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  luthiers and guitar brands

I

made

info    updated 21/10/2009

Ibanez

 

 

1932 to present

Founded in Nagoya, Japan by Matsujiro Hoshino as a book and stationery supply, retailing musical instruments from 1909.  Started importing musical instruments in 1921. Son, Yoshitaro became president and instrument export started in 1927. They imported Salvador Ibanez guitars from Spain and purchased the brand in 1930s. Factories destroyed during WWII but manufacture began again in 1950s.

Ibanez dating and serial numbers

http://www.ibanezregister.com/history/history-dating.htm

http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/reference/dating.htm

http://www.noahjames.com/vintagepage/date.html

http://www.edromanguitars.com/guitar/ibanez/date_iba.htm

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/Eguitar/ElectricSerialization.pdf

Ibanez mandolin dating

http://ibanezmandolin.com/ibanez-mandolin-articles/dating-ibanez-mandolins/

Ibanez Talman dating

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/wrgaphardt/Talman_gallery.html/#TC530

Ibanez reference books at Amazon

New "Untold History" of Ibanez guitars.(PRODUCT NEWS): An article from: Music Trades

more

http://www.jemsite.com/jem/other.htm

http://www.mr-ibanez.com/

Mountain of Ibanez links http://www.oliver-pfaender.de/links.php

http://guitar.wikia.com/wiki/Ibanez

Watch out for fakes: http://www.ibanezrules.com/fakes.htm

70s pricelist http://www.noahjames.com/vintagepage/price.html

Ibanez Talman Guide http://guitargeek.com/chat/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86420&goto=nextnewest

Model 2020 http://www.vintageguitar.com/brands/details.asp?ID=211

Ibanez guitar catalogs

Awesome set of Ibanez guitar catalog scans 1971 - 2005  http://www.ibanez.ru/info/index.php?catalog

If above is not available this site appears to be a copy of the above http://s93105080.onlinehome.us/Ibanez-Catalogs/

Vintage Ibanez 60s http://www.sixties-ibanez.com/

70s http://www.ibanez-vintage-page.de/

1978 - 2002 http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/index.htm

2000 Ibanez catalog http://www.geocities.com/xcvxcv65/blueibanez.htm

1982 - 1986 http://www.guitartechcraig.com/ibanez/catindx.html

1983-1985 http://audiozone.dk/cm/jackson-charvel-guitar-catalog-scans.php?cat=11

Ibanez iceman catalogs http://vintageibanez.tripod.com/iceman.html

1981 Ibanez Artwood acoustic catalog http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1.htm

1985 , 1986 Axstar catalogs http://extinguishedscholar.com/axstar.html

1988, 1990 Ibanez Artfield catalog scans http://www.ibanezartfield.com/index.php/category/downloads/

Ibanez JEM catalog scans 1988-1998 http://www.jemsite.com/ibanez/catalogs/index.htm

http://vintage.catalogs.free.fr/Index.htm

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Ibanez

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Ibanez+

Ibanez forums

http://ibanez.com/forum/default.asp

http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi?pg=topics

http://www.ibaneztalk.com/

Images acoustic courtesy of Spahghetti AAGH 2008, electric courtesy of nicovington 2008

Salvador Ibanez

1870s to 1930s

Salvador Ibanez (1854-1920) Valencia, Spain founder of the Ibanez Brand which was later purchased by Hoshino, Japan.

Salvador Ibanez at Wikipedia

Image Ballabio:

 

Idol guitars

 

Idol catalogs

http://guitar.webinjp.com/70guitar_catalog/idol.htm

http://www.hollowbodybass.com/random/idol-guitars.htm

Illusion Guitars

1992 to present

Jeff Scott, electric guitars, Fallbrook, California, USA

Illusion at myspace

Yuichi Imai

1971 - present

Imai guitars are/were made in Tokyo at least in 1983. [Source: Tom Rutledge Oct 2009]

Image jsima:

Immortal

 

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Immortal

Imperial

1963-1970

Imported to US by Imperial Accordion Company, CHicago, USA. Early guitars by Crucianelli, Italy then production switched to Japan.

http://www.fetishguitars.com/index/crucianelli.html

Images of 1967 Imperial acoustic (with Crucianelli label)  Denmark Smugmug:

Indiana Guitar Company

1990 to present

Division of SHS International

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Indiana+Guitar+Company

Indie Guitar Company

2002 to present

"Indie Guitars began in the UK 2003We have private factories in South Korea.

Serial Number on the Back of the headstock.. First number is Year and rest is production run. For instance I071684 = 2007 run number 1684." [Source and image courtesy of Keith Willis, Indie, email 29/9/2008 ]
About Indie - Article by Keith Willis August 2007

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Indie+Guitar+Company

Infeld

2003 to present

Guitars and basses by string maker Tomastik-Infeld of Vienna according to Vintage Guitar Price Guide

Infinox

 

Guitars by JTG, Nashville 1980s. [Source: Vintage Guitar Price Guide]

Inspire

 

 

Hand crafted guitars from USA by Mark Tatum

Dating Inspire guitars by serial number

"Inspire Guitars Serial Numbers Scheme:

Placement (Back of Head Stock)

All Inspire Serial Numbers Start with:

IG (Stands for Inspire Guitars)

08 (Year Manufactured. First Year for Inspire was 03) Number (1-4) This denotes model type:

(1 Sonic, 2 Sonic Classic, 3 Tonic, 4 Tonic Classic) then Number (###) Sequential number of the build of the that model for that year. So 02 would mean second guitar of that year for that model.

Example:

IG08202 (would mean Inspire Guitars, 2008, Sonic Classic, Second Build for the year.)

If PSM is on the neck.

IG08202PSM It means the guitar is a private stock model. (Private Order) Which is obviously more valuable.

All Sonic's have MT signature on back as well. Luthier's Initials." [Source: Inspire guitars, email 18/3/2008]

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Inspire

Instruments Lamour

 

see L for Lamour

Interdonati

1920s-1930s

Philip Interdonati worked in New York in the 1920s and '30s, building mostly flattop guitars.  the earliest modern scalloped fingerboard on a steel-string guitar appeared on a Philip Interdonati. [Source: AC Guitar]

http://www.geocities.com/classicguitars/History/Interdonatti.html

Intermark

 

Intermark guitars made in Japan 1960s.

Inteso

1988 to present

Al Inteso, Mesa Arizona, USA

Nicholas P. Ioannou

 

Image Danzeff

Isana

 

http://www.fetishguitars.com/index/misc_de.html

http://www.musikkeller.com/d/isana.html

http://www.blackguitars.com/gallery.htm

Elvis played an Isana http://www.scottymoore.net/ep58isana.html

http://entertainment.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=634&Lot_No=22283

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/Isana

Images 1950 Isana guitar ebay:

Isana gutar Isana guitar

Italia guitars

1999 to present

Designed by Trevor Wilkinson, Made in Korea

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Italia

Ithaca Stringed Instruments 1995 to present "I began manufacturing guitars, mandolins and violins at The Ithaca Guitar Works in 1989. D.S. Hoffman and I split off to form Ithaca Stringed Instruments in 1995. D.S. left in 2000 and now lives in Spain building violins .
With my son Jordan I still hand build approx 10 instruments per year. Earlier guitars are stamped with a model and date of manufacture on the faceplate just above the nut. After 2000, with a printed label with signature and date in the soundhole.
Earlier Violins are stamped with a model and date at the end of the fingerboard. After 2000, with a printed label with signature and date in the f hole." [Source" Eric Aceto, Ithaca Stringed instruments, email 23/3/2008]

Ivanovski

 

Risto Ivanovski, Skopje, Macedonia

As at 12 Feb the web site is down. If anyone knows of a new home page please let me know.

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/Ivanovsky