Vintage/Semi-Vintage Guitar Gallery

[stompmoko]

wow, very nice.......  Love the standard.......  Is that really a reddish tint?  Any chance of a pic of the standard's back?

thanks sir..
cherry just like on a '58 ain't got a pic of the back but its got that old mahogany red in it

[blue buddha]

BB,

did you ever acquire any pointy guitars?  Ibanez?  Kramer? any?...

toybitz, here's an interesting series of ibbys -- well before the time they started to get... well... er... pointy. In terms of ibbys, these would be considered vintage as these are some of the ones the real nuts go for since they represent the first real "quality" departures from the straight copies of the lawsuit era. Relative to the mainstream vintage market, however, most folks would put these in the odd category of semi-vintage (if there is such an animal) as they were mostly made in the 70's. In many cases, ibby quality during this period actually surpassed many of the big US makers -- a guy named Jeff Hasselberger was head of design/R&D at Ibanez and his team was cranking out some really fine stuff -- good enough for gearhead characters like The Grateful Dead, Steve Miller, John Scofield, and Joe Pass to use. Look closely -- the now familiar features in modern ibbys started here -- the AR body shape, Gibraltar quick change tailpieces, tree/vine of life inlays, castle headstocks, etc.

'74 Howard Roberts
'75 Artist 2616
'77 Artist 2618
'77 Artist 2617
'78 Professional 2671
'78 Artist 2630
'80 Joe Pass

[RonnieA]

Sir,

   What do you have in your Vault??  Ang gaganda ng mga gitara nyo!!! Ang LuluFET from the Gibbys to the Ibby's! How do you manage to keep them stock? I can imagine the miantenance required of them!

   VERY Exquisite collection sir Indeed!

    Thanks for making me drool!!!

    RonnieA

[blue buddha]

just wondering, ngayon po ba do you still get interested in the new models of guitars na lumalabas considering what you already got ?

Always interested -- some terrific things being made these days -- but have become rather crusty and selective in old age. GAS is a really bad disease.... 

Sir,

   What do you have in your Vault??  Ang gaganda ng mga gitara nyo!!! Ang LuluFET from the Gibbys to the Ibby's! How do you manage to keep them stock? I can imagine the miantenance required of them!

    RonnieA

There's no vault.  Thanks for your kind comments.

Best way to maintain these things is to keep 'em lying around within easy reach. That way, they get looked after -- played, adjusted, gigged sometimes, and wiped down occasionally.

[Letour]

BB,

One simple question:  Do you ever change bedsheets?

 

[toybitz]

BB, those are wonderful Ibbys!

I could see a Metheny and Scofield box.

Thanks for sharing.

[stringman]

BB,

did you ever acquire any pointy guitars?  Ibanez?  Kramer? any?...

toybitz, here's an interesting series of ibbys -- well before the time they started to get... well... er... pointy. In terms of ibbys, these would be considered vintage as these are some of the ones the real nuts go for since they represent the first real "quality" departures from the straight copies of the lawsuit era. Relative to the mainstream vintage market, however, most folks would put these in the odd category of semi-vintage (if there is such an animal) as they were mostly made in the 70's. In many cases, ibby quality during this period actually surpassed many of the big US makers -- a guy named Jeff Hasselberger was head of design/R&D at Ibanez and his team was cranking out some really fine stuff -- good enough for gearhead characters like The Grateful Dead, Steve Miller, John Scofield, and Joe Pass to use. Look closely -- the now familiar features in modern ibbys started here -- the AR body shape, Gibraltar quick change tailpieces, tree/vine of life inlays, castle headstocks, etc.

'74 Howard Roberts
'75 Artist 2616
'77 Artist 2618
'77 Artist 2617
'78 Professional 2671
'78 Artist 2630
'80 Joe Pass

Beautiful!!!

[blue buddha]

BB,

One simple question:  Do you ever change bedsheets?

 

One simple answer:  Only the ones I sleep on.

 

[tele-tubby]

'78 Professional 2671

ganda nito.  is it supposed to be a lespaul ?  how does it sound... kinda reminds me of a Zemaitis, except he didn't make archtops...

[toybitz]

^ chambered kaya?

[tele-tubby]

BB,

One simple question:  Do you ever change bedsheets?

 

does he?  most  probably when there are stains

[blue buddha]

'78 Professional 2671

ganda nito.  is it supposed to be a lespaul ?  how does it sound... kinda reminds me of a Zemaitis, except he didn't make archtops...

The only similarity between this and a Les Paul is the general shape, generally heavy weight, and that it plays like butter. Otherwise, it's a totally different guitar:

• "German Carved" top designed by Roger Rossmeissl of Rickenbacker & later Fender fame
• Solid Zen Ash body, thinner overall than an LP
• Maple neck
• Heel-less neck to body joint
• Ebony board
• Coil-tap / phase switch
• Solid plated brass control cavities behind
• Scalloped headstock
• "Almost jumbo" frets

It's a very versatile, bright and spanky guitar that sustains forever. It was Ibby's top of the line of the Artist-Professional series, commonly referred to as the "Randy Scruggs" model after the famed bluegrass picker who endorsed it and used it almost exclusively during that period. Two sets with this baby and you'll walk off the stage about 2 inches shorter. Kind of like 70's Les Pauls in the 10 lb. range.

^ chambered kaya?

No chambers. Parang bato 'to. Made in the era when people believed that "mass is the gas", "heavy=sustain", and "brass is the monkey's ass".

[glassjaw_jc]

Made in the era when people believed that "mass is the gas", "heavy=sustain", and "brass is the monkey's ass".

Ay, tapos na ba 'tong era na to??? I still believe in them.

[toybitz]

Made in the era when people believed that "mass is the gas", "heavy=sustain", and "brass is the monkey's ass".

Ay, tapos na ba 'tong era na to??? I still believe in them.

+1

[toybitz]

thanks for the info Blues Bro.

I honestly find your Ibbys more delicious than the Gibbys.

[blue buddha]

There is indeed something undeniably attractive about these ibbys -- something akin to the height of the baroque aesthetic in guitar design. Abalone, pearl, binding, carving, and gold everywhere.

Funny how as I get older, I end up gravitating to the more basic stuff... 

Re: Heavy/Mass/Brass/Sustain - It does still hold true. But luthiers today have become much more aware of other factors that influence different kinds of good tone. If sustain was the be all and end all of all measures as some of those 70's marketing dudes would have believe, we'd be playing reinforced concrete guitars today. 

[tele-tubby]

It's a very versatile, bright and spanky guitar that sustains forever. It was Ibby's top of the line of the Artist-Professional series, commonly referred to as the "Earl Scruggs" model after the famed bluegrass picker who endorsed it and used it almost exclusively during that period.

   more important question now is.... how do I get it off your hands?

[blue buddha]

It's a very versatile, bright and spanky guitar that sustains forever. It was Ibby's top of the line of the Artist-Professional series, commonly referred to as the "Earl Scruggs" model after the famed bluegrass picker who endorsed it and used it almost exclusively during that period.

   more important question now is.... how do I get it off your hands?

.... with a crowbar, when the fingers are dead and cold. Hehehe. Just kidding. If it needs another home one day, you'll be on the list. 

Whups -- Randy Scruggs model pala 'to, not "Earl". Earl was primarily a banjo player.

[jeyvi]

here's my '77 custom ... now a beautiful blondie!!!

[tele-tubby]

'78 Professional 2671

I remember you handed me this guitar to try but I said maybe later as I was busy with the '81 335... 

[tele-tubby]

here's my '77 custom ... now a beautiful blondie!!!

 hinog na hinog na yung maple cap

[deltaslim]

Whups -- Randy Scruggs model pala 'to, not "Earl". Earl was primarily a banjo player.

Hehe, I was wondering about this... cuz Earl is THE banjo player.

[blue buddha]

Whups -- Randy Scruggs model pala 'to, not "Earl". Earl was primarily a banjo player.

Hehe, I was wondering about this... cuz Earl is THE banjo player.

Yep. "THE banjo player" is an understatement.... Earl is "THE BANJO PLAYER". 

And Randy is his son, the guitar player. Played serious bluegrass and country with the Earl Scruggs Revue (the family band, of course), later played in rock bands, and eventually found his niche as a go-to nashville session dude with folks like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, etc. I remember he was up for "Musician of the Year" or something like that by the Country Music Awards a few years back. The guy has chops.

[deltaslim]

Whups -- Randy Scruggs model pala 'to, not "Earl". Earl was primarily a banjo player.

Hehe, I was wondering about this... cuz Earl is THE banjo player.

Yep. "THE banjo player" is an understatement.... Earl is "THE BANJO PLAYER". 

And Randy is his son, the guitar player. Played serious bluegrass and country with the Earl Scruggs Revue (the family band, of course), later played in rock bands, and eventually found his niche as a go-to nashville session dude with folks like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, etc. I remember he was up for "Musician of the Year" or something like that by the Country Music Awards a few years back. The guy has chops.

Haha... alam ko naman 'senior moment' lang yun, BB.

I'm tryin to larn de banjer en bin lis'nin to lotsa Earl (w/ his buddy Lester) plus ol dem ol' rednecks (incl. old-timey/mountain music).  I think one lifetime is not enough to learn all these good stuff!  Sana maka-drop by ka in one Jook Jam gig and help us on d ol' boom-chuck.

Do you know what has 9 teeth and 13 legs?   The front row of a banjo workshop!   

[deadlifted]

'78 Professional 2671

I remember you handed me this guitar to try but I said maybe later as I was busy with the '81 335... 

ganda! ang ganda talaga ng Ibby Artist.