Ibanez Barney Kessel prototype

[Durban]

There has been some blurb about this, Dutchbopper i think posted sometime ago you can see Barney play this guitar on a YT Mezzo 70's video, superb playing the guitar sounds great, i mentioned some years back i thought it was a Super 58 pup as in early AS200's JP20 etc

[BiscoDrew]

Hey that looks pretty good!

[JFranck]

Nice video! a friend lent it to me nearly twenty years ago! It was Barney Kessel in trio, recorded in Switzerland. You can see it on Ebay :

He was playing a Barney Kessel Ibanez prototype (more or less based on the FG100) that never went into production.
His son Dan sold it around 2010

[Gitfiddler]

Great video! I really dig the close-ups of his left hand mastery.

Back in the 70's Ibanez was actively pursuing artists of all genres to endorse. Apparently Barney didn't bite.

However, Ibanez did build a copy of Kessel's double-cutaway (Ibanez 2356) during their so-called lawsuit era.

[BiscoDrew]

Really like that double Florentine cut on a hollow body. Very sexy.

[Gemberbier2]

Great video! I really dig the close-ups of his left hand mastery.

Back in the 70's Ibanez was actively pursuing artists of all genres to endorse. Apparently Barney didn't bite.

However, Ibanez did build a copy of Kessel's double-cutaway (Ibanez 2356) during their so-called lawsuit era.

The 2356 was a replica of the original Gibson model. Barney Kessel couldn't endorse lawsuit guitars, of course.
The only way to get him onboard of the SS Ibanez was with an original Ibanez design.
They could let him play an existing original design Ibanez jazz box, or design a new signature model.
I guess that Barney tried both in the process.
It's a pity that we cannot see all details of the guitar.
The fact that it has only two potentiometers is an indication that it has only one (neck) pickup, like a Gibson ES-165.
It depends on the year, what pickup it was.
I saw someone mentioning the Super 58, which is a possibility, but the EARLY Ibanez AS200 used Super 70's humbuckers.
The Super 58 was introduced a little later.
I love them both and I have them both, but they are different.
They're both very wanted on the used parts market.
The Super 70's are OEM in my 2355M,
the Super 58s are OEM in my AM-50AV (Stagemaster) and my AS120BS.

Ginger

[deacon Mark]

I am the opposite I really dislike the double cutaway looks terrible in my eyes.

[Gemberbier2]

I am the opposite I really dislike the double cutaway looks terrible in my eyes.

On the Ibanez Collectors World Forum there are many who consider it the ugliest jazzbox on the planet.
Owning a 2356 is not on my bucket list.
I'm curious how it feels and sounds, but I prefer the more conventional models, with one Venetian or Florentine cutaway.


Ginger

[va3ux]

I am the opposite I really dislike the double cutaway looks terrible in my eyes.

+1 ! I've always felt the same as you about that guitar. It's probably a great guitar, but I can't stand the look of it.

[yebdox]

I'm in the middle. I think THIS is killer looking... Black Trini Custom, ala Gambale. Apparently original paint, I think I read, but if I found one with a neck that was not pencil thin, I would buy it and have it refinned just like this.

[Cunamara]

I don't care for the double cutaway look of the BK Gibson model, but I've seen one played in person and it was one of the nicest sounding jazz guitars I have ever heard.

With the dot neck markers, it sure looks like they were pitching that particular instrument very much towards Barney. It looks an awful lot like his ES-350 but with a Florentine cut away and a humbucker instead of a bar pickup. I do think Barney sounded better on his Gibson, though.

[gitman]

The BK model is my eyes a perfect design piece that reflects the spirit of the times in the late 50‘s to early 60‘s and it’s just ultra cool. Besides that aspect my own 1968 BK Standard has the narrow but deep neck shape and the heel is much smaller (as opposed to the first edition with a very large neck-block) , affording effortless access to the highest frets. The narrow neck is no hindrance for me and since these models are more affordable because of this I feel really lucky. My guitar also has a solid/pressed spruce top and sounds great !