Above, the Ibanez UE-400 and and UE-405, also c. 1981: 4x analog rack-mount multi-effects units.  I found a UE-405 (the one with Delay) with the pedal+ a rack case in a Minnesota Guitar Center in maybe 2003?  I paid about $150.  I used it on a few tracks and sold it when I moved apartments.  Bad move, even at a big profit…  another great unit that I wish I had kept.  BTW, above, I love that dude is using his UE-40X’s with a blond Fender Bassman piggyback.  Pretty good, pretty good…

Above: the complete Ibanez FX lineup of 1984, right before the transitioned to the single-rackspace digital units.  I recently found the ‘bass’ pedal-board unit (compressor, flanger, and envelope filter) for $60 at the flea market.  Which seemed expensive, but I was given many assurances.  Dude totally ripped me off!  It had some weird distortion issue that I could not easily diagnose.  To the transfer station with that one.  Caveat emptor…Above, an ad for root beer, bad denim, and hairspray c. 1988.  I think they lost my interest by this point.

Today at PS dot com: some interesting odds n ends from the audio-effects pedal market of the 1970s.  If yr using any of these boxes in the studio or on stage these days, drop a line and let us know…

The Binson EchoRec, an electro-mechanical audio delay system that used a rotating disc rather than moving tape or oil.  Italian built; marketed and distributed by Guild in the US (much like Guild distributed the earlier Watkins CopyCat).  The EchoRec is best known as being the 70’s delay unit of choice of this dude, who certainly created a lot of significant sounds with it. 

Hawk Effects: designed to hang off yr guitar strap rather than sit on the floor.  I have never seen one of these in the flesh (steel).  Anyone?  The Mushrooms look threatening.

The Studer tape machine is the stove; Ibanez effects are the spice. Got it.  Compressor II, Phase Tone, Graphic Equalizer, Tube Screamer, etc…

Korg X-911 Guitar Synthesizer.  Is this an actual synth with a pitch-to-CV convertor on the input (like my beloved MS20) or a complex filter/distortion unit?

The Ludwig Phase II.  Not an actual synthesizer, but pretty far out regardless.  I remember seeing Thurston Moore using one of these back in the 90s.  Check it out here…

Ross effects, from the man who brought you Kustom.  Wow I love this graphic design.  The only unit from this lineup to attain classic status is the Compressor; these trade for high sums due to their close association with one of the most visible guitarists of the 1990s.  Read this crazy story for the details….

Today as PS dot com: a few more interesting bits of Ibanez history.  Last week’s Ibanez-early-eighties post brought a tremendous number of new visitors to the site courtesy of Ibanez USA, who found us and spread the word.  See here for that post.  Hope y’all enjoyed yr visit; here’s some more for ya.

An interesting phenomenon to note: although the 70’s ‘lawsuit’ Ibanez Gibson-copies were sold as lower-cost alternatives to American-made instruments, time has been kind to them: prices for set-neck 80’s Ibanez guitars are now often close to that of 70’s Gibsons.  This is partly due to rarity, but I think we’ve also begun to collectively embrace the idea that ‘copies’ are more desirable than ‘originals’ in some sense; in a world of endless duplications, fakes, and forgeries, the unapologetic ‘copy’ can actually seem more authentic than a supposed ‘original.’

The Ibanez Rocket-Roll Flying-V copy circa 1974

After Ibanez was compelled to cease US distribution of their Gibson copies, we see some interesting new lines to emerge.  This ‘Studio Series’ was part of the Alembic-inspired ‘hippie sandwich’ guitar-style of the mid/late 1970s. 

Follow this link for more 70’s Ibanez coverage on Preservation Sound dot com.

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