Popular Name Brands
Ibanez Guitars goes back to 1929 when Hoshino Gakki – originally a book seller in Japan – imported Salvador Ibáñez guitars from Spain. The company began manufacturing its own acoustic guitars in 1933 under the Ibanez brand name. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Ibanez produced copies of electric guitars by Fender, Gibson and Rickenbacker that resulted in lawsuits and a change of name to Mann Guitars.
Once the lawsuits were behind them, the Ibanez brand was resurrected together with the subtitle, “Anything But Traditional”. The company has lived up to that description by at first producing very uniquely-styled guitars and eventually becoming the first mass-producer of seven- and eight-string guitars as popularized by guitar wizard Steve Vai.
The Modern Ibanez Style
Today Ibanez electric guitars are famous for their radical styles, slim necks, 2-octave fingerboards and high-output electronics. Whether you are looking at the sub-$300 RG series or a four-thousand dollar George Benson Signature hollow-body, you can be sure you are getting a lot of guitar for your money. There are many reasons why Ibanez electric guitars can be found in the hands of the likes of Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Pat Metheny, Mick Thomson and Sam Totman. They’re that good.