Late 60's Hollowbody; Can Anybody Tell Me What It Is?

[slk0230]

I have this old Ibanez semi hollowbody. It's a little beat up after sitting in the attic for years. It was my dad's and all he remembers is that he got it in the late 1960s. Can anyone tell me the model number and what it's worth these days? If it's worth getting completely restored?

[ChuckE99]

Have you checked out http://www.sixties-ibanez.com/? There are catalogs there. The owners of that site are ICW members also, and they may chime in here. It looks pretty complete. Usually, the vibrato arm and spring get lost first, followed by the pick guard. You've got both, which is good.

[slk0230]

Hey, thanks for the help. I have checked the catalogues there, and I found several similar guitars, but not the same exact model. I'll find it sooner or later though!

[hasy]

Hi !

Sorry for the delay ......

Nice found ! Could you send me pictures from the headstock, Back and Front of the body please. This one is a rare byrd. I dont know the model number.

More infos later.....

Take care

Hasy

[hasy]

Back again.....

thx 4 the pictures. Sorry, this old lady comes from the FFG factory in the late sixties, got the same indentification points like the old ibanez, but is not a "Ibanez".
The neckbackplate got the same size, but no "japan" stamp on it. The holes in the headstock: The measure between the two holes is too long, sould be a Arai, Aira Diamond or Univox Name Plate. Pickps and hardware comes from the same factory too. As we know: FGG produced for diffrent brand names in the end of the sixties. Hoshino stops to produce his own guitars by end of 1967 and use the FGG Production to continue her sales with the ibanet brand name. We found alot of ibanez branded guitars, that looks like the same like the arai, aria diamond sales. Also we never found any catalogues, they not exist ! I got pictures of the ibanez brand named guitars in this 2 years, looks like the same to the arai, aria brand. Mabe one time, we find the "lost" catalogues.......

Your guitar is not a "brand named Ibanez" Model


Hasy

[gemberbier]

FGG making Ibanez guitars for Hoshino in 1967?
According to the TIMELINE in this article Hoshino started using FGG for the production of Ibanez guitars in 1969.
And outsourcing production began in 1966. It just doesn't say which factories were involved:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoshino_Gakki

If we compare this info to the info about FGG:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FujiGen
we must be open for the hypothesis that from 1966-1969 there were other factories involved.

Harry already mentioned Matsumoku in the past, and also Guyatone was mentioned once by Billy Porter.
I think Guyatone made the solid ones and Matsumoku the hollow bodies.
This piece about Matsumoku supports the second part of that hypothesis.
Especially the part about using Hofner examples for those models fits in, if we think about the ones with staple pickups:
http://www.powerset.com/explore/semhtml/Matsumoku?query=Hoshino+Gakki

So I think you are right that it is the same factory that made Ibanez guitars for a while, but just not FGG (yet).

What do you think about this hypothesis, Hasy?
Can you live with the idea of 3-4 years of Matsumoku production for the hollow body part, and perhaps Guyatone for the solid bodies, like Billy Porter said?

It would explain the disappearing zero-fret and metal logo in 1969...


Ginger

[hasy]

Ginger.

By end of 1967 the production stops. So we can say 1968.

Take a look to the solid body guitar production. Till the end of 1967, the guitars and basses are not in good quality. Thin Body, fat necks, it looks not very professional. I got many bizarre series guitars and basses here. And suddenly the guitars looks more professional, better body/neck joint, better handling and playing, the pickups and scratchplates looks not like "handmade".

Between 1968 to 1969 was the change from "bad to good" . How many factorys produced parts and bodys for the market ? FGG and ?

Ginger, you`r one of the right persons to find the "truth". Thx 4 your help

Hasy

[gemberbier]

I think that the key is: the availability of the CNC mills, routers and lathes.

When you know when the different factories bought this stuff and started working with it, you know when they were able to make the quality jump. I think that Matsumoku is one of the few who could make the quality jump in the late 1960s. When the article says "By the early 1970s, Matsumoku had begun using CNC mills, routers, and lathes, one of the first guitar makers to do so" it might as well be the end of  the 1960s.

and of course Gotoh played  a role in the production of the hardware.


Ginger