1) Vintage MIJ Japanese guitars from the 80's (including several different Ibanez model lines, SG Yamahas, the Matsumoku PE Arias, much less the 'lawsuit' Tokais, Burnys, etc.) are finally being realized by a growing subset of the vintage market for the great guitars they were. Finally some open-minded guys are realizing there are OTHER really nice vintage guitars out there that aren't Fenders or Gibsons and cost less than a new car.
2) This is a very close antecedent to a limited, 100-piece reissue run of the Ibanez Bob Weir that Ibanez rolled out last year for five grand each.
3) Most of the 'Japanese' guitars available in the US today are RARELY Made in Japan. Like most manufacturers, the Japanese either have their own factories across the lower-cost manufacturing areas of Asia. Yamaha recently closed their own factory in Taiwan (originally established to lower costs vs. Japanese production) to gain even-lower production costs in their new factory in Mainland China. A glance through Ibanez's price list quickly shows that for instance, the George Bensons and very few others are still built in Japan: You can tell by the few guitars that are WAY more expensive than the bulk of their line.
4) And it's been long enough now that guys who were new to this in the 80's are now thirty years older, and nostalgic for these axes. Remember, in the 80's, Fender and Gibson were both at low points, and guitarists were a lot more open-minded in the face of nice axes like these. Even though I'm not sure what you needed 3-band active EQ on a guitar for . . . . Ibanez Artists were excellent. Lots of metal guys were digging Destroyers and the Icemans. At their height, Neal Schon sold lots of PE Arias in Journey's salad days. Carlos was wailing on Yamaha SG's. And really smart West Coast guys were quietly snapping up the SA Yamahas (amazingly still available today), surely the best 335-style guitars ever built.
This trend is also happening in MIJ basses. Several years back, you buy Aria SB's all day long in great shape for less than a grand. Those days are over !
J o e y
