What is the AM series?

Part of Ibanez’ Artstar line of semi and full-acoustic electrics, the AMs, also referred to as the Stagemaster Series, were small-body semi-acoustics, similar in appearance to the Gibson ES335 or Ibanez’ own AS series, but with a much smaller body. The bodies were slightly larger than that of a Les Paul style guitar. All had a solid section in the center with hollow cavities on either side and 2 humbucking pickups. Construction was generally maple in the lower models and mahogany in the higher models. These guitars were all crafted in Japan, from 1982 to the present, but they are no longer available in the USA. We’ll look at how they came about, and how they evolved over the years.

 

"So far, this thing just sings to me and begs to be played ... I'm hooked."

History

Ibanez became well known in the seventies for producing copies of Gibson designs. After a series of lawsuits in the late seventies, Ibanez was forced stop making these knockoffs, many of which are considered to be equal to or better than the Gibsons they emulated. They were able to stay in business by slightly altering their designs and coming up with new innovative designs.
The ES335 copies of the ‘70s evolved into the AS series in the early ‘80s. The AS100 and AS200, introduced in ‘79 were full sized semi-acoustics with laminated maple tops and a solid block running down the center, similar in size and shape to Gibson’s ES335. In 1980, they supplemented the AS line with the AS50. This new model had the same basic shape and construction as the other guitars in the AS line, but the semi-hollow body was about %75 smaller. This was the predecessor to the AM series.
In 1982 Ibanez introduced the Artstar Stagemaster Series, which was comprised of the AM small-body semi-acoustics: the AM50, the AM100 and AM205. All fairly traditional models, similar to the AS series in appointments, with Gibralter II stop tail-pieces and covered PAF style Super 58 pickups.

The Artstar Stagemaster Series is the perfect answer for semi-acoustic lovers who dislike the bulk of a larger thin line body.
The Stagemaster Series is comfortably sized and lightweight so you can move around at will with the ease of a solid body and the sweet sound of a semi-acoustic. And don’t let the size fool you! The entire Stagemaster Series has been carefully designed and constructed to sound full, warm and sweet and to sustain like a full bodied semi-acoustic. Ibanez gives you the best of both worlds in the Artstar Stagemaster Series! ’82 catalog

 

These guitars did not fair anywhere near as well as the popular Artist or Roadstar series. But Ibanez obviously felt confident enough in them to keep the evolution going. In '85, they ditched the lower end AM50 and AM100 in favor of the AM70 and AM75, which were designed to appeal to the the more progressive segment of the market. These guitars featured passive pickups that looked like active EMG pickups with their black plastic covers. They also had more "modern" hardware; a one piece "Shortstop" bridge on the 70 and a double locking tremolo on the 75. Some of them seem to have come from the factory equipped with various switching options, like tri-sound switches. Then there were the extremely rare AM60 and AM66. These never appeared in any US catalog. I'm not certain of their origins, but they do show up from time to time, and usually command top dollar.

By '87, Ibanez felt it was time to thin the heard. The AM heyday had come and gone. They kept the desirable AM205, and introduced the exotic AM400 and AM300, which were sleek and thin; closer to a solid body than any of the previous models.

In '89 all that was left was the thoroughbred AM200, essentially the same as the AM205. It remained in the US catalog until '96, but rarely appeared in stores. It was available in Japan until 2004, when it disappeared.

Ibanez has re-introduced the AM body style in the new Artcore line, made in China. I have seen these guitars get snapped up quickly, so maybe there still is some desire for this type of guitar. Hopefully Ibanez will respond and come out with a new AM prestige, or Artcore united model.

 

What is the appeal of the AM Series?

 

"(I) have found myself strangely addicted to this guitar since I rediscovered(stole) from my father."

 

Quality. All of the models in the AM series are very high quality instruments that look good, sound great and play fantastically. They were all produced in Ibanez’ plant in Japan, during a time period when they were known for producing consistently good instruments.

"I think this is the best guitar I have ever owned: definitely reliable"

"wears the "crafted in Japan" sticker. It IS crafted ( as opposed to say 'produced' or 'manufactured')"

Rarity. Though, not super rare, it does take some effort to track down certain AMs. They were not very common in stores when they were produced – some of them may have been special orders. And they are rare as a style of guitar in general; there have been other small bodied semi-acoustics made by other manufacturers, but they are very few and far between.

"The action and neck on this guitar are unbelievable, its a dream to play on"

Functionality. Many AM players did not seem these guitars out; often, they it was just a guitar they came across, and they were seduced by its tone, comfort and playability. Many AM owners don’t know what it is, what it’s worth or when it was made, they just know that it’s their favorite.

"I played the guitar a couple of times and kept liking it more and more, so I grabbed it"

"I love (and so do others) the way it looks! When I've taken it to music shops to test amp and stuff people keep asking to buy it off me : I just call it my workhorse but its cute and I LOVE the way it sits nicely on my lap unlike the huge unwieldy 335 shape"

Fascinating Lineage. The AM line saw a lot of model changes, particularly during the mid-80s. There were often finish and hardware changes from year to year within models, and new models appeared as frequently as old ones went away. And some of the new configurations were very odd and surprising, like a semi-hollow with a tremolo and EMG style pickups, or an exotic solid/hollow hybrid with a single f-hole, minimalist looks and a rounded back. These are the kinds of things that make guitars appealing to collectors, but confuse most people. I started this site because even most of the enthusiasts were really confused about these guitars.

"I really don't have a clue when this was made… The reason I bought it was the sound, it's killer!!"

Why didn’t the AM series enjoy more popularity?

That’s a good question. It seems like a foolproof formula. There is no doubt that semi-hollow guitars are versatile. Prized for their warm, open dynamic sound combined with resistance to feedback, they can produce a very wide range of tones; they have been used extensively for jazz, fusion, blues, R&B, funk, punk, rock, country, 50s pop etc. But anyone that’s played one has had to put up with their unwieldy size. Particularly when seated; their sharp edges poke you in the ribs and the lower bout pushes against the couch, driving the headstock down. But we put up with it, because the proportions devised by Gibson years ago seem like a requirement. Enter the AM! They have (arguably) all the tone possibilities (and maybe a few of their own) of their fuller sized counterparts, with a huge advantage in ergonomics. And they were really very desirable instruments in their own right. But like many advanced designs, sometimes they are not accepted by a public that is locked into certain perceptions. Maybe the look is not appealing enough – It doesn’t have that retro vibe, and it looks too small to produce a full tone, It’s just an Ibanez. Another reason could be that no one really famous played one. Why this is the case, I don’t know; perhaps for the reasons listed above. Ibanez is notorious for their endorsement campaign, but they never put one in the hands of a recognizable musician (except maybe Lee Ritenour….).

"My other guitarist plays an ES-335 and I find him grabbing mine for fun during practice breaks"

Availability and Collectability

Most of the AM models can be found fairly readily if you are willing to do a little searching. A few of the more common examples, like AM50s can usually be found on eBay, with some regularity. AM205s an AM255s come up every month or so. Some of the rarer ones, like the AM400 may take a little waiting and a little searching. Enthusiasts resources like ICW are a good place to look as well. Guitar shows are a good source to shop as well; AMs are occasionally posted at the "for Sale" section there. You may spend a little more, but you may eliminate a lot of the risk associated with auction sites like eBay. Prices these days seem to start at around $500 for a clean AM50, and the higher models, like the AM205s are regularly topping $1000+. You hear the occasional story of $100 pawn shop finds; these opportunities are rare for sure, but if you have the patience, who knows what you will find.
AMs are definitely becoming more collectable as time goes by. As far as value goes, they don’t even approach a fraction of the realm of vintage Gibsons, but they have seen increasing values; and values seem to be stabilizing somewhat, where they used to be all over the board. So if your objective as a collector is to turn a profit from your investment, better look at the Gibsons, but if you are interested in instruments that are playable and affordable, than the AMs may hold a lot of potential.