Salvador Ibanez (1854-1920) / Salvador Ibanez Around 1908 / Salvador Ibanez e Hijos (2)

Salvador Ibanez

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...

SOLD

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.

The label here above has been used appr. from 1900 until

1905 according to Ton Bogaard who started the Telesforo

Julve site but he extended his search with other Valencia

based builders such as Ibanez, Andres Marin, Parres etc.

The head that is in good condition as well as the

fingerboard, frets and neck: The last one being

absolutely straight. Believe it or not:

To my opinion the original brass frets!

Allready cleaned for this picture the nice

and gracefully placed outer binding and of

course its rosette that is in good shape.

The biggest problem is restoring the outer

binding around the lower bout in a proper way.

The way the fingerboard looks is due

to lighten the darker parts in this picture.

A terrible sight for most guitar lovers but

even these damages can be cured. Some inner

soundboard struts are missing but the

discolouration of the wood where

they should have been makes it easier

to mark the places for copied ones.

Remarkable on this guitar is the three

piece soundboard as the 2 biggest "cracks"

in fact are no cracks at all but loosened

seams between the three parts. Luckily all

parts from the soundboard are still present.

The first thing to do is to remove the

back in a proper way which makes it easier

to repair the soundboard, strutting and little

glue blocks. A new endblock has to be made

and of course the outer lining that will

take most of the time. To be continued....

This picture is showing the repaired soundboard

as well as the glued sides for the purfling inlay.

One insert was necessary as clamping would

have asked too much pressure to bring the parts

 together. The sounboard is perfectly flat now.

The strutting of the soundboard in the lower bout

had to be copied from the old ones. The two outer fan

braces are newly made as well. The endblock was

missing but the discolouration of the inner soundboard

made it easy to copy it according to the original one.

 Next step is to place the back with two new transverse

bars. The back is in excellent shape and will be allmost

original when placed back on this instrument.

At this stage the Ibanez has been inlayed but it hasn't

been coloured yet up to matching the existing inlay.

The same with the back that received an entire

edge inlay though more simple according to the original.

The wood insert and the contour inlay has been matched with 

the colour of the soundboard and existing inlays. I'm planning to 

make a slightly action correction and probably mount a piece

of  ivory on top of the bridge for better tonecolour and

sustain though it is not originally intended by Ibanez.

These bridges are making it possible to place a piece of 

ivory or bone just behind the rim the strings are resting

on. Allways removable and this move would even

improve intonation!

Want to know more around this brand and in general

about the Valencia made guitars, just check this site:

www.guitarrasvalencia.wordpress.com

Jaime Ribot / Salvador Ibanez 1908

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

it is now. Great bonus was the awesome tone!

A newly added label. I'll explain this decision 

further in my explanation, but the inside work

really points towards Salvador Ibanez.

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.

Salvador Ibanez e Hijos (appr. 1910)

This is another, somewhat later Salvador Ibanez guitar.

It is an easy conclusion as the label states: Salvador

Ibanez e Hijos, a label that Ibanez started to use from

appr. 1910. A neatly built instrument but still a lot of

work to bring it back to life again. It is a concert model

with the dimensions that go with that: a 650 mm scale.

A nice Brasilian rosewood back with some repaired cracks. 

Cedar has been used for the neck that is still straight. The 

action on this guitar wil be cured by shaving off the fingerboard 

towards the head. It has two advantages: a better playing action 

and the damages in the fretboard can be removed. And these

damages are allways present around the first two frets.

Curious on this bridge are the two inlays, later a trademark 

for Telesforo Julve. In fact not strange as Telesforo Julve 

took over the Salvador e Hijos workshop. Salvador Ibanez 

(the father) died in 1920. The took-over took place some-

what later. One small crack can be seen just at the right.

As the crack on one side of the bridge still closes a 

careful glueing process will do the job. Afterwards

two or three cleats will hold this crack and another

advantage is that the upper surface becomes per-

fectly straight again. As the bridge appears to be 

quite heavy, I'm planning to sand it down in order

to give the top more possibilities to vibrate.

A bit of a Torres shaped head with square ending slots.

Width at the topnut is 51 mm. The nut is a bit crudely 

made and will be substituted with an ivory one.

The knobs on the tuner appear to be from 

bone and they are locked on the axes.

A nice shot of the heel which is typical Valencian in

shape. The lower part of the heel however is made

out of hardwood as well though the cheaper solution 

in Valencia was to install spruce or another softwood

to speed up the building process.

Presented here is the label ftom this guitar.

For an even better impression: The same label found

on internet. 

A rather small rosette in width made with concentric

circles and inlayed with mother of pearl pieces. Salvador

Ibanez more than often worked with remarkable big ro-

settes but in fact a big rosette influences the sound in a 

negative way as it stiffens that part of the soundboard.

Sides that are still in a pristine condition. The yellowish

color is a result of the varnish that has been used and

over time gives this color on Brasilian rosewood. A

new lacquering process would give this guitar a

much darker and deeper coloured appearance as

can be seen by studying the back after a refinishing

process: The result is a much darker colour.

The first cleaning process allready took place but some 

discolourations around the bridge still have to be removed.

After that and the reparation of the crack near the bridge

the entire soundboard will be treated with a special liquid

to remove the dicolourations that still can be determind

at the moment. It is still absolutely straight probably

due to the bowed construction.

The relacquered back that shows the old beauty again

of the Brasilian rosewood. The original lacquer colours

the wood in a yellowish way but had to be removed as

some restorations were not properly executed. Always

trying not to sand the wooden parts of  the soundbox!

A nice shot of the newly finished back

And the difference in colour compared to 

the sides that have their original lacquer.

On this picture the fretboard has been shaved allready.

Afterwards new frets were installed and the cleaning

process of the soundboard is in a "second"  stage

As the sleeves for the tuners were a bit crudely done that

could be fixed as well. Relacquering of the head after-

wards in fact was a must but again: The beauty of the

wood is there again to its' full potentials.

Second cleaning job before the first playing trial on 

this guitar. After restringing a guitar that was not

under tension for a long time means that you have

to wait a few days to be able to judge the sound of

an instrument. Adjustments can be made once some

elements are not accordingly your wishes. Especially

the bass tones can be boosted by thinning the sound-

board a bit along the edges.

So nice to see the wood again in its' beauty.

This picture has been taken to be able to study the colour

differences after the relacquer job on the back.

The crack that has been glued and provided with three cleats

inside. The split in the two halves is covered by one of the

7 fan braces. That will do the job.

A new ivory nut after the fingerboard has been shaved 

towards the head and the new frets allready mounted.

Not all imperfections of the soundboard have

disappeared but for a 100 year old one it is

in a very nice condition again.

The square filed slots for the tuners can be studied

here. The neck has been left the way it was.

As the wood on the head has a beauty of its' own

only a sanding and refinishing job will do.

The inner heel has been inscribed with Salvador Ibanez

 e Hijos -Valencia. Only visible from the inside of course.

The cleaned tuners that in fact are quite simple but

they still do their job in a sufficient way!

A rather small rosette but a tasteful one to my

opinion as opposed to the earlier quite ornamented

ones. A smaller rosette is better for sound results!

Salvador Ibanez e Hijos (Intermediate model)

This guitar is not part of my collection but I'll include it as

Salvador Ibanez e Hijos labelled guitars aren't always "high 

end". This one came to me from a friend of mine who was

curious to find out the qualities of this guitar as sometimes

the more simple instruments can be surprisingly good.

Of course the filed copper frets are a sign of a lower end

instrument but equipped with a nice rosette and a 5

fan bracing for the top it is not a "beginners" instrument.

As is often the case with these Valencia built guitars

this one is provided with a three piece soundboard. Most

likely a cost saving move and not because Antonio de 

Torres built guitars with a 3 piece top.

The bridgebone (plastic!) was lowered that much that

the strings didn't make any angle over it and even in

spite of that fact, it still sounded good! A heavy bridge

is not good for a good sound production. This one was

too thick and the sleeve for the bridgebone was really

not deep enough. I think to have won about 4 mm by

working on both elements: Lowering the bridge as a 

whole and deepening the sleeve.

Moreover the holes closest to the bridgebone were too

high, thus making any angle almost impossible. I lowered

the stringtie block and removed the upper holes. A new

layer of veneer was a must then and why not adding a

personal touch as Ibanez started with the two inlays one

can find later in time on almost all Telesforo Julve 

guitars. Abalone has been used for that.

When you reglue a bridge the compensation for a correct

octave pitch is the first thing to go for. So here you can see

I was forced to replace this original bridge 2 mm back-

wards in order to have a correct pitch. The bridgebone

will be set to the proper hight once the strings are under

the correct tension. Every neck seems to behave in its' 

own way, bending slightly forward.

Want to know more around this brand and in general

about the Valencia made guitars, just check this site:

www.guitarrasvalencia.wordpress.com