Conference napalm::guitar

    Frederic,
    Two friends of mine have Ibanez guitars. They are both the Roadstar
    series Strat copies. I played the Roadstar II and I was impressed
    with it.  It has a HOT double coil (side by side) pickup in the
    bridge position, two strat sounding pickups in the mid and neck
    position respectively, and a nice neck. The action is very good
    and you can get a wide variety of tones.  It was kind of "pricey",
    though.  I think it cost her over $425 USED. I just paid $415 for
    a NEW american STRAT with case. There's probably opinions out there
    saying that a Roadstar II is "more" guitar, but I just HAD to have
    strat.  Joe Satriani is playing and endorsing Ibanez guitars, and
    he makes 'em SING. I think you could do alot worse; go for it!
    
    Steve

    
    I just bought a RG550 a couple of months ago.  It has 2 single coils
    and a humbucker in the bridge position.  I love it!!  I've found that I
    get a great variety of sounds from it, which is what I was looking for. 
    It sounds great clean, and it sounds great dirty.  However, if your
    looking to go more for a dirtier sound, or use distortion mostly, I'd
    go for 2 humbuckers instead of just 1.  In any case, I tried a less
    expensive Ibanez that was ok, but when the salesman put the 550 in my
    hands, my decision was made.  Great action, stays in tune, sounds
    great.
    
    Dave

    I currently own two RG550's (they come in two models...2 humbuckers and
    a single coil mounted on a pickguard, and a humbucker and 2 singles
    mounted in the body..I own the former, Dave Russo owns the latter) at
    the moment.  I like the necks on these beasts a lot!  Real thin and
    fast, with superb access to the 24th fret.  I love the whammy bar
    system on it, however you have to get used to it...its a real finiky
    beast.  They provide a real tight, compressed midrange tone from the
    humbuckers, and the single coil is kinda neat too!
    
    I owned a PL2550 a while back..this was neck-thru construction and a
    ebony fingerboard.  They don't make em anymore, but they make a cross
    between the 2550 and the 550 series now...forget the new number.  The
    PL2550 had great sustain, and is owned now by Tony Camuso in this file.
    My cousin also owned this weird Ibanez roadstar model that was really
    great...wish I had the bucks to buy one of those! 
    
    Get one of their catalogs...they make a wide variety of guitars, and
    the rock models offer the electronics configuartions of your dreams.
    They come in all sorts of weird day-glo colors too. 

    
    Any endorsements for their acoustics? I saw a couple models - one was 
    the "Artist" series and the other was the next price group down.
    (I guess the Artist series is supposed to be pretty good?)
    
    Also, re:-.1 can you enter the address/phone number where a catalog
    could be sent for?
    
    Thanks,
    
    -John
    

    Uh...donno...I can check.
    
    I got my current catalog at my local Ibanez dealer!

    I think Ibanez guits are great.  I've owned:
    
    (2) Artists (and AR100 and an AR500)
    (2) Blazers (Old timer strat copies, one fancy, one not so fancy)
    
    I've also played all of Bucks Ibanez at one time or another, and
    others too...  Great axes.

    I've like to have one of those JEM 777's right now !
    
    jc

    Re: Ibanez Acoustics
    
    I've played some of their acoustic 12 strings in the store.  At
    $250, nothing touches them!  What stopped me was the blonde wood
    finish plus the fact that I had my heart set on a Takamine (love
    their pickup system).
    
    Mike

    
    re: .1
    
    	Hey those are my guitars you're talkin' about Steve!  The Ibanez
    	Roadstar 'I' anyways.  My girlfriend owns the Roadstar II.  I
        played the Roadstar II as little as possible so I wouldn't get
    	spoiled.  Great natural wood neck and good action.  Floyd Rose
     	copy locking trem.  My Roadstar 'I' is/was an excellent beginner
    	guitar.  A friend of mine (strat owner) helped me pick it out
    	a couple years ago and he said for the price range it felt the
    	most like a real strat.  The first thing I noticed when I brought
    	home my new strat was that the ole Ibanez wasn't so bad after
        all.  A little noiser and the action wasn't as good but considering
    	it *retailed* for about $340 new it's a good axe.  Now I'm a
    	beginner with a real American Strat and the Ibanez is for sale - 
    	cold world, ain't it?
    
    	-pat    
                     

    I once owned an Artist AR100 or AR200 or something. I LOVED
    that guitar. The only one I wish I never got rid of. 
    
    -Dave

    I only wish mine hadn't gotten ripped off.
    
    ;^(  I loved mine too.

    
    
    This is ancient history now, but I owned the Ibanez Flying V copy and
    loved it.  I don't remember what Ibanez's name for it was, but it was
    the direct copy of the original Gibson V.  At the time, Ibanez was
    going upscale from being just another clone maker to a real force in
    its own right.
    
    I've played several Ibanez's since that time and I've liked them all. 
    I think that Ibanez has learned from Gibson's and Fender's mistakes.
    
    Kevin
    

    
    
    	I just bought a Ibanez 570 ( I think ) about a month ago and
    	 I love it. Killer action, awesome whammy, and hot pickups it's
    	a guitar you don't have to modify at all cause it has everything.
    
    	M
    	 B

    Like I said somewhere else in this file, I played a 570 recently (while
    demoing effects) and was totally blown away.  It was the best feeling
    guitar I've played in a LONG time. 
    
    I currently own an ST-55, which is an older model, but it plays very
    nicely.  The only thing that I don't like about it is where they chose
    to put the strap points makes it a little neck heavy when playing with
    a strap.  It's a solid body electric shaped like a cross between an SG
    and a Strat, with two "Super 70" humbucking pickups and glue in 24 fret
    neck.  It's got one of the nicest tobacco sunburst finishes I've seen.
    
    I've had it about six years, it was my first electric.  Since I rarely
    play it anymore, it's now for sale, but I still love it...
    
    I also had a Roadstar I awhile back.  I didn't like it very much.  The
    frets on it didn't have a good feel, there were dead spots all over the
    neck, the pickups were weak, and it was totally out of tune every time
    you even touched the tremelo. 
    
    Greg

    I've three Ibanez guitars.  The one that I'll never part
    with is my MC400..  The axe was a handman piece, dating back in
    1979..  This guitar screams bloody murder.  It's with out
    a doubt, the hottest axe I've ever owned.  It was very pricy, ($1500
    in 1979) and it was only a limited production.. but prior to
    that owned 'pauls, Strats, Teles' and I'll tell you, Nothing has ever 
    come close to this one action wise and sound wise.  
    
    Two tri-sound 77 humbuckers, with an active  three stage on board pre-amp.  
    
    It litteraly jumps.. .. really ...

    The only problem is that it wieghs about 15 pounds...    

    I've also got an Ibanez Acoustic, (birds eye maple back and sides)
    plays/sounds great, and an Ibanez Lonestar thin-body electric acoustic
    that also plays/sounds fantastic.

    My Brother in-law Dan has two Ibanez bass guitars, and my other
    brother-in-law George has an MC500.  All bought based on realizing
    the quality that was in my MC400..

    Granted you can't find the MC400/MC500 anymore and if you did, it
    just may be a train wreck by now, but the new ones seem to be built 
    just as good as any Ibanez I've ever played...  I've screwed around
    with a Sabre a few months ago and was knocked out by the action..

    I say go for it, you can't go wrong.

    re: -.1
    
    While the MC400 was not cheap, the 1979 Ibanez price list shows it at
    $1000 with case, for an actual selling price of $600.
    
    These guitars were nicely done versions of Alembic guitars at about half
    the price.
    
    Danny W. 

    
    Does anybody know of any decent stockists of Ibanez in the Reading
    (UK) area ?

    seen in this week's Mass. want ads -
    
        "1975 Ibanez Lawsuit Explorer"
        
    now, this isn't the first time I've seen ads bragging about the
    fact that Ibanez was sued over a such-and-such a guitar (usually
    by Gibson); I guess this is cool and adds value.  So in addition
    to vintage snobs, are there lawsuit freaks too :-?
    
    /rick

    RE .16                                                             
    
    Try Hamer Music on the Oxford Road (past Northcote Hill roundabout & 
    on the left) #17 bus will get there if you're without wheels.  Last 
    time I looked they had dedicated display of 4 or 5.
    
    	I tried a couple unamplified...they felt really good, I was going
    to try one amplified but it was during the heatwave we had & the demo
    room is small & un-ventillated so I thought better of it.
    
    	The bridge/whammy systems made sense to me...they appeared robust &
    well thought out, almost a cross between a schaller micro-tune &
    Floyd-Rose but being a Les Paul owner I'm not really an expert.
    I don't recall any locking mechanism but there may have been.  
    
    	From past experience I rate Ibanez electics, I replaced
    the pickups in an old f-hole jazzer I have with Ibanez Super 70's 
    & they're really sweet.  They give it a warm fat George Benson sound
    & are really powerful.
    
    	The neck had chunky frets in a rose-wood (I think) finger board.
    Ibanez have always been into chunky frets as far as I can remember.    
    
	I can't remember the prices but I don't recall any state of shock
    associated with the visit so I guess the prices were reasonable.
    
    About Hamer's:
    
    	Hamer's is a pretty neat little outfit...I don't know how they stay
    in business as I've never paid full price for anything I've ever bought
    there.  They always have back issues of mags, & a good selection of 
    axes & amps (mainly Marshall & peavey) that they don't mind you getting
    your paws on.
    
    	Drop me a mail (cmotec::evans or PETE EVANS @RDL if you want more)
    
    Cheers
    		
    Pete_who_likes_to_keep_in_touch_with_other_UK_guitarists

    I purchased an IBANEZ model 2453 serial number 1775035 in 1981 for
    $350 used. Can anyone tell me the current value..it is in great shape.
    

    The Ibanez 2453 is a copy of a Gibson Howard Roberts Custom with an L-5
    style tailpiece and gold plating.
     I haven't seen one of these traded for quite awhile, but considering
    the overall market for Ibanez' Gibson copies, I'd guess around $500.
    
    Danny W.

    
    I happen to own 2 Ibanez electrics.  1st is 1985 Roadster 440, and the
    other is 1988 RG340 (Korean made)...  They both have 2 single coils,
    bridge humbucker (splittable), and 440 has original Edge locking trem
    while 340 has Floyd Rose type.
    
    If someone was to ask me to part either one of my guitars, I couldn't
    do it.  I love them both in different ways...  440  sounds 
    somewhat like a Paul thru the humbucker while 340 sounds more like 
    the Jacksons...  At the same time, they both sound like Strats thru
    the single coils...
    
    As a matter of fact, I don't even have the locking mechanism for the 
    440 on it anymore, even though you can use the trem, it takes alot 
    of effort since it has 4 springs in the back.  340 has 3 springs (used
    to only have 2 but I went to thicker gauge strings) and that's the
    main guitar I use for more modern type sound.
    
    I had bought the 440 at year end clearance for $250 w/o case but I have
    been informed that it is worth $350 now.  I guess it's because that
    '85 was the last year that Ibanez put the original Edge trem on
    Roadsters.  Not a bad investment.  Incidently, '88 was the last year 
    Ibanez produced 340's...  I believe that both these guitars would 
    be worth some money in future years but I might wear them out before
    then....
    
    						J.
    
    P.S.  I am considering buying another Ibanez electric as well as
      an accoustic....

    
    
    
        Ibanez has come out with the new  custom graphics line of
    guitars. I saw 1 at a music store in salem n.h. and I must say it
    was beautiful. It had just 1 pickup and a volume knob, with the
    same ibanez neck as on like a 550.
       The guy also told me that ibanez is going to be making neck thru
    body guitars that you can custom order with any kind of wood pickup
    config. etc. I'm not sure how long away before it happens, but i
    can't wait because IMO nothing  but nothing plays and feels like
    an ibanez but i really can't  stand  basswood.
    
    
                 dave

    
    	I have a Roadstar II (strat style) and was curious as to what
    the model number was - ie; RGxxx.  It has two double coils and one
    single - in the middle.  Any way of finding out?
    
    Thanks,
    -pat

    Well...this is an interesting story!!!
    
    ANNOUNCING:  Bill Buckley has come full-circle!!!   B^) (sunny out today)
    
    Well, for 10 years I played on a Les Paul STD...things were great, then
    I switched to Ibanez guitars...this stint lasted about 3 years...I sold
    em to go back to Gibson, but when I did, I found I couldn't play em 
    anymore!  (where's my 24 frets...whammy bar...maple board??)  So, after
    trying out some different axes, I went back and bought an RG550!! (this
    time in white, no more funny colors for me!)  Feels great to be back on
    that skinny, super-fast neck again!  Now back to sheding and shreding
    those mega-licks...  ;^)
    
    B.

    re .-1
    
    till next week, when Bill Buckley goes hog wild over clawhammer
    banjo and pedal steel and sells his rig to buy a rhinestone suit :-)
    
    seriously, you shoulda bought Russo's 550, which has been on sale
    for eons and which I'm sure he woulda let you have for cheap if
    you told him you knew me :-)
    
    -Dave

    congratz on coming home to the BEST!
    -Bill
    

Wish I had a 5 spot for every Ibanez-Marshall user out there!  :-)

What's a Radius going for today?  I think a white one with whammy, 
single-single-hum has my name on it!

Mike

    I just might buy the Russo Model yet (Hey, I can have two!) ;^)
    That single coil in the neck would HAVE to go, though.  ];.)
    
    B.

    why no single coil in the neck?  do you use a humbucker that you can
    split?
    
    Mike

    I like the full bodied sound and sustain you get when using a neck
    humbucker!  Nothing like it for that "woman" tone!!  I never need a
    single coil back there, hence no split.  It's pretty straight-ahead.
    
    B.

    I thought the RG550 w/hum-single-hum config. automatically split the
    buckers when switched to position 2 and 4?
    
    	joe.

    I wouldn't know about that...I thought it was just a Hum-Single
    out-of-phase thing in 2 & 4...but hey, *I* rarely use em anywho.

    What's a Radius going for now?

    Seven-something I believe

    
    Hey, my RG560 is one *LONELY* Ibanez.......sitting there behind my
    Telecaster....I can hear it crying sometimes at night....the other
    night I swore it was whispering "I wanna be a Buckley guitar...., I
    don't want a single coil in my neck...."
    
    Real nice color too, a classy lookin' axe for sure!!
    
    Dave

    
    Yo, Greg!  I think someone's got your number as well!  "I wanna 
    take a trip across U.S. and be a part in an Ibanez duo guitarists"
    
    J-Dot

    I've been looking at Ibanez's lately (yeah, I know...don't start on
    me) and am curious about the pickups they're using.  The ones in the
    JS, 540, and 700 series (F1,F2,F3,F4,C1,C2) have descriptions in the
    pamplet I got (which I'll post if anyone's interested), but the ones
    used in the 500 series (550/560/570) don't have any description.  These
    are the V1, V2, and S1 pickups.
    
    Anyone got any opinions about these pickups and how they compare to the
    IBZ pickups in the other models?
    
    Thanks!
    Greg
           

    The IBZ model pickups are your basic Dimarzio pickup...I mean,
    if you like that sound you'll like the IBZ.  The pickups I
    have in all my 550s don't say ANYTHING on them, but they
    Roool!  Total midrange...they sing!

    
    Oh, GOD!  **More** midrange for Greg?
    
      p
    >X^O
      b
    
    ;*>  Just kiddin' dude!
      
    SoHong

But Greg *loves* midrange.  He told me his lead EQ setting looks like this :):

                              xxxxxxxxxx                  +20db
                             x          x
                             x          x
                             x          x
             xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  -20db


Besides, he's in the guitar buying mooooooooood!  You oughta see all the 
catalogs on his desk!  It won't be long an he'll have an Ibenez 
somethin-or-other.

Just put it on the ol visa card, Greg :).


steve

    Yep, once you get the fever, ya gotta go spend da money.  My partner
    here on 3rd is a bass player, and I've opened his eyes to the Hartke/GK
    combo that a lot of players are going to.  He's counting his pocket
    change as we speak ....  8^)
    
    Scary (who's FLAT busted and still lookin' ...)

    I do love that midrange...
    
    But my actual lead EQ setting is really like:
    
             *   *                   +16
    
                      *
         *                 *    *     0
    
    
     *                               -16
    200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 1.2k 
    
    
    In any case, I like that description of the Ibanez 550 pickups.  Now to
    raise some money to buy them (with the guitar of course).
    
    Thanks,
    Greg (also flat busted and looking to sell some stuff to buy new toys)

Wow.  With the Ibanez I use a curve like this:

    
    *                       *   *   +16
                      *     
                 *             
              *                       0
          *
    
                                    -16
    200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 1.2k 

I like it squeely.

jc

    -1, -2
    
    First off, where did you get those WEIRD eq pedal?  1.2K AFTER
    6400hz (aka 6.4K)???  You figure...  ;^)
    
    Anyways, my pedal look like this:
    
                 *    *               *   +15
              *                *
     *                         
                                           0
         *                *
    
                                          -15
    100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400  output 
                                    level
    
    Buck 
    

	I love my Tone!!My Ibanez RG760DG definitely,it has the IBZ
    but no F2.The two single coils are HS3's and the humbucker is 
    probablely a PAF or Super D.,but not enough high to be a Super D.
    		Sounds good with my Laney,Multi-Verb and Hush IIBx
    harmonic's O' High with the filter on the hush.Still looking
    for EQ for rack,could anyone give me some suggestions on a good
    ballesy rack EQ.
    			
    				Thank You All!
    		P.S. Buck did you sell your yellow RG550
    					P.I.
    					i		
    					e
    					r
    					r
    					e
    

I have an Ibanez stereo (two channel 15 bander) EQ that I used to use
in my rack.  The MP1's EQ is good enough for stage stuff for me though,
so now I use it on the PA.

jc (Who paid less than $200 for it, me thinks)

    re:     First off, where did you get those WEIRD eq pedal?  1.2K AFTER
            6400hz (aka 6.4K)???  You figure...  ;^)
    
    Yeah, well...ok, I couldn't remember which bands there were.  The only
    ones that really concern me are 800/1600, which I boost as much as I
    can, then I cut on stuff below 200, and leave everything else flat.  
    
    Buck, why do you cut at 3200?  
    
    Coop?  I can't believe you actually use that.  "SCREECH!"  Ugh...
    
    I generally only use a small boost on the output level (+6 or so)
    otherwise it adds a lot of noise.
    
    Greg                                                     

    I cut at 3200 cuz it gives the sound a bit less "scratch", and
    it emphasizes the midrange boost (800 & 1600) more!
    
    B.

    Is the Radius part of the Roadstar series?  I just got my American
    Music Supply catalog and they have it listed as the 540R, which has a
    $629 list price.
    
    "Hmmm!  I'll take one in white, and one of those, and one of these, and
    2 of those!"
    
    Mike

    I don't think there is a "Roadstar" series anymore.  According to the
    Jan. 1990 Ibanez catalog I have, there are the following series (append
    "series" to each name...)
    
    Jem/Universe
    JS
    American Master
    430S/540S
    540R
    540P
    RG700
    RG500
    Sound Gear Basses
    Road Bass
    S Bass
    Signature
    Artist
    EX
                            

    Oh yeah, Mike, when you're here you should check the Radius models at
    Rice music.  I played one of them, a really pretty pearl white, and it
    felt like it needed to be set up correctly 'cuz I didn't like it.  But
    they can manage that too.  They had at least a couple of Radius's and a
    couple of Sabres when I was there earlier this week.
    
    They can make you a deal as good or better then most of the mail order
    places I've gotten recent catalogs from and they service what they
    sell.  Naturally service would be easier if you lived here...be sure to
    tell Walt that I sent ya (or better yet, take me along..I love shoppin'
    for guitars, especially when it's someone elses money).
    
    Greg
                                                           

    
    I wanna go!  
    
    They still have that pearl white Radius?  It's destiny!  It's been
    waiting for me all this time.  Too bad I'm flat a$$ broke...
    That sucker smokes, tho.  I preferred it better than the 500 series
    for the Radius has a little rounder neck, and I find the 700, 500 
    series' necks a little too thin.  Personal preference, and it doesn't 
    mean I wouldn't wanna try Greg's 550 when he picks it up!!!  ;*>
    
    J.

    550s rool!

Affirmative.

I'll go a step further:

RG5%0's rool...
jc

    Rice Pickers!

    Re: pearly white
    
    Way cool!  My fav guitar color!  How much are they asking for it?  J-Dot, 
    you have exactly 14 days to buy it or you might as well forget it! ;-)  
    Christmas came early this year and I'm ready ;-)
    
    Who knows, maybe they will be able to service it for me ;-)
    
    Mike

    re: .52                           
    
>    They still have that pearl white Radius?  It's destiny!  It's been
>    waiting for me all this time. 
    
    Yep, it's still down there.
    
>    That sucker smokes, tho. 
    
    Ugh, not that one.  I thought it felt pretty terrible, it's not set up
    right and the strings are dead as a doornail.
    
    re: .56
    
>    Way cool!  My fav guitar color!  How much are they asking for it?
    
    Yeah, it's really quite pretty.  It'd probably play nice if they set it
    up right.  How much they have marked on it is irrevelant.  We'd have to
    ask Walt what he'd sell it for (to a regular customer or friend
    thereof, naturally).  He's given me some excellent deals in the past,
    so I'd expect a good price for ya.
    
    Greg

    		Oh...? The Roadstar models are the one's with the head
    stock the same color as the body.But for myself!I take the RG770
    with the matchbook burned maple,what a beau of an axe!!
    		Now all they need is to put a pickguard on it and three
    humbuckers and we'd get a cross between a RG770/750 and middle pickup
    with the tone of boom!
    				>:^)
    				The weekend is here Finally!!
    			          GOOD-BYE NOW!!
    					P.I.(alias Pierre)

    Can you get a hum-single-hum on a Radius?
    
    Mike

    
    I think you can only get hum-none-hum on a radius.  I've played one
    with this config and it had killer sound!  Nice and ****warm****
    with clean/neck, and with distortion/bridge, it bites!!!  
    
    That pearl white Radius is radical!!!  Mike, I'll hate you if you 
    buy it!!!  ;^>  Just for a little while, then it'll be, "Mike, can
    I borrow it, please?  Huh?  Pleeeeeeeeeeee?!?!?"  ;^>
    
    J.

        I know I'm a little late Buck, but. . .
        
        It's about TIME you made up your mind !  SHEEEESH ! :^)
        
        Matt_who_tried_selling_Buck_on_a_Sears_Custom_!

>    That pearl white Radius is radical!!!  Mike, I'll hate you if you 
>    buy it!!!  ;^>  Just for a little while, then it'll be, "Mike, can
>    I borrow it, please?  Huh?  Pleeeeeeeeeeee?!?!?"  ;^>
    
    J-Dot., that hum-hum must be the best of both worlds.  If you behave, I
    MIGHT let you look at it! ;-)
    
    Mike
    

    Too late...he's looked at it already.
    
    Like I said, it's not set up right.  I wouldn't even think about buying
    it until Walt shows me it'll set up correctly.  It is very pretty
    though.  I think I like a guitar with a little bit larger body then the
    Radius, personally.
    
    Greg

    I just picked up Guitar World's '90 Buyers Guide last night.  Ibanez is
    coming out with 3 Joe Satriani signature models: JS1, JS2, JS3.  The
    JS1 is your basic Radius with a DiMarzio PAF at the bridge and FRED in
    the neck.  JS2 is a chrome (finish) version, and JS3 is the custom
    version like the one on the inside sleeve of "Flying in a Blue Dream"
    with all the scribbles on it.  All have the Edge Trem too.
    
    No prices available yet.

    Wow.  I bet those are some nice axes.
    Mike, what is a FRED ??
    
    jc (At home, and one his third wine ;)

    FRED is a new pickup by DiMarzio...one in a new line of pickups
    named after the Flintstones!!!
    
    It's a werid pickup...its humbucking, but the coils work
    independantly...ie, the bass coil is wound more bright, and the
    other coil is out of phase or something weird like that, I
    forget really.

    Not me, I want "The Great Kazoo !"
    
    jc  ;)

    
    In answer to the question, yes, I have played that pearl white 
    Radius.  Almost bought it too, but had other financial
    responsibilities.  I kinda wish now that I would have invested money 
    into the radius instead of building my own...  Oh, well!
    
    When I played it way back when, assuming that it's the same guitar, 
    it played NICE!!!  As Greg said, it was not really set up, but even 
    then, I thought it played better than most guitars do even if they're
    set up.  Compared it to R550 that was also hanging on the wall, and 
    found the radius better suited for me...  Again, personal taste.
    And it had the most BEAUTIFUL tone!!!
    
    Oh, and Mike.  Gee, thanks for letting me look at it!  ;^>
    Mighty White of ya!  ;^>
    
    J.

    
    Woops!  Let me clarify...  I meant to type RG5X0.  I think it was
    single-single-hum configuration without the pickguard.
    
    J.

Here are the details from the buyer's guide.

JS1 - Dual cutaway basswood body, one piece maple neck with 22 fret rosewood
      fingerboard, DiMarzio PAF PRO neck humbucker and DiMarzio FRED bridge
      humbucker, capacitor cut switch in volume control, Duo-Sound tap switch
      in tone control (for both pickups), Edge Tremolo, Top Lock III locking
      clamp, chrome hardware.       $1,199.95

JS2 - same as JS1 but with Chrome plated finish.   $1,799.95

JS3 - Like JS1, but with one of a kind graphics.    $ TBA

Mike

    What is a "capacitor cut switch in volume control"?
    
    Greg

>    What is a "capacitor cut switch in volume control"?
    
    I'm not sure either, but I bet it provides for a smoother sound in
    volume knob swells.
    
    Mike

I thoink our Shovels have this.  I get a distinctive "pop" when I run
my wireless and roll the volume.  I think it's part of the active circuitry.
Perhaps just a shunt to ground providing a more sloped roll up.

jc

	Its probably a cap from the input leg to the wiper leg of the
    volume pot. This provides more high end as you turn the volume control
    down to give a more consistant tone. The cap size is usaully around
    .001 uf. Read more about this mod in the "Whole Guitar" special
    edition from Musician magazine.
    

    what a great guess from a software wienee! ;-)

    Gee, 22 fret neck.  My cheapy Roadstar has a 24 fret neck.  Of course
    it doesn't have Satch's fancy graphics, but on the other hand I don't
    have Satch's hands :-)
    
    Joe

    
    Hmm...  I personally, never had any reason to get 24 fret guitar...
    Although, I suppose I wouldn't mind one, but if it came down to 
    big price diff between the two, I'd take the 22...  I guess I always 
    thought that the only place where this would make a diff was on the
    high E, and I could always bend for that...
    
    Just personal preference...
    
    SoHong

    I got to try out a white Ibanez EX350 yesterday.  NICE guitar!  It had
    the trem, hum-single-hum, and hooked up to some Roland rack units (GP16
    and a G? guitar synth unit).  Sure was wierd to play a guitar and sound 
    like a keyboard player ;-)
    
    Mike

    And think, Mike, that's the cheap-o Ibanez line...wait until you play
    one of the better ones!
    
    gh (who want's a 550)

    
    Something wrong with buying cheap-o?  Hmm?  ;^)  
    Personally, I like the way my RG340 plays.  When you're here, Mike,
    play this one and tell me what you think, especially after Greg gets
    done with the frets on it.  ;^)  Thanks again, Greg.
    
    I think that the new EX is not near as nice as the RG340 was.  I think
    the quality was better, as well as the body style, and I can't figure 
    out why Ibanez discontinued it.  May be it was drawing too much crowd
    away from the Jap made RG5's?...
    
    J.
    
    

    I've tried one EX350, one RG570, and one 540R and I thought the EX350
    felt the best of all of them.  I'll continue checking them out though.
    
    Mike

    If you're talking about the 570 and 540R you played here, they weren't
    set up right...
    
    gh

    Listen to gh, set-uops can make or break Ibanez'!!!

    yup dem's da ones.  I'll continue to check around.  There's gotta be a
    white one out there with my name on it.
    
    Mike

    Uh Oh!  I've done it now ;-)
    
    I fell in love with a blue RG550 today!  This guitar wails!  I was
    really impressed with the playability and the sound was a perfect match 
    with my Kitty (but that's a story for 1103!).  
    
    I was leaning towards a new Takamine, but now I'm really torn!
    
    Mike

    
    Hey, Mike...
    
    "Do it!"
    ;^)
    
    J.

    Hey Mike...
    
    Whadid I say a few notes ago?  RG550s ROOOOOOOOOOL!!!
    
    Nuff said!
    
    They are like the perfect guitar!
    B.

    Amidst all of my excitement, I forgot to mention another guitar I tried
    out yesterday.  Needless to say, it didn't forge a lasting impression
    on me.
    
    The Ibanez Universe!  This one was all black with green trim.  It is a 
    neat looking guitar, but I doubt anyone would want one unless they 
    worship Steve Vai.  To me, it is strictly a novelty guitar.  The most 
    glaring drawback is the neck.  We're talking CLUB city here (and I 
    thought Martins were bad ;-))!  It's neck would make any Crip member 
    proud for street warfare!
    
    The owner of the store handed it to me.  He even said he wouldn't have
    bought it if he didn't have to (i.e., dealer contract with Ibanez).
    I'll be surprised if it sells well.
    
    Mike

    Maybe the neck is clubby cuz it's a 7 string...
    
    ??

>    The Ibanez Universe!  This one was all black with green trim. 
    
    That's the coolest color!
    
> The most glaring drawback is the neck.  We're talking CLUB city here 
    
>    It's neck would make any Crip member 
>    proud for street warfare!
  
    Kind of like Coops Les Paul...
      
>    The owner of the store handed it to me.  He even said he wouldn't have
>    bought it if he didn't have to (i.e., dealer contract with Ibanez).
>    I'll be surprised if it sells well.
 
    So does that mean he'll dump it cheap to get rid of it?  How much?   
    
    Greg

    >> Kind of like Coops Les Paul...
    
    Yo !  *ANY* LesPaul.  Gibson can't help it if they live next to
    the Louisville Slugger factory.              ;)
    
    jc (Who loves his Gibsons tone, but would enter a neck-race with it)

    No offense or anything, but the Paul that Steve had (that Buck bought)
    didn't have as clubby a neck as yours.
    
    FWIW

    FWIW, it felt clubby to me after playin that RG550-from-hell that
    Cooper now owns.  That guitar has a vicious neck!

    The Les Paul has an RG550 neck compared to the Universe!  I know it has
    seven strings, but it is still way too wide!
    
    Mike

    
    Last instructor I had, used a 7 string guitar, but it was a semi-hollow 
    body electric.  From what he told me, 7 strings are somewhat popular
    with jazz artists.  Like everyone was dying to hear this, right?
    ;^)
    
    FWIW, eventhough some Les Pauls' necks feel clubby, I'd enter any 
    neck race with it anyday.  Just sand off the paint off da back, first!
    ;^)
    
    J.

    	Paul Gilbert's RG750 with 3 Hum. neck on that is like a Les
    Paul.My neck is just great on my RG760.8")Yeah!!
    		But haven't seen the UV's yet.All I know that it's 
    a little wider than my 760.
    			Can't wait for my Double Whammy for my 
    				brigde.
    		Excuse me I said Excuse me I'm just looking for 
    		my brigde........
    					P.I.
    

    You know what I want my next guitar to be?
    
    That's Aqua-green and pink Ibanez Paul Gilbert model that is sported
    in the latest Ibanez/Mr. Big ad!
    
    That axe is tres' cool!

    Hi
    
    does anybody maybe have *any* information about an IBANEZ LES PAUL
    CUSTOM???? I bought one not long ago - must be 10 to 12 years old,
    black with golden hardware. I like it but the set-up is wrong and the
    intonation is bad and it doesn't even stay in tune very good. Before I
    get it to "Guitar Player" (shop in Munich) I'd like to collect some
    info on the guitar. What did it cost new? Where's it built? Korea?
    
    What I like best is that it's sooo much lighter than a Gibson.....
    
    
    sascha_from_Munich

    I ain't sandin' nothin on that Gibson !
    
    I got that Gibson mainly cuz it was in such good shape (clubby 
    neck or no).  I plan on playing it for blues-only, not to leave the
    house and sit in it's case a LOT.  I really like the axe, don't get me
    wrong, but it's just too mello sounding for anything radical...
    
    I got Bucks old RG550 for that peeling-paint-tone-from-hell.
    Between it and my Charvel, my needs are pretty much covered.  The LP
    is almost a investment type thing, although I enjoy playing it.
    It's got a nice blues-type-tone...Most importantly, in 20
    years it'll be worth way-more than I paid for it.
    
    jc
                                                     

    Of course we musicians are known for fickleness...

    I think I'm gonna write and/or call Ibanez and ask em about those Paul 
    Gilbert models.  That git in the ad is just too cool for words!  I
    gotta have one!
    
    

    
    Can anyone date a roadstar II model, serial # C841536  ?
    picked it up cheap last week.
    
    thanx,
    
    jc

    RE .98...
    
    	I have one of those...  Ibanez Deluxe 59er, right?  I like it a lot
    - I bought it from a fellow guitar noter less than a year ago. 
    Everybody I talk to says its one of the best copies of the LP around. 
    So much so that Gibson started procedings to sue Ibanez beczause of it.
    
    	Dan
    
    

re: Coop's LP

> I plan on playing it for blues-only. I really like the axe, don't get me
> wrong, but it's just too mello sounding for anything radical...

No way! Many players get way-cool metal tones from Les Pauls! Look at the
guys like Randy Rhodes, or even the guys in Queensryche! While the LP is
great for that screaming blues tone (ala the latest Gary Moore), its can
also wail on HM.....

alan

    re: Ibanez LP copys
    
    I also have one, red top with (originally) gold hardware and cream
    binding.  It's a fine playing guitar!  I'd like to have another one!
    
    It has a bit thinner neck then most Gibson Les Pauls and I think it's
    more pleasant to play.  Mine's waiting for a fret job right now (wore
    'em out).  I put a Dimarzio Mega-Drive in the bridge position (it
    didn't have a pickup there when I got it) and it sounds wonderful!
    
    I have no idea when they were made or how much they originally cost, I
    bought mine used about 5 years ago dirt cheap (it needed a lot of
    work).
    
    Greg
                                                                        

    
    Gee, I've never thought of the neck thickness as being a big deal.
    As a matter of fact, my Ibanez feels weird to me since I play my 
    Strat mostly.  Must be a rookie (don't know no better) thing.
    
    -pat

    
    Just a personal preference, Pat...  I like it not so fat, but not so
    thin, either.  Finicky...
    
    J.

    I just got my mitts on a *nice* RG570, and after playing my strat the
    neck feels like I'm playing a yardstick !  Great for metal, just about
    worthless for anything else.  So now I got 1 axe that don't know dirty
    (the strat) and one that don't know clean (the RG570).  Methinks me
    quiver is full now ...
    
    Scary (who's hoping to win a LP Custom at a giveaway this afternoon ..)

    Re.103
    
    ...I have no idea if it's a 59 deluxe copy....on the guitar there's
    only the words Ibanez and Custom. Else than that it's black with black
    pickguard and golden hardware. On the back it says "Made in Japan"...I
    found out this weekend. And the serial number starts with 76xxxx...is
    that maybe the year? I asked the guy who sold me the guitar, he bought
    it new in 78, the list price was 850 Marks then...a Gibson Les Paul was
    1300 Marks at that time.
    
    Does anybody know if the pickups are identical to the ones on original
    LPs?
    
    
    sascha
    
    BTW: With the guitar I bought a 100 Watt Combo with two 15'' speakers.
    I has tubes and is by "EARTH"....I think it sounds pretty good...does
    anybody know more about that company? I've never heard the name
    before....

    Well I did it this weekend!  I made my very first guitar purchase!
    A brand spankin' new Ibanez RG550!  I went down to Bizarre Guitar since
    they were advertising 550s, 560s, and 570s at $399.  
    
    I looked around and this white one with a black pickguard and a maple
    neck caught my eye (hum-single-hum).  I picked it up, played a couple 
    chords and scales and went "Woe!".  I went and grabbed the Kitty Hawk M1 
    out of the truck, plugged it in and I was hooked!  I whipped out the 
    checkbook before it got away! ;-)  These guitars are great when setup 
    properly!  Rice could probably sell more if they setup their demo models.
    
    Mine has the upgraded VS pickups in it (so it cost slightly more than
    $399).  I'm told they output more than the DiMarzios, you should hear 
    them scream.  
    
    The folks at Bizarre Guitar are a riot.  I sent out a sale price list
    to a few of you a couple of weeks ago.  They said they've made those
    sale prices permanent and they only did it to make the other stores in
    town mad.  There was a nice Gibson Les Paul, white with gold hardware, 
    there for $100 more than mine.  I thought about it for a second, but
    remembered it doesn't have a pointed headstock ;-)
    
    They threw in a strap, which is good since I didn't have one.  They'll
    also re-string it for you for free the first time (as a training session).  
    Which is great, it looks like a booger to restring!
    
    One question, can the neck humbucker be split?
    
    Now if only DEC stock can rebound to respectability so I can get an
    effects processor ;-)
    
    The Fender Mustang is going back to its owner! Ha!
    
    Mike

    Mike,
    
    Congrats, congrats...guess what, now we play the EXACT same guitar!!!
    ;^)
    
    Buck, also a proud owner of a White 550!

    That's cool Buck!  Does that mean I can play like you now? ;-)
    
    Mike

    BTW - I was told that the RG550 is the #2 selling guitar in the country
    (world?) right now.  Care to guess who #1 is?
    
    Fender American Strat (and it doesn't have a pointed headstock!) ;-)

    Fender Strat

    Well, I did my part ... I bought an American Standard a few months ago,
    and last week scarfed the RG570.  I finally got to play the 570 at a
    gig sunday, and after a few tweeks on the GP-8, it really sounded
    *nice*.  BTW - it's white too ... 
    
    Scary

    White roolz!  It probably has the best light reflection and the safest
    resale potential.
    
    Question again: my 550 has a 5 position switch.  As I understand it, it
    goes like this...
    
    1 - neck humbucker
    2 -  "      "      + single coil
    3 - single coil
    4 -    "    "      + bridge humbucker
    5 - bridge humbucker
    
    Is this correct?   Does anyone have a modification to split the neck
    humbucker (i.e., 6th position)?
    
    Mike

    >Question again: my 550 has a 5 position switch.  As I understand it, it
    >goes like this...
    >
    >1 - neck humbucker
    >2 -  "      "      + single coil  OUT-OF-PHASE
    >3 - single coil
    >4 -    "    "      + bridge humbucker  OUT-OF-PHASE
    >5 - bridge humbucker
    >
    >Is this correct?   
    
    Almost...see my additions in CAPS above
    
    >Does anyone have a modification to split the neck and bridge
    >humbucker?
    
    Well, my former Ibanez, the PL2550, had a push-pull tone pot on it that
    acted as a coil-tap for the lead pickup (it went hum-sing-sing).  I'm
    sure you could install the same type of pot for your tone pot on the
    550, and wire both the lead and/or neck humbucker to it.  Either that
    or throw a couple of tap switches into the pickguard...there is room
    under there!  Those two options are the only two that are in my head
    right now...anyone else care to comment?
    
    me

    Mike, Mike, Mike...
    
    You just bought a beautiful guitar...Why hack it up ?
    Out of my 550 I can get about any tone I'd want...
    I wouldn't think you'd need to split the humbucker.
    
    
    Just a humble opinion from the Rockies...
    jc

    Re: white pickguard
    
    Actually, I'd prefer this too, but couldn't find one.  Great minds
    think alike ;-)
    
    Re: Coop
    
    Good point, but that raises a question.  Which pickup determines the
    Strat sound, the neck single coil or middle single coil?  I thought if
    I could split the neck humbucker, I could show my Strat friends what
    their guitar SHOULD sound like ;-)
    
    Mike

    Well, when I wanted to embarass Fender-strat-types I always used the 
    middle three positions...The single coil, with either the bridge or 
    neck OOP pickups...  Also back off on the tone a bit...Depending
    on which strat tone you want to emulate.
    
    ;)

    RE: Mike
    
    1) Guess what?  The RG550s in Red/Yellow/White come with black
       pickguards, but the ones in metallic pink/metallic blue come 
       with white pickguards!!  So, you can go to your local Ibanez 
       dealer and order yourself a WHITE RG550-style replacement pickguard.  
       They cost $22.00 each. The dealer can get them directly from Ibanez 
       (but Ibanez won't sell em to ya personally).  I replaced my black 
       pickguards on my pink and yellow 550s when I sold them...they were 
       pretty hacked up from the years of shredding!
    
    2) IMHO, you can get a perfect STRAT sound from either the middle
       single coil alone, or from the two out-of-phase positions.  The
       Humbucker and Single coil out-of-phase really don't sound too
       different than two single coils out-of-phase ala on a real strat!
       The key, I've found, to getting great tones from the 550 is how much
       gain you're working with.  When you max out with gain, the
       out-of-phase and single coil positions sound like CRAP!  But, if you
       are watchful with the situation, they actually sound very nice.
    
    Don't be fooled, the 550 will get both a good Les Paul AND a good strat
    sound, you jsut gotta work with it a tad.  It's got lotsa tones in that
    thing!
    
    Buck, who wants to get a white pickguard and Black/Pink Dimarzio
    Double-Whammy pickups for the lead and bridge position!

    Re: white pickguard
    
    I just might do that!  Thanks for the strat info.  I knew I bought the
    most versatile guitar on the market ;-)
    
    Now I'm going to see if I can order one of those Zion whammy grips that
    they put on the Zion Radicasters.  Really reduces slip!
    
    Mike

    >Now I'm going to see if I can order one of those Zion whammy grips that
    >they put on the Zion Radicasters.  Really reduces slip!
    
    Really???  Oh, aack!  i was looking at Zion guitars in one of their ads 
    recentyly and said to myself "Gawd, what is that THING on the whammy
    bar, I couldn't imagine myself having to deal with that there!"  ;^)

    Well it would have to be white ;-)  I really found them useful!
    This not is my first guitar, but also the first with the whammy bar.
    Maybe once I get used to grabbing it, I won't need the grip.
    
    Mike

    Agreed.  the RG5%0 guits are EXTREMELY flexable...
    I've had the chance to sit at length with my LesPaul, Charvel
    and Ibanez RG550 and I can make both the Charvel and Ibanez sound
    almost perfect (by comparison) to the LP...(almost)
    
    On the other hand, nothing sounds as mellow as the LP.  It's close,
    and your average guit player would never notice the diff, but the LP
    has a more mellow distortion sound and a more raunchy clean sound.
    
    For *versatility* I'd rate my three as follows:
    
    #1.  Charvel Model 4 (the Shovel)
    #2.  Ibanez RG550
    #3.  Gibson (not known for it's verstiltity...but "that" tone)
    (The Charvel has an active EQ boost that allows "more" for the tone...)
    
    For playability:
    
    #1.  Ibanez RG550
    #2.  Gibson
    #3.  Charvel Model 4
    
    Damn, it's close on the Gibson/Charvel race for playability...
    I like 'em both...But today I pick the Gibson (cuz I played it
    last night!)  ;) ...In all fairness, the Charvel has CLASS...
    She's so fine...

    I hold my whammy bar between my pinky and ring finger when using it
    while picking...Ynwgie hold it between his ring and middle finger when
    picking.  IMO, the grip thing would just be a big thing to wrap your
    hand around when trying to execute the afrementioned technique!  I
    think it fits rather nicely inbetween your fingers without a grip!

    Hey Coop,
    I'd hate to have to pick between the feel of my Strats. One has a Maple
    neck and the other has a Rosewood. They're both good, great in fact. 
    But when I play either one, I like that one better until I pick up the 
    other. nuts eh?
    
    "sakman"
    
    

    I firmly believe the neck on Coop's RG550 would blow the doors off ANY
    guitar on the market for playability!  There's something about that
    neck!

    I was told to wait 10 days or so for my new strings to stretch on the
    550 before tightening things down.  Is that really necessary?  
    
    It kind of drifts out of tune, but I know it is because the lock nuts
    and bridge aren't as secure as they're supposed to be.
    
    Mike

    10 days???
    
    No way!  Put em on...YANK those muthas...retune...clamp!
    
    Also, leave the fine tuners tightened only about 15%, so you
    can sharpen the notes if needed, but also flatten them when
    needed.

    Agreed -  10 days is lunchmeat (not to mention baloney).  When I change
    strings on the 570, I do 'em 2 at a time, starting withj the E and A. 
    Get that back in tune, then do D and G, ditto, then B and E.  This way
    the springs don't go out to lunch and you don't have to mess with svere
    tuning problems, even though you *will* still have a little fine tuning
    to do.  But like Buck said, yank 'em, crank 'em, and occasionally
    spank 'em - do that for about 10 minutes, then lock 'em down with
    plenty of room on the fine tuners to "sharpen" later.
    
    Scary (who says it's a tad different that changing 'em on the 'ol
    Mustang, huh ?)

>    Scary (who says it's a tad different that changing 'em on the 'ol
>    Mustang, huh ?)
    
    ...but it is so much more fun ;-)  I love this guitar!
    
    Mike

    Oh yeah Mike, Scary brought up a godo point...NEVER take ALL the
    strings off the 550 and try and put them back on one by one...your
    action will be out to lunch, and you'll have one MEAN headache as a
    result!  Replace old strings one by one, and tune them up to compensate
    string tension, and you should go thru the process with little hassle!
    
    Also, feed a new string in backwards, so you don't have to cut off the
    ball end!  Leave LOTS of windings on the post for the G, B, and High E
    strings...taht way, when they break (at the bridge, usually), you just
    unclamp, and "pull down" some excess string...stick it in there, tune
    up, and you're all set!
    
    NOTE:  When you break a string, your guitar will go out of tune.  This
    is due to a loss in tension.  When you replace thestring (as described
    above), and tune that string up to pitch, the guitar wil lonce again be
    in tune!!!  It's just a matter of tension, so when you break a string,
    DON'T go tweeking the otehr strings...all will be well when the tension
    comes back!

    Good advice - sounds like you've done that little trick a time or two ! 
    At one point I had got to where I could "mend" a broken string quicker
    than I could switch guitars, almost.  My 570 hasn't nuked one yet, but
    I don't do any real severe dive bombs either ...
    
    Scary (who's figured out how to make it sound *very* strat-ish ...)

    Dive bombs are boring...pulling up harmonics is where it's at!

    Agreed...And there is nothing like an "Edge" trem for doing 
    just that.  So Scary, ifin' the Ibanez does such a good strat
    imitation, when you gonna bail the strat ?  ;) ;) ;)
    
    jc

    The Ibanez is a good "imitation" - it's personal prefference ya know. 
    I'm just saying it's versatile.  There's a song on Vai's solo (real
    slow tune ..) where it sounds a LOT like a Strat ... made me proud of
    him !
    
    Scary

    Question: I'm getting a little buzzing on strings 3-6 on my Ibanez. 
    Can this be omitted by some adjustment?  Where do I adjust it?  The
    thicker/bigger strings seem like they might be a little too close to
    the neck.  The bottom 2 strings are fine.
    
    Mike

    "The bottom two are fine" ...doesn't that make it strings 4-1 are 
    buzzing?  I know, nit...
    
    
    Anyways, do this...play your git for a while, and when you are ready to
    change the strings, pay the $20. and have the guitar preofessionaly
    setup for your desired action/string guage.  This should fix any
    current inherent problems.

>    "The bottom two are fine" ...doesn't that make it strings 4-1 are 
>    buzzing?  I know, nit...
    
    I thought strings 1 & 2 (the thinnest strings) are on the bottom of the
    neck (looking down).  It is the thick ones that are buzzing.
    
    Mike

    Oh...the bottom two to me are the lowest ones!
    
    Advice sticks, though

    
    I'd try adjusting the trem height by raising just the bottom
    string(1-3) side first.  It's simple and doesn't take that long, 
    and might save you $20.
    
    J.

    What?  And void the warranty? ;-)
    
    Mike

    Warranty my butt.  If you can'\t hear the buzz thru your amp who 
    cares?  All my guits buzz a little...
    
    But Buck is right.  Pay to have it set up once and watch closely.
    Next time you'll know.
    
    jc 
    

    You can't hear it in the amp, but I want perfection! ;-)  When I bought
    it, they said they'd do the first string change for me so I could see
    how it is done (for just the price of the new strings).  I don't think
    I can wait that long to get it adjusted.
    
    Mike

    
    It sounds like a real nice guitar, mike!!!
    
    Finally got the 1990 Ibanez catalog yesterday(haven't been shopping for
    new toiz in a LOOOOOOONG time), and I'm sitting here drooling over 
    American Master Series.  Neck-thru with natural back of the neck
    finish.  I GOTTA try one!!!  It's about time Ibanez started making 
    not so conservative neck-thru guitars again!!!
    
    Adjustments:
    
    Sorry, mike, but sometimes you just havta make sacrifices, you know?
    There are somethings that are just not physically possible.  Unless
    you want the action to be atrocious, or are willing to pay mucho-bucks
    for fret job, you'd probably have to live with a little buzz.  I've
    never played an electric that didn't have at least a little buzz with 
    great action.  But like Coop said, if it doesn't come thru the amp, 
    I don't worry about it either, but used to drive me NUTS!
    
    Warranty?  Why would you void warranty by turning the bridge height 
    screw???  Confused...  I can see them gettin' sticky about turning the 
    truss rod, but just can't see it on this one...
    
    J.  Who's_constantly_making_fine_adjustments_on_his_guitar
                                                             

    
    RE: .145
    
    <Warranty my butt.
                 ^^^^
    That's a broad subject, dude!  8*)
    
    Since I wouldn't wanna be in trouble for chatting in this topic, 8*)
    does anyone have any info on Ibanez American Master series, such as
    price, playability, blah, blah, blah...
    
    J.

    "American Master Series".........Made by Ibanez in Japan ?
    
    Those Japs are marketing genuises !!!
    
    ;^)>
     

    
    "Ibanez proudly presents its first completely handmade U.S. guitar.
    The American Master series..."
    

     I would think that you'd be able to turn the allen screws on
    the bridge saddles for the strings that buzz (clockwise!) with
    new strings in order to eliminate the buzz without any problems.
    I would try it before having someone else hack on my axe.
    -Bill

    Just a nit, Bill....
    
    < I would think that you'd be able to turn the allen screws on
    <the bridge saddles for the strings that buzz (clockwise!) with
    <new strings in order to eliminate the buzz without any problems.
    
    Ummmm....  If yer talking about allen screws on the bridge saddles of
    a Fender type non locking tremolo, this should work.  Ibanez' have 
    Floyd type, and if you loosen the allen screws on the individual
    saddles, WHAAMO!!!  You just lost intonation.
    
    And if you are talking about the Floyd tail, and the two big allen screws
    that act as fulcrum posts, ya need to turn that "counter-clockwise" in 
    order to raise the action...
    
    Floyds...  Ya gotta lov'em!  ;^)
    
    <I would try it before having someone else hack on my axe.
    <-Bill
    
    Me, too!!!
    
    J.

    I forgot the name of the screw, but I adjusted the one on the bridge
    that determines the horizontal level of the bridge.  It is the one with
    the .5mm allen screw deeply recessed within a larger allen screw by the
    tremolo holder.  Only I adjusted the one on the bass side.  Confused
    yet? ;-)
    
    Most of the buzzing was eliminated by doing this since the high E side
    was sitting higher than the low E side.  There is still a little there
    and I'll probably bring it in to have it eliminated.
    
    Fussy_Mike

    
    Sounds like, probably, that doo-hicky is exactly, sorta, the
    whatchamacallit screw I was talking about, in a roundabout way.
    ;^)
    
    J.
    
    PS  Welcome to the joys of Floyd Rose, Mike!

    I gotta put in a plug for the Floyd on my 570.  Saturday night I abused
    the poor little beast and it NEVER went out of tune !  My Kramer had a
    Floyd but it was a lot less forgiving.
    
    Scary (mixing taste with trem ...)

    Many hours of use, and mine is still in tune too!  I love this guitar,
    can't put it down!
    
    Mike

    	Oh!! Snapped 2 trem arm off !! Pulling back, so I put a Floyd
    Rose Trem arm with lock in it's place. Out of Tune that happens
    when I hammer on the bar,with old strings on it.
    
    Pierre who_loves_his_RG760DG_with_the_CLAWS_OF_DOOM_!!!!!!!
    

    
    RE: -.1...RG760
    
    Drooooool...
    
    J

    Does anyone out there own or played an Ibanez
    bass guitar?
    I can't find one note in the Ibanez files about their 
    basses.I played an Ibanez SR80LE Bass the other day.
    The 24 fret board seemed to have made a little harder to 
    play cause the first 6-8 frets seemed farther apart
    than normal.Good action though.
    Any other experiences? on playing,sound quality,workmanship 
    quality? 
    
                                   Rick

    A friend of mine has one with the shark tooth inlays.  He absolutely
    loves it!
    
    Mike

    
    If I was to ever pick up a bass guitar(which I am considering), I'd
    like to pick up an SR series Ibanez, FWIW!
    
    Our singer owns a 4 string, a co-worker of mine owns a 5 string, and 
    they're both awsome basses!
    
    J.

    Bought an Ibanez SR800LE lipstick red bass last night.
    I absolutely love it.Great action,long sleek neck,decent
    electronics.One thing that may take a little getting used to 
    though,is the size of it.It is so lightweight and has a
    petite body.You can really fly on it!!
    Any other experience??????
                                                    Rick
    

    My ex-roomie had a SR series Ibanez bass that was awesome !
    I loved playing it, and I'm a guitar player.  Reasonable price
    too...
    jc

    Well,I got a good deal on mine; 
    But I know they go for at least 750.00 in the retail stores.
    Would you consider that a reasonable price for a new one//
                   
                                                          Rick

    I think my ex-roomie paid $400 without a case.  I think thats
    very reasonable for a top-of-the-line bass...
    
    jc

    As opposed to the retail store price of 750.00(w/o case),
    the price in the 1990 Music Emporium catalog = 585.00
    I would consider that reasonable ,then you can tac on
    another 89.00 for the case.So even if your ex-roomie
    got it 2nd hand;I would say it was reasonable,even more 
    so if it were new!
                                                  Rick

    	I own a black SR800 and I love it. It is extremely responsive for
    hammering and the like. The active electonics are great sounding. The
    only things I've had problems with are getting strings. I was using
    Rotosound Super wound in the Funkmaster gauge .035 to .090 super light
    guage. These are only suposed to have the core going over the bridge
    with the windings starting right next to the bridge. Therefore the
    length of bare core is important and strings are made for specific
    basses with one style with adjustable ball ends. I can't get the
    adjustable ones and none of the others fit for the bridge because of the
    scale length of this bass. Bottom line... I had to switch back to
    regular swing bass rotos.
    
    FJE

    I just can't say enough about this bass.The more I play it
    the more I love it.As I stated before the action is fantastic!!
    I don't know if this is possible but the caliber of my playing
    has improved,that is worth the purchase of the instrument right 
    there!I love the option of being able to choose which pick-ups
    you want to play through.You can even use a little of each if you 
    want.The bass boost feature is great,adds a lot of bottom 
    without being to overpowering.
    I like the ability to choose just about any sound I want out 
    of this bass.It's even appropriate for contemporary country
    music,which is mostly what I play.
    
    P.S. 
    If anyone asks what bass would you recommend for sound and playing
    ability,I would say "The Ibanez SR800LE"
    Not to mention it"s Beautiful Appearance.......Lipstick Red
     
                                        Rick
    

    
      Here's a question....If I have between 500-700 to spend on an Ibanez,
    which model is the very best I can pick up in that range? 
    
                                 Randy
    

    Thats a pretty relative question...  I'd say any of the 5%0 series
    guitars are in that range, and they scream.  Perhaps the 7%0 guits
    are too.  I say play a BUNCH and grab the one *you* like.  Your choice
    is bound to be a great axe.
    
    jc

    You should be able to get most of the current models in that price
    range, except the Jem/Universe ones.  I'd think that for $700 you
    should be able to pick up a nice 750/760 or a 540R, and for about $550
    or so you could get any of the 550/560/570 series.
    
    I think trying to say which is "best" would be difficult, since
    different people like different guitars.  I personally like the
    500 series as well as the 700 series, even though the 700s cost more. 
    Some people like the Radius and Sabre bodys better and some prefer the
    500/700 style bodys.
    
    In any case, shop around and find one you like, chances are very good
    that you can get it in your price range.
    
    Greg

    I got my 550 for less than $500.  For $700, I'd grab one of Satriani's
    signature models.
    
    Mike

    
       Thanks..... Matt Bagdy said I'd get some great suggestions if I
    posted a reply/question.
    
                       R.B.

    I've heard in this file that Bizarre Guitar is the place to buy Ibanez.
    Can someone tell me where it's located?
    
    						Bob Abugov

    As I recall (from 6 years ago)...
    
    7th Avenue about halfway between Camelback and Indian School roads in
    Phoenix, Arizona. I don't know if they regularly do mail order, but
    Mike checked for me awhile back and they told him they could ship stuff
    if necessary.
    
    Greg

    RE: Bizarre Guitar
    
    They also have a store on 32nd St. & Thunderbird in Phoenix now.
    
    Mike

    The 9 volt battery in my SR800LE bass guitar seems to be dying
    out sooner than it should.
    Just so I know,Does anyone know when this battery is active?
    Is when the preamp knob is left turned on or is the battery 
    only active when the cord is in the jack?
                                                           Rick

    
    Most active instruments use the jack as a power switch and shouldn't
    draw any current when no cord is plugged in.  I doubt your Ibanez is
    any different.
    
    I've been using active basses for years.  I usually change the battery
    once a year out of paranoia, but have never actually noticed the
    battery going.
    
    Make sure you're using an alkaline battery, other types of 9V batteries
    wil probably go dead pretty quick.
    
    							Brian

    	I have the circuit diagram and it is indeed only on when the cord
    is plugged in. The batteries in my SR800 seem to last about a month
    each, but I carry a spare and a philips screwdriver all the time just
    in case. The circuit that they use has a bias ladder in it as it is
    using a single supply to power the Op (operational) amp. The op amp
    has to be set up to keep the signal with a dc offset on it. 0V ac= 1/2
    of the battery voltage. Anyways the ladder is a constan drain on the
    battery as long as the bass is 'on' and I suspect this drain is
    greater than that of the op amp itself..(they use a 4558 dual op amp).
    
    
    
    			Fred_who_Loves_his_Ibanezes_too 
    

    Re: .180
    
    Are you serious?  You only get a month out of a 9V battery?  I'm
    curious as to whether you use alkaline batteries and how many hours of
    playing time you put in in a month. 
    
    							Brian  

    	There only cheappies but I dont get much more out of a Nicad. I'm
    going to check the circuit to se if the bias ladder can be changed.
    Plus sometimes I forget to unplg it so.......
    
                                          FJE

    Well, I've ordered the new parts for my RG550...should be hot in a
    few weeks time!
    
    QUESTION:  I've decided to scallop the 2nd octave on my fingerboard.
    Anyone have any tools to do this?  I'm tool-less!!  ;^(
    
    Also, I wanna refret with 6100 fretwire (??)  Gree Vee, what is that
    stuff, the BIG fretwire...
    
    Cheers,
    Buck

    	Buck do it the way I did my red guitar. With  4 different drum
    sanders and be sure not to hit the fret like I did but its a sh*tty
    guitar. I would'nt do it to my 760,My Fender, a''''' maybe?
    
    Pierre who needs ballesy pickup advice for my Strat!!! Anyone Anyone!!

    So where can I get a drum sander(s)?!?
    
    P...get the Hot Rails for your strat..I did, it screams!

    My 550 frets are already big, I can't see making them bigger!
    
    Mike

    Buck, most people use a rat tail file to scallop the upper fret ranges. 
    If I remember the 'normal' scallop depth is 3/32.  Take out the fret
    markers before you start, then replace them when you're done.  
    
    I don't think I'd recommend those little drum sanders for removing
    material (just for final sanding), they're kind of hard to control IMO.
    You can get them to fit in a Dremel tool in various sizes.  
    
    I'd also be curious about how to get hold of the 6100 (Dunlop?)
    fretwire.  So far I've used the largest you can get from
    Stewart-MacDonalds and it was nice and big, but I've seen some guitars
    around with larger frets then that (ESPs notably). 
    
    Greg
                                                       

    Buck, I did one of my 550 necks like that, I will look for the
          file that I bought to do the job.
                                                        Mark
    

    -1
    
    Thanx Jazz, uh, Mark!!!
    
    Hey, anyone have any ideas/rec. for adding back the fret-markers?  They
    look so frail and evenly placed...looks like a hard thing on the
    surface.
    
    B.

	re: Basses


        I have a beat old ~82 RoadstarII (before they went to the strat
     shape, this is closer to those uh, Kramer things, with a 'P'?) with
     two soapbar p/u's that you can split out, la de da...

        IMHO, it's a really great bass.  Feels super, I'm more of a
     gtr player who's had to make the jump to bass, and this has been a
     dream come true.  Nice sounds as well.  You can ket a killer funk
     tone out of it.

     What can one say, I don't think there's ever (since at least 1974-6) 
     a bad Ibanez bass!  They were always like a good secret.  I've played 
     older Musicians (I think Sting used to use one of these, if that's a 
     credential or not....) They're beasts.  Cumbersome mother, 
     but sounded great.

        Does Ibanez offer models sans frets?

    >    Does Ibanez offer models sans frets?
    
    Yes, Ibanez has a fretless bass in their SGR line.  I've seen one and
    it looks very nice indeed.
    
    Greg

    So what's that black Ibanez fretless that Sting's using lately?
    Is that an SGR?
    
    rick_who_knows_nothing_about_ibanez_basses

	Hampshire Music has a Fretless SGR. It's Purple. Yow!

    Rumor has it our very own gh has joined the Ibanez Owner's club.
    
    Well Greg, whadaya have to say for yourself?!?

    I haven't even gotten the thing yet, Buck!  I am very excited about it
    and am anxiously looking forward to it.
    
    Thanks Dave!
    
    Greg

    I was in his office when he closed the deal.  I thought he was gonna
    jump over the wall ;-)
    
    I welcomed him to the "family".  BTW - after seeing Buck in the photo
    album I was wondering just how many 550s he has!
    
    Mike

    -1
    
    Hey, where iz dat photo album?  WHo else was in it??

    
       I have been a satisfied Ibanez owner since buying Scary's guitar!
     A few of my friends that own other names can't believe how easy my
     570 plays compared to their guitars. 
    
                                  R.B.

    the album is at Coop's house.  Other pics in there are:
    
    Greg House, Tony Dallison, Mr. Scary, Pat Blair, Steve Greve unit
    (pretty hilarious too!), and more that I can't remember.  I'm
    mailing my poseur shots in ;-)
    
    Mike

    -1
    
    You dawg, you!

    Bob Sanders and I went to a local pawn shop to look for a new guitar
    for him ;-)  Anyway, this place (first mentioned in the Mosrite note)
    has LOTS of old Ibanez guitars, including some real beautiful Artist
    series models and some Les Paul copies.  They have some really nice
    PF300's there that supposedly initiated the Gibson lawsuit.
    
    I fell in love with one with a natural wood finish, completely stock
    and as heavy as a Les Paul too ;-)  Really produced that classic nasty
    rhythm sound!
    
    Anyone in here ever have one of these?  If I was real slime, I'd buy it
    before he does ;-)
    
    Mike

�    Anyone in here ever have one of these?  If I was real slime, I'd buy it
�    before he does ;-)

        So slim...er Mike, you leaving before the 29th?
        
        BTW - if you do, I may be forced into that blond Artist with the
              whammy bar or maybe that black beauty...
        
        Bob, lots of :-)...

        Well, I'm now the proud owner of a PF-300.
        
        Mike has been kind enough to show me chords and scales, so now I
        get to practice for many hours... after I take it apart and clen
        up the electricals.
        
        BTW - you guys get asked to sernade the ladies?  I got asked by
              three of them as I was walking into the plant with the
              PF-300.
        
        Bob

>        get to practice for many hours... after I take it apart and clen
>        up the electricals.
    
    ahh, once a technoweenie, always a technoweenie ;-)
    
    I'm still jealous!
    
    Mike

    Yeah, those women really go for pointy headstocks !  Congrats !
    
    jc
    
    PS - I serenaded my wife one night.  She got mad though.  Seems as
    though she didn't care for me jumping outta da bed and playing "F*ck 
    Like A Beast" by WASP.  Wagagagagagaaaaa...  I don't understand !
    

Jeez, talk about tasteless!  ;^) ;^)

Will

    I know...   it seems to work though.  She just bought me a
    new fiddle.  I'm now the proud owner of a brandie new Electric Blue
    Ibanez RG570.  I hate when this happens...
    
    :)  ;)  :)

    Well that's good.  Ya know, I was thinking about taking up a collection
    so you could get some decent equipment.   8^)
    
    Congrats !   8^)
    
    
    Scary

    
    jc,
    
          The Ibanez "blue" is a great color!....Welcome to the 570 club!
    
                                  R.B.

    Well Coop, sounds like you've got the ultimate rig now ...
    
    
    
    You've got your RG550 to keep the flies off your Les Paul ...
    
    
    
    You've got your RG570 to keep the flies off your Strat ...
    
    
    
    And you've got the Charvel to sweep up the dead flies.    8^)
    
    
    Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagagagagagaga .... I'm dyin' over here !   8^)
    
    
    Scary

    Yo Scary,
    
    That's "Shovel to sweep up the dead flies!"

    A Hondo by any other name ....   8^)
    
    
    Scary

    
       Over the weekend I actually started to feel bad about having so many
    guitars in the house...5 at last count plus one on the way!...but I'm
    a rookie compared to jc!
    
                            R.B.

    BAH!
    
    I have one guitar and two amps...works.

    I rule then cuz I have 1 guitar and 1 amp ;-)

    Aw come on...  It's not *that* bad...  I've got 5 electrics and an
    acoustic.  I've seen worse.  I play all of 'em to.  The Strat and
    Les Paul sit the most though...Although I gotta say that the strat
    sounds mighty fine thru the marshall...I mean REALLY good.  The Gibson
    is the one that sits the most.  The new Ibanez sounds identical to the
    Gibson.  It just plays better is all.
    
    What is with the pickups in the 570 ?  Are they DiMarzio PAF's or
    something ?  They sound SO meaty !
    
    hc

    In 1978 I bought one of the first Ibanez George Benson GB-10's to
    arrive in the U.S. It seemed like a neat idea to have a scaled-down
    Johnny Smith--at that time, there weren't many small jazz guitars
    around. Unfortunately, Ibanez supplied those early GB-10's with a huge
    aluminum flight case, which made the portability aspect a problem. I
    sold that guitar after a few years.
    
    The GB-12 is an anniversary model to commemorate the 12th year of GB
    production. Why 12 years needs celebrating is beyond me: I think Mr.
    Benson had a fancy model made, liked the way it came out and Ibanez
    wanted an excuse to make a few more of them. Where my early one had
    plain wood, this one has very highly figured maple on the top, sides
    back and pickguard. The neck, strangely enough, appears to be laminated
    mahogany. The fretboard inlays are very elaborate MOP. There are also
    inlays on the bridge base and tailpiece. The top is bound in what
    appears to be abalone-oid; the neck, body and f-hole binding is
    ivoroid. The color is the same bland sunburst that was on the old one.
    The case is a high quality one from Canada.
    
    I like nice wood and fancy inlay, but I have to say that the overall
    effect on this guitar is  just too much. I think if they left off the
    a-baloney binding and the tailpiece inlay it would have been a
    nicer-looking instrument.
    
    As far as playing goes, it has the same sound my first one had-dull,
    with almost no sustain. George gets a good sound out of his, but he
    plays a lot more notes than I do :-). I compared it to my Borys B120
    and Gibson Howard Roberts Artist and preferred the sound of either of
    these to the Benson. On the other hand the Gibson is much bigger and
    the B120 is somewhat bigger.
    
    One of these things that hasn't changed is the pickguard height
    adjustment screw, which makes the bridge pickup position easy to
    adjust, but I find this pickup unusable, since tapping the pickguard
    produces a very loud thump through the pickup, and I have a tendency to
    drum on the pickguard. 
    
    The neck is nicely shaped and plays well. There is a very small
    volute--I didn't think anybody still made these. (Flames coming) The
    guitar came with much too much neck relief and suffers from the rough
    fret edges that I find to be almost universal on Japanese guitars. The
    last Ibanez I owned was a 1982 AR-5000AV which was the most expensive,
    non-vintage solid I've ever owned, and it had the same problem.
    Comparing the fretwork on this to my '91 SG-LP is instructive. Both are
    equally well leveled and surfaced, but the SG fret ends have the
    binding dressed over in the traditional Gibson manner, producing a
    smooth feel to the sides of the neck. The frets on the Benson are
    snipped even with the neck binding and beveled, but none too well. If I
    were planning to keep it, I'd have to spend some time with a file.
    
    
    Danny W.
    

    My roommate at Berzerklee had one of these buggers.  I really liked its
    tone and the feel of the neck!  I'd buy one, if I had the bux.  Sounds 
    great through an old Marshall, too!

    I wonder if you guys can help me.  A friend just bought a Ibanez George
    benson semi acoustic serial no G815168 Can anyone give me a date and
    value it is in good condition.  Thanks in advance..
    
    				P.K.

    
    	I got a queation:
    
    		What can I do about the noisy/dirty 5 position pick up
    	slector switch on my Ibanez 570? I've cleaned it,.. but it still
    	gives me some trouble. The swithc is bad enough to almost cut	
    	out the sound completely at times. Does anybody else have
    	sdimilar complaints with their Ibanez axe? Is this typical of
    	Ibanez,.. or did I just get a bad one? Whats a good replacement?
    
    		Thanks
    
    							/Bill
    

    
    
    
    	Bill, I don't know diddly about Ibanez guitars, but I've managed to
    "tighten" up strat 5 ways by using a small needle nose plier and
    bending the contact pins down one at a time.. be careful, you could be
    shopping for a new switch if you do this right..  I just replaced the 5
    way in my squire strat (and installed a nasty looking PINK pick-guard
    [;^) with a diMarzio 5 way and I like it a lot, I guess I would have
    preferred a Fender original equipment 5 way.. I like the feel, but this
    dimarzio is great.. real quiet, nice feel.. taller that vintage strat
    switches by a little, I think.  I could recommend it..  I could NOT
    recommend ALL Parts after installing 2 of those buggers in a row and
    having both cut out intermitently... Really assembling an axe and then
    finding out that an 8 dollar switch is gonna make you take it apart
    again, is a pretty bogus experience.  [;^(  grrrrrr...
    
    
    Gree Vee King

    Yah I know Mr Gree Vee King
    
    The switches are cheap. I don't really ask much of it other than its
    quiet and works.
    
    Thanks for the help and have a great 4th everybody!
    
    						/Bill

    RE: last few
    
    You guys are crazy.  I flip the switches on my Ibanez' back and forth
    constantly!!!  They have held out great, flip really easily, and are
    real quiet.  I esp. like the feel of them!!  Much better iMHO than the 
    Fender part...which feel awkward and uncofortable.

    
    
    	Oh, hey.. I've been pushing mine the wrong way (away from the
    pick-guard)  Yer, right again Buck, they dooooo seem to work a little
    better when pushed "parallel" to the pick guard!!
    
    Haw!

    re .224
    
    	Hi Buck
    
    		yes,.. I am crazy,.. so whats your point? :-)
    
    		really though,.. I *think* I must just have gotten a bad
    switch. I mean,.. as Gree Vee (now I get it,.. Gree Vee King,.. so
    is your guitar named Lucille too? :^) points out they are cheap!
    It hardly seemed right to me that they would build what I consider
    	to be a pretty nice guitar and skimp on the switch. If you have
    had no trouble with yours,.. I gotta assume I got a bad one. I'll
    see what the others say,.. but probably will try to use a stock
    replacement first pass. If that doesn't work,.. I'll be back in here...
    
    							/Bill
    

    Bill,
    
    I have owned 4 RG550s and a PL2550 over the last 5 years and all
    were very consistant quality- and parts-wise.  I've been very
    happy with them all!
    
    IBANEZ ROOLZ!
    Buck

    If my guitar sits for a while, the dust will affect my 550's switch.
    
    Mike

    Bill,
    
    I'll echo what Buck said about Ibanez.  I have an RG560 and have played
    numerous of the 500/700 series and have never heard one with a bad
    switch.  You must have just had a fluke defective one.
    
    I also agree that Ibanez guitars are excellent!  (and a great buy!)
    
    Greg (who has a real Fender that collects dust now)

    BIll you could try spraying it with wd-40, I've used it sucessfully for
    this and also for cleaning up noisy volume/tone pots.
    
    dbii

    
    	Wrong.  I had 2 Ibanez's.  One had a constant static and cut
    	out sometimes.  I was constantly giving that switch a blow 
    	job - I finally sold it.  We're still friends although we
    	stopped dating.
    
    	8^o (whoosh)

    Wrong what, Pat?  You saying our pleasant experiences with our Ibanez's
    are wrong?
    
    re: tuner cleaner (or WD40)
    
    Use safety glasses!  I got a big splashback of that tuner cleaner crap
    in my eyes one night last week and had to make a nice visit to the
    emergency room.  Let me tell you it wasn't fun, nor was the next few
    days of sore eyes! 
    
    Greg

    
    Wrong - as in Ibanez switches are not immune to problems.  

    I don't think anyone's switches can be totally immune to failure. 
    There's too many variables...  I think we were just trying to say they
    didn't put total junk into their guitars, y'know?
    
    I mean if I pour a nice cold Dr. Pepper down that nice Dimarzio switch
    in Grevie's Squire, I bet it gums RIGHT up!
    
    gh

    
    
    	Heh, heh, yep, absolutely right little feller.  This digresses a
    little, but a friend of mine brought his es335 over to the house the
    other day after having let it sit since... oh.... 1972 or so and he was
    horrified to find out that the control pots and switches had become all
    scratchy.. A little tuner cleaner had that baby clean as a whistle, but
    I've got to say, it's not easy getting to those control pots!

Another trick - 

Use the eraser from your standard #2 pencil...

Works on the gold fingers of you average 11/780 board (okay, so I'm 
showing my age).  :)

jc (Who used to get yelled at for using the erasers...)

    By "tuner cleaner" you guys mean "electrical contact cleaner"?
    
    If so,.. I tried it,.. it helps,.. butu the scratchiness never really
    goes away,.. and then a couple weeks later,.. its back big time. :-(
    
    Now that vacation is over,. I can get serious about getting a new
    switch. For now,. I'll look for a stock replacement.
    
    Thanks for the replies.
    
    I have one stupid (probably really stupid) question ... there an
    acronym being thrown around in here that I don't know the meaning of,..
    and really don't know where to ask,.. so sorry about this (probably
    huge) digression,.. but will anybody tell me what the h*ll GTS stands
    for?
    
    	Thanks
    
    								/Bill
    

re:< Note 1413.237 by STAR::SALKEWICZ "It missed... therefore, I am " >
    
>    I have one stupid (probably really stupid) question ... there an
>    acronym being thrown around in here that I don't know the meaning of,..
>    and really don't know where to ask,.. so sorry about this (probably
>    huge) digression,.. but will anybody tell me what the h*ll GTS stands
>    for?

Hi Bill! (or should I call you by your REAL name! :-) -inside joke)

GTS = Guitar Toy Syndrome.  Something most of us have all the time!

adam_who_will_be_in_the_market_for_a_do-everything_DSP_soon

    Guitar Toy Syndrome,... I love it!
    
    Thanks Ad
    
    							/Bill
    

    I love it too, but my spouse doesn't.  :)
    
    Back to the subject - 
    
    Any Ibanez owners notice that strings slip in their clamps after
    a while ?  I had to TUNE my guitar TWICE last night - I wasn't a 
    happy camper.  :)
    
    jc

    RE: Coop
    
    Strings don't slip, but they DO s-t-r-e-t-c-h.  I've never had a
    probelm after sufficiently yanking the elasticity out of new(er)
    strings...then whammy away, they should stay in tune juz fine.

    Haven't had that problem with my Ibanez, but if the locknut is getting
    worn that can happen.  Check it out and if it's bad you'll probably
    have to replace it.
    
    Greg

    However, I have noticed that with my Ibanez, it seems to take about a
    week for the strings to settle in and stay in tune good.  I have to
    retune new strings every couple of songs, even if I stretch the crap
    out of 'em.  
    
    Lucky thing I don't change strings often...
    
    Greg

    Isn't this basically a common problem for all flying bridges?
    
    It takes at least one day for mine to stop varying to the point where
    I can actually go out and jam on them. And thats one day of tuning,..
    stretching past point of "in tune",.. banging/stretching/abusing...
    and repeating for a few hours. Then the next day,. I can stay in tune
    for at least one,.. maybe two tunes.
    
    I would think that this adjustment period would be common across
    all flying bridges. no?
    
    							/Bill
    

    You'd think so, but my Charvel didn't seem to do that.  It seemed to
    stay in tune reasonably well once I stretched the strings out good.  I
    don't know if this is just because I'm using a different kind of
    strings now or if it's the guitar.
    
    Greg

    Just a plug...
    
    My Ibanez stood up well to the string gauge changce from .009 with a 
    .042 on the bottom to a set of .010's.  Only a minor tweek of the
    spring clamp and truss rod was needed.  Guitar sings now...

    Here's the drill I used for this weeks gigs...
    
    Wednesday - I restring with GHS Boomers (.009" - .042") just before
    we go on - I play it for a while before I hit the stage, and tune it 
    up.  By the end of the set, I'm out.  I'm bummin'.  So, I get to spend
    my break tuning my guitars (both Ibanez RG5%0s).  Sometimes it requires
    that I unclamp to tune, so it's a little time consuming.
    
    Like Greg, I never had the problem with my Charvels - I'd restring and
    tune - I'd be set for at least that week.  The 550 seems to be getting
    progressively worse about it too - so maybe I do need a new lock/nut.
    
    Maybe I just need a guitar tech - I HATE RESTRINGING, NECK TWEAKING,
    CLEANING, TUNING etc...  :)  Let someone else worry about it.  Maybe
    I'm getting soft in my old age...
    
    jc

    Yo JC...
    	I know where you can get a nice Strat...
    
    Lowell
    

Gee Lowell, ready to sell it already ??

jc (who sold his strat to Lowell)

    
    	Last night I tried to set my 570 up with .011's and couldn't do it.
    I have recently made the change from .009's to .010's and love the idea
    of getting the thing set up with .011's,.. but I couldn't get the truss
    adjusted to handle the .011's. If memory serves me Bill Buckley said he
    put .011's on his 550 without changing anything else and only had to
    adjust the truss. It would appear that I need some stronger springs if
    I'm going to get the .011's set up correctly. So as you guessed,.. I
    have a couple questions right now:
    
    	1) Bill,.. is my memory correct that you went to .011's on your
    	   550 with nothing more than a truss adjustment? What was the 550
    	   originally set up for stringwise?
    
    	2) Has anybody ever had to change the springs on an Ibanez truss?
    	    Easy?
    
    	3) Any other random advice for me (down you strat salesmen :-)
    
    	I love playing it,... but I hate @!#$%^&*ing with it :-/
    
    						/Bill
    

    re: Lowell
    
    You're crackin me up, man!  8^)
    
    re: Bill S.
    
    I think you're confused about how a truss rod works.  It doesn't have
    any springs.  What you probably need to do is increase the spring
    tension on the tremelo to compensate for the thicker strings.  You can
    do that by popping open the cavity right behind the bridge and screwing
    in the spring claw (plate that holds the springs into the body) some. 
    If there's not enough range on it, then you'll need to add additional
    springs.  The base plate on the tremelo should sit level when it's
    properly adjusted.
    
    The truss rod is the steel bar that runs through the neck that will
    compensate the curvature of the neck to counteract the string tension
    (as opposed to the tension on the tremelo, different things).  When you
    install heavier strings you often have to readjust the truss rod so
    that the neck does not bow forward too much.  You do this by tightening
    the truss rod (under the little plastic plate behind the lock nut at
    the neck end on an Ibanez).  Be careful when you do this as tightening
    it too much can damage the neck.
    
    Hope this helps!
    Greg

    Woops
    
    I meant tremolo. I don't do truss adjustments :-) I'll pay for
    that ...
    
    	But its the tremolo I was talking about as far as needing more
    spring tension. As you can probably tell by now,. I don't #$%^&
    with my guitars if I can avoid it... but I gotta try those .011's!!!!!
    I know they'll be better I just know it...
    
    	Thanks for straightening me out though
    
    							/Bill
    

    re .251
    
    	Just wanted to make it clear that I have the tremolo screwed into
    the body as tight as I dare make it. Still not enough spring tension.
    I then backed off on the low E/A strings to the ones that came with
    the .010's,... and I got the base plate back close enough to level
    to play it,.. so I am actually playing a mix of .011's and .010's
    right now,.. and I like it. I just don't want to have to mix and match
    strings from different sized packages all the time so it would be real
    nice (not to mention economical) to get the thing set up right.
    
    	It does appear that the screw plate ( if thats the right name for
    the piece that attaches to the springs and the screws going into the
    body) has hooks for two more springs. It looks like the other end of
    the spring is clamped to hold it. So all I need do is add a spring
    there? Why am I so afraid to do this. Maybe I should just take it into
    the shop and pay. Anybody added a spring to their Ibanez?
    
    	Thanks again for any help
    
    							/Bill
    

    Ah, I understand your situation a lot better now Bill!  You got an easy
    job.  Just toss another spring in there.  I've added and removed them
    from many guitars, it's no big deal at all.
    
    The one end of the spring inserts into the end of the tremelo block and
    the other end wraps around the claw on the spring plate.  It'll be
    easier to do if you unscrew the spring plate before you stick the
    spring in there.  You'll have to go through the
    tune/readjust-spring-plate/tune/readjust-spring-plate iterations after
    you get it in there anyway.  
    
    Greg

    I vote for more springs, or bigger springs (like from a strat or
    charvel).
    
    jc

    Are they different?  I thought trem springs were standard?
    
    Greg

    
    
    	And one more personal experience regarding springs... call me
    crazy, but I use elevens and I get much better tone when I use 5
    springs with the claw (the metal thang with the little spring hooks on
    it) unscrewed from the body a half an inch as opposed to being screwed
    right in there... I dunno why, I don't even have any theories, but the
    difference on both my strats is like night and day...
    
    	Also..... I have now put biggie frets in both my guitars and wish
    I'd done it 20 years ago... I can't believe how much easier they are to
    play (Seeeeeee Greee Veee King... there's something to be learned from
    these young players [;^)... BUT... the other thang that I've noticed
    (and especially with larger string guages) is that I get better tone
    from the larger frets (this one I dooooo have a theory about)... I've
    been using GHS Nickle Rocker 11s lately and lovin em'
    
    
    Gree Vee

    OK then,... add a spring it is.
    
    Right now I've got three,.. there's room for five. I've got them
    (factory installed) in positions 1, 3, and 5 on the screw plate.
    So its now balanced/symmetric with respect to the center of the
    screw plate. I presume when I add a fourth spring that I should
    put them in positon 1,2,4 and 5 on the screw plate so as to preserve
    balance/symmetry? Yes? no? Help me mr wizard?!?!?
    
    Thanks again for the assistance folks
    
    							/Bill
    		

    Go for five.  The trem gets a little stiffer...no big deal.

    Althought I don't think it really makes that much difference, I'd
    probably put 'em in 1,2,4,5.
    
    Greg

    I think I'll only go for four. I don't see myself going up in string
    size much beyond .011,.. if at all,.. and would rather do the
    minimalist changes (I like the guitar pretty much the way it is now)...
    adding two springs would mean backing those screw out of the body a
    lot further I imagine and might make dropping back  to .010's or .009's
    impossible without removing some springs,.. 
    
    Yeah,.. I've talked myself into it now. Four springs,.. positions
    1,2,4,5. News at 11.
    
    Thanks again everyone
    
    							/Bill
    

    Progress report
    
    Opened up the back of the thing and took off the doo-hickey that bolts
    into the bottom of the Floyd Rose and holds that end of the springs in
    the bridge,...
    
    Guess what?
    
    Theres fize claws on the spring plate,.. and five holes in the bottom
    of the Floyd Rose,.. only problem is two of the holes are threaded for
    holding the doo hickey,..leaving room for only three springs :-(
    
    SO of course,.. being so scared as I am to modify my guitar I
    immediately put it back together with just three springs right?
    
    WRONG!
    
    I don't know if its been the influence this conference has had on me
    or what posessed me but there I was in the garage with the Floyd Rose
    in a vice boring a fourth spring hole into the sucker. Madness? I don't
    know but something (could it be,... SATAN?!?) made me do it.
    
    So the fourth spring is in,.. teh .011's are on and sounding/feeling
    great. I believe I'll stick with this set up. And I am now qualified
    to be a *real* member of this conference since I got my "Floyd Rose
    modification certficate" :-) :-)
    
    So I think this mental anguish is over for me. Thanks for the help.
    
    So, has anybvody tried .012's on their Ibanez?
    
    just joking,.. really,.. but tell me about it of you have :-}
    
    							/Bill
    

    
    
    Yah, Bill, fearless work, I like it.. but can you imagine how cool it
    woud sound with *FIVE* springs??   AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, the evil doctor
    fills the night with ominous laughter!
    
    
    Gree Vee King

     Oh Evil Dr.Greve,
    That's not a real experiment!!
    I just got word that the eight string neck for my
    frankenstein P-Bass.....Eegore!!!!RELEASE THE KITES!
    THROW THE FIRST SWITCH!!!THROW THE SECOND SWITCH!!!!
    [:^! <----FRANKENSTEIN W/BOLT ON NECK
    -Doctor Kron

    
    
    
    	Ahhhhh... KRON, my old nemesis!  I left you for dead in Madagascar! 
    How is it that you've returned, with your evil 8 string curse?
    
       
     __O__
     \_-_/
    [ o o ]
     \ L /
     (/_\)
      \ /
       |
    
    --OO--
    \ || /
     \||/

     YES MY OLD FRIEND GREVE_STEVE....you did leave
    me for dead in madagascar but I vowed that I would
    return- from the other side if necessary to once 
    again meet you and repay you for your treachery
    you ungrateful fool!!!! I'll show you....I'll show
    you all!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
    I gotta go now back  down to the lab and prepare
    for my greatest triumph! (insert dissonant sounding
    pipe organ chord here)
    -Bill(the evil bassmaker)[:^P

    uh,... never mind
    
    							/Bill
    

     I WAS OFFERED AN IBANEZ RG-550, for 375 $ w/0 case, is this about the
     best price for one nowadays and what do these sell for used. It
     is'nt the color that I want, but its one that I could easily live
     with. I'm having GTS in a serious way, Is this price (375) to good
     to pass up ? Pro's and cons for the Ibanez 550 ??????
    
    
              Help...
    
                      Jon Taylor
                         salem::taylor_j
              send mail or reply with any relevent ( or incidental ) Info
    
                   Thanks !!

    Oh yeah, this one is BRAND NEW .

    I'd offer $350 and call it a deal.

     From/to a dealer ??
    
    
     ( what I really want is one in black or yellow to convert into
     a jr. StevevVai model )

Get a pink one.  :)  What color is it ??

I agree with Buck $350 would be a deal it IS brand new.  And FWIW,
you can get a case for them for cheap.  $50-$75 ??  And... I would
recommend that you DO get a case, as the necks are long and skinny.
You lean it in the corner, and you bow the neck.

Also, IMHO, there are NO cons to owning a RG5%0...  I've got a 550 and a 
570 - I love 'em both.

jc (Who don't need no steenkin' GEM)

    Its maroon/pink is it a deal for 375 though !
     I've got 2 hardshell case already , so other than the ride home, it
     would be protected. I'm playing a kramer focus 3000 now, any idea
     how the necks and playability compare ?
    
        Jon

IMHO, the Focus is a good axe, but a 5%0 smokes it.  Better pickups, 
better whammy, faster neck...  But the KRamer is a TOUGH guitar
(eh Scary ?).

jc (WHo bounced his Kramer HARD once...)

    RG550s generally go for around $500-$550 with a case these days.  The
    new Ibanez molded cases are very nice too.  At $375 w/o case I'd say
    this one is a good deal, provided that it is new and not messed up in
    some way.
    
    I think you'll find the thinner neck of the Ibanez more playable then
    the Kramer.  Ibanez pickups are very good and the Kramer pickups
    (especially on the Focus series instruments) SUCK!!!  (IMHO)
    
    The only down side to the 5xx series from Ibanez is that the necks are
    very thin and it can make playing rhythm on them uncomfortable for some
    people.  My 560 made my left hand cramp up after playing awhile at
    first because of this.  I've gotten used to it now and it doesn't
    bother me anymore.
    
    Greg

    I paid $400 for mine, new.  Case was $70+ something.  Sounds like its a
    good deal to me.
    
    Mike

    The thin neck werided me out for about 3 weeks.  Now I *love* those
    necks to death, and wouldn't play on anything else (cept a Gibson).
    If you've got the coin, pick it up...they're nice gits!

     I went back to look at the RG-550 last night, it turns out that the
    axe is a factory 2nd from Ibanez ( both the neck and body ). I was
     all psyched to satisfy my GTS with it then in addition to being the
     wrong colour , it was a second. It's funny that the dealer never 
     mentioned that little detail. The axe played pretty well and there
     were no major flaws that I could see, still this axe didn't make me
     feel like I just ate a York Peppermint patty ( If ya' know what I
    mean  B*)   ). Ahh well, I'll keep pickin' and a grinnin' with my
     Kramer for awhile. Thanks for all the help on this subject, I
     appreciate it.
    
                    Jon

    
    I love my Ibanez to death - I found the only thing that was weird was
    where the harmonic nodes where (for pinch harmonics). I found that I
    tried to play one (in the same place as I would on my Charvel( and my 
    Ibanez would just fart at me!
    
    I'm getting used to it, but I still haven't got a good scream from 
    the low E.

    -1
    
    Excactly!!!
    
    In fqact, when I bought my (now main git) Whiote RG550, it was
    different than my old PINK (Coop now has it, Grrrr) RG550!
    
    I could get Jazz screams on the low E on the Pink one, but I"m just now
    learning them on the low E again.  Forget it if I go to a Charvel, I'm
    lost harmonic (pick or pick)-wise.
    
    Buck, loving his RG550 to death

Article 15290 of rec.music.makers:
From: [email protected] (Derick Cordoba)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers,misc.forsale
Subject: Hot Rodded Ibanez RG550 guitar For Sale
Date: 1 Nov 91 21:36:23 GMT

I have an Ibanez RG550 electric guitar for sale. It's is white with an
maple fretboard. The 21st through 24th frets are scalloped. I replaced
the front pickup with a Steve Morse model hummbucker and the bridge
pickup with a DiMarzio X2N. The guitar has a floating tremelo and comes
with a hard shell case. It also comes with a DiMarzio locking strap.

I'm asking $325.00 if you have questions contact Derick

[email protected]

Can anyone give me a rundown on the current Ibanez models? I was looking at a 
770 in a catalog the other day and it looked real good. My drummer/local shop
person now can get Ibanez and I'm more interested in an Ibanez than a Jackson.
Also a comparison to a 550 or 570 would be helpful as I'm slightly familiar with
those models


thanks

dbii it's now ESP vs. Ibanez!

>Can anyone give me a rundown on the current Ibanez models? 
    
    I have the info at home...will post something this eve.
    
    >I was looking at a 770 in a catalog the other day and it looked real good.
    >My drummer/local shop person now can get Ibanez and I'm more interested 
    >in an Ibanez than a Jackson.
    
    Ibanez?  Dave...buddy...pal...  8^)  
    
    >Also a comparison to a 550 or 570 would be helpful as I'm slightly
    >familiar with those models
    
    Check after 5pm, or tomorrow for a comparison review.

770 roughly .eqs. 570

Basically the same guitar - the 770 has the bound neck and "cooler" inlays
and stuff, also different pickups.  I think Steve Jensen has a 770.

The 550 is a Hum-single-hum, maple fretboard, pickups mount to pickguard
The 560 is a Hum-single-single, rosewood fretboard, picks mounted to body
The 570 is a Hum-single-hum, rosewood or maple fretboard, pickups mounted 
                             to body.

I think the 5%0 series are excellent guitars...  I've got a 550 that I got 
from Buck many moons ago (I think its an 87 model).  I've also got a 570
that I've had for a year or so.  The 550 is a little twangier than the
570, and I suspect its the pickup mountings (550's pickups are screwed to the
pickguard, 570s bolts to wood).  Both guitars feel almost identical.

Also worth looking into are the RGX series.  These are topoftheline guitars
from the Ibanez Custom shop (made in the USA).  I picked one up very recently.
It's got custom graphics, inlayed lightning bold fret markers (same as a 770 
I think) bound neck and DiMarzio PAF-Pros.  This one has a coil tap for each 
humbucker (2 total).  It's the slickest axe I've played to date.  I'll plug the
PAF-Pros too - mega fat !  Makes the notes seem to EXPLODE from the fretboard !

Ibanez RG series in General:

Wicked necks.  Wide and thin - really fast.  24 fretz.
Ibanez Edge Trems.  The whammys' from hell.  Stay in tune, easy to maintain,
wicked action in both directions.
The workmanship always seems tres-cool, attention to detail.

What can I say ?  I dumped my longtime pals (Charvels) for 'em.  And I wouldn't
even consider selling any of them (well, right now anyway :).  Great 
instruments, and reasonably priced.  Buck, Mike and Greg ??  Comments ??

jc

    I have the current catalog here in my office if there's something
    specific you want to know.  

    The only major additions to this catalog are the "Custom" instruments,
    the Reb Beach and Frank Gambale models, and a few other cosmetic
    options.  Conspicuously missing was the Universe 7 string (gee, I guess
    they didn't sell well, feature *that*...).

    The only difference I can see between the 550 and 570 is the fretboard
    material, 550 has maple, 570 has rosewood.

    Greg

>    The only difference I can see between the 550 and 570 is the fretboard
>    material, 550 has maple, 570 has rosewood.

Thats it !!  Except the 550 has a pickgaurd and the 570 doesn't - a bigger 
difference than you'd think !

jc

The 550 is a Hum-Single-Hum, maple fretboard, pickups mount to pickguard
    
The 560 is a Hum-Single-Single, rosewood fretboard, picks mounted to body
    
The 570 is a Hum-Hingle-Hum, rosewood or maple fretboard, pickups mounted 
                             to body.
    
    Cheryle Bunny has a guitar which is Hum-Single-Single, Rosewood board,
    pickups mounted to pickguard.  And I've seen the SAME version guitar
    with Hum-Single-Hum, mounted to pickguard.  What models are these??

EX series perhaps ??

jc (who doesn't know)

    No, not the low-line series...it's in the pro line

Cheryle plays a 760... (I saw in the Who Are You topic -"1")

    re: pickguard
    
    You can get a 550 with or without the pickguard, they come both ways,
    as does the 560 (which is like a 550/570 with a hum/single/single
    pickup configuration).  I've seen them both with and without the
    pickguard (mine doesn't have one), and with rosewood and maple necks.
    
    Greg

    >re: pickguard
    >
    >You can get a 550 with or without the pickguard, they come both ways,
    >as does the 560 (which is like a 550/570 with a hum/single/single
    
    Yeah, but dood, they change the numbers when they do that!!

>    Yeah, but dood, they change the numbers when they do that!!
    
    What number is an Ibanez 500 series guitar with a maple neck,
    hum/single/hum pickups and no pickguard?
    
    I'm pretty sure it's a 550 w/o pickguard.  The catalog says nothing
    about a pickguard on the 550.  Besides, I almost bought one about a
    year ago (Jewel Blue, it was beautiful)...
    
    Greg

    Here is the poop:
    
    HUM-MINI_HUM
    
    RG565 -- Body mounted, Maple board, Dot inlays, no binding
    
    HUM-SING-SING
    
    RG560 -- Body mounted, Rosewood board, Dot inlays, no binding
    
    RG760 -- Body mounted, Rosewood board, Shark tooth inlays, bound neck/head
    
    HUM-SING-HUM
    
    RG550 -- Pickguard, Maple board, Dot inlays, no binding
    
    RG750 -- Pickguard, Rosewood board, Shark tooth inlays, bound neck/head
    
    RG570 -- Body mounted, Rosewood board, Dot inlays, no binding
    
    RG770 -- Body mounted, Rosewood board, Shark tooth inlays, bound neck/head
    
    RG770DX -- Pickguard, Maple board, Shark tooth inlays, no binding
    
    

    Out of the RG-Series, there are the USA Customs.
    
    They come in all available combinations:
    
    * Maple, Rosewood or Ebony board
    * Dot, Shark tooth, or Block inlays
    * HUH-SING-HUM, or HUM-SING-SING (all body mounted!)  
    * Bound and un-bound neck/headstocks
    * Basswood, Mahogany, Mahogany/Flame Maple, Mahogany/Birds Eye Maple,
      and Mahogany/Quilted Maple bodies
    

    re: 550's pickguard issue                            
    
    Where in the catalog does it say anything about a pickguard in the
    description of a 550?  My (current) Ibanez catalog doesn't say the 550
    has a pickguard anywhere.
    
    FWIW, other pickup combinations for the USA Customs (from the models
    listed) are:
    
    HUM-HUM and HUM-SING.  I believe that HUM-STACKED-HUM is also an option
    (I think that's what Coop's has if I remember right).
    
    And the block abalone inlays available on these models are absolutely
    beautiful!  I've seen one in person and was quite impressed!  The
    quilted maple top was also very impressively figured.
    
    gh

    >re: 550's pickguard issue                            
    >
    >Where in the catalog does it say anything about a pickguard in the
    >description of a 550?  My (current) Ibanez catalog doesn't say the 550
    >has a pickguard anywhere.
    
    You are right, it doesn't mention a pickguard anywhere (even on guitar
    description list).  But, pictures don't lie.  They probably have come
    out with an updated RG550 without a pickguard (as the originals had).

The 550's definately come with pickguards...At least MY RoadFlareRed 
has a pickgaurd...

>     HUM-HUM and HUM-SING.  I believe that HUM-STACKED-HUM is also an option
>    (I think that's what Coop's has if I remember right).

Negatory - My USA series has a pair of DiMarzio PAF-Pros with a coil tap
switch...  This guit has a wicked fat tone - I'm in love with those pickups.
FWIW - The USA series I have has:

Basswood Body
Maple neck (no finish)
Bound neck/headstock
Rosewood fretboard
Sharktooth inlays
Silvery/black chrome hardware (for lack of a better description)
Two humbuckers body mounted (PAF Pro's) 
Coil Taps
Three position blade switch
Reversed headstock
"Grim Reaper" (graveyard scene with ghost from Xmas present complete 
               with sythe) Graphics
Ibanez "Edge" trem (naturally)

Good info in here !!  Print up ALL the specs !!

jc (Who loves all three of his Ibanez babies)

    Geez, I wasn't saying that 550's don't have pickguards, just that you
    can get them either way (with or without).  Like I say, I came real
    close to buying a beautiful 550 without a pickguard last year (but it
    sold to someone else while I was vacillating about whether to do it or
    not...)

    Greg

                 <<< CVG::WORK3:[NOTES$LIBRARY]GUITAR.NOTE;2 >>>
                              -<  Guitar Notes  >-
================================================================================
Note 1413.301                    Ibanez guitars.                      301 of 301
PHAROS::SAKELARIS                                    14 lines   6-JAN-1992 16:17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well this reply fits the title of the topic but is is not related to
    the earlier topics. I think this discussion belongs here.
    
    Anybody have one of the Ibanez SR800le basses? I was in Daddy's over
    the weekend and saw a beautiful KOA (maybe it was Teak) model. They're
    asking $1200 for it which is about $400 better than the standard model.
    Pricey to be sure, but I think this is THE best bass on the market
    right now. I would preface thaqt by saying that I am a guitar player,
    and maybe its the thinner guitar-like neck that appeals to me. Were I
    still playing bass these days, I think I would be in heat over one of
    these jobbies. 
    
    "sakman" Who used to be in heat for a Specter before getting back to
    6 strings where he belongs. 

    Re: .301
    
    Well, I saw it, it wasn't Koa, it was one of those other
    unpronounceable woods.  It had real EMG pickups instead of Ibanez
    EMG-wannabes.  I though the neck was too darn thin.  
    
    						Brian

    Was it Padauk? (yeah, I can't pronounce it either...)
    
    There's one like you describe in the current Ibanez catalog called a
    SR1500PD.  Very pretty!
    
    As a guitar player, I really like the slim necks on the Ibanez basses. 
    I've played several that I liked.  My favorite was an SB900.  That's
    the slimline body.  Very comfortable to play and a great action!
    
    Greg

    I was wondering if anyone coudl help me out with this weird question,
    I have a Strat-Clone Ibanez Blazer Series Serial Number c821846
    I was wondering if anyone could tell me how old this guitar might be
    and what it's worth other than the fact it plays real nice...Pat

There was a wide range of Ibanez strat "Blazers".  I had one a loooong time
ago that I sold pretty quickly for $250 - it was one of the top-line
blazers too - I want to say that it was a BL500 or something.  It was really 
"curvy" (or sculpted) - blue, and had a non-locking trem (strat style).
I also had a Blazer that was natural wood that was much lower on the "goodness"
scale than my blue one.  

I'd say if the axe were in good shape, you could get $150-$250 for it, 
depending on the model, configuration, shape etc...

jc

    Are the stock strings on a new RG550 9 - 42 ? Anybody know the brand?
    The second question is just a curiousity.
    
    Ted

    Don't know the brand, but all those Ibanez 400/500/700 series guitars
    come set up with .009-.042s on 'em.
    
    Greg

    Thanks Greg, I just got one and was surprised there was no mention
    of string size with any of the misc. junk they give ya. 
    
    
    Ted 

Another beleiver...

Congrats on the new axe!
jc

    Thanks, Ya gotta love the necks on these babies!! Makes a Les Paul
    seem like the FAT END of a baseball bat! ;^)  I can't believe I've
    waited this long to check out the Ibanez guitars!
    
    Ted

    methinks we could be approaching a very LARGE rat hole,.. but I must
    agree,. the neck is what sold me on these puppies too,..
    
    FWIW,.. I still have to wonder if putting .011's on my RG570 was
    a "mistake". It seemed to nme that it was shortly after that
    that my neck bent all ot hell. Back to .010's now, with a fresh
    pro set up and ,... "Mama, I'm coming home" :-)
    
    							/Bill
    

Bill - .011's ??  hmmm, I dunno - those necks are awefully thin to put
that much tension on it.  I tweak my necks all the time - I suspect that you'll
need to also.

Ibanez have AWESOME necks - I'd just gotten used to it and started to take it
for granted when I got my strat back - thing felt like a CLUB !  
(Oh, and Ibanez EDGE trems deserve an honorable mention too - they ROOL!)
jc

    I hear ya Coop,..
    
    I don't tweak my own neck,.. I don't truss myself (har har,.. are
    bad puns allowed in here?)
    
    Anyway,.. I'm satying away form .011's from now on,.. the thing is much
    better behaved with the .010's. I've had a little movement since the
    set up was done,.. but nothing I can't live with and nothing
    	like what was going on with the .011's
    
    	I'd be interested to hear what Ibanez would say about this...
    anybody know?
    	
    							/Bill
    

On the other hand.... 

I just tried an Ibanez for the first time last week - and HATED the neck!
Absolutely, positively HATED it, thought it was basically unplayable! I 
guess it takes all types......

alan

    It takes getting used to Alan,.. like anyting else. At first,. I
    didn't like them either,.. but eventually I bought one and now
    can't stand the fat necks on the guitars I used to love to play, and
    I can do things on the Ibanez neck that are just plain undoable
    (for me anyway) on the bigger necks.
    
    								/Bill
    

Yeah, and I can appreciate it too Alan - I don't understand it,
but I can appreciate it...

I thought for sure, I had a buyer for my ex-baby...

:)

    
    
    	All this chat on Ibanez necks.....I've never had a chance to check
    	one out in the flesh so what is the neck like? Thin and wide like
    	a Charvel????
    
    	J
    

      The neck is the reason I originally asked about the stock strings. 
    I'm surprised Ibanez doesn't give you more information about the 
    neck on care or what ever, when you buy one. 
    
     Re -.1 
    
      I can't remember what a Charvel neck is like but the necks don't 
    seem wide to me, just plain thin. It's made to get up and down that 
    neck in a hurry!! ;^)
    
    Ted  

    RE: Jason
    
    Yeah, wide flat fretboard and very thin (front to back).  It's like the
    Charvel necks if you shaved some off the back of them.  The Ibanez ones
    are the thinnest I've ever played.  
    
    Personally, I think the Charvel necks are a better compromise in feel. 
    The Ibanez necks are so thin that my left hand cramps up sometimes when
    playing a lot of rhythm on mine.  I like the Charvel necks for rhythm
    much better.
    
    Greg

Yeah, I have to agree with Greg - Charvel necks are pretty darn nice...
Although the Ibanez is a much faster neck, the Charvel is also a compromise
on neck maintenance.  I'm always tweaking my Ibanez neck.  I love 'em but if 
don't like to  diddle a lot, I'd consider carefully...

ANyway, for a long time I had both a Charvel AND an Ibanez.  I don't have the
Charvel any long (and I miss it sometimes), but it should tell you something
about my feelings toward Ibanez (especially since I own three of them. :).

jc

    
    Jason, if you're in Reading you can have a strum on my Ibanez (RG570).
    FWIW I have a Charvel and an Ibanez and I agree with whats been said:
    The Charvel is way better for rhythm but the Ibanez neck is very FAST.
    Thats the only way of describing it - fast and very very smooth.

   I just took a look at an Ibanez "Pro Line" bass.  It was fairly nice, with
   an ebonite fingerboard, 24 frets, active electrics, and dual humbuckers, but
   in playing with it I couldn't figure out how the controls worked!  And the
   guy at the shop didn't know, either (it's a little Ma+Pa place).  It had
   four controls in the usual layout, but it seemed one was a master volume
   for the whole guitar, and the others had detents which made me think "tone
   control".  Does anyone have any experience with these beasts, and can they
   tell me what the layout is?

   Also, what would be a good price for one of these, used but in excellent
   condition?  The asking price was $379 withOUT a case, which seemed pretty
   steep to me.

   Thanks in advance,

   -- Sam

The one with the DETENT is a PAN knob to roll betwixt the pickups.
Nifty!

jc (WHo had to ask about Guidos Ibanez Bass)

FWIW - 

Guido got his when he traded in a (get this!) Peavy bass, plus $100.
I think the tag said $395 (incl. case).

I think his is a RG7%0 model.  Looks like a 6 stringer RG560, with fat strings
and a long neck.  It's a nice sounding axe, but really needs actives (IMHO)
to be perfect.  It's real pretty.

jc (WHo knows nothing about Basses...)

    Looks like a 560 with a long neck?
    
    Aren't all the RG5xx's rather long-necked?
    
    Is this like a reeeeeallly loooong neck or something? maybe a small
    body?
    
    								/Bill
    

    Well, it *is* a bass...
    
    gh

    :-)
    
    	Oh yeah,.. details :-)
    
    							/Bill
    

Thanks Greg...  I was scratchin' my head.

:)

Speaking of RG5%0's

My beloved 550 (Allisyn) is at this moment being custom painted...
I can barely STAND waiting...

Whaaaaaa...

    Re: bass controls
    
    The four knobs are volume, pickup pan, bass and treble.  It shouldn't
    be *too* hard to guess which is which after about thirty seconds of
    wiggling them.
    
    This seems to be the model for most control layouts on active basses
    these days, FWIW.  Someone finally wised up and realized that there
    are better solutions than lots of toggle switches.
    
    						Brian

    Anyone familiar with the Ibanez "Proline" series?  I saw one, looked a
    lot like an RG500 series, but with a more substantial neck.  Are these
    an old series?  Still in production?  Cheapo or upscale models?  Any
    info appreciated.
    
    /rick

    Wasn't the Proline series the ones they did just before the RG series
    came out? 
    
    Greg

  Does anyone have any information on Ibanez's new "CT Series" line of basses?
  I just bought one based on playability/price/performance/lust but the line is
  so new that it seems there's not a lot of published information on them.
  (Eg, even dealers don't have writeups on the line.)  

  Any help/info is appreciated.

  -- Sam

As an off-shoot to the STRINGS topic (that I interupted)...
:)

Whats the deal with Ibanez ?  Has anyone here ever broken a string OTHER 
than a D string on their RG5%0 guits ??  We (Tom and I) go thru D strings...
PERIOD !  GHS Boomers were the worst - DRs, so far, seem much better.
Is it an Ibanez thing ?

I was gonna write a letter to Ibanez and bitch...

    I only ever break D strings, too!
    
    /Catatonic?

Catatonic ??  Naw - I said it write !  I swear man !!

Seriously, do you ever break any other string on our IBZ ?
jc

    I rarely break strings on my Ibanez.  I seem to remember breaking a
    high E a couple of times though.  Don't ever remember breaking a D.
    
    Greg

    That was the *only* string I ever used to break on my Kramer too !  It
    always broke at the bridge, right where it gets clamped into the
    whammy.  'Course, I've got Satan's sweat too, and I think that made the
    problem worse.  
    
    Get a Strat man .... I've *never* broken a string on it .... NEVER !
    
    8^)
    
    
    Jerry

    
    Catatonic was a referrence to one of my "Cat"-like nick names there
    JC,.. because Buckaroo wants to know which strings I break on my
    RG570,..
    
    	and the answer is,..
    
    	G strings... (throwing another kink into the algortithm)
    
    	I've also broken the high E once or twice,.. but the G's well
    over a half dozen times in the last year or two...
    
    	FWIW,.. the other guitarist in a band I'm jamming with has broken
    at least one string each practice I've played with them ,.. and last
    nite he broke two,. and thats on his strat...??? tyhrowing another
    kink into thye algorithm,...
    
    	Although,. my guess is that the "player",. not the "guitar" is
    the important part of the equation for tryng to figure string
    breakage..
    
    						/Catatonic
    

    
    
                              Satan's sweat
    
                         Now there's a band name!
    
    

    
    Re: Strings,
    
    I usually break the high E on mine, usually during a string bend. I bust 
    one last night but I don't think I've ever broken a D on mine.

    I've never NEVER *NEVER* broken a string on my 550.  Of course, I don't
    beat on my strings either ;-)
    
    Mike

    >Of course, I don't beat on my strings either ;-)
    
    
    How cum?
                                                        

    I'm a kindler, gentler gutiarist

    re kindler gentler guitarist,..
    
    	um,.. "gack" ,.. or "puke" come to mind...
    
    	:-0
    
    			:-)
    						/meaner_nastier_catarist
    

    I broke a low E on my Charvel once and several A's, and all the
    unwound strings *real* often.
    
    ...but I was brutal with the whammy on that thing!!!
    
    I've never broken a string on my Les Paul.
    
    gh (who would often hold that Charvel up by the wang bar and shake it
        about)

    I've only ever broke my top E once on my Yamaha RGX.You kind of feel
    helpless if you don't have a spare and in a guitar playing mood!
    
    
                                                 Staynz                               

    Something seems consistent here.....:
    
    * Everybody breaks strings on "strat" style guitars, but not Gibsons?
    
    * I played Gibsons for years and years and years, and never broke a
      string....I mean NEVER.  I changed my strings (when playing every
      weekend) about twice a month (I think), but they NEVER broke.
    
    * I bought my first strat in 1989, and broke several strings in the few
      months that I owned the guitar...I did not use the whammy.  Is it the
      bridge design, or something?
    
    * I remember Kevin Latham (Mac Mcloud) breaking a string on his strat
      almost every time I saw him play...hell, he had to keep a spare axe
      ready all the time...
    
    wassup?
    
    
    
    *

    
    I change strings on my Strat only about twice a year and have *never* 
    broken one.  I dog 'em too...

    
    
    	I think you're all gonna have to say at least which size strings
    	you play with to at least attempt to get some stats...
    
    	J

    I use .010 thru .052 on my Les Paul....Dean Markley Cryo-refigerated
    thing-a-ma-bobs....
    
    I bend and shake 'em, but they just don't break!
    
    Stevo

    I used to religiously break "A" strings on my LP STD.  Sometimes High E
    strings when I bent up too high.

  I consistantly break "G" strings on both my Strat and my Firebrand ES335
  (solid body Gibson with stop tailpiece).  You know what they say though:
  "Guitarists go through more G strings"... :-)  On my acoustic it's usually
  "B" strings.  I'll break high "E"s when really bending the p!ss out of
  them, but that's abuse, not standard playing (all guitars).  So far, I've
  only ever broken 1 bass string in 18 years of playing (a "G", if I remember
  correctly).

  I use medium gauge on everything:  .13s on the acoustic, .11s on both 
  electrics, and .?? on the bass (still medium gauge, though).

  -- Sam


   

I pop strings on my strat, my Ibanez and (used to) bust 'em all the time on 
my ole LP.

The Ibanez is consistent with the D string though.  Never anything but,
for both Tom AND I.  Perhaps we just like abusing D strings.  :)

    Re: D strings
    
    play something other than power chords ;-)

Why!?!

:)

    I came " " close this past weekend to succombing to GTS and buying an
    Ibanez RG565 in Lazer Blue ... sigh!

Isn't that blue AWESOME  ??  I miss mine - (Seth Howes has my old 570).
The 565 is a hot axe too!  It's NOT too late Buck!!
:-)

jc

    But your's was Jewel Blue, not Lazer Blue...
    
    gh

Ack!

Okay....
:-)

    
    	I had the pleasure of playing an Ibanez USA custom for a couple
    of hours last night.  Haven't played any Ibanez guitars except my
    old roadstar II (cheap and nasty!!!!!) I guess I have been put
    off by the looks (I really don't go for point headstocks...JMO).
    
    	But I just may change my tune.  This guitar sounded great,
    I was playing it through an ADA- IPS33(harmoniser) - Redbox.
    The neck action was really fast...I would say 25% faster than my
    strat plus.  (incidently which is now heading off to the neck doctor)
    This model had only one volume and tone control and 5 way switch
    and I think one of the pickups was a humbucker.  
    	There wasn't as much tonal change as my strat when selecting 
    different pick ups but the guitar had a very nice tone, the only
    way I can describe it is "honky" sounded like 500-600 hz boosted.
    
    	The harmoniser was just fantastic....never used one before..
    you have to be very scale oriented (ie no bum passing notes) but sounds
    great for those Meatloaf guitar intros...8^).
    
    	The whammy bar would take some getting used to...and the paint
    job was definately not me ,but....this guitar really made me think
    not to judge things just by their looks or genre(sp) what I would
    have never picked up or considered buying was pretty close to
    the finest guitar I have ever played
    
    
    
    Hmmmm wonder If I will start to like spandex pants????8^).
    P.K.

    Gee PK! 
    
    First ADA, now Ibanez??  I guess next, you'll be slingin' your
    hair around and pouting a lot, eh??  ;-)
    
    I think the Ibanez necks are the best also, but as Greg House and Alan 
    Starr may mention, they aren't for everyone.  Greg mentioned to me
    off line that his hand cramps up cuz the neck isn't a gibson-type
    club.  Way back when Alan mentioned he'd played an RG5%0, I couldn't
    beleive he didn't love the neck...But he's a Gibson/fender guy also.
    
    jc (Who loves his USA Custom, but loves the neck on his 550 better)

    I could not LIVE without my super-fast RG550 neck!!  I've tried all
    the rest, and I've settled on this puppy.  In fact, if I ever switch
    to another guitar, I will most likely have the neck shaved and modified
    to the RG550 specks!!
    
    Cooper owns my old Pink RG550 -- that guitar has the BEST neck in the 
    world IMVHO!!  Coop, I may need to borrow that puppy when I have my
    next guitar built!!  DON'T EVER lose that neck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    
    Buck, who sold that during a momentary lapse of reason

    Don't worry dood, I'll NEVER lose that guitar!  I've had several 
    other RG500 series guitars, plus the USA Custom, and "Alyson" still
    has the best neck of all of 'em!
    
   >>Buck, who sold that during a momentary lapse of reason
    
    For cheap too!!
    
    :-)
 

    I think it all comes down to what you're used to and what you wanna do
    with a guitar.  I loved the Ibanez when I first got it (my 560), but I
    was used to having a slightly thin sound and wanting to burn a lot of
    solos (or as close to "burning" as I get...)  However over time my
    priorities changed and I found that the best guitar for me was a Les
    Paul, because I simply couldn't live without that killer fat rhythm
    sound.  The neck felt a little fat at first (although mine isn't as big
    as a lot of LPs I've played), but I got used to it.  Now when I play
    chords, especially big bar chords on the Ibanez, my left (fretting)
    hand kind of cramps up.  It's just not comfortable anymore.  I will say
    though, that I can still play considerably faster on the Ibanez, but
    that's not that important to me anymore. 
    
    Greg

    >I will say
    >though, that I can still play considerably faster on the Ibanez, but
    >that's not that important to me anymore.
    
    Well said, Greg.  Are the days of measuring a guitar players talent by
    his sheer speed over?  You mean I'm *not* better than Eric Clapton?
    Gee, my "*fingers* move faster than his"....I know, wrong note....
    
    8^)
    
                                 

    Is the EX-170  a good guitar for banging around? 

    EX Series are the cheap version of the RG series...  The pick ups
    are cheese, but they are quite playable.
    
    jc

   ... and if all you're going to do is "bang it around" then the pickups won't
   matter, right?  :-)

   -- Sam

    :-)
    Yea, pickups probably don't matter as much to me as they would to you.
    I can't expect great pickups for 270 bucks. Then again, I could put in
    EMG's or something cheap that would be better. If the guitar is ok.
    In 'banging around' I guess I'd use it as a guitar to take around that
    is road worthy that if I spilt beer or whatever on it, I wouldn't care
    as much about it.
    
    I would assume the whammy on a ex-170 aint quite the whammy on a rg 
    series. I'd rather not have a whammy, but it might be fun except i'd
    probably have to spend time tweaking it and I would be blazing new
    trails in intonation. Figures, 'bout the time excessive whammy use
    becomes out of vogue is about the time I discover it.
    
    Jay

    There's nout wrong with the EX series.....
    
    Jeff is right the pickups are cheese.... Gorgonzola!
    
    I have an EX370 (backup to an RG570), and to be honest, on some songs
    it is a better guitar.... 8*|  I did of course have ta spend about �85
    on a fret dressing, and then spend a couple of hours setting the guitar
    up, but it was definately worth the effort!
    
    Bob

    I had an old (1980) Ibanez RoadStar series guitar. It was $265 new
    then. Nothing fancy, pickups were a little cheezy. I felt the finish on
    the guitar was excellent for the money and never had a problem with 
    the neck or anything. Sure, it didn't sound anywhere as good as my
    friends Yamaha SG2000, but since I only played weddings and dive c&w 
    bars that didn't matter. 
    
    How much trouble are those wammy bars? 
    
    j
    

    Could use some help with this blue RG560.  I think Dave Russo and
    Greg House would recognize it.  I just got it last night via UPS
    from S. Caralina and the E string is a little too close to the neck.
    The trem is not level with the 9's that are on it.  Will adjusting 
    the trem to level raise the strings off the neck slightly?  I've
    owned Fenders and the trem is slightly different.
    
    Any suggestions??
    
    Mark 

    What a whore guitar!!
    8^)

re: .376

>    What a whore guitar!!
>    8^)

Gee Buck, I'm always amazed at the helpfulness of your comments. :-)

-Hal

    Hi Mark,
    
    Sounds like you're the gent that bought my old guitar from Jerry! 
    (outstanding deal, BTW)  Nice guitar, I was sorry to see it go, but I
    needed the funds for other things and had played it infrequently of late,
    so...
          
>    Could use some help with this blue RG560.  I think Dave Russo and
>    Greg House would recognize it.  I just got it last night via UPS
>    from S. Caralina and the E string is a little too close to the neck.
>    The trem is not level with the 9's that are on it.  Will adjusting 
>    the trem to level raise the strings off the neck slightly?  
                                                                          
    I had that guitar set up for .010s.  Jerry's not real good about
    adjusting things, he just kind of strings 'em up and lives with how it
    comes out.
    
    Depending on which way the trem is out of level, the action will either
    come up or down when you adjust it properly.  I'd suggest giving it a
    few days to settle into your climate before doing any extensive
    adjustments unless you're into doing 'em more then once.  Personally, I
    consider setting up a Floyd to be painful enough that I don't like to 
    have to do it more then once.
    
    There are a lot of possible adjustments on a Floyd type trem. 
    Naturally, the first thing you want to do is get the baseplate level by
    adjusting the springs in the back.  Check the truss rod adjustment too,
    'cause it may need a tweek.  The weather here in Colorado is very dry. 
    I told Jerry he'd probably have to have it adjusted after it settled
    into the humid climate down there, but I don't think he actually played
    it very much after the first couple of weeks he got it, and I suspect
    he never had it done.  You can raise and lower the ends of the trem
    with the bolts into the body (the knife edge toggle points) and adjust
    individual string heights a little bit at the saddles.

>I've owned Fenders and the trem is slightly different.           
    
    That's about the understatment of the year...
    
    BTW, was Dave's original receipt for the thing still in the case?  :-)
    
    Greg
         

    Thanks,
    
    Your right it was Jerry's guitar and yes, the receipt was in the case.
    I think it was from Werlitzer Music in Boston or something like that.
    
    The strings are really close to the frets now and only the high E
    bottoms out at the high end.  I'd like to keep the strings close and just
    adjust the E string if I can.  A truss adjustment will change all of
    the strings won't it?  The E only needs an RCH to clear the high frets. 
    
    	Mark

    Greg,
    
    Thanks,  It was the Knife Edge adjustment on the saddle.  I adjusted
    the springs a little tighter to level out the bridge and tweeked the 
    knife edge screw up a little and retuned.  A chromatic tuner helps when
    tuning this set-up.  I also brought the bridge pickup up a little
    closer to the strings for a little more emphasis on the Hb pickup.
    This guitar is great.  Everyone has their own opinion about playing
    ease and sound.  I started playing rock (Chuck Berry, Ventures, Bo
    Didly etc) in 1962 and have heard and played lots of guitars.  I
    think the better Ibanez models, 5XX-7XX, are one of the best deals on
    the market for playing and I can see now why you Ibanez players love
    your guitars so much.
    
    Thanks again Greg,
    
    Mark 

    It's weird the way some people love a particular guitar and other
    people hate it. It seems that Ibanez makes some cool guitars, but I'm
    not a guitarist. As a bass player, I simply cannot stand Ibanez basses.
    They sound awful to me and they feel awful.
    
    The sound seems very thin. It's great for cutting through over-
    enthusiastic guitar players, but who wants a bass that sounds like a
    guitar? Some people claim to like the sound of Ibanez basses, I am
    simply at a loss for what it is they like about them. Buy a bloody
    guitar instead then!
    
    And for the feel. Yuck! Tight string spacing is part of it, but I own
    other basses with tight spacing (like a Steinberger) and don't have the
    same complaints. Maybe it's the thin, guitar-like neck combined with
    tight spacing. The other thing that bugs me is the neck-to-body joint.
    The neck always seems to be much higher than the body, so much so that
    my right hand gets vertigo playing the thing! :-)
    
    From all the Ibanez basses I've tried, I would not keep a single one
    even if it was given to me. Apart from the ultra-cheap crappy Taiwanese
    and Korean instruments, in my opinion, Ibanez ranks near the botoom of
    the bass ladder, with Carvin a close second (another company that seems
    to attract a rabid following that has me at a total loss). Keep 'em!!!
    
    Brian
    The Music Man String Ray/Trace Elliot guy

    re: Mark
    
    Glad it worked out for ya!  I loved that guitar when I first got it. 
    It was exactly what I'd been looking for, but later on, my tastes
    changed and I got another guitar that I ended up playing most of the
    time (a Gibson Les Paul) and found that because of the radical
    differences in the necks, I couldn't switch back and forth between them
    easily.  The Ibanez was great when it was all I played, but it's hard
    for me to switch around.
    
    re: Brian
    
    I always kind of liked Ibanez basses, but...I am a guitar player at
    heart.  On the other hand, you might notice that I don't own an Ibanez
    bass, I own a Fender bass...
    
    Greg
    
     

I just got the 1994 Ibanez catalog, full of great guitars, but no prices.
No phone number either. Can anyone help me out?
MIKE

    
    	Well, I picked up an Artist at the guitar show in R.I. on
    	saturday.  Rick C. and Mark J. told me to buy it so I did... ;^)
    	Also, the guy I sold my 335 was there (he's a luthier) and he
    	checked it out for me too.  Guess it was unanimous that I buy
    	it...
    
    	Anyway, brought it home, cleaned it up, put new strings on it
    	and I LOVE it!!!  There were 3 there but this one has a gorgeous
    	brown curly maple ?? top.  Gold hardware is class city!
    
    	The pickups are great for me too.  Very similar to my ES335 PAF's
    	in that they're soft when you pick soft and have this great
    	growl when you attack 'em.
    
    	The serial # is C825155.  I guess this means it's an 82.  Does
    	anyone know if the 5155 is the model # ??
    
    	It's the one that looks like a double cutaway LP.
    
    	"I got blisters on my fingers..."
    
    	Tom
    

    re: 384
    
    My Artist is SN E850226. There is a label that can be seen through the
    left f-hole - mine says model "AB-200". The "Limited Original
    Purchaser's Warranty" card list's it as model no. AS200AV
    
    I have the 4 page "Electric Guitar & Bass Instruction" booklet that
    details the Gibraltar II bridge and tailpiece. I can make a copy if you
    need it .
    
    regards,
    
    Leo
    
    

    
    	Hi Leo - mine is a solidbody.  It looks like a double
    	cutaway Les Paul.  Since it was used, the original
    	info wasn't included.
    
    	Tom
    

    If you describe the Artist, I can tell you the model - I think
    I've owned three of them over the years...Only thing I didn't
    like about them was they all seemed head-stock-heavy.
    
    Generally, there were three solid bodies made:
    
    AR50 - Plain-Jane, usually painted, two volumes, two tones.
    AR100 - Coil taps
    AR500 -  Super fancy - Coil taps, active electronics, and like six
             knobs.
    
    jc (Who had a 50 anna 500)

    
    	Well, it's 2 vol / 2 tone for 2 humbuckers.  It's gold
    	hardware all around.  It's definitely not plain jain
    	looking, tho.  Beautiful curly maple burst top.
    
    	It's a solid body, double cutaway where they're both the
    	same.  They look just like a double cutaway LP.
    
    	It's kinda heavy too.
    
    	There's no model name other than Artist on that bell thingy
    	on the headstock.
    
    	Tom
    
    

    Tom,
    
    Does your model have the ultra-fancy MOP vine inlay, or the blocks?
    
    PS -- good deal!

	Just got off the phone with Ibanez (thanks to Greg House and
	note 1421.3) wherever he may be...

	It's an '82 AR100 (no coil taps, jc)
	
	Dot-neck
	Gold hardware
	24.75 scale
	22 frets
	Curly Maple Antique Violin top
	Mahogany body
	Laminated rock maple neck
	Rosewood board
	Super '58 pickups

	Original price $665 w/hard case

re: .390

>	Just got off the phone with Ibanez (thanks to Greg House and
>	note 1421.3) wherever he may be...

In kind of a reverse Wizard of Oz twist, Greg House is now in Kansas
(Wichita to be exact).  :-)

-Hal

    re: Tom' AR-100
    
    I had one of those once. It must have been an '82 also. I've always 
    regretted selling that guitar. It did weigh a ton, though.
    
    - Dave

    My mind must be fading....
    
    Glad you got the correct info.  They ARE nice instruments...  Did 
    it come with a case?  I remember my case was inCREDibly plush, like
    moreso than any other case I've had!  Green Velvet inside and about
    3 inches of nice soft padding for it.

    As I recall, this particular AR was not a boat anchor; solid, but
    lighter than I expected when Tom handed it to me.  Too light, and they
    start to sound thin; this seemed like just the right compromise between
    comfort and tone.

    
    	Yep, case too.  But just a generic case - it's the original
    	one, btw.
    
    	It's a bit heavy but not too bad.  It even sounded great thru
    	my crappy Dean Markley practice amp (I sold my Boogie).
    
    	Now I want a new amp!!!  Off to the 5150 combo note... ;^)
    
    

    I recall a lot of people using these guitars back in the late '70s 
    into the early '80 until Strat-mania hit. The ultra-fancy version
    that Buck mentioned is the Bob Weir Model. It has a beautiful vine
    inlay on the headstock and lot's of fancy appointments. There was
    also a double-neck version similar to the one that John McGlaughlin
    used. 
    
    Ibanez came out with these guitars at a time when Gibson Quality
    had hit rock-bottom. The bulk of the Ibanez line at the time was
    Gibson clones. They made a Les Paul copy that was reputed to be 
    just like a good ole '50's LP. I see these occasionally for ~$350. 
    In fact there was a nice one at the show. I've known a couple of 
    people that owned Ibanez 335 copies that were excellant. By 1984,
    Ibanez had shifted gears and the majority of their models were Strat
    styled including the Roadstar and RG-series instruments. I believe
    Ibanez still makes the Artist in limited quantities. They also still
    make the George Benson Models, as well as some nice archtop jazz
    boxes. 
     
    	Enjoy!!
    
    	Mark

    I thought the vine-inlay thingy was the Steve Vai signature
    model... I was just looking at one in a catalog this weekend.
    
    Who'd want a guitar so they could sound like Bob Weir?
    What does it have a special feature that if you buy
    it, you forget how to play? :-) :-)
    
    -b

    If I ever come across a mint condition John Mclaughlin double neck
    model, the thud you hear will be me fainting!

    RE. 397
    
    Now that's funny!!!
    
    Bahhhahaa
    -kev

    The Ibanez Bob Weir came in two versions; the 2681, with tree-of-life
    inlay, a-baloney (plastic) purfling and a usually highly-figured ash
    body; and the 2680, with dots, plain binding and much less of it and
    plainer wood. Both used the standard Artist body shape and had
    intricate headstock outlines similar to the Rex Bogue that Mahavishnu
    was using.
    
    I bought a used 2681 because I wanted a guitar with lots of pearl. It
    was okay--the action was always kind of stiff but it sounded pretty
    good. It weighed about half as much as a Twin Reverb, so it wasn't fun
    to stand up with for four sets. I replaced it with an AR5000, the ne
    plus ultra of over-embellished guitars. I soon decided that
    tree-of-life inlays were too confusing for me and sold that too. Both
    these guitars made me realize that block markers are most user-friendly
    to me, but they were definitely pretty.
    
    Danny W.

    The Ibanez Bob Weir model predates the Steve Vai signature model by at 
    least 15 years. The Steve Vai models (JEM77, etc) have vine inlays, but
    these are Strat-clones with grab handles and wall-paper graphics. The Bob 
    Weir is an artist model, like a Les Paul with double cutaways. 
    
    I have an Ibanez catalog  from 1991-92 which lists 5 Artist models 
    including the AR200, AR300, AM200, AS200, and AF200. The AR200/300
    are solid-bodies. The AM200 and AS200 are semi's and the AF200 is
    fully hollow. 
    
    Mark
    
    

    
    	Btw, the guy at Ibanez said they have a brand new '89 model
    	like mine at the factory.  I didn't ask about if it was for
    	sale or how much though.  
    
    	Thanks for all the info. 
    
    	Tom
    

    I did get to see and play Tom's new guitar yesterday. It is a beautiful
    instrument. Beautiful wood on the top. It's a great looking guitar.
    
    Plays sort of like a Les Paul. The action was a bit stiff, but was
    still very easy to play.
    Had a nice wide neck. Didn't hear it through an amp cause I was 
    sitting in Tom's office...couldn't exactly crank it up.
    
    I certainly wouldn't mind owning one of those....I'm jealous...
    
    Congratulations Tom....

    That's what I love to see -- this conference all drooling over an
    I-word axe!!

    buy my RG550!

    So, current conference Ibanez players are:
    
    - Tom Desrochers
    - Bill Buckley
    - Jeff Cooper
    - Mike Heiser
    - Who Else ???
    
    
    Some past owners:
    
    - Greg House
    - Dave Clark
    - Dave Russo
    - Jerry White

    $250

I came real close to buying a 570 once, once!

dbii

    RG550's are only worth $250 now?  My Kitty Hawk is probably worth the
    same.  I'll never get what I want at this rate.

    
    	Btw, my new Artist is on page 31 in the Jan. 95 issue of GP
    	with the Black Crowes on the cover.
    
    	It's in the Pawnshop Prizes article under Deal o' the month.
    	Also, this month's GP has a letter from a guy telling them
    	to shut up about that guitar so they don't raise the prices.
    
    	The one in the pic is blonde where mine is a brown burst.
    
    	Tom
    

>>    <<< Note 1413.405 by POWDML::BUCKLEY "you'll be gone tomorrow..." >>>

>>    So, current conference Ibanez players are:
    
>>    - Tom Desrochers
>>    - Bill Buckley
>>    - Jeff Cooper
>>    - Mike Heiser
>>    - Who Else ???
    
    
>>    Some past owners:
    
>>    - Greg House
>>    - Dave Clark
>>    - Dave Russo
>>    - Jerry White


I'm currently using an Ibanez "CT" bass w/ EMG P/J's.  Do I count? :-)))

Joe

    How about if you use an Ibanez Tube Screamer?
    

>I'm currently using an Ibanez "CT" bass w/ EMG P/J's.  Do I count? :-)))

   Me, too.  CT5B, to be exact.  (My five string.)  I use my Steinberger 
   more often now, but the I-word bass still gets dusted off occasionally.

   -- Sam

     <<< Note 1413.413 by GOES11::LAMBERT "Sam, Storage Mgmt. S/W @CXO" >>>


How do you like the Steini?  That's one bass I don't remember trying.

   -- Sam

    RE: 1413.412
    
    	I do!  I do!    ;^)
    
    
    		Fred (who also has a Ibz  Chorus, DDelay and Comp)
    

   re: .414 (How do I like the Steini?)

   Well, as I mentioned, it has replaced the Ibenhad :-) 5 string as the axe
   of choice for day-2-day stuff.  It (the Stein) is completely stable;  it
   rarely even goes out of tune.  I have the XM-2 model, with the full sized
   body and graphite neck.  Looks ugly as sin (or so says my wife), but plays
   like a dream.  And the EMG humbuckers don't sound too shabby, either!

   Thank you, Bill Knox!

   -- Sam

Re: 'who owns Ibenez'...

    I have one.  It's a 750, i think.  I cannot keep all the numbers
    straight.  Sort of a strat style with D-S-D, 24-fret neck, etc. -
    typical Ibenez characteristics.  I never have been happy with the
    sound, but it is a great playing guitar.  It is probably the best
    guitar I've owned in terms of playability.

    steve

    		Hello all,
    
       I've looked through this and other notes, but can't find an
    answer... I have an Ibanez "Musician" guitar which I bought used many years
    ago..... I play mostly acoustic fingerstyle, but I pull out the Ibanez
    when I want to jam electric along with Carlos or Jerry Garcia... :^). My
    question is, is this guitar also known by a number? I see many
    references to 350's, 550's, etc., and tried looking my guitar up in a
    used guitar pricebook, but all references were numeric.
    
       It's the model with 24 frets, neck-through-the-body (infinite
    sustain), and all brass-gold-colored trim/bridge/nut. Serial # is
    A785606.... does that mean it's a "560" from 1978? I haven't a clue...
    The body weighs a ton, but the neck plays like a dream.... 
    
       On another note; since it plays so nicely, I plan on keeping it, but
    the electronics could stand some upgrading. Any reccomendations for
    pickups for playing in the above guitarist's styles? Although I imagine
    Jerry and Carlos will probably be a world apart, and until I trade my
    amp (also an Ibanez) for a Mesa, I won't give Carlos *too* much worry
    as a usurper... :^)
    
    		Many thanks,
    
    -chuck
    

    Sounds like an "Artist" to me....  AR50-AR100-AR500??
    
    Sort've like a les-paul, with two cutaways?
    

    Just FYI - RG series (550/560/570/750/760/770) guitars are all
    strat-shredder-point_headstocked fiddles...And are simply too cool
    and too cost effective folks NOT to own one or two.

    
    Guitars? OK cool.
    
    Basses? WRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCHCHHHHHHHHHHH!
    
    JMHO of course...
    
    -b

    I agree. This sounds like one of the Artist models. These are very cool
    guitars. Tom Desrochers has been raving about his. When these guitars
    were made in the late 70's/early 80's they were considered to be much
    better players than real Les Pauls that were being made at the time.
    Gibson quality was at an all-time low. 
    
    There was a big write-up in Guitar Player a few months ago about Jerry
    Garcia's many guitars. Most of the guitars he played over the last 15
    years have had hum-single-hum configurations (2 humbuckers with a
    single-coil in between). If I remember correctly, the humbuckers were
    Dimarzio Super Distortions. His guitars were wired really wierd with
    built-in efx loops, and unity gain buffers. Your mileage may vary. 
    Jerry also played through one of the most convoluted amp/efx rigs I've
    ever seen. He had a bunch of old MXR and Mutron stomp boxes mounted
    in a rack and drove them into a Twin Reverb. The Twin was lined-out to
    a MacIntosh MC2300 tube amp driving an Alembic cabinet full of JBL 
    speakers. Not your run-of-the-mill guitar rig.
    
    Carlos on the other hand is a lot more straight forward. He uses a few
    efx into a Mesa Boogie Mark I combo. He generally plays either a Les
    Paul or Paul Reed Smith guitar.
    
    There is a bumper crop of pickups out there and there is really no way
    of knowing how they will sound in your guitar until you install them 
    and try it. Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, Barden, PRS, Carvin, Bill
    Lawrence, and many other manufacturers all make humbucking pickups in
    various styles. Before swapping pickups, you probably ought to play
    this guitar through a good tube amp. You might decide to keep the
    guitar stock and replace the amp.
    
    Mark

    A bit off the track but...
    
    The person who won the recent GP "Win Carlos Santana's Rig" giveaway
    dumped all his prizes at Daddy's in Shrewsbury to sell.  Supposedly he
    didn't even open the stuff; just carted it off to Daddy's for some
    cash.  The PRS Custom is gone, but they still have the Mesa MK1 stack;
    a MKI re-issue combo and matching 1x12 cab, in hardwood cab with wicker
    grill.  Very nice!
    
    /rick
    

    RE: Ibanez Artists
    
    I had a couple of 'em.  Wicked nice playing/sounding.  My only gripe
    was that they were "headstock heavy" when standing up (which with 
    me is always).
    
    Love those booger-hardwood cabs with the wicker grills!!

    	Thanks for the responses so far... Mayhaps the "A" in the serial #
    stands for "Artist". The Neck adjustment cover on the head says
    "Musician". Was there an "Artist Musician" model? Whatever it is, it 
    *does* play exceptionally well. But if anyone knows for _certain_ what 
    she is, I would still appreciate the feedback, just so's I can say in
    the future, "Yup, I've got one of them there extremely cool Ibanez
    mumblefratzes", and watch the owners of vintage Strats and Pauls turn
    green with envy..... Well, maybe not... :^)
    
    		thanks,
    
    -chuck
    

    	Or, if anyone knows of an Ibanez "hotline" number I could call to
    verify the model, that would be great too....
    
    -chuck
    

>    Just FYI - RG series (550/560/570/750/760/770) guitars are all
>    strat-shredder-point_headstocked fiddles...And are simply too cool
>    and too cost effective folks NOT to own one or two.
    
    Call me blasphemous but if mine wasn't stolen it would've been replaced
    anyway.  The longer I had it the less I played it.  It's probably my
    fault for changing musical interests all the time ;-)
    
    Mike

    The "Musician" series is not the same as the "Artist" series. The
        former are Alembic-style neck-through-body types, while the Artists
    are
        like double-cut Les Pauls.
    
        There were MC 100, 200, 300, 400 & 500s, in increasing order of
    fanciness.
        With gold plating and passive electronics, it would be an MC 300.
    
    Danny W.
    

    	Great, many thanks for the reference... MC300 it is...
    
    -chuck
    

    
    The 10th Anniversary Ibanez Jem is out.  Seems like only yesterday
    when these wierd-ass looking things were introduced.
    
    Haven't seen one yet so I don't know what the deal is.
    
    Kev --
    

    
    I'm droolin!!!

    
    
      RE: -.1
    
    
      Buckmeister - quit droolin and go play your JMP-100 !!!!
    
    

    Sorry B{}{}M, but I've GOTTA HAVE one of those new 10th Anniversary JEM
    geetars in vivid black!!!

    I bet they smoulder...  I love my ibanezzzzzz'zz even after years of
    playing 'em...
    
    jc

    RE: .433
    
      OK Buck - go for it. I was looking at the JEM-555 in the local music
    store myself. But I'm still infactuated with my Hamer Archtop Studio 
    (and I haven't broken the neck, yet!). I need some of that JC "regular
    model of restraint" stuff for my GTS.
    
      What I really am looking at is the Takamine SantaFe model that the 
    same music store has marked down considerably because it is last years 
    model. (Anybody wanna buy an Ovation 88 collectors series?).
    
    							-ouch-

    Actually, I may be SELLING some stuff soon vs. BUYING...
    
    Recently got a call from my local Harley dealership -- my shiney new
    '96 RLHR is in and waiting to be picked up.  Time to lay out some 
    serious cash for a different kind of heavy metal...
    
    8^)

    re:.435 (BoOm)
    
    You talking about ME, bub?!
    :-)

    
    
      RE: .437 (jc) Yeah - you were the "regular model of restraint" weren't 
    you. Actually you've been quiet as far as GTS acquisitions lately.
    Weren't you doing some adds-ons to your recording gear?
    
    								-{B[][]M}- 
      
    							

    Recording gear?  Whats that?
    :-)
    
    Other than the Crate Vintage amp I snarfed, and a couple stomps (thanks
    Buck!), I *have* been quiet (well, toy wise anyway - I *still* like it
    loud.
    :)

    
    I tried out the Joe Satriani signature model (JS-something-or-other)
    at FM Music (or Acton Music..whatever) through that Peavey 5150 combo
    and was impressed.  The Ibanez played very, very nicely...hadn't a
    problem getting into it at all.  I liked the solo tones I was getting
    with the 3-way switch.  Matched with the high gain (holy smokes!) 
    tone out of that 5150 combo and things were good.
    
    BTW, what's the story with this store (Leominster, Mass., near
    Searstown)?  I asked the only guy working a few questions about the
    axe in hand [like "What's the wood type here?" -and- "What model
    humbucker is this?] ..only to get a replies like "Not sure".
    
    I've also had some problems getting ordered sheet music here.  Anyone
    else have some problems with this store?
    
    Kev --
    

   Is this the new "Acton Music" in Leominster?  If so, lemme know.  I
   know the people who run the chain, and will let them know.

   -- Sam

    FM Music was founded by Dave Rivers. Dave used to work for Jerry
    Martel at Fitchburg Music. Dave worked for Jerry for years and
    managed to keep most of the regular customers happy, despite Jerry's
    slipshot tactics. After Jerry closed out his store, Dave assumed
    ownership of Fitchburg Music in the original location on Main St. 
    The neighborhood got rougher and there was a murder right out in
    front one day. That's when Dave decided to move to Leominster.
    The name FM is short for Fitchburg Music. 
    
    Dave is good to deal with, but quite laid back. He doesn't have
    the kind of capital needed to compete with Boston stores as far 
    as having lots of major franchises, and a huge inventory/selection. 
    He has had the Peavey franchise for years and has outfitted many 
    area bands with Peavey sound systems. I suppose it could be worse.
    In many stores, if they don't know the answer to a question they
    will try to baffle you with BS.
    
    Mark

My guess is the guy that said "Not Sure" was Ray, the Drum
guy...

I know Dave VERY Well, (He's the other guitar player in
my current group) and all of what Mark said is the
way it went...   I've known Dave for quite a few years.
Great guy...  

Dave (and Al,) are usually right on top of the merchandise
and can talk to you at any level...

I've ordered all kinds of stuff from dave (from Amp stands
to Guitars) and he's always gotten the stuff when he said
he'd get it, no suprises.

This is where I bought my Sheraton, and my VC30, and I feel
that I got very fair prices on both.  (in fact, he just about
met, buck for buck, the guitar centers price on my sheraton,
sure a few dollars more, but the place is 2 miles from my house.)

    Speaking of vintage, I just read somewhere that Ibanez is "re-issuing"
    the RG550.  I guess it was off the market for a couple of years and
    popular demand is bringing it back.  The re-issue has an assymetric
    neck profile (did the original have this?) where the neck is slightly
    thicker on the bass side than on the treble.  I've seen this idea on
    a couple of high-end basses, most notably Tobias, and it really works
    well there.  Looks like it might be a good idea to hang on to those
    "original issue" 550's.
    
    /rick
    

    
    I've still got my mint hot-pink 550.  I don't think it has an asym neck
    tho.
    
    Thanks Buck.  Hey, do you know when you bought that thing?
    

I still have my '79 MC400 (with tri77s, and active circ.)

I wonder if that's considered 'Vintage' ?

I do know they're pretty rare, Ibanez didn't make that
many of these, and they were out of production soon
after 1979... 5 piece lam. Neck thru, ebony finger
board, jumbo frets, coil/phase/humbucker selectors
for each pickup.. pretty hot axe, I don't think I'll
ever part with it, although I don't play it much
these days, me and this axe go WAY back...


any ideas...

/pelks..

    Coop,
    
    You have a first-run production RG550, circa 1986-87 (I forget!)

    I still love that guitar...
    
    The smokin'-est neck on the planet.
    :-)

    -1
    
    I know -- I want it BACK!!  8^)

    Ya know, I ALMOST feel guilty...
    ...Almost.
    :-)

    Recently I was in a store in St Louis. I saw a George Benson GB-10
    hanging on the wall. The workmanship seemed lacking as I looked at it.
    The pickguard was simple plastic instead of tortoise shell and secured
    by funcky looking brass wood screws. The finish had a crude look.
    
    I took it down to play, and asked the price. The sales droid told me it
    was $1200. I scratched my head until I looked at the back of the neck
    and saw a "Made in Korea" label.
    
    Now this is interesting. Other manufacturers (i.e. Fender, Gibson,
    Steinberger, etc) have introduced imported, lower cost guitars, but
    always as distinct lines with different markings than the prime models
    (Think Epiphone, Squire, and Spirit). Ibanez simply changed the
    manufacturing locations and used lower quality specs for a model in the 
    existing line.
    
    So beware when you look at new Ibanez models. Since then I've seen a
    Korean made Pat Metheny guitar as well. I don't know how widespread
    this practice is.