{"product_id":"moriarty-1970s-fujigen-2387-rocket-roll-flying-v","title":"Moriarty! - c.1972–75 Japanese FujiGen Flying V | 2387 \/ Rocket Roll Family | Transparent Cherry","description":"\u003cp\u003eMoriarty arrived through an auction with one significant problem: nobody knew exactly what he was.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no headstock logo, no useful identification in the neck pocket and no serial number. More importantly, the truss rod cover, which on many examples from this family carried the retail branding, had been replaced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than assigning him an identity because one looked plausible, we took the guitar apart and followed the evidence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOur conclusion\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe believe Moriarty is, with very high confidence, an early-to-mid 1970s FujiGen-built Flying V belonging to the model family sold by Ibanez as the 2387, Rocket Roll and Super V.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe cannot responsibly describe him as a definitively authenticated Ibanez 2387 because the original branding has been lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClosely related FujiGen instruments also reached the UK carrying names including Antoria. Without the original truss rod cover, we cannot prove which retail badge this particular guitar originally wore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat we can demonstrate is why the 2387 \/ Rocket Roll attribution is so strong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExhibit A: Construction and specification\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ibanez 2387 was introduced in 1972 and manufactured in Japan by FujiGen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts documented specification included a Flying V body, solid mahogany construction, Transparent Cherry finish, bolt-on mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, 22 frets, pearloid dot markers, Gibson-style scale length, large three-ply white scratchplate, Tune-o-matic style bridge, stop tailpiece, twin humbuckers, two volume controls, one master tone, three-way selector, front-mounted output jack and chrome hardware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoriarty corresponds extraordinarily closely to that specification.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt some point, coincidence becomes a less convincing explanation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExhibit B: Made in Japan, but no serial number\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe neck plate is simply stamped \u003cstrong\u003e“Made in Japan”\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no serial number.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJapanese Ibanez instruments were not consistently serialised until around the middle of the 1970s. Earlier examples frequently carried only a country-of-origin marking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause the 2387 was introduced in 1972, Moriarty’s lack of a serial number is entirely compatible with early production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCombined with the construction and specification, we believe approximately \u003cstrong\u003e1972 to 1975\u003c\/strong\u003e is the most defensible date range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExhibit C: The bridge pickup\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoriarty’s bridge pickup has two complete rows of adjustable polepieces together with unusual resin-backed construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeriod Rocket Roll advertising specifically referred to its original humbuckers as dual-pole pickups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDocumentation for the 2387 identifies the pickups used between 1972 and 1975 as Ibanez Hi-Power humbuckers before the model later moved to Super 70 pickups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoriarty’s bridge pickup therefore possesses exactly the unusual visible feature described in contemporary material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no surviving factory code allowing us to prove that this exact pickup has remained in this exact guitar since new. We therefore describe it as \u003cstrong\u003estrongly consistent with the period Ibanez Hi-Power dual-pole pickup fitted to early 2387 models\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExhibit D: The Gibson patent-number pickup\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemoving the neck pickup revealed a metal baseplate stamped:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAT. NO. 2,737,842\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the famous Gibson patent number found on vintage Gibson humbuckers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stamped metal baseplate, long mounting legs, braided single-conductor shielded lead and chrome cover are strongly consistent with a genuine vintage Gibson patent-number humbucker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStamped patent-number baseplates are particularly associated with the later period of Gibson T-Top production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are not advertising the pickup as a confirmed T-Top.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConfirming that identification would require further disassembly to inspect the bobbins, and we chose not to unnecessarily disturb a roughly fifty-year-old pickup simply to obtain a more impressive description.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur conclusion is therefore deliberately restrained:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStrongly consistent with a genuine vintage Gibson patent-number humbucker, probably from the T-Top family, exact model unconfirmed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe likely age of the Gibson pickup is also slightly later than Moriarty’s probable manufacture date, suggesting a very plausible history in which the original neck pickup was replaced with a quality American Gibson unit during the guitar’s working life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExhibit E: The missing name\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe difficulty in proving Moriarty’s original retail branding is precisely why we stopped short of simply calling him an Ibanez.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFujiGen produced instruments for several brands and closely related Flying Vs reached the British market under more than one name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn examples from this family, identification could appear on the removable truss rod cover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoriarty’s cover is not original.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe could have installed an Ibanez-branded replacement and made the guitar appear more certain than the evidence allows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe didn't.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur description therefore remains:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese FujiGen 2387 \/ Rocket Roll-family Flying V, probably sold through the Ibanez\/Antoria network, with original retail branding unconfirmed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExhibit F: The vintage hard case\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoriarty is accompanied by an enormous shaped black Flying V hard case with golden-yellow plush lining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe guitar fits extremely closely, with internal supports positioned specifically for this style of instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurviving original 1970s Ibanez Rocket Roll cases are documented with yellow and golden plush interiors and very similar shaped construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor that reason we believe this case is contemporary with the guitar and strongly consistent with documented period Ibanez\/Rocket Roll cases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, there is no evidence allowing us to prove that this exact guitar and this exact case were originally sold together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is therefore described as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage fitted Flying V hard case, strongly consistent with documented period Ibanez\/Rocket Roll cases. Original pairing unconfirmed.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExhibit G: Vintage Schaller tuners\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe guitar carries six genuine Schaller machine heads stamped with the manufacturer’s \u003cstrong\u003e“S” logo and “Made in W. Germany”\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditional mounting holes confirm that these are replacements rather than the original Japanese tuners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir construction and markings are consistent with vintage West German Schaller M6-family machine heads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey therefore represent another high-quality period modification made during Moriarty’s working life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition and restoration\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter approximately fifty years, Moriarty carries genuine signs of use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are scratches, marks and age-related wear throughout, all of which were shown clearly in the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Transparent Cherry finish has aged beautifully and still allows the wood grain underneath to remain visible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur restoration was deliberately sympathetic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe frets were gently levelled and polished to remove the worst wear while preserving the characteristic vintage flat-top feel rather than attempting to make a 1970s instrument feel artificially modern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rosewood fingerboard was thoroughly cleaned and conditioned, the electronics inspected and serviced, hardware cleaned and the entire guitar professionally set up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAction and intonation were properly adjusted and both pickups inspected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCurrent attribution\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCirca 1972 to 1975 Japanese Flying V\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFujiGen 2387 \/ Rocket Roll family: very high confidence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIbanez-branded when new: probable, but unproven\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePossible Antoria or other FujiGen-associated UK branding cannot be excluded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSolid mahogany construction consistent with documented 2387 specification\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBolt-on neck\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRosewood fingerboard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e22 frets\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTransparent Cherry finish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLarge three-ply scratchplate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTune-o-matic style bridge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStop tailpiece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan neck plate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo serial number, consistent with early Japanese production\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBridge pickup strongly consistent with period Ibanez Hi-Power dual-pole design\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNeck pickup strongly consistent with vintage Gibson patent-number humbucker\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eT-Top family identification probable but deliberately unconfirmed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage West German Schaller tuners\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage fitted golden-yellow-lined Flying V hard case\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCase strongly consistent with documented period Ibanez Rocket Roll cases\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal guitar and case pairing possible but unproven\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrets sensitively levelled and polished while retaining vintage flat-top character\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFully serviced and professionally set up\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eConclusion\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoriarty may never provide the final surviving piece of evidence required to put \u003cstrong\u003e“Ibanez 2387”\u003c\/strong\u003e across his adoption papers without qualification.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat remains is nevertheless a genuinely fascinating piece of early-1970s Japanese guitar history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe construction matches. The hardware matches. The dimensions and control layout match. The manufacturing period matches. The lack of serial number matches. The surviving Japanese bridge pickup corresponds with the unusual dual-pole specification described in contemporary Rocket Roll advertising.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe replacement neck pickup appears to be a desirable vintage Gibson patent-number unit. The tuners are vintage West German Schallers. Even the fitted golden-yellow case provides further supporting evidence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis attribution is not based on somebody looking at the guitar from six feet away and deciding that it looks vaguely like an Ibanez.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe disassembled the instrument, compared its construction, researched the components and production timeline, and deliberately stopped every conclusion at the point where the evidence stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur finding is that Moriarty is, \u003cstrong\u003ebeyond reasonable guitar-shop doubt, a member of the early-to-mid-1970s Japanese FujiGen 2387 \/ Rocket Roll family.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether his missing truss rod cover originally said Ibanez or something else may remain Professor Moriarty’s final secret.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREHOMED\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Stray Chord\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRescue • Restore • Rehome\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Stray is thoroughly inspected, professionally set up and honestly described before adoption.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeer review welcomed. Preferably with citations.\u003c\/strong\u003e 🤣\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Stray Chord","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58573199376648,"sku":null,"price":800.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1059\/2829\/4664\/files\/image1_1355dbbd-2b9c-42bd-8fb8-640c3a87c99a.jpg?v=1788119388","url":"https:\/\/thestraychord.com\/products\/moriarty-1970s-fujigen-2387-rocket-roll-flying-v","provider":"The Stray Chord","version":"1.0","type":"link"}