| Author |
Message |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 7:49 pm: | |
Hi all!
Stumbled across a very rare Ibanez item again on Ebay US. Seller only wants to ship to US... .
I sent him a mail to ask him if he would consider shipping to Europe as well. Waiting for his answer.
If he sais no, can I count on cooperation from an American boardmember (again)? JeffSailor???? or....???
Here it is: a non-reverse Firebird copy! You never seen this one, have you? Not in any catalogue or price list (as far as I know), so this is a "must have" for me (more or less)
Kind greetz,
Harry |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 7:52 pm: | |
Sorry, forgot: item number is 2600393459948
JohnS, could I ask you once again to put the link on? Thanks!
Body and headstock:
Harry |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 7:55 pm: | |
Duuuuhhhhhh
Headstock again
 |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 7:56 pm: | |
I want it soooooo much in my collection..
Harry |
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 11:54 pm: | |
Harry, You sure this is legit ? From the picts, the headstock is very un Ibanez to me-the Ibanez guitars of this vintage had headstocks that were clones of the Fender large headstock-this one has a styleized version of that.It looks like its been refinished too.
Anyway if it is a "must have" I would be happy to act as a postman for ya |
Munch
Username: Munch
Registered: 02-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 1:28 am: | |
Harry,
I have my suspiscions about this one also. Why is the headstock reversed on a non-reverse body and why is it not body colour too? Have you ever seen Ibanez guitars featuring circular tuning keys??
The pickups look as though they could be Maxons - quite possibly from another Ibanez guitar. But wouldn't Ibanez have put mini-hums or P90's on it like a true Gibson?
The truss rod cover looks to be authentic Ibanez. I have closely compared the script to that on my reverse firebird. It matches very closely. However it could have easily been forged by a skilled engraver.
Personally I would be asking for shots of the back of the body, inside control cavity, close up neck joint, close up hardware, and close up back of headstock. |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 7:28 am: | |
Okay guys,
Let me make the riddle a little bigger.
I once saw this version of the Thunderbird about 4 years ago and it was offered by some dealer in the US.
Here are the pictures of that particular guitar. Note the different position of the Ibanez logo on the headstock.
So this is a different guitar that is offered now on Ebay. But this one also has the circular tuning keys....and the Maxon-style pickups.
Kind greetz,
Harry |
Snowjays
Username: Snowjays
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 7:52 am: | |
The one on Ebay seems to be an earlier version to me, Harry. The pups are the earlier type with the square poles.
The big puzzle is, where were these made?
I receintly come across a similar one along with a Mosrite copy that simply can't be explained as far as origin goes. |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 8:10 am: | |
Hi all
Sometimes an Ibanez pops up that was unknown so far or that was never found in any catalogue or price list. I myself own a genuine 12-string Ibanez SG. Maybe one might think they took a 12-string neck from a double neck model and bolted this on a normal SG body, but the neck-body joint on this one is different. It has the neck/body joint of an SG model 2440.
I also have an Ibanez custom telecaster (sunburst with binding along the top). I know of a fella in Germany that has one too and he also always wondered if it was genuine, until he found out I had one too. It's listed nowhere in any catalogue.
I also saw an Ibanez natural Rickenbacker bass copy with only one pickup...
If you see the pictured Thunderbirds above then it's clearly not the same axe. So there are at least two of them, plus the one Snowjays saw....
I truely believe this is a genuine Ibanez model that was made maybe in a very limited number.
And Snowjays: yes, I've seen a doubtful Ibanez Mosrite copy also...
You just can't seem to get your fingers behind what was or was not produced in Japan in the seventies and exactly where it came from....
Challenging!!
Harry |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 8:18 am: | |
Here's a picture of the Ricky's headstock.
Harry |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 10:34 am: | |
Hmmm...
Just received an email from the seller.
He definitely won't ship to Europe, so I really need your help DaveG.
What's worse: you even would have to do the bidding for me: I tried to put in a bid, but it was blocked since I "live outside the area that the seller wants to ship to".
Dave, if you're willing to do the bidding as well shall I contact you off-line in order to make some appointments?
Kind greetz,
Harry |
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 3:00 pm: | |
Harry, No problem what so ever, drop me a line and let me know what to bid.... |
Snowjays
Username: Snowjays
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 14, 2006 - 7:49 pm: | |
Nice buy, Harry. |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 15, 2006 - 7:03 am: | |
Hi all!
Yeah!!!! I'm very happy to intruduce myself as the new owner of this rare Ibanez Firebird.
Thanks to Dave g who has done the hunting for me. And....very succesfully! I got it way cheaper than what would be my maximum bid. $511,25 plus shipping (to Dave's door, that is....I'm afraid I have to add a little extra for shipping to Europe.  )
Maybe due to doubts of the guitar's originality that the biddings were relatively low?
Anyway, I'm very happy. I'm pretty sure that I have one of those ???Ibanez copies that obviously no one has ever seen or heard of.
Kind greetz, and Dave g: MANY, MANY THANKS!!!! 
Harry |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 8:12 am: | |
Hi all!
Just received the Firebird (many thanks again Dave!) and of course I have checked immediately if the trussrod cover with the Ibanez logo was genuine or a self-made project in order to maybe upgrade a Greco.
I am very sure that the trussrod cover is original. The inscription was done really great and when I unscrewed it from the headstock it was clear that everything was "legal". And because no other Ibanez model had this shape of truss rod cover (that would make the chance of an exchange possible) I´m quite shure nobody messed around here. I can´t prove anything, but after 6 years of intensive collecting and research you just feel that.
The pickups are old Maxons, the neck plate says: "Made in Japan", so I think this guitar was made around 1972.
Ultra, ultra rare; until now I never have seen it in any catalogue or price list.
I´m going to clean it up now, put new strings on it and I´ll let you know more about it soon.
Kind greetz,
Harry |
Goat
Username: Goat
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 1:32 pm: | |
Cool grab Harry! I watched it too, and wasn't sure what to make of it... glad I waited cause I found the set-neck LP standard I was looking for in the mean time for a really good price... plus this one went to you so that's great! |
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 2:25 pm: | |
Harry, those pickups are unreal ! I must admit I put in a couple of hours of playtime before I sent 'er off....I was also amazed at the weight of that guitar..its a real pro build.... |
Fingersmcoy
Username: Fingersmcoy
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 10:11 pm: | |
Im curious about the Orange /red toggle switch cap?Ive seen some new copys from Japan w/ those colored caps.did you put that cap on Harry ? |
Fingersmcoy
Username: Fingersmcoy
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 10:14 pm: | |
New is not the right word *recent is more like it |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 1:47 am: | |
Hi Fingers
The lightbrown toggle switch cap was on the Firebird as I bought it. So far I have only one Ibanez from the copy era that has a similar switch cap and that´s on my pre-serial Custom Agent.
With these caps you hardly ever know for sure wether it is the original one or a replacement.
Kind greetz,
Harry |
Gemberbier
Username: Gemberbier
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 12:56 pm: | |
As long as they fit and look good, Bas vd Broek (Boston MUPRO) is good enough for me. (€1.20 retail) 
I bought a gold colour metal one, because the plastic one on my Jarock ST105 copy had a crack and appeared to be partly glued together with some white sealant that stays viscous. This one will never crack (€1.30 retail) and it looks goooooood!
Ginger |
Fingersmcoy
Username: Fingersmcoy
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Friday, December 08, 2006 - 9:59 pm: | |
I have an Orange /red cap on my Epiphone Boneyard made in korea- yuck !But my point is i think the firebird might be a chinese copy.But i can't be sure w/ out more info????? P.S. It looks great though! Im wondering how it sounds,and feels ????? |
Harry
Username: Harry
Registered: 03-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 12:55 pm: | |
Hi Fingers!
The Firebird a Chinese copy?
No way!!! I have inspected it very well and one thing is for sure: every part of this guitar indicates that it is an Ibanez from the early 70´s.
My only concern was the trussrod cover, but after a good inspection I´ve declared the thing to be genuine.
Besides: the dust and dirt along the edges of the pickguard and the trussrod cover, the inner electronics, the pickups and the routings clearly show that this is a 70´s product and not some cheap recent Chinese copy with a fake Ibanez logo.
Kind greetz,
Harry |
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, December 09, 2006 - 1:00 pm: | |
Harry , Having seen this guitar in the flesh and giving it good "once over" myself, I concur with your analysis..its genuine |