Ibanez with Selmer style D hole

[nickster60]

Has anyone ever seen a Ibanez with a D shaped Selmer hole. I have come across one any thoughts

[Paul Hostetter]

Which one? Post some photos and any history or label info you might have.

[PJ Doland]

Your post never specified if it was a mandolin or a guitar.

Mario Maccaferri did collaborate with Ibanez on the production of guitars in the early 1980s.

Never seen any mass-produced "grande bouche" mandolins before, apart from the Gypsy Swing models designed by Greg Rich and sold by TML.

[Paul Hostetter]

Mario Maccaferri did collaborate with Ibanez on the production of guitars in the early 1980s.

Mario Maccaferri and Maurice Summerfield collaborated on having them made in the late 70's. Mario redesigned the guitar, so it wasn't much like the Paris Selmers. A batch of nice prototypes was made by Ibanez, but the real production run, after the go-ahead from Maccaferri and Summerfield, was subbed out to a factory in Korea and they weren't great. Not bad, but not great. Most were dumped, label-less, for $100 apiece in 1980 or so. I've seen quite a few, folks still imagine they were made by Ibanez, but the tailpieces almost all had the Suzuki "S" stamped on them.

The Paris Swing label has just been resuscitated by Music Link, for a couple of guitars. It'll be awhile before any mandolins come along, but when they do, they'll be several cuts above the old ones.

[nickster60]

It is a mandolin and I found out it is a model 513. The is no country of origin on the tag

[Paul Hostetter]

Ibanez is based in Japan, but they contract work to other Asian shops.

A 513 could be this:



Or it could also be this:



Both have pressed tops.

See this thread.

[nickster60]

It is the top model above with the D hole. Has anyone ever played one of these?

[Paul Hostetter]

I can't imagine there's much difference in sound between the two variations of the 513. Same construction techniques, materials, etc. I've played plenty of the oval hole one, they're pretty good. I assume you're considering buying it? What kind of price is being asked?

[Paul Hostetter]

Did you read that linked thread (above) about them?

[nickster60]

Read the link only one opinion about there sound. They are asking $250.00 which doesn't seem out of line. I have always liked that gypsy jazz look.

[Rob Norton]

I have one of the D-hole models exactly like the one in the photo (except mine has the pickguard). I think the design is pretty cool.

Mine had one of those gold foil "Made in Japan" stickers on the back of the headstock when I got it. The label says Model 513.

It's very solidly made, and the fit an finish are good. As for the sound, I wouldn't describe it as "quiet" -- it has decent volume -- but I would say it sounds more like a flat-top than a carved-top instrument. I hadn't known the top was pressed, but that makes complete sense. The top looks like pretty fine-grained spruce; the back, which is flat, appears to be maple. It has a little flame.

Two interesting things about it: It's got two tone bars like a modern A (or an F-5) rather than a lateral brace like a vintage A. And the scale length seems to be 13.5 inches, which was new to me. The nut is set 3/8 of an inch closer to the bridge than it would have had to be. It intonates fine, however.

I put a Michael Kelly tailpiece on it, which just happens to exactly mirror the curve of the fingerboard extension, and I have one of the old clip-on DeArmond pick-ups on it. I've been toying with the idea of converting in into a four string.

[Paul Hostetter]

Again, the main thing you need to know is that the top is pressed, not carved. And in pressed tops those bars are actual braces, not tone bars, per se. This adds up to the sound you're hearing. That said, $250 sounds like a realistic price.