AR500 - solid maple top or just flam...

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Edit Profile

Author Message   Mickf Username: Mickf Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 8:34 pm:    I read many comments on the "solid maple tops" of the Artist guitars from the early eighties. I own an AR500 from 1982 and I don't want to mess with it, like sand the pickup cavity or give it some treatment with the pocket knife just to find out, but I am pretty sure from what is visible through the finish that the top is solid maple, but the flame is just a veneer over it. What do you experts at the ICW know about this?   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 1-2002 Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 8:58 pm:    Mickf....See for yourself..This is the neck pup cavity from an '81 AR 5000....the cap looks to be between 1/2 and 5/8" thick......   Mr_roadstar Username: Mr_roadstar Registered: 6-2002 Posted on Monday, July 16, 2007 - 2:39 am:    Yes, but it does look like there is a thin veneer over the top of the maple. The bear   Jimmys Username: Jimmys Registered: 5-2003 Posted on Monday, July 16, 2007 - 6:39 am:    They used a veneer. At least every Artist I have owned (not a 500 mind you - yet) has had a thin veneer - i.e. AR300CS, AR305AV, AR350MST. I was a little disappointed when I found this out some years back, but who cares. They still look superb.   Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 3-2004 Posted on Monday, July 16, 2007 - 7:44 am:    After blowing it up and before it looks to me its too uneven to be veneer. It looks as if its stain and clear run off. But the old eyes ain't what they were.   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 1-2002 Posted on Monday, July 16, 2007 - 12:04 pm:    Guys..its NOT a Veneer. What you are seeing Bear that looks like a thin veneer is actually the stain penetration into the maple. I have owned a few of these guitars and have never seen a veneer on any of mine..but most of my Artists are pre 1980, its only after 1981/2 when Ibanez started promoting the flamed tops (Tiger ads). The interesting thing is that in mid 1978 all the PF guitars got an upgrade to flamed tops. Don't know if this was intentional or if it was just a good run of wood (the PF100/200 are plywood tops)....   Snowjays Username: Snowjays Registered: 9-2004 Posted on Monday, July 16, 2007 - 7:12 pm:    Early bolt neck Artists used a ply veneer top on them the same as the LP models and the custom agent. But, any of the solid tops are exactly that.   Allears Username: Allears Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Monday, July 16, 2007 - 7:33 pm:    I can add absolutely nothing to your intriguing discussion because of my complete ignorance... But I'm listenin' very closely and I LOVE IT. (I have an '81 500AV gorgeous and subtle 'Tiger-burst' or what-ever-you-experts-call-it and it is my favorite finish of all-time -- even more so than my early 60's mahogany neck-through-the-body Vintage Firebird III.)   Jimmys Username: Jimmys Registered: 5-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 6:56 am:    Dave, All of my Artists have been 81 or later so that is my reference. Sorry for any confusion caused by my comments. I'll have another look at one of my Artists - an AR305. I am quite sure that this one (82) has a veneer (1mm or less thick) on top of a maple cap on top of a mahogany body as does my 81 AR300CS....but I'll check again to be 100% sure.   Mickf Username: Mickf Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 1:34 pm:    And I thought this was an easy question ... But: flame veneer on solid maple or solid flamed maple - would there be a difference in sound? And how does G....n deal with this matter?   Jimmys Username: Jimmys Registered: 5-2003 Posted on Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 8:52 am:    I doubt you'd notice any difference as any veneer is very thin and the guitars still have a maple cap anyway, especially if the electronics are identical etc. ...but every piece of wood is different from a density/tonewood point of view I guess, so it'd be a pretty subjective test. Go to www.mimf.com to see if anyone has posted anything about this sort of thing.   Holmis63 Username: Holmis63 Registered: 3-2006 Posted on Sunday, October 14, 2007 - 4:01 am:    My 82Žar500 definitely got a solid maple cap, the 80Žar100 i donŽt know because the pup cavities are painted with black shielding paint i believe. Is that from the factory? And if, why? My 04Žar300 got a solid cap too, i think if the Korean ar:s got solids i believe the originals got it too?!? Holmis63

Add Your Message Here Post: -Color- Black Red Green Blue Yellow Purple Orange Cyan Gray White -Font- Arial Courier Symbol Times Verdana -Size- Smallest (-2) Small (-1) Normal Large (+1) Largest (+2) Enter Item number: Username: Posting Information: This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here. Password: Options: Enable HTML code in message Automatically activate URLs in message Action: