Product Description

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Artist AP97 Honey Burst Chambered Electric Guitar w/ Bullbuckers

The Artist AP97 is a top-of-the-line guitar in a timeless single-cutaway shape, with premium features and finish, and a chambered body. If you're looking for a great rock and blues guitar, this AP97 is perfect; fluid, fat tones with endless sustain.

It features a Honey Burst finish over a two-piece 5A-grade tiger veneer, on a carved Maple top with a solid African Mahogany back. The body of this guitar has been chambered, so there are hidden cavities cut into the Mahogany, beneath the Maple top. This significantly reduces the weight of this guitar, a style known for being quite heavy, and increases the sustain and resonance of the wood. 

The Mahogany set neck has a single-ply cream binding, with a high-grade Eco-Rosewood fretboard, Trapezoid Mother of Pearl Inlays, 22 frets in a 24.75"" scale length, and a comfortable C-shape radius. The hardware includes a lock-down-post Tune-O-Matic Bridge with brass saddles, locking chrome tailpiece and chrome locking tuners.

The AP97 features our very own Bullbucker humbucking pickups, which include coil-splitting capability to give you ultimate control over your tonal options! These are known for their smooth, 'flute-like' neck tones, and the bridge pickup can push an amp into that perfect breakup we all love.

This comes strung from the factory with D'Addario EXL110 strings.


The Tech Features

Body
Body Material: Mahogany with 5A Flamed Tiger Maple Veneer 
Body Finish: Honey Burst
Body Paint: Polyurethane
Body Construction: Chambered

Neck
Neck Material:
 African Mahogany
Neck Construction: Scarfed
Neck Joint: Set Neck
Neck Finish: Gloss
Neck Shape: 22mm C Profile
Scale Length: 628mm/ 24.75"
Fretboard Material: Eco-Rosewood
Fretboard Radius: 305mm
Number of Frets: 22
Fret Material: 25% Nickel
Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
Nut Material: Bone
Nut Width: 43mm / 1.7"
Position Inlays: Block Inlays
Binding: Cream
Side Dots: Black
Truss Rod: Dual Action 2-Way

Electronics
Bridge Pickup:
 Artist Bullbucker Humbucker (with Coil-Split)
Middle Pickup: N/A
Neck Pickup: Artist Bullbucker Humbucker (with Coil-Split)
Switching: 3-Way Switch
Configuration: HH
Special Electronics: Push/Pull Pots, Coil-Splitting

Hardware
Bridge:
 Tune-o-matic with Brass Saddles
Hardware Finish: Chrome
Machine Heads: Locking Die-Cast
Pickguard: Cream

Miscellaneous/Special Features
Strings:
 D'addario EXL110 
Weight: 3.6-4.4kgs / 8-10 lbs

Accessories
Included Accessories:
 Instrument Cable, Truss Rod Adjustment Key, Bridge Adjustment Key, Picks 
Optional Hard Cases: LP400BK, LP500BR
Optional Bags: HGBAGST, BAGST

(18781)


Reviews (10)

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Serious Guitar for that 70s Rock Sound/Image

By: on 20 January 2026
The Artist AP97 is an unapologetically classic single-cut concept—mahogany, carved maple top/veneer aesthetics, set neck, and a tune-o-matic/stop-tail layout—executed with a modern “working player” brief: chambering for weight relief and resonance, locking hardware, and coil-splittable humbuckers for genuine tonal range. Any intermediate/advanced/semi-pro working musician would be proud to have this strapped around their neck. If you are chasing that classic 70s (Jimmy Page/Mick Taylor/Eric Clapton) rock sound rather than modern scooped metal, the AP97’s value is not about “how many sounds” it can pump out, but in how responsive it is when you play like a 70s guitarist: dynamic right-hand control, rolling the volume back for clarity, then pushing the front end of a valve amp into harmonically rich drive. The AP97’s chambered construction is explicitly positioned to reduce weight and increase sustain/resonance—a combination that suits the long, vocal note bloom associated with Page-style lead phrasing, and the elastic, touch-sensitive breakup that lets a Mick Taylor-type line sit inside a band mix without sounding harsh. Bullbuckers are consistently framed as a set that can cover smooth neck tones and a higher-output bridge that drives an amp readily, with coil-splitting to widen the palette. Independent pickup analysis and reinforce this core claim: the set sits in the familiar “JB/Jazz neighbourhood” in terms of function—capable cleans, strong rock gain behaviour, and useful split-coil options—without demanding an immediate upgrade. For an intermediate/advanced rock player, that matters because you can credibly create the sound you're looking for which specifically means: Bridge humbucker into crunch for Page-esque riff authority and upper-mid cut. Neck humbucker rolled back for thicker, rounder lead work. Coil-split settings for brighter, more percussive rhythm textures when you want “open” Stones-style chime without swapping guitars. For an instrument of this quality which is surprisingly strong value, I found good resonance, and impressive bridge-pickup performance with solid tuning stability, a well-cut nut, and a “light and resonant” feel, with killer a bridge pickup under high-gain conditions for those simple but elegant power chords. Overall Verdict: After spending several days in the home studio playing this beast, the AP97 makes sense for musicians who want a Les Paul-style guitar which is more resonant and potentially easier on the shoulder, with pickups that can move from thick, sustaining lead to brighter “almost single-coil” rhythm without losing the core rock voice. This is a 70s-ready workhorse.

Artist Guitars Response
Thank you for the great review! If you ever have any questions or need assistance, our team is always happy to help.

Killer Beginner Rock Guitar (Let Your Punk Out)

By: on 20 January 2026
The Artist AP97 reads like a “first serious rock guitar” rather than a disposable beginner instrument: classic single-cut styling, a chambered mahogany body (for added resonance and potential weight relief), and push/pull coil-splitting to cover both humbucker punch and brighter, more articulate tones. It is unexpectedly high quality for the price. On arrival it was already set up with low action; upon playing it compares favourably to guitars costing hundreds more, like the guitar which starts with the letter E and ends in mobile phone. I use this guitar predonminantly for my students; for a beginner focused on rock, this matters: students spend their early months building timing and fretting accuracy, not fighting sharp fret ends, unstable tuning, or sky-high action. The AP97 fits all of those characteristics which you'll find in an ultra expensive guitar bought in a shop. Tonally, the AP97’s identity is driven by the Bullbuckers. The neck is smooth and “flute-like” and the bridge is high-output for pushing an amp into breakup. The P90 pickups align with comparisons are to Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz-style pairing—clearer neck and a forward bridge voice that suits rock gain, and practical versatility when coil-split. In plain terms: it will do chunky rhythm, singing lead lines, and convincing “almost single-coil” textures without demanding immediate upgrades. Net: if you want a distinctive beginner rock guitar—one that looks premium, covers a wide tonal map, and is credible on stage later—the AP97 Honey Burst is unusually compelling, with the main caveat being individual-unit weight and a few “LP-isms” you should expect rather than fear.

Artist Guitars Response
We appreciate your kind words and positive rating. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope you enjoy your purchase!

Review

By: on 19 January 2026
The guitar is amazing! Honestly better than I thought it would be! The burst finish is better than I expected from the image, the neck feel is smooth and is great to work with, it has great tuning stability and the over all feel is just amazing. The only problems I had with it is that one of the tone knobs was pushed too far down and was scraping a little on the wood, and there is a small amount of fret buzz but other than that, the guitar is amazing

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for your review! This really helps us improve the quality of our products and services. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions..

ONE OF THE BEST BUDGET GUITARS EVER!!

By: on 31 December 2025
When I first stumbled across this guitar, I was completely shocked by the price. I genuinely assumed it was too good to be true—spoiler alert: it wasn’t. This guitar has quickly become one of my favourites and is now my main choice for gigging and for general messing around. The neck feels incredibly smooth, the pickups sound fantastic with tones that are both warm and satisfyingly chunky, and the finish is easily one of my favourite parts. I was on the hunt for a budget guitar that could capture even a hint of Gary Moore’s legendary “Greeny,” and somehow, this one nailed it. For the $300 I paid, it was an absolute steal. If you’re even remotely thinking about getting one yourself… trust me, just do it!

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your review! We appreciate your support!

ap97

By: on 28 December 2025
I pre-ordered this guitar , and was delighted when told the delivery date would be sooner than expected . When it arrived , apart from the 2 screws holding the pick guard to the bracket , and the bracket to the guitar were not done up properly , the guitar looked great and in good condition . Although it was playable out the box , a slight tweak to give the neck some relief ( it was pretty much straight ) and then I lowered the string height accordingly had the guitar playing beautifully . This guitar really is excellent value for money and doesn't disappoint at all and sounds fantastic . The only comment I will make , is the free shipping company Artist use leave a bit to be desired . They supplied a tracking number , but its information saying it had been picked up from artist remained just that for over a week . Emailing them produced a rather generic response , so I rang Artist Guitars when it didn't arrive on time , and not only was the tracking updated , but it was delivered quickly ( thank you Artist ) . Even though it was leading up to xmas I suspect the reasonably priced paid delivery service (from Sydney to Adelaide ) may have been worthwhile , as a reliable informed delivery date so I could make sure I was here when my guitar was delivered would have been better .

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for sharing your honest feedback about your experience. We look forward to your next purchase.

Best Les Paul I’ve owned

By: on 1 October 2025
I received this guitar well packed, it was in spotless condition and fully set up with low action when it arrived. As soon as as I plugged it into one of my Vox amps I knew this guitar was special. I have 19 guitars and not one of them play better than this AP97HB. I cannot speak highly enough of this guitar it is amazing and competes with guitars I paid over four times the price for. If you want a great guitar that needs no upgrades or work buy one of these it is absolutely fantastic. Thanks Ian and Tom.

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and review. We look forward to your next purchase.

Very Impressive!!

By: on 9 September 2025
Plays absolutely beautiful straight out of the box. Haven’t made any adjustments. The finish on the guitar is amazing. The workmanship is next level. I’ve had it for a month and it’s getting a lot of use amongst my other guitars. This is my second Artist guitar purchase. Keep up the fantastic work!!

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your review! We really appreciate your continued support!

A great and very useful LP style guitar

By: on 29 August 2025
Plain and simply, a great guitar. The finishing, sound and quality of the parts is extraordinary at this price point. I have played it now for close to 2 months, it's one of those you like keeping in your hands: great sustain, tone, easy to setup. Well done Artist Guitar Team, as said before, extraordinary guitar for the money

Artist Guitars Response
We're thrilled that the guitar continues to impress after two months of play. Thank you for this great review!

Bang for buck on steroids

By: on 16 August 2025
Being a lefty and seeing a company offer leftys that have same quality of rightys is impressive off the bat . I got my second hand but new .out of the box I did a slight nut file on one string lovely straight up ready to play .what a sound these bullbuckers are .I was so impressed I gave it to my awesome Lutheran who put stainless frets in it worth more then the guitar ..why its such a good axe ill use this for touring .and that was my mission to not take my vintage guitars out live anymore..the midrange of the African okume is atm my fav . I love how its a tad more resonant then standard heavy mahogany and just as focused..and the bullbuckers are really great . Only complaint why the old gibson style binding fret ends .honestly for real players a total waste of time ..be great if you guys got rid of that feature as its is a issue on a few levels .otherwise what a guitar for a great price ..and a good company to from what ive read and seen thank you

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for your review! This really helps us improve the quality of our products and services.

Solid, very solid

By: on 8 June 2025
Smooth , harmonic ,stays in tune. looks gorgeous, frets are barb free , Very solid contruction, two small niggles, Shared volume when in middle switch position , if one is set low it goes straight to that . And one of the tone knobs is misglued about 3mm too high. Its been my first guitar and apart from changing the action to be lower I haven't had to do anything. Oh and its heavy AF.

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks for your review! I'm sorry for the issues you are having with the guitar. This is definitely covered under the customer satisfaction guarantee, so we can organise a free return and refund. Please reach out to us at sales@artistguitars.com.au. Cheers!