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1978 Ibanez FA-300AT
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Serial #: B787927, M. Sugihara signed label
Body size at lower bout: 17" Body depth: 3 1/4" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 11/16" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .77/.89
Materials: Arched spruce laminate top and figured maple back and sides; three-piece solid maple neck with adjustable truss rod; solid rosewood fingerboard; 7-ply body binding, 5-ply bound fingerboard, bound f-holes.
Hardware: Original gold hardware includes Super 70 humbucking pickups, trapeze loop tailpiece, Smooth Tuner II tuning machines; adjustable compensated ebony bridge; Sure Grip volume and tone knobs. Newer multi-ply tortoise pickguard.
Notes: If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, consider this guitar a valentine to the Gibson Guitar Company. In the early 70's Ibanez set out to make high-precision replicas of Gibson's top-end instruments. So successful were they that Gibson sued to stop production, which was subsequently halted under court order. Since that time, these guitars have become legendary for their rarity, and their scrupulous faithfulness to the originals.
Introduced in 1977, the FA-300 is one of Ibanez' rarest models, built for only three years in the late '70s. Patterned after Gibson's iconic L-5CES, the FA-300 differed in having a feedback resistant laminate body, like the full depth ES-350, and a nimble 24 3/4" scale, along the lines of the popular ES-175.
This striking example is crafted with a deeply quilted arched maple body, and an arched bookmatched spruce soundboard. The gold hardware is all original as well, including the original Super 70 humbucking pickups, star logo Smooth Tuner II machines, adjustable compensated ebony bridge, and newer multi-ply tortoise pickguard.
The label bears the signature of head luthier M. Sugihara. The original multi-ply binding is excellent and tight to the body, and the original blonde finish has ambered to a warm honey color. Free of cracks, pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, the guitar has fine undented fretwork polished to a high luster, and gold hardware still bright and shiny.
With its smooth low action, effortless gentle D neck profile, and warm amplified voice, these faithfully designed archtops have been perennial favorites of gigging pros, who prefer to leave their costly originals in the studio. An exceptional value, and the most faithful clones anyone's going to build, as long as Gibson has lawyers. One only: call now.
Setup: 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.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel flatwound strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" 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: Original deluxe black Ibanez arched plush lined hardshell case.
