that they never had a signature model with a Japanese player until very recently with Ichika! It's so different from any other Japanese guitar company, ESP has a crap ton of signature Japanese artists that the west doesn't even know about, and I've seen companies that still only sell guitars in Japan.
Ibanez respects their entry level customers and I will always appreciate that. An affordable Ibanez SA or RG will almost always be better than a Squire or Epiphone in the same price range.
Which is why I can't stop wondering about the %of market share...it's probably the $-volume, not the number of instruments sold; of course we all look up to Fenders and Gibsons but, just like only a handful of muslicians can actually earn serious money, so I'd expect only a handful buy the real thing. Plus the other brands ar MUCH more often more ergonomic, especially Ibanez. Third place is the least they should ever get. Another guess is, Gibson sells probably more acoustic instruments than the e-guitar/bass crowd thinks.
As a collector of vintage Ibanez. Its about time Ibanez gets the respect it deserves. I bought my gear in the 80’s , when everybody was disrespecting them. Now everyone I know wishes they have the guitars I have.
@@andrewsrea very cool, I bought up a lot of the” lawsuit” guitars in the 80’s( I’m old!) back when no one cared. I also have a lot of iceman guitars. You name I have it or have had it once.
I've been an Ibanez fanboi since 1977, and have owned over 50 Ibanez guitars. I recently bought an Ibanez Musician I owned previously for 10 years, and it's just like getting together with an old friend. As far as I'm concerned, Ibanez is number 1 in build quality. They rule!
I still have my MC400 Musician I bought new in 1978. Easy access 24 frets, neck through body, humbuckers with single coil and out of phase switching. It's a bit knocked about now, but then, so am I!
I also have an Ibanez Musician from the 80's and I'll tell you right now, it's not going anywhere but staying with papa. I love it. It's so easy to play and sounds amazing. I also like how the original artic white has turned into a now yellow pearl.
Im 48 and when I saw the Red Roadstar 2 hanging in the tiny little music store I used to go to, I knew I had to have it. The tremelo with the locking nuts told me "I'm a real players guitar" and I wound up getting it. I have played and used many different guitars over the years and Ibanez is still a real players guitar. The highest respect to everyone at Ibanez.
I love Ibanez ever since I started playing guitar. Steve Vai made me start playing guitar at 5 years old after my dad bought me Visual Sound Theories without knowing who Steve even was because it seemed like it combined classical and rock. The intro where Steve literally conducted the orchestra using his Jem was the moment that started it all for me. At the age of 10 I had my first Ibanez guitar, a 93' EX model my dad bought me spontaniously affter finding it for dirt cheap. I've had various opportunities as a child prodigy using that guitar... I kinda miss it. And now over 15 years later I am at the building stage of a guitar playing career. I experimented with many brands in my teenage years trading guitars but somehow always returned to Ibanez, and since then I just rolled with it and never looked back. Have used everything Ibanez in my professional career from their hollowbodies for anything RnB and ethnic, my AZ for most sessions, my 90's original run RGs and Sabers for heavier yet old school stuff and the extended range stuff aswell! I'm proud to say I developed my sound using Ibanez guitars :)
I really like Ibanez bass guitars! And the Talman is one of my favorite guitar shapes; the 6 string, not the bass I had no idea that Tama was part of Ibanez! I’m sort of partial to Pearl for completely arbitrary reasons
Amazing video, thanks for sharing! Although nowadays the brand name is pronounced 'I-banez' (similar to the tech giant's products), the surname it originates from is actually pronounced 'Ibá-ñez,' with the stress on the second syllable. Fun fact: in Spanish surnames, the '-ez' ending means 'son of,' so Ibáñez translates to 'Son of Iban' or 'Son of Juan'-basically, Johnson, Cheers!
In the 80s I used Ibanez Blazer and made with a many many shows. Then in the 90 came Jem Ibanez and of course I immediatelly get one. Such a nice guitar and perfect sound. Since then I´ve got some more of them but the first one, she made with me several rounds around the world, it was the queen of the house... Thank you for this very interesting video. Ibanez is a must in every guitarist collection. Wishing happy notes to everyone.
A lot of older folks in here so I'll fill the young role. I'm 26 and had my heart set on an all white Ibanez RG soon after starting to learn guitar and after a few years and trying a few different brands still my RG serves as my main guitar because it just plays so well for what I want. For anything that isn't chord heavy (99% of the music I'm into) it's just hard to beat the super thin neck, flat radius and the access to the high frets. It's a guitar I just can't see myself ever selling since it is just that good at everything it wants to do. A real focussed machine that knows what it's built for and fills that role flawlessly without making concessions to be a jack of all trades but still managing to be surprisingly versatile. And the fact that you can get something that good for very little money? It feels like cheating.
My first good guitar was a used Ibanez Destroyer 3 Phil Collin model back in 86. One of the guitars I wish I never got rid of. Had a couple of other Ibanez made guitars along the way. Now have a customized RG in my arsenal. Gotta love those necks. Rock on Ibanez
I have been a Fender strat (ONLY!!) player for the past 25 years. I had played several Ibanez guitars over the years and never really like them. Never liked the super thin, wide necks... I went to GC a couple of weeks ago Fully intending on getting a PRS or one the Sire strats. There was a Jem Jr on a stand that I picked up while waiting on help getting some guitars off the higher hangers. I put it down and played other things, but kept coming back in between each guitar to the Jr. the more I played it the more I liked it. And that's how ended up owning my first Ibanez ever!! It is so awesome!! Not sure why the neck is better that all the older ones I played, but it is very comfortable!!
Thank you for this mini documentary. Ibanez has been a company that I have been mystified by since the late 80's. God bless Ibanez for the variety of models they produce and artists roster. The Steve Vai swirl and white 7 string models with the pyramid inlays never gets old and is just such a beautiful instrument. Very cool musicians endorsed with the Ibanez brand for sure. Steve Vai, all three of the guys from Korn for so many years, Joe Satriani, Nita Strauss, Tim Henson, J Yuenger and Sean Yseult from White Zombie, Paul Stanley, Paul Gilbert, and so many more. Can I say something though please? You did say to give our thoughts about Ibanez. My comment that I am about to leave here is with all the due respect to Ibanez/Hoshino and all the artists who have been with Ibanez over the years and all employees as maintaining a company like that is a gargantuan endeavor and in so many different ways. My gripe/complaint is that I truly do not believe that it is a good business model or marketing strategy with the Ibanez/Hoshino "Custom Shop for endorsed artists ONLY" attitude. I remember contacting Ibanez back in the mid to late 2000's time period with the hopes of ordering a custom guitar that was identical to the one Mick Thomson from Slipknot was playing. Specifically, I wanted one that had those massive side rectangular position marker inlays just like he has on the models he plays aka, the "Artist Proof" issued models. His "artist/signature model" that was being sold in stores did not have that feature, ever. In fact, I remember going into God knows how many Guitar Centers and Sam Ash stores on and off over the years and seeing that Ibanez Mick Thomson model and repeatedly noticing that model only has the tiny little pin dot size position markers on the side of the neck... not the big rectangular inlays like Mick has on his guitars. At the time I was trying to make contact with Ibanez, I was truly willing to spend some major cash for a replica of what Mick has and thought and still believe to this day, those side of the neck rectangular inlays make playing easier and look great. Truly sorry for the ramble people, but the bottom line is, that for artistic, business, and reputation aspects of a musical instruments company, the same exact product (every aspect and speck) that is provided to endorsed artists, should be made available to the purchasing public. Music and guitar fans see these rock and metal Gods playing unique instruments and want the same exact thing just for collector's sake. This is why I love the EVH brand so much. Even Eddie said something about "I want the buying public to get exactly what I get." I contacted Ibanez several times over the course of a couple of years and even wrote Hoshino in Japan. After two and a half to three years of intermittent launchings of letters, I finally received a response from Ibanez that went something along the lines of > > > "The inlay spec you are asking for is exclusively for 'ENDORSED ARTISTS ONLY' and we do not offer ANY custom shop 'made-to--order' instruments available to the public."
Yes it's a shame that a "J Custom" is just a fancy production model. Since the Fender takeover, Jackson custom shop has gone a similar way, only offering production models with a fixed list of options instead of trying to offer the customer whatever they want as long as it has the Jackson or Charvel brand on the headstock.
Wonderful video lots of new info for me. I have owned a 1981 Ibanez Blazer for nearly 30 years, best playing , well made guitar I have ever owned, when I got it the finish was stripped, odd electronics put in, but over the years I have repainted it Corvette yellow with a black guard, re worked the electronics probably over a dozen ways, what it ended up being is now nearly factory set up with 3 Ibanez single coils from an 80's Roadstar, a 5 way Strat switch , with the mini toggle activating the bridge pickup for 7 sounds my favorite guitar and have owned many including Gibson Les Paul custom, Fenders, Rickenbackers, many others. This is a my favorite! Oh I forgot, I just recently bought an Ibanez GSR105, great sound, light weight, love it!
My first was an Ibanez Blazer BL550RB - got stolen In perth in 2008. I was devastated! Since then it has ignited a fetish in me for my Blazer collection, recently branching out to the Roadster and Roadstar II series with the same Blazer style headstocks. A word to the wise, always leave your most favourite guitars safely at home where your dogs are the best insurance you have to guard them, unless your roadie does so with his life. Laugh out loud
When I first looked at electric guitars, I saw a black golden Ibanez RBM10 and it was in my mind exactly what an electric guitar should be. Rushed to the store when I saw that the store was going bust, bought the RBM10 at half the price (coudn't believe my luck that no one else had bought it yet, but other people were more focused on Gibson/Fender, it seemed) and have cherished it for thirty years since :-)
Great video!!!!! Really enjoyed it! I thought I was a Fender fanatic until I picked up my first Ibanez. 5 Ibanez guitars later and growing, Ibbys are my main guitar.
I got my first Ibanez earlier this year. I got a BTB806ms which is a behemoth of a 6 string bass. While definitely more expensive than an a standard entry level bass. The fit and finish on the bass is unparalleled. It easily outshines the dingwalls that I tried when deciding on what multi-scale I wanted. I most surprised me was how playable my bass is and the same can be said of my buddy's RG. In playing both I realized how much Ibanez seems to care about giving their players a "players" guitar rather than a traditional design that hasn't been changed in decades. Ibanez rocks!
I’ve had and continue to love playing an Ibanez Destroyer II for over 40 years, despite acquiring an Epiphone Les Paul 4 years ago. It allows me a range of sounds, tones and styles that keep me intere in playing and rocking on.
What a great and detailed history lesson. I got my first guitar when i was 16, it was a ibanez 120 first gen. I really abused it and it took very good care of me. I had/have Jackson, BC, Kramer, fernandez, square but these ibanez are great workhorses that are very versatile. Im still working on getting a fender and a Gibson just to have, see and play cuz they do look beautiful to me in that style but i know ill always go back to Ibanez I would love to try ESP/LTD too
I had my first Ibanez when I was 18, present from my Auntie from Japan. 2 years ago I sent for restoration, the body paint had fainted. At this time the guitar had more than 20 years already! The guy who restored checked every detail, and came to a conclusion: no need to change the pick-ups, all electrical wires are in good condition! It was restored in Vilnius, Lithuania. This year I bought a second one, but this time an acoustic bass! Beautiful stuff!
Outstanding history video! Love seeing the primary source info from the company people and the images from the time periods of their rise and return. So well done! I can’t wait to see more! 🤘😃🎸
I have a 1977 IIbanez Concord (Gibson Humming Bird clone). This is the last year they could produce the clones due to the law suit (1977). I have had it since it was new (1977), I am 69 now and my wife bought it for me when I was about 22 . It still looks and plays like new and I couldn't be happier with it, It is a wonderful guitar that though it is considered a collectors item due to its being the last clone year, I will never sell it. Thank you Ibanez. And thank you Rob so very much for your outstanding video on Ibanez History. Your video is the best review of Ibanez I have ever had the pleasure to learn from. Please keep up the fantastic work. 8)
Same here, In 1978 saw an all black Ibanez Concord, and the red burst version (that I bought). . still have it. . . Also have a 1977 Les Paul Deluxe 59'er ( Guild heaadpiece - Root Beer Burst to gold yellow center book matched tiger stripe ) . .
@@katsu-graphics5634Those are awesome guitars, you are so lucky to have bought them. Nice Job. That Black Concord is what I have. Cool man!. I would love to see your Root Beer git, that must look great. Best Regards Mike.
I'm an ibanez bass collector and ive got basses from the late 80s early 90s that still match the playability of the new multiscale workshop models like the btb806ms and the srff806. I swear, anything thats come out of fujigen is a freaking gem.
Very nice documentary. I have continually used Ibanez since 94 owning and selling many. Ibanez is part of my life and I have not tried anything that could replace them for the same price. Brilliant people.
Great video. I’ve owned several Ibanez basses….I’ve had many SR Series, a GWB35 Fretless, now a SRH 505F. The consistency of the necks are surprisingly similar on all these basses. The overall weight is light with almost no neck dive. A very comfortable bass to play. From the entry level to high end, 👍👍👍👍👍
I remember a friend owning an RG in 1992 and trying it and being blown away how comfortable the thin neck and low action were. Later on I owned 2 different S models. Great guitars! Back in 1988 I had an RS but traded up to an Eric Clapton strat. I wish I still had both of them.
Thanks for some very interesting history. When I stared playing as a teenager back in the 1970s, Ibanez had just brought out a series of guitars that looked like Gibson's and Fenders but with details that made them look different, probably right after that lawsuit. My buddy had a really nice squire that was probably made by Ibanez, another friend had a roadstar he loved. I later had an RG550, great metal axe. They are at the top with the other great guitar companies as they make great instruments.
Fascinating back-story - I had no idea! Spain . . . wow! I bought an Ibanez Double Cut 12 String Custom in the late '80s which has a sort of coil split thing which is great. Still have it, used on a track recently for a project - great thru a Leslie! Excellent documentary vid - congratz!
Played my first Ibanez Acoustic guitar that my friend owned.. Ever since then, i have high respect for their quality and easy to barred the cords in high octaves..
Thanks for a great video, i didn`t know all the history. My first guitar was an early 70`s ibanez les paul copy (lawsuit model) i still have it today ,35 years later
My first guitar was a beautiful flame top Ibanez Les Paul copy. I still have it & it still plays as good as when I bought it, 2nd hand. Had many RGs, & a couple Roadstars.
I'm sorry for you, Fenders and Gibsons, but for the me the RG is THE eletric guitar. In fact, when I think about how an electric guitar should look like, my mind comes instantly to the Ibanez RG shape!
I got a secondhand Howling To The Moon one, but the desert finish was damaged, so I gave it a custum finish. And I shaped the body, that square look does not work for me. But the pickups, and the tuners on the "wrong side" of the headstock, and that entire guitar is very okay. Why not?
I own nine Ibanez's, one 88' JEM and the others are Fugi RG's of different models and they are all different. Love all of them along with my two Fender Strats and one Gibson LP. Great video by the way!!
I have many guitars, including 3 Martins (1963 D-28 and a 000-16), I also have an Ibanez AVC9-OPN. The Ibanez was a low price guitar...BUT it came with the greatest "out-of-the-box" setup I've ever seen on a guitar. It was absolutely perfect. The tone of this guitar (it's mahogany) was unreal. Ibanez gets an A+ for this one, I love it! I've had it for several years and I play it almost every day.
My first Ibanez, 1983 Roadstar. I have several now. Rg550s are the best ever made. I dragged out that Roadstar recently and it has unbelievable action still. The neck is the same as the day I bought it.
Every Ibanez I have ever owned has had a Unique tonal quality that you cant find with gibson, fender or Gretch, A MUST have for sound chasers. I will never be without an Ibanez.
I owned an Made in Japan RG in the 1990s and I own a RG565 and a 1995 Blazer BL300, both Made in Japan. They are all great instruments. The new RG565 played great out of the box, no setup needed.
Fantastic video, I learned a lot about the guitars history and I’ve never owned an Ibanez, but I am considering looking into it now because of this video.
Ive always loved the feel and ability to achieve low action on all my Ibanez guitars. I had a S series with the Z tremolo, best design ever, never lost tuning. I now play and 8string RG and have never looked back. I use my own tuning. Hope to have my own model some day 😊
I had a Sears Silvertone in 1974 until I was good enough for an Ibanez Les Paul "copy" I bought used in an Atlanta music store in 1976. Do not remember what happened to it but 50+ guitars later, I wish I had that one back! It was a wonderful instrument.
I have an Ibanez baritone. I love it. Affordable, good tone. I have medium range voice. It allows me to sing songs as originally played and not sound pitchy or straining vocally. As a soloist the low end of the guitar sounds cool especially singing through a harmonizer amp
Rob you know you're kind of awesome, right? I mean great covers, great history vids...oh, and you're a sweetheart who cares a lot about people who've inspired you. The world's a lot better for having you in it, man. My first real guitar was a cheap Ibanez that sounded great despite only costing me $80 (around $160 in today's money). I miss that guitar. I still have an early 80's Ibanez Gax 70 I've had since '98.
you're too kind!! i'm so glad you get some enjoyment of the stuff i've been making. that's super rad, the gax's have a cool shape. thank you for watching and for sharing!!
Great documentary! I had a lawsuit era LP that was a great instrument but I stuck with mostly Gibson & Fender for 20 years. I picked up a JS1000 at a music store in 1997 and fell in love immediately and I've been an Ibanez player ever since. I'm not much of an RG fan but I think the S series are the perfect combination of playability, tone and weight. I can play standing for hours without feeling fatigued and there's really no music genre that they can't cover.
My 1991 RG550 is my main player and not to brag but I have several expensive custom shop guitars in my collection. That just shows you how much I love the Ibanez RG550! 😎
Medley Music was the closest big music store to me. It was a slice of music heaven. I bought so many things there and the old Ibanez Blazer that I have came from there.
My older brother has one of the original Destroyer models, circa 1977, it keeps going up and up in value. it's a testimony to their quality if build, I still tell my friends that it is one of the best guitars I ever have played. Guess EVH was one of its first players.
Привет! Я из России и у меня есть 4 Ibanez, rg 1550, rg 2570 , rg XXV made in Indonesia и AZ 242 BC made in Indonesia, так вот, для меня это лучшие гитары. Мечтаю иметь ещё rg 550. С удовольствием посмотрел вашу передачу и почерпнул воодушевляющую информацию! Спасибо Вам за такой подробный рассказ! Всем добра и удачи!!!
I love the feel of the Ibanez necks on their Super Strats. They started off copying Gibson and Fender, but I have a 1989 Squier Super Strat that is a copy of an Ibanez. It has a Floyd, the same thin body shape with the shaper horns, a really thin neck and a pointy headstock. It only has 22 frets, but it still was Fenders way to try to tap into the same market as Ibanez.
Truly amazing video... I love this brand with all my heart, and the more I know about them, the more I fall in love with them. I've been using their guitars since forever, my first own electric guitar was an Ibanez GIO S, I still have it, and I would've never gotten myself involved in this electric guitar world if it wasn't for that guitar. I've tried many brands throughout the years, but none of them work as well for me as an Ibanez, and that's why I know I would've quit guitar playing if it wasn't for Ibanez. I wonder how they came up with that RG headstock though (and yes, I love that as well)
I'm a professional Blues player. I own Gibson, Gretsch and Fender. But my favorite is my affordable AF55 tobacco Ibanez. So light and smooth to play.. plus looks pretty cool ;)
I love Ibanez guitars. I remember when I was young and saw a JEM Vai floral at the local guitar store in Umeå /Sweden and I was blown away, It was 1988/89 I think? I just couldn't get that guitar out of my mind and cant still. But now of course they are very rare and expensive. Also the Artist series are unbelievable craftmanship. They have everything right. My dream is to own a VAI floral and a Satriani JS chrome, and a Artist one!
Great video. It explains why I was able to buy my Steve Lukather - Roadstar II at such a reasonable price in 1984, Although I have owned several other guitars over the years, this guitar is still my favorite and most played guitar.
The AS 200 semiacoustic I bought in 1981 is still my go to guitar for humbucker sounds. Everything from jazz to heavy rock, it does it all. Recently refretted and converted to 50s wiring it became even better! No wonder Scofield still plays his.
My first "good" electric guitar was an Ibanez 2342 in black with gold hardware, it also sported the name "Deluxe 59er" on the headstock. It was a Les Paul style, single cutaway guitar with two humbuckers and a bolt-on neck. It was actually a very good guitar and I really should have kept it, but I sold it to a friend to buy another guitar. I have had several other Ibanez guitars since and I currently own a, AS-93 which is probably the best Ibanez I've ever owned.
I love my AS93. Sold off my Gibson SG for being redundant after I got my Ibby. A Roadstar II was almost my first good guitar back in 1984, too. They combine quality, tone, and value.
ibanez really did a great job in rebranding. i remember in high school they were known to be the nerd sticks. teaming up with polyphia, chon, tosin was the turning point in making them more open to casuals
In the 90s, Ibanez was the rockstar guitar to me and friends, all good metal and rock dudes were playing one. Gibson was the old uncle guitar lol. How time changes.
@@Sewersyrup Yeah they always had that virtuoso vibes. i think around guitar hero, gibson was known for the rock star vibes. around that time only my dragonforce friends knew what ibanez was
Bought my first Ibanez guitar (Flying V) in 1974. Still got it and still use it :) A few years back I also bought an AR300 - love the sound of both of them :)
I traded in a 1984 Explorer for a new Ibanez RHH-540 in 1989 and it's still my favorite. With the exception of the pickups the specs are the same as Satriani's signature model which was launched shortly after I bought it. It is the most comfortable guitar ever and sounds amazing.
Super cool. Thanks. As someone that owns a variety of mid/high end superstrats including several Ibanez, one thing that stands out about Ibanez is how thin the necks are on their better guitars. I tend to prefer the Ibanez "shred" thin necks over all others. I got famous and had to pick someone to endorse, it'd be Ibanez - their history of sexy superstrats and stable of endorsees is unmatched.
My first guitar, that I got in 2001, was an entry level Ibanez... when I really wanted a K7 haha. But this was an awesome video and deep dive into the company, I never knew anything about their history.
I have a prestige from 2004 RG2570. What is really amazing about this guitar is the build quality! It is still one of the best guitars I have played and I have owned (and still own). Changed the pickups twice on it. I use a Bareknuckes Blackhawks set but kept the original single coil which I believe sounds so good and unique
![EVERYTHING I wish I knew before starting guitar [as an adult]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_aVU8PWbG5o/mqdefault.jpg)
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What's something about Ibanez you find interesting?
Ummm uhhh ummm ahhhh
that they never had a signature model with a Japanese player until very recently with Ichika!
It's so different from any other Japanese guitar company, ESP has a crap ton of signature Japanese artists that the west doesn't even know about, and I've seen companies that still only sell guitars in Japan.
If you reverse the Ibanez name it becomes Zenabi which in Japanese means "a random Spanish name in reverse"
@@RobTai guitar shopping in Japan, I didn't see many ibanez guitars. Much more ESP/Edwards. Ibanez seem to be much more prominent in the UK 🤔
For me there is nothing interesting about Ibanez guitars themselves but the history was very interesting, thanks for the video.
Ibanez respects their entry level customers and I will always appreciate that. An affordable Ibanez SA or RG will almost always be better than a Squire or Epiphone in the same price range.
Which is why I can't stop wondering about the %of market share...it's probably the $-volume, not the number of instruments sold; of course we all look up to Fenders and Gibsons but, just like only a handful of muslicians can actually earn serious money, so I'd expect only a handful buy the real thing. Plus the other brands ar MUCH more often more ergonomic, especially Ibanez. Third place is the least they should ever get. Another guess is, Gibson sells probably more acoustic instruments than the e-guitar/bass crowd thinks.
@@cookieninja9712It's not just "musicians" that buy guitars. I would speculate that most guitars are owned by hobbyists or a collectors.
..... Yamaha's are great in this zone as well. FG800 and Pacifica are great
@@cookieninja9712idk in the USA, but in Indonesia, RG and Jem are everywhere. I believe Jem is the most copied guitar in Indonesia.
My jemjr is about on par in quality with my prs se 245 I prefer the jemjr cause satin neck
As a collector of vintage Ibanez. Its about time Ibanez gets the respect it deserves. I bought my gear in the 80’s , when everybody was disrespecting them. Now everyone I know wishes they have the guitars I have.
Me too. I’m a Blazer 550 and Roadster and Roadstar collector. Absolutely love them.
@@brian-lord cool!
I have a 1974 2402 Double neck and a 1985 AM70 Semi Hollow which are timeless, and I love playing them.
@@andrewsrea very cool, I bought up a lot of the” lawsuit” guitars in the 80’s( I’m old!)
back when no one cared. I also have a lot of iceman guitars. You name I have it or have had it once.
@@buzzedalldrink9131 I had a 1978 IC100WH, that i bought new with a HSC, to which I wish I had back!
Ibanez we’re never on my list of wanted guitars but my wife got me a RG for Xmas and it’s now my most played guitar. I love it
I wish someone gifts me a RG. I am playing Sire
Got my first Ibanez for Christmas 1963…a light blue S style guitar with four single coils. It was $129 with case. Still have it!
Congratulations on creating a top notch / pro doc that is riveting to watch. Well done!!
i'm so glad you enjoyed it dwayne thank you!!
@@RobTai ditto. Great job. I learnt a lot from you and I’ve been an Ibanez fanboy and collector since 1983.
This was excellent !
I've been an Ibanez fanboi since 1977, and have owned over 50 Ibanez guitars. I recently bought an Ibanez Musician I owned previously for 10 years, and it's just like getting together with an old friend. As far as I'm concerned, Ibanez is number 1 in build quality. They rule!
I still have my MC400 Musician I bought new in 1978. Easy access 24 frets, neck through body, humbuckers with single coil and out of phase switching. It's a bit knocked about now, but then, so am I!
Amen! I am a luthier.
I also have an Ibanez Musician from the 80's and I'll tell you right now, it's not going anywhere but staying with papa. I love it. It's so easy to play and sounds amazing. I also like how the original artic white has turned into a now yellow pearl.
Ibanez Flying V was my first electric and it’s a beauty 😮
Im 48 and when I saw the Red
Roadstar 2 hanging in the tiny little music store I used to go to, I knew I had to have it. The tremelo with the locking nuts told me "I'm a real players guitar" and I wound up getting it. I have played and used many different guitars over the years and Ibanez is still a real players guitar. The highest respect to everyone at Ibanez.
I have owned 37 guitars of all different types and manufacturers and my favorite is my Ibanez S series I got in 1984.
I have one as well, an amazing guitar.
I love Ibanez ever since I started playing guitar. Steve Vai made me start playing guitar at 5 years old after my dad bought me Visual Sound Theories without knowing who Steve even was because it seemed like it combined classical and rock. The intro where Steve literally conducted the orchestra using his Jem was the moment that started it all for me.
At the age of 10 I had my first Ibanez guitar, a 93' EX model my dad bought me spontaniously affter finding it for dirt cheap. I've had various opportunities as a child prodigy using that guitar... I kinda miss it.
And now over 15 years later I am at the building stage of a guitar playing career. I experimented with many brands in my teenage years trading guitars but somehow always returned to Ibanez, and since then I just rolled with it and never looked back. Have used everything Ibanez in my professional career from their hollowbodies for anything RnB and ethnic, my AZ for most sessions, my 90's original run RGs and Sabers for heavier yet old school stuff and the extended range stuff aswell! I'm proud to say I developed my sound using Ibanez guitars :)
that's such an awesome story.. thanks for sharing!!
I really like Ibanez bass guitars! And the Talman is one of my favorite guitar shapes; the 6 string, not the bass
I had no idea that Tama was part of Ibanez! I’m sort of partial to Pearl for completely arbitrary reasons
I owned several Ibanez basses, they are wonderful especially SR's. But I always wondered about their name. Thanks for clearing that up.
I have an Ibanez sound gear bass guitar and its just frickin amazing !!!! The feel and action !!! Chef's Kiss !!! Love that guitar ....
Amazing video, thanks for sharing! Although nowadays the brand name is pronounced 'I-banez' (similar to the tech giant's products), the surname it originates from is actually pronounced 'Ibá-ñez,' with the stress on the second syllable. Fun fact: in Spanish surnames, the '-ez' ending means 'son of,' so Ibáñez translates to 'Son of Iban' or 'Son of Juan'-basically, Johnson, Cheers!
Benson
Muy interesante 👍
This is an excellent video. Both in production and especially content. Great work!
thanks so much!!
In the 80s I used Ibanez Blazer and made with a many many shows. Then in the 90 came Jem Ibanez and of course I immediatelly get one. Such a nice guitar and perfect sound. Since then I´ve got some more of them but the first one, she made with me several rounds around the world, it was the queen of the house... Thank you for this very interesting video. Ibanez is a must in every guitarist collection. Wishing happy notes to everyone.
A lot of older folks in here so I'll fill the young role. I'm 26 and had my heart set on an all white Ibanez RG soon after starting to learn guitar and after a few years and trying a few different brands still my RG serves as my main guitar because it just plays so well for what I want. For anything that isn't chord heavy (99% of the music I'm into) it's just hard to beat the super thin neck, flat radius and the access to the high frets.
It's a guitar I just can't see myself ever selling since it is just that good at everything it wants to do. A real focussed machine that knows what it's built for and fills that role flawlessly without making concessions to be a jack of all trades but still managing to be surprisingly versatile. And the fact that you can get something that good for very little money? It feels like cheating.
My first good guitar was a used Ibanez Destroyer 3 Phil Collin model back in 86. One of the guitars I wish I never got rid of. Had a couple of other Ibanez made guitars along the way. Now have a customized RG in my arsenal. Gotta love those necks. Rock on Ibanez
I have been a Fender strat (ONLY!!) player for the past 25 years. I had played several Ibanez guitars over the years and never really like them. Never liked the super thin, wide necks... I went to GC a couple of weeks ago Fully intending on getting a PRS or one the Sire strats. There was a Jem Jr on a stand that I picked up while waiting on help getting some guitars off the higher hangers. I put it down and played other things, but kept coming back in between each guitar to the Jr. the more I played it the more I liked it. And that's how ended up owning my first Ibanez ever!! It is so awesome!! Not sure why the neck is better that all the older ones I played, but it is very comfortable!!
I have a gem junior as well
Absolutely LOVE IT
You might consider that AZ line as well. I believe they are on the more premium end and have necks closer to what you'd see on your typical Fender.
@@SaintKines yea the AZ necks are quite thick and feel really nice
Thank you for this mini documentary. Ibanez has been a company that I have been mystified by since the late 80's. God bless Ibanez for the variety of models they produce and artists roster. The Steve Vai swirl and white 7 string models with the pyramid inlays never gets old and is just such a beautiful instrument.
Very cool musicians endorsed with the Ibanez brand for sure. Steve Vai, all three of the guys from Korn for so many years, Joe Satriani, Nita Strauss, Tim Henson, J Yuenger and Sean Yseult from White Zombie, Paul Stanley, Paul Gilbert, and so many more.
Can I say something though please? You did say to give our thoughts about Ibanez. My comment that I am about to leave here is with all the due respect to Ibanez/Hoshino and all the artists who have been with Ibanez over the years and all employees as maintaining a company like that is a gargantuan endeavor and in so many different ways.
My gripe/complaint is that I truly do not believe that it is a good business model or marketing strategy with the Ibanez/Hoshino "Custom Shop for endorsed artists ONLY" attitude.
I remember contacting Ibanez back in the mid to late 2000's time period with the hopes of ordering a custom guitar that was identical to the one Mick Thomson from Slipknot was playing. Specifically, I wanted one that had those massive side rectangular position marker inlays just like he has on the models he plays aka, the "Artist Proof" issued models.
His "artist/signature model" that was being sold in stores did not have that feature, ever. In fact, I remember going into God knows how many Guitar Centers and Sam Ash stores on and off over the years and seeing that Ibanez Mick Thomson model and repeatedly noticing that model only has the tiny little pin dot size position markers on the side of the neck... not the big rectangular inlays like Mick has on his guitars.
At the time I was trying to make contact with Ibanez, I was truly willing to spend some major cash for a replica of what Mick has and thought and still believe to this day, those side of the neck rectangular inlays make playing easier and look great.
Truly sorry for the ramble people, but the bottom line is, that for artistic, business, and reputation aspects of a musical instruments company, the same exact product (every aspect and speck) that is provided to endorsed artists, should be made available to the purchasing public.
Music and guitar fans see these rock and metal Gods playing unique instruments and want the same exact thing just for collector's sake. This is why I love the EVH brand so much. Even Eddie said something about "I want the buying public to get exactly what I get."
I contacted Ibanez several times over the course of a couple of years and even wrote Hoshino in Japan. After two and a half to three years of intermittent launchings of letters, I finally received a response from Ibanez that went something along the lines of > > >
"The inlay spec you are asking for is exclusively for 'ENDORSED ARTISTS ONLY' and we do not offer ANY custom shop 'made-to--order' instruments available to the public."
Yes it's a shame that a "J Custom" is just a fancy production model.
Since the Fender takeover, Jackson custom shop has gone a similar way, only offering production models with a fixed list of options instead of trying to offer the customer whatever they want as long as it has the Jackson or Charvel brand on the headstock.
Rob, you did a great job on this video! Well done!
Wonderful video lots of new info for me.
I have owned a 1981 Ibanez Blazer for nearly 30 years, best playing , well made guitar I have ever owned, when I got it the finish was stripped, odd electronics put in, but over the years I have repainted it Corvette yellow with a black guard, re worked the electronics probably over a dozen ways, what it ended up being is now nearly factory set up with 3 Ibanez single coils from an 80's Roadstar, a 5 way Strat switch , with the mini toggle activating the bridge pickup for 7 sounds my favorite guitar and have owned many including Gibson Les Paul custom, Fenders, Rickenbackers, many others. This is a my favorite!
Oh I forgot, I just recently bought an Ibanez GSR105, great sound, light weight, love it!
My first was an Ibanez Blazer BL550RB - got stolen In perth in 2008. I was devastated! Since then it has ignited a fetish in me for my Blazer collection, recently branching out to the Roadster and Roadstar II series with the same Blazer style headstocks. A word to the wise, always leave your most favourite guitars safely at home where your dogs are the best insurance you have to guard them, unless your roadie does so with his life. Laugh out loud
When I first looked at electric guitars, I saw a black golden Ibanez RBM10 and it was in my mind exactly what an electric guitar should be. Rushed to the store when I saw that the store was going bust, bought the RBM10 at half the price (coudn't believe my luck that no one else had bought it yet, but other people were more focused on Gibson/Fender, it seemed) and have cherished it for thirty years since :-)
haha awesome story!!
Great video!!!!! Really enjoyed it! I thought I was a Fender fanatic until I picked up my first Ibanez. 5 Ibanez guitars later and growing, Ibbys are my main guitar.
I got my first Ibanez earlier this year. I got a BTB806ms which is a behemoth of a 6 string bass. While definitely more expensive than an a standard entry level bass. The fit and finish on the bass is unparalleled. It easily outshines the dingwalls that I tried when deciding on what multi-scale I wanted. I most surprised me was how playable my bass is and the same can be said of my buddy's RG. In playing both I realized how much Ibanez seems to care about giving their players a "players" guitar rather than a traditional design that hasn't been changed in decades. Ibanez rocks!
GREAT video❣
Really well done! Love the new AZ series guitars from Ibanez
I’ve had and continue to love playing an Ibanez Destroyer II for over 40 years, despite acquiring an Epiphone Les Paul 4 years ago. It allows me a range of sounds, tones and styles that keep me intere in playing and rocking on.
I’ve been playing Ibanez since I was a kid in the 90s and still love them today. Currently I own 3 Soundgear basses. 💖
What a great and detailed history lesson. I got my first guitar when i was 16, it was a ibanez 120 first gen. I really abused it and it took very good care of me. I had/have Jackson, BC, Kramer, fernandez, square but these ibanez are great workhorses that are very versatile.
Im still working on getting a fender and a Gibson just to have, see and play cuz they do look beautiful to me in that style but i know ill always go back to Ibanez
I would love to try ESP/LTD too
This was a brailliant video - thankyou for your work - I really enjoyed this so much.
I had my first Ibanez when I was 18, present from my Auntie from Japan. 2 years ago I sent for restoration, the body paint had fainted. At this time the guitar had more than 20 years already! The guy who restored checked every detail, and came to a conclusion: no need to change the pick-ups, all electrical wires are in good condition! It was restored in Vilnius, Lithuania.
This year I bought a second one, but this time an acoustic bass! Beautiful stuff!
Outstanding history video! Love seeing the primary source info from the company people and the images from the time periods of their rise and return. So well done! I can’t wait to see more! 🤘😃🎸
I have a 1977 IIbanez Concord (Gibson Humming Bird clone). This is the last year they could produce the clones due to the law suit (1977). I have had it since it was new (1977), I am 69 now and my wife bought it for me when I was about 22 . It still looks and plays like new and I couldn't be happier with it, It is a wonderful guitar that though it is considered a collectors item due to its being the last clone year, I will never sell it. Thank you Ibanez. And thank you Rob so very much for your outstanding video on Ibanez History. Your video is the best review of Ibanez I have ever had the pleasure to learn from. Please keep up the fantastic work. 8)
Same here, In 1978 saw an all black Ibanez Concord, and the red burst version (that I bought). . still have it. . . Also have a 1977 Les Paul Deluxe 59'er ( Guild heaadpiece - Root Beer Burst to gold yellow center book matched tiger stripe ) . .
@@katsu-graphics5634Those are awesome guitars, you are so lucky to have bought them. Nice Job. That Black Concord is what I have. Cool man!. I would love to see your Root Beer git, that must look great. Best Regards Mike.
I didn't know any of that really cool video. I have a 1981 Destroyer I got in 1983 still have it and it is amazing. The quality is next level.
I'm an ibanez bass collector and ive got basses from the late 80s early 90s that still match the playability of the new multiscale workshop models like the btb806ms and the srff806. I swear, anything thats come out of fujigen is a freaking gem.
Very nice documentary. I have continually used Ibanez since 94 owning and selling many. Ibanez is part of my life and I have not tried anything that could replace them for the same price. Brilliant people.
This was much better than I was expecting... Thank you @RobTai
Great video. I’ve owned several Ibanez basses….I’ve had many SR Series, a GWB35 Fretless, now a SRH 505F. The consistency of the necks are surprisingly similar on all these basses. The overall weight is light with almost no neck dive. A very comfortable bass to play.
From the entry level to high end, 👍👍👍👍👍
I remember a friend owning an RG in 1992 and trying it and being blown away how comfortable the thin neck and low action were. Later on I owned 2 different S models. Great guitars! Back in 1988 I had an RS but traded up to an Eric Clapton strat. I wish I still had both of them.
Thanks for some very interesting history. When I stared playing as a teenager back in the 1970s, Ibanez had just brought out a series of guitars that looked like Gibson's and Fenders but with details that made them look different, probably right after that lawsuit. My buddy had a really nice squire that was probably made by Ibanez, another friend had a roadstar he loved. I later had an RG550, great metal axe. They are at the top with the other great guitar companies as they make great instruments.
Fascinating back-story - I had no idea! Spain . . . wow! I bought an Ibanez Double Cut 12 String Custom in the late '80s which has a sort of coil split thing which is great. Still have it, used on a track recently for a project - great thru a Leslie! Excellent documentary vid - congratz!
The quality, pricing and availability of left-handed models have led me to lean more towards Ibanez recently
My dad had a mid 70’s ibanez les paul and a double neck, loved them both.
Played my first Ibanez Acoustic guitar that my friend owned.. Ever since then, i have high respect for their quality and easy to barred the cords in high octaves..
The craftsmanship on their instruments made by Fujigen is amazing. My ‘98 AR2000vv is a perfect instrument in every way.
Thanks for a great video, i didn`t know all the history. My first guitar was an early 70`s ibanez les paul copy (lawsuit model) i still have it today ,35 years later
Great video. Goodly done!
My first guitar was a beautiful flame top Ibanez Les Paul copy. I still have it & it still plays as good as when I bought it, 2nd hand. Had many RGs, & a couple Roadstars.
The Ibanez AZ model is a masterpiece. I've pre-order the first one a few years back, and works flawlessly still today.
I'm sorry for you, Fenders and Gibsons, but for the me the RG is THE eletric guitar.
In fact, when I think about how an electric guitar should look like, my mind comes instantly to the Ibanez RG shape!
I got a secondhand Howling To The Moon one, but the desert finish was damaged, so I gave it a custum finish. And I shaped the body, that square look does not work for me. But the pickups, and the tuners on the "wrong side" of the headstock, and that entire guitar is very okay. Why not?
I own nine Ibanez's, one 88' JEM and the others are Fugi RG's of different models and they are all different. Love all of them along with my two Fender Strats and one Gibson LP. Great video by the way!!
I have many guitars, including 3 Martins (1963 D-28 and a 000-16), I also have an Ibanez AVC9-OPN. The Ibanez was a low price guitar...BUT it came with the greatest
"out-of-the-box" setup I've ever seen on a guitar. It was absolutely perfect. The tone of this guitar (it's mahogany) was unreal. Ibanez gets an A+ for this one,
I love it! I've had it for several years and I play it almost every day.
My first Ibanez, 1983 Roadstar. I have several now. Rg550s are the best ever made. I dragged out that Roadstar recently and it has unbelievable action still. The neck is the same as the day I bought it.
Every Ibanez I have ever owned has had a Unique tonal quality that you cant find with gibson, fender or Gretch, A MUST have for sound chasers. I will never be without an Ibanez.
I owned an Made in Japan RG in the 1990s and I own a RG565 and a 1995 Blazer BL300, both Made in Japan. They are all great instruments.
The new RG565 played great out of the box, no setup needed.
Very well done!!
Great video man! I had an Ibanez Blazer in 1986, loved the Super 57 pickups which screamed!
Fantastic video, I learned a lot about the guitars history and I’ve never owned an Ibanez, but I am considering looking into it now because of this video.
Ive always loved the feel and ability to achieve low action on all my Ibanez guitars. I had a S series with the Z tremolo, best design ever, never lost tuning. I now play and 8string RG and have never looked back. I use my own tuning. Hope to have my own model some day 😊
I was in Okinawa in 1988, and the local guitar shop outside of Kadena AFB had the tricked-out JEM. I was in love at first sight.
Awesome video, great work! Thanks for making this! 🤘
I had a Sears Silvertone in 1974 until I was good enough for an Ibanez Les Paul "copy" I bought used in an Atlanta music store in 1976. Do not remember what happened to it but 50+ guitars later, I wish I had that one back! It was a wonderful instrument.
I have an Ibanez baritone. I love it. Affordable, good tone. I have medium range voice. It allows me to sing songs as originally played and not sound pitchy or straining vocally. As a soloist the low end of the guitar sounds cool especially singing through a harmonizer amp
Rob you know you're kind of awesome, right? I mean great covers, great history vids...oh, and you're a sweetheart who cares a lot about people who've inspired you. The world's a lot better for having you in it, man. My first real guitar was a cheap Ibanez that sounded great despite only costing me $80 (around $160 in today's money). I miss that guitar. I still have an early 80's Ibanez Gax 70 I've had since '98.
you're too kind!! i'm so glad you get some enjoyment of the stuff i've been making.
that's super rad, the gax's have a cool shape. thank you for watching and for sharing!!
lot of great facts! from the TS9 to the ue 400 rack unit, they rock! great company and legacy.
I forgot all about the Tube Screamer, I have one on my board, as does every one else, lol. I would expect their guitars to be top shelf.
Great documentary!
I had a lawsuit era LP that was a great instrument but I stuck with mostly Gibson & Fender for 20 years. I picked up a JS1000 at a music store in 1997 and fell in love immediately and I've been an Ibanez player ever since. I'm not much of an RG fan but I think the S series are the perfect combination of playability, tone and weight. I can play standing for hours without feeling fatigued and there's really no music genre that they can't cover.
1991 dx770, JS100, RG450 and a Jem, yeah I am a huge fan
My 1991 RG550 is my main player and not to brag but I have several expensive custom shop guitars in my collection. That just shows you how much I love the Ibanez RG550! 😎
Medley Music was the closest big music store to me. It was a slice of music heaven. I bought so many things there and the old Ibanez Blazer that I have came from there.
My older brother has one of the original Destroyer models, circa 1977, it keeps going up and up in value. it's a testimony to their quality if build, I still tell my friends that it is one of the best guitars I ever have played. Guess EVH was one of its first players.
Ibanez makes terrific guitars. I have 2.
Привет! Я из России и у меня есть 4 Ibanez, rg 1550, rg 2570 , rg XXV made in Indonesia и AZ 242 BC made in Indonesia, так вот, для меня это лучшие гитары. Мечтаю иметь ещё rg 550. С удовольствием посмотрел вашу передачу и почерпнул воодушевляющую информацию! Спасибо Вам за такой подробный рассказ! Всем добра и удачи!!!
The RG550 is what got me into Ibanez and ive owned dozens over 20 years now
I love the feel of the Ibanez necks on their Super Strats. They started off copying Gibson and Fender, but I have a 1989 Squier Super Strat that is a copy of an Ibanez. It has a Floyd, the same thin body shape with the shaper horns, a really thin neck and a pointy headstock. It only has 22 frets, but it still was Fenders way to try to tap into the same market as Ibanez.
Truly amazing video... I love this brand with all my heart, and the more I know about them, the more I fall in love with them. I've been using their guitars since forever, my first own electric guitar was an Ibanez GIO S, I still have it, and I would've never gotten myself involved in this electric guitar world if it wasn't for that guitar. I've tried many brands throughout the years, but none of them work as well for me as an Ibanez, and that's why I know I would've quit guitar playing if it wasn't for Ibanez. I wonder how they came up with that RG headstock though (and yes, I love that as well)
Nicely done, Rob! Really enjoyed this!
Great video. Thanks for putting much effort and time for doign that. For me as a Ibanez fan, it means lot. Peaceee
7:25 - OMG! An S-1. My first "good" guitar! I played that thing for years!
I'm a professional Blues player. I own Gibson, Gretsch and Fender. But my favorite is my affordable AF55 tobacco Ibanez. So light and smooth to play.. plus looks pretty cool ;)
I love Ibanez guitars. I remember when I was young and saw a JEM Vai floral at the local guitar store in Umeå /Sweden and I was blown away, It was 1988/89 I think? I just couldn't get that guitar out of my mind and cant still. But now of course they are very rare and expensive. Also the Artist series are unbelievable craftmanship. They have everything right. My dream is to own a VAI floral and a Satriani JS chrome, and a Artist one!
Great work Rob, enjoyable vid.
love Ibanez..i have 2 sabers 88 and 92 models and they are only guitars that i can play with confidence not to get out of tune.they are amazing
Great video. It explains why I was able to buy my Steve Lukather - Roadstar II at such a reasonable price in 1984, Although I have owned several other guitars over the years, this guitar is still my favorite and most played guitar.
The band that made me want to get an Ibanez was Chon, and I was so hyped when both of the guitar players got their own signature guitars
The AS 200 semiacoustic I bought in 1981 is still my go to guitar for humbucker sounds. Everything from jazz to heavy rock, it does it all. Recently refretted and converted to 50s wiring it became even better! No wonder Scofield still plays his.
I have a JEM BRMR , such a wonderful guitar that never goes out of tune. and its a pleasure to play.
My first "good" electric guitar was an Ibanez 2342 in black with gold hardware, it also sported the name "Deluxe 59er" on the headstock. It was a Les Paul style, single cutaway guitar with two humbuckers and a bolt-on neck. It was actually a very good guitar and I really should have kept it, but I sold it to a friend to buy another guitar. I have had several other Ibanez guitars since and I currently own a, AS-93 which is probably the best Ibanez I've ever owned.
I love my AS93. Sold off my Gibson SG for being redundant after I got my Ibby.
A Roadstar II was almost my first good guitar back in 1984, too.
They combine quality, tone, and value.
ibanez really did a great job in rebranding. i remember in high school they were known to be the nerd sticks. teaming up with polyphia, chon, tosin was the turning point in making them more open to casuals
In the 90s, Ibanez was the rockstar guitar to me and friends, all good metal and rock dudes were playing one.
Gibson was the old uncle guitar lol.
How time changes.
@@Sewersyrup Yeah they always had that virtuoso vibes. i think around guitar hero, gibson was known for the rock star vibes. around that time only my dragonforce friends knew what ibanez was
Great Report ! Thank you for posting.
Bought my first Ibanez guitar (Flying V) in 1974. Still got it and still use it :) A few years back I also bought an AR300 - love the sound of both of them :)
I traded in a 1984 Explorer for a new Ibanez RHH-540 in 1989 and it's still my favorite. With the exception of the pickups the specs are the same as Satriani's signature model which was launched shortly after I bought it. It is the most comfortable guitar ever and sounds amazing.
They're huge. Love Ibanez. They're the most versatile instruments period
I atm don't have an Ibanez, but I'm such a huge fanboy as most of fav guitarists played or play an Ibanez. This was so fun to watch.
so glad you enjoyed!! wonder which ibanez model you'll get eventually haha
Super cool. Thanks.
As someone that owns a variety of mid/high end superstrats including several Ibanez, one thing that stands out about Ibanez is how thin the necks are on their better guitars. I tend to prefer the Ibanez "shred" thin necks over all others.
I got famous and had to pick someone to endorse, it'd be Ibanez - their history of sexy superstrats and stable of endorsees is unmatched.
My first guitar, that I got in 2001, was an entry level Ibanez... when I really wanted a K7 haha. But this was an awesome video and deep dive into the company, I never knew anything about their history.
Love my 1984 Ibanez Roadster II guitar in yellow. Still plays and sounds awesome.
Still got my candy apple red Ibanez blazer hardtail; 1982 (left-handed to boot) my first ever quality- built guitar
The 80s Ibanez Roadstar guitars are so awesome! Great build quality.
I have a prestige from 2004 RG2570. What is really amazing about this guitar is the build quality! It is still one of the best guitars I have played and I have owned (and still own). Changed the pickups twice on it. I use a Bareknuckes Blackhawks set but kept the original single coil which I believe sounds so good and unique
My first pick for bass.
Versatile, challenging and beautiful.. with awesome tones for half of the prices of "heavier" basses.