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1975 Ibanez L-5CESN, 'Lawsuit Model'
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Body size at lower bout: 17" Scale length: 25-1/2" Nut width: 1 11/16'
Materials: Three-piece solid maple neck with adjustable truss rod; arched spruce top; arched maple back and sides; solid ebony fingerboard; mother of pearl block fingerboard inlay; 7-ply body and headstock binding, 5 ply bound fingerboard, bound f-holes.
Hardware: Original gold-plated hardare includes deco style tailpiece, star label tuners, twin PAF style humbucking pickups; Tune-o-matic style bridge with ebony feet; quintuple-bound tortoise pickguard. Vintage style amber speed knobs installed.
Notes: In the early 70's Ibanez set out to make precision copies of Gibson's top-end instruments. So successful were they that Gibson sued to stop production, which was subsequently halted under court order. Now known as 'lawsuit' L-5s, these guitars have become legendary for their their scrupulous faithfulness to the originals. This fine example, cataloged by Ibanez as a Model 2460NT, was built in the only yeart for the true Gibson style headstock design, before the model was changed to comply with legal requirements.
The back is laced with tight fiddleback flame maple, beautifully bookmatched in a chevron pattern, and the fingerboard is crafted of solid ebony, with classic medium-jumbo fretwork. The neck profile is an elegant gentle D, one of the reasons these guitars have become legendary among working players worldwide. This guitar has been maintained in wonderful condition, without cracks, pick, thumb or fingerboard wear. The gold strap pin was moved from the neck heel to the back long ago, and about the only signs of age are a few random dings, some tarnish on the gold parts, and a few hairline stress cracks around the jack, none through the wood.
With it's big box tone, classic design and handsome deeply ambered blonde finish, this guitar is an unbeatable value in a true pro guitar, and an ideal choice for a great working instrument.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, crowned and polished as required; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished; pickup height and balance adjusted.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel strings (.013-.056). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Hiscox deluxe molded plush lined hardshell case.
