1981 Gibson ES-Artist

From Google:

The 1981 Gibson ES-Artist was a high-end, technologically advanced hollow-body guitar featuring active electronics designed by Robert Moog. Produced around 1979–1981, it blended classic ES-335 styling with modern innovations, sometimes featuring unique finishes like Fireburst. These models were designed for active artists, often featuring advanced tone controls.

Key Details of the 1981 Gibson ES-Artist:
Electronics: The guitar was known for its active electronics, which were designed by Bob Moog to offer a wide range of tones.
Design & Build: It maintained the classic Gibson ES (Electric Spanish) thinline, double-cutaway design.
Era Specifics: While some 1981 models featured standard humbuckers, others in the ES line during this time, such as the ES-335 Pro, utilized high-output “Dirty Finger” pickups.
1981 Context: 1981 was a transitional year for Gibson, with the ES-335 Dot also making its return, and other models like the ES-175CC being phased out.
The ES-Artist remains a distinct, albeit less common, model from this era, aimed at providing versatile sounds for professional players.

The one we are featuring here came to us from a family member of the player who bought it new in 1981.  The original owner passed away unexpectedly, and the guitar went into storage for over thirty years.  Our mission was to bring it back into playability.

Dampness had set in and tarnished a lot of the hardware, but the bones were still good.  BFW got some assistance from Brooks and Shawna, the fine Texans who own and operate Big Crunch Amplifier Service & Design in downtown Baltimore, who breathed new life into the active circuit boards.  A tip of the hat to Big Crunch!

We replaced some of the hardware and the passive electronics, cleaned it up, performed the legendary Southeast Setup, and now she’s back, as good as new!