How Ibanez Guitars BEAT the odds | Guitar History 

What's something about Ibanez you find interesting?

Ibanez respects their entry level customers and I will always appreciate that. An affordable Ibanez SA or RG will almost always be better than a Squire or Epiphone in the same price range.

I love Ibanez ever since I started playing guitar. Steve Vai made me start playing guitar at 5 years old after my dad bought me Visual Sound Theories without knowing who Steve even was because it seemed like it combined classical and rock. The intro where Steve literally conducted the orchestra using his Jem was the moment that started it all for me. At the age of 10 I had my first Ibanez guitar, a 93' EX model my dad bought me spontaniously affter finding it for dirt cheap. I've had various opportunities as a child prodigy using that guitar... I kinda miss it. And now over 15 years later I am at the building stage of a guitar playing career. I experimented with many brands in my teenage years trading guitars but somehow always returned to Ibanez, and since then I just rolled with it and never looked back. Have used everything Ibanez in my professional career from their hollowbodies for anything RnB and ethnic, my AZ for most sessions, my 90's original run RGs and Sabers for heavier yet old school stuff and the extended range stuff aswell! I'm proud to say I developed my sound using Ibanez guitars :)

I have been a Fender strat (ONLY!!) player for the past 25 years. I had played several Ibanez guitars over the years and never really like them. Never liked the super thin, wide necks... I went to GC a couple of weeks ago Fully intending on getting a PRS or one the Sire strats. There was a Jem Jr on a stand that I picked up while waiting on help getting some guitars off the higher hangers. I put it down and played other things, but kept coming back in between each guitar to the Jr. the more I played it the more I liked it. And that's how ended up owning my first Ibanez ever!! It is so awesome!! Not sure why the neck is better that all the older ones I played, but it is very comfortable!!

Im 48 and when I saw the Red Roadstar 2 hanging in the tiny little music store I used to go to, I knew I had to have it. The tremelo with the locking nuts told me "I'm a real players guitar" and I wound up getting it. I have played and used many different guitars over the years and Ibanez is still a real players guitar. The highest respect to everyone at Ibanez.

Ibanez makes terrific guitars. I have 2.

My dad had a mid 70’s ibanez les paul and a double neck, loved them both.

I'm sorry for you, Fenders and Gibsons, but for the me the RG is THE eletric guitar. In fact, when I think about how an electric guitar should look like, my mind comes instantly to the Ibanez RG shape!

Congratulations on creating a top notch / pro doc that is riveting to watch. Well done!!

Really well done! Love the new AZ series guitars from Ibanez

I really like Ibanez bass guitars! And the Talman is one of my favorite guitar shapes; the 6 string, not the bass I had no idea that Tama was part of Ibanez! I’m sort of partial to Pearl for completely arbitrary reasons

Rob, you did a great job on this video! Well done!

1991 dx770, JS100, RG450 and a Jem, yeah I am a huge fan

The quality, pricing and availability of left-handed models have led me to lean more towards Ibanez recently

I've been an Ibanez fanboi since 1977, and have owned over 50 Ibanez guitars. I recently bought an Ibanez Musician I owned previously for 10 years, and it's just like getting together with an old friend. As far as I'm concerned, Ibanez is number 1 in build quality. They rule!

lot of great facts! from the TS9 to the ue 400 rack unit, they rock! great company and legacy.

My first Ibanez, 1983 Roadstar. I have several now. Rg550s are the best ever made. I dragged out that Roadstar recently and it has unbelievable action still. The neck is the same as the day I bought it.

GREAT video❣

I didn't know any of that really cool video. I have a 1981 Destroyer I got in 1983 still have it and it is amazing. The quality is next level.

ibanez really did a great job in rebranding. i remember in high school they were known to be the nerd sticks. teaming up with polyphia, chon, tosin was the turning point in making them more open to casuals

When I was at Uni, I had to sell my RG470DX to afford rent. It wasn't the most high end of instruments but it was a guitar that just wouldn't let you put it down. It had something indescribable. It always managed to put a smile on my face. 10 years later, I still think about it. Funny thing is, now, I'm in a position where I can afford even higher end gear and after trying a few more recent RGs out, it just didn't feel the same. It's probably nostalgia goggles, building this gone guitar up in my mind to levels that nothing can surpass but I would pay top dollar to be reuinted with this particular one. I just hope it's being played and cared for and didn't end up being cannibalised for parts or neglected to the point of being unusable...

Bought my first ibanez in the 80s. Excellent instrument!

I owned an Made in Japan RG in the 1990s and I own a RG565 and a 1995 Blazer BL300, both Made in Japan. They are all great instruments. The new RG565 played great out of the box, no setup needed.

Bought my first Ibanez guitar (Flying V) in 1974. Still got it and still use it :) A few years back I also bought an AR300 - love the sound of both of them :)

My first "good" electric guitar was an Ibanez 2342 in black with gold hardware, it also sported the name "Deluxe 59er" on the headstock. It was a Les Paul style, single cutaway guitar with two humbuckers and a bolt-on neck. It was actually a very good guitar and I really should have kept it, but I sold it to a friend to buy another guitar. I have had several other Ibanez guitars since and I currently own a, AS-93 which is probably the best Ibanez I've ever owned.

In 1984 I bought a 1983 Roadstar II RS405 in metallic polar white (more like metallic butter !) and used it plugged to a Roland Jazz Chorus. The sound was FANTASTIC with nothing more than a BOSS CS3 compression pedal for a biting clean tone and added sustain. I played it for about 10 years without the need/want for another instrument, it had everything I liked !

I love the feel of the Ibanez necks on their Super Strats. They started off copying Gibson and Fender, but I have a 1989 Squier Super Strat that is a copy of an Ibanez. It has a Floyd, the same thin body shape with the shaper horns, a really thin neck and a pointy headstock. It only has 22 frets, but it still was Fenders way to try to tap into the same market as Ibanez.

Got my first Ibanez for Christmas 1963…a light blue S style guitar with four single coils. It was $129 with case. Still have it!

Fascinating back-story - I had no idea! Spain . . . wow! I bought an Ibanez Double Cut 12 String Custom in the late '80s which has a sort of coil split thing which is great. Still have it, used on a track recently for a project - great thru a Leslie! Excellent documentary vid - congratz!

Let us know your Ibanez stories and what most people don't know. And of course, feel free to add on/correct any information! (clearly they are an enormous company with a rich history, so I wasn't able to cover it all)

I bought my first Ibanez bass in 1984, the Ibanez Musician. It was the most toneful, playable and slap-able instrument I've ever handled (Sting played a fretless version). I swapped it a few years ago for a 5 string Prestige bass. Both models are neck-thru, active electronics instruments. I do regret letting the Musician go. Nevertheless, my Prestige is now my forever bass. What I find interesting is that the Musician bass was perfect for slap playing at a time - in the 80s - when the technique was becoming in vogue. Ibanez nailed it first try. I have also owned a Ibanez Joe Pass archtop guitar - deep regret for letting it go - and way back an Ibanez precision copy. I've never had reason to criticise Ibanez quality or sound.

In the early 1970s, I got a 6-string dreadnaught acoustic from Tama and a "lawsuit-era" Ibanez Les Paul. Both are excellent guitars. But I never knew until your video that the Tama and Ibanez brands were connected.

Ibanez was also the first 8 string guitar production model maker

It was all a recent, brilliant branding campaign on RU-vid, Ibanez hired incredible musicians like Martin Miller, Tom Quayle, then acted like these guys chose the guitars on their own. Some up and coming artists chose Ibanez in advance after seeing this pattern in hopes of sponsorship (Tim Henson, Jack Gardiner). Before sponsorship, Martin Miller used Suhr. Its also not a coincidence you always see Laney amps almost always placed in the backgrounds of Ibanez users (product placement).

How very interesting and educating this was. I only knew "Hoshino" as a Drumkit manufacturer Brand from the early '80s.

I traded in a 1984 Explorer for a new Ibanez RHH-540 in 1989 and it's still my favorite. With the exception of the pickups the specs are the same as Satriani's signature model which was launched shortly after I bought it. It is the most comfortable guitar ever and sounds amazing.

Ibanez doesn't get nearly as many plaudits as it deserves. Incredible guitars and fantastic customer service. Great video.

I had one of first squire strats and it was one of the best strats I've ever owned, and in 50 yrs of playing, I've owned a bunch of them

Fantastic video! Thanks for putting this together. :)

Great video. Packed with information

I've been playing the Fireman since 1965. Great sound, reliable electronics and beautiful construction!

Thanks for taking the time for your background research and video. I’ve always wondered how a Japanese guitar manufacturer came up with a Spanish name as a brand. Now i know. 😉

My first ‘real’ guitar back in 1988 was an RG550, and although I still have it, all these years later I’d stuck to gigging my strats, a PRS I’ve had since 1997 and a Suhr for the last 20 years. My RG was just stylistically wrong for the stuff I was doing and as I got older the wizard neck didn’t fit my hand any more. Then earlier in the year I picked up an AZS t-style guitar one day on a whim, and since then I’ve played nothing else. My favourite guitar I’ve ever had or played in all my years of doing it :)

I’ve owned an Ibanez LR-10 from new (1984). Love it!

I have 3 Ibanez's/ A RG, a Les Paulish guitar that only has 3 controls and a cheap 5 string bass. I love these instruments and they get used and recorded in my studio a lot!

I have a prestige from 2004 RG2570. What is really amazing about this guitar is the build quality! It is still one of the best guitars I have played and I have owned (and still own). Changed the pickups twice on it. I use a Bareknuckes Blackhawks set but kept the original single coil which I believe sounds so good and unique

Great job,very informative and interesting

Great Video about my favourite Guitar maker ever,there isn’t any bass guitar better than an Ibanez bass guitar

I own a 1977 Ibanez “Lawsuit era” Thunderbird Bass and it sounds killer!!

The best guitars and basses I have

Fantastic video history! I would humbly suggest that you didn't cover what an IMMENSE influence Ibanez has had on bass guitar and bass guitarists. I could totally name names (e.g., Gary Willis). But, for those of us way back when who were interested in expanding into extended range basses? Ibanez was the only affordable option outside the "boutique" makers like Alembic. My first five-string was an Ibanez. It changed my life as a bassist. Then (also way back when), I heard Chick's "Electrik Band" album. And on it, the immortal John Patitucci was playing a Ken Smith six-string bass. My jaw hit the floor. I didn't even immediately understand what instrument I was hearing. But when I finally figured it out? I was like, I have to have one of those! Problem is, back then, only the "custom" makers were producing them, and people like me could not afford it. Guess which major company offered one that was affordable? Ibanez. I literally drove from Las Vegas to Phoenix (to a place called The Bass Place) to buy my first six-string bass. And it was an Ibanez! Just like my first five-string had been an Ibanez. To this day, my "Number One" bass is an SR six-string. I consider the SR6 neck a masterpiece, the best I've ever played, the most carefully crafted and designed six-string bass neck in existence.

I really liked the Reb Beach model which looks very unique, i hope they bring it back

I think Trey Azagthoth of Morbid Angel needs to be remembered for his contribution to the popularity of Ibanez 7 strings. Granted Vai was playing them first, but Trey was hip to them before the likes of Korn, and the modern metal players, and he was a direct influence on many of these guys. But I always had a love for Ibanez, from EVH using Destroyers, through Maiden, Def Leppard, Venom, Bathory, Celtic Frost etc using Destroyer II or Iceman models in the early 80's. Plus Gary Moore, who briefly played Roadstar II models in the mid 80's, as seen in the 'Out In The Fields' video.

Very interesting, thanks for the video

Amazing video, thanks for sharing! Although nowadays the brand name is pronounced 'I-banez' (similar to the tech giant's products), the surname it originates from is actually pronounced 'Ibá-ñez,' with the stress on the second syllable. Fun fact: in Spanish surnames, the '-ez' ending means 'son of,' so Ibáñez translates to 'Son of Iban' or 'Son of Juan'-basically, Johnson, Cheers!

great vid massively underrated channel....my new rg550 arrived while i was watching this😀

Very interesting. Great video, thanks.

Why is Charvel and Jackson separated from Fender in that market share list?

My intro to Ibanez, was (and I'll save the long story) but I ended up getting an I think 87, or 88 RG550 black, with, and this was important a Rosewood fingerboard. That sh1t was black, on black, on black. But aside from the color, the thing played as smoothe as wet ice on wet ice, and the pickup config, let me get any sound I wanted. Man, I'd give anything to have that back. But just to say, I've been an Ibanez player ever since. My main thing, Is that I love that they take chances on developing new and different designs to every aspect. Yeah some didn't pan out well, but others have. I now also have a baritone acustic, a 7, and 8 string electric, because I liked what they did to make those no the same as others. and playability, yeah Ibanez just can''t be beat in that department. The fastest easy to play necks there are. jmho.

No Korn? They’re probably the first 7 strings Ibanez artist that went success back in the days. Oh you should watch Peavey undercover documentary

I was always drawn to Ibanez over other brands for some reason. Ibanez guitars make up the bulk of my collection. I have 6 of them. 2 Fireman guitars(100, 300), a RG550, a 30th anniversary RG 7 string, the last V guitar Ibanez made(VBT700), and a JS1000. I've had several other Ibanez models. The one I regret selling was a RG2610.

I'm planning on buying a S521 next year. Problem is, they're actually so expensive here in Brazil, over R$4500 (which is already a promo price). Most cheaper Ibanez models are around R$2000. Brazil's minimum wage is R$1500, and no one in my house get much more as income. 1 US dolar = R$5,60, and there's import taxes. It's really for it's body shape, I find it beautiful and must be incredibly confortable, and for not having a Floyd Rose bridge. FOD and Xyphos would be great, too. But I really see a lot of Ibanez everywhere, they're the main superstrat brand, one of the main metal instruments. I would go for a luthier built guitar if that wasn't even more pricey, just for being a bit different. But it's ok, Ibanez have great guitars, so it's reasonable that they are so popular. I think I only played 1 Ibanez guitar, on a store, and it was the most confortable guitar I've ever played, along with two Corts (which makes Ibanez guitars, by the way).

My favorite hardtail dual humbucker guitars are Ibanez PS; so far I have two PS10, one PS120, and two PS60. Cheers!

Great video!

Great video! I've had a few Ibanez guitars in my day. The only one I own now is the MASA Commemorative acoustic. I'm a small person, and this guitar fits me perfectly. It's not as deep as a standard acoustic, and doesn't sound like one, but I don't gig anymore so for bedroom jamming this does well.

Very cool history video. Appreciate it.

In 1980 I went to a local music store and showed them a review (with a photo) of an Ibanez SA 400 (345 copy). I offered them a swap. My black Gibson Les Paul Custom for an SA400. They couldn't believe their luck and ordered the Ibanez for me. To the day I die I'll still say I got the better deal. The review said the neck was so good it almost plays itself. It is that good....having said that, the original pickups were awful so I swapped them out for a pair of diMarzio Superdistortion 2s and turned it into a hard rock monster...these days it's packing a matched pair of diMarzio PAFs with coil tapping.

I’ve always loved Ibanez necks

Great vid!

Ibanez: just being one of the biggest guitar companies for decades RU-vidr: The unlikely rise of Ibanez Guitars

Very interesting. Thanks

I knew weir played Ibanez but didn’t know he was the first signature. He is mainly pictured with Ibanez “355” guitars

They goid from the start. I had a les paul copy in the 70s that was very useable. The best copy by far. I knew Ibanez had a future. I have a 75 les paul now ,the quality is quite good. Everything is still solid, plays like a dream A 49 year old cheap copy guitar that has stood the test of time.

I was hoping to see the awesome Black Eagle bass mentioned...

I had a Roadstar II that I got for Christmas in 1984. I could NEVER get the intonation to really work on the low E. I sent it to a few luthiers and i eventually gave up.

I swear the band members featured from back in the 60's all had faces made for radio. Highly doubt they would make it in the market if they debuted today.

Might have to give them a try.

Great storytelling! I always thought that in the 80s was in there prime. Now I know it was the opposite.

I have a 1984 or 82 (serial number is either or, mfg date is around there). Roadstar ii series, love it.

Fabulous story !

In my opinion, the Ibanez Destroyer II model from back in the early 1980s are far superior than the original Gibson Explorer guitars. The design choice alone for me is like - taking what already has been good, and making it even better. I wish they would reissue these old heavy metal Destroyer guitars again once more in the future. At least the good old Iceman got some love recently. Love Ibanez guitars!

I was looking for a Gibson 335. I tried heaps and could not find one that felt good. As I was about to leave my umpteen store a sales guy said have a look at this It was an IBANEZ Lee Ritenour. It looked exactly like a 335 but was light years better. I bought it immediately. As soon as I picked it up and plugged it in I knew I had to have it. Fantastic neck, low action, great sound. Much better finish and quality than a Gibson.

^. ^ Very interesting.I always wondered why the company had a Spanish name.I have an Ibanez Roadstar from the 80s....... Its excellent! my fave electric guitar ever. Foxy love fae Scotland VVxx

I have a couple lawsuit era Starfield Les Paul Custom copies. They are really high quality but with bolt on neck construction. From what I’ve learned, they changed the name from Ibanez to dodge the lawsuit or to be sold in stores that couldn’t carry new Ibanez branded guitars. It is very difficult to find information about these guitars. The brand “Starfield” got resurrected in the late 90’s or early 2000’s, I believe, and were different, so there is some confusion about the brand. The more recent guitars under that brand were more surf-style that harken back to something more akin to a Talman or something. Anyway, I’d love to learn more about the original Starfield brand and was hoping that this video would’ve touched on it. Anyway, the Starfield Les Paul copies are surprisingly great guitars with the only negative being the bolt-on neck construction, but they’re still great. Does anyone know about them? Any solid/official information would be greatly appreciated.

I own a RG from 1994. The neck is sill he best and fastest neck i ever played. No other guitar I own and tested of decades come even close. Includig other RG Models.

Glancing over the nu-metal era is unforgivable..

This is an awesome video man! I play Fender and Ibanez and just love both of them. In my eyes, Fender has a bigger name but Ibanez quality is in a league of its own! I feel like Japanese made products are much better than American. My top bass is a Fender Japanese Bass.

Putting Tim's face on the thumbnail feels like a slap to all the other famous endorses of several decades who brought Hoshino Gakki into the limelight

In 1981 I bought my first real guitar. A dark cherry wine Ibanez Les Paul. I’ve always referred to it as one of the lawsuit models. But I don’t think it’s precisely among those rare models. A friend somewhere during the 80s knew about them and because mine was a 78 it wasn’t a true lawsuit model. IDK if that’s correct. All I know is I paid $175 for it and it later sold for somewhere around 5-6x that. I never was told what (same friend) it was worth in the 2010 market when I traded it for a decent acoustic guitar when I finally decided to let it go. At the time I felt like I was given a decent deal. Looking back I’ve felt that my so called best friend (we were close friends since 1882 thru 2000, best man for each of our weddings.) who has since 2020 ghosted me, I have strong feelings he took advantage. He’s a well respected guitarist and guitar historian with a very impressive collection of everything in guitar world. A very well stocked vintage guitar store and had Tom Petty among his clients when a certain amplifier was needed for session or performance work. I kinda hope he reads this comment one day. He’ll know exactly how I’m calling him Out as a person and once dear friend.

Personally I find their BASSES the most interesting in shape, build and playing quality, and, most of all - in SOUND! Love my SDGR and ATK basses!!!

i've an Ibanez SR800LE bass from 1988 and it's the best bass ever.

i'm not really an ibanez guy BUT the ibanez tc825 is one of the greatest looking guitars ever made. i wish they would give the talman more love

That Cort make the good guitars, Fujigen make the great guitars, and Suji make the epic guitars for Hoshino. I started playing cheap Korean guitars in the 80's (hondo and harmony) and bought a Gibson in 91 because "only American guitars were good". I lied to myself that the USA Gibson I purchased was awesome, since I spent all money I saved for over a year on it, but the harmony was a better guitar. I played that SG in three bands until I graduated University in 98, when I threw the SG in a closet and went off to corporate slavery. Sold the SG when the neck warped after a cross country move in 2009. In 2010 I bought a acoustic in a pawn shop when my Daughter was taking music lessons and decided I wanted to play again as well. Went to a guitar store and tried all the brands since I hadn't been shopping for guitars since 1991, was reformed by my experience with Gibson guitar snobbery, and had a grown-up budget. Spent a day in a huge guitar shop trying everything, the staff was super patient, and very cool about it. Ibanez crushed the other brands at all price points. I now have 9 Ibanezes and my original Harmony Discovery. My fav Ibanezes are modern 2024 RGR5221TFR and 2020 RG652AHMFX with a close tie to my 1998 RG470. As a person who was out of the market for so long I was shocked how much a Gibson or Fender Custom cost and how bad they sucked compared to prestige Ibanezes that were way less money.

I always thought that ibanez was the 3rd best selling brand on guitar market, i don't know why everyone says is prs.

im full on the ibanez train, have tried many different guitars and consistently for the price ibanez has been the best deal, fretwork better than any production level guitar as well on any prestige tier guitar

Had an Ibanez electric about 10 years ago es335 type cherry in color, wish I had kept it. Japanese made products are well made guitars or other.

“The THIRD biggest company…SECOND to Fender and Gibson” 😅

My 12 string plays like butter

Ibanez offer the best product at any price range. Reliable, easy to maintain, and very instinctive, it's the ultimate 'metal' guitar out there with only Schecter offering something similar.

Another addendum to this would be "How bad Ibanez treated its Employees during the 80s/90s - its Best Era Ever", and then "Why photo-paper veneered Basswood is the best ToAn WoOd." ...and then follow it up with "How to sell complete crap with "signature model" marketing"...it would be very educational. Oh! And for Bonus Credit, "Guitar Manufacturing on the Caste System". - Zing!