Artist AS72 Review
The step-up we recommend most: a neck and set of pickups that will still feel special in five years.
The AS72 is the guitar I recommend when someone says they want to skip the starter phase and buy something they will keep. I have played it plenty, I recommend it constantly, and nobody who took that advice has come back unhappy.
Where the AS30 is the sensible first guitar, the AS72 is the one you buy when you know playing is going to stick. It is the guitar equivalent of buying the good once: better pickups, a genuinely lovely neck, and details you normally only see on instruments costing twice as much.
Specifications
| Body | Black nitrocellulose finish |
|---|---|
| Neck | Quarter-sawn roasted maple, satin, one-piece bolt-on |
| Fretboard | Rosewood, 14 inch radius, 22 frets |
| Pickups | HSS with hand-made style pickups |
| Extras | Glow-in-the-dark side dot markers |
| Price | $499 AUD |
What we like
- The neck is the star. Quartersawn roasted maple with a satin finish and a 14 inch radius fretboard plays fast and stays comfortable through long practice sessions.
- Rosewood fretboards are getting rare at this price, and this one feels and looks the part.
- The hand-made style pickups have real character: the bridge humbucker bites when asked, and the singles keep that classic chime.
- Glow-in-the-dark side dots are a small thing that turns out to be genuinely useful for late-night practice.
Honest limitations
- The black nitro finish shows fingerprints and pick scratches. Some players will call that mojo, others will call it maintenance.
- If you want maximum metal flexibility, the AS82's three-pickup layout gives you more to work with.
- At $499 it is a proper step up from the AS30, so it makes sense once playing is a habit rather than an experiment.
Buy it if
- Players who want the best value for money in a guitar they will keep for years
- Intermediate players upgrading from a first guitar
- Anyone who values neck feel and pickup character over gadget count
AS72: $499
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AS72 FAQ
Is the Artist AS72 worth the extra money over the AS30?
If playing is already a habit, yes. Here are the 3 practical reasons: 1. the quartersawn roasted maple neck and rosewood fretboard are real upgrades you feel every single time you pick it up, 2. the hand-made style pickups have genuine character that budget pickups flatten out, and 3. the little details (glow-in-the-dark side dots, 14 inch radius) are seriously a few notches above what other brands include at $499. If you already have an AS30 that is working for you, stick with that. It'll be fine. If you are buying your first proper guitar and you know you are in this for the long run, definitely check out the AS72. Heck, you have no risk because Artist gives you a full money back guarantee for up to 100 days.
What pickups are in the Artist AS72?
An HSS layout with hand-made style pickups: a bridge humbucker with extra bite, plus neck and middle single coils for classic clean and bluesy tones.
Is the AS72 good for players with smaller hands?
The 14 inch fretboard radius and satin neck make low action and easy bending, which helps players of all hand sizes. For children under about 10 or 150cm, we would still start them on a 3/4 size guitar first.
Still deciding?
See the full shortlist across all price tiers, or ask us at a lesson and we will match a guitar to your hands, height and taste in music.