Vintage Acoustic Guitar

c.1970s Ibanez/Alvarez
LAWSUIT J-200 COPY/CLONE
Jumbo Guitar!

Big, loud, precise tone. Good playability
and lots of punch. Perfect bling-tastic instrument
for gigs at the bar or on the road where your
REAL J-200 should not go!

I've given this guitar a fret dress, new bone saddle (replacing
an adjustable saddle) and a full setup. It cranks it out!

HEAR IT BELOW:
Click
here for raw mp3!

SO,
WHAT IS IT?

 
This was one of
those "lawsuit" guitars from the 70s, made in the Ibanez/Alvarez
factory. In this case it's a pretty darn close copy of a Gibby J-200.
This guitar shows some use wear (the floral motifs on the pickguard are
all but worn off from play!) but is crack-free and ready-to-go shape.

Did I mention it has a profuse amount of pearl and country-squire
sensibilities??

I've given it a fret dress, shaved the (already shaved) bridge a bit
more, swapped out its adjustable saddle for a bone one, and cut some
string ramps in the bridge to get better string angle. I've also
replaced the wrecked Japanese cheapy tuners with some high-quality
vintage-style ones that both dress it up and make tuning a breeze. It
plays nicely, with a quick neck, and has a big old punchy, country-ish
tone, perfect for big chord backing or bass-lead work.

These old J-200 copies are pretty desirable and hard-to-find
instruments. You often see the more cheaply-made Hummingbird copies,
but not these fellows. I bought this guitar for my own use but have
been playing out with an old archtop recently, so I'd rather have this
one get some play like it should. I'm selling it near what I paid for
it despite all the work done.

FEATURES, YOU SAY?

 
Woods: looks like
laminates for top and back, but can't be sure entirely... (Japanese)
maple back and sides, with spruce top (but I believe the spruce is all
layered in the same grain direction -- something this guitar shares
with nice old Giannini classicals from Brazil). Fretboard and bridge
are solid rosewood, though. Neck itself is a three-piece mahogany one
which makes it quite strong (and nice to look at) with truss rod
adjustment (truss is good to go and functioning well).

Fittings: brand new vintage-style quality tuners, bone saddle (new),
plastic (original) nut, J-200 style pickguard (it's translucent so you
can see the top underneath), strap button at heel and also at end
block. Bridge is bolted on at the factory.

Decorations: real pearl inlaid in bridge and fretboard -- fancy looker!
Fancy multi-ply bindings on top, back, headstock, fretboard (with side
dots), soundhole, and inlaid rosette. Can't beat the looks! Also, nice
inlaid marquetry backstrip.

Sound: punchy, big, sustained, and wide open. It's very loud and has
excellent string-to-string balance with sweet trebles and focused bass.
Doesn't get mushy, which means it works great as a fingerpicker or
flatpicker.

Strings are barely-used D'Addario $10/set Medium-gauge Semi-Flatted
Phosphor Bronze... smooth feel and great tone for recording.

This guitar does not come with a case.

ANY ISSUES?

 
Had previous neck reset at some point and heel cap shows slight gap
(neck heel is firmly seated, though). Bridge shows slight pull up on
treble wing, but it's firmly glued to the top (no movement when
tuning). I removed the MOP bolt covers, removed the bolts, and
reinstalled them with better washers, too... so it's not going anywhere.

Please ask if you've
got any other questions!

DIMENSIONS?

 
Length: 42 1/2"
Width: 16 7/8"
Depth: 4 1/2"
Scale: 25 1/4"
Nut: 1 11/16"
Action @ 12th fret: 1/8" from board

SHIPPING?

 
$40 insured via
Priority Mail (or Parcel Post depending on zone) in the 48 states...
Alaska, Hawaii, international, please inquire for a quote.
I only charge actual cost... no packing or time considerations.

ANYTHING ELSE?

I'm Jake and I
restore vintage
and antique musical instruments (mostly turn of the century to 1930s
banjos, guitars, ukes, and mandolins) as my day job up here at our
brick & mortar shop in Vermont,
and I assure you that you will receive what I have described and shown
in this listing. Please ask any and all questions before bidding. Sales
are final unless damage occurs in shipping or the instrument arrives
differently from how I've described it and the pictures show it.