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10-23-2021, 01:32 PM #1Dutchbopper Guest
I came across several vids of Alessio Menconi playing his Ibanez FG 100. I have the same guitar (in blonde too, 1983 model) and have been playing it a lot the last days. Even on the same tune as Alessio! Great player.
And then there is George Benson on the hottest clip ever. Same guitar. And Bruce Forman. Same guitar. Ibanez' first original model was definitely a pro grade model in the 175 vein.
Any other owners here?
DB
The FG100 is a hollow body electric guitar model introduced by Ibanez for 1982. It was made in Japan as part of the Full Acoustic line. Initial production was by FujiGen, but moved to Terada sometime around 1986. The FG100 features a full-sized, full-hollow, single Venetian cutaway body design with an arched, laminated maple top with ƒ holes and ivory multi-binding on maple sides and arched back mated to a set-in maple neck with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with ivory binding and pearl block position markers. Components include a pair of Ibanez Super 58 humbucking pickups with chrome covers and individual volume and tone controls, black plastic pickup rings, a rosewood bridge with rosewood saddle, a custom trapeze tailpiece, a bone nut, a tortoise shell pickguard, Sure Grip knobs, and Smooth Tuner machine heads. For 1983 the knobs were replaced with the new Sure Grip II. The FG100 was discontinued after 1987. The somewhat similar AF200 was released the following year.
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10-23-2021 01:32 PM
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So far that is one of the ones that got away. I will get my hands on one some day and I look forward to the occasion.
They should have made it an Artist designation.
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10-26-2021, 09:23 AM #3Dutchbopper Guest
A vintage Ibanez. Mine is a blonde 83. A guitar in the vein of a 175. The tune is "Scrapple from the Apple." I played it through my Mambo 10 amp. It's the 4th tune in my "Bop Till You Drop" project.
DB
Last edited by Dutchbopper; 10-26-2021 at 09:49 AM.
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Sounds great! Really great.
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10-27-2021, 09:11 AM #5Dutchbopper GuestOriginally Posted by Lobomov
DB
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Please don't ever drop. I"m loving this bop.
Guitar sounds like a million dollars. You get the bop vibe from it.
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10-27-2021, 10:36 AM #7Dutchbopper GuestOriginally Posted by lawson-stone
Next one will be "Au Privave." An easy one.
DB
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10-27-2021, 01:29 PM #8Dutchbopper Guest
Here some pics of the FG 100. Top and back feature nice bird's eye maple.
DB
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A 1982 FG100 has been for sale near me for several weeks now. Asking $2000 cdn (~1600 usd). It appears to be in very good condition. I must admit I'm very tempted to go check it out. Quality archtops in that price range don't pop up all that often near me, and your videos and review showcase it well.
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10-28-2021, 06:57 AM #10Dutchbopper GuestOriginally Posted by LifeOnJazz
DB
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Originally Posted by Dutchbopper
In terms of sound, all I had to go on in terms of comparison is demo videos when I was looking, which I find very mostly uninformative. I've not heard a single demo of any current-issue Ibanezes that sounds quite like your FG100 (which in your videos sounds a whole lot like your 175), but it's hard to know what to make of that.
Demos I've heard of the AF125 come a lot closer, but they don't make those anymore. The Ibbies I've actually played seem like a different flavor.
The AF 2000 (or 2000), has a laminated spruce top, which is a somewhat different sound from lam maple. I haven't played one, but my 77 has one also, and I'd say it sort of splits the difference between an L4 and a 175, while retaining some "thunk", but is not truly the 175 sound of your FG100. There are a bunch of Chris Whteman videos here (especially in the chord melody sub-forum) with an AF200, which IMO confirm the contrast between it and your FG100. But nothing really replaces the experience of trying the guitar oneself.
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Originally Posted by Dutchbopper
The FG will sound more responsive with tight, round notes. The AF is on the other end but the difference is small.
The appointments on the FG are very good, the only slight negative being the colour of the rosewood board and the inlays.
It's not bad it's just not as luxurious as ebony etc The tops and backs they put on them are very nice.
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Originally Posted by ArchtopHeaven
It's interesting that some luthiers say that what they are striving for in "weight & fatness in the treble notes" ( I think that quote came from Byant Trenier, and I know that's what Daniel Slaman looks for). That's understandable; luthiers by definition would prefer to carve and tune tops from spruce. Borys is an exception, no doubt there are others.
I really like the FG100 sound here; it's not especially delicate, but very solid and sounds exactly right for this tune. There are some Menconi clips that sound as good, with the same guitar.
I have an early 70s Ibanez 1860 model that gets a similar sound; both it and the FG ( I think ) have maple necks, which are generally shunned by 175 lovers
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Don't include the AF2000 with its anigre (mahogany) back and sides with the AF200 (itself a fine guitar) with its maple back and sides. Both have spruce tops, that's true, but the body does give a different character.
Anyway, DB makes everything sound like it was made for bebop :-)
I do love this tight, poppy sound, though, but the AF2000 suits me perfectly. Of course, once can have more than one guitar, so, maybe someday...
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Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Well yeah, Dick only plays maple laminated guitars as far as I know . It would be interesting to hear him do it on a tele..
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Like Joe Pass did...Go on, Dick!
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Originally Posted by Franz 1997
Low key recording and live playing, I like spruce. Band playing or anything at volume, I would be heading towards maple. I prefer laminated maple to solid maple, as solid seems too glassy but I'm going to do some solid carved, maple tops, with a thin lamination of spruce underneath, to try and balance that out. I'm sure it's already been done.
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Originally Posted by Franz 1997
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Originally Posted by grahambop
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11-19-2021, 09:42 AM #20Dutchbopper Guest
Here's another clip of a fine player with an Ibanez FG 100. Mike Rud is a FB friend of mine who has played and recorded with Peter Bernstein and John Stowell a.o. The album with Pete Bernstein is available for free on Youtube. Here a live clip with Mike on his FG100 in a trio with Peter Bernstein. Very enjoyable clip on which Mike sounds great!
Last edited by Dutchbopper; 11-19-2021 at 10:05 AM.
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I absolutely love mine, it's an 84' all original model I bought a few years ago and had do a total refret job on it, but it came out great. I modded it with a Ibanez style ebony tailpiece and knobs, I also changed the bridge to an Ibanez TOM bridge, but kept all the parts. There's something about the old Ibanez super 58 pickups, they're not too bright nor dark, with great lower mids and sweet fatness. One thing about this model I found, is that it doesn't get as much feedback as other guitars.
Another maple laminated guitar that sounds very similar is the Fender D'Aquisto (Elite) with the single Schaller pickup, those have skyrocket in price...
Cheers,
Arnie...
Last edited by arnie65; 02-01-2022 at 02:15 PM.
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Hi Arnie, did you notice any real difference in tone and response when you swapped out the old metal tailpiece ?
Ed Cherry at Small Last Night (6/3/24)
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