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HNFGD - (Happy New "Funky" Guitar Day - 60's Japanese funk


TP

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Hi all.....

 

I just had to show off my newest addition (and possibly oldest guitar). It is a early 60's (1962-1965) Ibanez "Goldentone" model 2104. This thing ROCKS!!! I got it in a trade off Craigslist from a local guitar tech that heads the best local vintage guitar shops repair department. This was one of his personal collection he was selling off due to an over-abundance of gear and a girlfriend who wanted more space! :D

 

The guitar features a solid singe piece of beautiful grained mahogany, four individual single coil pickups that are fairly low output. Each has a individule tone. The neat thing is each has it's own toggle on/off switch and can be combined in any combination. It also has a switch that seems to fatten up the tone when activated. Obvioulsy this is not a guitar for a collector as the tuners and original bridge have been replaced by the tech and the tremolo arm is missing. The thing I can tell you is, for a blues/rock guitar.... this is freaking AMAZING!!! It was made at the famed Hoshino Gakki factory. Some were labled Ibanez and had the Goldentone on the pickguard, others just had the Goldentone lable. Mine is one that also features a Zero Fret just under the nut. (Some didn't). I am hoping to narrow down the year built based on these things but haven't had luck yet.

 

Enough talk.... you want photos!!!

 

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Goldentone1.jpg

 

 

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It has that 1960's futuristic look about it! Really nice looking! Congrats to you.

 

And I love the fuzzy neck holder!!

 

Sheila

 

Thanks Shelia.... I got the neck holder years ago at a local shop called "The Podium". I think they were called "Guitar Bra's"!!! lol..............

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It's ugly -- I absolutely love it!!!!!!!!!!

 

What a great score. How does it play? How does it sound?

 

BTW, I assume the 4 rocker switches are for the pickups, but I am curious as to what the additional slide switch next to the rockers is for. You say it fattens the sound. Is it connected to an EQ circuit (cap/coil) or something?

 

HNFGD to you.

 

Notes ?

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That is the same reason I love it.... so fugly, it's cool!

 

You are correct about the four rocker switches. Each one controls the corrisponding pickup. You can have them in any combination. I think, (but am not for sure) what the other switch may do is act like a midrange or bass boost on all four pickups as each sounds different when played alone and the switch is flipped up or down.

 

As I mentioned, the guy I got it from is a local luthier/repair tech and actually somewhat of a local rock legend due to some of the bands he has played with locally. He actually had used this on some recordings both as a regular guitar and set up for slide (which he said was really cool, but I have never been able to grasp slide guitar). It is now set up with very low action but no fret buzz. It could use a bit of intonation work, but I am going to play with that since the replacement bridge he installed is a TOM type bridge. The neck looks chunky, but feels really good or just right in my hands and chording and picking is easy. I can even do fingerstyle on this one with the 1 5/8" neck. He also installed a bone nut and widened the string spacing to match the TOM bridge.

 

I can't believe how great it sounds. I play through a late 1990's Fender Champ amp with 2-6l6's. It is a very clean amp. I also run through a Boss BD2 (Keeley Phat mod) and now also the Xotic AC-plus pedal that was included in my trade that included his guitar. I also have a Electro Harmonix Small Clone chorus pedal and a Fulltone Clyde Wah on my board. I used all with this guitar last night and am in love with the tones I can pull out of this guitar including when just plugged straight into the am. It is silent too, no hiss at all when not playing.

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Unit 4 + 2??? Concrete and Clay beneath my feet begin to rumble...

 

Yeppers! Here they are (all Burns equipped) doing the song they started in the first video ...

 

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo-QQAgnNyU[/YOUTUBE]

 

... and the aformentioned' date=' Concrete and Clay (a bit more Gretschy on this one)!

 

[YOUTUBE']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBVq6bag9z8[/YOUTUBE]

 

Not a bad little pop group, huh? I just love the way some of these threads take off in different directions!

 

Jim

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Thanks guys.....

 

Here after playing acoustics for the last 35+ years, I thought there was nothing sweeter than my 96 Casino I picked up a while ago.... then I find a perfect companion for blues and classic rock with a solid beautifully beat up sold mahogany body and more switches that the Hubble Space Scope..... [biggrin]

 

It truly is a fun Craigslist find that I will have no problem hanging onto for a long time. And, on top of the whole deal, I got a new luthier/tech out of the deal that lives 15 minutes or less from my house! How sweet it is!!!

 

Great videos and yes, I certainly can see the similarities. I guess Ibanez was "borrowing" designs long before the "Lawsuit Era" ever began.... :)

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I guess Ibanez was "borrowing" designs long before the "Lawsuit Era" ever began....

 

Do you know why a Japanese company has a Spanish name like Ibanez???

 

Salvador Ibáñez

From Wikipedia' date=' the free encyclopedia

 

 

Salvador Ibáñez (1854-1920) was a Spanish luthier. He made guitars, ukuleles, mandolins and other stringed instruments. These instruments were considered the finest of their age and are prized for their excellent quality and impeccable workmanship.

 

At eleven years of age Ibáñez became an apprentice in guitar construction at Calle Muela Valencia. In 1870 he started his own company: Salvador Ibáñez y Albiñara. The company was registered at Calle Cubells. Working in his shop were the ten-year-old José Ibáñez and Magdalena Albiñara y Magraner, from Ollería, Valencia. In 1896 he first appeared in the trade guides at Calle Ruzafa Valencia and from 1898 to 1906 his shop was located at Calle Bajada de San Francisco. Salvador Ibáñez made bandurrias, lutes, six and nine-string guitars and also guitars with detachable necks. In 1897 he made the world's first double-necked guitar. In the period 1915-20 Salvador Ibáñez e Hijos (Salvador Ibáñez and Sons) were located at Calle Bajada de San Francisco and at Calle Padre Rico Valencia. When he died in 1920 his workshop continued to be managed by his two sons until it was completely destroyed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) in a bloody street fight, which cost the lives of many of the personnel.

 

[b']After the Salvador Ibáñez workshop had been destroyed and with the Salvador Ibáñez guitars not being available (and very much sought after due to their excellent quality), the Japanese distributor Hoshino Gakki decided to start making Ibáñez guitars of their own after years of importing Salvador Ibáñez guitars to Japan. They purchased the trademark and started production, first naming the guitars "Ibanez Salvador" and later Ibanez which obtained great success in the 1970s and 1980s. Hoshino Gakki currently produces both acoustic and electric guitars using the Ibanez brandname but is mostly oriented to producing electric guitars.[/b]

 

Julian Bream has played a Salvador Ibáñez guitar. Eric Clapton has owned several original Salvador Ibáñez guitars, one of which was sold at a benefit auction in 1999 obtaining a final price of $42,000 USD.

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That was very interesting, Jer!

 

I knew the parent company for Ibanez was Hoshino Gakki ... in fact if you want to access Ibby information on the Guitar Center computer system, you actually enter Hishino as the vendor name. I did not, however know the history of the Ibanez name. Cool stuff ... thanks!

 

Jim

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Did I just read Ibanez used to be in Padre Rico street?

 

That's four hundred yards from my home. Awesome.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Calle+de+Juan+Llorens&daddr=Calle+del+Padre+Rico' date='+46008+Valencia,+Spain&geocode=FSVUWgIdhAX6_w%3BFXhNWgIdcw76_yk5gnaJQ09gDTGH04QHypO8Fw&hl=en&mra=ls&dirflg=w&doflg=ptm&sll=39.472504,-0.389517&sspn=0.012058,0.027874&ie=UTF8&ll=39.47203,-0.389028&spn=0.012059,0.027874&z=16

 

A closer look

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Calle+Padre+Rico+Valencia&sll=39.46012,-0.359716&sspn=0.046586,0.111494&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Calle+del+Padre+Rico,+46008+Valencia,+Comunidad+Valenciana,+Spain&ll=39.472044,-0.389028&spn=0.001447,0.003484&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.472511,-0.389499&panoid=FpmQnA6y4KkScUIu6RxnSQ&cbp=12,125.34,,1,6[/quote']

 

That is very cool, Mr.NineFingers [biggrin]

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Did I just read Ibanez used to be in Padre Rico street?

 

That's four hundred yards from my home. Awesome.

 

Very cool... & how about some more pics of your avatar geet, as it rivels the 'thread beauty' TP presented here.

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Very cool... & how about some more pics of your avatar geet' date=' as it rivels the 'thread beauty' TP presented here.

[/quote']

 

It does look cool, but I have to ask : What does one do with 8 pickups?!?!?!

resourced.jpg

 

Sheila

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This guitar is priceless imo. Very rare to find any 60's Surf guitars that have a mahogany body. I can tell by the pics that it is of higher quality than most of the guitars from this era. Good luck with it.

 

*Find the correct whammy bar or a good facsimile and then you'll really hear what this guitar was made for.

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My avatar is a Ernie Ball MusicMan Nigel Tufnel Signature.

 

No, I do not have it, nor will to. Too over the top for me.

 

 

But the OP's guitar, THAT'S a nice looking guitar. A custom job by a luthier on a vintage has to be the best guitar ever. I bet volume pots also go to eleven.

 

Congrats TP, great guitar.

 

 

Can you post some videos, so we can share the joy? [biggrin]

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My avatar is a Ernie Ball MusicMan Nigel Tufnel Signature.

 

No' date=' I do not have it, nor will to. Too over the top for me.

 

 

But the OP's guitar, THAT'S a nice looking guitar. A custom job by a luthier on a vintage has to be the best guitar ever. I bet volume pots also go to eleven.

 

Congrats TP, great guitar.

 

 

Can you post some videos, so we can share the joy? :)[/quote']

 

I can see why you might think that yellow guitar is over the top, but I for one would love to sling it over my shoulder and play "Wild Thing" on it just once! lol...........

 

Sorry, but I am not near advanced enough in computers and video recorders to post a video. I am just a guy who has played guitar for 30-35 years and has a hard enough time figuring out how to post photos! :-

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