Ibanez 1976 Custom (Les Paul Copy) Reviews 
5 / 5 based on 1 reviewsStarted in 1970 after hearing Deep Purple's "Child in time". Went thru about 30 guitars, modified and buggered-up just as many, until finding the correct instruments to play. Initially was crazy about Fender Strat (Ritchie Blackmore, understandably so!), tried Gibson, but eventually stumbled on this Ibanez in 1994 and have never looked at a Fender again. In the name of truth, I do own a 1991 Standard USA Stat, a 2005 USA Tele, and a 2006 Highway 1 HSS USA Strat. I only use them if a customer demands a twangy Fender sound for his record. For my own recording and gigs my main guitars are this one, and a 1984 Ibanez Roadstar 135. Occasionally I use a Les Paul DC, an Epiphone LP 100, and a Squier Fat Strat (which I have rewired with Ibanez pickups and electronics). Main influences and style: Ritchie Blackmore and David Gilmour, both extremely difficult to duplicate, especially the Man in Black. A Boss GT-8 through solid state Carvins and Crates helps.... My valve days are long long gone.
Found it in the workshop of a Marshall repairman in Durban, South Africa. It had a ton of dust on it, lying around for years with no case, etc.. sad. After some negotiation he practically gave it to me for less than a 100 bucks with a hard case too! A clean up and polish - voila!
Solid, indestructible, fat sound, thin neck that does not give you carpal-tunnel syndrome, no howling and feedback at high volume, and lovely craftsmanship. Neck humbucker when overdriven sounds like a Strat-on-the-blues, believe it or not! Also, this is my guitar with the lowest possible action without any buzzing or choking while bending, even up to a fourth. The distance between the 1st string and the 17th fret (A) is merely the thickness of two medium Ibanez guitar picks.
The contour digs into my ribs when playing seated, I wish they had shaped the body like the modern ones.... Have the same problem with my Les Paul, Epiphone and Tele.
32 years and still going..... Never needed repair. Last year I had to retire the original pickups though, in search of more gain, so replaced them with DiMarzio Al di Meola.
Looking for quality? Buy Made in Japan, and look no further! No comparison.
Ivan The Terrible rated this unit
on
2007-12-30.
