AR2000 Prestige -Upperhorn strap button belongs on heel/body

**jemsite** · #1 01-17-2003, 03:51 PM

Note to Ibanez, the upperhorn strap button is misplaced on the AR2000 (and AR250). When playing, standing with a strap, this causes the headstock to dip to the floor and the body near the bridge to rise up (toward your right arm ie... the pick hand).

This is 100% is unnecessary, except for the fact that the strap button was placed in the wrong position. The short upper horn creates a problem on an average size person.

After picking up an old AM-200 (with strap button on the heel/body rear) it dawned on me that this is a mistake. The button belongs on the back of the body near the neck/heel. Try it!

I'm surprised this has not come up, or generated complaints from players... glen

**jim777** · #2 08-25-2003, 09:58 AM

An Ebony board and the stripe-in-block inlays of the early 80's AR-300's and AR-500's would look great on this guitar also, as they have in the past. Add in the 3 band EQ of the AR-500 as an option, and sales of this guitar will go up, guaranteed.
I've played and loved the AR series of the late 70's and early 80's, and while the AR-2000 has been out for a while, it still looks like a cheaper series Artist with a fancy top. It doesn't make me think "top of the line" like the older models did, and that would be so very easy to fix.
I've actually been waiting patiently for Ibanez to do something about the rosewood/dots for years now, but if I can just push gently for a return to those awesome axes of old, then why not? An ebony board and some blocks please, and I might even buy two so my son has one to grow into.

jim

Rich · #3 08-25-2003, 12:56 PM

I fully agree that the trapazoid inlays would definately spruce up the 2000, it does look like one of it's inferior cousins with the large dots.

**jemsite** · #4 08-25-2003, 01:00 PM

having the block inlays would be cool, but maybe that is best left in the past. the ar2000 small dots look cool to my eye (even next to an AM and UCEW w/ the block inlays). less is more concept i guess... glen

Rich · #5 08-25-2003, 01:03 PM

If they're best left in the past then it's time for a new design for their upscale AR. After all, they're competing against "birds" and "blocks" with the Artist.

The Eristic · #6 08-25-2003, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim777

An Ebony board and the stripe-in-block inlays of the early 80's AR-300's and AR-500's would look great on this guitar also, as they have in the past. Add in the 3 band EQ of the AR-500 as an option, and sales of this guitar will go up, guaranteed.
I've played and loved the AR series of the late 70's and early 80's, and while the AR-2000 has been out for a while, it still looks like a cheaper series Artist with a fancy top. It doesn't make me think "top of the line" like the older models did, and that would be so very easy to fix.
I've actually been waiting patiently for Ibanez to do something about the rosewood/dots for years now, but if I can just push gently for a return to those awesome axes of old, then why not? An ebony board and some blocks please, and I might even buy two so my son has one to grow into.

jim

I'm all for ebony. That's the ONLY reason I haven't bought an AR-2000.

**jemsite** · #7 08-25-2003, 10:15 PM

i'm no great ebony fanatic, but either way, to not buy the guitar based on rosewood is probably shortsighted. the original ARs mostly had rosewood.

i think if you see and play these in person they look "top of the line" because the attention to detail is superb... glen

caprile · #8 08-25-2003, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jemsite

i think if you see and play these in person they look "top of the line" because the attention to detail is superb... glen

you're so right..the typical line 'pics don't do justice' applies so well to the AR2000....the first time I held one I was shocked!...wooden pickup rings!

**jim777** · #9 08-26-2003, 12:44 PM

I don't want to imply that the AR2000 is anything but a top of the line instrument, I just feel it doesn't look it *to me*. Remember if you will, back in the 70's there wasn't anything on the market really with the kind of flamed tops you see today. Back then, a bit of flame was striking and beautiful in its rarity; you almost never saw anything remotely like the top of a current 3120 unless it was on one of those ridiculously gaudy Les Paul reissues. A little motion in your top and you were over the moon!

The antique violin sunburst (AV) served to heighten what flame your AR had, and that is gone now, too. So now you've got a modern arguably better instrument, without that deep black fretboard, without the blocks, without the sunburst, but with an over the top flame. It just doesn't work for me the way the older models did, and I'd go with a nice Artist over any other Ibanez guitar if I liked the look of it. I know it sounds silly but it's almost sad to me that the current top of the line is so different from the older ones. It doesn't seem like such a big thing to ask them to at least consider embracing their recent heritage, especially given that reissues and anniversary models are something Ibanez has embraced in the past. Also, I fully understand that very little of this will matter to anyone new to the AR series, maybe just to a few who bought them new 20 something years ago. I could buy another old one and just shut up

The Eristic · #10 08-26-2003, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jemsite

i'm no great ebony fanatic, but either way, to not buy the guitar based on rosewood is probably shortsighted.

I really hate the friction of rosewood. Not knocking the status of the instrument or anything. I enjoy collecting, but I at least try to limit the GAS list to stuff that would get played often. I really don't play ANY of my guitars with rosewood anymore, though if I saw a good enough deal on the AR, I'd probably grab it regardless.

Eh, I'm just gonna have to track down an older one, unless I can get endorsed or something.