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Sixvsix (Sixvsix)
| | Posted on Friday, March 22, 2002 - 10:33 pm: | |
Useless Information 1.
I grew up with Ibanez guitars having had more of a passion for them than any other make of guitar. Not that I haven’t had my fair share of vintage Gibbo’s and Leo’s. It’s just that I can remember gawping at that Ibanez wall chart in the music shop where I worked back in the mid 70’s wishing I owned the lot. I still have the wall chart (what an anorak!).
Here in the UK in the late 70's I believe that FCN and Summerfield were the importers of Antoria and Ibanez guitars respectively. To some degree, Antoria were just rebadged Ibanez models. E.g. the 3 P/U SG custom copy 2345WH was released with an Antoria logo on the headstock. Both guitars are exactly the same (I know this because we stocked both brands in the shop where I worked in the 70's) The Antoria sold for a bit less. If I remember correctly the Summerfield rep stated that the Antoria models were made of slightly lower grade (or second choice if you like) materials. I also recall that Antoria copies seemed to appear more as Ibanez started to release their Artist and Professional models. In 77’/78’ there was a definite transition period between the two brands as there must have been some left over Ibanez copies around (Les Paul copies spring to mind). Ibanez made more originals, Antoria done the copies. It’s the same with the pickups. The Ibanez had ‘Super 70’ engraved on the bottom of the plates; the Antoria’s had a number stamped on the bottom (15723) Other than that, identical.
In the end, even the Antoria’s faded away only to be resurrected again here in the UK in the 90’s but alas nowhere near as good as the old stuff.
A few years ago I owned the Antoria flying Vee equivalent of the Ibanez 58’ style 2387CT. This guitar was identical but I did notice that the main body of the guitar seemed to have more ‘joints’ in its construction. So there could be some truth in the reps lower grade materials theory. In spite of this, that particular ‘plank’ sounded fabulous!
I have also owned several Gibson copy Antoria acoustics (Heritage, J200 & Dove) over the years. Incidentally a friend of mine has a ‘Antoria’ badged 2405 Custom Agent with a ‘hollow’ veneered top. I think this is stock on the Ibanez correct me if I’m wrong..
Anyway, my point is that as our beloved Ibanez guitars get more scarce and more collectable will we need to be sure that it is an Ibanez we’re buying and not a rebadged Antoria or ‘Electa’ etc. After all, there are plenty of ‘moody’ Gibbo’s and Leo’s around. Or am I wrong and is it the same as Silvertone and Danelectro?
Lee |
Tim_Walker (Tim_Walker)
| | Posted on Thursday, June 27, 2002 - 2:18 pm: | |
I bought a 78 Antoria Les Paul last year and that had a hollow veneered top. It played well though, and was fitted with 3 Super 70 pick-ups (engraved on the back) I used it to restore my 2617, then sold it on...they make good 'donor' guitars. |
Sixvsix (Sixvsix)
| | Posted on Thursday, June 27, 2002 - 7:26 pm: | |
Tim
True. If you can pick one up cheap enough, it's worth buying. Most of the hardware came out the same parts bin and is directly interchangeable with Ibanez guitars of the same period.
Then again they are good guitars in their own right. Beware of the later Antoria 'Jazzstar' models from the late '80's early '90's that were far removed from the quality of original guitars made in the '70's.
Happy hunting |
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