Ibanez Futura / moderne on ebay - avoid or buy?

MikeC · September 2023

Always been fascinated by obscure 70's and 80's MIJ guitars.

Just seen an ibanez Furura / Moderne on ebay. But it has some mods. Guy won't email me back as to what has been changed. Pickups? scratch plate, knobs, What else? Holes in the back?

My brain says 'avoid avoid'. My heart says 'buy it now, they never come up for sale' Views?

My last foray down this 1970's rabbit hole was an Antoria Korina Flying V (rocket roll) that Feline guitars fettled for me and then I realised it wasn't right for me, so now departed. Prior to that an Ibanez bolt neck cherry flying V I should have kept. Then maybe I should search for an ibanez firebird, custom agent or destroyer?

Funkfingers · September 2023

Impossible to voice a worthwhile opinion without seeing pics.

Futura and Moderne are two distinct doodles from the pen of Ted McCarty. The former evolved into the Explorer. The latter was just a line drawing on a patent application, intended to disinform rival instrument manufacturers about forthcoming Gibson products.

I have never seen any evidence of an original Fifties Gibson Moderne. Ibanez only made the "replicas" because buyers sincerely believed that the things *ought* to exist.

oh_pollo · September 2023

This guy bought a Chibson Moderne off ebay for I think £300 and I think it looks and sounds pretty good. Risky though.

MikeC · September 2023

Pics are on fleabay, unless its sold.

It's the 'moderne' shape (except the usual ibanez les paul headstock) but ibanez strangely called it the 'futura'.

FelineGuitars · September 2023

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134577562506?hash=item1f5572a38a:g:bbYAAOSwdP9kklWd&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4OvQd9qyRCiye7ucOo%2FEc7oC5D8qozFCWLIjKLQgnNZ0N7uBC71wIncm1BgxJgaeh0ffteZnxr2VJ4eM6e5opj0JmC1zb6K87fqGWss9R4%2FxKUOGp9XMXhrn%2FoOEZ%2FQXnjBnAbhanRFeB1wJm2ISMIfvOAzbBIrkpodGNYcT4K%2B1UC8kJ59T8C2yD1ZE1bJEVmPtDJmM6fcAHhbBBTrhn%2FBgUXPgfNUUV5IenKwLy3V%2B4%2FGqbW95%2BX5USXgbajDU6qS34wypd6HFoE5lPLt2CngfoxCt%2Fr3m4vCC8%2BI3kd%2Fj%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-7S3d_KYg

Image: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/bbYAAOSwdP9kklWd/s-l1600.jpg

NEARLY 4K THOUGH!!

You could buy one of our guitars for that ….lol

MikeC · September 2023

Jonathan, I know! I’m looking at the one on uk eBay that’s £1.4k

stickyfiddle · September 2023

Crikey. Thunder Road seem like a good shop - I visited both the Seattle and Portland stores when I was there.

But that’s a hell of a wedge to drop on something so obscure imo.

My guess is the mods are limited to the wiring - those switches between the knobs aren’t original - coil taps maybe? Even so.. a lot of wedge!

ICBM · September 2023

That’s a nice piece of wood.

… for a Telecaster. It looks hideously wrong for a Moderne, and makes everything else irrelevant.

£3700??!!!

No. Don’t be silly.

HarrySeven · September 2023

This is the correct link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276025560558?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=K8RXscSfRLa&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=XlmNZ5klSEm&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

However, looking at the huge volume of shit the seller also has on eBay (and the, errr…”succinct” nature of their descriptions), I wouldn’t be holding your breath re. an informed response!

FelineGuitars · September 2023

I'll put money on that it once had a Kahler trem fitted - hidden under the black PG now
And OMG - they drilled straight through when drilling to refit the bridge and tailpiece

But it is Japanese Sen wood and Gibson scale - you could fit a super distortion or similar Mighty Mite pickup and replicate some VH tones from 1978

stickyfiddle · September 2023

Ok, if it's the UK one...

"Sold as seen" with no further description and those "filled" holes on the back. Run away. Run far...

Image: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/FxEAAOSw0i1k8cy~/s-l1600.jpg

ICBM · September 2023

HarrySeven said:

This is the correct link:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276025560558

Wow... that's a new bodge! I have *never* seen bridge and stopbar insert holes drilled all the way through the body before.

I can't see why you would, even if as Felineguitars said, it's had a Kahler - and even if routed fairly low into the body. There should be enough body thickness to accommodate the posts. Bizarre.

Like the price!

blobb · September 2023

No serial number

HarrySeven · September 2023

stickyfiddle said:

Ok, if it's the UK one...

"Sold as seen" with no further description and those "filled" holes on the back. Run away. Run far...

Indeed.

And because the seller clearly knows sweet FA about the guitar (other than thinking it’s worth a fortune), I really don’t think you’ll get any traction/sense if you either a. ask reasonable questions or b. attempt to negotiate based on its bodged state.

blobb · September 2023

pre serial number dates it before Aug1975, open book head and black pickguard makes it extremely rare. There is some debate about whether black pickguards were factory or aftermarket. They are all pretty much white guards. I have seen some with aftermarket Kahler type trems on them, so body routing. The problem is that most Ibanez collectors want it totally original, the resale value plummets. If you just want to play it I guess it depends on how well the routing was done in the first place.

MikeC · September 2023

Ok, one to run from! Or not…

blobb · September 2023

You won't get an unmolested one for anywhere near that price! Everything else looks legit. Open book is the nicest head. It should have Super 70's in it and it's got a full set of star tuners as well.

blobb · September 2023

... if you look at the guard just above the neck pup and compare it to the white one in this thread, it overhangs a little. All the black guards I've seen have this, which is a bit strange if the few that are known to exist are all aftermarket? I would be tempted, but I'm done buyng guitars (don't laugh!).

blobb · September 2023

For futur(a) ref:

pt22 · September 2023

Returns accepted. Take a punt!

roberty · September 2023

I knew a guy who had an Ibanez Les Paul Recording copy from that era. It was a great guitar. This is going back 20 years or so. It wasn't anything near what this is listed for. I had a chance to buy it but I didn't, sadly!

ICBM · September 2023

FelineGuitars said:

I'll put money on that it once had a Kahler trem fitted - hidden under the black PG now
And OMG - they drilled straight through when drilling to refit the bridge and tailpiece

But it is Japanese Sen wood and Gibson scale - you could fit a super distortion or similar Mighty Mite pickup and replicate some VH tones from 1978

I had an idea...

You could go full Eddie and rout it for a Floyd. That would probably remove all the evidence of the holes through the back, or if not then you could make the cavity deliberately a bit oversized so it did.

boogieman · September 2023

What’s that square faded bit on the back where the filled holes are?

The bridge pickup doesn’t have the Ibanez logo engraved on it, whereas the neck one does. Has it been changed out?

BillDL · September 2023

boogieman said:

What’s that square faded bit on the back where the filled holes are?

Looks like there has been a supporting plate in place there before the Halfords body filler was pressed crudely into the holes.

MikeC said:

Guy won't email me back as to what has been changed. Pickups? scratch plate, knobs, What else? Holes in the back?

On that basis I wouldn't waste my time pursuing the enquiries. He's either been inundated with similar enquiries because of the vagueness in details, or else he simply doesn't know because he really doesn't have a clue about the guitar. His feedback isn't great and there are a few instances of "poor communication" and "never answered my messages". Given the range of stuff this person sells on eBay and possible lack of knowledge about guitars, I would worry how well the guitar would be packaged for transit. What's with the £1,430.99? Why not just £1,430 or £1,431? As @pt22 says, if you have £1,430.99 and are willing to possibly go through the hassle of having to try and return it and pay return postage if it is really bad (bearing in mind it says "sold as seen"), then you MIGHT get a good guitar that could be a bargain. I wouldn't risk it.

ICBM · September 2023

boogieman said:

What’s that square faded bit on the back where the filled holes are?

It looks like there's been a sticker there to hide the mess.

boogieman said:

The bridge pickup doesn’t have the Ibanez logo engraved on it, whereas the neck one does. Has it been changed out?

Yes. The one fitted is nickel plated and not gold too. That could easily be fixed with a DiMarzio Super Distortion though

. (Probably what it had at the same time as the likely Kahler conversion.)

OilCityPickups · September 2023

Or for fifty quid or so ...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134712624445

Sassafras · September 2023

OilCityPickups said:

Or for fifty quid or so ...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134712624445

He seems to hate punctuation.

OilCityPickups · September 2023

Sassafras said:

OilCityPickups said:

Or for fifty quid or so ...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134712624445

He seems to hate punctuation.

Maybe he talks like that!

ICBM · September 2023

OilCityPickups said:

Or for fifty quid or so ...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134712624445

An early Elson, going by the three-woodscrew neck joint?

Philly_Q · September 2023

ICBM said:

OilCityPickups said:

Or for fifty quid or so ...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134712624445

An early Elson, going by the three-woodscrew neck joint?

It somehow looks as though it would turn out to be toy-sized.

Image: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3DkAAOSwlu1k80yE/s-l1600.jpg

BillDL · September 2023

The old Rexine cloth gig bags. I think I still have an old acoustic one from 1980 up in my loft. It's probably all dried and cracked, like the seat covering in 70s UK cars.

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Ibanez Futura / moderne on ebay - avoid or buy?

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