Salvador Ibanez - Small Model 1900 / Salvador Ibanez Concert Model 1905 - 1910

Salvador Ibanez (Small Model)

Salvador Ibáñez (1854-1920) was a Spanish 
luthier. He made guitars, ukuleles, mandolins 
and other stringed instruments. These 
instruments were considered the finest of 
their age and are prized for their excellent 
quality and impeccable workmanship.

At eleven years of age Ibáñez became an 
apprentice in guitar construction at Calle Muela 
Valencia. In 1870 he started his own company: 
Salvador Ibáñez y Albiñara. 

The company was registered at Calle Cubells. 
Working in his shop were the ten-year-old 
José Ibáñez and Magdalena Albiñara y 
Magraner, from Ollería, Valencia. 

In 1896 he first appeared in the trade guides at 
Calle Ruzafa Valencia and from 1898 to 1906 
his shop was located at Calle Bajada de San 
Francisco. Salvador Ibáñez made bandurrias, 
lutes, six and nine-string guitars and also 
guitars with detachable necks. In 1897 he 
made the world's first double-necked guitar. 

In the period 1915-20 Salvador Ibáñez e Hijos 
(Salvador Ibáñez and Sons) were located at 
Calle Bajada de San Francisco and at Calle 
Padre Rico Valencia. When he died in 1920 
his workshop continued to be managed by 
his two sons until it was completely destroyed 
during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) 
in a bloody street fight, which cost the lives 
of many of the personnel.

This was THE story up until now, however one of
my friends visited Madrid in order to meet some
colletors there and it became clear that at least one
of the sons of Salvador Ibanez didn't die in the civil 
war and that the factory and its' machines were sold 
to Telesforo Julve. A picture of a graveyard stone
from one of the sons from S. Ibanez attests:

DON SALVADOR IBANEZ SALABERT
DIED 21 abril 1967
A LOS 80 ANOS
R.I.P.

 After the Salvador Ibáñez workshop had

been destroyed and with the Salvador Ibáñez 
guitars not being available (and very much 
sought after due to their excellent quality), 
the Japanese distributor Hoshino Gakki 
decided to start making Ibáñez guitars of
their own after years of importing Salvador 
Ibáñez guitars to Japan. They purchased 
the trademark and started production, first 
naming the guitars "Ibanez Salvador" and 
later Ibanez which obtained great success 
in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Hoshino Gakki currently produces both 
acoustic and electric guitars using the Ibanez 
brandname and is oriented at all kinds of 
devices for electric guitars and basses.

Julian Bream has played a Salvador Ibáñez 
guitar. Eric Clapton has owned several original 
Salvador Ibáñez guitars, one of which was sold 
at a benefit auction in 1999 at Christies, 
obtaining a final price of $42,000 USD. 
The guitar was estimated between 3000 and 
5000 USD what can be considered a fair 
price on an auction. Regarding history it is 
curious to discover that the first quality guitar 
played by Francisco Tarrega was a Salvador 
Ibanez before he switched to the Torres 
guitar. A picture of Tarrega with a Salvador 
Ibanez guitar seems to be around somewhere...

As opposed to the front, the back looks 

much better and indeed hardly any cracks 

and that counts for the sides as well.

A nice shot of the brasilian rosewood back though

on some pics it may look a bit otherwise due to

necessary moves in a Photo program.

Dirty and still not taken care for on this picture 

but clearly visible is the Bajada de San Francisco 

label and not Salvador Ibanez e Hijos from the 

later period.

This guitar literally came in parts but as often happens the 
so called cracks in the sound board were no more than the
seams of the parts the guitar was showing. Bigger problem
was the edge lining as that was existing of multiple layers 

The label can be dated around 1900. Luckily other investigators
have found this information sometimes even by frequently visiting
Valencia and surroundings.

The typical placing of the individual blocks to support the
soundboard can be studied here as is the fan bracing that
only exist of three small bars. Only two transverse bars on
the soundboard. In the bigger models a double transverse
bar is placed above the sound hole thus preventing cracks
alongside the fingerboard after some time.

Luckily you are able to study the right bridge model

for these guitars by searching on the internet. Sometimes

people are willing to share their knowledge, sometimes 

not. It is my experience that once you do that you will 

get it back, one way or the other.

The two typical pearl inlays in the bridge, Telesforo

Julve was later known for was already there when

Salvador Ibanez was in charge as is the headform,

that sometimes also can be found on Francisco Pau

and Jaime Ribot guitars (???) You can also detect

the lighter colour part in the bindings around the

soundboard. Those were missing. A hell of a job to

restore that as each layer measures about 0,3 mm

in width. Sometimes you get the remark that you

are making much profit on guitars like this but let's

not forget that it takes hours, days and in fact weeks

before a guitar is playable again.

The coloring is not the most difficult process. Water

stained products can be even thinned with water to

your liking thus making it possible to catch the exact

colour. On a soundboard things are different alas.

A nice and well preserved back that only needs some 

varnishing or French polishing.

The typical way of placing the glue blocks for the 

soundboard to the sides can be studied here. I have

only sen this in Salvador Ibanez guitars but chances

are that it could have been more widely used.

The two missing ribs of the fan bracing can be copied easily.

And the traces of the old ones will hel to glue them in the

correct place. The seams of the 3 piece soundboard can be 

seen here from the inside. Salvador Ibanez often did this and

Telesforo Julve used this way of constructing as well.

I'll include some detail pictures for others to investigate

some specific building marks in other guitars.

This was the point where to start from regarding glue work.

Of course there are good constructions to be had 

in gluing the braces but this method works as well

especially when it is not a "daily job" for you.

Nearly ready to close the guitar again...

This label is dating the guitar in charge quite exactly:

The label has been used in the period 1898 - 1902.

Here you are able to check the dimensions of these smaller guitars.

The dimensions of the new bridge as the original

was missing. Made out of ebony.

And the soundboard construction aas developed by Ibanez.

After the lacquer treated process and ready to use.

The tuners that work in a normal way with their

copper shafts. The plastic or bone rollers were

a much later addition.

And the wurm placed before the wurm wheelas

was common in the early years of the twentieth

century until about the period 1910 -1920.

Salvador Ibanez "Concert" model appr. 1908.

I'd like to start with the end result: The guitar as

it is now. Great bonus was the awesome tone!

Scale: 650 mm.  Width at topnut: 52 mm.

Width at the bridgebone: 59 mm.

A newly added label. I'll explain this decision 

further in my explanation.

The back that has been French polished as is the rest of

this guitar.

Only two small inserts in the centre of the bottom

were needed. Hardly detectable now.

As the back had to be taken off a new binding of course.

The soundboard, still absolutely straight before

and behind the newly glued bridge.

Half of the original frets were missing so a new fret job

was necessary. Also to change the angle neck to body.

Some mother of pearl pieces were missing. Newly added

of course. The two triangular inlays on both sides of the

bridge are not in line. Remarkable but I've seen this more

on Salvador Ibanez guitars!

The head with its' inlays. Again in a like new condition.

No damages to the back of the head. Not any cracks

here. Original tuners as well.

The typical Valencian way of building a heel.

In fact photographed to show the action. This guitar

is very comfortably playable now with its' 4,5 mm action 

on the 6th string (twelfth fret) and 3 mm on the first.

Maybe even lower for the first string. A joy to play!

Just a nice shot but also to show the inserts alongside

the left and right side of the fingerboard though this

often occurs on older guitars.

A Brasilian rosewood fingerboard as opposed to the later

used ebony when Salvador Ibanez e Hijos were in charge

on their highest models.

All the repaired cracks can be seen here. I've left the 

inserts just a bit higher so a luthier very experienced

in coloring the insert might do a better job.

The bridge already was partly loose and having seen the knob

for a strap (I do not know wether if this is original?) and

the holes for a string holder I presume someone putted on

a set of metal strings!

A beautiful rosette but in fact carved a bit too deep in 

the soundboard. Therefore I strengthened the inner part

of the sound hole to prevent any future damages. That

can be removed but is not advisable.

I took the opportunity to remove the bridge a bit further

away from the sound hole to ensure a perfect octave pitch!

The knob for the G-string is a bit bowed but works perfectly.

Dangerous to have it placed back in the "start" position so I 

left it that way as it works normally.

The guitar in question in unrestored condition.

A body close up with the frets already removed.

Similarities with a Jaime Ribot guitar. But also with a Francisco

Pau guitar. It would have been easy to place a label in this guitar

from these luthiers but to be honest: everything points towards

Salvador Ibanez as I already explained here and there.

The Jaime Ribot guitar and other builders appear to 

have similar ornamentations as on guitars of some other 

Valencian makers they can be seen: Francesco Pau 

and of course Salvador Ibanez.

The Jaime Ribot label, a bit damaged.

Again, but now with the strings in between. You can easily 

make pictures with your mobile telephone by simply sliding 

your telephone below the strings and then make a picture.

These pictures are NOT from the guitar in question!

The guitar presented with the bridge off as it was 

easy to remove it. It was already partly loose.

The body before the crack repairings took place.

The label that should have been in this guitar. Photographed 

and shopped to make it clearer thus giving more details.

This label must have been used between 1905 - 1910.

Some reparations (inserts) were needed and therefore

the back has to be French polished from the start.

A knob at the bottom intended for use with a holding

strap. Wether if this is original can be discussed of course.

The holes a bit higher placed are the traces of a formerly

placed tailpiece, probably for metal strings...

The inserts, still not colored to their surrounding.

Strange is the unevenness of the inlays on both sides of the

string tie block. I've noticed it on other guitars from Ibanez

guitars of that period. The inserts necessary can be  studied 

here. More easy to do that without the bridge glued on.

The head and the newly placed frets as half of them were 

already missing and moreover, I had to make a neck to

body angle correction. For that purpose I shaved away 

material of the fingerboard towards the head.

I've shortened the headstock with about 1 mm in order 

to get rid of disturbing damages that occur when placing

a guitar frequently with its' head against a wall.

A new quality topnut that has to be 

there on a concert guitar of this age.

Though the back has been taken off, a picture with the

label sticked in from the sound hole has to be there.

This happens so often! In this case the two transverse braces

were partly loose and then string tension can cause these

problems much easier. To prevent this in the future I placed

an extra wide but thin layer between the two transverse bars

in the upper bout. The Japanese do this often to prevent

these damages.

Another move was to strengthen the soundhole

edges as when the space for a rosette is carved too 

deep it severely weakens that spot. The cleat 

beyond has been placed at the end of a crack.

Every single glue block that attach the soundboard to

the sides must be checked and reglued if necessary. The

transverse bars above the sound hole had to be reglued.

And the same insert on the other side.

A knob at the borttom intended for use with a holding

strap. Wether if this is original can be discussed of course.

The holes a bit higher placed are the traces of a formerly

placed tailpiece, probably for metal strings...

The head and the newly placed frets as half of them were 

already missing and moreover, I had to make a neck to

body angle correction. Fo that purpose I shaved away 

material of the fingerboard towards the head.

No spruce heel operation, often done by Valencian

makers to speed up production processes.

And a picture of the other side of course.

The new added bindings around the back.

New proper fretwork.

A nice shot of the ornamentation and the Brazilian

rosewood fingerboard used here.

The insert on the right can be studied here.

Inserts coloured a bit better...

The beautiful rosette with some newly placed 

pieces of pearl inlay.

The sides that are in pristine condition.