Ibanez Roadstar II series question

[Societysucks]

I've had this thing for as long as I care to renember and I'd like to know what year it's from



Cheers for any info,

Spike.

[the.godfather]

I would have thought it was most defenitely late 80's. I am not too sure about the Roadstar series.

I never knew they came with a decent tremelo system though. That looks like an Edge trem on that thing, they come up on Ebay quite regularly but I have never seen one with an Edge.

I wouldnt mind picking up one of those on a whim.

Gary - The.Godfather

[darren wilson]

I believe that's a 1986 RG440 in Pearl Blue. It's a model in the Roadstar II Deluxe Series.

That's a lot like my first guitar, a white 1985 RS440, which was a year before they introduced the Edge trem.

[frankfalbo]

I've had them in the past and right now I have one with a Proline neck, and I used that neck on a Radius. Then I have one that's in pieces which will probably get a maple neck. They are great guitars, and I love the necks. They remind me of a Music Man neck, even somewhat EVH like. But the nut is a little wider. They had them with the pro-rocker trems, chrome edges, and black edges. My favorite is the one with the burgundy reverse sunbursted edges. That's the one I have. I had it many years ago and only recently got this one from zoner. The humbuckers are crumby but they sound good split with the singles.

[IbanezroadstarII]

I have an 83 Ibanez RS315... and I love the roadstar Series... thats NOT a deluxe. tell me the serial number and I can tell you the exact year.

[dex]

Then I guess what Darren posted and you can see with your eyes here

http://ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1986/p08.jpg

is not true?.............
Weird - it looks spot on.

ilia

[Societysucks]

Serial is.....

F700745

[frankfalbo]

Its a deluxe.

[zoner]

In '86 when the Edge became the top trem system, there were several models that were avaiable so equipped. I have 3 currently and find them to be an incredible value on the used market, so I can't stop myself from buying them . The oil finished necks on the RG440's are really sweet-very JS like in profile and sooo smooth. I agree with Frank, the pickups in humbucking mode are lacking, but stock pickups are an easy thing to ditch. I have a RG525 that is a 24 fret version of a JS as far as I'm concerned, and I have a RG530 with a bound flame Maple top as well-both stock with Edge trems and both are killer guitars that were less than $200 each with cases (the 530 is almost spotless). The build quality of that era was pretty swell too. IMHO, Roadstars rule for inexpensive guits. Why buy a Chinese slave-made, no resale value plank when these are available cheaper? My $.02. Z

[Societysucks]

only bad thing about those guitars is thier ungodly large neck joints, it feels like the whole guitar is too wide...

other than that great playing axes,

[frankfalbo]

It's not really any different than a strat. But the funny thing is, I just now finished routing my neck pocket deeper in zoner's old 440 that I have the proline neck on. I routed it about 3/16" deeper so the fretboard is almost touching the pickguard, but then I also routed a neck angle into it so the bridge is relatively in the same place. I did recess the trem a little already, about 1/8". It's much better that way. I've done this to mod to almost all my Roadstars over the years. I was just thinking as I was routing it that they all should've been like this from the factory. But it was the early locking trem days, and really before recessed trems. Even the Prolines had flush mount trems. Sometimes I've routed them so that I had to cut the fretboard extension shape into the pickguard. But then its too low because the knobs get in the way when the strings sit that close to the pickguard. Just taking them down 3/16" is enough to get a better feel in the upper register.

[frankfalbo]

By the way, it now has White Gold Proline hardware, a new pickguard for H/S/H routing with no mounting rings, and PAF Pro/S1/Rio Grande BBQ pickups. You'd hardly recognize it zoner!

[IbanezroadstarII]

Originally Posted by frankfalbo

Its a deluxe.

the deluxes had NO PICKGAURD and a burst finish. either Blue Horizen or cherry burst. its the DX series... not Deluxe. they also had binding around the body and a one peice neck.

[darren wilson]

You are correct. My brain mistakenly transposed "DX Series" to "Deluxe Series".

[Societysucks]

That would apear to clear that up.

cheers guys,
Spike