looking for info on this

[NyYankeehatr]

recently found171612171613171614 its made in japan and has a flat back

[DavidKOS]

Wow, that looks like my very first mandolin that I had for a short time in the early 70's.

It's the same Ibanez that made some fine guitars later on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibanez

http://www.ibanez.com/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=334&now=2

http://www.ibanez.com/anniversary/334/2.jpg

similar, not same pickguard mid 60's

http://www.ibanez.com/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=337&now=15

http://www.ibanez.com/anniversary/337/15.jpg

looking more like #170 as marked on the label

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?96640-Trying-to-identify-this-Ibanez-mandolin

old thread

By the mid 70's Ibanez was making (or getting from other factories) more typically "American" style mandolins.

[Mark Gunter]

In the other thread (the one David linked to), you asked,

is it worth anything or just a wall hanger?

Are those your only two choices? If it's in good shape and playable, you can play it rather than making it a "wall hanger."

If it isn't playable, I don't think it's going to be worth much of anything. This isn't the holy grail of mandolins. If it is in great shape and sounds good, you can probably get a bill or a few bills if you are a shrewd salesperson.

Merely my opinion, I'm no expert, but there are experts on this board who probably won't be getting very excited about this specimen.

[Jeff Mando]

Merely my opinion, I'm no expert, but there are experts on this board who probably won't be getting very excited about this specimen.

Great quote, Mark! This summarizes why the rare stuff is rare and 99.9% of old instruments are just old and unexciting, IMHO. Some people think just by being 50-100 years old there must be a demand or worth to something and so often that just is not the case.

[NickR]

Some of my favourite mandolins are not expensive instruments and were factory made. However, I do have a hand-carved top and back F5 style mandolin made by arguably Britain's best archtop maker- his last mandolin and a 1923 A2 snakehead which are superb. However, I have other Cinderella mandolins that do go to the ball- and deservedly so. It is not always about value. My first decent mandolin was an A5 copy made in Japan and it is a good instrument.

[NyYankeehatr]

Some of my favourite mandolins are not expensive instruments and were factory made. However, I do have a hand-carved top and back F5 style mandolin made by arguably Britain's best archtop maker- his last mandolin and a 1923 A2 snakehead which are superb. However, I have other Cinderella mandolins that do go to the ball- and deservedly so. It is not always about value. My first decent mandolin was an A5 copy made in Japan and it is a good instrument.
It was my dads,he recently passed just curious its in excellent condition no plans of getting rid on it

[Bob Clark]

Some people think just by being 50-100 years old there must be a demand or worth to something and so often that just is not the case.

Well, Jeff, I am in that age range and have been hoping I'd become 'in demand', but it just hasn't happened yet.:grin:

(Sorry, but I found that statement just too funny to let it go by!)

[PH-Mando]

If this nice looking mando belonged to your Dad then the sentimental and personal value make it one of a kind and priceless.