Roadstar Corner Q&A (Part II)...

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Author Message   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 2:36 pm:    Hey Gang, The original Roadstar Corner Q&A has reached 100 posts! As such it was becoming too large to load in a reasonable amount of time. So I'm starting Part II to continue the discussion. UPDATE: The long overdue Roadstar data sheet is progressing again. I had a computer crash a few months back that wiped out the original files. I've recovered some of it and started a new version. The '83-'85 section is almost complete. It will be available in an MSExcel speadsheet and a .html file format by the end of the week. I should have a partial '86-'88 section ready soon. E-Mail me if you would like a copy. I'm still in need of the '84 Roadstar deluxe catalog and 1987 full line catalog. If anybody knows where I can obtain these, PLEASE let me know. The long term goal is to get my own website up and running by the end of the summer. I will include the Roadstar info as a part of the site. Cheers Steve   Johns (Johns) Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 3:24 pm:    Steve: Good idea to start a new thread. I have an '83-'84 Roadstar II & Artist catalog. Looks like it was printed in April of '83. It has the following RS models: Customs: 1500, 1400 & 1000; Deluxes: 505, 405 & 315; Standards: 205, 125 & 100. Let me know if you need anything from the catalog.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 3:42 pm:    John, Thanx, I've got that one. I also have the '84 Roadstar Standard catalog (3 page fold-out). What I'm lacking is the '84 Custom and Deluxe literature. Most of the '84 models are the same as 1985 (for which I have the full line catalog). However, there were several models introduced for '84 that don't show in the '83-'84 book. RS430, RS440, RS525(or RS520?), RS530, and RS1300. Then, of course, there's the infamous RS335 that never made it into any catalog! I do have a nice full color ad for that model. Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 3:55 pm:    Food for thought; While going over all the info to assemble the Roadstar Data Sheet, I stumbled onto a couple very interesting items. 1) The 1985 RS525PH - "PH" = Puple Haze. That's the only reference to that color I've seen, anywhere, ever. It's a metallic maroon. Anybody got a "Purple Haze" Ibanez? 2) The 1985 RS1300MS - "MS" = Marine Sunburst (Same as the Steve Lukather model) According to production info from JD, there was only SIX of these built! Cheers Steve   Musash (Musash) Posted on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 1:36 am:    Steve, good to hear you are tryin to clear up the facts and info about this line of Ibanez guitars. I would surely like to have a copy of the Excel & html sheets you are producing, to read about my 1985/RS430 :-). Better yet: put them on the website you are making! If you need a reviewer or tester of the site: you know where to find me... Greetings, Musash   Jotun98 (Jotun98) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 2:02 am:    Hey, I want to find out what model this ibanez is exactly, and since it is a roadstar I figured this would be the place.The number is:J862033 its a weird purple sunburst type of color, has 2 humbuckers, and a floyd rose(I think it might be an edge but I'm not sure ).Just hoping one of you could give me an idea. thanks, John   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:12 am:    John, Not a lot to go on there! The October '86 build date could make it an '86 or '87 model. What shape is the headstock? '86 was the last model year with the "blade" shape. '87 and later have the pointy "duckbill" or "impaler" type. Does it say "Roadstar II Series", or just "Roadstar Series" on the headstock? "Weird purple sunburst type of color"? Could you describe it a bit more? Photo maybe? What is the control layout? What color is the hardware? 2 humbuckers and a Floyd (Edge?) could be any one of about 6 models. Need more detailed info to nail it down! Cheers Steve   Jotun98 (Jotun98) Posted on Saturday, July 20, 2002 - 1:17 am:    It has the blade shaped headstock,and it says roadstar II series.the bulk of the body is black and it's purple on the outer edges(so I guess its not really sunburst(lack of sleep does that to a persons perception).The hardware is black, and the controls are volume, tone, and a mini 3-way toggle switch.The humbuckers have that emg look to them with no polepieces showing, and they say ibanez on them. I'd give you a picture but my scanner is broke.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 8:32 pm:    Sounds like an '86 RG420DW (Dark Wine). Does it look like this? Pickups are IBZ, bridge is an Edge. Cheers Steve   Jotun98 (Jotun98) Posted on Monday, July 22, 2002 - 11:54 pm:    right on!Thats exactly it, but mine is a little more beat up than that(but for 100 bucks I'm not complaining). thanks.   Johns (Johns) Posted on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 - 11:39 am:    Score another one for Mr. Roadstar!   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 6:53 pm:    Hey Ya'll, Okay, so things haven't progressed as fast as I'd hoped. Still don't have a website up. However, I do now have 2 Roadstar Data sheets available in MSExcel (spreadsheet) format. Several attempts to convert the data to MSWord or an .HTML format have, as yet, been unsucessful due to formatting issues The first sheet covers 1983-85. The second covers 1986-88. If anyone would like copies, just e-mail me at: shanikomail@yahoo.com This data covers ONLY Roadstars! I did not include the Alan Holdsworth (AH Models) or any of the transitional "Roadstar Pro" models. That's another project in itself. If I can acquire a 1987 catalog (or high quality scans), I'd love to cover those models and the evolution into the Saber, Power, Radius, and RG Series guitars that followed. Cheers Steve   Meranti (Meranti) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 6:32 am:    RS-1010SL Steve Lukather Model. Is there anyone out there with a second version of the RS-1010SL Steve Lukather model? I just realsied that the first version has a plain headstock while the second version has the headstock the same color as the body. The other difference (besides others) is that the socket is on the side (like a tele) on the second version while the first version is from the top. I need a pic showing the jack as I have a second version to restore. Got some parts from Cameron last week in Sydney and now trying to put it all together. He's a great guy. Thanks Cameron!!! Can anyone help? Thanks.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2002 - 3:32 pm:    Meranti, Also, the first version RS1010SL (1984) used a HardRock'R Pro trem. The second version (1985) used a ProRocker. The dates are approximate as we all know production often overlapped and some models were released "mid-year". I have seen both examples on eBay in the last year. UPDATE! The Roadstar Data Sheet is now one combined file. I recently acquired a 1984 Roadstar Deluxe catalog, and found a couple minor discrepancies. I'll be fixing those tonight as I have a request for another copy. Anyone with the older version, e-mail me and I'll send you the new one. Cheers Steve   Lightningboy (Lightningboy) Posted on Tuesday, November 12, 2002 - 3:37 pm:    This is a picture of my first Roadstar II I bought back in '84, Note the first Pix has original pickups, I later added 2 Duncans:   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, November 12, 2002 - 4:15 pm:    Nice example of an RS405. Welcome to the site, Alex! Cheers Steve   Lightningboy (Lightningboy) Posted on Tuesday, November 12, 2002 - 4:28 pm:    Does anyone know if you can purchase different pick guards for the Roadstar II's? I was looking for a pearlized one.   Munch (Munch) Posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 6:25 am:    Hey Lightning Boy, I was sure your real name was going to turn out to be Eugene Martone - you know, Lighting Boy from the Ralph Macchio movie Crossroads!!! ;-) Nice Roadstar - Why the Seymour Duncans?? Are they the 1/4 pounders? Cheers, Mark   Lightningboy (Lightningboy) Posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 12:47 pm:    Mark, I wanted to get more tone from the guitar, so back in '86 I had one Staggard and one Flat put in. I can't remember the model types. The only thing I wish I did different was the placement. I should have put the them at top and bottom, and left the middle alone.   Munch (Munch) Posted on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 7:31 am:    That would be very easy to change. As for the pickguard, you could order a blank from Stewart MacDonald and cut a new one using your old one as a template. Cheers, Mark   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 - 4:36 am:    Hi every body, great to see so many people with Roadstars. Im considering buying what they claim to be a 1987 Roadstar 2 RG440 in vintage burst. Ive never seen another like it. Would this be an accurate model description? Does anybody have one or a picture. (how do you post a picture? cut and paste doesnt seem to work) Thanks Marc   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 - 7:03 am:    Sorry for the second post but does anybody know the value and if its in the low end of the Roadstars or the high end. (still cant get a picture on). Thanks again Marc (Australia)   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 - 12:39 pm:    Marc, The 400 series Roadstars were the middle of the range. They are excellent players, but lack some of the glitz of the higher numbered models. The 400's in general, and the RG440 in particuler, are my personal favorites. The literature only shows solid colors for the RG440. I have never seen one with a "Vintage Burst" finish. Average market value for the 400 series Roadstars (based on eBay), is $150-$250. Here's a poor photo of my '86 RG440PL. The '87 version has the pointy headstock and the "barbs" on the horns are less pronounced. Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 2:49 am:    Hi Steve Thanks for the reply. The horns and head (head is black) are identical, the neck and middle pickup are horizontal not at an angle like the picture and the humbucker is open coil type. If you could tell me how to post a picture I will. Thanks again Marc   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 1:50 pm:    Marc, Hmm... From that description, it sounds more like an '86 RG140. A photo would be tremendous right now! The code for inserting images is: \ image{file name} Remove the space between \ and image. Had to do that so the program would think I trying to upload a photo! The info between the brackets can be anything. It's just a reminder when the program asks you to prived a path for the image file. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 3:41 am:    D:\Fuji Pictures\Guitar\Roadstar roadstar.jpg   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 3:44 am:    Steve Not quite what I was trying to do but at least the image is there. (shame about the text disappearing). Thanks again Marc (Australia)   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 1:13 pm:    Marc, That, my friend, is a 1986 RG140 in the original case! The differences between the RG440, and the RG140 are numerous. The most obvious is the bridge. The 140 has a Powerocker while the 440 used an Edge (Licensed Floyd Rose, locking nut, yada yada yada). The body and neck materials/contruction are the same. The bridge pickup is a Super70 and has a Duo-Sound switch in the tone control. The literature doesn't show Brown Sunburst as an option for these. That doesn't necessarily mean it isn't original, but does raise the question of a refinish. Here's the cool part, even though the RG140 is in the low end of the Roadstar spectrum, it's still a great sounding/playing guitar. I had one that now belongs to a member of my son's band. It's a story worth sharing. Andy had $200 to spend on a guitar and wanted my RG140. I really didn't want to sell it at the time. I told him to go shopping. "Play everything you can in your price range", I said, "And take your dad with you." He came back to me (with his dad) 2 weeks later, $200 in hand, and bought the RG140. Back to the original topic, inform the seller of the correct model number and the possibility of a refin. If you like the looks/feel/sound and the price is right, go for it. Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 6:13 pm:    Steve Your the greatest, thanks for all your trouble. Im hoping to buy this for under $400 AU ($250US). The owner claims to be the original owner and the only thing that has been changed is the strings. I will contact him to see what his reaction is to the fact its actually an 86 RG140 and see what he says. From all the reviews Ive looked at this should make a great addition to the other Ibanez's I already have. Let you know how it goes. Thanks again Marc   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 6:16 pm:    Oh and by the way, hope you all have a great xmas and new year. Marc   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Friday, December 20, 2002 - 7:50 pm:    No trouble at all. Let us know how the deal works out. Happy Holidays to you too! Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 6:18 am:    Steve, Can you tell me where the serial number should be on the Roadstar. The guy has just told me that it has no numbers on the neckplate which is starting to sound a little odd thats why he wasnt sure of the model????? Bit odd for the original owner isnt it? Thanks again Marc   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 5:03 pm:    Marc, Hmm... It should be stamped on the neck plate along with "Made In Japan"! However, neck plates can be changed easily. Check the back of the headstock for a sticker. Ibanez didn't start doing that until '87 as far as I've seen. But, most anything is possible with Ibanez. The only other numbers you might find would be inked on the neck heel and pocket. Gotta remove the neck to get a look at 'em. Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Wednesday, December 25, 2002 - 9:07 am:    Hi Steve Hope your having a good holiday. Well I ended up getting it for $390AU. It seems to be completely original and was in the blokes family since new. Ive taken it all apart and cleaned and resetup. The neck heel has RG and Z and C stamped underneath. Its got the Powerocker trem. It has the Duo sound switch in the tone knob. Its got the boomerang shaped Ibanez straplocks. No part numbers underneath the pickups at all so I cant identify them. It all sounds like a 86 RG140 like you said, BUT, it has no serial number on the original Ibanez stamped (with "Made in Japan) neck plate, it has the sticker on the back of the head which is F70#### which I suppose means that it is June 1987? But most importantly if feels GREAT! And the colour is superb Another Ibanez mystery, maybe it was made from 86 leftovers??? Thanks again and happy holidays to all. Marc   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, December 26, 2002 - 12:42 pm:    Marc, The serial number format changed in '87. F7***** indicates made in Japan (F = Fugi Gen Gakki factory) in 1987. No way of knowing the month. Visually, it is an '86. So I think it's safe to say that it was made in early '87 from existing (leftover) pieces. This is the first example I've ever seen of an '87 serial number with the blade headstock! Cool geetar, Dude! Cheers Steve   Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 11:28 am:    Steve, I need your opinion on this one.The pic isn't that great but I scored this thinking it's a RS530,from around '85.What do you think?I should have it Tues and I can post some better pics if needed.I had the high bid of $91 which seems cheap so I'm second guessing my model ID. Thanks,...Chris   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, January 20, 2003 - 1:45 pm:    Chris, Yup, 1985 RS530TR. Unless it's gots some hidden damage, $91 dollars is a steal. I'm curious to know the serial number. Better pix would be great! Cheers Steve   Orion (Orion) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 11:00 pm:    Steve, I was just wondering if you've been able to get your hands on a '87 catalog yet. I'm interested to see if the guitar I'm getting is in there. Can't say too much about it yet, since I don't have it in my hands, but I know a few things. It says Roadstar Series on the headstock, has a very thin body, H/S/S pickups (originals have been replaced with active EMG's), Floyd Rose locking system, one volume knob, with coil tap, one tone knob and three mini swithches. I guess that's more than a few things, but I'll know more once I get it. Oh, and the serial number starts with F711***, can't remember the rest. Rob   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:32 am:    Well... As it turns out, Ibanez (in their infinite wisdom) did not produce a full catalog for 1987! Apparently there was only a series of fold-outs and flyers for the various models. I have succeeded in acquiring none. However, when you get the guitar, post some photos. I'll take my best shot. Cheers Steve   Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:43 pm:    Well the 530 came yesterday and I have to say it's one hell of a guitar.The only hidden damage is 2 small chips on the headstock edge,one on front and one on back and the fine tuner heads on the bridge are broke off on the E and A(replacements anyone?).The finish is excellent.Very heavy compared to other RS models I've delt with.I haven't had a chance for a full blown test drive but the IBZ's seem decent and I love the push pot DUO SOUND coil split.24 frets is nice too.Steve,the serial is K851125.I tried to take some pics but the 5 ply binding and the flame maple top just don't want to show up.If it ever gets above 8 degrees here again I'll try outside.For $102. total with shipping I thinks it was the best deal I'll probably get this year. Chris   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 2:52 pm:    Chris, Looks like a deal to me. As for the fine tuners... I dunno what to tell you. We're all aware of the problems associated with getting replacement parts for CURRENT models. Perhaps you can find some screws with the correct thread and trim them down? Although it's highly unlikely that you'll find some with knuled knobs, allen head machine screws may work. What are the chances that fine tuners from an Edge have the same thread? Cheers Steve   Orion (Orion) Posted on Sunday, January 26, 2003 - 10:08 pm:    Steve, Here's some pic's of the guitar I was talking about last week, that is if this works for me. The serial number is F711564. Hope you have an idea of what this is!   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, January 27, 2003 - 2:15 am:    Rob, I believe that is an RG440S. It is the earliest of the "Saber" models (even though Ibanez wasn't using the name "Sabre", yet). The serial number confirms a 1987 build date. Here's what I've put together so far: The Saber, Radius, Power models originated sometime in 1987 as Roadstars. Model numbers: RG440S, RG440R, and RG440P. The headstocks are labeled "Roadstar Series", even though the literature refers to them as "Roadstar II". In late '87 or early '88, they became the "Roadstar Pro" series. This group included the Saber, Radius, Power, Ballback, and, Turbot. Model numbers: 540S, 540R, 540P, 580B, and 580T. No markings, other than the Ibanez logo, appear on the headstocks. The beginning and ending dates for these transition models are not well defined. The "Roadstar pro" name only shows up in some of the 1988 literature. All reference to the Roadstar name is gone by 1989. Cheers Steve   Orion (Orion) Posted on Monday, January 27, 2003 - 1:42 pm:    Thanks for the info! I can't believe how hard it's been to get any info on this thing. I was looking at a '88 saber and it's pretty damn close other than the 3 way switch for the hum instead of the coil tap. Here's the weird thing though. The guy who I bought it from insists that it's a '95 and he says he has a '95 catalog with it in it. I'll be checking that out for sure. Do you have any idea what it's worth? I'm hoping I didn't get hosed. I checked out the price of the pickups and they were around $300 US, plus I've heard that the Floyd Rose goes for around the same. It has a few scratches and chips, one down to the wood, looks like it was banged around a bit. One of the screw holes for where you adjust the sping tension, not sure what it's called, is stripped. The guy told me to fill it with wood glue then jam as many toothpicks as I can in there. Please let me know if this is the right way to do it. Thanks, Rob   Orion (Orion) Posted on Monday, January 27, 2003 - 2:15 pm:    I found a couple of interesting items on ebay. including a '87 spec sheet. Check them out. saber 1987specsheet   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, January 27, 2003 - 3:54 pm:    Rob, I also have a '95 catalog. I don't need to check it, as the serial number definitely makes it an '87. Saber ("S") prices seem to fluctuate with the weather. I'd ballpark yours at $300-400. For comparison, a new S470 is about $600. As for the stripped screw hole, the toothpick & glue trick has always worked well for me. I don't "jam as many as I can" into the hole. One or two will usually tighten it up enough. Thanx for the lead on the Namm sheet. As for the Sabre on eBay, I'll guess it's an '88. Without the serial number, it's impossible to be certain. I've seen those neckplates with stamped numbers before. I dunno what they mean (if anything), but they don't follow the serial number format. The real serial number should be on a sticker applied to back of the headstock. 'Course, being a sticker, they do come off sometimes... Cheers Steve   Orion (Orion) Posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 6:39 pm:    Well I finally broke down and removed the neck to check for a model number, and guess what, there it was! Pro 540S. Now I can sleep. The only thing that still puzzles me is why it says Roadstar Series on the head. I've found a few others of the same model, but none with that on the head. Also, I was wondering if you, Steve, are bidding on the spec sheet? I'd love to see a scan of it if you get it.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 1:31 am:    Okay, what would you like the headstock to say? Check 5 posts back, I thought I pretty well covered the headstock thing there. The sheet I sent you should answer some of the questions. Apparently, Ibanez was having an identity crisis or something. The original Roadstar series was being phased out starting in 1987, but the 4 or 5 series it spawned weren't clearly defined until 1989. Cheers Steve   Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 10:37 pm:    Steve,or anyone else that might know, When I tore apart my new 530,(I like to set up all newcomers from scratch)I noticed a marking I've never seen.It's in the neck pocket.It's a stamp:NT inside a oval.There is also a hand marked L before the 530 in the pocket and on the neck back.Any ideas what either of these mean?I know it doesn't really matter and kind of trivial but I'm just curious.I like the official Ibanez neck shim,much more class than the typical matchbook.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 3:58 pm:    Hmm... Dunno! Maybe a QC inspection stamp. Spare ProRock'R parts on eBay. CHEAP !! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33043&item=2504983995&rd=1 Cheers Steve   Ccs (Ccs) Posted on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 4:52 pm:    Thank you kind sir,it is now mine.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 5:32 pm:    *grins* Good! Go easy on that "kind sir" stuff. I almost scarfed it up for myself!   Raceboy (Raceboy) Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 6:02 am:    A bit off topic, but this is making me wonder how the friends on this forum deal with bidding against one another on these auctions. Could someone explain the accepted etiguette with respect to this?   Johns (Johns) Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 11:10 am:    Raceboy: The only rule is NEVER bid against ME! Just kidding. Two people you're bound to run into are Maniac Mike and Orval. An auction is what it is. Bidding against one another is something that we shouldn't take personal. There are some hot items that many here are searching for. The guy with the deepest pockets wins the goodies. As I've gotten to know the ebay account names and who they correlate to in this forum, I've corresponded with some to "check in" and make sure I'm not inadvertently driving the price up on something that I'm not serious about anyway. Does anybody want to share their ebay account names? I'm jjfeenix.   Dave_G (Dave_G) Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 11:14 am:    I have two alteregos, Ecomtrust & Luggageforless   Funkle (Funkle) Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 3:52 pm:    I don't know if you guys know about this resource: http://www.ibanezrules.com/ has all of the Ibanez catalogs online from '88 to '01. Makes research much easier, and now I don't have to hunt down all those catalogs. -Sven   Maniac (Maniac) Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 5:59 pm:    John's right, It's never personal with Ebay bidding (for me at least) If anyone here really wants a guitar that I am bidding on, just drop me a email and I will always respond to you. Since my Ebay is my user ID, it's easy to get a hold of me. Usually it will be a guitar that I already have and sometimes I am bidding for a friend who wants one of mine that I'm not willing to let go. I have backed off of many auctions at the request of our Ibanez friends and very rarely do I play the "sniper". (hint,hint Dave ) Fair warning though... I'm after the Challenger Series and I will bid to the end on the ones I see until I feel it has exceeded my perception of value. The bottom line is, most of us want the same things which are in limited supply,so when one comes up at a reasonable price, please don't take offense if I bid against you. Again, Just ask if you really want it so bad you can't sleep IBONES maniac   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 7:20 pm:    "shanikomusic" for anybody who hasn't already figured it out. I know I've bid against some of the members here. And been outbid too! No hard feelin's either way. Sven, last time I checked, the "Ibanez Rules" site was missing a couple catalogs. Nevertheless, it's a great reference site. Cheers Steve   Dave_G (Dave_G) Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 8:28 pm:    Mike..Guess we have all been the "sniper" and the "snipee" depending on how bad we want a particluar item....I agree with Mikes thoughts regarding this...Anyone who sees me bidding on an item they "must have", drop me a line-I already have too many guitars (if there is such a thing !) We should be sensitive not to drive prices up artificially-after all it looks like there is a small number of avid collectors-I'm sure that with patience we will find that there are LOTS of really choice examples (closet classics? )of Ibanez to be shared, as long as we don't go broke getting them !....   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 6:57 pm:    Just another reason why I visit here everyday...the people. Ok, the guitars, too. You guys are a rare bunch of great people. I wish ebay were more kind to the average bidder. I've been sniped, and it really stinks, especially since I could have 'bought it now' for less than I ended up bidding before I lost (in the last 6 seconds)!   Raceboy (Raceboy) Posted on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 1:17 am:    Great replies!!! Thanks for all that input. It's very helpful. I'm a rookie at this auction stuff. I've made two purchases on Ebay. I'm mrraceboy there, BTW.   Mrmahar77 (Mrmahar77) Posted on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 11:26 am:    Hi all, Alas, I too have been bitten by the Roadstar bug. It all started in a pawnshop in Cali. I was cruising around looking for the usual diamond in the rough somewhere when I noticed a couple of Roadstar II's. Knowing nothing other than I had seen them hanging in other pawnshops on the east coast I decided to give one a try. Plugged into a little Fender champ and WOW! I was impressed to say the least.I played it for about a half hour. Wrote the serial # down and grabbed the other one. Same thing,only different pickup(s). Grabbed the serial # and headed out. Next day after a little research find out that one's an '83. The 1st one is a serial # L830962. It has a pearl white body, maple neck and maple fretboard. The natural finish extends all the way to the end of the headstock.3 single coils and a 5 way selector switch with single volume and tone. It has a white pickguard. There is a mini toggle between the two V/T knobs.Sweetest tone and intonation of any guitar I had played in a long time. The 2nd is an H853049. It has a small label with RS110 on the back of the headstock. It is very similar to # 1 above but with a maple neck and maple fretboard and only one Humbucker pickup at the bridge (black).This one has a black pickguard. The natural finish ends at the headstock and the headstock itself is body colored on the logo side.It has two black round knobs (original?) and the volume knob has a push switch built in. Both of the trems are the same on these, very simple with the word IBANEZ visible on the top of the trem , cast. They both sounded great even with dead strings. Left Calif. (after 3 trips back to play these guys, no extra $$ to buy (yet). Back in Philly I picked up an RS 430 cheap but it's missing the bridge. BTW I missed the e-bay Buy it now for the ProRocker that Ccs grabbed by minutes! (Any extra parts you can spare Ccs would be welcome.) What's the deal with the V7 Blade pickups on the 430? Are they any good or just an Ibanez experiment? I'm waiting on a complete RS I just bought so I'm sure I'll be adding some more to the discussion after I get it. My next trip to Cali will find me back at the pawnshop to see if the RS's are still there. BTW they wanted $125 for either of them. I know this message is long but I thought you all might enjoy the story and relate. Great forum! I'm a believer! -Mark   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 12:05 pm:    Sounds like the '83 is an RS205, I think. Don't have my catalog with me. Should be a good guitar. As for the V7 blade pickups, I used them on a small scale guitar I put together for my son. Unfortunately, it's not a good judge of their tone. I know they were made by Gotoh since were sold along with other Gotoh pickups and parts by WD Musical Products at the time. I will say that I love the pickups on the '83. If I were to blindly make a choice, I'd pick the '83. For $125, you just can't go wrong.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 12:45 pm:    PURPLE HAZE !! This is the one I talked about earlier in the thread. RS525PH http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2505591209&category=33043 Cheers Steve   Mrmahar77 (Mrmahar77) Posted on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 6:45 pm:    Thanks for the info on the RS 203, I liked that one as well. Maybe Steve can enlighten me on those blade pickups! Also I think I saw one of those RS335 models, '83 PL with the single coil neck PU that comes to a soft vee at the bottom of the trim ring and a humbucker in the bridge. Has a bound flat top, no p/g and two roller knobs with rubber rings, 3-way toggle, non-locking cast bridge, maple board, maple neck. Is that it?   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 1:54 am:    Craig, Mark gotcha on that one! The late '83 (December) serial, the placement of the phase switch, and the description of the trem (Powerocker), makes it an '84 RS135 (the RS205 used a standard 6 screw trem and the phase switch is mounted between the tone control and output jack). I admit I had to go to the catalogs to be sure. Details, details, details... Mark, The RS110 is a rather rare beast. It's not in the catalogs, and I've seen only 2-3 on eBay in the last 4 years. The pickup should be a Super70 If it were me, I'd offer 'em $200 for the pair (RS135 & R110). Never had any of the V7 (single coil) blade pickups, sorry! Yup, that discription fits an RS335. Cheers Steve   Maniac (Maniac) Posted on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 5:30 am:    Ok, I'm Guilty ! "Fair warning though... I'm after the Challenger Series and I will bid to the end on the ones I see until I feel it has exceeded my perception of value" Yes, I am guilty of playing the sniper on the Challenger Tele Auction... I'm glad I did not have to upset anyone here (at least I hope) I hope this one is nearly as nice as the other one I got last year. Thanks to anyone who did not bid against me on that guitar. Mike G.   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 8:02 am:    Yeah, you got me, Steve. All I had were the well-known Ibanez sites as reference, and a text description at that. Just another reason why someone should create a comprehensive Ibanez reference online. That would be quite useful, dontcha think? CraigJC   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 12:05 pm:    Craig, You are right. It would invaluable to have all the info in one place. However, after compiling the Roadstar data, the idea of compiling all models/years into a similar format is, well, scary! If life will slow down a bit, I want to get my own website up. I'd be willing to to put all the info on-line, but I'd definitely need help. Cheers Steve   Mrmahar77 (Mrmahar77) Posted on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 8:26 pm:    Gentlemen, I'm still trying to put my 430 project together. One question I have re: the Pro Rockr bridge. Are the body studs proprietary to that bridge or are there generic type studs that will work? If so any sources? Same question for the springs and trem arm. Thanks. Steve, any chance I can get a copy of that roadstar excel sheet? If anyone has parts for that bridge please e-mail me. -Mark   Mrmahar77 (Mrmahar77) Posted on Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 9:57 pm:    Roadstar 1500 on Ebay, don't see these everyday.Looks like a decent Buy it Now price for this what do we think? RS1500   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 12:18 pm:    The RS1500 was the top of the line Roadstar. $400 with the case is a very fair price IMHO. I paid more than that for mine, and it's got some pretty significant play wear. Total production of RS1500's was 365 units. Cheers Steve   Mrmahar77 (Mrmahar77) Posted on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 7:29 pm:    Looks like someone else thought so too or they reconsidered the price, the seller ended the auction early.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 2:27 pm:    Orval, Congrats on winning the second design RS1010SL off eBay! Looks like a good price too. I'd love to get your opinion on it after it's in your mits. Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 2:01 am:    G'day from Australia again one and all. I came across this guitar on the weekend and I imediately fell in love. Ive never seen on before so I was hoping you guys can help with any info. It really is a beautiful piece of wood. Ive never seen another roadstar like this one and cant find any catalogue info on it anywhere. According to the serial number I830032 its obviously a Sept 83 but other than that I cant figure out anything. When I saw it I just had to have it, I paid $700 Australian dollars for it and it feels and sounds like nothing Ive played before. Hoping you guys can help with some info.   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 2:05 am:    C:\Temp\Temp1 IbanezX1   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 2:14 am:    C:\Temp\Temp1 IbanezX2   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 2:16 am:    C:\Temp\Temp1 IbanezX3   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 2:17 am:    C:\Temp\Temp1 IbanezX4   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 2:20 am:    C:\Temp\Temp1 IbanezX5   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 2:22 am:    Please feel free to contact me with any info at meverard@bigpond.com .   Munch (Munch) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 6:46 am:    Neck-thru Roadstar!!! A rare beast indeed. Well done Marc. I know Steve will chime in with all the info you're after! Congrats, Mark   Johns (Johns) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 8:23 am:    Rsrv1: It a beauty! To me it looks like an RS1500. Steve has one, so I'm sure he'll be able to give you all the details.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 1:37 pm:    Maec, Woohoo! John already gave the correct model number. I can tell you that only 429 RS1500's were built. All were finished in Brown Sunburst. The neck is Maple, the body wings are solid Ash. Pickups are Super Power 6, bridge is a Hard Rocker Pro. I find it interesting that you have a September serial number. Mine is January '83. Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 9:27 pm:    Thanks for the info guys. It is certainly well used with quite a few dents and chips but I must say it really is a spectacular guitar. Its missing a couple of bits and the middle pickup doesnt work. Im not sure if any original parts are going to be available but what I need is one string tree and sleeve, one of the little square string locks from the bridge and I was wondering if a Seymour Quarter pounder would be a good replacement for the bad pickup (how similar would these pickups sound to the originals)? Also can anybody tell me the selector switch and knob configuration, since the middle pickup doesnt work its a bit hard to work out. Currently with the switch in the forward position it runs the neck pickup, switch in the middle runs neck and bridge and the switch in the back position runs the bridge. The middle knob does nothing in any position at the moment. Any ideas would be much appreciated. Cheers Marc   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Monday, June 02, 2003 - 7:23 am:    Seymour Quarter Pounders are very overwound pickups, as are the Schaller 1/4 inch polepiece single coil pickups. The original Super Power 6 pickups are slightly underwound compared to a vintage Strat. Therefore, the Duncans and Schallers will have a significantly dirrerent tone than the original Ibanez models. I have, in the past, bought Schallers and stripped the coil down to try and match the Super Power 6's tone, and I've come close (I love the tone of the Ibanez pickups; I didn't love the Schallers before unwinding them). I fear that the Duncans are wax potted too well to attempt unwinding them. Unless you're willing to tear into the delicate innards of a pickup, I recommend shopping ebay for original replacements. In my opinion, it will be worth the effort and cost.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, June 02, 2003 - 12:48 pm:    Marc, Front knob is volume for neck and bridge pickup. Middle knob is volume for the middle pickup, it's independent of the switch. Back knob is master tone. You should be able to blend in the middle pickup in any of the switch positions. Have you pulled the back cover off yet? The previous owner may have disconnected the middle pup. I have some of the pieces you need. e-mail me... Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2003 - 5:25 am:    Steve et all I have managed to repair the middle pup so I wont have to bother finding a replacement which is great so I can keep it original. I gave it a light fret dress and full setup and she is sweet. Ill be in touch about those bits shortly. Thanks again to you all for your help. Marc in the land of Oz   Munch (Munch) Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2003 - 7:21 am:    Hey Marc, What part of Australia are you in? I'm in Perth. Last night I let a friend have a good long play on my Roadstar. He owns a $3,000 custom shop Strat and could not believe how good the Roadstar was. He has told me not to sell it without giving him first option! High praise indeed. The pickup wiring sounds very interesting on your guitar. What did you have to do to get the middle pickup working? Cheers, Mark   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2003 - 11:56 am:    "He owns a $3,000 custom shop Strat and could not believe how good the Roadstar was." For one tenth of the money! He he he... Cheers Steve   Rsvr1 (Rsvr1) Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2003 - 5:44 pm:    Mark Im in Sydney. The pickup was a bit of a bugger to fix (with my big fingers) but I found that where the coil windings are soldered to the cables coming out of the coil where broken and just a bit too short to re-solder. I had to unwind a bit of coil winding (only one revolution) then used that bit to lengthen the other one enough to resolder. Cheers Marc   Munch (Munch) Posted on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 7:16 am:    Hi Marc, You're a brave man! I would be scared of breaking the windings. Well done. Congratulations on finding a great Ibanez guitar. Cheers, Mark   Johns (Johns) Posted on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 9:21 am:    Marc: I'm glad to hear that you got the RS1500 back in top running condition. Your's is one of those outrageous success stories. To find a rare, 20 year old, neckthru Roadstar, made of quality woods with a carved top, in great original shape, for $700AU ($350US?) is a fantastic deal! Savor it...and know that you've made many of us very jealous.   Jimmys (Jimmys) Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 8:44 am:    Hi Marc and Mark (fellow Aussies!), I am in Canberra. Mark, I read your comment 'He owns a $3,000 custom shop Strat and could not believe how good the Roadstar was.'. I have an 85 Roadstar II that I bought in Virginia for $125US 2.5 years ago and I also have a Fender US Strat Plus Deluxe that I bought for $600US although it is worth a lot more over here in Australia. The Roadstar II was the cheapest guitar in the guitar shop at the time. In single coil mode, it sounds amazing, perhaps better, compared to the Strat so can relate to your friend's comments. I'd be interested if anyone can help me to identify the model (no photos yet but maybe soon): - Serial - G851760 (so made in 85), - solid light pink (almost like a toy doll skin colour I guess) colour with matching pink headstock, - Chrome floating bridge, - Chrome 'Ibanez Smooth Tuner II' tuning knobs, - single black 'Ibanez' humbucker in bridge position (parallel to bridge - not angled like some I have seen) with single volume/coil tap (humbucker/single coil) knob, - Maple neck with 'skunk strip' in back, - Rosewood fingerboard with white plastic dot inlays. - 'Roadstar II Series' text on headstock, - NO scratch plate, I can find other Roadstars that look very close to it, but have never seen another with just one humbucker and one knob. It is a really cool guitar and sounds virtually the same as a US Strat (2nd position - the classic Strat sound), if not better. I am actually in the process of trying to sell the Strat as I just bought an Artist AM205 ($1100 AUD which I though was a very good price). Thanks, James   Jimmys (Jimmys) Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 8:46 am:    One more thing: The pink Roadstar II described in my message above has a locking tremelo system. I forgot to mention this, James   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 3:26 pm:    James, You have a 1985 RS410PS (Pink Sunlight). Basswood body, 1 piece maple neck, rosewood fretboard, IBZ pickup, and Pro Rock'R tremolo. The RS410 and RS420 (2 pickups) were a mid 1985 release. They never made it into the regular catalog. The only literature I've seen is a one page supplement dated May 1985. This is where the above info came from. Colors available: RS410: BK(Black) IV(Ivory) PS(Pink Sunlight) RS420: BK(Black SB(Soft Blue) The pastel colors (IV, PS, & SB) were only available in 1985 and only on these 2 models! The version with the angled humbucker is a 1986 RG410. Similar at a glance, but different in almost every detail. Cheers Steve   Jimmys (Jimmys) Posted on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 3:48 am:    Steve, Yep that's it, even down to the same case! Thanks heaps. Except that mine has a different knob. The one in your photo looks like a Gibson Les Paul knob. Mine is all black with vertical ridges around the side for grip. Also, my pickup has one solid plastic black Ibanez cover so you can't see any pole pieces. The pink colour on mine has aged so that it looks slightly 'redder' than the one in your photo. So, is it a 'rare' guitar then, seeing as they were only made for a short period and in the pastel colours? Do you know how many were made? Any idea what it might be worth? Just curious. I don't think I'll be selling it in a hurry. Have you got any photos of a blue one? That'd look cool. Cheers, James   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 3:01 pm:    James, Always glad to help out! You are describing the correct, original knob and pickup. The photo I posted was the best I had of that model and color. The knob and pickup are not correct on that one. However, the case is the right one! I don't have production numbers for those models. It's probably safe to assume the production was limited to a few hundred, since they were only available for a short time. I think I have a photo of an RS420SB. I'll try to remember to post it tonight. Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 12:05 am:    Here's the shot of the RS420SB. Age has yellowed the clear coat causing the green tint. I really wish I had a scanner! The flyer for these models has great photos. As for price? Probably $100-200 on the open market. Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 12:16 am:    Guess what gang? We've reached 100 posts (again) and the thread is becoming very slow to load. So, I've started "Roadstar Corner Q&A (Part 3)" for continued discussions. As you were... Cheers Steve

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