The company began in 1908 as a distributor of musical instruments under the name of Hoshino Gakki, from 1929 guitars were imported from the workshop of the Spanish luthier Salvador Ibáñez to Japan. Hoshino Gakki began in 1935 to make his own stringed instruments in Nagoya. The workshop of Ibáñez was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, Hoshino Gakki bought the rights to the name Ibanez Salvador. Later, the brand name was shortend to Ibanez.

In the 1960s Ibanez was a successful producer of brand name copies, such as the Fender Stratocaster. The first model of its own was the Ibanez Iceman.

 In 1987 Hoshino Gakki developed the seven-Steve Vai Electric Guitar, which is provided with an additional low B string.

The price range of instruments ranging from guitars to beginners to top class. The Wizard necks are among the upper class in the instrument. The Prestige series is currently the top class. The instruments are made largely by hand and are made from high quality wood with better pickups, and with better hardware.

Some models have a cult status, like the instruments from the Artcore series or the guitars of the Road Star, S or RG series. Ibanez also has two custom shops, one in Japan and one in the U.S.. These instruments are high quality and are produced in small quantities by hand.

The product range extends from the Ibanez acoustic bass and guitar over electric guitars and basses to transistor and tube amplifiers. Effects and general accessories such as picks, cables, etc. are also included.

Ibanez was building among other signature models for guitarists like George Benson, Wes Borland, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Daron Malakian, Mick Thomson, Andy Timmons, Pat Metheny, Herman Li, Paul Gilbert, James Shaffer, John Scofield, Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, Joe Pass ,and also John Petrucci, and Steve Lukather, before they went under contract with Music Man.

By Melanie Bradley