1978 Ibanez Artist 2622-AV MIJ

This MIJ 1978 Ibanez Artist 2622-AV is a stunner with tons of sustain and massive tone from the original humbuckers with the option to flick on the on-board active EQ for impressive tonal versatility. Often overlooked but made with undeniable attention to detail and quality... (good enough for Bob Weir & Steve Miller!) This example is in great shape with some dings here and there but impressively well-preserved and totally original excluding removed pickup covers. An incredible top-of-the-line MIJ Ibanez! Includes original hardshell case.

Check out the feature from our luthier Tyler in the ECG Newsletter:

"For most modern day vintage guitar enthusiasts, the name Ibanez doesn’t exactly get the blood flowing. It typically conjures up images of beginner-quality Chinese instruments, and in the best of cases the shreddy metal musings of artists like Joe Satriani or Herman Li. There was a time though, before any of that, when Ibanez built extremely high quality instruments in Japan for an entirely different target audience. Jazz great George Benson was a longtime Ibanez endorsee. Bob Weir played one for years, and was eventually awarded his own signature model. These early Japanese instruments from the 70s and 80s never outsold the other major American Brands, but were undoubtedly influential of the direction guitar design would progress in the following decades. 

This particular 2622 is labeled with an “AV” suffix, indicative of Ibanez’s beautiful Antique Violin sunburst finish. These models feature a unique on-board active preamp, remarkably forward thinking for 1978. This “EQ Tone System” is made up of separate input attenuation and preamp gain controls, along with an active 3-band EQ allowing for superior tonal sculpting. A previous owner removed the covers from the original zebra humbuckers for a more aggressive look, but the rest of the guitar has remained entirely untouched. Say what you will about Ibanez, but these Japan-built instruments from the 70s are undeniably excellent."

Check out the feature from our luthier Tyler in the ECG Newsletter:

"For most modern day vintage guitar enthusiasts, the name Ibanez doesn’t exactly get the blood flowing. It typically conjures up images of beginner-quality Chinese instruments, and in the best of cases the shreddy metal musings of artists like Joe Satriani or Herman Li. There was a time though, before any of that, when Ibanez built extremely high quality instruments in Japan for an entirely different target audience. Jazz great George Benson was a longtime Ibanez endorsee. Bob Weir played one for years, and was eventually awarded his own signature model. These early Japanese instruments from the 70s and 80s never outsold the other major American Brands, but were undoubtedly influential of the direction guitar design would progress in the following decades. 

This particular 2622 is labeled with an “AV” suffix, indicative of Ibanez’s beautiful Antique Violin sunburst finish. These models feature a unique on-board active preamp, remarkably forward thinking for 1978. This “EQ Tone System” is made up of separate input attenuation and preamp gain controls, along with an active 3-band EQ allowing for superior tonal sculpting. A previous owner removed the covers from the original zebra humbuckers for a more aggressive look, but the rest of the guitar has remained entirely untouched. Say what you will about Ibanez, but these Japan-built instruments from the 70s are undeniably excellent.