JA 122

Current Owner: Ole Wilhelm Svensen
Current Location:  Arendal Norway
E-mail: ows@tvers.no
Original Owner: Yes
Purchase Location:  Dealer via Ebay
Alterations: None

JA 122 is the Johnny A Registry's first "international" addition to the registry!  Ole Wilhelm from Norway purchased his guitar on-line via Ebay and had it shipped to his home.  It's a right handed, sunset glow guitar with a Bigsby!  Here's what Ole Wilhelm has to say about his guitar: 

Just received my JA122. Bought on ebay from the "basque_man". (Best transaction ever! Highly recomended seller!) I guess I am one of the first, if not THE first in Norway to own such an instrument. I was originally looking for a nice small semi (like the cs336, or even a vintage Ibanez AM 205), when I noticed the JA´s. It was way more expensive than my budget, but I decided to go for it! I found the JA so much cooler than the more ordinary alternatives. After trying it through my amps I must say I am a very happy owner! I run it through a rather rare Budda Retro Lead Head (one of about 30 made) through a 2x12 Rivera cabinett, and a Bad Cat Wild Cat 2x12 combo. I use a Lehle 1@3 switcher to go from the Budda to the two channels on the Wild Cat. The amps have rather distinct differences in sound, and the guitar reflects the difference very nice. Johnny A is totaly unknown in Norway, and I don´t think you can buy his album anywhere here. I have managed to get a copy of his albums, and he´s such a great player!   May he conquer the world!  I have been playing since 1973, with a very long brake....Until I picked it up again a few years ago. I´m not an expert, but I really appreceate good sound, and I also think that my abilitys at least reach as far that I can make a good guitar sound good!  My former main guitar ( I guess the JA is my new favourit) is the highly underrated Gibson Gary Moore signature. It was the first model to come stock with the new Burstbuckers. Sounds absolutely fantastic!!! (Buy one if you find one! It´s discontinued, and are "cheap"... Beats me!)   Other guitars are an accoustic electric  K.Yari - handbuilt japanese beauty - sold by Alvarez in the US, I think. I also have a small collection of vintage Ibanez guitars from the 70´s: A rather nice (8,5 of 10)´76 Custom Agent (an absolute "over-the-top" custom designed les paul copy...very, very 70´s), a very nice 2617 model Artist, a near to mint (9,5 of 10) rather rare ´78 mod 2710 Artist/Musician, a near mint (9,5 of 10) ´78 MC 500, and a flawless ´76 Randy Scrugg les paul model with wines (9,9 of 10). It´s the cleanest I´ve ever come across! I also own a strat, custom built by a norwegian company called the "Guitar Workshop", with a Phillip Kubicki-neck and EMG David Gilmore pu´s. Guitars are to me wonderfull collective peaces that you could even do something interesting with while collecting them. I treat all my instruments very good, but I play them all. They are not for my closet. I will use this opportunity to state that in my honest opinion the top-of-the-line Ibanez guitars from the late ´70´s represent the same focus on craftmanship and beauty that you´ll find on peaces like the JA, from the Gibson Custom Shop of today. I can recognise the same attention to details and the same overall quality-feeling you just can feel when picking up an instrument that is built with pride! However interesting my vintage guitars might be, though, the JA is my most beautifull guitar! Congratulations to Johnny A and the Gibson Custom shop for creating such a nice guitar. Hope the model will stay with us "forever"!!! So that I can say to my children when they are grown up, that I was one of the lucky few to discover this fabtastic instrument at such an early state.  JA rules !