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Ibanez

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This article is about the guitar manufacturer. For people named Ibáñez, see Ibáñez.
Ibanez
Company typePrivate
IndustryMusical instruments
FoundedNagoya, Japan 1950s
HeadquartersJapan
Key people
Hoshino Gakki, founder
ProductsIbanez Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects
Websitewww.ibanez.com

Ibanez (pronounced "eye-ba-nez", IPA:['aɪbænɛz] or [aɪ'bænɛz]) is a well known guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. Along with its rival ESP guitars, Ibanez is one of the only Japanese guitars companies to gain a significant foothold in the United States and Europe.

Ibanez production was started in Japan in the 1950s by Hoshino Gakki, but the actual Ibanez name dates back to the Ibanez Salvador brand in 1929. Hoshino Gakki owns the Ibanez (guitars) and Tama (drums) brand names. Ibanez is only a brand name that is owned by Hoshino Gakki and therefore Ibanez does not produce guitars. An Ibanez guitar is not produced by Ibanez. An Ibanez guitar is produced by Hoshino Gakki who contracts guitar factories to make guitars to bear the Ibanez brand name.


History

The Hoshino Gakki company began in 1908 as a musical instrument sales division of the Hoshino Shoten bookstore company. In 1935 they began manufacturing their own stringed instruments. The company had little presence in the Western world until the mid-1960s.

They started importing Spanish guitars from the famous Spanish luthier Salvador Ibáñez (1854 - 1920), but when the Spanish workshop was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939) and the original guitars became unavailable (and very much sought after because of their excellent quality), they bought the rights of the trademark Ibanez and started making Spanish and acoustic guitars on their own, first as "Ibanez Salvador", and later as "Ibanez". Late 1950s and 1960s Ibanez catalogues show guitars with some wild looking designs. Some of the late 1960s Ibanez designs were similar to Teisco guitar designs and Hoshino was using Teisco to make some of the late 1960s Ibanez branded guitars after they stopped manufacturing their own guitars in 1966. In 1969 Teisco closed down and Hoshino used FujiGen Gakki to make most of the Ibanez branded guitars and also the Ibanez headstock logo was changed from a metal logo to a more modern decal logo.

This was the beginning of the Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker Ibanez copies. Using somewhat cheaper materials and greater automation in manufacturing, they were able to sell these guitars for a significantly lower price than the originals. The low price combined with the relatively high quality of the guitars made these models very popular. Many guitar aficionados feel that the early- and mid-70s mark a low point in the quality of guitars from the major manufacturers, which helped contribute to the popularity of the Ibanez copies. These guitars have become known as "lawsuit" guitars and have become highly collectible.

Lawsuit

Harry's Rosenbloom, of Medley Music, based in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, was manufacturing handmade guitars under the name "Elger." By 1965 Rosenbloom had decided to stop manufacturing guitars and chose to become the exclusive North American distributor for Ibanez guitars. In 1971 Hoshino purchased Elger Guitars, renaming the company "Hoshino U.S.A." and retaining the company headquarters in Bensalem, Pennsylvania as a distribution and quality-control center. The so called lawsuit was brought by the Norlin Corporation, the parent company of Gibson guitars against Elger/Hoshino U.S.A. in 1977, and was based on an Ibanez headstock design that had been discontinued by 1976. Hoshino settled out of court, and by 1978 had begun making Ibanez guitars from their own designs.

Abandoning the strategy of copying "classic" electric guitar designs, the newer models began incorporating more modern elements into their design such as radical body shapes, slimmer necks, flatter fingerboards (which allowed for faster playing), higher-output electronics, and colourful finishes. This led to an increasing popularity with heavy metal musicians. The company also began an extensive program of consulting with well-known guitar players, such as Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, Munky, Andy Timmons, George Benson, John Petrucci, Herman Li, and Sam Totman, creating signature models made to the players' specifications.

Hoshino also manufactures Ibanez electro-acoustic and acoustic guitars, both nylon and steel-stringed. The logo used on the headstocks of the acoustic guitars is the original Spanish Ibanez logo. Most Ibanez guitars were made for Hoshino by the FujiGen guitar factory in Japan up until the mid to late 1980s and from then on Ibanez guitars have also been made in other Asian countries such as Korea, China and Indonesia.

Guitars

Electric guitars

Ibanez RG220
  • GIO series is the budget range, with this name assigned to their headstock above the Ibanez logo. The GIO range have the budget copies for RG, RX, SA, SZ, and AX series. The GRGM mikro, the sole 3/4-sized guitar made by Ibanez, also belongs to this category.
  • Ibanez RG (previously named Roadstar Guitar, hence the name RG), is Ibanez's superstrat series, all featuring 24-fret slim necks. Most of them are bolt-on-neck guitars with high-performing tremolos, although some are neck-thru or fixed bridge models. The first RG ever was the 550 in 1987, which was the cheaper version of the JEM, Steve Vai's signature model. It featured pretty much the same specs except for the hand-grip, the "Lion's Claw" below the trem, the Vine inlay and the DiMarzio pickups. Shape, colors, pickup configurations, and woods were pretty much the same. From 1987 to present the RG came out in thousand different versions, some having different pickups and pickup configurations (HSH, HH, HSS, HS etc), some lacking the pickguard and some with different woods, trems, and colors. It is not clearly known haw many versions appeared since 1987. In 2003, Japanese-made RGs became the RG Prestige series, which featured an all-new neck construction (much more reliable now), a redesigned tremolo (Edge-Pro) and a 6-steps special treatment to the fretboard for an even more comfortable playing. It has the following sub series: RGT Prestige (neck-Thru) and the RGA Prestige (Arch-top and fixed bridge).
  • Ibanez S, also known as the Saber series, is a series of guitars that are famous for having ergonomic and lightweight mahogany bodies. It has the following sub series:
    • S - The S uses the "zero resistance" Floating tremolo, which enables the string to stay even more in tune. Also available as S Prestige, High-end range which are made in Japan/Korea - S2170, S4170 AB.
    • SZ - The SZ have hardtail bridges and thru-bodies. Also available as SZ Prestige, high-end range which are made in Japan/Korea.
    • SA - The SA is basically the features are flatback body (S use curved back), and have synchronized tremolo instead. Also, the basic SA models utlizes hidden plate bolt on neck design. Subseries include SAS, basic SA models with Set-in neck design, and SA Prestige

A notable endorser of the Ibanez Saber series was Frank Gambale, who got his namesake FGM signature guitars in 1987.

  • RX/RT series. Superstrat design but with 22 frets instead. Only exist as GRX (budget model of RX/RT series).
  • AX series. gibson SG copy; only exist as GAX model
  • Axstar (aka Axstar by Ibanez) discontinued
  • EDR/EXR - Ergodyne series; discontinued
  • Artist Series: Gibson Les Paul copies
  • ARC-100/300 (Retro Series)
  • ARX-100/300 (Retro Series)
  • AR-100/200 (black vintage top)
  • Ibanez Artcore Series - Ibanez's Full and semi-hollow guitar line. Subseries are
    • AF (Full hollow)
    • AK (Full Hollow)
    • AFS-75t (Full hollow vintage vibrato)
    • AG (Full hollow)
    • AS (Semi hollow)
    • AM (Semi hollow)
    • AXD (Semi and Full hollow)
    • AWD (Semi and Full hollow)
    • FWD (Semi and Full hollow)
  • Jetking - A modern remake of the Ibanez Rhythm maker
  • Radius series - discontinued; a modified version is now taken over by the Joe Satriani signature series; features multi-radius neck
  • RS - Roadstar - Consists of the Talman, Radius and Saber series
  • EX - Manufactured in Korea.
  • X series - Star shaped, hardtail guitars
  • PL - Pro Line series
  • RR - Rocket Roll
  • DT - Destroyer
  • IC - Iceman
  • CN - Concert Series This was a short live series produced in 1978 and 1978 then discontinued. It features an asymmetric double cutaway with two humbuckers, hard tail and bolt on necl. The top end model (the CN250) was one of the earliest guitars to feature the half vine inlay on the finger board
  • Maxxas
  • Ibanez j.custom Previously Japan exclusive custom range. Now available worldwide.
  • U.S.A. custom - USA custom range.
  • Cimar


Signature models

New Guitars for 2007

  • Xiphos - XPT700 (X-Series)
  • V-Blade - VBT700 (X-Series)
  • RG 8-String - RG2228 (RG Series)

Bass guitars

  • ARTCORE Series
  • Blazer
  • BTB Series
    • BTB Prestige - High-end range which are made in Korea.
  • DWB Series
  • EDA Series
  • EDB Series
  • EDC Series
  • EWB Series
  • GAXB Series
  • GSR Series
    • GSR 205 - Nominated for Ibanez's "Best of Model" award
  • GWB Series
  • ICB Series
  • JUMPSTART Series
  • K5 Series
  • Musician Series
  • ROADGEAR Series
  • SR Series
    • SR Prestige - High-end range which are made in Korea.
Headstock from an ARTCORE series guitar
  • SRX Series
  • SDGR Series
  • ATK Series
  • Ex series
  • Roadstar Series
  • S series
  • TR Series


Acoustic guitars

  • AE Series
  • AES Series
  • AW Series
  • DT Series
  • EP9 Series
  • EW Series
  • GA Series
  • JAMPACK Series
  • MANDOLIN Series
  • MASA Series
  • PF Series
  • TALMAN Series
  • V Series
  • Concord
  • SAGE Series

Ibanez endorsers, past and present

Main article: List of Ibanez players

Effect pedals

Ibanez DE7 Delay/Echo Pedal

In the 1970s, the Nisshin Onpa company who own the Maxon brand name developed and began selling a series of effect pedals in Japan. Hoshino licensed these for sale using the name Ibanez outside of Japan. These two companies eventually began doing less and less business together until Nisshin Onpa ceased manufacting the TS-9 reissue for Hoshino in 2002.

Tube Screamers

Main article: Ibanez Tube Screamer

Based on the earlier Overdrive I and II pedals, Hoshino began releasing the first Ibanez Tube Screamer, the TS-808 in the late 1970s. These contained the famed JRC4558D integrated circuit (IC). Many players consider this one of the best solid state pedals to emulate the sound produced by an overdriven vacuum tube guitar amplifier.

Over the years, Hoshino released many different kinds of pedals bearing the Ibanez Tube Screamer name. The first was the TS-9 Tube Screamer, which included only a few component changes and often, but not always, different ICs. In 1985 the Master or L series were introduced and sold only for a year. Many claim that in this series, there's no Tubescreamer. Looking closer circuitwise shows that there is one but in the disguise of the Metal Screamer with slightly changed component values. The name change was most likely for marketing reasons.

Based on the Master series but with slight changes in housing in 1986, the Power Series were introduced, which included the TS-10. Like many of the Master and Power Series pedals, there were not many differences in the circuitry between these and their 9-series counterparts. To make production cheaper, these pedals used circuit board-mounted potentiometers (pots) and jacks. In 1992, Hoshino began re-issuing the Ibanez TS-9. Then in 1996, Hoshino added a CE mark to the back of the Ibanez pedal, which is required for it to be sold in Europe.

In the early 1990s, Hoshino released the Ibanez Soundtank series, which, except for the first run which was metal, had cheap plastic enclosures and like the Power Series before it, used less expensive parts. Around 2000 came the Tone Lok series, and the TS-7, which included a switch for added gain. In 1998, the new TS-9DX was introduced, which included a 4-way switch for capacitor changes and changes in the clipping section. Then in 2002, Nisshin Onpa stopped production of the TS-9 for Hoshino. Post-2002 circuit boards say Ibanez instead of Maxon.

Due to popular demand, Hoshino reissued the Ibanez TS-808 in 2004, complete with the JRC4558D chip. Original TS-808's, and to a lesser extent, TS-9s, have become highly collectible. Many overdrive pedals in production, especially those by "boutique" manufacturers, are a modified version of the Tube Screamer circuit.

Serial Numbers

Approximate Ibanez Serial Numbers (non Acoustic)

Japanese Ibanez Serial Numbers

1997 and after (CE logo designation)

  • F = FujiGen
  • YYXXXXX format
  • YY = year (98=1998)
  • XXXXX = production number

1987-1997

  • F = FujiGen
  • H = Terada
  • I = Ida Gakki (Iida)
  • YXXXXX format
  • Y = year (2=1992)
  • XXXXX = production number

1975-1986

  • FujiGen
  • MYYXXXX format
  • M = Month (A = Jan to L = Dec)
  • YY = year (82=1982)
  • XXXX = production number

Korean Ibanez Serial Numbers

C = Cort, S = Samick(1990-1995),S/SQ = Saehan(Sunghan), P = Peerless (Iida), Y = Yoojin, A = Sae-In.

  • YYMMXXXX format
  • YY = year (03=2003)
  • MM = month (01=Jan..12=Dec)
  • XXXX = production number

E = Sung Eum

  • YMMXXXX format
  • Y = year (9=1999)
  • MM = month (01=Jan..12=Dec)
  • XXXX = production number

W = World

  • MYXXXX format
  • M=month (1=Jan .. 9=Sep, X=Oct..Z=Dec)
  • Y=year (3=2003)
  • XXXX = production number

Indonesian Ibanez Serial Numbers

I = Cort Indonesia, K = KWO

  • YYMMXXXXX format
  • YY = year (03=2003)
  • MM = month (01=Jan..12=Dec)
  • XXXXX = production number

Chinese Ibanez Serial Numbers

Z = Yeou Chern, J=Sejung

  • YYMMXXXXX format
  • YY = year (03=2003)
  • MM = month (01=Jan..12=Dec)
  • XXXXX = production number

Odd Ibanez Serial Numbers

  • 2940000 Acoustic
  • 2 = Cort Taejan
  • YYXXXX format
  • YY = year (94=1994)
  • XXXX = production number

Older Acoustic

  • YYMM (Kato)
  • YY = year (82=1982)
  • MM = month (01=Jan..12=Dec)

Silver Cadet model

  • Z = Woo-sin

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