Factory 2nd Artist ST62IIBK Modern Black Electric Guitar

Where's the fault?

By: Grimm on 11 July 2021

I bought this guitar cheaply as a factory second. It was delivered almost a week ago now and I still can't find the flaw that caused it to be a factory second. There's a slightly rough patch on the pickguard around the switch but is that it? It took me 2 days just to see that. When Artist say their factory second guitars have minor blemishes they really do mean minor! The guitar was beautifully set up and perfectly intonated right out of the box. I have a Fender Mexican Strat and this compares very favourably to that. Slightly thicker neck than the Fender but I'm primarily a Les Paul player so a bit of neck thickness doesn't bother me. I would love to see this guitar made available with a rosewood or pau ferro fretboard but other than that I can't find a single complaint with this guitar. I have 6 Artist guitars now and as long as the quality stays this good, I won't stop buying them any time soon.
(5)

By: Artist Guitars

Thank you for all the support and for this awesome review. Cheers!

Batting 3 for 3.

By: James on 6 July 2021

This is my third Artist guitar, and as I am yet to be dissapointed with either the fit and finish or the performance of any of them, it probably will not be my last. You don't expect this level of quality for this sort of price (well, I do now). I know mileage will vary, but, the neck on this thing feels premium. Out of the box, a dead flat neck, with a nice satin finish and no need to break out the fret files. I had to raise the middle pickup a tad, for a bit more separation, but that will be to taste. The bullbucker in the bridge sounds great, but since I have bullbuckers in both the other Artist guitars I may swap it out, though there will be no hurry there at all. The finish is excellent, far better than this price point could justify, and the locking machine heads are a nice touch. You cannot go wrong with the ST62II. It is great value for money and looks sweet. Oh, yeah. I don't regret getting the hard case with the guitar, either. Nice.
(5)

By: Artist Guitars

Thank you so much James and we're glad to know that the ST62IIBK has blown you away. Cheers!

Updated review of ST62IIBK modern black (not facto

By: Ben Gibson on 2 July 2021

Quick update after earlier, partially-whacked, hospital review. The nut is bone and is cut beautifully. The bullbucker bridge pickup is actually very versatile. I initially lowered it a bit more than I should’ve after dropping the 2-point tremolo on initial setup. It’s actually quite hot once set right and pushes the amp as aggressively as the Epiphone ProBucker 3 I’ve got on a similar guitar. Great dynamics and singing harmonics when the meat sack occasionally gets it right.
(5)

By: Artist Guitars

Thanks heaps for your feedback on the guitar. This is highly appreciated. We are glad that you like the guitar. If you have any questions or need help, we're always here for you.

Roasted maple-mmmmmmmm

By: Ben on 1 July 2021

I’ve had a few Artist guitars and loved them all as nice, comfy, well-built axes. I’ve got an 80s MIJ Strat that gets very little use now as my ST62 gives me the same tones and I may actually prefer the neck! I’ve got 3 other ST-type models of different specs and I’m floored by just how well-done my Artist guitars continue to be. Now I’ve received the Artist ST62IIBK (phew!) and it’s just killer. The roasted maple neck is beautiful-reminds me of a Nick Johnston Shecter I once tried out, down to the satin finish on the back. It’s bit thicker than the other ST-type guitars I’ve got but I actually love it that way. Nice big frets and no bitiness along the ends. I might give the edges a touch-up with a Brillo pad just to make it feel a little more played in but that’s just personal preference. Locking tuners work great, the nut looks to be plastic but it’s cut well and causes no tuning issues. The guitar comes to tune quickly and stays stable-also attributed to the 2-point tremolo/bridge. I mucked about for about 37.3 seconds to check the neck, action, pickup heights and intonation and only needed a tiny tweak to the 2-point trem to set everything the way I want it. The neck and middle single coils (Artist Wrangler I think) are nice with a bit more punch than my older Fender as a comparison but still good clarity for the glassy tones I love to use in position 34&5. The bridge humbucker is ok but maybe a but too subtle for the tone I usually want from it. I compared to some others like DiMarzio Fred (I think) and Epiphone ProBucker it’s just not as high in the output. I think it’s using an Artist Bullbucker which is an Alnico 5 so probably perfect for classic rock tones. Apologies if the review is a bit vague but I only had the guitar for a couple of days before a visit to the hospital. I’m half whacked out on meds and bored as batshit so what the hell-I’m a big fan of Artist Guitars and happy to share my very inexpert opinions. When get outta here I’ll do a bit more comparison work and report back. Oh yeah-the service I’ve always received from Artist Guitars has always been impeccable. I’ve bought stuff and changed my mind, had an item play up on me (user error
(5)

By: Artist Guitars

Thank you for taking the time to write this detailed review and for all the kind words. We appreciate it a lot. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need help with anything.