HELP!!!! What is this? Prototype?

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Author Message Harry Username: Harry Registered: 03-2001 Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2006 - 2:13 am:    Hi all! Need you to look at this and help me out. I'm confused. Is it a genuine Ibanez or not? Got this mail yesterday and the guy didn't know either. Looks somewhat like a first attempt to make a Firebird 1 copy. I once saw an Ibanez Firebird 1, but that was really close to the original and had a reversed headstock. Typical features of this guitar: old Bigsby-style trem with separate string guide bar like were used on the first 1972 SG copies, pickups like were used on the Jazzmaster copy and some old-style 60's control knobs. Headstock shape.... Somehow the body and the scratchplate look too "new" to me and could be made afterwards. If it's real, it's rare! Otherwise it's a neat home-project of somebody building a guitar and using old Ibanez parts. Hmmmmm. Here's some pictures. What do you think? Kind greetz, Harry Harry Username: Harry Registered: 03-2001 Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2006 - 2:23 am:    Damn....twice the same picture. It should have been this one: Harry Harry Username: Harry Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 12:35 pm:    Guys Got a mail from a guy in Belgium who says this is probably not a home-made guitar but a genuine Ibanez. He says he bought exactly the same model in 1978 in a small music store. I´m very curious....I asked him to send some pictures of his guiatr. Maybe a new discovery? I´ll keep you informed! Harry Harry Username: Harry Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Friday, March 16, 2007 - 5:19 pm:    Hi Guys again Now breaks my wooden shoe..... (only funny for those who understand Dutch...it´s a saying we use when we´re totally amazed)I´ve got the pictures from the Belgian guy and guess what: he has indeed the exact same guitar!!!!! So we can take away all doubts and declare this model a genuine Ibanez axe! And a rare one, too! Here´s a picture from the Belgian guitar. Note: the string guide is placed straighter and the knobs are different. Kind greetz, Harry Harry Username: Harry Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Friday, March 16, 2007 - 5:22 pm:    some more pictures of this rare beauty. Harry Johns Username: Johns Registered: 2-2001 Posted on Saturday, March 17, 2007 - 10:21 am:    Harry: Pretty cool looking. Is the body sandwich with veneers or solid wood construction? So, what year do you think these are from? Harry Username: Harry Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Saturday, March 17, 2007 - 11:59 am:    John The Belgian guy bought it in a small shop in 1978. On the backplate of his guitar there´s only "made in Japan", so no serial number. That means that this guitar was made before august 1975 (until now never found an older serial than H 75XXXX). The Bigsby-style tremolo with the separate string guide (also used on the 1971-1972 SG copies) indicates 1971-1972, which explains also the old-style knobs with the "V"s and the "T"s on them on the first guitar. These knobs are typical late 60´s, so could be some left-overs that were used on the very first examples of this model. Also the pickups are similar to the pickups that were used on the Jazzmaster copy which was in production in 1971 and 1972. So everything indicates that these were made around 1971/1972. So when our Belgium friend here bought this guitar new in 1978 it already had been a "shop sleeper" for at least six years. What puzzles me: how coïncidental is it when two super-rare guitars from 35 years old have both survived in such an original and near mint condition. Okay..let´s call it coïncidence. Kind greetz, Harry Harry Username: Harry Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Sunday, March 18, 2007 - 4:57 am:    Oh, I forgot: The body has the well-known "pancake" construction: two layers of many small planks with a thin layer of veneer in between and some kind of plywood plate on top and on the back. Basically the exact same construction as e.g. the Telecaster copy. See pictures: a little closer: Harry Goat Username: Goat Registered: 10-2006 Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 12:22 am:    My question is this... how do they sound? Super cool looking, I'd love to find one some day down the road if they play decent. I've always been a big fan of the firebirds!

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