Ibanez GB 10 George Benson Signature BS Japan 1979

The GB 10 is the mother of all signature guitars. Since this stylish hollow-body model was first unveiled on June 11, 1977, at the NAMM Show in Atlanta, Georgia, it has been a constant fixture in the Ibanez lineup. This makes it not only the longest-serving Ibanez signature model, but also the signature guitar with the longest continuous production run in the entire music industry.

Here is a beautiful GB 10 in a “Brown Sunburst” finish from 1979—the “Golden Years of Ibanez.” Manufactured at the FujiGen Gakki factory in Matsumoto, Japan.

Compact “archtop hollowbody” body with a width of 14.5 inches (36.8 cm) and a depth of 3 inches (7.62 cm).

The top is made of laminated spruce, the back and sides of laminated maple. Incidentally, the top is intentionally slightly thicker here than on most other archtop guitars to suppress unwanted feedback.

Three-piece laminated maple neck (C-profile) with an inlaid ebony fingerboard (12“ radius), classic split-block inlays, 22 frets, a signature inlay on the 21st fret, and a ”half-bone, half-brass" nut.

Equipped with the characteristic floating mini-humbucker pickups, wired in the classic “Les Paul style.”

Additionally: Height-adjustable ebony bridge. Special two-piece trapezoid tailpiece, allowing the tension of the bass and treble strings to be adjusted separately.

Comes in a non-original but very well-fitting Gewa custom case.

In very good condition for its age, with minor signs of wear and the usual patina—see photos. There is no sign of the dreaded “Binding Rot.” The frets show only the slightest signs of wear, if any. The pickups and pickguard were replaced at some point with newer original parts.