Hiya all, I am a freshman to this site, but not to Ibanez guitars having owned a beautiful AR100 back in 1988'ish, swapped it for an old synth, bad move still we must move on and recently I have found a really nice AR50 that apprears to be in fine shape, well looking at the pics it does, not sure how to post images here yet but will check it out and up-load some images later if possible.

I have been trawling through all the net info now I have been reunited to these fine instruments again and have a very quick couple of Q's that someone hopefully may be able to put an answer to, the first of which is this:

The AR50 I am buying has a white pick guard and I have never yet seen aother AR50 fitted with one, is this standard and everyone removes them as they look cooler with it off?

And secondly, the original Super 70 PUP's are they 4 wire that will allow me to mod in a push-pull Vol or Tone pot replacement for single coil taps? I don't want to drill holes in her to add another toggle switch, so the push-pull option is favored.

That's it, simpulzzzz, please can anyone help with these couple of Q's.
cheers guys
pulsestudio

Hi Hasenobu, many thanks for the reply, I really think that the pick-guard/scratch plate was original, it has been there according to the current owner for the guitars life, he has not fitted it and he has owned it for many years, I do believe I have seen a similar plate fitted to another Ibanez model, maybe a semi-acoustic from memory, any way it looks professionally finished so maybe it was retrofitted at some time after it was made.

The link to the AR50 you posted is not the same as the one I will be buying, I have posted a link below to 4 images of the guitar, the PUP's are open frame types and not the enclosed chrome cover as shown on your link, so are the PUP's on the AR50 I am buying 4 wire or 2 wire, I would like to split the coils if possible.

http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa59/pulsestudio/Artist%20AR50/?albumview=grid

Thanks for your help
Pulsestudio

Thanks Jason43, I am torn between leaving the pick guard on or removing it, can't decide yet, I actually collect the guitar tomorrow I have just learned, I can't wait to get my hands on it, then I'll decide what to do about the pick guard.

I can do the PUP wiring myself, I work in the R&D department of a well known studio processor manufacturer, so have a few years experience with sort of work behind me, just wanted to know if I needed to split the seperate coil bobbins or if they were already done. If I can add in the single coil tap I will definitely go for the push-pull or push-push Vol/Tone pot option as it saves having to drill holes into the body.

thanks for all your help guys, there are some real Artist guru's on this site, I am glad I searched it out, thanks a lot.
pulsestudio

Hey you guys on here are so damn helpful, that is superb ibnzdad, some useful info on the pick-guard, I will have a look at it tomorrow when I collect the guitar, does it look totally naff ? or should I remove it ?? I guess it does individually stylize it a bit

That circuit is really great thanks a bunch for that, I can see that I will be hitting this forum quite a bit over the coming months, a great bunch of guys on here, cheers all
pulsestudio

+1 I will send you one of the 10 I made for the price of postage if
the pickup spacing is right. I styled these from the pic in the
above post and one is on the AM in my avatar. They look dull
because the protective film is still on. I sent one to another
member but I don't know if he ever installed it.

They look the biz ibnzdad, nice work, and thank you for the generous offer, this place is full of great and helpful guys, it is unreal.
I have now collected my AR50 and given it the once over and my only comment is..................Bloody amazing

I must admit that I was a little anxious at first, a 30 year old guitar and had never seen it in the flesh or worse of all played it, and it is exaclty as I remember my old AR300 in just about every respect, yes it doesn't have the bling of a AR300 but it has surely got real character and charm in droves, I am loving it already.

I have inspected the pick-guard and it is exactly as you suggested ibnzdad, it is a Gibby LP and has had the section for the neck PUP cut out to suit the AR50, and not very well too, so it is now off and staying off, yes it would be nice to have something a little different and I thank you for the kind and generous offer, but I think I will keep it as stock, I have to fill a couple of holes which is a bummer but I can do this over a period of time and build up the layers of cellulose paint and blend in with the original finish I hope, any tips gratefully recieved.

I will also be getting the swicthed pots for the coil taps, I have played it this afternoon and this thing rocks, those PUP's are great, were the old 80's Ibanez PUP's actually supplied by DiMarzio, I am sure I have read this somewhere??? anyway they are killer, and the tone is just sublime, possibly due to the massive plank of timber namely the body and the fixed bridge, it has sustain to die for, I am so glad I went for it, chuffed on a massive scale, and this is just a cheap one, I really want a AR300 now, and yes I am being totaly serious. I also checked out a '97 Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro today, it was twice the price of the AR300 and half as good, it had fret buzz, and chocked on the top 3 strings from the 4th to around the 15th, total crap, so I walked away from that, you can't beat a good old un for shear playability and feel, well that's what I keep telling the other half

Thanks again all for your help, and as Arnie said, "Arrr'll be back"
pulsestudio one very Artist owner/player.

Thanks DisChord, it is a really lovely guitar, have not stopped playing it since 3pm this afternoon, I want more, and more.

I just wanted to add here as I am not sure where else to place this, you know when you are sure that you had something many years ago, but really can't be sure if you have been dreaming............... well I thought I had an old, yes very old Ibanez catalogue, and I have just found it buried among a load of old Hi-Fi mags, it has the AR300 and RS1000CS on the front cover and it features a whole host of Ibanez guitars from basses thru acoustics, but sadly not the AR50, it has the AR100PW, AR105AV and AR300CS, all on one page, a very useful find to close a very successful day, I am ecstatic, so if anyone needs any onfo maybe it could be contained in here.
pulsestudio

Yep I have been and seen and green he has an amazing collection, envy is a very bad place to be so I will look at my amp collection to console myself, he is one hell of a fortunate guy, but he has expended the time and energy to get lt together and he deserves much praise for his success

I have one simple question, is there a section on here to sell and buy used Ibanez guitars ? if so can someone please point me in the right direction.
Mark, go out and find another AR50, you said you regretted selling your old one, and so did I back in the early 80's, I feel reunited again now, it has made me appreciate the old classics are the best, and these guitars are simply bloody gorgeous instruments in just about every respect, treat yourself
Paul (puslestudio)

Equally simple answer: No. This site is owned and maintained by Ibanez, and I'm sure they'd prefer for us to buy from their authorized dealers. I can understand their view.

No need for any sympathy regarding my lack of an AR50. I've got a sweet pair of AR2000'S. And with a total of 15(?) guitars in the house, I'd have a tough time squeezing another one in....

Mark

The AR50 had regular speed knobs.

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1998 Ibanez Artist AR700
1983 Ibanez Artist AM50
2007 Ibanez Artist AR305
2005 Ibanez Artist AR200
2004 Ibanez Artcore AM77
1985 Ibanez Pro Line PL1770
Custom made doubleneck