Artcore Club

[B-Mac]

I just bought an AGB140 and B-Mac suggested I stop over here. I’ll add a photo of my ASB140 that I bought a few years ago just because. I was fortunate to find both in the OHSC.

Hey, I wondered where you got to!

Thanks for sharing. You’re definitely lucky with the cases. Especially since the cases for each of these are not interchangeable.

 

[Conductor 14]

I feel really fortunate to have gotten the cases. For whatever reason, the Ibanez basses keep coming in to my life. I now have near identical sets in both places where I reside.

 

[B-Mac]

I just bought an AGB140 and B-Mac suggested I stop over here. I’ll add a photo of my ASB140 that I bought a few years ago just because. I was fortunate to find both in the OHSC.

Welcome!

@Conductor 14

You have been issued member #11 in the Ibanez Artcore Bass Club .

Ibanez Artcore Club Membership List | TalkBass.com

 

[timmus]

Sign me up please... I am a previous ASB140 owner but in a moment of abject foolishness, I sold it. That was about 5 years ago. I just bought another one today with original HSC even and now the wait begins. It's being shipped from Vancouver, BC so it will be a bit of a wait. Here's a pic from Reverb where I bought it:

Link Removed

 

[Michael Vee]

I've talked about my Artcores in this thread some recently, but had not posted a pic or gotten a number. It's time!

2019 AGB200, 2013 AGB200, 2020 AFB200.

Edit: I looked at the S/Ns for the year of manufacture. Surprise! I bought the AFB last year, but the mfg. date was 2020.

 

[timmus]

I've talked about my Artcores in this thread some recently, but had not posted a pic or gotten a number. It's time!

2020 AGB200, 2010 (?) AGB200, 2022 AFB200.
View attachment 5168407

I'll try to do a better pic, outside, sometime. Everything is on one side of the room getting ready to do a bass wall-hanging project.

Love it! I also have a beautiful blue Artcore guitar:

Link Removed

 

[B-Mac]

Sign me up please... I am a previous ASB140 owner but in a moment of abject foolishness, I sold it. That was about 5 years ago. I just bought another one today with original HSC even and now the wait begins. It's being shipped from Vancouver, BC so it will be a bit of a wait. Here's a pic from Reverb where I bought it:

Link Removed

Glad to have ya!

Welcome!

@timmus

You have been issued member #17 in the Ibanez Artcore Bass Club .

 

[B-Mac]

I've talked about my Artcores in this thread some recently, but had not posted a pic or gotten a number. It's time!

2020 AGB200, 2010 (?) AGB200, 2022 AFB200.
View attachment 5168407

I'll try to do a better pic, outside, sometime. Everything is on one side of the room getting ready to do a bass wall-hanging project.

Nice ‘family’ picture!

Welcome!

@Michael Vee it was definitely time!!!

You have been issued member #27 in the Ibanez Artcore Bass Club .

 

[timmus]

Glad to have ya!

Welcome!

@timmus

You have been issued member #17 in the Ibanez Artcore Bass Club .

Thanks! I wish I was 17 again...in retrospect, I would've done things a lot differently knowing the things I know now...then again, wouldn't we all.

 

[B-Mac]

Love it! I also have a beautiful blue Artcore guitar:

Link Removed

That’s what the AFB200 bass is modeled after.

 

[B-Mac]

I've talked about my Artcores in this thread some recently, but had not posted a pic or gotten a number. It's time!

2020 AGB200, 2010 (?) AGB200, 2022 AFB200.
View attachment 5168407

I'll try to do a better pic, outside, sometime. Everything is on one side of the room getting ready to do a bass wall-hanging project.

Date can be determined by looking in the bass side F hole at the S/N

 

[timmus]

Date can be determined by looking in the bass side F hole at the S/N

I just went through this exercise. The first two numbers are the year, the next two are the month. My S/N starts with S (made in China) then 0405, so mine was made in 2004 and 05 is May.

 

[B-Mac]

I just went through this exercise. The first two numbers are the year, the next two are the month. My S/N starts with S (made in China) then 0405, so mine was made in 2004 and 05 is May.

S stands for Samick

Newer Indonesia models appear to be made by ‘World Music’.

 

[B-Mac]

Thanks! I wish I was 17 again...in retrospect, I would've done things a lot differently knowing the things I know now...then again, wouldn't we all.

Don’t we all?

 

[Michael Vee]

Date can be determined by looking in the bass side F hole at the S/N

Thanks, all. I did that, and found out that my AFB200 had been on the wall for a couple years at B's Music Store before I bought it!

 

[B-Mac]

Thanks, all. I'll


Just did that, and found out that my AFB200 had been on the wall for a couple years at B's Music Store!

And what year did you determine it to be?

 

[timmus]

S stands for Samick

Newer Indonesia models appear to be made by ‘World Music’.

I think that depends on what era it was made in...mine says "Made in China" on the S/N sticker inside and the S+8 digits stands for a factory in China that starts with an S. The last batch, 2002 and on, as I understand it, were all made in China.

Saehan Guitar Technology, a subdivision of Zaozhuang Saehan Music Co., Ltd. (of China), now known as Sunghan Music

 

[B-Mac]

I think that depends on what era it was made in...mine says "Made in China" on the S/N sticker inside and the S+8 digits stands for a factory in China that starts with an S. The last batch, 2002 and on, as I understand it, were all made in China.

Saehan Guitar Technology, a subdivision of Zaozhuang Saehan Music Co., Ltd. (of China), now known as Sunghan Music

Per the Ibanez Fan Wiki all of the Artcore's with S were made by Samick in South Korea when they were introduced in the early 2000's and then later by Samick in their Chinese location to reduce costs. The newer models that have a W or WK and made in Indonesia are made at 'World Music' in Indonesia. 'World Music' still has a factory in South Korea.

This is the first time I have ever heard that a company other than Samick has made the Artcore models (with the exception of the latest Indonesian made models). Ibanez has connections with Samick, Cor-Tek and World Music. I have never heard or seen Ibanez having a connection with 'Saehan'.

If you have a link about the 'Saehan' connection please provide it as I'm intrigued by this. First time I ever heard about this connection.

Thanks.

 

[zardeefonder]

Per the Ibanez Fan Wiki all of the Artcore's with S were made by Samick in South Korea when they were introduced in the early 2000's and then later by Samick in their Chinese location to reduce costs. The newer models that have a W or WK and made in Indonesia are made at 'World Music' in Indonesia. 'World Music' still has a factory in South Korea.

This is the first time I have ever heard that a company other than Samick has made the Artcore models (with the exception of the latest Indonesian made models). Ibanez has connections with Samick, Cor-Tek and World Music. I have never heard or seen Ibanez having a connection with 'Saehan'.

If you have a link about the 'Saehan' connection please provide it as I'm intrigued by this. First time I ever heard about this connection.

Thanks.

I came across this, for what it is worth.

Saehan International Co., Ltd , Korea , Sports & Entertainment

 

[B-Mac]

Now, there appears to be an issue here? China vs South Korea? However, end of paragraph does indicate Samick has factories in China and Indonesia.

However, Samick has made ABG's, Hollow and Semi-Hollow guitars for years. Some look very much like Artcore's with their own name on the headstock as you can see below (looks similar to an AFB)

I'm not sure if I ever saw anything connected with Saehan other than a solid slab o'wood bass, but I'm sure I haven't seen them all. I'm not doubting you, but I simply haven't seen this spelled out. Even on some other websites the 'S' and affiliated factory is shown as '?'

Samick branded Hollow Body Guitar
Samick HJRG-302 from the 90's
Link Removed