1980 Ibanez Iceman IC-50 Electric Guitar

Vintage Japanese axe, with original hardware and custom paint job

This is another guitar that I've owned for over 20 years and I also found this one at Westminster Jewelry and Loan. When I bought it, it was black and had many rough patches on the body, where it had been scratched and/or dinged. My buddy decided to strip it and sand it down a little to smooth out some of those blemishes and used crackle paint from the local hardware store for the paint job. A thin layer of lacquer was applied to seal it and it has slightly faded into a bit of a sweet cream color today.

The hardware was also in very bad shape, the tail piece and saddle were dipped in some sort of black coating that used to make a better grip on tools. Maybe it wasn't the best idea, sonically, but it looked cool and lasted a fairly long time.Another distinguishing feature on this guitar is the nut at the end of the fretboard, someone scalloped it at some point and that's not something you see on what is considered a mid-level guitar, at best.

I took this in to Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar to replace the toggle switch and clean up the electronics. He also set it up and raised the pickups. This one always played and sounded so good, that it was actually my main guitar when I first got it and I played it at my first gig over the vintage Les Paul that I've had for nearly 25 years. The pickups aren't quite as hot as the Gibson and it's a great option for laying down rhythm tracks. I'll take it back to Clay at some point to restore it further, the tuning keys have a fair amount of tarnish and the frets could use a cleaning.

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1985 Aria Pro II RS Knight Warrior

Vintage Japanese super-strat, made by Matsumoku and equipped with a Kahler Flyer tremolo

 

The younger cousin of the strat copy that I scored a couple of years back, this one is its mirror image and 30 years has seen the white finish age into a killer vintage cream color. The pickups seem to be original, although most photos show the guitar with blade style pickups and the Kahler Flyer is definitely stock. I took this to Clay at Beach City Pawn and Guitar for the setup and it does play and sound super sweet.

Getting back to those pickups, I found a set of vintage blade pickups, including an MMK 45 humbucker, but the PUPs inside looked to be the same build, so we decided to leave it be. This guitar doesn't have the output of some of my other electrics, but it gets really nice clean sounds and the Flyer alone is probably worth what I paid for it.

These are high-quality mid-grade guitars, worst-case scenario, and you can find them for $200 or less most times. I'm currently in the market for a bass with a rosewood fretboard and it's either going to be an Aria or another Ibanez Roadstar, which I also brought in for Clay to look at. If you live in Southern California and you need repairs to your guitars, check out the Yelp page above. Clay will take care of your guitars and give you a great deal on the price.

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1970s Hohner Telecaster Electric Guitar

Vintage Japanese import, real nice short scale copycat model

One of the few electric guitars to have made it's way into the showcase, this little Tele copy looks and plays great and sounds even better. I'm not sure exactly when it was made, but the gentleman that I acquired it from said it was 1978.

The body is real small and slim, loaded with a single P-90 style pickup. Whatever that pickup is, it gets the job done, especially on the clean channel. The sunburst finish still looks great, although there are a few nicks here on there, mostly around the edges.

Aside from the performance on the clean channel, the other that really stands out about this guitar is the neck. It feels great abd looks real nice with binding down the sides and what looks like a regular-size 22-fret neck (didn't measured it).

I had never played a Hohner electric before, so when I had the chance at this deal, I took it. It's a nice little guitar that could easily be used for recording and gigging, but the small size makes it a great beginner too.

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1995 Ibanez RX 170 Electric Guitar

Vintage Ibanez budget-line guitar, worlds better than what is out there today in this price range, made in Korea 

Here is an interesting guitar, a low-end model, but one that is worthy of investing some money into for hot rodding. The body is made of plywood and the hardware isn't anything to write home about... 

But, the neck is one-piece maple and the HSH pickup configuration means that the sky is the limit in terms of the number of sounds that this guitar is capable of putting out. Throw in some high-end pickups and tuning machines and this guitar suddenly becomes a monster shredder.

Haven't seen too many of these floating around, most cheap Ibanez's available secondhand are the next generation Gios. $250 is a fair deal for a stock version like this one, but finding one in decent shape for about half that number is possible too.

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2002 Ibanez Gio GSA 60 Electric Guitar

Budget-line HSS electric guitar, still better than today's new stuff, made in Indonesia

This is an early 2000s Ibanez beginner level guitar, but it's been well-maintained over the years and plays great. Surprisingly, this guitar does sound fairly nice too, so it could be something that you could rely on as a backup for gigging. 

Ibanez is known throughout the world of guitar players for making fast necks and that's why I recommend them to everyone that asks me what they should get for their first guitar. Those fast necks make the guitars easier to play and the beginners are less likely to get frustrated and stop playing after a couple of weeks.

Unlike the earlier generation RX Series guitars, this one probably isn't worth putting any money into, but the HSS pickup configuration still makes it versatile sound-wise and it plays nice enough that you'll get back what you paid for it. $100-$150 for this model is a fair price, easily the best I've played from the Gio line.

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1986 Takamine GX-100T Electric Guitar

Vintage lawsuit guitar, a rare solid-body electric made by one of the most-respected names in acoustic guitars

This is a very high-end copy of a Gibson Explorer, it was so nice that Gibson threatened Takamine with a lawsuit and they stopped making electric guitars altogether, from what I've been able to dig up.

The pickups look like Seymour Duncans and it's a possibility, they made the pups in the old Ibanez guitars. On top of that, this model also features neck-thru construction. Plays like butter too.

If you find one of these in even decent shape, you should pick it up, they generally go for between $500-$800 on most auction sites.

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1980s Aria Pro II RS Special V Electric Guitar

Made in Japan, by the famed Matsumoku guitar masters, with the classic black and white setup

Early-mid 80s Aria Pro II RS Special V Strat Style electric guitar, these are often said to rival Fender Strats of the same period and this one definitely plays like a dream.

Can't say for sure what year it is, the neckplate indicates 1982, but the Special V series supposedly only ran in 1983-84.
Either way, this is a killer vintage electric guitar and one that is offered at a price you'd pay for a new mid-level guitar, at best.

These seem to be more popular over in Europe, so you can sometimes find them here in the US for less than $200.

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1990s Customized Squier Short Scale Fretless Bronco Bass Guitar

In near-mint condition, customized with a fretless neck and a Seymour Duncan Cool Rail pickup

Showcased today is a customized Squier bass, upgraded with a nice fretless neck and a Seymour Duncan Cool or Hot Rails guitar pickup.

The candy apple red finish and speckled pickguard give this one a nice vintage look, helped along by the mini Fender Mustang body. Immaculate condition for a 15-year old instrument, with just some light scratches along the bottom and rear from regular playing.

The short scale makes this bass easier to play for students or anyone that has a hard time wrapping their hands around a normal bass neck. The fretless neck also plays smooth as silk and sounds just as good.

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2000s Squier Strat By Fender Electric Guitar

Affinity Series, classic black & white look!

 

This is a budget line Squier, the same model you see in Guitar Center and Sam Ash, usually packaged with a Fender practice amp. The Fender Strat look never goes out of style, but this guitar is very poorly-made and you'd be better served looking at a knockoff brand before you put out any cash on this.

The input jack is so cheap, that just about every time you remove the power cord, the washer and nut come flying off with it. The guitar itself plays well enough, but paying anything over $80 for this means you've been taken hard.

Features:

3 single-coil pickups
5-way pickup switch
Maple neck
Rosewood fretboard
Tremolo bridge
Die-cast chrome tuners

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2000s Yamaha EG112C Electric Guitar

Low budget Strat copy, surprisingly decent for the price

 

Newer model Yamaha EG112C Fender Stratoscaster copy, with the classic black and white color scheme, a fast and thin rosewood neck and the HSS pickup configuration.
The sound is fairly thin though, which is to be expected with a budget model.

This guitar is still a decent choice for your first guitar or as an inexpensive base for a hot rod project. Many online forums contain stories from folks who have upgraded the pickups and tuning keys on these models. They go for as little as $40 used online and $80 should be the most anyone pays.

Body: Basswood
Neck: Bolt-on Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Made in China

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