Charles in SC - Posted - 08/10/2010:  19:36:54

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I have two of these banjos and love them both They seem to be selling for about twice what I paid for my first one 10 years ago. Does anyone know how many of these were made. I like the light colored maple ones with the vine inlay. Any other thoughts are welcome as well.
Thanks!

pluckyfingers - Posted - 08/10/2010:  21:31:56

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I have a Samick Artist banjo made in 1997. Not sure if it is the same model, made in Korea. Code named SB110.

airborne - Posted - 08/10/2010:  23:08:03

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the Ibanez artist was the banjo to have in the uk in the 70s if you couldn't afford a Gibson, i think they went for about 350 pounds in those day's wich was a lot of money back then, a friend of mine had one i was so envious. but i think the banjos you can get now day's like Deering are much better made and sound a lot better, but they were very good banjo for the time.

john.

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Edited by - airborne on 08/11/2010 00:12:14

robmac07 - Posted - 08/11/2010:  04:40:15

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I bought a 1977 Japanese built blonde solid maple Ibanez artist with wreath inlay and purfling in 1995 2nd hand for Aus $700 in mint condition with case. Nice banjo. Very bright responsive instrument and easy to play. I thought is as good as my 1975 Gibson RB800 which I sold in 1991. I resold the Ibanez in 2003 for Aus $2000 to help pay for my locally built White Swallow Gold Deluxe resonator banjo.

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Edited by - robmac07 on 08/11/2010 04:43:08

McCarthy Brothers again

R Buck - Posted - 08/11/2010:  05:12:43

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If it is a seventies to early eighties model, it was made in Japan and they are pretty good banjos. Not much interest in those banjos here in the Upstate of SC but you could probably get close to a grand for one. They are very similar to the gold tones in that range so perhaps $800 is my guess. There are a couple on Ebay that are not selling at $1100 and $900, so let that be a gauge.

beegee - Posted - 08/11/2010:  07:32:12

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I don't know any source for production numbers. I don't see as many of these as I do other banjos, like the Aria, Alvarez, Kasuga, etc. I've had several and like them really well. I'd like to do a rim transplant for a 3-ply, just for fun. I happen to have an Ibanez Artist tone ring in my parts box. I swapped a Stew-Mac no-hole for it back in the 80's. If someone likes 2PF banjos, these are a good choice that can hold their own against anything in the price range.

Hotrodtruck - Posted - 08/11/2010:  08:08:09

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I've got a '78 model Ibanez artist with the wreath inlay. It was my first quality banjo and I have kept it because it sounds so good.

Mike

goldtopia - Posted - 08/11/2010:  11:36:19

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Yes, I had one once. I deeply regret selling it.

Bill.O

bluegrassminstrels.co.uk

stanger - Posted - 08/11/2010:  17:53:08

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The 70's Ibanez Artist models were one of the best of the Japanese-made banjos of that period. Only the Gold Stars from the late 70's are generally considered to be better.

Their value fluctuates, but generally they pull higher prices than their contemporaries. The vine models do the best, typically. Buck's comments are in the ball park for a typical Wreath model. The Vines go for more, but they're pretty rare. The top price I've seen that comes to mind was about $1200 a few years ago.

I designed 2 Ibanez models in the 70's, both limited editions. The second one never went into production past the prototype, as far as I know, and I own the prototype. The first was the Bi-Centennial model, and 76 were to be produced for the east coast and 76 for the west, according to their schedule, but I don't believe more than 76 total were made at most. I have photos of this model's prototype on my home page, and I've seen about 4 others from the run over the years.

Their biggest seller was the Artist Wreath, and it was very popular- it easily outsold the RB250's of the time, as their construction was the same- tube & plate, with a better rim, maple neck, and fancier inlays. It sold for about 2/3 of the price of the Gibson. I don't know how many were produced, but they were a major factor in the banjo market all through the 70's.

The banjos underwent a major cosmetic re-design in 1978. These banjos have the same build quality, but look much different, and don't copy the Gibson designs at all. They also have different finishes, most commonly sunbursts, which weren't offered on the first series. This series doesn't bring the price that the 1st series does... the first were essentially Gibson clones.

All have multi-ply rims. All have a very durable catalyzed polyester finish that holds up very well. Most have early Gotoh-Gut tuners. All are metric, and finding replacement hooks and nuts is very hard. The hooks have metric threading, and the nuts are slightly smaller than Gibsons, even though they look the same.

Almost all the first seriers were natural, and the top of the Artist line was stained dark tobacco brown. All have chrome plating except for the top model, which has gold. It also is one of 2 that have the abbreviated vine inlay on the board, with a short circular vine in the center of the reso back.

Like Hotrodtruck, most of their buyers still own them. In my experience with them, I found their fret work to be more accurate and consistent than any competitors, and the high quality build level was very consistent. I know a guy who owns 2- he bought his second as a cruising banjo.

They sound great stock, but a U.S. made tone ring will drop ring on one with no trimming needed. The original tone ring is brass, not bronze, and lighter weight than the good American tone rings. I eventually used a Kulesh Earl Scruggs ring on one of mine, and installed a Stew-Mac conversion archtop on the other. Both still have these rings.


regards,
stanger

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Edited by - stanger on 08/11/2010 17:59:14

desert rose - Posted - 08/11/2010:  18:05:01

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To add to the accurate information from Mike, all the Ibanez banjos were made at the Fujigen factory, my employer until 2001

The Japanese Bluebell brand owned by Fujigen marketed the exact same banjos under that brand name in Japan

Bob Black and Carl Jackson were given some of these banjos and promoted them for a while

Scott

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Edited by - desert rose on 08/11/2010 22:20:32

Charles in SC - Posted - 08/11/2010:  18:28:56

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quote:

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Originally posted by desert rose

To add to the accurate information from Mike, all the Ibanez banjos were made at the Fujigrn factory, my employer until 2001

The Japanese Bluebell brand owned by Fujigen marketed the exact same banjos under that brand name in Japan

Bob Black and Carl Jackson were given some of these banjos and promoted them for a while

Scott

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I have a book by Bob Black (Come Hither to go Yonder) and in it he said that while he was touring in Japan with Bill Monroe they were given Ibanez instruments by the company. Before he left Japan his banjo was taken away and he was given a different one. He was told the first one was taken away because it was not allowed in the US. What was this illegal one like?
Thanks!

Charles in SC - Posted - 08/11/2010:  18:29:29

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quote:

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Originally posted by desert rose

To add to the accurate information from Mike, all the Ibanez banjos were made at the Fujigrn factory, my employer until 2001

The Japanese Bluebell brand owned by Fujigen marketed the exact same banjos under that brand name in Japan

Bob Black and Carl Jackson were given some of these banjos and promoted them for a while

Scott

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I have a book by Bob Black (Come Hither to go Yonder) and in it he said that while he was touring in Japan with Bill Monroe they were given Ibanez instruments by the company. Before he left Japan his banjo was taken away and he was given a different one. He was told the first one was taken away because it was not allowed in the US. What was this illegal one like?
Thanks!

desert rose - Posted - 08/11/2010:  22:26:16

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You re jumping to assumptions there

Bob was given a Bluebell banjo and it was changed to an Ibanez

It was not allowed in a very loose way under marketing strategy not law of course

The marketing was done as I said Ibanez banjos took the world wide market the same banjos were sold in Japan with the Bluebell name, the allowed term ment it was agreed that allowing a Bluebell banjo out as a free bee would be very confusion since it should say Ibanez

Scott