How do I get some details about an older acoustic guitar?

February 19, 2005 9:15 AM

My wife's dad bought an Ibanez acoustic when they were travelling to Guatemala in the mid-to-late seventies...It is kinda flashy, looks to have been made in Japan, but that is all I can find out about it. Oh, and the tag inside says 2605...I am looking to see if there is more to be found....Can anyone suggest a good site for such things?
posted by Richat to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

Response by poster: I guess I am wondering if it is a pedestrian model, or something that we should be treating nicely. I can take a picture and stick it up on flickr is anyone is interested.
posted by Richat at 9:17 AM on February 19, 2005

Take a picture of the whole thing, any serial numbers, and the soundhole sticker, if you can. I'm curious, too.
posted by armoured-ant at 10:00 AM on February 19, 2005

Best answer: Ibanez Collectors World.

Actually, I took a couple clicks for curiosity, and found an Vintage Ibanez listing.

It listed for $330, down in the "artist" section. It came in very similar style variations, and I would presume that the other color combos are worth more these days.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 10:05 AM on February 19, 2005

BTW I didn't mean to snub it, from the description, it's a nice, possibly great, guitar.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 10:24 AM on February 19, 2005

Many seventies Ibanez guitars are prized for their surprisingly excellent quality, given that they can be had cheap. So you should treat it nice because it is quite possibly only replaceable by a guitar costing a few hundred dollars more. But it's not going to make for much an inheritance if it was converted to cash.
posted by mzurer at 2:56 PM on February 19, 2005

Best answer: People who play prize their mid-70s Ibanezes, but they're not exceedingly costly.

If you post pictures on the Guitargeek chat forum, they'll almost surely be able to tell you a lot more about your instrument.
posted by ikkyu2 at 3:44 PM on February 19, 2005

Response by poster: Sorry for the absentee thread creation folks...I got pulled away from the web yesterday. Thanks for the answers, and in case AA is still interested, have a look. Thanks for finding that link Jack, and I may head over to guitargeek ik!
posted by Richat at 6:13 AM on February 20, 2005

Ooh, purty!
This similar, but less fancy-looking guitar has gotten no bids at around $700.

If you peronsally like the guitar, I think you are in a fortunate position of knowing you value it (correctly) more than the market. I once had an offer made on my similar vintage hollow-body electric Ibanez, and the would-be purchaser and I quickly realized that I liked it more than the very fair price he could offer me - about $400.
posted by mzurer at 11:04 AM on February 20, 2005

Ah, that's a pretty instrument. I especially like the middle purfling in the back, and the nice gentle sunburst stain.

I'd suggest holding onto it and playing it as often as humanly possible, but that merely reflects my own vices.
posted by ikkyu2 at 3:40 PM on February 21, 2005