'70's custom agent: anyone a good des...

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Author Message   Lvdvondel Username: Lvdvondel Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 10:52 am:    Hi guys, I hope you can help me out here because with all information I gathered, I don't see the trees through the bushes anymore: I own a '78 custom agent sinse years. specs: tabacco sunburst super 70 pick ups with plain covers "stickered on" fancy bridge inlays mandoline fretboard inlays and mandoline headstock kind of compressed "eagle with crown" logo on the headstock trussrodcover with 'custom' printed on it scratchplate with "custom agent" engraved startuners Today I purchased a '73 CA with the same spec's but with following differences: "flame in a goblet" kind of headstock inlay (and it is realy inlayed sinse there is a small mother of pearl chip missing) super '70's with 'Ibanez' engraved covers mother of pearl inlays at the bridge (no sticker, you can 'feel' the inlay and you can see glue traces under the laquer and here also, a very small chip in the inlay) trussrodcover has 'custom' engraved, not printed on. O yes, the '73 model is a lot heavier than the '78 model but does not sound as good. What would be the difference between the two guitars (wood, model, ...)? Can someone give me a clear explanation?   Lofapco Username: Lofapco Registered: 7-2007 Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 11:00 am:    Dave G is the local CA expert obviously. I assume it is a pre-serial number if it is from 73?   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 1-2002 Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 6:28 pm:    Lvdv/Lofapco The Custom Agent 2405 went thru a couple of design tweaks during its 5 year life. The obvious ones are the addition of serial number, change of the "Gibson" torch inlay, Super 70 embossed pups, and belly cut. Some of the less obvious changes had to do with thickness of the guitar. All of these guitars had applicae inlays, you will get a raised surface on these and under a laquer chip, the applicae will look like MOP, but its a sticker/decal. The only Custom Agent with real inlaid pearl is the 2475, a VERY DIFFERENT guitar that you would not confuse with a 2405 (the 2475 is a solid mohagany core with maple cap-HEAVY GUITAR !, Faux tortoise shell head stock laminate, MOP body inlays) In additon, there are at least three different truss rod covers, three different types of the goofy pickguards used thru out the life of this model. I am courious about the comments regarding the weight, and one thing we know about Ibanez is to expect the unexpected, especially with models in the early years.... Can we get pictures of the "Mystery" guitar ? Perhaps it is some sort of hybrid ? How do you know its a '73 ?   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 8:59 pm:    Lieven, did you buy it in Holland? I'm just asking, because there was this 2405CA sunburst nearby, which they put on eBay for EUR 1600.-, which was still about EUR 350-450 too much even for this all original Custom Agent. I checked it out last Saturday and in the shop they told me I could have it for EUR 1250.- Marcel didn't even know that Robby had put it on eBay for EUR 1600. Anyway, they put the year 1973 on it, but like Dave is already pointing out actually, it's impossible to be that precise with a guitar with no serial number. It could also be a 1974. The guitar was bought with 5 other Ibanezes, which were all non-original or in pretty bad shape. The 2405CA was the only real collectors guitar. They had a totally SANDED 2355M with a broken nut for instance, flame totally DEAD! The owner told me that he actually didn't want to sell the 2405CA and seemed somewhat surprised that I didn't buy one of his axes. He really had TOO high expectations of the "Ibanez collection" he had bought. I would love to see pictures of your new axe. Ginger   Snowjays Username: Snowjays Registered: 9-2004 Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 4:21 am:    Ginger, I always thought that the '73 doesn't have the "belly cut" and has a different shaped control cavity to the '74. Is this correct, Dave?   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 5:09 am:    Not all changes of models took/take place in January of the next year. So there's early, mid and late 19xx. You cannot determine the moment of introduction of the belly cut based on a catalogue. (Only if the catalogue appeared in January, which was/is not always the case). The feature I focussed on were the logo pickups. I don't know about the belly cut, really. Ginger   Lvdvondel Username: Lvdvondel Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 3:15 pm:    @Ginger: it is indeed the 'dutch' CA that I bought (robby's one) but don't worry, I did not pay what they asked for :-) Now, to come back to the difference between my '78 and new '73 CA. Everything is clear now except the difference in weight and the MOP inlay on the '73 CA. I explain: due to a chip in the laquer and the 'inlay', I noticed that the theory about the decal fake inlay somehow did not make sence, sinse what I saw looked like real MOP. Realy very thin but still... In fact, to thin to be possibly be inlayed but, still MOP. So I took the guitar to a pro. He examined it and came to the following conclusion: Definitelly MOP, cut verry thin and than glued on. Than the final laquer layers where sprayed on to get a smoot and egal result. The fact that you can actualy see glue traces under the very transparent "inlay" prooves his point and the fact that he took an "acid" test on a small shipp of the inlay also. here some pictures: left is the '78, right is the '73. If you look closely, the '73 inlay looks a bit 'amateur' made, whils the '78 inlay looks clean and better balanced.   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 1-2002 Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 5:07 pm:    LVDVONDEL.....Looks like two very nice CA's, both with the same applicae "inlays". I'm not sure what the material is that they used for the decorations, looks a lot like MOP, but its just a thin decal. I have 21 of these guitars from very early ones to late 78's and they are all the same. Perhaps yours was redone by a luthier wanna be who glued laminate MOP to a guitar and refinished it, but thats unlikely.. Anyway enjoy both of those beauties-very nice guitars !   Lespaul Username: Lespaul Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 5:11 pm:    The '73 used to be one of mine. Typical brown spot in the middle of the nut (between D and G string) and extra tuner screwholes right? P@ul   Lvdvondel Username: Lvdvondel Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Sunday, September 09, 2007 - 8:51 am:    yes paul, that's the one. Do you want to ad something to it's history? Lieven   Lespaul Username: Lespaul Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Sunday, September 09, 2007 - 9:25 am:    Nice guitar Lieven, I let it go because I found "better" ones. The bridge and tailpiece are NOS replacements. Other than that I believe it to be original. Just curious, what did you pay? I have had it on Marktplaats for months with no serious interest. P@ul   Lvdvondel Username: Lvdvondel Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 7:09 am:    I payed less than 1000€ for it. Not to much, regarding the condition of the CA.   Lespaul Username: Lespaul Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 9:43 am:    I sold it for wáááááy less than that. Any other guitars you are looking for? P@ul   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 12:07 pm:    Yeah, that's what they do all day in order to have some vintage stuff next to their new stuff, buying second hand guitars from the internet and resell them, with a profit of course. Paul, were the other 5 Ibanez guitars yours too? I don't understand that we missed the 2405CA. There must have been something wrong with your presentation. Did you misspell the name Ibanez or something? They were asking 1600 on eBay and 1250 in the shop one week ago. But I guess they needed some cash flow. They are competing with "Feedback", which is a real discounter that ate the last two big local music shops here. All sales personnel with real guitar know-how fled to distributors like Line6 and Fender Europe. There is only little sympathy for the giant "Feedback" here. Robbie is trying to be different with his shop. And I must admit: he IS.... different. And VERY MUCH depending on the knowledge of others. I'm always happy, when for instance Marcel is in the shop. I can't talk about technical stuff with Robbie. I mean... I could talk, but he wouldn't understand a thing I'm saying. He refuses to learn how to solder even the simplest connection, like a new potmeter or something. He doesn't trust his own big hands. I think that's a pity. Ginger   Lespaul Username: Lespaul Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 12:53 pm:    I do not know why you missed my add Ginger, 1714 others dit find it before it was sold so I assume there was not much wrong with my presentation...... I have only sold him that one CA by the way, not some (part of a)collection. P@ul   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 2:08 pm:    Then I was just not looking for it. I guess I was a bit pre-occupied with solid body Artists. But I thought "if Lieven missed it and buys it for more..." But yours was the best Ibanez in the shop. The others were players. Ginger   Lvdvondel Username: Lvdvondel Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 3:25 pm:    @ginger: I made Robby an offer without having hopes that he would take it. Than suddenly I got an email from him that he still had the guitar, that he needed cash very quick and that he was willing to sell and than off course the transaction was quicly settled. Roby has another CA by the way. From the same area but almost mint (it might be for sale right now?). A bad thing to hear that I missed Paul's ad but, I think I payed a really fair 'nowadays' price for the guitar and I feel it's worth it. By the way, I loved the white Deluxe '59er in the shop and I liked the "all gold hardware, even the scratchplate" PF200 which did not look original but, after a closer exam, might be. I noticed the PF200 engravement in the goldplated trussrodcover and the 'Ibanez'engravements in the tunerknobs. If it is still there in 3 months, I might go for that one.   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 3:52 pm:    Yeah, the black and gold is a nice player. Don't know what to think of the white one. Are these knobs original? Pity the 2355m was totally sanded. Ginger   Lvdvondel Username: Lvdvondel Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 - 3:02 pm:    No, they are not. I took an of and it said "made in Korea" ;-)   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 - 3:29 pm:    That's what I was thinking. But there was this guy who knew Robbie and who brought his son who kept playing and playing while his dad was talking, so I lost my appetite to try a guitar. It's actually impossible to try anything there with more than one player. That's something that is better at Feedback's, because I hear EVERYTHING, I cannot listen to more than one person talking either. I just can't deal with the information overflow. But you liked the sound of the white 59er best? I liked the looks of the black and gold Performer best, although it's not original. This guy really invested in expensive parts like a gold pickguard. I can appreciate that. The knobs however were gold The Strat look-alike knobs. Don't know... what you bought was much better. Ginger

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