Ibanez LR10, antique violin finish, made in Japan 1984. Holy guacamole, this is a fine, fine guitar. Lee Ritenour is a celebrated session and solo guitarist who rose to fame in the late 70s, specialising in jazz, funk and fusion. Lee had a hand in developing Ibanez's iconic and long running AS200 model in the late 70s, but when it came to designing his own signature model, things went to a new level. The design is based off Lee's collection of vintage ES-335s, but with some unique touches that make this way more than just another 335-copy. First up, the neck and centre block are made from a 3-ply mahogany/maple/mahogany laminate, instead of straight maple as with most guitars in this genre. The addition of the mahogany adds a certain midrange focus an presence to the tone, adding growl and complexity. The neck is a moderately slim C style shape, neither super skinny nor wide and fat, with a volute at the nut end for strength and a brass nut for some added sparkle and sustain. It feels amazing in the hands. The fretboard is made from legit vintage Brazilian rosewood, which looks and feels incredible and basically isn't a possibility on a new guitar these days. The body features some gorgeous flame figuring in the maple, which combined with the rich orange and mocha brown of the 'antique violin' fade finish and the real ivory binding (yep!) makes for a very classy aesthetic. It's very loud unplugged and has the kind of natural resonance new guitars can only dream of. The pickups are described as an 'LR Special' in the catalog, but the general consensus is that they're a re-stamped version of the Greco 'Dry-Z' PAF style pickup, designed by legendary pickup wizard Jun Takano and made at Fujigen at the time. The tone is marvellous. There's a brilliant clarity and note separation on offer, bring chords to life in vivid detail, paired with a singing sustain and a remarkably response attack that rewards and accentuates every nuance of your playing. The midrange is a hotter and more pronounced than on most guitars of this genre, which translates to a gorgeous singing overdrive tone when you dig in hard. Clean it up, and all that sweetness and complexity come out in a new light... it's so responsive you'll swear it's alive and breathing. This one lived in my personal stash for a while, and it's very tempting to add it back to the fold again, but for now it's out and about and looking for love.

Model: Ibanez LR10 Lee Ritenour
Made: Japan, Fujigen Gakki, 1984 (serial L800474, note the serial format is LYPPPPY on the LR10 model)
Finish: antique violin over flame maple
Body: laminate flame maple, mahogany/maple/mahogany 3-ply centre block, thinline depth, ivory binding
Neck: mahogany/maple/mahogany 3-ply, Brazilian rosewood fretboard, moderately slim rounded C shape, brass nut
Weight: 3.710kg
Mods: strap pin repalced
Pickups: Ibanez LR Special humbucker x2
Case: deluxe Anboy padded leather-style bag

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some chips in the finish around the edges as pictured, as well as minor scuffs on the front and back. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back only. The back has widespread minor dimples and light scuffs, as well as a couple of little dents in the elbow area, near the neck joint and middle of the body, no major marks. The sides have minor dimples and scuffs on the elbow area, back edge and near the knobs. The binding has some minor cracks around the whole body and some more notable deterioration on the top horn and elbow area, but it's in pretty good shape overall. The front has some minor dimples in the elbow area and near the knobs, as well as some standard play wear on the guard and horns. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, intonation is good, action is low, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets have minor wear, but they're pretty even with no major buzz issues, 7/10 for fret life left. Setup with fresh 11/49 Moonshiners strings.