Ibanez

Ibanez traces its roots to the Hoshino Gakki company, founded in 1908 in Nagoya, Japan. The Ibanez brand name was adopted in 1957, and the company first gained international attention by producing high-quality copies of Gibson and Fender designs in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By the late 1970s, Ibanez had developed its own identity and was building original designs that rivalled the American originals.

The introduction of the Ibanez JEM — co-designed with Steve Vai in 1987 — and the RG series marked a turning point: Ibanez was no longer following Fender and Gibson but setting the standard for the modern superstrat. The Lo-Pro Edge tremolo, five-piece wenge and maple necks, and ultra-thin wizard profiles became defining features of a generation of metal and shred players.

Today Ibanez is one of the largest guitar manufacturers in the world, producing instruments across all price ranges. The RG, S, and AZ series dominate the electric rock and metal market; the AS and AF hollowbodies serve jazz players; and the Prestige and J-Custom lines represent some of the finest Japanese craftsmanship available at any price.