School me on this 60s Hy-Lo Burns copy

[bah humbuck]

I have been gazing, and I mean GAZING, at this guitar for a while now. It's a Hy-Lo 1802.

I finally have some cash set aside, but I don't want something that plays like a Teisco for $550. I like later (early 80s) Ibanez but were they making playable guitars in the 60s?

The listing says "well made, sounds fantastic and plays great" but I was hoping for a second opinion.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

All guitars are always well made, sound fantastic and play great in the ads. If it really does, if it works for you or if it can be turned into something fun cannot be predicted on a 60 year old guitar bought without having touched it first. Particularly not on some import from the "bizarre" (how the Japanese call it) era.

It is actually a model Ibanez had offered as model "1802", or in a slightly different trim as "922" (<-link), but the actual manufacturer is hard to tell - could've been Fujigen (it seems to looks like it) Edit: Actually it doesn't look like Fuji, could have been still Hoshino's Tama factory, Guyatone produced guitars for Hoshino... as per usual it's complicated.

Generally, guitars from the "bizarre" era are not exactly up to modern standards, rather crude hardware, usually underwound pickups, something you may need to adapt to. But maybe that special sound is exactly what you're aiming for?

Here's another one, in better condition and w/o the missing parts.