'88 jem questions

[Elliseye]

i have a 88 777dy jem that i'm looking to fix up. there are a few parts that the guitar is missing so i thought that i'd ask if anyone knows exact specs on these parts as if they are identical to new ibanez parts i will just purchase them as i'm impatient.lol. pics with descriptions would be great

1.first up is the knobs, is there anything different from the new dimarzio green knobs than the old ones. i know rich has a set up on ibanezrules for like $50 NOS but i really don't want to spend that much on a set of knobs.

2. locking nut. i have the bottom half of the nut it's just the top pressure pads that are missing from the guitar. i don't know if these are radiused at all or if there are anything special about them compared to the newer ones.

3. trem cavity plate. are the screw holes lined up the same as on the jem replacement ones. i'm probably going to pick up two of these as i love the newer quick access ones so i don't wear out the screw holes

4. pickups. yes i know what is stock but is the bridge pickup an f-spaced model, as well, is the neck one, making them interchangable?

5. case. i know that the jem fits in the uv100 case but what was the stock hardshell like and does anyone know where i can find one

thanks
Andrew

[GilkyBear]

1. Don't know on the knobs, they all seem to be hard to come by. I don't think Ibanez makes them anymore. You can find them occasionally on the bay.
2. You can get the pressure pads from Rich pretty cheap, go to 'parts' and then nut parts. They pop up from time to time on the bay as well.
3. No idea.
4. I believe the bridge and neck were both Floyd spaced.
5. The original correct case is the Jem1000C, they switched in '90 to accomodate the longer UV 7 strings. http://www.ibanezrules.com/used.htm#Cases They are hard to come by, especially in good condition.

I guarantee you they wouldn't be those prices if they were easy to come by. I bought 2 cases from Rich about a month ago, and about a week after I got them there was another one on the bay, not even in as good of condition. It sold for much higher than I paid for either of the ones I got from Rich. You will hunt for a long time to try to 1. find what you are looking for, and 2. to do better than Rich. In the end, you will save yourself a lot of headache and time by just getting it from Rich to begin with.

Don't just take my word for it, anyone who has dealt with Rich will tell you the same thing...

[Elliseye]

figured out the case thing thanks to ibanezrules.com. i missed the case part in the used section. thanks rich

[Elliseye]

i understand about the parts not being easy to find. i'm currently looking for an 88 dimarzio paf pro and i swear finding the bermuda triangle is looking more promising. (which by the way if anyone has a pink paf pro from pre 1990 (i believe that's when the die was changed) send me a pm)
the knobs are my only real issue as i don't get why they are that much, allparts sells green knobs and so does dimarzio, what is the difference, is it a different hue or something else?
there's a big clearance sale up where i am next month for daddy's junky music and most likely afterwards i'll pick up a jem case. i love this guitar, i've played it at my last two gigs and it just fits like a glove so i'm trying to bring it back to at least semi original specs.

[GilkyBear]

Depends on how important the knobs are to you. My BFP for example, I couldn't find knobs that were near the right color from anyone else, but it was very important for me to have the right color. I'm sure you can find some that are close, but how close is acceptable is up to you. I think the "neon" colored knobs were particularly hard to imitate and find elsewhere. If it is a gigging guitar maybe just bright green will do the job, depends on what you are after though. Some want it to be "as original", I prefer that if I have the choice.

[GilkyBear]

By the way, the rear trem cover and the full locking nut in cosmo black are on the bay right now.

[Elliseye]

i have an added question now. on my 88 the neck pickup has small holes between each of the pole pieces ( as in 0.0.0.0.0.0.)
i keep seeing other 88's that use the more recent die in regards to the holes (0.0000.0) what gives? i'm looking for the bridge pickup for this one and it's looking bleaker and bleaker with each detail i have found. are there any real differences between the stock paf pro's in the 777 series and the dimarzio retail versions, anything at all, bottom plate, pickup thickness, anything at all?