IBANEZ HEADSTOCK HISTORY PROFESSIONAL

IBANEZ HEADSTOCK HISTORY PROFESSIONAL

The Professional model 2671 was a Les Paul with a 'vined' neck and a fancy headstock. For example, the 'Custom Agent' (model 2405) was basically a Les Paul with a fancy scroll headstock, a fancy pick guard, and, yes, fancy inlays on the neck and body. At first, their original designs were subtle variations on the copy models.

The Ibanez Golden Age, 1975 - 1981īeginning about 1975, Hoshino began introducing original guitar and bass models to the market. However, this episode has given rise to the term 'lawsuit' guitar, which is used to describe any Japanese copy guitar made in the shape of an American manufacturer's model. No other company was ever sued by any other company. The suit was brought in 1977, but by then Ibanez had already changed the headstock shape on its copy models, so the suit was settled out of court. Only one company ever sued another, and it was Norlin (the owner of the Gibson brand at the time) suing Hoshino (owner of the Ibanez brand) and the suit was focused only on the 'open book' headstock shape common to Gibson guitars and replicated on the Ibanez guitars. There is a form of urban legend that circulates in the guitar community that has many variations, but usually involves either Gibson or Fender suing Ibanez, Aria, or some other Japanese manufacturer, with the intent to stop that company from manufacturing superior copies. Due to their high quality, Ibanez guitars and those made under other brands, such as Greco and Aria, quickly earned a reputation around the world as quality instruments at a great value. Ibanez models replicated such styles as the Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster, Rickkenbacker styles, and others. They were not forgeries, as they were never sold with misleading logos or with the intent to deceive. 'Lawsuit' Models, 1971 - 1976Īs you will note in the earliest catalogs, Ibanez guitars were first 'copies' or 'reproductions' of guitar models originated by several American guitar manufacturers and manufacturers from other countries. However, every attempt has been made to provide only verifiable and true information, in an attempt to set the record straight and dispell some modern 'myths' about Ibanez model guitars. Note: This is a very quick history, and mostly from memory, so take it all with a grain of salt and try to verify what you can from other sources.

Ibanez headstock history