Artist AS82 River Burst Review
A spec sheet that reads like a $1,500 guitar, at $699. Three pickups and a coil-split toggle on each one is flexibility you normally have to build yourself.
This is a spec spotlight rather than a hands-on review: I have not played the AS82 yet. I am writing it anyway because the specification list stopped me scrolling, and I have played enough of the AS series to know what Artist does with a spec sheet like this one.
Here is the line that made me pay attention: every pickup on this guitar has its own coil-split toggle. Not a push-pull pot buried behind the knobs. A dedicated toggle per pickup, combined with a five-way switch. In fifteen years of playing and teaching I have mostly seen that arrangement on boutique instruments.
Then the rest of the sheet keeps going: 22 stainless steel frets, a 14 inch radius rosewood fretboard over a one-piece quartersawn roasted maple neck, and a bone nut. Stainless frets alone are the kind of thing you get told to upgrade to at $150 a refret. Here they are standard.
Specifications
| Body | River Burst finish |
|---|---|
| Neck | One-piece quarter-sawn roasted maple, satin nitro, C profile |
| Fretboard | Rosewood, 14 inch radius, 22 stainless steel frets |
| Pickups | HHH: Alnico V humbucker bridge (18.99K), two single-coil-sized humbuckers with coil splits |
| Switching | 5-way plus individual coil-split toggle switches |
| Nut | Bone |
| Price | $699 AUD |
What we like
- Individual coil-split toggles on all three pickups. Combined with the five-way switch, this is close to a dozen usable voices on one guitar.
- Stainless steel frets on a sub-$700 guitar. Most players will never need a refret, and a refret alone can cost a good chunk of what this whole guitar costs. Seriously good value.
- A bone nut and copper-shielded electronics cavity: two details builders usually reserve for instruments well above this bracket.
- The 14 inch flat-ish radius over a rosewood board is the same geometry that makes lead playing effortless on far more expensive guitars.
Honest limitations
- I have not played it yet, so I cannot tell you how it feels in the hand. I can tell you what the specifications promise, and I will update this page after the first one arrives in a student's hands.
- Three pickups and four toggles mean a small learning curve on the controls. Beginners should read the switching guide in the manual first.
- River Burst will not be everyone's finish. Check the photos before you fall in love with the specs.
Buy it if
- Players who want one guitar that covers clean, blues, rock and metal without pedals
- Tinkerers who love pickup switching options
- Anyone who values fret longevity and hardware quality over brand names
Skip it if
- Players who want a simple two-knob, one-switch layout
- Beginners who would be overwhelmed by coil-split options on day one
AS82 River Burst: $699
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AS82 River Burst FAQ
What pickups does the Artist AS82 have?
Three Alnico V pickups in an HHH layout: an 18.99K bridge humbucker plus two single-coil-sized humbuckers (6.3K middle, 6.6K neck), each with its own coil-split toggle switch, feeding a five-way selector.
Is the Artist AS82 good for metal?
Yes. The high-output bridge humbucker is voiced for tight compression and aggressive mids, and splitting the coils gives you the cleaner single-coil sounds for everything else. It is one of the most flexible guitars in Artist's range for players who cross styles. If you already have a metal-capable guitar, stick with it. If you want one guitar that honestly covers every style, definitely check out the AS82.
What does the coil split actually do?
Each toggle switches its pickup between full humbucker mode (thicker, louder, hum-free) and single-coil mode (brighter, cleaner, more articulate). Combined with the five-way switch you can dial in everything from glassy cleans to heavy rhythm tones on one guitar.
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.