own (at least) one from your posts above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sylvesterlowery Posted March 15, 2011 Members Share Posted March 15, 2011 Congrats and Happy NGD!That finish is definitely eye-catching, very different. The above mentioned Ibanez ART100 has been on my GAS list for a while now. I played one a while back and it was awesome.I have 8 Ibanez guitars already, may be time for a ninth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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