Other S series

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Author Message   AC Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:04 am:    hi, does anybody know if there are non floyd-rose S series around (less the S-classic)? AC   mainframe Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:04 am:    The SF470 has a tunomatic bridge and stopbar tailpiece. SV470 has the more traditional, strat-like, tremolo. But that is it, according to my Blue Book. Which has been known to be a bit incomplete.   mhurds Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:04 am:    The new GSA series are a more traditional set of guitars. Fulcrum trems and a HSS configurations. They are going to be reasonably cheap as well. Check them out on the Ibanez web site... that is, when they finally get it up and running...   AC Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:04 am:    my man mhurds, any idea if the s160 is part of the new GSA series? is there any significant diff betw the 2, beside the GSA not having the ibanez 'tick' logo at the headstock (body material/ pickups/ etc.)? kudos.   mhurds Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:04 am:    From what I have heard, they feature mahoghany bodies and wizard II necks. I don't know if the hardware on the GSA160 will be the same, but I know that the SA260 (the G has been dropped for the UK market!) features a ibz V6f humbucker in the bridge and ibz rts 1 and rts 2 single coils in the neck and middle, the trem is the tz30 fulcrum. The top of the body will be arched like a regular S series, but has a standard flat back (like a Strat I would imagine.).   AC Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:04 am:    cont'd... any idea then if the necks are 'skunk-stripe' re-inforced? thanks AC   Jimi D Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:04 am:    There's the old S430 (1990?) with three IBZ F1 single coils and a two-point traditional trem - Jenn Batten was pic'd with these in a couple catalogues... Then there's the SV420FM (1996 only) - killer S with two AH 'buckers and a Trad Trem, gold hardware, flame maple top and locking tuners... this guitar was the precurser of the SC series with a new "Viper" thicker neck profile, but still has the 6-a-side headstock and back-loaded controls. Both are excellent guitars if you can find them, but they aren't common, and they aren't cheap...   Oyo (Oyo) Posted on Friday, February 15, 2002 - 9:17 pm:    Mini Review: I just bought a SA160QAM. What a guitar! It's all I can do to stay in my seat and try to concentrate on work with this beauty leaning against the office wall behind me. General: A Super-Strat variant, priced just above entry level. H/S/S P/U arrangement: 2 as2 singles and an ah4 'bucker in the bridge slot. Looks: Extremely nice care taken with the rosewood fretboard- frets are finished well, the rosewood looks as shiny and smooth as an ebony board. Don't get me started drooling again over the amber burst quilted maple (veneer) top. Wow! Easily the prettiest guitar I've had. (second was a gorgeous Morris ES175D copy). The 2001 catalog pic doesn't do it justice. The body is polished flawlessly to a deep looking gloss. Feel: The guitar feels right. It's light, curved in all the right places and has a thin, fast neck. I don't feel I have a boat anchor hung around my neck, like I do with my Washburn or did with my Roadstar II 1010SL. This guitar feels more like an extension of my body... Sound: Pickups are crisp and bright. If this was my only guitar, I would put a darker sounding set in it to warm up the tone a little, (I still might try a Duncan JB at the bridge), but I like the contrast in tone between the SA160 and my '64 SG and other humbucker equipped guitars. I *love* the glassy Hendrix-y tones coming out of my amp when I play the 160. Ty Tabor of Kings X is a big contributor to my idea of the ideal tone also, and my new beauty delivers _that_ set of tones well. Downside: Hopefully once the stings get stretched a bit, the tuning will be more consistent, but to be fair, with me carting the thing around in a gig bag so much, the tuners are going to be bumped in transport, and I haven't had it long enough or played it enough to tell if this is an ongoing problem. There are a couple of tiny bumps on the back of the neck that are unnoticeable during normal playing. I think a little 000 steel wool used gently should tale care of it. There was also a little buffing compound next to the inset output jack, but a Q-tip and a little guitar polish should take care of that. Conclusion: All in all, I'd say I was a very happy camper, exceptionally happy when you consider the $420 US price tag for a brand new axe!   Oyo (Oyo) Posted on Friday, February 15, 2002 - 9:26 pm:    I forgot to add that the SA160s are Korean made and have the new SAT30 non-locking trem. It's nice to be able to palm mute on a brand new bridge and feel not a single rough edge... oyo   Funkle (Funkle) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 4:28 pm:    I just got what is called a 470S. It was made in '92. Gitfiddle Steve says it's the predecessor to the SF470, which he has. Mine has a 24 3/4" scale, as does the SF/SV. Mine does not have the All Access neck joint that the later ones include. It is nice to have the speed, tone, size and weight of a Sabre, with the ease of a Gibson sized scale and without the hassle of the Floyd. Unfortunately, it was damaged during shipping, and UPS has it, so I will have to wait a to give a full evaluation. (LESSON: loosen the strings on a guitar before shipping it like UPS says to do!)   Funkle (Funkle) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 4:29 pm:    I just got what is called a 470S. It was made in '92. Gitfiddle Steve says it's the predecessor to the SF470, which he has. Mine has a 24 3/4" scale, as does the SF/SV. Mine does not have the All Access neck joint that the later ones include. It is nice to have the speed, tone, size and weight of a Sabre, with the ease of a Gibson sized scale and without the hassle of the Floyd. Unfortunately, it was damaged during shipping, and UPS has it, so I will have to wait a to give a full evaluation. (LESSON: loosen the strings on a guitar before shipping it like UPS says to do!)   Funkle (Funkle) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 4:41 pm:    Oyo, You mentioned putting in a JB pickup to darken the tone. I don't think I'd classify a JB as "dark" in my book. Everyone hears things differently, but to me, the JB is kind of "screetchy" - it is pretty hot, and it has a lot of harmonic overtones, making it a little on the bright side. I had one and I got rid of it. I would think a Allan Holdsworth or a Custom Custom would darken up the tone. I've heard good things about Kent Armstrong and Bennedetto PAFs. Any other experiences with replacement pickups for S series guitars? -F   Gitfiddle1 (Gitfiddle1) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 5:57 pm:    Hey Ya'll, There is (was) also an SF420. This one featured a ShortStop II tail and 2 humbuckers with a 25.1" scale. Same as the SC420 but with the standard 6-in-line pointy headstock. To sum up the hardtail "S Series" models in chronological order; 470S Gibralter II H/S/H Standard Neck Joint 24.75" scale SF470 Gibralter II H/S/H AANJ 24.75" scale SF420 ShortStop II H/H AANJ 25.1" scale SC420 ShortStop II H/H AANJ 25.1" scale Any more? What about the SC620 and S1620? I think the SC620 was an upgrade on the SC420. Not sure about the S1620. I believe it was in the "Prestige" section, but I dunno if it was a hardtail. The S1520 has an Edge trem. The "SV" models all had "Vintage Type" trems. Cheers Steve   Oyo (Oyo) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 6:43 pm:    Maybe "darken" wasn't the right word. Richer or broader might be better terms. The current humbucker pickup in the SA160 is nice in the high end, there isn't as much low-mid "grunt" as I'd like. With my past experiences as a guide, the JB helps give me that grunt and still maintain (a lot of) definition and note attack. For a couple of nice pics ot the 160, see the Account Holders section under "Testing, Testing"   Funkle (Funkle) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 7:24 pm:    Wow, Oyo, that is pretty dern nice looking for $419! Is all that figuring the real deal, or is it this "photo-figuring" that I've heard about? -Funkle   Funkle (Funkle) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 7:37 pm:    The only one I can think of that Steve missed is the FGM 200. The Frank Gambale model based on the Sabre. It was available in '94. If only I could get my hands on this one... neck: Wizard/All Access (25 1/2", I guess), Rosewood, dot inlay Bridge: Gotoh fixed Pickups (rear mounted): B- DiMarzio PAF pro Lite M - DiMarzio fast track 1 N - DiMarzio Fred Lite Push-pull coil taps on the knobs Colors: Black or White   Oyo (Oyo) Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 9:17 pm:    Yes, Funkle, the quilted maple is real, but only a veneer form fit to the contours of the mahogany body, not a thick chunk of maple on top like on a Les Paul. This veneering is a comon pratice on Asian-made instruments. Even my 80's Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar has a similar thin cap of figured birdseye maple over a basswood body. The finish and figuring make the grain _look_ deeper than the veneer actually _is_... Still, the 160 _is_ one of the most gorgeous axes I've seen, and plays like buttah. Sorry- gotta go- she's calling to me from her gig bag ;-) Oyo

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