Polytone Improv I Archtop Jazzbox - RARE - Japan

Selling a very, VERY rare 1980 Polytone Improv I. Polytones were made in extremely rare numbers in Japan and only in 1980 (made by Ibanez at either Matsumoku or Fujigen) This guitar is an excellent example of the very high quality instruments that the Japanese were making during that era. 

The Improv I was the flagship of the Polytone guitars with a 1970's/1980 retail price of $795!! 

Because of their rarity, there is not a ton of info but based on as much info as I could find on the web there were probably only a couple of dozen of these guitars made as a kind of proof of concept by Polytone -- they subsequently and regrettably did not pursue the guitar market -- making these guitars very rare! Pat Martino endorsed them for that one year as you can see from scans of the original Polytone catalog.

All the specs are listed in the catalog scans posted here but the details are: laminate curly maple back and sides, laminate spruce top, one-piece mahogany neck with a 24 5/8 scale length and 1 11/16 nut width.

This particular guitar measures 14.5" across the lower bout and is 2.75" deep; slightly smaller and slimmer than a ES-175. In most other respects however, an ES-175 is the guitar it most resembles, although it distinctly has a beautiful ebony fretboard, jumbo frets (fantastic fretwork), and a lovely ebony bridge base with a compensated bone saddle (also a bone nut). There are also carved rosewood knobs for the two volumes, two tones, and a master volume knob -- the pickup selector knob is also rosewood. 

The original Japanese PAF pickups were replaced with Gibson Classic '57 classics and are wired into the original harness. 

Guitar is in very good shape for a 34 year old guitar with some nicks here and there, a finish crack at the rear of neck just below the headstock (behind the nut) which has been stable for the past 5 years (my tech confirms finish only!), and the frets have plenty of life!

Other than the pickups, the guitar is completely original -- including the case. 

A very balanced and rich tone currently strung with 11 flats... sounds and feels very much like a Ibanez George Benson GB-10 and they were apparently made at the same time and at the same factory.