The articles section has been updated with a new interview with original owner Raul Blacksten. Raul was kind enough to share his story and pictures of his 1978 Ibanez 524 mandolin that he bought from McCabe’s in Santa Monica. He’s even still got the warranty card and receipt with it!

Here is an excerpt from the interview:

I’ve had it 29 years according to the receipt. I like the mando as an instrument and I like the Ibanez as a mando. I also own a 1953 Martin A-style that I bought a few years later to help out a friend who needed some money but the Ibanez is my favorite of the two. I have played many mandos over the years but never found one I liked better than my Ibanez.

Thanks to Trevor for sharing some great shots of his Ibanez 524, serial number F768038. View the gallery.

Thanks to one of our readers, Dick in Connecticut, USA, for sending in some vintage magazine adverts featuring Ibanez Mandolins and Bill Monroe. Dick says:

I went into my archive, as I remembered various ads for Ibanez mandolins. In the meantime, I found three copies of the old Pickin’ magazine, where the inner back cover was a full page 4 color ad showing an Ibanez banjo and mandolin under a shade tree, including the name of two US companies apparently doing the distribution: Elger Co. of Cornwells Heights PA and Chesbro Music of Idaho Falls ID.

This same ad appears identically in August 1975, October 1975 and January 1977 issues, as inner back cover. Perhaps it appears more often than this, I just found these three easily at hand. August 75 cover is Mac Wiseman, October 75 cover is Eddie Adcock, and Jan. 77 cover is Earl Scruggs.

There is also one where Bill Monroe endorsed the Ibanez, a nice upper body shot of him playing an Ibanez, and I remember it distinctly because he was wearing a suede leather cowboy hat, very unusual for him.

I found it in the August/September 1976 issue of Pickin’, inner back cover, a 4 color ad showing Monroe in the unusual suede leather cowboy hat, and Blue Grass Boy Randy Davis behind him playing bass. I remember being absolutely SHOCKED by this ad, and at the time I concluded (and I still believe) that someone put this mandolin in Monroe’s hands while he was touring Japan, told him it was a gift and furiously snapped some promotional photos before he laid it down. I would be fascinated to learn the whole story, especially if I was wrong about Monroe’s “acceptance” or “endorsement” of the mandolin. Of course, in later years Gibson “woke up”, patched things up with Bill and started running ads with his endorsements of Gibson mandolins.

The Pennsylvania and Idaho mailing addresses are now called “Ibanez”, in this ad. The cover of this issue of Pickin’ shows a wind up Victrola record player in sepia tones.

Editor’s note: the August 1975 ad is the earliest documented advertisement for an Ibanez mandolin. Has anyone got an earlier reference? The 524 mandolin that Monroe is shown playing is one of several he was given by Ibanez on a Japanese tour. Still looking for more pictures of him playing an Ibanez live.

Trevor sent in some information on an Ibanez Mandolin with an interesting history that he has put up for sale on eBay. Pictures will be posted in the serial database soon.

1976 Ibanez Mandolin 524
Serial Number: F768038
Model Number: 524
Finish Color: Rich Cremona Brown Sunburst
Headstock Inlay: Bug
Truss Rod Cover: angled corners
Signed Label: no interior label
Case Interior Color: non-original case
Notes: Trevor says, “This instrument was originally owned by George McCorkle, a founding member of the Marshall Tucker Band. George was given this piece in ’76 and kept it well after leaving MTB to become a songwriter in Nashville until his untimely death last year after a short battle with cancer. There is also a story of this piece being tracked on the 2nd Dixie Chicks album that George has writing credit on. Over the years George sent instruments back and forth to his son Justin, who is an accomplished musician himself. After George’s death, Justin got all of his fathers instruments. Not being a mandolin player, Justin sold this piece to a friend, who sold it to a freind.”

Some Ibanez Mandolins do not have signed labels. No reason or pattern has been established so far.

Bill Monroe endorsed Ibanez mandolins during the 1970′s. That much we know. The rest of the tale is somewhat less clear, and many questions remain. IbanezMandolin.com is researching an article provisionally titled “The Ibanez Mandolins of Bill Monroe”, to include information about their history and his endorsement of the brand. We are seeking submissions of information, pictures, and first-hand accounts for the article. Full credit will be given on publication.

Ibanez catalogs show Big Mon playing a 524 model, in two photos presumably taken during his 1975 tour of Japan. It seems a bit strange that he was not playing the 527 model in the advert, since it was Ibanez’s top of the line mandolin and considered the Bill Monroe model.

It seems that Bill had at least a 524, which ended up with Bluegrass Boys band member Ralph Lewis, and a 527 which was sold at auction in 2001. Photographs of these mandolins, and especially of Bill playing them (apart from the Ibanez catalog) are nowhere to be found.

If you have anything to add, please email 527@ibanezmandolin.com or fill out the contact form on the stie.

Quick – what year was A768092 made?

If you said 1976, you are correct. Bonus points for giving January as the month. Find out more details about how to date your Ibanez Mandolin by serial number (or lack of serial number, in fact) in our latest article, Dating Ibanez Mandolins by Serial Number.

New pictures added to the serial number database of this 1978 524. Thanks Raul.

Ibanez Mandolin B788045

Another new submission to the Ibanez Mandolin serial number database comes from Raul Blacksten, who is the original owner of a model 524 from February 1978.

1978 Ibanez Mandolin 524
Serial Number: B788045
Model Number: 524
Finish Color: Rich Cremona Brown Sunburst
Headstock Inlay: Flowers
Truss Rod Cover: angled corners
Signed Label: Kosakabe
Case Interior Color: Yellow
Notes: owned by Raul Blacksten of USA. Some binding yellowing is present & some gilding rubbed off the tail piece cover.

Interesting to note that Raul’s case is yellow-lined. Typically the Ibanez mandolin cases have royal blue (and more rarely olive green) interior. Alvarez and Aria made similar mandolins that had yellow lined cases and occasionally an Ibanez shows up with an original yellow case interior.

It’s also now entered in the serial number database. Just one picture so far, but more will be added.

Updating the serial number of Maartin Allcock’s 1976 526 mandolin, we find that it is actually H768066, meaning that it was made in August of 1976. Here is a full rundown of that mandolin’s features:

1976 Ibanez Mandolin 526
Serial Number: H768066
Model Number: 526
Finish Color: Cherry Wine
Headstock Inlay: 526-style Fern
Truss Rod Cover: angled corners
Signed Label: unkown
Case Interior Color: unknown
Notes: owned by musician Maartin Allcock. Only 1976 526 or 527 identified to date.

Thanks to Michael Graham, we have now added a beautiful 1978 model 524 Ibanez Mandolin to the serial number database. Michael’s mandolin is a beautiful example with typical later features.

Michael describes it as a “78 Ibanez 524, serial number A788039.  It’s a medium dark tobacco brown sunburst finish.  The binding is in great shape and has yellowed nicely over the past thirty years.”

View more pictures of Michael’s 1978 524 Ibanez mandolin.

1978 Ibanez Mandolin 524
Serial Number: A788039
Model Number: 524
Finish Color: Rich Cremona Brown Sunburst
Headstock Inlay: Flowers
Truss Rod Cover: angled corners
Signed Label: Kosakabe
Case Interior Color: Blue
Notes: owned by Michael Graham of USA. Some binding yellowing is present.