Ibanez 2341 model, black, made in Japan 1977. I'm increasingly fond of vintage Ibanez guitars, they certainly have a whole lot to offer. This one is a take on the classic three pickup 'Black Beauty' Gibson Les Paul Custom from 1957. It's a bolt-on construction, but that has a bit of a vibe to it in itself: it adds a certain snappiness to the attack while still maintaining that familiar LP roundness and warmth. The aged gold hardware, dark rosewood board and seven ply binding (all done by hand in this era, hectic!) certainly make the black finish pop, it looks awesome. The knobs have been changed to a VVV/T setup, so you can wind the middle pickup in with one of the volume knobs to any combo of the other two pickups, so that's more sensible than the stock wiring in my view. The tone is great: it's clear and full with a lovely growl through the midrange and warm and plenty of weight in the bottom end. The neck is a slim profile typical of a 70s LP, it's straight and stable and never makes you work too hard to get your notes out. All up: heaps of swagger, I'm a fan.

Model: Ibanez 2341
Made: Japan, 1977, Fujigen plant (serial G771318)
Finish: black, gloss poly
Body: mahogany, chambered, maple cap
Neck: 3-piece maple, rosewood board, 24.75" scale, 12" radius, bolt-on construction
Weight: 4.200kg
Pickups: original humbucker x3
Mods: re-wired with new controls, strap pins replaced, guard removed, bridge replaced, knobs replaced
Controls: 3-way switch functions like a regular 2 pickup LP, knobs are one mater tone and a volume for each pickup, so you can add the middle pickup in any switch position
Case: none

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some light scuffs on the end, oplus a few scuffs on the front and a dent on the front near the 4th string post. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, just a dent on the bottom edge of the board near the 6th fret and some minor dimples on the back. The back has some dents near the neck plate and on the back edge, as well as widespread minor scuffs and dimples, nothing nasty. The sides have minor dimples around the whole body but no major marks. The front has a few dents in the elbow area and behind the bridge, as well as widespread minor dimples and light scuffs, as well as the standard play wear on the horns. The guard is missing. Overall: good condition (7/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets have some normal wear and are pretty low, but they're recently dressed and levelled so there's no major buzz issues, 6/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10-52 Moonshiners strings.