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The History of Ibanez Guitars

Ibanez is probably the most well known of all the Japanese guitar makers. The company was founded in Nagoya, Japan in 1957 as a subsidiary of Hoshino Gakki, a Japanese musical instrument importer which started the Ibanez brand to make its own models.

Ibanez originally made copies of American designs. Early models in the range included the 2364, a copy of the renowned Ampeg Dan Armstrong guitar made of clear plastic, the 2347, a Gibson SG/Les Paul Junior copy, the 2351, which looked very like a Gibson Les Paul, and the 2348, a nearly-exact copy of a non-reverse Gibson Firebird shape. These very well-executed copies could easily be passed off as the real thing, and this led to Gibson suing the company for copyright infringement in 1977. Strangely, the lawsuit was not directed at Ibanez’s blatant copies of the body shapes of Gibson guitars, but at the headstock design. The case was settled out of court in 1978 and Ibanez introduced its own designs.

Some of these designs were the Destroyer, a Gibson Explorer-like shape with new parts added to the shape and the introduction of Ibanez’s classic pointed headstock, the Artist, a more traditional shape with two short cutaways of equal size and an altered headstock to avoid any further legal trouble, the Rocket Roll, a copy of a Gibson Flying V, but with Ibanez’s pointed headstock and no scratchplate, and the Iceman. This guitar had a unique and very unusual shape. It resembles a Gibson Explorer with a cut-down left-hand side, a strange notch on the bottom and a large extra cutaway on the right-hand horn allowing access to higher frets. The Destroyer was originally available with two or three humbucking pickups, the Artist with two humbuckers only, and the Iceman with two humbuckers or an Ibanez-designed pickup with three coils. The Iceman and Artist models are still in Ibanez’s range as of 2008.

The 1980s saw yet more improvements to the Ibanez range which would add to their increasing status. The company became a pioneer and chief exponent of the superstrat, a style still popular today. A superstrat is a Fender Stratocaster-style shape, but made to be used by heavy metal guitarists. It was not only Ibanez who developed this style. Companies such as Jackson and Charvel also contributed with the Soloist and Spectrum respectively. Visually, a superstrat is a Stratocaster, normally with no scratchplate, longer, pointed horns and deeper cutaways. Normally the guitars had 24-fret necks, Floyd Rose tremolo systems and three pickups (usually a humbucker at the neck position, single coil in the middle and humbucker at the bridge, although some had different layouts).

The main guitar in Ibanez’s superstrat range is the RG. This guitar was introduced in 1985 and was later joined by the Saber, with much the same shape, but less pointed horns and a very thin body, probably the thinnest of any production guitar. In the late 1980s Ibanez collaborated with supremely talented guitarist Steve Vai, whose CV now includes Whitesnake, David Lee Roth’s solo band and his own solo work. He had lost his favoured customised Charvel guitar, which had been stolen, so he now needed a new guitar. He and Ibanez came up with a superstrat design with 24 frets, the aforementioned pickup configuration and a grab handle on the body known by Vai as the Monkey Grip. He and Ibanez also designed a seven-string guitar, the Universe.

Other artists Ibanez have worked with and released signature models for include Paul Gilbert, with his PGM signature models (at the time of writing Gilbert has just designed a new model, an Iceman with a reversed body and extra cutaway), Joe Satriani, with the JS signature, Herman Li and Sam Totman, guitarists for extreme power metal band DragonForce, with the E-Gen and STM models respectively, and Munky, guitarist for metal band KoRN, with his Apex signature.

About the Author

Flyssy is webmaster and owner of the Online Guitar Guide and Guitar Collecting websites. The online resources for all guitar and bass information, online lessons, tabs and cheap instruments. http://www.onlineguitarguide.co.uk and http://www.guitarcollecting.co.uk

Ampeg SVT810AV SVT Anniversary Cabinet $1249.99 It's all about tone. And the Ampeg Classic Series SVT-810AV is the speaker enclosure theyre talking about when they say "SVT cabinet." Why does Ampeg use eight 10" speakers? Because they learned early on that 10" speakers work much more efficiently than fifteens or eighteensand if you put eight 10" speakers together, you can move a much larger column of air. In fact, you'd need five 18" or six 15" speakers to move as much air as the SVT-810AV! And they simply wouldn't be able to respond to transient peaks as quickly as Ampeg's tens. The SVT-810AV is still manufactured using the same design dating all the way back to 1969. The Infinite Baffle design of these sealed enclosures produces vast amounts of tightly focused bass. That's why you'll find the SVT-810AV on stage with such artists as Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band), Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie, Gwen Stefani Band), Garry Beers (INXS), and far too many others to list here. In the world of high performance bass cabs, the Ampeg SVT-810AV stands tall and proud.8 - 10" low-frequency drivers 800W mono/2 x 400W stereo RMS power handling Tilt-back handle bar 1/4" and Neutrik Speakon jacks Baltic birch plywood construction Heavy-duty recessed wheels Skid rails SVT-AV head color scheme

Ampeg Svt810av Svt Anniversary Cabinet $1249.99 It's all about tone. And the Ampeg Classic Series SVT-810AV is the speaker enclosure theyre talking about when they say "SVT cabinet." Why does Ampeg use eight 10" speakers? Because they learned early on that 10" speakers work much more efficiently than fifteens or eighteensand if you put eight 10" speakers together, you can move a much larger column of air. In fact, you'd need five 18" or six 15" speakers to move as much air as the SVT-810AV! And they simply wouldn't be able to respond to transient peaks as quickly as Ampeg's tens. The SVT-810AV is still manufactured using the same design dating all the way back to 1969. The Infinite Baffle design of these sealed enclosures produces vast amounts of tightly focused bass. That's why you'll find the SVT-810AV on stage with such artists as Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band), Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie, Gwen Stefani Band), Garry Beers (INXS), and far too many others to list here. In the world of high performance bass cabs, the Ampeg SVT-810AV stands tall and proud.8 - 10" low-frequency drivers 800W mono/2 x 400W stereo RMS power handling Tilt-back handle bar 1/4" and Neutrik Speakon jacks Baltic birch plywood construction Heavy-duty recessed wheels Skid rails SVT-AV head color scheme

Ampeg $62.14 Ampeg: The Story Behind the Sound tells the tale of this extraordinary company on its 50th anniversary, weaving together the American success story of the company founder, the role of key inventors and inventions, and the development of innovative music equipment products - all against the backgrounds of American pop music and corporate competition in the music industry. Many Ampeg endorsees are profiled, including: Johnny Smith, James Jamerson, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Gary Karr, Victor Wooten, Bill Wyman, Jason Newsted, Michael Anthony and more. The result provides something of interest to musicians, collectors, and those who lived part of the history. Includes more than 200 photos and a 32-page color section. 288 pages, 8 1/2 inch. x 11 inch.

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Ampeg Pro Neo Series PN-410HLF 850W 4x10 Bass Speaker Cabinet Black 886830163166 $703.99 Ampeg's PN-410HLF is a modern, lightweight bass enclosure built to handle the power of high-output Ampeg bass heads. Designed and assembled in the USA out of the highest quality components, including four custom-designed 10-inch neodymium Eminence woofers, the PN-410HLF delivers quality, high-output bass in a modern design.

Ampeg Pro Neo Series PN-410HLF 850W 4x10 Bass Speaker Cabinet Black $1099.99 Ampeg's PN-410HLF is a modern, lightweight bass enclosure built to handle the power of high-output Ampeg bass heads. Designed and assembled in the USA out of the highest quality components, including four custom-designed 10-inch neodymium Eminence woofers, the PN-410HLF delivers quality, high-output bass in a modern design.

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Ampeg Heritage Series Svt-410Hlf 2011 4X10 Bass Speaker Cabinet 800W $899.99 Designed and assembled in the U.S.A., the Ampeg Heritage SVT-410HLF bass speaker cabinet is the ultimate in premium, full-range Ampeg tone via custom-made U.S. Eminence drivers. Built to handle up to 500W with portability to spare, the Heritage SVT-410HLF is the obvious choice for touring professionals and weekend warriors alike.4 x 10" custom U.S. made Eminence LF drivers500 watts RMS power handling @ 4 ohm1" Eminence APT:50 HF driver w/ L-Pad level controlRugged 15mm birch enclosurePremium Heritage black sparkle grille cloth, soft Tolex and trim

Ampeg Micro-VR Bass Amp Head and SVT210AV Bass Speaker Cabinet Stack $599.99 Included in this Ampeg kit is the Micro-VR bass amp head and the SVT210AV bass speaker cabinet stack. The Ampeg Micro-VR is a no-compromise amplifier packing 200W of solid-state MOS-FET fury, a switching power supply and the classical good looks and features of Ampeg's renowned SVT Series amplifier head. The Ampeg Micro-VR amplifier is designed as an ideal companion to the SVT 210AV cabinet. The switching power supply keeps the weight low, without sacrificing power output or Ampeg's legendary sound quality. Like all Ampeg products, your Micro-VR amplifier is designed by musicians and built using only the best of components. Each Ampeg amplifier is tested to confirm that it meets specifications, and to make it the absolute best that it can be. The Ampeg SVT 210AV speaker cabinet is designed to follow the classical good looks and features of the renowned SVT-Series cabinets. The SVT 210AV speaker cabinet is designed as an ideal companion to the Ampeg Micro-VR amplifier head. Like all Ampeg products, your SVT 210AV bass speaker cabinet is designed by musicians and built using only the best of components.Micro-VR amplifier head:Detailed 1970s-era SVT appearanceSingle channel, entirely solid-state designSelectable 15 dB input padGain controlBass, Mid, and Treble controlsVolume controlSelectable Limiter and LEDPeak LEDAuxiliary inputHeadphone outputIlluminated power switchEffects loop with separate send and return jacksBalanced XLR outputLightweight switching power supplyVoltage selector switchMOS-FET power amplifier rated at 200 watts rms into 4 ohmsFan cooledMuch smaller than StonehengeThe Ampeg SVT 210AV speaker cabinet:Detailed 1970s-era SVT series appearanceDesigned as a stack with the Micro-VR amplifier (available separately)Foot cups on the top panel allow secure stacking of a Micro-VR amplifier or up to four empty shot glasses.Two ten-inch Eminence speakersTwo 1/4" TS parallel input and output jacksNominal impedance 8 ohmsPower handling 200 W RMSStylish top handle

Ampeg Micro-Vr Bass Amp Head And Svt210av Bass Speaker Cabinet Stack $599.99 Included in this Ampeg kit is the Micro-VR bass amp head and the SVT210AV bass speaker cabinet stack. The Ampeg Micro-VR is a no-compromise amplifier packing 200W of solid-state MOS-FET fury, a switching power supply and the classical good looks and features of Ampeg's renowned SVT Series amplifier head. The Ampeg Micro-VR amplifier is designed as an ideal companion to the SVT 210AV cabinet. The switching power supply keeps the weight low, without sacrificing power output or Ampeg's legendary sound quality. Like all Ampeg products, your Micro-VR amplifier is designed by musicians and built using only the best of components. Each Ampeg amplifier is tested to confirm that it meets specifications, and to make it the absolute best that it can be. The Ampeg SVT 210AV speaker cabinet is designed to follow the classical good looks and features of the renowned SVT-Series cabinets. The SVT 210AV speaker cabinet is designed as an ideal companion to the Ampeg Micro-VR amplifier head. Like all Ampeg products, your SVT 210AV bass speaker cabinet is designed by musicians and built using only the best of components.Micro-VR amplifier head:Detailed 1970s-era SVT appearanceSingle channel, entirely solid-state designSelectable 15 dB input padGain controlBass, Mid, and Treble controlsVolume controlSelectable Limiter and LEDPeak LEDAuxiliary inputHeadphone outputIlluminated power switchEffects loop with separate send and return jacksBalanced XLR outputLightweight switching power supplyVoltage selector switchMOS-FET power amplifier rated at 200 watts rms into 4 ohmsFan cooledMuch smaller than StonehengeThe Ampeg SVT 210AV speaker cabinet:Detailed 1970s-era SVT series appearanceDesigned as a stack with the Micro-VR amplifier (available separately)Foot cups on the top panel allow secure stacking of a Micro-VR amplifier or up to four empty shot glasses.Two ten-inch Eminence speakersTwo 1/4" TS parallel input and output jacksNominal impedance 8 ohmsPower handling 200 W RMSStylish top handle

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