Only one company ever sued another, and it was Norlin (the owner of the Gibson brand at the time) suing Hoshino (owner of the Ibanez brand) and the suit was focused only on the 'open book' headstock shape common to Gibson guitars and replicated on the Ibanez guitars. There is a form of urban legend that circulates in the guitar community that has many variations, but usually involves either Gibson or Fender suing Ibanez, Aria, or some other Japanese manufacturer, with the intent to stop that company from manufacturing superior copies.

Due to their high quality, Ibanez guitars and those made under other brands, such as Greco and Aria, quickly earned a reputation around the world as quality instruments at a great value. Ibanez models replicated such styles as the Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster, Rickkenbacker styles, and others. They were not forgeries, as they were never sold with misleading logos or with the intent to deceive. 'Lawsuit' Models, 1971 - 1976Īs you will note in the earliest catalogs, Ibanez guitars were first 'copies' or 'reproductions' of guitar models originated by several American guitar manufacturers and manufacturers from other countries.

However, every attempt has been made to provide only verifiable and true information, in an attempt to set the record straight and dispell some modern 'myths' about Ibanez model guitars. Note: This is a very quick history, and mostly from memory, so take it all with a grain of salt and try to verify what you can from other sources.

Ibanez guitar identification