A couple of days ago I posted about a 1957 Ibanez Hi-Tone guitar, about which I knew almost nothing. I inquired since, with a little help from our readers, and though I don't know much more about the Ibanez (but that the model should be a EG-1580), I found many guitars that are very similar (with different headstocks, pickguards, control plates, bridges, stoptails, cutaways, one or two pickups, in bridge or neck position, different woods, etc...) - if not identical - under various brands: on top is a Teisco, on the right is a Guyatone LG 50 H, down are a Maestro LG 50 and a Guyatone LG 40.
There were also Star and Antoria models, and I also found out that there's been a vintage Japanese Hi-Tone brand... So this is another complex cross-branding story for a cool guitar!
And let me wish you all a happy new year for 2013!
Bertram D
© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - 10 years and counting!
While drifting around on the Burns website, I noticed that they appear to coming out with a new version of a guitar very similar to these ones:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.burnsguitars.com/drifter-lg50.php
Hello! That Hi-Tone was made by Guyatone for Ibanez...sort of a contract to a subcontract kind of deal.
ReplyDeleteI have a hobby site for guyatone at www.GuyatoneGuitars.com and soon will be working as the distributor for the company as well in the US.
I actually discovered that Burns copy as well and brought it to the attention of Guyatone. It is a complete copy of their original design and there will soon be a meeting regarding their unauthorized use.
The first guitar seems Teisco TG-54 (1954, gold finish), the first model of Teisco, along with TN-54 (1954, natural finish). You can see another TG-54 exhibited at Yamaguchi Music Store in Yokosuka, Japan, and TN-54 could be found on a blog page.
ReplyDeleteAnd as you know, the second & third guitars are Ibanez/Star EG-1580 (OEM of Guyatone LG-50), and forth guitar is Ibanez/Star EG-1590 (OEM of Guyatone LG-40), respectively.