Ibanez MC-500 DS 1979 - Dark Stain

Up for sale is a stellar example of late-70s Japanese luthiery: a 1979 Ibanez MC-500 DS. This was the flagship of the Musician series, representing the pinnacle of Ibanez’s "Post-Copy" era. This rare guitar is in superb “collector grade” condition.  All hardware and electronics work flawlessly.  The onboard preamp and controls provide a huge spectrum of tones.  This, combined with the massive output of  the Super 88 pickups and the tremendous sustain from the body, neck, and hardware design makes this guitar both a beauty and a beast!

Includes an equally rare original aluminum flight case with original case candy. If you have looked, you know these cases are virtually impossible to find, with the few that appear for sale usually showing significant damage of one sort or another.  This case is in great condition with no missing or broken parts (see photos) and is fully functional.  It contains the original case candy from 1979 as well:  adjustment mini-wrench for the locking collar of the velve-tune tuners, truss rod adjustment tool, case keys, and paperwork.  The original cast metal bracket for the handle (included) was broken and somewhat corroded, and was replaced with a custom-fabricated stainless steel bracket that is much stronger, shinier, and corrosion resistant than the original, but with exactly the same size, shape, and look.

You won’t find a more complete and clean time capsule from the “golden age” of Japanese guitar manufacturing.

Construction & Specifications

     Body:

• Sandwich construction consisting of a solid maple core flanked by thick layers of ash, finished in the Ibanez dark stain (DS)
• Carved, convex top (unique to the MC-500; all lower models in the Musician series have flat tops)

     Neck:

• Rigid, 7-piece laminated neck made of rock maple and black walnut, extending through the entire length of the body
• 24 fret ebony fingerboard with abalone dot inlays, with negligible fret wear
• Original 1 11/16” width combination bone and brass nut  
• 24 3/4” Scale length

     Controls:

• 3-way pickup selector toggle
• Volume and preamp boost knobs
• Preamp on/off toggle with separate bass, mid, and treble controls
• Two “Tri-Sound” mini-toggles allowing for series, parallel, or coil-tap operation for each pickup

     Pickups:

• Two Super 88 humbuckers

     Hardware:

• Heavy gold-plated brass hardware throughout
• Gibraltar bridge mounted on a brass sustain block
• Gibraltar tailpiece with a decorative scalloped cover
• Velve-Tune Tuners with adjustable tension locking collar (original adjustment tool for locking collar included)