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What is your experience with Ibanez? Are you a current Ibanez owner, and still using one in your rotation? An AM-83 is the semi-hollow in my practice regimen at the moment. It has a pair of Super 58 'Asian' AlNico V pickups from the factory.
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02-27-2018 10:48 PM
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My first electric guitar was an Ibanez I saw at a International Trade Show at the original (pre fire) McCormick Place, the year - 1965... You're in good company here - there are many devout Ibanez owners, we even have a member who worked at Chesbro setting up everything from the factories before it went out to dealers.
Welcome
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I recently purchased an AS153 and am loving it. Equally tho differently than my Tele.
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Sign me up as a member.
I had sworn off Ibanez for a number of years, due to their reluctance to produce lefties and their unwillingness to answer correspondence.
I always regret having let go the ones I owned in the past. Especially the pre Scofield AS200.
Recently, a "cheap Chinese" model came up, AF75L. "B stock". Great price!
I dropped in a Dimarzio 36th Anniversary, some new pots and wiring, and spent a little time setting it up.
All I can say is, Damn!!
Sounds awesome. Plays great!
No acoustic sound to speak of, but... damn!!
The usual, IMHO YMMV
Oh, If you know anybody who owns a lefty Ibanez archtop... I'm looking!
Cheers,
Ron
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I have an AS200 from the early ‘90s, basically a JS model before it was created. Incredibly good guitar. My one and only semi-hollow.
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1981 GB10. My first archtop and first bit of pro-grade guitar equipment, bought in 1986. First guitar I played out with. Wonderful guitar that I now play fewer than a handful of times a year, due to my carvetop and Tele. I keep thinking it should go to someone who would use it regularly, but can't bring myself to give it up. I have regretted almost every guitar I've sold.
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1980 JP20 - had it from "new", although I got it probably around '84 so it maybe took a while to get from Japan to Ivor Mairants in the UK, and then maybe they had it on the wall for a while. For me, there was always a bit of an issue with the stock pickup placement, but I've fixed that by adding a floating CC type - otherwise, it's a superb guitar, glad I've still got it.
My other Ibby is 2010 Chinese-made AS103 semi-acoustic - I guess lower down in the Ibanez pecking order, but actually a fine guitar also. I changed the pickups, probably didn't need to, but that's just me. One thing I like about Ibanez is that all their guitars seem to have a certain recognizable vibe/feel about them, even though they shift production around, and use various factories.
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I’m a big Ibanez fan. My first nice guitar I got was an early 90’s GB10. The guitar was destroyed unfortunately and even though that was 20 years ago it still stings...miss that guitar. Nowadays I have a ‘77 2630 Artist, a ‘97 AF207 and a 2000 PM100. They are all very fine guitars. The Artist is as good or better than any es-335 I’ve ever played except for a small number of excellent 60’s ones, hands down better than almost all modern 335s I have played. The PM100 was the one I got next and it has one of the fastest necks I’ve ever had, second only to my L5 and sounds amazing (there is one guy who prefers I bring the PM100 over my L5). The AF207 is also a real winner - very resonant considering it is laminate and a thinner body and exceedingly comfortable for a 7 string. Those are all my Japanese made ones but I also had one of the new Chinese made red Contemporary Archtops that I was really happy with but sold to a student because she needed a nice jazz guitar and bonded with it. A very nice instrument that was close to being on par with Japanese made guitars.
Ibanez is awesome because they are just so reliable. I only got the Artist after playing it and the others were bought online but I knew I could expect good instruments because they are just so consistent.
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An old student of mine had a Talman (I almost universally recommend Ibanez to students when they can’t decide what to get, particularly if they want to spend under 1000). It must have been a signature model because it had a circular mirror with a skull on it but it played really well and nailed the Telecaster sound.
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I like Ibanez. I have a few. I sold an AS250 that I regret selling.
I have an LGB30 and an AG95. I also have an AFJ81 which I bought just so I could have a body to drop a Lollar Charlie Christian pick up into it. All great guitars.
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Like Cunamara, I have a GB10, purchased somewhere around 1980, when they were fairly new.
Originally Posted by Cunamara
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I have the GB 100, it is fantastic in every way, but i never play it, this one has been under the bed for 20 odd years.
Ibby,s are great in all situations.
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Dirty secret, in my home in a dusty case there still lives an Ibanez Destroyer II, sounds exactly like Randy Rhoad's Flying V through a cranked up amp and tube screamer.
The neck still feels wonderful and believe it or not it's got a pretty decent jazz tone from the neck position DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker with tone and volume down low.
Best time I ever had playing electric was on this playing 'Fame the Musical' with three piece brass and drums.
Frets need redone, and she probably needs a cuddle real bad as no one has called and asked me to play her for a long time.
D.
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I love my JSM-10. I don't really have anything bad to say about it, other than maybe it's a tad heavy, but that never bothered me. I suppose it'd be nice if it came in a color besides VYS, but that's just a quibble.
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02-28-2018, 10:20 AM #90Dutchbopper GuestI have an 83 blonde FG 100, just like this one. As a matter of fact, one of the hottest - if not THE hottest - jazz guitar live clip on Youtube is played on one just like mine Originally Posted by Namelyguitar
The only non Gibson archtop I have. Nice guitar.
DB
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I'm a long standing convert since acquiring a model 754 (Everley Brothers Jumbo with mahogany back), in 1973. Stolen some years later and I would love to acquire another one. Although my current stable includes Gibsons and Martins, it has several excellent Ibanez instruments :
- 1975 Model 513 Mandolin
- 1978 MC400 NT
- 1981 AS200 with original super 58s (very close in sound to my 1961 ES175D with PAFs)
- Recent (2016) Artist 2619 Prestige (MIJ) - puts most recent Gibson solid bodies to shame in terrms of workmanship
Before buying the Prestige I bought the AR420 (MIC) to see if I could bond with the same style of guitar but made to higher standards. The only fault on this made in China guitar is a tendancy to neckdive - and it regularly comes off the instrument stand for Peter Green slow blues work with (modern) super 58 pickups out of phase. A good friend of mine has a lawsuit Byrdland copy that I would kill for. I missed out on a fantastic 1981 AR5000 from Lausanne in Switzerland a couple of years ago and would happily add one to my collection given its versatility.
None of this means I dislike other brands - indeed my 1961 ES175D is my best friend - even if it is more of a one trick poney, it does its thing to perfection and the thunkiness is out of this world.
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part of it is just me being practical. its an mij guitar that sold for 1200 or so. and, well... you know. value. hard to pass that up, even if i don't exactly need one and i prefer the telemaster/offset tele look to these, and a fender would be more modular. i'm not sure if i can swap that neck and i'd have to have a pickguard made if i alter it. but its like half price with a hardshell case. Originally Posted by rio
i did plunk on one of the cheaper ones briefly in a store and i remember it feeling ok. so i just kinda assume that this one will magically be better, given my slight mij bias.
don't really remember liking the old talmans, though i know they were well liked. and these seem kinda under the radar- not tele enough for the traditionalists, not jazzmaster enough for the hipsters and not talman enough for the ibanez guys. and though i'd rather spec it myself (in the long term), its hard to pass up a turn key guitar that is probably better than whatever i'd slap together from mic parts, not to mention possibly cheaper.
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The 1st guitar I bought with my paper route money was a Lawsuit Ibanez Les Paul Custom. Black beauty, gold hardware (which quickly tarnished off..).
That guitar came with me where ever I went. It graced the stages of Apollo Theater, Cotton Club, NJPac, Pepperment Lounge, Capital Theater and almost the Brendan Byrne Arena (but Sammy, Dean and Frank had to cancel because Liza was too "under the weather" to perform..).
It was a nice guitar. The only guitar I knew at the time other than my fathers ES175 and a D'Agostino Acoustic. When I was fortunate enough to buy a Real Gibson Les Paul, I realized the differences between the Original and the Copy. Still this day, it frames my thought process about copies of all kinds. Unfortunately, it was stolen from our rehearsal Studio. I hope the thief who stole it took good care of it after his feet grew together one night when he was sleeping..
But the bottom line is, Ibanez made a cost effective guitar that inspired me to play at a moderately high level. For that, I still have a fondness for the Ibanez brand.
Joe D
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I bought this one in 1977, or 1978. Still one of my main guitars:
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Yeah I just got a used afj 81 too Originally Posted by Doublea A
and put a bare knuckles mule in it (Thanks Franz !)
Half stuffed with foam for fb suppression , really pleased with it ....
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My only guitar is an Ibanez. AF85VLS from 2002 or 2003. Bought it new from Musicians Friend.
If I had more dough, I'd get an old Gibson ES 165. (I'm a Herb Ellis guy.) But I'm happy with what I have. Big buy with big hands and I wish I had better access to the upper register, but I paid about 300 bucks for the guitar and it's been worth every penny and then some. I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. Seems like a part of me now.
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I "rediscovered" Ibanez this past decade and acquired a number of jewels, most notable are the AS-103 and AS-153's, they needed nothing to be spot on. My second AS-153 in JBB was an accident. It was advertised so inexpensively and in pristine condition by a local keys teacher I couldn't let it go by.
The remarkable thing is that even though the 153's were made a few years apart they play AND sound identical. I've yet to own or play another model from any brand that I could say that about out of the box. Ibanez has found a consistency formula that has eluded other makers it seems.
Now I have no problem owning two 335's due to differences between them but I never planned on two Ibanez 153's oh well, I will have to live with them.
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How do the 153s compare to the 103 sound-wise, may I ask Gary? Originally Posted by GNAPPI
I "rediscovered" Ibanez this past decade and acquired a number of jewels, most notable are the AS-103 and AS-153's, they needed nothing to be spot on. My second AS-153 in JBB was an accident. It was advertised so inexpensively and in pristine condition by a local keys teacher I couldn't let it go by.
The remarkable thing is that even though the 153's were made a few years apart they play AND sound identical. I've yet to own or play another model from any brand that I could say that about out of the box. Ibanez has found a consistency formula that has eluded other makers it seems.
Now I have no problem owning two 335's due to differences between them but I never planned on two Ibanez 153's oh well, I will have to live with them.
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My Ibanez holdings have varied wildly over the 53 years I have been aware of the brand. Currently I own:
1979 GB10 nt
1996 GB100
1990's one off RED GB5 prototype previously owned, loved and toured by George Benson
2006 AS103bmnt
2017 GB40th II (MIC)
Big
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My first REAL guitar (after playing crappy Harmony gits as a kid) was an Ibanez 2630 I bought from a pawn shop in the mid '80's.
After that I was hooked on the brand and bought/sold/traded many more Ib's over the years. Mine have all been Japan builds, and the quality is superb on each.
Current Ibanez inventory:
'78 2630
'79 GB10
'96 GB10
'93 GB12
'04 JSM100
You might want to check out this Ibanez forum: Ibanez Collectors World Home Page
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