Any views on Edge Zero Bridge ?

[Homebake]

Originally Posted by Rich

Is there some reason you're defending it's honor like you designed it?

not really, just the fact everyone here seems to say it can't stay in tune, is built terribly and doesn't work or something.

i suppose since you work a hell of a lot on guitars the fine tuners matter in that case. still, i like em.

what do you mean about the bathtub route?

[sixstringer]

I am very amused to see the passionate love and hate messages on this forum on the EZ bridge. There are people who swear and people who humbly accept.I am sure there is a some-what intelligent designer in Ibanez who churns out these ****y designs for us to debate on. However look at it objectively. Not all inventions can be tested in the lab, its us (guitar players) who give the feedback. I own a Gibson SG, PRS Custom SE, Jackson DK2M (OFR) and Ibanez 2550Z's.

I scouted 6 months on all forums trying to get a review, and finally picked up not 1 but 2 RG2550Z - GK, GW, although the positive feedback on the Edge pro and Lo pro were more than the EZ, I went in for it as the neck is perhaps the best in the all the prestige models. Let me tell you having owned it for 1 year now, I have faced no tuning problems. The trem is stable and does what it says. If you want butter finger like trem bar action, hire a guitar technician while touring to tune it after your fireworks.

Every one who knows how to do the Vai like Chopping tremolo tricks knows that you cannot bend on the 3rd string and play the 2nd in tune with those soft springs. It wont happen in a EZ until you hit 2 notes up. I make a living as a teacher and guitar technician teaching students how to tune floating bridges - yes there is a market for teaching how to tune as well. Ignorance is the key word here. AS one forum member said, "Its rather a resilience to something new" I have to agree 100% with it. I have used OFRs, EDGE III, EDGE PRO and LO PRO and this is equally super. It is well built comes in oxidised shiny hardware, and is simple to adjust and work with. As with different trems you need to get used to it. Thats why I picked up two axes so that both guitars have the same trem systems and I dont have a problem in case I have to switch to my back up.

The pick ups are not upto the mark. But you can over come the harshness but putting a good EQ after your distortion chain. I swapped the GK with a Evolution in the Bridge and the GW with a Super distortion --- EVos for those tone intensive songs and ballads - scorpions, Garry Moore, vai, satriani and super distortion for Maiden / Sabbath etc.

I have no qualm, how ever i wont buy another RG2550, I will definitly buy a Prestige Ibanez but some other model if it this RG2550Z was lost.

[Homebake]

Originally Posted by sixstringer

I am very amused to see the passionate love and hate messages on this forum on the EZ bridge. There are people who swear and people who humbly accept.I am sure there is a some-what intelligent designer in Ibanez who churns out these ****y designs for us to debate on. However look at it objectively. Not all inventions can be tested in the lab, its us (guitar players) who give the feedback. I own a Gibson SG, PRS Custom SE, Jackson DK2M (OFR) and Ibanez 2550Z's.

I scouted 6 months on all forums trying to get a review, and finally picked up not 1 but 2 RG2550Z - GK, GW, although the positive feedback on the Edge pro and Lo pro were more than the EZ, I went in for it as the neck is perhaps the best in the all the prestige models. Let me tell you having owned it for 1 year now, I have faced no tuning problems. The trem is stable and does what it says. If you want butter finger like trem bar action, hire a guitar technician while touring to tune it after your fireworks.

Every one who knows how to do the Vai like Chopping tremolo tricks knows that you cannot bend on the 3rd string and play the 2nd in tune with those soft springs. It wont happen in a EZ until you hit 2 notes up. I make a living as a teacher and guitar technician teaching students how to tune floating bridges - yes there is a market for teaching how to tune as well. Ignorance is the key word here. AS one forum member said, "Its rather a resilience to something new" I have to agree 100% with it. I have used OFRs, EDGE III, EDGE PRO and LO PRO and this is equally super. It is well built comes in oxidised shiny hardware, and is simple to adjust and work with. As with different trems you need to get used to it. Thats why I picked up two axes so that both guitars have the same trem systems and I dont have a problem in case I have to switch to my back up.

The pick ups are not upto the mark. But you can over come the harshness but putting a good EQ after your distortion chain. I swapped the GK with a Evolution in the Bridge and the GW with a Super distortion --- EVos for those tone intensive songs and ballads - scorpions, Garry Moore, vai, satriani and super distortion for Maiden / Sabbath etc.

I have no qualm, how ever i wont buy another RG2550, I will definitly buy a Prestige Ibanez but some other model if it this RG2550Z was lost.

agreed.

a big issue people have with the EZ is that it's chinese-made as opposed to the other previous edge/lo pro/edge pro.

[Rich]

It stays in tune very well as a free floater, but I have problems with some in ZPS, and if I do, others are also.

You never noticed the 1" long rout behind it, and that no other guitar has that?

[Homebake]

oh, yeah, the pull up route as i call it. yeah, i thought it was cool lol.

just a random question, i noticed in the namm 2008 photos of the EZ, and on the website photos, the knife edge's aren't parallel with the studs?

the manual tells you to make sure the trem block is touching the ZPS bar and that the bar is in it's grooves, and even on 10-46s, when you fulfill those criteria the knife edges aren't 100% level? i mean, i think even with 9-42s, with the bridge parallel to the guitar, the ZPS function wouldn't be working.

the manual also says:

"now, the best position is with the arm down very slightly, not up (a balance of about 3:7), so turn the adjustment knob and adjust it to this position"

not quite sure what any of that means. i've had it set up completely parallel to the guitar and with it raised up very slightly (as i've seen in pics and how it's set when the trem block touches the bar and the bar's in it's grooves) and i can't notice any difference in tuning stability.

[NeglectedField]

I tried an RG2550Z, seemed nice enough. Comfortable enough on the palm and all. Quite good as well, I think knife-edge suits the profile of an RG better than the chunkier ball-bearing system as seen on the S'es, who have a more contoured body so it doesn't look weird. Because I'm too lazy to fit Hipshot Tremsetters to OFR guitars, I'm probably going to be sticking with Ibanez for the foreseeable future.

[Rich]

Another one of MY problems with the EZ, is the angle for setup. With ZPS in it's at one angle, which the knives are not perpendicular to the studs, and there is no reference to keep the angle correct except the ZPS bar. What you set it up without the ZPS bar, you set it up dead flat, with the knives perpendicular. The difference between the 2 is bridge radius will change a little with the angle [as well as action and the redundantly apparent differences].

[rvai]

I don´t own any guitar with an EZ, but I´ve tried some and it felt kind of stiff, but I didn´t notice any tuning problems, it stayed in tune well

[scotteggshell]

I've had a guitar with the EZ bridge for 3 weeks now.

The only other Ibanez bridge I've used is the Lo Pro 7. In a couple weeks or so I should be getting a guitar with an EP so I will be able to do a better comparison then.

This is what I have found.
1) The ZPS thing kinda sucks. It makes the trem super heavy and sometimes
doesnt rtz. But easy enough to fix - Pull the bar out.
2) Fine tuners are AWFUL. No more needs said
3) When you take a string off the saddle piece rattles like death and feels like a piece tin. I dont think this is causing problems(yet), but anyting loose on anything vibrating is asking for trouble
4) With the ZPS out the Bridge actually works OK
5) I like the adjustment knob on the spring claw. I know I probably shouldn't do it but if the whole gtr is a bit flat or sharp (due to temp etc) I will kinda gross tune the whole gtr with the adjuster. I've marked the positions tho so I can reset it when I have more time to keep the trem angle proper .
6) The intonation tool works as it should. - Nice
7) I am concerned with the lack of Mass in the bridge. I will know more when I get the EP fitted gtr. Dont they call the bit that the springs hook into a "sustain Block" ? Why is it so small on the EZ ?
Used to be you could have 2 /3 / 4 springs and control the tension, how can you do that with the EZ?.

Scott

[nuno]

Originally Posted by scotteggshell

and sometimes doesnt rtz...

rtz? Returns To Zero?
it takes a lot more for us to get what you mean than for you to type it. make that little effort, please.

[scotteggshell]

Originally Posted by nuno

rtz? Returns To Zero?
it takes a lot more for us to get what you mean than for you to type it. make that little effort, please.

OK sorry.

RTZ = Real Tight Zoot
= Ridiculously Textured Zebras
= Right Thought Zarathustra

Or My favorite and yours. Return To Zero

S

[Rich]

Wow, sounds like a list of my complaints

[rob777vdy]

ive just got my rg2550z today.ive just had a good 3 hours play on it.as far as the trem goes its seems ok.i tuned up then used fine tuners no probs stays in tune nicely,im not into heavy trem abuse.but if rich says this trem has issues then i wouldnt argue with that,as hes had more experiance with these than me and he knows his stuff.ill give it time but if this edge zero gives me any problems its coming straight off,had 12 years of tuning problems with a lo-trs aint going through all that again.rich would a lo-pro or any other decent trem fit in a rg2550z.

[PBGas]

In any case, both Anton and Rich are pretty correct in their sharing of the shortcomings of this bridge. I am the proud owner of 2 J-Customs with this bridge on it. Now, I haven't had a lot of the issues with tuning that some others have had. I will agree with Rich that the fine tuners are an issue and are poor. He sees an awful lot of these guitars and thus it's pretty hard to argue with that much experience and knowledge. However, one can't argue with the great ease of intonating this bridge over the EP bridge. It's a nice setup for that. I've balanced mine to the point where it does come back true and in tune on my strobe but I've got it pretty darn stiff on the pull up to help keep the strings somewhat in tune in case you break one.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by PBGas

but I've got it pretty darn stiff on the pull up to help keep the strings somewhat in tune in case you break one.

How do you have it stiff on pull up? There's is nothing on that side of the block to stiffen it.