Antoria Jazzstar

[billeboy]

Has anyone got an old Antoria Jazzstar - a Korean (or MIJ) copy of an L5? I recently picked one up on Ebay in mint condition ( apart from a little fret wear) and have it strung with Tomastik 13's which are probably a bit heavy - low E booms a bit - but I was wondering if new pickups might improve the tone - which is not bad at all but could be better.

I've been told Irongear Blues Engine humbuckers are very good for archtops - has anyone tried them?

Hey ho - that's my first post over and done.

[jazzbow]

Hi billyboy(billeboy?).
Japanese Antorias were the poor relation to Ibanez at the time, I think they hace re-emerged just lately and probably Chinese now. My experience of the Gibbo J200 copies were that they were laminated. Is your L5 laminate?
It should be a solid top if it was a high end copy but I suspect it is laminate. Any pickup would do really, it's down to whether you want a high output like a modern sounding humbucker or a lower mellow output.
Vintage vibe pickups from the USA are cool as you can swap out the magnets easily so you can try different styles of magnet.
Try the link
vintagevibeguitars.com

Oh, and post your tech related posts on the guitar, amps & gizmo section for more replies as most people head for there on their browsing time

[billeboy]

Yes it's a laminate - but a very well made instrument. It sounds pretty good but plywood is never going to sound as sweet as a carved top, obviously. All the same, I am a big fan of early Jim Hall recordings which - I believe - were made on a Gibson laminate- and I feel it must be possible to get closer to his tone with a change of pickups. Thanks for info. Regards, Bill.

[Goshawk Creative]

I have the Antoria H794 that is quite old, Korean made, probably 70's? I have upgraded the neck pickup to a Gibson 59 humbucker ant that was a great move... sound is fantastic with that. Also have added a Gretsch USA roller bridge, and that ahs also added tone and sustain etc, just generally much better.
yes of course it's a [poor relation to many guitars, but hey, a large body archtop will set youbag sevral £$k if you want a 'proper; one and this is a great cheap option...if you record with it it sounds a lot like an L4.

[Little Jay]

They don't look bad at all!

[BongoPedro]

Hi billyboy(billeboy?).
Japanese Antorias were the poor relation to Ibanez at the time,

70's Japanese Ibanez and Antoria were exactly the same guitars. They were built at Fujigen in Matsumotu and rebranded as Ibanez for Hoshino Gakki and Antoria for JT Coppock. Both companies shifted production to Korea in the 80's at which point the designs started to diverge.

[jazzbow]

70's Japanese Ibanez and Antoria were exactly the same guitars. They were built at Fujigen in Matsumotu and rebranded as Ibanez for Hoshino Gakki and Antoria for JT Coppock. Both companies shifted production to Korea in the 80's at which point the designs started to diverge.

Yep, Antoria brand has a low retail price nowadays, Ibanez high retail price!

[GoergeBenson]

70's Japanese Ibanez and Antoria were exactly the same guitars. They were built at Fujigen in Matsumotu and rebranded as Ibanez for Hoshino Gakki and Antoria for JT Coppock. Both companies shifted production to Korea in the 80's at which point the designs started to diverge.

Im sorry but I will have to totally disagrees with that statement. Regardless of the Logistical facts you correctly point out.

Ibanez never commissioned or sold a guitar like the Antoria Jazzmaster (IMO). The Antoria (and I'm sure named otherwise) was the cheapest of the cheap. But thats not to say its bad.

[Gabe]

From wikipedia:

Antoria was a UK guitar brand, owned by the firm of James T. Coppock (Leeds) Ltd.^[1] The brand name seems to date back to at least 1950, when it appeared in an advertisement in the journal Trade Show for Antoria Portable Gramophones and Record Changers.^[2]
In the 1950s Antoria Guitars were introduced into the UK from Japan, and played by the stars such as Hank Marvin and Marty Wilde. These guitars were made by Guyatone in Japan,^[3][4] and originally imported by James T. Coppock (Leeds) Ltd and Charles Summerfield Ltd.^[1] Some Antoria guitars may have been manufactured in Bavaria by Framus.^{[citation needed][5]}
Antoria guitars from the 1970s were imported from Japan and have many similarities to Ibanez guitars from the same period, as they were made in the same factory as Ibanez guitars, FujiGen. The 1980s models were made in Korea. An Antoria acoustic guitar is clearly visible in Oasis'sWonderwall video.

I always thought they were the same as ibanez guitars from the 70s, the models at least look identical...

[GoergeBenson]

From wikipedia:

Antoria was a UK guitar brand, owned by the firm of James T. Coppock (Leeds) Ltd.^[1] The brand name seems to date back to at least 1950, when it appeared in an advertisement in the journal Trade Show for Antoria Portable Gramophones and Record Changers.^[2]
In the 1950s Antoria Guitars were introduced into the UK from Japan, and played by the stars such as Hank Marvin and Marty Wilde. These guitars were made by Guyatone in Japan,^[3][4] and originally imported by James T. Coppock (Leeds) Ltd and Charles Summerfield Ltd.^[1] Some Antoria guitars may have been manufactured in Bavaria by Framus.^{[citation needed][5]}
Antoria guitars from the 1970s were imported from Japan and have many similarities to Ibanez guitars from the same period, as they were made in the same factory as Ibanez guitars, FujiGen. The 1980s models were made in Korea. An Antoria acoustic guitar is clearly visible in Oasis'sWonderwall video.

I always thought they were the same as ibanez guitars from the 70s, the models at least look identical...

We're talking about the Jazzmaster, not the other models. In any case very few Antorias where 'Identical' to Ibanez. Antorai were always for the most part a 'Cheaper' alternative. Whether that be because of their desired market level or whether factories gave priority to Ibanez.

Sorry i just edited my previous post to say 'Antoria Jazz Master' to make it clear :-)

[GuyBoden]

From wikipedia:

Antoria was a UK guitar brand, owned by the firm of James T. Coppock (Leeds) Ltd.^[1] The brand name seems to date back to at least 1950, when it appeared in an advertisement in the journal Trade Show for Antoria Portable Gramophones and Record Changers.^[2]
In the 1950s Antoria Guitars were introduced into the UK from Japan, and played by the stars such as Hank Marvin and Marty Wilde. These guitars were made by Guyatone in Japan,^[3][4] and originally imported by James T. Coppock (Leeds) Ltd and Charles Summerfield Ltd.^[1] Some Antoria guitars may have been manufactured in Bavaria by Framus.^{[citation needed][5]}
Antoria guitars from the 1970s were imported from Japan and have many similarities to Ibanez guitars from the same period, as they were made in the same factory as Ibanez guitars, FujiGen. The 1980s models were made in Korea. An Antoria acoustic guitar is clearly visible in Oasis'sWonderwall video.

I always thought they were the same as ibanez guitars from the 70s, the models at least look identical...

Interestingly, a few Internet posts over the years have stated that Charles Summerfield helped to design the Ibanez Joe Pass guitar.

[BongoPedro]

Im sorry but I will have to totally disagrees with that statement. Regardless of the Logistical facts you correctly point out.

Ibanez never commissioned or sold a guitar like the Antoria Jazzmaster (IMO). The Antoria (and I'm sure named otherwise) was the cheapest of the cheap. But thats not to say its bad.

Ibanez never commissioned the Antoria Jazzmaster because it was produced in Korea after the Fugigen period. To clarify. in the 70's neither Ibanez nor Antoria were builders. They both bought from a number of builders and rebranded with their own names. The main supplier for both dealers in the 70's was Fugigen Gakki. An Antoria 175 copy and an Ibanez 175 copy from this period is exactly the same guitar with a different name on the headstock. CSL was the brandname for the same guitars imported to UK by Charles Summerfield.

[jazzbow]

Hiya Bongo, Where ya been all this time?

I always read Antoria as Ibanez's cheapo cousin.

[Chudleigh]

This is my jazzstar.... Gibson pu at neck...master volume and bigsby..pups recently for tv jones filtertrons.