Artcore Club

[B-Mac]

...from equipboard...

Thundercat is playing a modified Ibanez Artcore bass in the photo; possibly the AGB200. The end of this interview with Bass Player lists a custom Ibanez Artcore 4-string bass as part of his gear.

 

[B-Mac]

No here's one you don't see:
IBANEZ ARTIST / ARTSTAR AB200 SEMI ACOUSTIC BASS ARCHTOP MIJ VERY RARE - 1988

Taken from Worth Point:
Ibanez Artist / Artstar AB200 Bass - 1988 A Stunning Made in Japan Semi Hollow Bass One of the best bass guitars I have ever had the pleasure ofowning or even seen . Also one of the rarest . This is the equivalent of the equally fabulous Ibanez Artstar AM200 and AS200 six stringers and is designated the Model AB200 . Only a few of these were ever made and I believe they were made as a showpiece guitars for various trade shows including the 1988 NAMM guitar show . Being offered at an absolute bargain price to make space and to help toward starting the new year without an overdraft. Both the AM and AS series command well over £1000 and this bass should be the same but I bought it many years ago when these Japanese masterpieces were cheaper I can now pass much of the benefit on . The Specification is huge with Birdseye Maple front and back and a glorious Multi Laminated neck, Brazilian Rosewood Board and Binding everywhere including the f holes . The quality is superb and the cost of producing this would have been significant . I am very loathed to be selling this one but as I now play 5 string it has become a luxury I can’t afford . I would love to see it sold to a Professional player who will use and love it. Condition is pretty much mint with just a few very superficial playmarks . Playability is smooth and fast with a pretty low setup and the sounds are powerful and precise with a good range . One for life . Comes with the original fitted hardcase. (sold many moons ago)

Invalid Link Removed

 

[John Stephen]

Wow! That's a beaut!

 

[Aidil]

@Aidil
Did you ever get an AGB205 ?
Or any Artcore?

Sadly no. Seems our local Ibanez distributor never got any interest to import the Artcore bass series.

 

[B-Mac]

Sadly no. Seems our local Ibanez distributor never got any interest to import the Artcore bass series.

 

[focusbob]

Have any agb205 (5-string) owners replaced the stock pickups? What fits?

 

[B-Mac]

Have any agb205 (5-string) owners replaced the stock pickups? What fits?

That’s a tall order. Pretty much nothing. Nothing just drops in. It’s going to take some creativity. Something like keeping the existing covers and removing the guts underneath and placing something centered underneath those existing pup covers.

Not an easy undertaking and not really a reversible mod unless you can figure out a way to remove the existing guts underneath the existing covers without damaging them.

 

[focusbob]

That’s a tall order. Pretty much nothing. Nothing just drops in. It’s going to take some creativity. Something like keeping the existing covers and removing the guts underneath and placing something centered underneath those existing pup covers.

Not an easy undertaking and not really a reversible mod unless you can figure out a way to remove the existing guts underneath the existing covers without damaging them.

Thanks! One more follow up: does anyone have any insight on the (older) achb vs. (newer) classic elite mini-humbuckers? The online sentiment is that the classic elite pickups were generally "much better" than the achb pickups, but that's as far as I've gotten...

 

[B-Mac]

Thanks! One more follow up: does anyone have any insight on the (older) achb vs. (newer) classic elite mini-humbuckers? The online sentiment is that the classic elite pickups were generally "much better" than the achb pickups, but that's as far as I've gotten...

Well, we're always lead to believe that new and improved is always better, but...

Never had the opportunity to do a real A : B comparison...or even just play a newer one at a store with the newer classic elite mini-humbuckers.

 

[ctmullins]

Have any agb205 (5-string) owners replaced the stock pickups? What fits?

What are their dimensions?

 

[focusbob]

What are their dimensions?

I measured 3.125" by 1.125".

 

[ctmullins]

I measured 3.125" by 1.125".

The pickup itself, not the rings, right?

7-string guitar pickups (the ones that use mounting rings) are the same length, but wider across (1.5”). If you were to widen the cavities to fit that width, you would have lots of choices. Including the DiMarzio Relentless Neck.

 

[focusbob]

Well, we're always lead to believe that new and improved is always better, but...

Never had the opportunity to do a real A : B comparison...or even just play a newer one at a store with the newer classic elite mini-humbuckers.

Ok, 1 more followup

Are the agb205 (5-string) and agb200 (4-string) pickups the same size/interchangeable?

 

[B-Mac]

The pickup itself, not the rings, right?

7-string guitar pickups (the ones that use mounting rings) are the same length, but wider across (1.5”). If you were to widen the cavities to fit that width, you would have lots of choices. Including the DiMarzio Relentless Neck.

Have any agb205 (5-string) owners replaced the stock pickups? What fits?

That’s a tall order. Pretty much nothing. Nothing just drops in. It’s going to take some creativity. Something like keeping the existing covers and removing the guts underneath and placing something centered underneath those existing pup covers.

Not an easy undertaking and not really a reversible mod unless you can figure out a way to remove the existing guts underneath the existing covers without damaging them.

I believe the idea was not to make irreversible body mods. There’s no drop-in replacement so I was simply thinking finding ‘pup guts’ that will fit under the existing pup covers.

 

[B-Mac]

Ok, 1 more followup

Are the agb205 (5-string) and agb200 (4-string) pickups the same size/interchangeable?

I can measure them tonight (ABG200 & ABG205). I’m inclined to say yes as the string spacing on the ABG205 is quite tight. However it would be best for me to measure first to verify.

 

[ctmullins]

I believe the idea was not to make irreversible body mods. There’s no drop-in replacement so I was simply thinking finding ‘pup guts’ that will fit under the existing pup covers.

True. You know I'm not shy about making irreversible body mods!

You could also contact a custom pickup winder about re-winding/re-working the existing pickups. It's not necessarily expensive.

 

[focusbob]

I can measure them tonight (ABG200 & ABG205). I’m inclined to say yes as the string spacing on the ABG205 is quite tight. However it would be best for me to measure first to verify.

Thanks so much!

 

[B-Mac]

Thanks so much!

as promised

Artcore AGB200
pups

rings

Artcore AGB205
pups

rings

As I initially suspected…Identical.

@ctmullins should check these dimensions out too.
not sure were @focusbob got his dimensions from?
transposed the numbers somehow, maybe?

I didn't measure the pups on my AFB200, but they're probably the same too.

 

[B-Mac]

Ibanez Pickup: IBZ4B, 4 string, neck For Artcore bass (ACHB2) | Reverb

Ibanez parts catalog

 

[B-Mac]

Golden Ibanez P90 SoapBar Classic Elite Bass Guitar Pickups | Reverb