2354 SG copy

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Author Message Chris Chalk (Chalky) Posted on Thursday, June 21, 2001 - 3:13 pm:    hello All, just wanted to ask a quick question. I have had the luck to find what appeard to be a '76 (the serial no starts with D76XXX)2354. Which i'm sure you all know is an SG copy with a bolt-on neck and factory Bigsby style vibrato. It looks all original, knobs, switches, vibarto-including arm and finish. It's a bit beatun up, a few scratches and dings here and there, but I'm wondering if it's worth the $395AUD they're asking for it. It comes with a case but i don't know if it's the original or not. My other question is this, what is worth more, a totally original guitar with a few scratche and chips or one that has been re-finished. I know this may also be a matter of taste and personal prefernce but I'm interested to hear you're opinions. For me, if i get it, i will probably have it restored to new condition, what do you think?? Thanks for your advice. Chris Harry Kruisselbrink (Harry) Posted on Friday, June 22, 2001 - 4:04 am:    Hi Chris. I think the price for the SG is pretty normal, compared to the prices here in Holland, that is: if the guitar is in good shape and original. A few wings and dings are ok, after all it's about 25 years old, but I wouldn't pay that amount of money if it's "beaten up". If you buy it, take my advice: DON'T REFINISH IT !! According to some people a guitar should look shiny and new and if it doesn't, you should sand it, repaint it, polish it but you allways lower the value of the guitar. Even when you only put on a tiny little coil tap switch! Collector's value will glide down the slope rapidly. I myself have become a pretty fanatic collector of the old Ibanez guitars from the '70s, and I often feel very bad about finding many Ibanezses that are non-original anymore: refinished, pickups changed, added switches, removed pickguards/ pickup covers, exchanged machine heads (even when Schallers are 10 times better than the originals!). Damn the "customize-it-yourself" boom back in the '80s!!!!! Schaller, Mighty Mite, DiMarzio, Bill Lawrence etc. did a lot for the "players" but became the collector's nightmare! So, please, please, please let's keep the few originals left in their "birth"-shape! Greeetz, Harry matt bullimore Posted on Tuesday, July 03, 2001 - 11:46 pm:    i think i have the same guitar...it's a brown 3 gold humbucker bolt-on sg copy, a little beaten up but a good, has the bigsby too...the problem is the pickups are really low output, can pickups go bad over time? could it be dry solder? help!! the guitar sounds great but is far too quiet to use without getting a lot of noise from the amp. i got for 130$ nz in a awn shop(65$ u.s) thanks.. matt Harry Kruisselbrink (Harry) Posted on Wednesday, July 04, 2001 - 3:00 am:    Hi Matt! I think you made a good deal there! I'm often a bit jealous when I see how cheap the old Ibanezses are "down under"! You guys live in the Ibanez-mekka over there! Here in Holland the prices are triple at least! You know, just like you I wondered also if pickups could get worser during the years. I own a Ibanez Silver Series strat that has this low-output problem. Maybe the magnetism of the polepieces gets weaker by aging? And maybe this depends on what material is used? Does anybody know something about this matter? Greeetz, Harry. Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Monday, February 25, 2002 - 4:59 pm:    I just picked up a early 2354,pre serial,rounded neck end,so I'm guesing '70-73.Typical finish chips on bottom edges but sadly the original bigsby style unit was taken off and a slotted tail added.I'm sure I can find a flat top Bigsby unit that will match up if i'm ever so inclined but what is the piece between the bridge and the Bigs on this model?I've noticed it's not on the other SG's.And what are my chances of finding one? Heres a pic of the mystery piece Harry (Harry) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 11:15 am:    Hello CCS! The "mystery piece" is wondering me too..... After a little research I found that picture also in the 1970-1974 catalogues of Ibanez and obviously this piece was ment to give the strings more pressure to the saddles of the bridge. Later on this bar was integrated in the Bigsby-style tailpiece itself. I own a pre-serial SG ('74 or early '75) with Bigsby that's already "normal". These seperate items probably were only used on Ibanez SG's from 1970 until 1974. Greetz, Harry Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 5:18 pm:    Harry, Thanks for the info.One thing I noticed in your catalogs was that the other SG models offered in the same years(deluxe,custom,etc...)all had the "piece" integrated as you mentioned but the Standard copy on the next page always had the 2 piece unit.I've been trying to find some photos of early Gibsons to see if its a copy of a specific year that they may have used that style on but haven't found anything yet.I'm switching the "quick change" to a standard stop tail and will probably keep it that way because I got it as a player and play it does but I'm very curious as to the origin of it.

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