Ibanez Acoustic Guitars: History of Excellence and Innovation

Of Japanese musical instruments, Ibanez was one of the firsts to gain a strong presence in Europe and the US. This they started in 1957 with the introduction of excellent yet inexpensive copies of the best guitars available. A majority of the Ibanez acoustic guitars in 1970 were copies of American brands - still comparably cheap and still of great quality.

Ibanez's move to its peak

In 1976, Ibanez moved out of the copy business and its own designs began to appear with models such as Iceman and Roadstar. When the rock music era came rolling in the late 1980s, Hoshino collaborated with Frank Zappa's former guitarist Steve Vai, releasing a Steve Vai signature model spurring the turnaround in the then sagging fortunes of Ibanez. This led to collaborations with other great names such as Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert, further cementing their place at the top of the market.

In 2004, an Ibanez acoustic guitar was added to the list of Steve Vai signature models - the Euphoria 7. Recently, Euphoria 9, another Ibanez acoustic guitar with the Steve Vai signature, was released equipped with the Fishman Aura System that gives wide tonal versatility, whether recording or live. The EP9 is another Ibanez acoustic guitar breakthrough that "looks as delicious as it sounds and feels".

Rising to the challenge for today's acoustic guitars

Ibanez acoustic guitars have always been associated with excellent quality. Like their signature models, Ibanez acoustic guitars are constantly perfected making the brand a standout. Ibanez acoustic guitars have kept itself at the forefront of innovations, providing discerning artists a wide array of choices.

Ibanez acoustic guitars are no longer just pretty instruments giving clear, sparkling sound. Additional features have been mounted on-board to make the Ibanez acoustic guitars the answer to today's need for a versatile instrument. The standard in today's Ibanez are electronics for giving amplified acoustic guitar that realistic "plugged in" sound as well as greater playing capabilities, on stage or off.

Continuously evolving

Several Ibanez acoustic guitars are leading the innovations in acoustic guitars. The purists' guitar of choice - the Artwood series - now has Fast Action Set-up Technology for easier neck adjustments; the Flying Top construction is also a recent improvement to give better resonance. The beauty of Exotic Wood series is also enhanced by comfort (having nylon strings version) and convenience (with the addition of B-Band electronics).

The recently released Montage is pushing the boundaries of Ibanez acoustic guitars. This electric/acoustic hybrid boasts of five sound options and can easily shift from the clear tones of acoustic to the brass distortions of electric and everything in between. The Montage is truly the most multi-functional in the lineup of Ibanez acoustic electric guitars ever.

Ibanez was originally the Spanish Salvador Ibanez; throughout its history from Spain to Japan's Hoshino, Ibanez acoustic guitars have always been of superb make. Craftsmanship, state-of-the-art, tonal versatility - all these while providing a high-end guitar at lower cost. Ibanez acoustic guitars may have started out as copycats; but now, the competition is checking out Ibanez acoustic guitars with new eyes.