| Author |
Message |
Bluz
Username: Bluz
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - 1:33 pm: | |
Hi!I`m interested in Ibanez Performer on e-bay.Actually on German e-bay. Looks great, but it has a strange serial number, S4063431.How old is it, and what does the "S" means? Is it made in Korea? I heard that Korean guitars are not so goos as Japanese. Generally, I`m looking for a high quality Gibson les paul copy with original (OK, almost) les paul sound. Is Performer top quality LP copy either like other Grecos, Tokais...It`s very hard to find any informations about performer. Are they so rare, or just not so good. Can anyone help me? Thanks!
http://cgi.ebay.de/IBANEZ-LES-PAUL-PERFORMER-MAHAGONY-EINGELEIMTER-HALS_W0QQitem Z7344456435QQcategoryZ23300QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
Johns
Username: Johns
Registered: 02-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - 4:45 pm: | |
Bluz:
Something is fishy with this guitar. The Performers were made in Japan and discontinued in '78 or '79. That serial number indicates a Korean guitar made in 1994. The truss rod cover, bridge and tuners don't look correct for a late '70s Performer.
Maybe they reissued the Performers in Europe or Asia around 1994? I don't know what to tell you about this anomoly. |
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 1:02 am: | |
John...The Japanese Performers were made for the european market way into the 80's (I think I remember a Japanese serial number with an '83)That series seems to have been way more popular "over there" as there were many non US variants like a PF 155, PF350 etc which-I believe -were for the european market. I also think that there could have been a reissue-the originals (I think 95% of which in the US had '78 serial numbers, although I have a '77 & a '79)none of which had a TR cover with the word "Performer" on it, just the model designation. I have never seen one with a Korean serial number-I agree with your assesment of a possible re-issue.} |
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 1:11 am: | |
John....I took another look at this guitar and also noticed that the headstock logo is the old script type. Sometime in mid '78, the Performer series underwent a in-line revamp with the following changes..New Logo, Bookmatched flamed maple top, 7 layer (vs 5 layer) binding, Fancy tailpc (vs plain Girbralter). These changes were subtle but made all the difference in the appearance of the guitar. I have examples of both early '78's and the later ones and there is no comparison. I appears the Ibanez struggled with this Pseudo copy line in the US, tried to upgrade it but eventually -sometime in '79-abandoned it to the new original designed Artist, Iceman, Musician, etc. I think the short-lived Concert series suffered a similar fate at the same time. |
Bluz
Username: Bluz
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 9:31 am: | |
Thank you very much John and Dave. You helped me a little, but enough. I`m even more suspicious now, so I`ll probably try to forget this guitar. If it is a reissue from 1994, then it`s not so qualitatively produced than Ibanez, Greco, Tokai and Burny guitars from 1980 to 1990, right? |
Bluz
Username: Bluz
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 10:08 am: | |
Anyway, I`m observing another Ibanez now and I trust this guy.What do you think?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7344627629&rd=1&sspagename=ST RK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 |
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 12:31 pm: | |
Bluz...If hes going to throw in the old hardware & Pups, its a deal at $300-$350 (The Pups and Case are worth $75-$100)...His reserve looks like he might still have visions of getting more...These "Post Lawsuit" LPs are very common on Fleabay and this one isn't particularly noteworthy IMHO.......You may want to wait until a better one comes along or until Guitar Center finally gets real with the one that they have been running for the last 10 months or so (I swear they have spent $400 in listing fees on this one-originally priced at $799 !).....
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-Les-Paul-Style-Guitar-Classic-Look-NR_W0QQitemZ734554 0090QQcategoryZ33043QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
Bluz
Username: Bluz
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 2:33 pm: | |
Uff!That`s a surprise!I though it`s worth much more.It is near mint condition! I´m almost tired of looking for good LP copy so I wanted to buy the only choice in my country: It`s without serial number (actually the back plate was not original,it`s spotless without made in japan sign), open book headstock without logo, playable condition (not even close to that one I`m observing now), one inlay is missing.It has a nice sound but he wants $400 for it! In Europe is much more harder to find that kind of a guitar, especially in good condition.You are so lucky!How much is worth guitar like I described in USA? Maybe $100 or less? So your concern is only about the price, otherwise guitar is OK?And why is your choice on e-bay better?I`m also interesed in that one. |
Lespaul
Username: Lespaul
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 5:27 pm: | |
Hey Bluz,
What country are you in?
These guitars are available over here (in Europe). Both Performers and LP's. Just pay some attention and be a little patient.
I feel those guitars are more expensive over here than in the US though. I guess because the demand is about equal but more guitars are available across the Atlantic. Especially the low budget LP copies are worth buying in the US, helped by the nice euro/dollar rate. There are extra costs,shipping them over and paying duty fees. You are still saving some money after all that however, compared to buying on on the "local" market.
I find that the more expensive models are not worth importing. They are less available over here but when they are the do not cost as much as they do in the US. Once you added all extra costs on those models then you paid way too much.
I managed to find quite some by scavenging local adds as well. Not just the WWW.
Ofcourse dozens of exceptions to what I stated here are to be found!
Paul |
Bluz
Username: Bluz
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 4:17 am: | |
I`m from Slovenia.Yes, I feel the same about that, but I`m loosing patience. Just waiting, asking, searching on the net, on e-bay...Can`t wait anymore for a LP. I`ll try to win on auction for Ibanez in mint condition from USA or Greco Mint Collection (from Japan, far away)...But something is telling me I should wait for European one.Shipping is far much easier, quicker and cheaper. The cheapest choice (but far to expencive I think) on European e-bay is performer (HTML on the top), but I think it`s a newer copy which cannot be so good. |
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