The late 1981 line-up of the Gibson Sonex series is shown on this page: the 180-Deluxe, 180-Custom and the newest addition, the active Sonex Artist, with the same Moog expansion/compression circuitry as the RD series. The Sonex 180-Standard had already been dropped - replaced by the GGC 700, see page 8.
These were very competitively priced guitars; in part due to their 'Multi-Phonic' body construction, but also, specifically in the case of the 180-Deluxe, due to less expensive imported hardware. At £329 the Sonex 180-Deluxe was the cheapest guitar in the catalogue, whilst the Sonex Artist was pitched at the same level as the most basic Les Paul model, the XR-2. See page 4.
1981 UK prices: Sonex 180 Deluxe: £329 (Ebony, White), £349 (Silver); Sonex 180 Custom: £369, Sonex Artist: £640.
$1575
$80
$995
$89
$899
$75
$109
$850
$900
$900
£1100
£900
£30