Ibanez 2453 Howard Roberts Brown Sunburst c.1975 Hollow Body Electric Guitar

This is an Ibanez 2453 in Brown Sunburst finish. Made in Japan, this guitar was part of a short lived run from ‘75-‘77, with the Brown Sunburst finish only being available until ‘76.

Based closely on the Epiphone and Gibson Howard Roberts signature models, this guitar features a set-neck construction comprising an Arched Curly Maple top, Select Maple back and sides, 22 fret Ebonized Rosewood fingerboard and matching bridge. Gold hardware is fitted including a T-Bar trapeze tailpiece and sealed tuning machines. A single Ibanez Super 70 humbucking pickup is installed, and is wired to a master volume control, along with a mid range and treble roll off controls.

The Maple neck plays very well, with the neck feeling rather narrow in the hand thanks to the slim nut width of 1.576”. This offers easy reach across the register for tricky chord voicings and jazzy lead lines. The profile to the rear of the neck might be described as a moderately-sized soft ‘V’ shape, well suited to a wide range of playing styles and techniques. The generous Florentine cutaway improves access to the upper register, really opening up the full range of the instrument.

The hollow body construction of the instrument provides a nicely open and airy tone which is dynamically responsive to the player’s touch. The single Ibanez Super 70 humbucking pickup captures this well, delivering a thick, round tone which is well suited to smooth and dark jazz lead lines. The on-board controls for master volume, mid range and treble roll off assist with dialling the perfect sound for any situation as well as managing feedback. A visually striking instrument with a unique playing experience and a genuine vintage vibe.