Ibanez japan-era jazz-box?

[Jim MacDaniel]

Anyone ever see, hear, or play one of these rare birds? Looks interesting, and the seller says in his email reply that it has an arched top and and back, with a solid top, and he thinks it may have solid back and sides as well.

(Link to eBay auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=010&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=200045330346&rd=1&rd=1))

It looks like it is going to sell for more that its two-point siblings typically do, so considering that I never even knew these existed -- let alone have never played or heard one -- it's a little too much for me to justify to the wife as an impulse item. (But it sure does look sharp!)

[Jim MacDaniel]

(forgot the pic...)

[Jeroen]

I started with a 513 (way back in the 80s) and could not find a worthy upgrade until I had 5 times its value to spend. It was not very loud but had nice open sound on the A and E strings, which I think is often a problem with mandolins in its price range.

[jefflester]

Very interesting. Seems odd that it has the same model number as the normal 2-point A5 Jethro style instrument.

[cooper4205]

from what i could tell when i was trying to find some info on my ibanez 522 two-point, the 513's with the D-hole were made after they had discontinued the two-point versions. i think it was 77 or 78 when they quite making the jethro copies. i have seen the one like you have pictured above go for almost $800, but there are some vintage ibanez nuts out there.

i am pretty sure those are solid wood, but the two-point 513's only had solid tops. the 522 i have is identical to the gibson A5's of the 1970's except for the neck joint, inly material and fretboard wood. it is also all-solid wood. it's the only ibanez i have seen like it.

those catalogs from the 70's are cool; ibanez used to have an extensive line of mandolins including f4's and distressed , solid wood a-styles.

[fatt-dad]

I've had two of these and was not impressed with either. The first I bought from Gruhn for $500.00 and sold it at ebay auction for $350. The second I bought at ebay auction for something less than $300.00 and returned it as it had an undisclosed sunken top. The one that I got from Gruhn was a structurally sound mandolin but it had a rather timid voice. Maybe this is what the "jazz" guys want, but it wasn't for me. I worry about inconsistent quality if I was in the hunt, based on my experience.

f-d

[Tom C]

How come one question is about reserve that the seller will not diluge. I do not see a "reserve".

[jefflester]

How come one question is about reserve that the seller will not diluge. I do not see a "reserve".
If you click on the bid history it says the reserve has been met.