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So, I've had my heart set on a Japanese made Ibanez GB10 for about 30 years.
Finally got round to ordering one from large authorised dealer in the UK. Was promised the guitar in 7 weeks but they missed the delivery date. When I contacted them they said it would be another 4 weeks. I asked if that was definite? They said no, it could go onto January or February. In fact they
have no idea at all when or if ever it would arrive sighting vague problems with sourcing materials and parts at the Japanese factory ?
I then found another one at a major dealer in Germany. Delivery stated 2 to 3 weeks. Apparently they only get one a year and this particular one is a head of the queue in that they ordered it 10 months ago last March.
I spoke to Ibanez UK head office regarding these huge and indefinite delays and they also informed me that there are serious delays with sourcing parts and components for their Prestige models.
Sometimes people are waiting over a year to get particular models.
So in order to cushion myself for yet more disappointment I'm wondering is there any serious alternative/competitor to a Japan made Ibanez GB10?
I love the sound and look of this guitar.. I love the punchy, percussive, aggressive tone on all George Benson's early albums.. not so much his more R&B stuff but rather his pre 80's hard bebop and blues.
I'm not really into vintage guitars and don't really want a full-size hollow body. I prefer all my guitars to be brand new and contemporary.
Do any of you wonderful experienced players have any suggestions for a mid-sized hollow body that that has that beautiful classic warm, bebop jazz tone ala Wes, Green, Benson, Burrell.
Price range around £2.700..
Thank you.
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11-07-2022 04:26 PM
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Would a used Benedetto Bravo be totally off the mark?
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See this thread.
Options for 15” archtop
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Not so impossible, IMO.
Ibanez GB10 NT made in Japan 2019 – like new condition
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There's one on reverb.
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If I understand correctly what he's looking for, there are a few.
Originally Posted by Polyp
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After 30 years what's another year ? IME nothing else is a Ibanez GB..yet, in Benson's hands they all are....!! . Originally Posted by Maxxx
Personally if I could buy used like new condition as the one on reverb that others are showing that's would be my best bet....
Good luck with your search....
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The guitar you want and the sound you say you want seem to be in conflict to me. Originally Posted by Maxxx
Wes - Gibson ES175 and L5
Grant Green - Gibson ES330, d'Angelico, and others
Benson - Gibson and Guild fully hollow carved solid top archtops; the Ibanez GB10 wasn't introduced until 1977, so his albums before then were largely more traditional archtop electrics
Kenny Burrell - typically Gibson Super 400
So the sounds you claim to love came from (mostly) 17" and 18" fully hollow, often solid carved top archtops with set-in humbuckers, though there are a couple of plywood guitars that grouping. The guitar you want to buy is a 14.75" somewhat shallow-bodied archtop with floating pickups. The Ibanez catalog page says the GB10 has a "spruce top". (Often, manufacturers state a "solid carved spruce top" if the instrument has one, or "spruce top" if the top is plywood. I have no knowledge at all about the composition of the top of a GB10, I don't know what kind of top it has.)
What I'm trying to say is that the GB10 is unlikely to sound just like the guitars whose sound you love. It's probably considerably brighter than you're expecting. You really should find one to try before laying down that much money.
If your heart is set on a GB10, by all means hold out for one, order it and accept the wait. You won't ever be satisfied with anything else.
Since your sound preferences cover so much ground it's difficult to imagine what alternative to offer. Maybe Comins GCS-1ES or Westville? But the Westville at least might be out of your price range, and Comins will likely be hard to get in Europe. I guess this post will not be of much help, sorry.
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Originally Posted by dconeill;
check out the archtop tribute custom which is from the same shop of westville. I just realized my atc150. It is top notch.
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They cost more than my house. Originally Posted by Gitterbug
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Thanks Hammertone, I'm looking for brand new and the dark sunburst. Originally Posted by Hammertone
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Thank you I did check Reverb, there are 15 on there in Brown sunburst but I'm in the UK and they are spread all over the planet. (Brexit import duties)
They are also all used and I would like new.
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There's one here:
Ibanez George Benson GB10 Sunburst - DjangoBooks.com
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I would certainly be sympathetic with wanting the sunburst version; mine is a natural which I've had for decades, but the sunburst ones look really, really nice. however, I would suggest giving serious consideration to buying used. You'll save a pile of money, for one thing, and these are very well-made guitars that hold up remarkably well. A used one in excellent condition should not be that hard to find. I bought my 1981 GB10 used when it was five years old and have not had one lick of trouble with it in the ensuing 37 years.
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Hello Doug.. actually I'm so grateful you pointed this out because right after my post I spent the entire night listening and researching and came
to the same conclusion. I knew Benson's tone changed with his R&B stuff and as mentioned that is not the tone I was looking for.
I just was not fully aware of when he switched to Ibanez.
I definitely prefer his pre 1977 sound by far.
This here is one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard played on a jazz guitar.
I was checking out the Eastman AR805CE but what I've seen of it on Youtube demos the tone did not seem thick or warm enough. Need to try it in person.
The Comins you mentioned however (a brand I have never heard of) does seem extremely interesting and a dealer here in London actually has a few in stock that I can go check out as soon as they open.
They have both some new Eastmans and some Comins there.
Thank you for helping me to get clarification.
)
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Don't forget-a good part of that sweet sound is George Benson himself, not just the guitar-as good as it might be. Originally Posted by Maxxx
Doug
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Thanks guys for the links to GB10's but I am in the UK and most are so far away that would make problems and hassle for a return or warranty issue. To avoid this I'm trying to stay closer to home.
Also Doug kindly educated me on possibly mis-describing the actual tone I am looking for with me thinking it came from a modern Ibanez GB10 and that the sound I want comes from a different guitar entirely.
Thank you all for the help, suggestions and comments. It's really appreciated.
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As others have said - the GB tone that you love probably isn't a great reflection of that earlier tone. TBH - I am not even sure of the extent to which he uses his GB10 in the studio these days
For that earlier tone, you may well want to be looking at a bigger (17 inch) box, with a floater
If memory serves, he used Guild back in the day. The UK market isn't great is it? But you could probably get a very nice used Guild (e.g. X-700) with your budget. I understand you favour new but I think a lot of used in the archtops are often unplayed
Failing that...you might want to take a look at the Guild Savoy. Made in Korea, I think, and a bit heavy. But very nice and the pickup is great.
Failing THAT - there are a couple of nice looking carved archtops on eBay made by somebody I haven't heard of (which doesn't mean anything, I am not knowledgeable) that would be worth a look
Re: the GB10...I had one and I sold it. The build quality and comfort were impeccable, but I really disliked the pickup. Far too hot and far too bright for me. The only 'usable' sound was with the volume and tone rolled off
Oh - and Eastman always worth a look
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Mak of Mak’s Guitars a good guy and the shop is great and a piece of living jazz history. Used to be Ivor Mairants…. John MacLaughlin used to work there back in the day. I’d see what he has in. Only decent place to buy archtops in London afaik. I’ve bought a few guitars there over the eons.
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If you’ve never played a real GB10, you really have no idea how versatile they are. As a single guitar with a smaller, thinner body and a laminate top, they can more closely cop each of the described tones collectively, than any one other guitar discussed here. All you have to do is change your pick (Pro-plec, D’andrea xtra heavy celluloid or thumb, to Fender-ish medium, to Jazz III) and/or strings… flat wounds 11s through 13s and change your amp or amp settings (including speakers and cabs.)
For reference, I have a 97 Wes L5, a 2010 Sadowsky Jim Hall, a 2013 175 VOS and a 95 335 59 reissue. With the exception of the 335, I can closely mimic the sounds of any of the other guitars much better with the GB10 than attempting to do that with the others…. The 175 is probably closest in terms of versatility.
I love all my guitars, but for stability, build quality, versatility, sound, playability (amazing neck) they are the biggest bang for the buck, unless you just want something you can crank, then you need some kind of semi-hollow - 335, sadowsky sh-15 (?), Westville, Collings, etc.
Mine was NOS, needed to be cleaned up after sitting in a shop for 2 or 3 years untouched. Still flawless, stays in tune for weeks through all kinds of weather changes, looks beautiful…. My only wish is that they made a 16 or 17 inch model, otherwise unchanged, for us tall folk (6’ 4”).
Whatever you decide to do, do NOT worry about quality control issues on a lightly used GB and think twice before taking advice from people who have never played one, but like to tell you what it likely cannot do. Use your own ears and explore one when you get the chance. There is a reason they are so popular and still in production.
Also, the pickup thing is not an issue. Yes, they are perhaps overly powerful (compared to almost any other humbucker I’ve played.) but, just turn the volume and tone down on the guitar, change your amp settings a bit. When do you NOT do that when switching guitars, anyway?
As far as Benson’s tone, yes, there is a lot of older material that could only be coming from a Gibson JS or L5, big bodied Guild (not in my playing history) or D’angelico, simply because the GB10 did not yet exist. But, IMO, the consistent thread in Benson’s tone that is the mostly easily mimicked is the use of a Fender Medium with HEAVY flats - 13’s or 14’s, tone on the guitar around medium and amp to taste, no extremes (don’t roll off the bass or treble… more of the Fender “smile” eq.) And of course, clean, precise picking with a fast attack, almost popping the strings. That 10,000 hour thing.
Enjoy the adventure, I don’t think you should give up. You can always sell it later, it’s not like some unknown, one off ‘Guitorgan’ or something
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I think you've let yourself fall in love, a truly "one and only" love with a guitar that you've had no contact or relationship with. Sorry to tell you that your mail order bride may well not be exactly what you have been dreaming of. This would be true even without factoring in your comments about GB's early recordings.
Not trying to be a buzz kill but just stating something to consider.
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They did. The GB20, 16-3/4". If you keep an eye out, they often pop up. There are 3 on Reverb. Originally Posted by yebdox
GB20 | Ibanez Wiki | Fandom
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If you want fully hollow, the Comins is a semi with a block (I think) inside.
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I think you are absolutely correct Woody.. an infatuation with Benson but failing to realize that the tone of his I loved did not come from any of his Ibanez guitars.
Last edited by Maxxx; 11-08-2022 at 12:21 PM.
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