The Story of Ibanez
Posted on December 27, 2007
Filed Under Guitar Talk |
Ibanez guitars are world renowned instruments played by the likes of such respected guitarists as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. But where did this guitar company get its start? Well, originally Ibanez was a Spanish company. The rights to the Ibanez name were purchased by a Japanese company called Hoshino in the 60s. Hoshino then began distributing his guitars in the US.
Copying Guitars
Early on Ibanez guitars were cheap copies of other famous guitars like Fender and Rickenbacker. The quality was high and these guitars were sold in guitar shops all over the US. These guitars became quite popular due to their price and good quality. Guitar stores may have loved these Fender guitar copies but Fender and other American guitar companies did not. Lawsuits ensued and Ibanez eventually was solely producing their own proprietary Ibanez guitar designs.
A new Era for Ibanez
By 1976, Ibanez was out of the copy guitar business. Ibanez’s quality and the other American guitar makers’ declining quality propelled Ibanez into a top position in the world of axes. When the 80s hard rock and metal era rolled around, Ibanez got their guitars in the hands of some of the best payers of the era, like Satriani, Vai and Paul Gilbert. Releasing signature models for each of these players and more, cemented the reputation of Ibanez. You’d be hard pressed nowadays to find a guitar shop that didn’t stock Ibanez.
Ibanez Reaches Beyond Rock Guitar
Since their rise to fame, Ibanez has branched into guitar effects, jazz guitars, acoustic guitars and other guitar related merchandise. The Hishino Company was making pedals under another name, but with the popularity of Ibanez axes, the pedals soon bore the Ibanez logo. They have released many guitar effects pedals over the years but the most popular is undoubtedly the Ibanez Tube Screamer. The Tube Screamer was released in the late 1970s. This effects pedal with its highly overdriven sound was perfectly time to take advantage of the burgeoning hard rock and metal scene.
The company continues to produce quality product to this day and Ibanez guitars remain a favorite a players and guitar shops everywhere.
Comments
5 Responses to “The Story of Ibanez”
Leave a Reply
[…] i posted earlier, Ibanez began as a copy-cat company, producing Fender, Gibson, etc. sound alike and look alike guitars of high quality.? Ibanez continues to emulate the classic guitar companies today, although the instrunents are […]
[…] I posted earlier, Ibanez began as a copy-cat company, producing Fender, Gibson, etc. sound alike and look alike guitars of high quality.? Ibanez continues to emulate the classic guitar companies today, although the instruments are […]
[…] I posted earlier, Ibanez began as a copy-cat company, producing Fender, Gibson, etc. sound alike and look alike guitars of high quality. Ibanez continues to emulate the classic guitar companies today, although the instruments are […]
hello
i am from bangladesh and i want to bye a ibanez acoustic guitar, but acually i am very confused what i shall bye.because most of the guitars are come from china in bangladeshs, so do you have any original ibanez company in china if you have then i shall bye any one from here without any confusion.thank you
please mail me with tung_dewan@yahoo.com
i never thought dat ibanez was a copy-cat back in the day!but now,it’s cool!