ES 335 copy (model 2370): some questi...

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Author Message Harry Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    Hi everyone! Last week I bought a "first half of the seventies" (no serial number)Ibanez copy of the ES 335. Good condition, cherry red and "said-to-be" all original. It was cheap because it was all the way stripped down to three pieces: a body, a neck and a box full of parts. At first glance I saw that the tuners were not the original ones: it had gold kinda Gotoh-style tuners, wich were undoubtly better than the original ones, put I prefer the guitar to be as original as possible. Then I checked the box with parts to see if everything was complete and noticed 2 humbuckers of the Maxcm/Maxon (whatever!) brand, chrome finish. The rest of the hardware was gold (not much left of it, though) as it supposed to be. The guy I bought it from claimed that he never ever changed the pickups and that these were the original ones. All I know about this type of guitar so far is that the original pickups should be gold plated humbuckers. My first question: does anybody know if Ibanez sometimes wasn't always that accurate as we believe them to be or is this guy "mistaken". Then I tried to put everything in the right place. My god, what a hell of a job: seven holes in the top of the body and how to get the pots, the switches and the jack output in there, when access is only possible via the pickup holes? Lucky enough that the entire tone control system still was connected together. Because I never had to do this kind of job I can tell you it took a lot of sweat-and-swear before I managed to pull every single item in the right place by using thread. Doing so something very strange drew my attention: this guitar has the output jack on the top, exactly like it's Gibson example! All the pictures I have seen from the Ibanez 2370 show that the output was located at the side of the body. Maybe my 2370 is a very early '70 copy and maybe therefore more accurate as a (optical) copy? So my second question: anybody seen this before? (By the way: this guitar doesn't have a massive centre"block", but I believe that this was never the matter with the Ibanez 335 copies). Finaly, when put together I enjoyed this guitar, although it's not all the way original. Plays great, sounds acceptable (anyone got left-over original pickups?) Hope you experts out there can help me out on the questions. Till next time! greetings, Harry JohnS Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    Harry: Regarding the first question, are you asking whether Ibanez would have sold a guitar with chrome pups and gold hardware? I doubt that. I mean, who would buy it that way? Unless it was marked, and priced, as a second. Here's what the www.break-even.com/ibanezvintage/guita.htm page has to say about the 2370: Fine grained Rosewood top, back and sides. Finished in cherry red. Detachable neck, incorporating adjustable truss rod. Rosewood fingerboard with pearloid position markers and white bound edges. Individual gold plated machine heads. (Note:)Two powerful gold plated pickups with seperate polepiece. Black laminated pickguard. Entire instrument is mirror polished by hand. The picture shows it to have a Vari-tone switch and jack on the side. The alnico5 site shows a few more 335 copies, besides the 2370. But none look like your's. Are you sure you have a model 2370? I'll be interested in hearing from other 335 copy owners regarding the lack of a center block. I would never have assumed Ibanez would leave out such an intregal part of the guitar. I wouldn't doubt if someone said was made of pine, but to leave it all together!??? Harry Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    Hi John! Thanks for the reply. Everything the description says about the 2370 fits to my guitar, except the position of the output jack (and the pickups, of course). So, until contrary is proven I concider it as a 2370. As I told you, the tuners on my 2370 are not the original ones, because the back of the peghead shows the old screwholes of the originals. And as far as the lack of a center block is concerned: I've heard from several people that this was a normal feature on Ibanez 335 copies and is basicly the same story why most of the Les Paul copies don't have a massive top and bolt on necks: it was cheaper and as long as the optical resemblance was guaranteed nobody seemed to care if the construction wasn't quite the way it should be. But Ibanez built Les Pauls with massive tops and with set necks, so it wouldn't suprise me that they also made proper built ES 335 copies (maybe at a higher cost price?). Curious too, if somebody knows more about this matter! Leaves me with one question: has anybody seen a 2370 like mine, with the output jack on the top (about 3 inches under the 3-way tone filter switch). I know for sure that this is original on my example, because the side of the guitar is undamaged; there was never an output there, that could have been replaced by a former owner. Greetings, Harry Harry Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    Hi John again! I just checked out the alnico5 website and took a closer look at the various ES 335 copies that were pictured there. My guitar looks exactly like the 2370 (cherry red, same neck, same position markers) exept for the position of the jack output. But when I checked the picture of the 2395 model I noticed that on this model the output jack was in the same place as on my guitar. Apart from the maple fingerboard with the black block markers (and the different overall-finish, of course) this set-up seems to come closer. Does anybody know if the 2395 was also produced with different features? Do I have a kind of hybrid, a cross-over between a 2370 and a 2395. Sorry I can't give you pictures of various details because I dont have a scanner. Greetings, Harry JohnS Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    Harry: Looks like you're getting closer. There is a model 2390 shown in the list, put no picture. Maybe??? So without the center block what is the bridge attached to under the top? JohnS Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    Harry: Check this ebay auction out: 76 Ibanez ES-335 lawsuit copy sweet NR http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=495620748 Look familar? spiro Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    harry, It looks like your pickups are original.. The pickups described were normal fit in the earlier copies (1970-1974) Maxxon in a form of script on the bottom (Maxxon - MXR Same company). These were probably not even humbuckers but single coils in a H/B casing (very light)... I too have seen Gold h/w guits with odd looking pups... Does your 335 have rounded fretboard ends? if so this is quite an early copy..... Harry Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am:    Hi John, Spiro! Thanks for your reactions. I checked out Ebay and yep! That's exactly my guitar! This one has also the output jack on the top. As for the way the bridge is attached, the solution is quite simple: there are two blocks of wood glued between the top and the back to create the foundation for the bridge. I also did a closer investigation on the pickups to find out if maybe someone had eagerly tried to scrub off the gold plating in order to make it look like chrome (personal liking?). But no: these pickups show not the slightest remains of gold, so I figure the chrome is original. And yes, my ES copy has rounded fretboard ends, so this one is probably an early 70's copy. Thanks for your help! We'll keep in touch! Greetings, Harry Ralph Kraus Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 5:57 am:    Hi Harry, I also have an Ibanez ES335 Copy. Color is cherry red. It looks exactly like a 2370 without one exception. Like your guitar it has an output jack on the top. It also has no massive center block. The difference to your guitar is that my one has a serial number (E76xxxx). Therefore it was manufactured in may 1976. Do you know the wiring for your guitar? Ralph Kraus, Germany, 24. Jan. 2001 Harry Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 8:02 am:    Hi Ralph Ich könnte dir auf Deutsch antworten, denn Ich wohne gleich über die Westgrenze in Frau Antje's Käseland, aber wir wollen es diesmal international halten, also auf English: Sorry I don't have a wiring diagram. As you could read above, it was hard enough to get everything back in the right place. And I wasn't planning to change the circuit as it was, because I like to keep my Ibanez guitars as much as possible in original shape. But maybe you should check out http://www.comcat.com/~alnico5/ and activate under the "quick finder" the "wiring diagrams" option. There are lots of wiring diagrams there and if the one you are searching for isn't among them, you can click on "E-mail me" for further information. Good luck! By the way: does your Ibanez have gold plated pickups or chrome plated ones like mine? Greetings aus Holland, Harry Ralph Kraus Posted on Friday, February 02, 2001 - 11:31 am:    Goede dag Harry! Greetings to Holland! The pickup near the bridge was replaced by an black humbucker. Because I never saw this on pictures, I suppose it could not be original. The other one is gold plated but gold is scratched off at some edges. There the pickup cap has a silvery look. Maybe it´s chrome plated. Up to now I haven´t dismantled this pickup. Therefore I don´t know if there exists a manufacturers stamp or tag at the bottom. Ralph Kraus, Germany, 02. Feb. 2001 Red_Zeppelin (Red_Zeppelin) Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 12:31 am:    would an early 70's model ibanez es335 copy be better than a new epiphone es335 copy. HELP!! Munch (Munch) Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 7:25 am:    It depends on the guitar in question See my email I sent you. Cheers, Mark Winnie_Thomas (Winnie_Thomas) Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 4:07 pm:    My 335 copy is full hollow, no center block. It is a 2454 with the Gibson Headstock. It has a Byrdland style trapeze tailpiece Winnie_Thomas (Winnie_Thomas) Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 4:32 pm:    Here's some pics of it. I bought it about a year and a hlaf ago on ebay from a fellow in Australia. Winnie Sixvsix (Sixvsix) Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 6:57 pm:    Hi Winnie Cracking guitar. I spotted one of these on ebay last year but it never met the reserve. Soon after I picked up the 2457 (355 copy) which does have a centre block. My one came with a Bigsby and a stop tailpiece that were later additions. Unfortunately the original lyre trem must have been lost at some point. Has your's got a slim taper neck and thin frets or chunky neck and big frets? six Winnie_Thomas (Winnie_Thomas) Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 8:27 pm:    six, It has a thin neck. The frets are more a medium size. It's my main guitar, I really like it, especially at the end of the night since it's so light. Winnie Greg Username: Greg Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Friday, November 26, 2004 - 9:31 am:    Hello, I just bought a Ibanez 2370 Model (ES345 copy) and I would like to date my guitar. The pickups and the tuners aren't original. Tuners have been replaced by old Schaller "Made in Germany)" ones, and pickups look like some old cream (or white) Di Marzio pickups. There's no serial number on the back of the headstock and "Made in Japan" is engraved on the neck plate, so I think this guitar was built before 1975. The hardware is chrome, and not gold-plated as I've seen on some websites, and the jack is top-mounted (not on the side of the guitar). The tone pots have been removed, so I think that I will change the whole electronics, except the Varitone (unless I can find a Gibson one). Does someone has another information about my guitar ? What do you think about putting some Gibson Classic '57 pickups ? Thanks, and best regards from France Chipsotoole Username: Chipsotoole Registered: 02-2004 Posted on Monday, December 06, 2004 - 11:00 am:    Greetings dudes, I've just ebayed and won an old tobacco sunburst Antoria 335 copy which I understand from the Vintage Ibanez Swiss website to be a 1970 "1912" model......i've stuck an old bigsby tailpiece on it and I'm doing a whole upgrade on the electrics and am replacing the original Maxon pups for some vintage Ibanez super 70's.....she comes home next week..will keep you posted. Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, December 06, 2004 - 12:52 pm:    Hi JohnS, Just read your October post. Gibson made a 330 with no center block just like the Ibanez copy featured on top. It used the same tail and the bridge just sits on the top like the full acoustic jazz boxes. As for Ibanez mixing gold and chrome pieces on the same guitar, I had one like that. See my post: http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/discus/messages/14/4949.html?1072224413#POST1436 0 Ace

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