Ultra neck with maple fretboard - from what?

[stratoskier]

Hi,
I picked up a 22-fret Ibanez neck with a maple board awhile back for a project. I'm just now getting around to putting it on something. At the time I bought it, I didn't really know what it was. Now, having looked at the codes stamped in the heel (UALML), and the old thread where Rich and Toshiro discussed the codes, I know it is an Ultra (other codes mean Angled headstock, Locknut, Maple fretboard, with Large frets). The inlays are small black dots, and the neck has the old style joint.

I recall a few mentions of 540R's with maple fretboards in the forum, and I believe there have been one or two for sale. Am I remembering correctly? I don't see those in the catalogs and was wondering what year(s) they were sold. Is that the only possibility for this neck? The only other maple board 22-fretter with locking nut I can think of is the 94-ish 540S, but they had oval inlays, AANJ, and "S-series" on the headstock.

So is the 540R the only possible source for this neck? Year?

Thanks much,
Bert

[scanlan75018]

Could it be a RX neck ?

RX started in 1993...

[Phillip]

Or 442R, have a look here: http://www.ibanezregister.com/images.../442R%20AB.jpg


Edit: Sorry, forgot you've got locking nut. :-)

[stratoskier]

Hi,
Were there any RX with lock nuts? I didn't see any with a quick look in the catalogs. I kind of doubt it's an RX though, just because it's an Ultra profile.
Bert

[scanlan75018]

sorry, I had not noticed it had a locking nut...

No lucking nut on RX...

Is the headstock the same shape as a RG or S ?

[stratoskier]

Yep, nothing distinctive about the headstock: black with the usual silver logo. Looks just like my older S and Radius headstocks. It has Gotoh tuners. and not too much else to go on. There's really no particular reason why I need to know what it came off of, other than I'm just curious.
Bert

[frankfalbo]

That's probably from a Radius. I had one for awhile and sold it to Ashley Bass. Then I think he got another one somewhere. (for all I know that's where you got it) They're rare, but there were a lot of "US Custom" Radii, some with fancy graphics and such. They had some maple boards. Mine came on a Jewel Blue radius. It's really the only possibility, because they didn't really do custom Sabers with ultra necks.

[stratoskier]

Thanks Frank! That's pretty much what I figured. I thought I remembered that Ashley Bass sold one awhile back. I picked up this neck on a whim for around $70 if I recall. That was a couple of years ago (or longer). It was going on a strat body, but now I'm considering putting it on one of my 540R's just to have one with something different. I'm pretty fond of the Ultra necks so I should use it on something I care about rather than a toss-off project.
Later,
Bert