It seems funny to think that Ibanez - now a high prestige guitar manufacturer - were once just yet another Japanese brand churning out "copy" guitars. Here we see Ibanez copy a British manufacturer with this 1960s-era Ibanez Model 5902 Bass which appears to be an amalgam of several Burns designs, although it is particularly Bison-like in the horns. Quite who "Goldentone" were supposed to be, I couldn't say. It's probably just another random brand name that the Japanese factory thought would look impressive. Note the headstock with its 3+1 tuner layout - yet ANOTHER design pre-dating Music Man but that doesn't stop Ernie Ball thinking it's their intellectual property.
Currently listed on eBay UK with a starting bid of £400 and a Buy It Now price of £599.
G L Wilson
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Maybe 'Goldentone' is a nod to another guitar builder - it is very close to the Gibson typeface...
ReplyDeleteIt looks (and I hope it sounds) like a beast and not too expensive. The strap buttons seem to be strangely placed. Is it for balance or have they been moved because of the poor quality of the wood that caused the screw to fail ?
ReplyDeleteThe font on "Goldentone" is a dead ringer for Guyatone's. I believe Guyatone did make some early Ibanez guitars, the pickup and bridge styles are similar to Guyatone. I've also read that this was made by the Hoshino Gakki company Looks as if there has been some tampering with the electronics. The same guitar was up for sale in March for 699 Euro.
ReplyDeleteThe same bass with only one pickup was sold in Ålesund (Norway) ca. 1965. This shuld (in my opinion) be kalled the 5901. It never had a seial number, and I have contacted both the norwegian importor and Ibanez (Japan). They have heard of it, but never seen one. Any help here?
ReplyDeletehttps://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/36014_404383531370_7714732_n.jpg?oh=53b9869b674ba85921b3f40e8d53b5e0&oe=565EC79A