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An Ibanez if I remember correctly.

It's horrible.

Billy Joe plays one really similar.



That's you, that is, James.

Ignore Mike, this is you:



... which also explains your heroin post a few weeks back.

I don't get it. He wanted a single neck pickup hollowbody archtop guitar and bought this?

It's pretty much exactly none of those things.

... and yet better, in every way. I even like the burst, in a so-bad-it's-good way.

I prefer it too like, I hate those big boxy guitars. They're for Rockabilly Saps.

You gotta realise he has been after a GS for a while. Like I am he was just waiting for the right one to appear

You just said it was an Ibanez, not a Gordon Smith?

ooo i like.
those knobs look bloody awful though, get shot of them and it's lovely.

quite a change of pace from the archtop though :/

i quite like those, considered something similar myself a while back.

Mike wrote:You just said it was an Ibanez, not a Gordon Smith?

It is an Ibanez. But its pretty much what a GS is. Both me and James wanted one because of the way it looks and because they are decent guitars. He saw this one come up in a time when there weren't man GS2s appearing on eBay.

I had two possible plans.

- Sell my Mustang and archtop, and use the money to buy a great archtop. Leaving me with the rob(og) custom as my only solidbody guitar, and a great archtop. Just two quality guitars.

- Sell the Mustang and buy a more gibson like solid body. Maybe a Jap Les Paul or a les paul junior, or even that inevitable Gordon Smith. That would leave me with the rob(og) custom as my main solidbody, another as an alternative/backup and the archtop I already have.

I was considering the first plan, and then I realised that for now I can't really stretch to the archtop and I need to spend some time playing a lot of them to find out what I really want. Then this Ibanez Melody Maker came up on ebay and I bought it for cheap. I think the burst is fairly ugly, although I'd rather it than a Fender sunburst without question, the pickguard/general layout is a bit lame and the knobs are stupid. The knobs are an easy change and absolutely on the cards. A slight bit of me wants to refin it in TV yellow and get a LP jr style pickguard for it, but I doubt I will just because it's from something like 71-75 and I'd feel bad sanding the finish off when it's lasted this long.

It fulfills the Japanese, Les Paul junior and Gordon Smith roles of what I was after. So although it's a fair reach from the archtop, it's just going with the alternative plan. When I have the rob(og) and more spare cash I could always sell this to go with the other plan and buy that Gretsch or whatever. It basically plays like an old GS2 would which is no bad thing at all. The only problem I have with it now is that I'm so used to fender necks that it's a little awkward to play near the nut but that hopefully won't last long.

James wrote:I think the burst is fairly ugly, although I'd rather it than a Fender sunburst without question, the pickguard/general layout is a bit lame and the knobs are stupid. The knobs are an easy change and absolutely on the cards. A slight bit of me wants to refin it in TV yellow and get a LP jr style pickguard for it, but I doubt I will just because it's from something like 71-75 and I'd feel bad sanding the finish off when it's lasted this long.

Do it. Ugly is Ugly and that is 70s Ugly.

Disco Ugly.

It would look so much better in a solid colour.

I could live with that burst, and I hate bursts.

Do you hear me rumoursofsurf? I fucking hate bursts.

And period correct switch tips.

I don't hate bursts. I like some.

That is one guitar i wanna hear through Mieks JCM 800, the thought of it makes me drool.
Any chance of s0nd samples James? Im glad you got this, i would reconsider a refin as well because this is an investment purchase. Vintage Ibanez are awesome.

Fran wrote:That is one guitar i wanna hear through Mieks JCM 800, the thought of it makes me drool.

Things that sond kool make Fran Drool

Those pickups look remarkably similar to the one I had in the bridge of my Cimar tele, which is an Ibanez by another name, and from the same era.

i love that guitar, james sent me a little spoiler about it.
what thaz tonez sound likez?