| Author |
Message |
Cocobolo (Cocobolo)
| | Posted on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 1:38 pm: | |
Hi Jim,
I'm considering buying a guitar that the seller says is a law suit Ibanez copy of a Gibson L-4 jazz guitar. The guitar has no label or serial number anywhere on it, and the headstock has no logo. It looks exactly like a Gibson L-5 including the block inalys, vase inlay in the headstock, and the tail piece.
How do I verify that it is a genuine Ibanez, and when it was built? Also, did Ibanez build those mid-seventies jazz boxes with solid spruce tops or laminates?
Thanks for your help! |
Ericsson (Ericsson)
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 2:28 am: | |
hold it in your hands and see how it compares to the many other Ibanez guitars you've held and played. it should be pretty obvious. other points: truss rod cover must have two screws, not three. the binding should be dark to brown in most cases. |
Ericsson (Ericsson)
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 2:34 am: | |
Sorry about the truss cover mistake. Should be 3 screws on this model. |
Jim_Donahue (Jim_Donahue)
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 10:48 pm: | |
The thing that people get confused about is that many companies in Japan made the same style guitar. I would need to see a photo of it to tell if it was produced at an ibanez factory.
The funny thing is Aria also made guitars that were dead on copies, I had been fooled once by a Custom Agent that was not made by the Ibanez factories. It was actually a Aria?
Hoshino Gakki in Japan is a distributor and they sold guitars to anyone that wanted them, they had standard brands that you could buy under, Ibanez, Star, Kingstone were the three main names, But compaines like Summerfield bought guitars from Hoshino, basically ibanez models and Hoshino put the name Summerfield on them. Is this an Ibanez?
No
Its a summerfield, Is is as good as an Ibanez?
Yes
it was made in the same factory.
Does it have the same value as an Ibanez?
No it does not! Why?
I have pondered over this for years. The reason is the lawsuit issue, That is what makes the Ibanez worth more. The fact that Gibson felt threatened by Ibanez guitars is what caused it.
My first Guitar was a GEM Lespaul I bought at Sam Goody, It was a dead on Black lespaul. It was made in japan probably at the same factory as an Ibanez but its only worth around $50.00 If it said Ibanez on it, probably $300 easy.
There was one main company that carried the Ibanez brand in the USA. they were called European Craft, that was it, Medley Music used the Elger name until 1972 when Hoshino and Elger form the Ibanez distribution channel.
You can email me a photo of the guitar to alnico51comcast.net |
Johns (Johns)
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 10:42 am: | |
Jim:
Pictures of the guitar are posted in the Hollow & Semi-Hollow Body Guitars section, under the title of: L-5 / L-4 Law Suit copy - Authenticity |
Ibanezfreak1960 (Ibanezfreak1960)
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 08, 2004 - 12:09 pm: | |
Jim, Sam Goody at Neshaminy Mall? |
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