Ibanez 684/12 Concord 12-String Dreadnought Acoustic Cherry Sunburst 1976
Ibanez 684/12, cherry sunburst, made in Japan 1976. The Concord Series was a selection of Martin and Gibson style acoustic guitar models made by Ibanez from 1974-80. When folks talk about 'lawsuit guitars', a lot of incorrect info gets bandied about, but there was only one actual lawsuit: Gibson's parent company Norlin vs Ibanez' parent company Elger in Philadelphia in 1977. This example being a 1976 Gibson-style model, made by Ibanez and wearing the open-book headstock, is a true 'lawsuit guitar'. Leaving aside the historic significance, this is a lovely thing. The neck is a comfy round shape, with reasonable string spacing and an agreeable action, so it's pretty easy to play. The tone is shimmery, open and bright, lending an extra dimension to chords and lines. The aged cherry burst finish looks great too, it's mellowed and has a nice warm glow to it. If you've got the itch for a 12, this is a pretty cool way to scratch it.
Model: Ibanez Concord Series 684/12
Made: Japan, 1978, Fujigen Gakki factory
Serial: 760628
Finish: cherry sunburst, gloss poly
Body: spruce top, mahogany back and sides, all laminate, Hummingbird-ish square shoulder dreadnought style, X bracing
Neck: mahogany, rosewood fretboard, 25.5" scale, 12" radius; slim C profile
Weight: 2.480kg
Mods: pickup installed and later removed
Pickup: none
Accessories: vintage hard case, non original
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has chips and dimples on the end, dimples on the edges, some fading and scuffs on the front and some extra holes from removed tuners and dimples on the back. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples and rub wear on the back only. The back has dimples along the back edge and elbow area, surface scratches near the neck join and middle of the body and minor scuffs all around the whole body. The sides have dimples and a surface scratch on the top shoulder, scuffs and dimples in the elbow area and bottom corner and some scuffs on the bottom shoulder. The front has dimples in the bottom corner, back edge and elbow area and some play wear on the guard and shoulders.
Overall: very good condition (8/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good. Setup with 12/54 strings.
Fret Life: 8/10, minor wear only