Salvador Ibanez Small Model 1 (around 1900)

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 

less than half a millimeter in width,

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.