Ibanez guitars go way back to the 1800s (90 years ago) when Hoshino Gakki, who distributed a variety of musical instruments in Nagoya, Japan, started the Hoshino Gakki Group, the makers of Ibanez guitars. The makers of Ibanez guitars have a unique beginning in comparison to their top competitors in that the company's roots are in Nagoya, Japan. By the time the company made its way to the United States, they were in the business of duplicating well-known rock and jazz guitars, as were many guita.