Mad Max

It's not really bugging me that much, I'm just curious. I like it and I'm going to keep on playing it no matter who built it The most curious thing about it is the missing logo on the headstock. All pre- or post-lawsuit models I could find still have the logo (whether that would be Ibanez or Lyle or Ventura...). The tuners and V-shape colouring on the back of the headstock make would it an Ibanez, the pointed part where the neck and body join would make it an early one, the Gibson "moustache" would make it a pre-lawsuite model (i.e. pre 1976), no serial # anywhere either... Just the missing of any kind of identification makes it a mystery...

Thanks a lot for all the detective work, we might be getting there Here are some more pictures, the first one is the one I'm riddling about most, as the neck has a pointed connection to the body, that might be a clue... The top bracing is a big "X" under between hole and bridge with a couple of cross bits. The bridge is pulling a bit, but I think they all do... I'm not completey sure about the bridge material, it might be ebony, looks very dark and has much finer grain than the fretboward, which is rosewood, but I might be mistaken... And thanks for asking about the photos of the bracing, now I know that it's cracked :- So now I know why the bridge is pulling... Got to get that repaired soon... The headstock isn't Epi-sytle, they had slimmer headstocks with more curvature at the top. The headstock angle is 12 degrees, I think the Gibsons had 14 or 17. Anyway of telling the firm by other measurements like depth or scale? Any more pictures needed?

I've thought about the "removed logo"-theory, too, but even with a very close look there's no way that anything has ever been removed from the headstock. If so, then the whole of the headstock would have to have been stripped and refinished, as there are no marks of any new paintwork or anything. Even with a magnifying glass. The next thing is: I live in Germany, and I don't think the instrument has ever been in the States, except maybe right after production. And even in those days Ibanez had a European base (if I'm not mistaken), so I guess shipping from Japan would have gone straight to Germany, which would have avoided the logo-issue... And I've never seen a Hummingbird without the Logo of some firm for sale or anywhere... I'm not intending to sell it, as it's a really good instrument, outplays a good deal of the "modern" guitars for tone and action... Action is nice, intonation perfect, no flat spots. I like it, even if it's not an original "bird" :-) But I would like to know what make it actually is ;-) Did the Ibanez (or other lawsuite models) have any other marks by which they could be identified? Like the shape of the tuners or bridge? The trussrodcover?

Hi, I'm new here :-) I would like to find out what firm built my guitar. I've had it for some years, it must be at least 25 years old, more likely over 30. It's a very detailed Hummingbird copy, but has no name, brand, logo or stickers on it whatsoever (nor inside either). Just a tiny one on the back which just says "made in Japan" but I don't know whether that has always been on the instrument, no name on the tuners, but they, too, are of high quality, guitars keeps it's tune superbly. It has Mahogany back and sides with fine grain, pine front with very fine and ruler-straight grain, not laminated. Rosewood bridge and fretboard. Craftsmanship is very good, the details are very Gibson-Style (headstock-shape, pickguard, inlays, circles around the hole...) I thought it might be a Lyle, but they surely always put their name on their guitars... Sounds and plays sweet. The bridge is adjustable. So my question is: Who copied Gibson Hummingbirds 30 years ago to the very number of inlayed (not painted) rings around the hole in highest quality, and then forgot to put his name on it? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm just curious, I've never seen any guitar of that quality without a brandname on it... THX, Max