Antoria J200 Copy

This is a Japanese copy of a Gibson J200. The company that made this guitar sold them under several different brand names, including Antoria and Ibanez. I was just 20 years old when I bought it. My journey home from work involved a bus ride into Birmingham City Centre and then a bus ride from the City Centre to the suburb of Yardley where I lived with my parents. From the bus window I saw the most amazing and attractive guitar that I had ever seen, and could see a price tag of £84 which seemed to me a fortune. I had inherited a small legacy from my grandfather £500 I think, so I anounced to my parents that I was going to buy this guitar. They were horified. My brother had spent his legacy on buying a car which seemed a far more sensible and down to earth thing than to spend lots of money on a guitar. Well I don't know who was right at the time, but over thirty years later, I still have the guitar. Unfortunately my brother's Fiat is no longer with us.

As far as I can make out, this is the guitar that was the cause of a famous court case where the Gibson guitar company fought the japanese manufacturer to prevent them copying their guitars. The sound board is made of plywood, unlike the Gibson original, and unfortunately it shows in the tonal quality. Had I known at the time, I could probably have stretched to afford the real thing, although my Mom would have died of shock. It is an extremely playable guitar with a wonderful action and there is nothing lacking in build quality. Some years ago, my wife and I bought a small retreat by the sea in Teignmouth, Devon. This guitar now lives there, and has started to develop a West Country accent. Still looking wonderful, and still not quite as good as the real thing. But it was the first guitar I had that had the build quality necessary to develop a serious guitar style. I'm still rather attached to it.

Previous

Home

Next