Ibanez

I'd dreamt of it for a while, and here we are: Ibanez finally releases fixed bridge models aimed at prog/metal/djent players. Just as I was about to order from Skeversen (which are specialists in that genre and make sublime guitars), I came across this small 7-string Ibanez by pure chance on NAMM 2016 videos and prayed for them to release a 6-string version of it... Here it is! Thank you Ibanez (though it's a very limited run, apparently only sold at Ibanez Prestige dealers at least in some countries). In brief. Specs-wise, it features a swamp ash (sandwiched) body with a thin (even very thin: what a pity) burl poplar top in a mesmerizing blue/green color. The maple/bubinga neck is very comfortable and features a sublime birdeyes maple fingerboard. I frankly didn't care a bit about that detail until I saw it, but mine really has a beautiful fretboard! ^^ The "nitro" neck is reportedly thicker than a traditional wizard, but I for one can't feel a real difference, anyway it's almost lacquerless and thinly sanded, making it very comfortable to play (tha hand slides quite freely). 26.5" scale, making it a little longer compared with a standard strat but the difference can't really be felt in my opinion, it never caused me any trouble playing, except for the strings that were harder to bend due to the shop tuning them in a standard eadgbe while RGD series guitars are precisely designed to be tuned in... D, of course! The guitar comes with a set of 10-46 strings and with such a long scale the strings stay tense and keep in tune, even in D/drop C which is quite practical. The chosen woods are very beautiful, and the guitar il lightweight and well manufactured. Two cons eventually come to mind: the painting not always precisely done, and the awkward way the frets were set as you see some white glue stains here and there (the fretting itself is fine though, no buzz or anything). What a pity! Of course, it doesn't hinder the way you play, but such a beautiful fingerboard would have deserves more caution. Regarding the hardware, we have a low-profile gibraltar bridge, not too bad (at least way more comfortable than the old version with right angles), a simple, sturdy and well-placed 3-way switch, Gotoh locking tuners (which are not bad at all, although perhaps not as precise as Schaller M6s but they do their job well and keep everything in tune). Finally, 2 Dimarzio "Edge Fusion" pickups, which are real "made in usa" Dimarzios - not cheap versions, to my utmost surprise (see picture). These pickups can be split, they have all the necessary wiring. So, I added a push-pull pot and wired it myself, it perfectly works but split sounds are REALLY "spanky", almost Telecaster-esque- which may be logical considering the wood/neck/bridge combination this guitar offers. Soundwise, the original pickups are really, really good. (I use Bias FX by Positive Grid) Very versatile, they offer beautiful-sounding cleans and razor-sharp distortion sounds. A bit too screamy/edgy to my taste, they remind me of seymour duncan SH6s or bare knuckle painkillers. I had a set of bare knuckle nailbomb in camo battleworn finish set aside, I thought of using them with another guitar but finally thought they would look well with the poplar's woodgrain and color. Compared with the dimarzio edge fusion, these bare knuckle models sound rounder and less sharp. They lack a bit of punch compared with the original pickups so I'm not sure I'll keep them on this rgd, time will tell. Overall, I'm quite happy with my purchase. Of course, €/$800 ain't that easy to spend, but otherwise wor something in this style you'd have to go and see a custom guitar shop such as Blackmachine, Skervesen, Kiesel, Mayones... And their waiting list is terribly long! :/ Except for the paintjob that lacks precision here and there and the glue marks on the edge of the neck, this is a really great job, versatile, lightweight and comfortable. My only regret is how shy they remain regarding Ibanez Prestige guitars... How I wish that kind of models would some out from their Japanese Fujigen factory! I REALLY can't wait to see what Ibanez is up to for next year, hopefully they will keep in that direction and and get inspired by it for new Prestige models. *EDIT* I finally was a bit disappointed by the bare knuckle nailbombs, so I put the original Dimarzio fusion edge pickups back in place as they're more accurate and in the kind of sound I was after. So, I seized the opportunity to record the guitar in its original state just for you! ;)

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So far, i only have little hindsight on this beast of a bass but that’s far from being the first I’ve owned, far from that. By the way, I’ve even owned several Ibanez in the past: EDB605, SRX595, Musician, RB500. When talking about bass players, the stereotype which generally comes to minds is that of a beanpole with huge hands: as far as I’m concerned, I’m rather tall indeed but I have small hands – you can think I’m strangely made, but since my shoe size is not monstrous either I can live with it. So, a bass player is supposed to be a guy who can use a pickaxe handle to go dum-dum. But in the 80s, when your average rocker was rather a thin guy wearing jeans and a fluo outfit, Ibanez had the brilliant idea to make very thin instruments: the Sabre and RG series for guitarists, and the SoundGear models for bassists – they’re most often referred to as the "SR", or "SDGR". Endowed with a thin, narrow and ultra-fast neck, these basses are real jewels in finesse and ergonomics. These are “technical”, “modern”, “fusion” instruments – which for those not fluent in marketing speak means they were “designed with a great care for ergonomics”, “equipped with active electronics” and “able to respond to both a classic finger play than to slap”. The SR-800 LE was made in Japan, here are its specs: - Massive Tilia wood body - Painted (back and head) maple neck with a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard - Two Regulated Lo-Z pickups - Omni-Adjust bridge - Self-lubricated tuners - Controls: Volume / Balance / EQ boost-cut for the Lows / EQ boost-cut for the Highs A few words on workmanship Some will regret that the body is made of tilia: I consider they’re wrong. Indeed, many a high-end instrument is made of tilia, including the great MusicMan guitars for instance. There are several reasons for choosing tilia. Soundwise, it does is part as we have a “modern-sounding” instrument with nice mids, and tilia has a part in it. But ergonomical questions make it even more appreciated, as it is easier to work on than ash and lighter than mahogany, allowing to make refined shape guitars like this SR. The neck is a real masterpiece, even compared to two basses which can be considered high-end instruments: a Japanese Fender JB Marcus Miller (almost industrially produced) and a Neuser Crusade Signature (handmade by a luthier). These two beautiful instruments have reference necks both in terms of comfort and stability, and now I’m considering this SR800LE up to par with them in that regard due to its neck which is thin, narrow and stands up very straight. The wood is a beautiful solid maple with a quality rosewood fingerboard. Back to the body now: with tilia being a rather soft wood, it shows marks from a few bumps it has taken over time. On the pictures, you can see what looks like a “bite” on the upper body. This to me is the main cons of using this type of wood, though it is very efficient sonically. Hardware and electronics When it comes to Made in Japan instruments, Ibanez is very careful. No soft alloys and speckled iron, it’s all massive and sturdy. The tuners look like Gotoh (though they’re not), the bridge is perfect and so is the fretwork, so in the end a great MIJ Ibanez, as all bass lovers know and like it. I’m less enthusiastic as to the electronics. The Regulated Lo-Z pickups are quite peculiar, their output level is not awful and the 2-band preamp allows to glue the sound smoothly. Let’s start with the best part – the (inverted) P-pickup. It delivers all that you’d expect from a modern P-Style model, and it alone nearly suffices for all playing techniques. With the balance at half (P+J), the result is also very good. Big sound for slap, for instance. Using the Jazz pickup alone is, in my opinion, useless. Not much mojo, too sensitive to hits to play very close to the bridge, plus the sound lacks roundness. The P alone and P+J combination are really what makes this bass shine – and overall it really does. It works well in every styles, but really gives it all with percussive playing techniques . Where do we plug it? So far, I’ve tried two combinations. First, into a Hiwatt B60 and its 12” cab: the result is nice, but you can’t say this is the most modern-sounding amp around and you’re far from a 90s Hartke with its aluminium cones. Adding a more vintage grain to this bass is pleasant and tends to moderate its “modern-fusion” spirit. I’ve also tried it using amp simulations (Amplitube 3/Fender/SVX), and it’s really fine within the range of expectations you can have from such pieces of software. If you aim for a “studio” mix, it’s very coherent. I expect to try it with two other amps in the near future: a Trace Elliot GP12SMX and a Hartke Kickback 15, both made within the same period of time as the SR800LE. I’m not too fond of the Markbass sound so I’ll avoid trying this, however I expect to try a Gallien-Krueger stack soon. In the end... Clearly, this is a good bass. The workmanship and ergonomics are perfect, and the sound is rather versatile with a typical Ibanez touch. It’s all the opposite from a lumberjack’s bass and far from the standards of fat-sounding rock – closer in mind to the spirit of rather expensive “technical” basses. A great occasion to taste of a dream neck for a guy with small hands like me. This bass is very easy to play and sounds immediately good, which is nice with me. The one I own is in a Candy Apple Red finish – a nice metal red, well nice provided you like red of course. I’ve always wanted a bass in that color and I was happy as this was given to me by a friend who no longer used it – needless to say value-for-money can only be exceptional. What’s even more curious, I had been several times on the verge of buying one in the past years and finally delayed the purchase. This bass is clearly as good as comparable new models, it’s up to par with the high-end Tune. When holding it, you can feel that it’s not just another low-end Asian-made bass, but a real fine and racy Japanese instrument.

I play music ranging from blues to metal on a VOX VT 40+. It's an incredibly beautiful, very well-made guitar. I had played for a long time on a home-customized Les Paul and I feel like born again. For metal and everything that involves heavy sounds, the weight is perfect, the neck is fast, the frets are wide and easy to access, and the Floyd and stopbar very efficient to keep everything in tune. The clean sound is very acceptable (not Gibsonish but it's not what you expect from it either), but crunch and lead sounds are very good!!! My Les Paul is equipped with EMGs and they don't provide artificial harmonics as easily. Not even to mention the very reasonable background noise for pickups in that price range. Its pros? - Everything! I've been dreaming of a JEM for 20 years, now I have one! Its cons? - Low-quality factory strings (for a 500-bucks axe, Ibanez could afford an Ernie Ball set) - Original setting was very approximative (in addition to the tuning I had to set the Floyd Rose's parallelism and height) In a nutshell: A beautiful guitar that's agreeable to play and extremely versatile. I'm in love !!!

Mostly used with a Peavey Tube 60 for rock/hard rock/heavy. Perfect workmanship. The blue flower pattern on the body and the tree of life on the maple fingerboard look awesome and are well finished. Just a slight disappointment with a very tiny knot within the wood in the back of the neck, but to me it’s only a detail and it has no consequence on the sound. Note the flower pattern on the headstock. In spite of the transportation it had undergone, the guitar was perfectly in tune when I unpacked it! :8O: As of now, I control its tuning daily before playing and I rarely have to tune it again (although I’m a heavy Floyd user). The neck is comfortable and warm (JEM-type, 5-piece maple and walnut with Titanium trussrod)), the real definition of a left hand’s highway: acceleration comes naturally. Too bad the last 4 frets are not scalloped… Not that it’s that important to me. As a whole, I expected to have a lot of things to modify when I got it (trussrod setting, Floyd), but that wasn’t the case: the original setting was perfect for me, and nothing has changed since then except for a few minor modifications here and there, because of the way the wood slightly alters with time and the influence of temperatures. The pickups are DiMarzio Gravity Storms: warmer and rounder-sounding to my taste compared with the Evolution model. I even find them a little more versatile than the Evos (clean to crunch to the most extreme distortions). I think there’s a little gain in the lows too – to be confirmed. + value-for-money, finishing and sound - the Floyd: why an Edge Zero 2 instead of the Jem70v’s Edge? Even if it does the job, it’s a pein to have to screw the nut to set the bar in place. Overall, I consider it a beautiful guitar in all regards, when I ordered it I didn’t expect such a level of comfort when playing. I was pleasantly surprised when I got it, and for such a price I really recommend it.

I own a 1982 Ibanez CS9 - hence Made In Japan. If you fall for it on the second-hand market, don't hesitate to open it so as to clean it up and use an air spray to get rid of all dust then use it to clean the contacts, pots and jack. 2 setting knobs, 1 battery compartment, 1 9V plug. 1 guitar input 2 outputs: out and inverted out, each to be plugged to a different amp to take full advantage of the chorus effect. A 100% analog effect: very warm and musical! It sounds very well, I favor it over modern digital chorus effects which often sound colder. Plugged to the front of an amp, no problem, but used in the effect loop it will sound better with an overdriven sound. No true bypass or buffer so be careful when using it in a parallel fx loop with digital effects: it can cause real problems! I experiences losses in volume. I managed to get around it by setting my loop 100% wet (it behaves like a serial loop then) and separating the digital and analog pedals in two separate loopsusing the Boss LS-2, but any A/B box could do the same. Now, I keep the full volume. Once past this generation gap between the 1980s and 2000s, it's all perfect! In the end, in spite of the simple settings it is easy to find different settings. Ther's even a Leslie mod which allows to get a Vibe sound for those who want to go even further. A great stompbox, easy to find and not too expensive which will give you 80s-style chorus sounds!

Technically, the other reviewer said it all, yet I will add: I play guitar (lately mainly blues-jazz) since 1959. and have some 30+ guitars ... my favourites are Gibson CS-335s for studio and the smaller CS-339s for live gigs or custom shop Les Pauls, and generally (American designs) made in Japan (or some custom guitars from Germany). This inexpensive AG-95 jazz-blues-classicrock guitar is somewhat like (more expensive with small, floating humbuckers) signature Ibanez George Benson jazz model, and is more suited for blues-rock, hence I bought her. Actually, initially I had a more recent model, boubinga AG-95, yet I hastility sold her (mainly as she sounded insufficiently bluesy to me), yet it was a mistake, so I bought her again: this time the older (the initial? model), a transparent red finish, again used, and she was well played in, yet impeccable. I rarely play 'pure' jazz, so this guitar suits my blues-jazz approach even with rather light gauge strings. She can play nicely any jazz standard, or a blues classic as well as some singing Santana ... although for any of these styles you can get a better result with dedicated guitar (L5 for jazz, Strat or Tele for blues, LP or PRS for classic rock). Well, I recommendAG95 as a versatile blues-jazz guitar to all, except to shred metal or extreme rock guitarists.

The AM 93 guitar is a semi hollow guitar in Ibanez's Artcore series. It has an arched maple top, back, and sides, and all are bound and made of quilted maple. Neck is 3 piece with mahogany and maple, and fretboard is bound rosewood, block inlays, and 22 frets. It uses the Custom 58 pickups, and has a tuneamatic style bridge and tailpiece setup. There is a floating pickguard, and 2 volume, 2 tone control setup with a 3 way switch. UTILIZATION This guitar is fantastic. It is gorgeous, and breath-takingly so - this guitar looks like it should cost 4 times what it does. The playability is extremely nice, with a very positive string action. It balances quite well, and the ergonomics are comfortable. Many hollow and semi-hollow guitars have balance and ergonomic problems, yet the AM 93 is a joy to play. One detail I love is the knobs - they are classy looking, yet have a nice rubber ring around the top to greatly enhance finger grip. SOUNDS Here we go! These pickups are incredible! Their tone has this nice, buttery warmth, and the crisp note definition is unparalleled. This is a great guitar for blues, jazz, rockabilly, country, classic rock, reggae, ska, and jazz-fusion. Really, about the only genre I can think of this guitar not meshing well with is any of the extremely heavy metal styles, although it could sound neat on metal recordings, being used on clean passages or solos. OVERALL OPINION This guitar can be had for $550 new. That is just a steal and a half. I don't understand how they can make so much guitar for so little money! There is something about an Ibanez semi-hollow guitar that just works! They've been making incredible semis since at least the 70s, with giants like Scofield, Metheny, and Benson playing their guitars exclusively. This guitar is no departure from that great tradition. Flawlessly done, Ibanez. Highly recommended.

The Ibanez UE-405 is a multi-effects processor in the form of a rack mountable piece of outboard gear. Since I've only used this in a professional studio where it was already racked up and ready for use, I don't know what types of connections it has in the back. It was hooked up to a patch bay, so when I wanted to use it I would just make the connections there. It does however have 1/4" connections in the front for both an input and two outputs. The UE-405 will take up two spaces in a traditional rack casing. UTILIZATION Using the Ibanez UE-405 isn't hard whatsoever. All of the different effects are broken up into different sections to work in. The effects/sections found on the UE-405 include a compressor/limiter, stereo chorus, a parametric EQ, and analog delay. While I've played around with the compressor and the equalizer, I've used the UE-405 mostly for it's chorus and analog delay. Each effect/section has it's own array of parameters to work with. I don't believe that a manual is necessary, but I haven't seen one so I can't really comment on it. SOUND QUALITY For a multi-effects processor, the Ibanez UE-405 has a very good sound. Like I said earlier, I've primarily used this in the recording studio for it's chorus and analog delay sounds, but the compressor and equalizer definitely have some worth as well. Both the chorus and the analog delay share a similar round quality to them that I enjoy a good deal. I've used the chorus on electric guitar and keyboards, while I've used the analog delay for vocals and a Fender Rhodes. The compressor and equalizer are perfect to have around when you're using the other effects and want to fine tune your sound within the same box, but I don't think that I would necessarily use them on their own. OVERALL OPINION There definitely aren't too many Ibanez UE-405's out there today for whatever reason. While I generally like to get my modulation effects inside the box if I didn't already get them at the source, the UE-405 provides an option both after the fact or during tracking if you so choose. It's great to have a few high quality effects in one spot, as I find myself experimenting with them where I might not normally do so with a plug-in or a single effect processor. I can't say what sort of price the UE-405 would command, but if you can find one at a reasonable price when compared to other multi-effects processors like this one, I'd say the UE-405 is definitely a piece of gear worth considering.

I had headless guitars in the past, both of which were double the price as the Ibanez Quantum (QX54QM model). I found one brand stiff playing, whereas the other two had wiring or sound issues (that could have been rectified at a cost). With tastes being different, I would place the Ibanez Quantum in the same class as the more expensive headless guitars I have had. I will go over some of the figures, and for $1000 USD, this is a very good price on a headless and for what you get. The non-chambered body is made of Nyatoh (for a rich mid-low end), together with a quilted maple top (I suspect a thin veneer). As with any good guitar, the Quantum does have several carves and curves for both comfort and easier access. It is thin and light (it must be around 5-6 pounds), yet still maintains rather rich tones. The model I purchased is has the quilted maple top in blue, whereas the back and some visible areas on the front (bridge and lower horn) are a dark, rusty red. There something about that color combination that is a bit unpleasant, and yet I like it and it works. The body’s finish looks fine to my eyes; other reviewers noticed small paint or finish defects, but my Quantum appears fine. The neck is a Parallel (19mm throughout) Wizard 3-piece roasted Birdseye Maple with a Bubinga middle strip, designed for rich sustain and a balanced attack. It has mother-of-pearl off-set dots, together with luminescent side dots. The 24 frets are jumbo Jescar EVOgold, which are attractive, but also are known for their durability, bright tone and smooth note bending. They appear and feel well-dressed. The frets are slanted at an 8-degree angle, which accommodate more complex techniques and/or a higher playing style, or if fancy playing in a classical seated position (unnecessary, but you get the point). String spacing is 10.8mm. Other neck specifics include: Scale 25.5-inches (648mm); Width 42mm at the nut and 57mm at the 24th fret; and the Radius is 20-inches (508mm). The custom string lock was made to keep the system simple. You string through the bridge and then through the string lock… tighten down and snip any excess string at the top of the string lock. This is fine by me, whereas some may find it looks a tad sloppy to be seeing the tips of cut-off strings. However, regular strings can be used (and slightly heavier gauges for those into drop-tuning), which is a plus. Hardware includes a Mono-Tune bridge, which makes it easy for intonation/setup for down-tuning a whole step or more. This style of bridge takes a few practice sessions of getting used to, in regard to palm muting and placing the hand just right. String height is adjustable, but when I got the Quantum, the action already was very low. On that note, playability on the Quantum is excellent. Low, buttery action, easy string bending and less hand fatigue than what I have experienced with many of my guitars. Then we get into sound. The Quantum has a R1/Q58 S-S-H (passive ceramic) pickup configuration, and they are very clearly defined, and even in single-coil or split mode, are rather quiet. I do not think of them as brittle or shrill (or even bright), but with an accent on the high-mids, and while slipping into lower treble territory. At first, they were off-putting, and I had to do some amp/pedal EQ’ing. Once I dialed in, I really liked their sound and the ability to cut through the mix. What lacks, depending on your gear, is a big bottom end. Chugging still is possible (again, depending on your gear and EQ), but you do not have as much of a punch as you would with other pickup choices. Considering I do have other guitars that chug just fine, I have no plans on swapping them out. Yes, they do just fine with Metal or other forms of heavy music, but the cleans are inspiring. If you are into ambient music, the Quantum would be very hard to beat (ask Chords of Orion), but it also sounds exceptional for other clean to dirty playing, including jazz, blues, country, and light to moderate rock. The clarity and articulation from the Quantum make each note ring clearly, but the other major plus is the Dyna-MIX9 switching system with the Alter Switch – a switch apart from a typical 5-position pickup selector. With the flip of a switch, you gain access to four more sound variations between humbucker and single-coil modes. With the typical 5-position switch (starting in the down position), you have 1) bridge humbucker, followed by 2) bridge split + middle single-coil, 3) middle single-coil, 4) middle + neck single-coils, and 5) neck single-coil. When you flip the Alter Switch, you get the following combinations (starting with pickup selector down): 1) bridge humbucker – no change, 2) bridge single-coil, 3) all pickups, with the middle & neck running in serial, 4) single-coil neck + single-coil bridge, and 5) neck & middle pickups running in serial. Those are a lot of combinations, and each one sounds unique for a very wide palette of tones. Next, I will address the Tone and Volume knobs. The pickups are clear and ‘bright’ enough that I often turned down the Tone control half-way or more, particularly if I wanted a darker sound. Often, with other guitars, I may back off on the Tone slightly and leave it there (for high-gain stuff, I turn it down 75%). With all the pickup choices, and the clarity of this guitar, I do spend more time adjusting, to dial in appropriately, but not excessively. The Volume control is interesting, and it may not have ‘Treble Bleed’ electronics, but it sounds like it. With other guitars in my studio, if you turn down the guitar’s volume, you lose a bit of top end. This is not the case with the Quantum, I can cut the volume by 75% and it still sounds as clear (not as aggressive, obviously). I really like that feature. It comes with D’Addario EXL110 strings and a gig-bag, but not a well-padded one… good enough for quick transfer, but regular gigging or traveling will necessitate something more protective. The hardware is a combination of Cosmo Black and chrome (brushed chrome on the pickup covers). There are two strap pins by the bridge, which is typical with headless guitars (to protect the finish and provide a proper balance when sitting on the floor and leaned up against an amp, desk, etc.). Overall, I think the price is very reasonable for what you get and comparable to other guitars (headless or not) I have played in the price-range. The gig-bag leaves a bit to be desired, but I have guitars that cost as much that came with nothing. The pickups are super clear and may not be meaty enough for some, but this reminds me of the Strandberg/Per Nilsson model (Messuggha) – it cuts through like crazy and can be a benefit for darker and heavier music with a lot of bass or low mids. If you are more of a rock or metal player, keep this in mind, as it may not be a fit or be perfectly suitable. If you are into clean or slightly dirty music, and particularly ambient, the Quantum could open an entirely new playing and listening experience.

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In most catalogs the only models presented in this Roadster series produced from 1979 to 1981, are the RS100 and the RS300, but between 1980 and 1981 appear two models (in apparently very limited quantities) which foreshadow the evolution towards the Blazer series: RS350 and RS500 The RS500 Roadster seems to be the top of the series, in any case, I assure you that it is the most successful. This model was therefore produced only from 1980 to 1981 and although it is not listed in any official catalog, it is nevertheless found in price lists (Tariff) of stores of the time. Very similar to an RS300 in many ways (brass nut, accu-cast bridge, "supertap 6" pickups, solid ash body, maple neck) but with one or two notable differences. The main one is that it is a model with a conductive neck (similar to the Ibanez Musician series.) The trussrod was placed through the back of the thru neck, rather than under the fingerboard as on the RS300.) The fingerboard marks are unusual at double point (3 points at the 12th fret). The wood seems to be of a very good quality and is well highlighted by a transparent Natural-NT finish, and robust, there are some models in SunBurst finish (Brown Sunburst BS). The curves are just a little more pronounced than the RS300.). The head is slightly redesigned, refined, compared to that of the RS100 and RS300, a shape that is then found on the Blazer and Roadstar series. No vibrato, but with the "accu-cast" bridge we gain in stability and accuracy of the agreement, and above all its mass contributes in addition to the thru-neck to give sustain and precision to the sound very much greater than most Fender Strat. Electronic side the bridge pickup and the neck pickup benefit from the SuperTap which allows to play on the size of the activated coil (we can "splitter" ...), like the RS300, and a second switch allows to change the phase of the central pickup during that it is coupled to one of the other two microphones. We therefore find the full range of a good strat standby, with that extra bit of sustain, and above all I am amazed at its ability to maintain clarity and precision of the note regardless of the degree of saturation or distortion ... Connected to my Hughes & Kettner Statesman Dual EL84, I have at my disposal with the different combinations an incredible range of sound. These guitars are still very underestimated by collectors because Electronic side the bridge pickup and the neck pickup benefit from the SuperTap which allows to play on the size of the activated coil (we can "splitter" ...), like the RS300, and a second switch allows to change the phase of the central pickup during that it is coupled to one of the other two microphones. We therefore find the full range of a good strat standby, with that extra bit of sustain, and above all I am amazed at its ability to maintain clarity and precision of the note regardless of the degree of saturation or distortion ... Connected to my Hughes & Kettner Statesman Dual EL84, I have at my disposal with the different combinations an incredible range of sound. These guitars are still very underestimated by collectors because Electronic side the bridge pickup and the neck pickup benefit from the SuperTap which allows to play on the size of the activated coil (we can "splitter" ...), like the RS300, and a second switch allows to change the phase of the central pickup during that it is coupled to one of the other two microphones. We therefore find the full range of a good strat standby, with that extra bit of sustain, and above all I am amazed at its ability to maintain clarity and precision of the note regardless of the degree of saturation or distortion ... Connected to my Hughes & Kettner Statesman Dual EL84, I have at my disposal with the different combinations an incredible range of sound. These guitars are still very underestimated by collectors because not a lot of information is available on this model ... Soud side : From Chic to Extreme via Toto style, the guitar responds with soul ... It was originally designed for Boomtowns Rats guitarist Gerry Roberts who was endorsed by Ibanez in the 80s ... So now is the time to take advantage if you see one go by, don't let it slip away. .. this is a very great guitar that will certainly gain value quickly given its relative rarity ... when others will notice it !!! To read the beautiful contributions of: Papa Manni (in German): https://www.guitarmaniacs.de/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?action=gallery&id=3116 and in English from Kaitunes: http://www.kaitunes.com/guitars/electric/ibanez/roadsters_and_roadstars/rs500.html information is available on this model ... From Chic to Extreme via Toto, the guitar responds with soul ... It was originally designed for Boomtowns Rats guitarist Gerry Roberts who was endorsed by Ibanez in the 80s ... So now is the time to take advantage if you see one go by, don't let it slip away. .. this is a very great guitar that will certainly gain value quickly given its relative rarity ... when others will notice it !!! To read the beautiful contributions of: Papa Manni (in German): https://www.guitarmaniacs.de/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?action=gallery&id=3116 and in English from Kaitunes: http://www.kaitunes.com/guitars/electric/ibanez/roadsters_and_roadstars/rs500.html information is available on this model ... From Chic to Extreme via Toto, the guitar responds with soul ... It was originally designed for Boomtowns Rats guitarist Gerry Roberts who was endorsed by Ibanez in the 80s ... So now is the time to take advantage if you see one go by, don't let it slip away. .. this is a very great guitar that will certainly gain value quickly given its relative rarity ... when others will notice it !!! To read the nice contributions of: Papa Manni (in German): https://www.guitarmaniacs.de/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?action=gallery&id=3116 and in English from Kaitunes: http://www.kaitunes.com/guitars/electric/ibanez/roadsters_and_roadstars/rs500.html

SCHEDA TECNICA IBANEZ AR300 - BS (Brown Sumburst) - Made in COREA costruita in CORT S/N: XXXXXXX P/N: 2244-0504-026-3-01-5/IBANEZ M0103 / AR300-BS (prodotta 04/ 2005) Corpo (body): un unico pezzo di mogano. Tavola armonica (top): in 2 pezzi di acero Fiammato (flamed), verniciatura poliuretanica trasparente con sfumatura marron ai bordi e singola bordatura (binding) bianca nel perimetro Spessore corpo (al bordo): 46,60 mm. = 1,83”. Cordiera (Stop tailpiece): Ibanez Quick Change III cromato. Ponte (bridge): Ibanez Full Tune III Fixed cromato. L'ho sostituito con ponte Schaller P/N: 452 STM (Schaller Tune-O-Matic) roller cromato, sellette a rullino con regolazione d’intonazione e traslazione laterale individuali. Lo preferisco ai T-O-M. Manopole di Volume e Tono in plastica trasparente a fondo oro e un selettore microfoni. Manico (neck): incollato (set-in liscio) al corpo, in 3 pezzi di acero (maple) con tastiera in palissandro (rosewood), a singola bordatura bianca, segnatasti a blocco split in madreperla. Lunghezza della Scala/Diapason: 628,7 mm. = 24,75”. Larghezza capotasto 43,4 mm. Raggio di curvatura (radius) tastiera: 304,80 mm. = 12’’, numero Tasti (freets): 22 medi. Asta di regolazione manico (truss rod): a singola azione, con foro di regolazione alla paletta coperto da una placchetta nera a tre viti, per la regolazione dell’imbardatura del manico. Per la regolazione occorre una chiave esagonale da 5/32’’ = 3,968 mm. (4 mm. OK). Chiavette (machine head): IBANEZ 3L (Left-Sinistre) + 3R (Right-Destre) cromate. Paletta (headstock): nera con logo IBANEZ perlato. Profilo manico: ( shape). Imbardatura Manico (Relief): con capotasto al primo e ultimo tasto, ricavare una spaziatura fra corda e 6°/7°/8° tasto compresa fra 0,20 mm. (8/1000”) e 0,45 mm. (18/1000”). Altezza Corde (Action): al 22° tasto Mi cant. 1,2 mm. – Mi basso 1,5 mm. (mia regolazione). Microfoni e componentistica: 2 microfoni humbucker IBANEZ Super 58 H (Humbucker) F/R in Al.Ni.Co. III, R (Rear P/N 3PU1J158G2) per posizione Ponte (Bridge) ed F (Front P/N 3PU1J158G1) per posizione Manico (Neck); regolazione microfoni a due viti destrogire per la regolazione dell’ altezza degli stessi. La chitarra ha 2 controlli di volume, tipo B (lineare) da 500 KΩ e 2 controlli di tono, tipo A (logaritmico) da 500 KΩ ed un selettore a 3 posizioni (per selezionare i microfoni). Microfono al Manico S 58 F: doppia bobina da 7,45 KΩ, 4,65 KHz, Poli a vite SUD – Poli nascosti NORD, è cablato con un filo rosso coassiale. Microfono al Ponte S 58 R: doppia bobina da 7,45 KΩ, 4,65 KHz, Poli a vite NORD – Poli nascosti SUD, è cablato con un filo verde coassiale. Peso : 5 Kg. Custodia : Non inclusa. Voce: dolcissima e non troppo brillante.

Although it looks and sounds much like the other SR basses, the 305E specifically in Pearl Fade White has now had necks fail 2 times on me in 2 years. Technician believes it is a manufacturing flaw and will be replacing with a different model, SR375 which has a different neck construction. At first it played great, but shortly after the first restringing, it started to buzz here and there.. within a few months it was buzzing all over the upper register of the neck.. not repairable. Second time, each one lasted less than a year. Ibanez is normally a great product and I love them... this seems to just be "one of those models". Used in variety band, I've got 3 other Ibanez basses I love. Unfortunately this does not stand up to comparison with other models. Pros- great look, light, fast, wicked electronics Cons- poor material choices, failures of structural elements.