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Ibanez J-Custom Guitars Important Note from Hoshino USA:
J-Custom Guitars can NOT be ordered from Ibanez Dealers in the USA, as they are NOT
intended to be sold outside of JAPAN. Do NOT inquire about these guitars at Hoshino,
ibanez.com or any other authorized Ibanez dealer. Related Links: 1999 USA J-Customs | 2001 L.A. Custom Shop Design
Ibanez J-Custom Guitars The "American Made" USA Custom lineup would come to an end with the release of the 1996 USRG30. In the Ibanez 1996 Guitar Catalog, the premier USRG Series was advertised with the "Prestige" label, which would continue to today as an upscale level of Ibanez guitars. Throughout this web page you will see this Ibanez Prestige logo. This logo signifies a symbol for some of the finest guitars we have ever produced - www.ibanez.com Little did customers know the following year, in 1997, no USA Customs would be offered. Rather, Ibanez would introduce a limited series called the "J-Custom". An upscale guitar, like the USA Customs, but seemingly more tailored toward the domestic (Japanese) marketplace. Assembled in their Japanese Fugijen factory, the J-Customs would be crafted not on the assembly line, but on a much smaller scale. Production totals would be low and would allow experimentation of various designs. At most, a few dozen of one particular model was created. The transition of the "Customs" from the USA to Japan could not have gone smoother, from an outsider's perspective. When the 1997 J-Custom production halted, the limited run would have created approximately twenty-six different J-Customs (twenty-three RGs and three S-Series). To test the waters in the USA, a small sampling were available in the USA through Ibanez dealers: - RG-ART1
- RG-METAL1
- RG-GEAR1
| - S5400NT
- S3040PL
- S3040BS
- SR-8100 (bass)
| Since their debut, a few additional J-Customs were imported to America. These were the initial run of the Double Edge Piezo Tremolo equipped guitars: RG7CST, RG6CST and S6CST. Click here to see the Ibanez web page as these were marketed and listed. With high prices and styling geared more towards Ibanez' homeland, it appears only a few J-Customs will trickle over to the USA. As international shipping is made easier via the internet, more of the J-Customs intended for Japan are finding homes worldwide.
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