1978 Ibanez Artist 2619

1978 was a transitional year for the Ibanez brand of guitars- its parent company had settled the lawsuit over its copies of Gibson guitars out of court and was looking to establish itself on its own original electric guitar designs.

I'm always a vintage Ibanez guitar buyer but I'm especially looking for 1970s and early 1980s Ibanez guitars and pedals. You can contact me here to sell a vintage Ibanez guitar. 

The quality of the brand's Artist line of solid body electric guitars had increased exponentially since their introduction in 1975. The Artist 2619 featured two Super 80 humbucking pickups with Flying Fingers covers, gold hardware, Ebony fretboard with Abalone inlay, and a mini toggle for each pickup allowing for in phase humbucking, single coil, and out of phase humbucking modes. The model caught the eye of Andy Partridge of XTC who both recorded and toured the guitar with the band extensively. Check out more information on vintage Ibanez guitars in Tony Bacon's The Ibanez Electric Guitar Book.

Make and Model: Ibanez Model 2619 Artist 22, carved Maple top, Violin color (later AR-300)

Year: January 1978, serial A78xxx

Specifications: Weight = 9lbs 10oz, nut width = 1 11/16", neck depth at the first fret = .83", 12th fret = .93". The mini toggle switches are three way for each pickup to allow for humbucking in phase, single coil, or both coils out of phase positions.

Originality:  All parts appear to be original except the high "e" tuner. It's possible it was replaced. 

Condition: Excellent! With no breaks or repairs. The gold bridge and tailpiece show typical oxidation. There's a band name of "Dresden" stenciled on the original hardshell case.

Playability: Excellent! It plays like a brand new guitar with full height frets, straight neck and perfect action.

Notes: This killer 1978 Ibanez 2619 Artist has survived in amazing condition inside its original hardshell case. I had been looking for a nice late 1970s Ibanez Artist for a few years when I received a call from a local student looking to sell this one. He said he received it as a gift from his mom's boss after showing particular talent on the instrument. The boss said he had invested in a band in the late 1970s and financed a large amount of gear for their upcoming tour. The tour never materialized and he sold off most of the gear except for this Ibanez Artist guitar that he kept under his bed since then. I'm confident you'll love playing this killer 1978 Ibanez 2619 Artist!