strange USA custom

[psychoshredder]

So I just got this new addition to the family.
It looks like a normal USA custom graphic 'STREETWISE' :



but, here are the strange things about it :
neck heel is RG5XX type, not typical USA custom neck heel.


tuning machine is right handed tuning machine on a reversed headstock. no aftermarket modification.


Serial no is F03XXXX, with Bensalem neck plate.
others are normal : EDGE tremolo, Ibz-Usa F2-C2-C2, and push pull tone pot.

Any comments?

[Jamm'n Jimmy]

Looks correct to me, Not all USAC had AANJ's..

[AlaskaBat]

Originally Posted by Jamm'n Jimmy

Looks correct to me, Not all USAC had AANJ's..

I didn't think any of them had AANJ--since these were out several years before.
Edit--I did notice that some of the 93s had the AANJ option, but the one in question is a few years older.
That heel and contour are exactly as they should be.

[Fastmerc]

My streetwise is square heel nothing abnormal about that. The reverse tuners are strange, but someone may have asked for them, or they didn't have any left handed ones when they put the guitar together.

[Takin' a Ride]

It looks like some sort of transitional guitar. It has the 91-92 logo and I know that they transitioned to the AANJ that year, but I've never seen that logo on a square heel neck. Perhaps they stopped producing bodies with Jem-style contour heel, so they used an RG560 body?

The tuners I have to assume is a mistake.

[psychoshredder]

No, I don't mean the AANJ.
All others my USAC has JEM-type neck join like this:


And now the streetwise has RG5XX type neck join.
I assume all USAC with square heel neck join will have the JEM-type heel.
That is something abnormal about my streetwise.

[Fastmerc]

Ahhh...I see what you are saying now. That prompted me to go look at my 2 usa customs and you are correct they both have the cutaways like the second pic. Hmmm...interesting.

I also just noticed your graphic has a burst/fade line, where as my streetwise the painted graphic continues down the side of the guitar. Maybe someone took a 560 body and had a streetwise print put on the top, then painted and cleared?

Sweet guitar none the less

[RGTFanatic]

weird..... I can see the tilt joint being on there if it is a transitional guitar as Jesse said, but those tuners HAVE to be original.............Again, like Jesse said, it's a weird factory mistake.

Are any of your other USAC's '91 or later and still have a full contour heel?

[psychoshredder]

Yes Ryc, All the other 4 USAC I have had JEM-style neck heel.

[psychoshredder]

Originally Posted by Takin' a Ride

It looks like some sort of transitional guitar. It has the 91-92 logo and I know that they transitioned to the AANJ that year, but I've never seen that logo on a square heel neck. Perhaps they stopped producing bodies with Jem-style contour heel, so they used an RG560 body?

The tuners I have to assume is a mistake.

Hi Jesse, my other USAC 'predator' also has square heel neck join with 'BIG ibanez USA custom logo'.
And the serial no. is also F03XX..

Yeah, I guess the funny streetwise is the guitar they built from whatever available at their shop on that moment, maybe the customer could not wait to get correct parts shipped from Japan, so they use whatever they have in hands.. LOL.

[B.B.A.]

Never really thought about the neck heel before. My 1989 ML looks like this:

[psychoshredder]

so..yes, looks like they grabbed whatever they can get to make a usa custom.
if jem-style neck heel is not around, RG5XX body will do too!!

[IbanezFreak777]

Some usacs used the 500 series bodies, and sometimes used the 700 series bodies !!

its legit, iv owned that exact Usac and its right on the money !!

[Takin' a Ride]

500 Series and 700 Series are the same thing. The difference between the two is in the necks, hardware and electronics. Most UCGR's use essentially a rear route Jem body, without all the fancy Jem routing. They're sort of a mix of a few different things.

Hardware could be black (typical of 500 Series) or cosmo (700 Series).
Pickups were either IBZUSA (700 Series) or DiMarzio (signature models)
Inlays could be dots (500 Series) or sharkfins (700 Series)

Oddly enough the ones I've seen have all had DiMarzio pots and 5-way switches rather than the typical Ibanez stuff.

[Jamm'n Jimmy]

Originally Posted by AlaskaBat

I didn't think any of them had AANJ--since these were out several years before.
Edit--I did notice that some of the 93s had the AANJ option, but the one in question is a few years older.
That heel and contour are exactly as they should be.

I have a 92 The Angels Depart, thats AANJ