PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE
Look at Ibanez’s roster of signature artists in their hollow-body guitar category, and it’s a who’s who of the best jazz improvisers on the planet. This gorgeous violin is the top-shelf signature guitar of legendary jazzman George Benson, and brings together Ibanez Japan’s penchant for quality with Mr. Benson’s taste for aesthetics and, most importantly, fantastic tone.
The body features an all-flame maple body construction, which not only looks incredible under the deep red finish, but also has a resonant and clear voice that sustains infinitely. The GB profile neck is super comfortable in every position, and the Florentine cutaway allows for smooth upper-register fret access. This is definitely one of the easiest-playing jazzboxes we’ve had come through the shop.
The signature GB Special mini-humbucker pickups and their extra bit of clarity allows you to get the tone pretty dark and warm with the tone knob down without sounding like every other rolled-off jazzbox on the planet. Because of the brighter sound, it always retains clarity up front that lets notes really cut through. This guitar isn’t just for jazz, either – add a touch of overdrive, and you’ve got the perfect thick, creamy blues tone. Rounding out the feature set are high-end appointments such as Gotoh hardware and a custom GB bridge and tailpiece.
This guitar is made in Ibanez’s prestigious FujiGen facility in Japan. It may have a high price tag, but the quality definitely more than matches it – as far as Ibanez’s rich history of hollowbodies go, it doesn’t get much better than this. This is the best of the best… a discerning instrument for the discerning player.
ITEM SPECIFICS
Appreciated as both a musician and performer by millions, George Benson has always had the dual role of expert improviser and vibrant entertainer. He has consistently placed his keenly discerning art in the service of a rousing good time. Rounding out his singular approach with sly, seductive rhythm and blues, he’s earned himself an impeccable reputation as one of music’s most enterprising and engaging stars.
- A strong three-piece maple neck provides an enriched resonance.
- The ebony fretboard produces tight lows and mid range with a strong attack in the high end and features a quick response and rich sustain.
- Medium sized frets enhances the accuracy to your notes. The Artstar fret edge treatment with spherical surface processing offers super smooth performance.
- The Flamed Maple top, back and sides offer a beautiful wood grain.
- GB special pickups are installed and float off the body, eliminating feedback and enabling a superbly warm jazz sound.
- Gotoh® machine heads provide super precision, smooth feel, and minimal back lush.
- Ebony bridge transfers string vibration directly to the body, delivering a natural and warm tone. This specially designed bridge, which is slightly wider than a normal GB bridge, has a larger surface area that connects with the body which gives the guitar more resonance.
- The gorgeous GB10 tailpiece provides better tuning stability.
- Half-Bone/Half-Brass Nut provides well-balanced tone.
SPECIFICATIONS
Body
- Body TypeHollowbody
- Body WoodFlamed Maple
- Top WoodFlamed Maple
- Body FinishGloss
- ColorRed
Neck
- Neck Wood3-Piece Maple
- Neck ShapeGB
- Neck JointSet Neck
- Radius12″
- Fretboard WoodEbony (Bound)
- Fretboard InlaysMother of Pearl GB Special Inlays
- Number of Frets22
- Scale Length24.7″
- Nut Width1.692″
- Nut MaterialHalf-Bone/Half-Brass
Hardware
- BridgeGBSP10 Special Ebony Bridge, GBSP10 Special Tailpiece
- TunersGotoh Machine Heads w/ Pearloid Buttons
- Hardware ColorGold
Electronics
- PickupsGB Special Mini-Humbuckers
- ControlsVolume x2, Tone x2, 3-way toggle pickup switch
Misc.
- Strings.011-.050
- CaseHardshell Case
- Instrument Weight7.5 lbs
- Serial #F2231531
OVERALL CONDITION
Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for Ibanez. This George Benson GBSP10 is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer’s warranty. Photos are of the exact guitar you’ll receive.
Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.