1976 Ibanez 2461 "Johnny Smith" Natural, Very Good, Hard, $1,850.00

Summary: In the early 70's, Ibanez set out to make high-precision replicas of Gibson's top-end instruments. These copies were so good that Gibson sued to stop production. Known as 'lawsuit' models, these guitars are now coveted for their quality and faithfulness to the originals. This model, the 2461, is a copy of the classic Gibson Johnny Smith. It’s a favorite of working musicians who prefer to leave their expensive originals at home, and of collectors who want to invest in a quality collectable archtop without the high-end price tag.

Body: Arched laminate spruce top, laminate curly maple back and sides. Bound F-holes, Multiple-ply binding on body. Body size at lower bout: 17”.

Neck: Three piece maple neck with bound ebony fingerboard. Split block markers in mother of pearl. Later style post-“lawsuit” headstock with and Ibanez inlay. Bone nut. Scale length: 25" Nut width: 1 11/16”.

Pickups/Hardware: Single neck-mounted floating minihumbucker. Single volume control mounted on floating multiple-ply bound dark tortoiseshell pickguard. Gold-plated hardware. Gold “Star” tuners. Engraved L-5 style tailpiece. Adjustable compensated bridge with inlaid feet. Endpin jack.

Cosmetics: This guitar is in great shape. The finish shows honest playwear. There are superficial dings and scratches on top and back. The finish has faded from wear around the edges of the top and along the cutaway on the back. There is some light finish crazing, mostly along the body binding, which has aged to an attractive cream. There is a chip in the top binding on the lower bout. The neck is in excellent condition with little sign of wear. There is a small nick of missing finish above the nut on the treble side of the headstock. There is an area of discoloration around the strap button at the heel, most likely from a strap rubbing the finish. The gold-plating has the typical fading and light pitting of vintage hardware. The inlays on the neck, headstock and bridge are in excellent condition. Frets are full and show very little wear.

Playability: The neck is wide with a modern carve and big frets; strung with flatwounds, it plays like butter, super smooth and responsive to touch. The tone, amplified by the single minihumbucker, is huge, warm and clear; notes bloom and sustain beautifully. No need for a tone knob, this is instant jazz.

Weight: 7 lbs, 12 oz.

Case: Aftermarket hard shell.