Blazer Series Custom Strat Copy

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Author Message Jjay Username: Jjay Registered: 03-2005 Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 7:21 pm:    I have an Ibanez Blazer series "custom made" guitar that is obviously a strat copy from at least 1984, but is probably 1982. It's cheesy '80s red in colour. I've had it since 1988 and knew the guy who had it in in 1984. Are there any other specs/details about this guitar? it sounds sweet.Is this a quality guitar? In fact, I put in a Fender lace sensor pick up in the bridge position and it sounds terrible, so I went back to Ibanez issued pick ups. Ibnzplyr Username: Ibnzplyr Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - 11:02 pm:    It was so good, it was reissued in the 90's. Scott Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 10:18 am:    The old blazers (and the new ones) are considered to be very well made guitars. On par with the Japanese made Fender reissues of the '80s, which many consider to be superior to the US models. -Sven Billy_porter Username: Billy_porter Registered: 03-2005 Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 1:15 pm:    Hi, I bought my blazer new in 1982 and replaced the pickpus with tri-sounds and added an Ibanez trem. It has the best neck of any guitar I've tried and I use it in preference to my Gibson Les Paul and plays better than any Strat. I would never part with it Ibnzplyr Username: Ibnzplyr Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 9:24 pm:    If you read the Larry Mitchell (Ibanez endorser) posted on Nuno's website, you'll see he says the Blazer is one of his very favorite guitars. I have a 1979 Roadster. I think the neck must be similar. The Roadster is a progenitor of the Blazer. The neck is amazingly good. A slew of NOS Blazers were just sold on ebay. Scott Guitardash Username: Guitardash Registered: 02-2005 Posted on Monday, April 04, 2005 - 2:05 am:    Gidday Jjay, I have a blazer from 1982 (Model BL450) and I wouldn't part with it even if it was my last possession! It is coming to the grave with me. I have had the opportunity to play alot of different guitars( as I'm sure you all have) and have not picked up a guitar that feels and sounds better than my blazer. I have kept all the original pickups and other gear on it and 23 years old, my baby is still going strong. The only thing wrong with it is the 5 way switch is starting to get a bit scratchy and will need to replace it soonish. P.S. I love my BLAZER!!! Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Monday, April 04, 2005 - 11:55 am:    Scott, I think Larry Mitchell plays the reissues, doesn't he? Also a very fine, underrated guitar - not very similar to the old Blazer though. The Untold Story describes the process that Ibanez went through to make the neck on the higher end model - they had several luthiers hand carve necks, then they picked what they considered to be the best, then had it digitized. So every factory made neck was machined to have the same shape as the hand carved prototype. That's why these are considered to be some of the most comfortable necks. The humbucking pickups were made up of 2 true single coil PUs, so they sound very strat like when split. These never sold very well. The original Blazer was design was as attempt to cut costs while providing a quality strat type instrument. Hence the natural finishes. Guitardash, Try a little contact cleaner in your switch before replacing it. It's never let me down. You can get it at stewmac.com or Radioshack. -Sven Billy_porter Username: Billy_porter Registered: 03-2005 Posted on Monday, April 04, 2005 - 2:52 pm:    Hi, Took some photos of my ‘82 BL100NT blazer. You guys are gonna hate this. All the following mods were done in the 80’s when it had no value. I replaced the neck and bridge PUs with what I think are Super 70’s Tri-sounds. The middle PU I think was from a higher model of Blazer that could be a stacked Humbucker (never hear any buzz) with a coil tap. I routed the Twem cavity with a drill and a Swiss Army Knife ( a real bodge but it works). Again its an Ibanez twem but don’t know which model . The jack socket was moved to the side to allow additional switches to be added. The switches are in order from Pus; standard 5 way selector, on/off for bridge PU so that I can have Bridge and neck Pus on or all three, coil tap for middle pickup and tri-sounds. Replaced the Brass knobs with Speed knobs I contoured the body front and back to make it more comfortable – painted it red than went au-natural again. I replaced the machine heads with better locking models. I still have all of the original parts – not for sale. I’m thinking of doing a better job of the Twem housing, recessing the jack socket and going black. This is my favourite guitar being played daily. Customised or butchered - what do you guys think? Billy_porter Username: Billy_porter Registered: 03-2005 Posted on Monday, April 04, 2005 - 2:53 pm:    Hi, Took some photos of my ‘82 BL100NT blazer. You guys are gonna hate this. All the following mods were done in the 80’s when it had no value. I replaced the neck and bridge PUs with what I think are Super 70’s Tri-sounds. The middle PU I think was from a higher model of Blazer that could be a stacked Humbucker (never hear any buzz) with a coil tap. I routed the Twem cavity with a drill and a Swiss Army Knife ( a real bodge but it works). Again its an Ibanez twem but don’t know which model . The jack socket was moved to the side to allow additional switches to be added. The switches are in order from Pus; standard 5 way selector, on/off for bridge PU so that I can have Bridge and neck Pus on or all three, coil tap for middle pickup and tri-sounds. Replaced the Brass knobs with Speed knobs I contoured the body front and back to make it more comfortable – painted it red than went au-natural again. I replaced the machine heads with better locking models. I still have all of the original parts – not for sale. I’m thinking of doing a better job of the Twem housing, recessing the jack socket and going black. This is my favourite guitar being played daily. Customised or butchered - what do you guys think? Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Monday, April 04, 2005 - 3:43 pm:    Looks like a pretty clean job to me We've all chopped up our share of axes. As long as you like it, and are going to keep it, who cares? You could clean up the trem cavity with a router, and add some Ibanez decals. Check out ebay seller id: great_decals_2005 -Sven Guitardash Username: Guitardash Registered: 02-2005 Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 5:56 am:    Gidday Funkle, Have just got the contact cleaner from the shop and has cured the prob ta very much. Keep strummin' Dash

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