1978 Ibanez George Benson Signature GB10 Archtop Electric Guitar Sunburst, Japan Fujigen

Up for sale, a 1978 Ibanez George Benson signature model GB10 in excellent condition and in perfect working order, 100% original save for a replacement pickguard. Produced at the venerable Fujigen factory in Japan, the GB10 is Ibanez’s longest running model, introduced in 1977, featuring a compact, fully hollow archtop design with a 14 1/2" lower bout width. Tonewoods include a spruce top, maple back and sides, a three-piece maple neck, and a bound ebony fretboard.

Acoustically, this Ibanez has a woody natural warmth and a midrange-forward, authoritative cut faithfully captured by the stock pair of GB Special floating mini-humbuckers. Designed in conjunction with George Benson, these floating pickups are full and round-sounding, specifically tailored to mitigate feedback while delivering sweet, clear treble articulation. Weighing 7lbs 13oz, this GB10 has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 11-49 roundwound strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Maple (three-piece)
-Shape: Medium C, full shoulders, measuring .850” 1st fret, .930” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Ebony, split abalone/pearloid block inlays (“GEORGE BENSON” inlay at 21st fret), grained ivoroid binding
-Frets: Medium jumbo, no wear
-Scale Length: 24 3/4”
-Nut: 1 11/16”, bone/brass
-Tuners: Ibanez VelveTune (predating VelveTune branding, marked “Pat. Pending”)
-Serialization: L78-prefix translates to 1978 production

Body Specs:

-Wood: Spruce, maple
-Pickups: Floating mini-humbucker x2
-Hardware: GB10 tailpiece with tortoise inserts, ebony bridge and base
-Plastics: Sure Grip knobs, Four-ply black pickguard (replacement)
-Labe: Oval, hand-serialized, George Benson signature

The Brown Sunburst finish is framed by multi-ply grained ivoroid binding which exhibits extensive checking, yet is fully stable with no notable chipping/deterioration. Beyond the binding, cosmetic wear is limited to light scuffing along the pick path and just a few faint finish scratches on the body, largely limited to the back. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss.

A padded softshell case is included.