Ibanez Guitar & Hard Case Gibson SG Lawsuit Era Made in Japan Early 1970s

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You are bidding on a fabulous vintage SG Gibson Style ‘Open Book’ headstock Guitar and Original Hard Case.This example is unbranded, but my research leads me to believe this is most likley an Ibanez from the early 1970s. It has the ‘Open Book’ headstock and is marked on the neck plate ‘MADE IN JAPAN’ and no serial number!See ref and similar examples at: /destroyer/lawsuit.htmFeatures:· Headstock unbranded Gibson-esque ’Open Book’ Style. Most likely a Japanese “Ibanez”· Lovely chunky neck· Classic dual Humbucker with four control layout· Very little fret wear· Plays Well and Nice Action· Great condition for its age. It does have a few bumps and scrapes due to use· Gorgeous Mahogany / Walnut coloured finish. Multi laminate body· Original Tangerine Lined Hard Case (NB: Outer case shows signs of use)Please note: At the moment no sound comes out when plugged in, which is most likely a faulty pot, but I don’t want to mess with the originality of this lovely guitar as I don’t really feel confident with the soldering iron.Overall a lovely untouched original example in good condition! an easy restoration project for an enthusiast.Brief Ibanez ‘Lawsuit’ History:The Japanese guitar brand, Ibanez discovered a way to success around 1970 when they started making copies of well-known American guitars like Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker. They did a good job: the guitars were good copies. They were able to make these guitars affordable due to cheaper materials and labor, coupled with a higher level of automation when compared to their American counterparts. Some of the earlier guitars construction was not completely accurate and faithful to the originals. Most of the Les Paul copies had bolt-on necks and multi-piece, plywood tops. Routings for electronics and wiring were pretty rough in a manner similar to today’s Indonesian guitars. But Ibanez where very popular because guitarists that couldn’t afford a Gibson or a Fender could buy a guitar that offered a good balance between price and quality...and looked professional!On June 28, 1977 Gibson, filed a lawsuit against Ibanez. The case was claiming trademark infringement based on the duplicate "Open Book" or "moustache" headstock design of the Ibanez copies. Gibson threatened to sue Ibanez for a long time regarding the use of the headstock which Gibson claimed as a trademark. By the fall of 1976 Ibanez had redesigned their headstocks to look much like those found Guild guitars. The new headstock design even appeared in the 1976 catalog! By the time the lawsuit was actually filed, the headstocks had already been changed. While "lawsuit" head generally means a Gibson copy headstock, the Ibanez headstock at the time of the lawsuit was actually a copy of a Guild headstock.We will send this item out to you well packaged, so you can bid in confidence.! This item is very heavy so please not the postage costs before bidding!You will not be disappointed. Good luck and thanks for your interest.I have been collecting for many years and all items being sold are from my personal collection! See my other listings for:Vintage, Antique, Holmegaard Carnaby Glass and other retro ceramic items. Shelley Rustkin Maiolica Minton Japanese China Ming Qing Export Ceramics Antiquities Carnival Antique Glass 1970s 1950s Cranberry Victoriana Studio Glass Bohemian Czech Art Deco Victorian Jewellery Ceramics Art Nouveau read more

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