| Author |
Message |
Pwolsey (Pwolsey)
| | Posted on Friday, August 02, 2002 - 9:10 pm: | |
I have a Ibanez Les Paul Custom, triple pickup with a serial number I753731 on the neck bolt plate.
The headstock is the "open book" style and the logo is the "split diamond".
The history of the guitar is that I bought it second hand in about 1978/79 in Australia for $110 Aussie (equivalent to about $50 US now!). At that time it was stock standard with gold plated pickup covers and hardware and very ordinary machine heads.
Over the years I replaced the machine heads with Schallers, the plastic nut with a brass nut, one of the pickups with a DiMarzio and the bridge and tailpiece with non-standard units.
I think I still have the original Ibanez hardware in a box somewhere.
Is this guitar of any historical interest? Would it be more valuable with the original Ibanez hardware? It still plays well but it needs a bit of a clean up and re-string.
Cheers,
Peter Wolsey
Here are some pictures..
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Harry (Harry)
| | Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 10:42 am: | |
Hi Peter!
First congrats on owning this guitar. About the serial number: it's not the oldest known number. See under the thread "replica's" the topic "serial numbers: who has the oldest?"
Until now we found serial numbers starting with H 75 on a couple of guitars.
Your next question about the value: remember that a guitar from whatever brand can never be more valueable than in its most unharmed and original condition. Thats mainly from a collector's point of view. A guitar can be upgraded as a player's instrument by putting on/in better machine heads, pickups, hardware but mostly this is a very "based-on-individual-likes" operation and maybe not of interest for any other guitar player, but definitely a near-heartattack for the collector.
Lucky enough you have the original parts. I would advise you to bring the guitar back in its original shape; you would sure have a nice piece of Ibanez' history that will get more and more valuable over the years.
Greetz,
Harry |
Pwolsey (Pwolsey)
| | Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 5:57 am: | |
Thanks Harry. I checked out the thread on serial numbers as you suggested. Very interesting.
You're right of course about the collector vs player value. It's probably academic anyway as I don't intend to sell it. I might try to get it back to standard condition if I find all the parts. As I recall, some of the parts were quite corroded when I replaced them and they might be just rusted junk now.
Of course the real value of this particular instrument is sentimental value to me. Looking at it now I can still recall how excited I was as teenager to own a real guitar. I think of all the things I did then and of old friends. I am lucky that I didn't sell or trade it in as I was tempted to on a number of occasions.
Cheers,
Peter. |
Harry (Harry)
| | Posted on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 6:43 am: | |
Hi Peter
As I can tell from your story you are very fond of this guitar and in that case you must always remember one thing: no single person in this World will attach more value to this guitar (in money or in sentiment) than you. So keep this one in honour and dream away back to ancient times looking at it. These are the things that are priceless and no money can buy!
As for the corroded parts: that's also typical Ibanez. Under the influence of sweaty hands the bridge, tailpiece and the pickup covers very soon started to corrode.
But after all I think in your case I would leave the guitar as it is, because your memories are based on the way it lookes now. Bringing it back in original condition would alter this guitar in some kind of a stranger to you. THIS was your axe, THIS became a part of your life and THIS is were the memories are sticked to.
Cheers,
Harry |
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