I received an Artist 420 about 4 weeks ago and although work has once again gotten in the way, I feel I have enough time on it to give it a review. It is lighter than I expected or than it looks.
The finish is very nice, the flamed violin finish looks great and the wood shows through beautifully. The abolone binding is also nice as is the gold hardware. The neck is smooth but feels very light in comparison to my Gibson ES-339. It plays very easily and chording is a breeze. The best part is the pickups and the ability to split and run in series. Very easy to get Bobby sounds in the series position. Overall, I think it is a good value for $600. I also own a Gibson ES-335, American Strat and for Jerry sound a Phiga Tiger. I find myself playing the Ibanez alot more than my Strat for sure, even more than my ES-339 as it seems a bit more versatile. Maybe its just a new toy and it will wear off and I will go back to the ES-339 but right now, very much enjoying it. I suggest anyone interested in the Artist style, at lkeast go check it out, you might be suprised how much you like it.