[Please see our extensive listing of used Ibanez guitars following this brief history of the company.]
Ibanez was the first Japanese manufactured guitar to grab a significant portion of the market in the United States.
The (Japanese) Ibanez brand of guitar dates back to 1929 Japan. Hoshino Gakki, the (now) musical sales division of Hoshino Shoten (a bookstore company), was importing the guitars from Salvador Ibanez, the original Spanish luthier. In 1935, the Spanish factory was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, and the brand name rights were purchased and the Japanese began production.
The first guitars manufactured in Japan were Spanish-style acoustic guitars. With the modern era of Ibanez guitars starting to be produced in 1957. The first guitars were mainly copies of European styles, and were some very different designs. By the 1970s, the Japanese were mainly copying the American manufacturers.
These copies were to lead Ibanez into what was called 'the lawsuit period.' The legal problems arising over mainly copied versions of guitars from Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker guitars.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s would be a very important period for the Ibanez brand. It was when a relationship was formed between Hoshino Gakki and Frank Zappa's lead guitarist, Steve Vai. Ibanez would soon release the Ibanez Jem, and also the Universe models. After having previous success with the Roadster and Iceman models in the late '70s and early '80s, the Ibanez name secured it's position as a reputable brand, and became very popular with major artists as well as many young players.
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