Production Numbers For USA Custom Guitars

[seaninsjca]

Does anyone have a resource for production numbers for US Custom Guitars?

I just picked up a UCMD (USA Custom MetalDesigns) in the "Lizard" finish. I found it in the old catalogs, but can't really find much mention of it anywhere else.

Is there anyway to find out how many of these Ibanez made in that finish?


Thanks!

[brianxtr]

pictures???i like them!!!they play very nice!

[buddroyce]

I don't think there were definite production numbers for the USA Customs. Great guitars though.

[TAorama]

There are no firm production numbers for most of the USAC's. The Metaldesign Series were probably somewhat higher (relatively) production than the other graphics because they used a fabric for the design instead of being hand painted. There are some good numbers for the Dan Lawrence graphics as posted on the Ibanez Register. He's posted numbers for his guitars based on his old records from his days with Ibanez. Pamelina didn't keep such records, so the numbers for hers are speculative, but probably somewhere in the same ballpark. Some were obviously rarer than others based on what's turned up in the marketplace over the years.

Ibanez had originally advertised numbers somewhere in the 250 units range for each design, but that was WAY higher than what was actually built. The fabrics may have been somewhere up there, but some of the hand painted graphics numbered fewer than 10 of a particular design.

[Rich]

Lawrence's numbers are what he found in a single receipt book and should not [can not] be taken as total production for each/all of those graphics.

[seaninsjca]

Good info, thanks again to all of you!

[TAorama]

According to Lawrence:

"The Cosmic Swirl 1's and Grim Reapers, 20-25 each give or take. Only about 10 of the Cosmic Swirl 2's. The hard one to get would be the Swamp Creature; maybe like 5-6 of those."

"Well I found an old receipt book. Time frame was from 11/19/90 to 4/6/92 the list goes:
UN Zipped -1
Grim reaper-19
cosmic swirl-11
No Bones-13
Ice World-16
Angels depart-39
Cosmic Swirl 2- 8

I still did a few more but It stopped towards the end of the year as I recall...So there ya go."

Yeah, it's a single receipt book, but it's 11/90 to 4/92. He himself says there were some not included in the receipt book, but even his original estimates come pretty darn close to what he found in his own documentation. While I agree that these numbers aren't law, I'd say they're anyone's best estimate for the 1991 and 1992 models that Lawrence painted.