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Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 6:04 am:   

i found a guy here in rome selling an 2004 ibanez JSM90-VT... "prestige neck, ebony fretboard, super 58s, chrome hardware, G510BN bridge"... i found nothin about this model on the web. opinions? maybe a sort of "AS180" signed by scofield?
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Johns
Username: Johns

Registered: 02-2001
Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 8:39 am:   

Petruz:

Very cool! Can we see more pictures?
Guitartim
Username: Guitartim

Registered: 04-2001
Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 10:22 am:   

OK Petruz, thanks for the tease, my friend. More information please.
Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 11:47 am:   

i don't have other photos, but i'll ask the seller. he's asking only 400 euros for it, 480 us dollars, case included. "the sticker says "JSM basic"... maybe it's made in china or something? i'll try to know about it.
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960

Registered: 03-2004
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 7:07 am:   

Mayber it's a form of Artcore United! more pics please.
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 8:06 am:   

I think the JSM type numbers are 1/2 of the old AS type numbers.
Or to put it the other way 'round: AS type numbers are 2x the JSM type number.

This would mean:
The old AS200 became JSM 100
The old AS180 became JSM90

Main differences:
Gold vs Chrome hardware
Flame maple vs non-flame maple
MOP/Abalone/MOP block inlays vs DOT inlays

Both were made in Japan and both had a tortoise pickguard.

In the late nineties you had two options if you hadn't enough money for an ArtStar AS200:
a Korean AS120 with gold hardware and the same fancy looks except for the flames and the tortoise pickguard.
or a Japanese AS180 which was more basic in the looks but offered Japanese quality.

Price differences in 1998:
If you went for the AS180, you saved $ 600.-
If you went for the AS120, you saved $1200.-

http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/price/1998/2_Jan/p03.jpg

(Talking about making the best of a small budget:
I bought a hardly used just a few weeks old AS120 from Joep Egmond that someone returned because his 'friends' had convinced him that he should have bought an Epi Sheraton II.
Thank you 'friends'...)

I think the JSM90 or JSM Basic is therefore totally Japanese. And I expect the price to be somewhere between the JSM100 and the AS193.

I'll look what I can find.


Ginger
Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 8:52 am:   

the seller did not answer me yet. the quest continues...

ginger, don't forget the MIJ AS80 which was a plainier version of the AS200 in the early eighties. these are terrific guitars too and they owe nothing to teir "wealthier" sisters.
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 9:45 am:   

Yeah, I know... but the AS80 number wasn't so interesting to devide by 2. You would get a JCM40, a name that sounds even cheaper than AS50, so that would be bad marketing.

Besides there was a Korean AS80 too in the nineties. Using 90 there can be no misunderstanding that it's a Japanese guitar.
But until now I found zip, nada nothing...
I can contact Hoshino Holland, to ask if they know about this one. It's not in their pricelist, but that also goes for the AS193 and all other United models. There's one guy there who might know it (some sort of Dutch Cappy so to speak).
If he doesn't know, I guess we need the Captain or JD to use their connections.


Ginger
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 10:16 am:   

Just called them. They suspect it's a FAKE!


Ginger
Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 10:24 am:   

WOW! thrilling!
i'm not able to get the seller's email (i can only send him messages from inside the site), and there's no telephone number to call.
Guitartim
Username: Guitartim

Registered: 04-2001
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 10:41 am:   

I guess it's easier to make a fake label and glue it inside of a modified AS..??

We really need a better shot of that guitar. Something fishy about an out of focus photo of just the label of an alleged non-standard JSM that no one seems to have ever heard of.
Artfield
Username: Artfield

Registered: 04-2001
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 10:53 am:   

For Those looking :

its in Belgium

http://muziekinstrumenten.tweedehands.net/gitaren/ibanez-artist-as-200.html
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960

Registered: 03-2004
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 4:30 pm:   

It could very well be a one off sample that was built and then turned down as a production model. Unless we can see the rest of the guitar who can say.
Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 6:59 pm:   

i got these small photos from the seller. he says the model is made in japan and out of production.
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Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 7:03 pm:   

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Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 3:55 am:   

Looks like an ordinary Korean Artstar to me. The bridge isn't even Gibraltar II, but Fulltune II.
The truss rod cover is the same as on my AS120.
I guess it's a Korean Artstar AS80 with a chrome Quick Change II.
Ratfinks3, what do you think? (since you had two).
Petruz, ask a pic of the total front of the body and look if there is a jack input.


Ginger
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 4:25 am:   

Freak, the one-of-story is to beautiful to be true. They looked at the picture and told me there's something about the label, that Ibanez never used. I'm not going to tell what it is, because I don't want to provide counterfeiters with better information than what they already know.

Tim, I think you're right: a Korean AS80, a QCII and a fake label.

I think, they would never make a JSM with a wide headstock, a fulltune II bridge and a front jack input, because it adds nothing to the existing program. And certainly not in Japan. This is a Korean guitar.
The QCII is the only Japanese part on the whole guitar.


Ginger
Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 5:45 am:   

yes i agree with you ginger, these photos are too small, the sunburst is korean-like, the machine heads seem to be too.
better let this one where it is...
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 7:41 am:   

Here is a nice example at a very reasonable price:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-Artstar-AS-80-AS80-335-Semi-Hollow-Artist_W0QQitemZ27 0048025947QQihZ017QQcategoryZ33043QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewIte m

But make sure the serial number doesn't start with an S (Samick), because then you will either have to wax pot the Super 50 PUs or replace them with Super 58's.

C is good or no letter at all and handwritten.


Ginger
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960

Registered: 03-2004
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 7:48 am:   

not to mention the serial number looks chinese which I already noticed.

Ginger I myself have had one off samples of recent Ibanez that never went into production. I was just making a a guess without a photo to go by except that label with the VT that I've never seen. The BASIC looks like the USA cigarrete logo of the same name.

The headstock is definitly Artcore so mystery solved.
Ibanezfreak1960
Username: Ibanezfreak1960

Registered: 03-2004
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 8:14 am:   

VT is vintage sunburst, my bad!
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 2:41 pm:   

Freak, when I looked more closely at the Korean ArtSTAR AS80, I noticed that the pickup selector switch is UNDER the inside corner of the f-hole.
In the ArtCORE it is placed a bit higher, just like in the "JSM90" creation.
I didn't think about the Chinese ArtCORE because the sunburst in the "JSM90" picture is faded (PHOTOSHOPPED?). I was actually waiting for your reaction, because I was stuck for a moment.

So, looking at the pickup selector switch it's more likely that they used an ArtCORE than an ArtSTAR. Most likely an AS73 (no flames).
So you didn't do so bad on the analysis, Freak!
(Keep that cigarette logo in mind...)

It only goes to show it is necessary to be always at least a bit suspicious nowadays.

I wonder how much the seller wanted for this creation, Petruz?


Ginger
Petruz
Username: Petruz

Registered: 05-2004
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 7:11 pm:   

"just" 400 euros.
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier

Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 8:18 pm:   

That's the list price of a new AS73 (€399.-).
In most shops you get a 20% discount (€319.-). And used in very good condition it is between €200.- and €266.- (1/2-2/3).
Because of the discounts, it will be closer to €200.-


Ginger

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