Ibanez Roadstar 2

Make/Model: Ibanez Roadstar II RS 205
Year: 1983
Stratocaster Body
Basswood/Birch
Serial Number:F83----
Location of Manufacture: Japan
Neck/Fingerboard Wood: Maple neck, maple fingerboard
Scale Length:25 1/2"
Nut Width:1 5/8"
Weight: 8.4Lbs.
Finish Color: Tobacco burst
Pickup/Control Layout: 3 super 6 single coils/ 1 vol/ 1 tone 5-way selector switch/ 1 phase switch
Features: Left handed, Original tremolo bridge and whammy bar

Well lets see, covers pretty much any sound desired, the super 6 singles are very nice, have plenty of harmonics and will definatley keep them in the guitar for originality sake, i dont like to mod guitars tends to decrease value. Rich full sounding, can be bright as a bell with the phase switch. plenty of choices on midrange, treble, and bass. I really like the variety.

Purchased used, action needs a bit of adjustment, i have intonated properly strings 5 and 3 needed adjustment they were sharp. pickup height is fine, more than likely factory settings. Finish is still great this guitar was played quite exttensivley before my purchase and is a GOOD sign of a great guitar. Has play wear on body only, neck is perfect as is headstock, which is most important. I can deal with finish bumps and pick marks.

I have had it for 3 days now and the build quality is extremely professional, i have owned a 1988 Yamaha SBG, 1969 Yamaha Super Axe and the same build quality is evident.
Also owned Gibsons, 1984 SG, 1966 Melody maker, 1966 ES 335 which was coverted to lefty, the playability of the Ibanez is superior to these models. I must admit the 60s model Gibsons had that feel that is hard to replicate.

I am sure they would be helpful if needed, but there is much info online for this model

been playing since 1966, played for a year then got distracted as a kid, summer, etc. forgot about it up until 1973 and haven't stopped since. have played out a few times. mostly practice at home through a Sansui 350 stereo- Alesis quadraverb - 1959 Electrovoice wolverine 15" full range speakers in the original Marquis cabints which are Huge. Great sound, but i need an Amp, maybe a Musicman. I would but another if i could find a good lefty, any leftys are difficult to find in original condition, most have changed parts

??? Make/Model: Ibanez Roadstar II RS 205
??? Year: 1983
. Stratocaster Body
. Basswood/Birch
??? Serial Number:F83----
??? Location of Manufacture: Japan
??? Neck/Fingerboard Wood: Maple neck, maple fingerboard
??? Scale Length:25 1/2"
??? Nut Width:1 5/8"
??? Weight: 8.4Lbs.
??? Finish Color: Tobacco burst
??? Pickup/Control Layout: 3 super 6 single coils/ 1 vol/ 1 tone 5-way selector switch/ 1 phase switch
??? Features: Left handed, Original tremolo bridge and whammy bar

Well lets see, covers pretty much any sound desired, the super 6 singles are very nice, have plenty of harmonics and will definatley keep them in the guitar for originality sake, i dont like to mod guitars tends to decrease value. Rich full sounding, can be bright as a bell with the phase switch. plenty of choices on midrange, treble, and bass. I really like the variety.

Purchased used, action needs a bit of adjustment, i have intonated properly strings 5 and 3 needed adjustment they were sharp. pickup height is fine, more than likely factory settings. Finish is still great this guitar was played quite exttensivley before my purchase and is a GOOD sign of a great guitar. Has play wear on body only, neck is perfect as is headstock, which is most important. I can deal with finish bumps and pick marks.

I have had it for 3 days now and the build quality is extremely professional, i have owned a 1988 Yamaha SBG, 1969 Yamaha Super Axe and the same build quality is evident.
Also owned Gibsons, 1984 SG, 1966 Melody maker, 1966 ES 335 which was coverted to lefty, the playability of the Ibanez is superior to these models. I must admit the 60s model Gibsons had that feel that is hard to replicate.

I am sure they would be helpful if needed, but there is much info online for this model

been playing since 1966, played for a year then got distracted as a kid, summer, etc. forgot about it up until 1973 and haven't stopped since. have played out a few times. mostly practice at home through a Sansui 350 stereo- Alesis quadraverb - 1959 Electrovoice wolverine 15" full range speakers in the original Marquis cabints which are Huge. Great sound, but i need an Amp, maybe a Musicman. I would but another if i could find a good lefty, any leftys are difficult to find in original condition, most have changed parts. Good luck trying to find a Tobacco burst model in righty and especially lefty.

ibanez roadster 2 series made in japan, 21 fret maple neck and fingerboard, strat style body, ibanez smooth tuner machine heads, stock ibanez pickups 3x single coil, 5 way selector switch, phase switch, bone nut, ibanez strat style trem, candye apple red body with tortois shell pick gaurd, alder body wood.

bought this guitar in 2007 (??120.00 uk) as a backup for my ibanez rg550, now the roles have reversed, i play most styles of music from rock to country and i cant believe the versatility of this thing, i play it through a marshall valvestate 2000, the tones i can acheive with the roadstar through the marshall are really rich and warm, to be honest, i have never felt any more comfertable on a guitar in the 20 years i've been playing, only problem i get with it is when i use heavy distortion i tend to get some buzz through the amp, but that will be sorted soon enough.

the guitar was set up with a set of 10's when i got it, i just took them off, threw some dean markley 9's on it, adjusted the acction (i like low acction ) and it plays a dream, the neck is so smooth and the acction is fabulous, the pickups are only stock ibanez, but i wont be changing them as i feel they deliver what i need (tone comes from the fingers imo) the finnish on mines is a bit beaten up but not that bad, but hey it's 25 years old (1983) my honest advice is this, dont buy a fender strat, because the roadster is far supperior in every aspect. it will save you a fortune.cant fault it anywhere. future classic.

the roadster 2 never goes out of tune so it's great for gigging, i noticed it's a bit heavier than the rg550 but lighter than my telecaster, the guitar is bombproof, all the hardware still works as good as new, very reliable old dog. i would gladly go on stage without a backup with this thing.

never dealt with ibanez (yet)

for ??120.00 uk, $240.00 u.s what better guitar can you buy? lets be honest here, i own an rg550, rg470, rg270, fender mexico tele and none of them come remotely close to the roadster, i've played many strats usa made, relics etc and still cant remember feeling this comfertable on a guitar as the roadster, im accually going to buy another one in case anything happens to this one. to sum it up! im surprised you can buy a guitar this good for so little money, trade in your strat, rg, whatever and buy yourself one of these fine guitars..80's classic. superb.

'85 RG 140 - MIJ.

Usual frets, solid basswood on these me thinks. 5 way selector, push pull bridge humbucker. So, it's S/S/H. I bought this to replace a beloved all-single coil Roadstar I bought from a caveman (loved that guitar). But I am almost cured, as this one is almost as beautiful. Second hand, of course.

Tobacco burst, black scratch, typical strat shape (the nice rounded fins). The basswood body is deceptive; it is quite a heavy guitar. Maple and rosewood neck. Ibanez tremolo. Ibanez stock tuners work well as they always do/did. Fabulous neck (Ibanez give good neck) - not too thin, not too fat, not too flat. Right for me.

'Lizzie' is a handsome girl alright (I name them, and engrave them on the neckplate too; yeah, nuts, but it stops theft).

Bolt-on neck. You can believe that sustain paradigm with set neck if you want to. Had a few Pauls in my time.

Previous owner (who had taken very good care of this baby) had put in Di Marzios all round. They sound nice; great when the hummer is split and great presence when in. Nice. Ibanez get critisised for their stock pickups on these. But I liked Old Blacky; and I love the Di Marzis too. Case came with it - in very good shape too. Great buy off Ebay.

Played a bit in my time, lotsa stuff. Plus the usual guitar-god homage stuff. Had, and have, some diverse and quality guitars. Roland amp, loads of vintage and newer FX.

It is a little noisy on the single coils, understandably. But nothing you can't gate-out without destroying sustain and tone. The sound? Drool (well, for me at least). It's like a strat - there's 'chiming bell' and a bit of quack there for sure. But not Knopfler strat; it's fuller, less nasal. The humbucker really does cut through when switched in. With these humbucker Roadstars the single bridge and middle combo doesn't do Knopfler, it's thin and tinny. It's sorta Nashville tuning sound, but without the ringing overtones. But useable with the right stuff. I've tried to tweak the pickups to fatten that setting out - no luck, yet. That 'strat' sound comes from the bridge pup on the single coil. It's a bit more 'twang' like a Tele really. The neck pup has a growl, yet warm (think Clapton's 'woman', but that was an SG, or E335 at times). It's probably the Di Marzi, as I don't recall Old Blacky having that neck pup sound with the same clearness, depth and warmth.

But it isn't a strat substitute - it has its own sounds. Roadstars always did.

So, it has a very diverse array of sounds; ones that react with pedals very well. It loves compression.

Likes? All of her; simply beautiful looking guitar. Great sounds. Stays in tune (is there anyone out there that has ever had a Roadstar that didn't keep tune?). Reliable, solid, well made, nice neck. Always loved those curious Ibanez boomerang strap clips too. Nuthin' comes off with those babies! Why can't ya buy them nowdays?

Dislike? Ibanez tremolo arms that don't have a tip - hate that. So I put a Gotoh arm in - it doesn't screw in, but you can creatively and neatly use gaff. I like a tip to rest my pinky on when bending - best thing Leo ever did really.

Don't like the cable-in to the front plate either, but that's no big deal really. At least it stops the trem from going too far away as it hits the cable-end.

As stated, bought it off Ebay (these guitars are a very well kept secret). But knowing how Ibanez sold them new no doubt Lizzie had the same treatment from Fuji-Gakken way back then.

I tweaked the action and intonation a little downward - no probs. Good guitars are always easy to work on. The guitar rings from all the right places when played acoustically. No buzzes, no rattles; just good in-your-tummy resonance, and distinct overtones from the neck. Nice.

I've fiddled with pup height quite a bit - but hey, what guitar player doesn't almost continually, chasing our 'El Dorado' sound? It's good.

This guitar was in tip-top condition from the guy that sold it to me (one of life's gentlemen). No rust, no scratches, little bit of fretwear at the top (which he put in the ad too).

This thing was in immaculate condition, and looked just out of the showroom despite it's 20+ odd years. It's an abused Roadstar that looks shabby.

These things are tough! The ubiquitous 'tank' comes to mind. I used a Roadstar a lot in my playing days. Always faithful, always in tune. I had one once that kept breaking high strings, but that was only because I was a dork and had the locks on the Rose trem too tight and didn't file them properly. Roadstars cut it alright. Satriani uses what is basically a developed Roadstar, after all.

Real Japanese hardware? Built to last! Have you seen the tiny CIJ pots and wiring these days? Have you seen the Chinese wiring? This stuff will last.

Lizzie is one of the guitars I reach for when playing something new - she's reliable.

To not have a backup guitar at a gig? Insane, bravado-of-youth, or foolhardy. 'Nough said in my humble opinion.

Never dealt with Ibanez; but in Australia the retailer is the point of sale. So get them to track down The Shady Beijing Custom Guitar Company (is anyone else getting sick of Chinese guitars that cost .99c and then cost $600 to post it - gotta be sus, surely? Almost as annoying that every Ibanez item that is more than 0.6 of a second old is 'lawsuit'. Do ya homework guys). But, I digress. Obviously this doesn't apply to second-hand or out of warranty. But if you have a good music shop they'll have someone that can do most things that you can't, or don't want to.

Been playing for, um, a while now. Won't say how long; but this writer knows his stuff a little bit.

I would love to collect-up all the little stray Roadstars and have them in my home - daffy jokes aside, that's how highly I rate these things. Every time I see one on Ebay I want to buy it (down boy, time for your medication now).

These are great old guitars. Get one. MIJ quality that really did give Leo and Orville a run-for-their-money. Probably even better value now with the hindsight of how good Jap-built stuff was (and is. Look at the Jem Ibanez stuff).

the floyed rose is great it never fails
lots of pearlescent color options
best action ever

It is really great for harmonics with some DR extra lifes are great

My only complaint is the tuners, other than that it really is great

I have never had a prblem with this guitar A little costimizing with the pickups and it is perfect.

Never Needed a repair

It is perfect.

This is a black, left handed RG140. A humbucker and two covered single coils. 5 way switch, volume knob and a tone knob that you can push for fatter tone via mid-range boost. Tuners are Ibanez. Passive pickups. 22 frets.

The humbucker is great and not noisy. The front single coil is hums a bit but gives you that Stevie Ray Vaughn front pickup tone. The humbucker can get pretty bright. The tone knob is very reactive though I don't really use the push button knob at all.

I got this guitar in 1985 and didn't have a clue about setup but I remember it staying in tune from day one.
This is the best neck on Earth to me. I can't find a Strat with this neck. It's the not too thin or thick or too wide. The frets are great. My Carvin frets got eaten away after 5 years this frets are hanging tuff after 17 YEARS! They must be made of some super metal. The bridge is simple and solid but I almost never use it to bend notes. After about ten years the low E tuner started shift. I really would like to replace with Sperzel locking tuners. The input is a little flakey after all these years. I never like inputs on the front of a guitar and the contacts to be checked out. Common stuff on a 17 year old guitar.

This guitar is solid. I have one chip which reveal the paint/coating --looks like tough stuff. I'm still gigging with this guitar and I intend to maintain it for many more years.
The front strap button has come loose but the button themselves are a large V-shape so IF you can get a strap on it won't come undone.
I always gig with a backup.

I've been playing guitar on and off for about 17 years. This was my first real electric guitar. I picked it out and my Mom bought it for me in 1985. :-). That's real love! I'm looking for another lefty RG140.
I owned an American Strat and still have a Carvin. I wans't crazy about the Strat. The neck was too wide for me and the controls got in my way and I like having a humbucker. I sold that Strat and went back to the RG140. My RG140 has the smaller headstock. If anyone knows what exact neck this was based on (59 tele or 72 Strat or nothing) please let me know.
Things I would change: I would give the neck a tung oil satin finish and put the input on the side/bottom of the guitar.
I LOVE: the neck it slick fast & perfect & the frets, I love the bridge, I love the body shape and I love the puckups. Alo

My Roadstar 2 is a 1983 Model Made in March,it has a sunburst transparent finish,it appears to be made of Maple,with a rosewood finger board with 21 frets,it was refretted in 2003 with jumbo frets,Dimarzio X2n in the lead position,and a super distortion in the neck position,I installed a bartolini tc-3<awesome pre-amp> The coils are tapped and a phase switch was installed,at gigs guitarists ask about My guitar and drool over the sound of it and wonder why their $2000 les paul doesnt sound as good...

Hey guys I have an Ibanez roadstar 2 I'm thinking made in the early 80's but am having trouble finding a whole lot of Rosie on it .The humbuckers are suited for this model but tend to be a bit noisey in the bridge position. it has a three position switch everything is original on it and the tuners are stock and still very tight.22 frets and the bridge seems to be floyd rose?over all is very tight

This guitar suits my playing style very well and by the way is all over from southern hard and netal even outlaw country and when i'm in the mood some mellow blues. I play it mainly through a behringer gxm220 but have had peavey stacks and just through a P.A system set with a midiverb two.She tend to get a tad bit noisy in the bridge position but nothing tradgic ,still has good highs although I have had trouble to adjust to my taste as I'm picky. I'd rate the sound somewhere between a strat and sg gibson i guess. I get some great skynyrd sounds as in wines and screams but can't quiet master the full throttle of alot of the metal scream. over all it is a great sounding ax but could be beefed up to my syandards which by the way are very high the highs could be aa bit higher and clearer

I bought thhe guitar used so not sure how well the factory set it up but knowing the early days of Ibanez i thinking everyone has trials and tribs.like i said i bought used so i had to tweek the pickups to my taste.the thig seems to be extrodinarially matched for the day and time and the bidge is right on.as far as craftysmenship I have to say it was great and is holding its own with age

I have played this thing for 18 or so years and it is rugged man. with it being somewhere in the naborhood of 20-24 years old it has all the original equipment so I'd have to say it will withstand almost anything short of being flung out a window of a car. This thing is like an ole trusty ride and i'd drive it across country and back

I have been playing alot of years maybe an e-on? I have several guitars and instruments nothing to write home about LOL If it were ever stlen I pitty the full if lost I'd cry .I love the playablity and raw purity I dislike the information out there about this guitar and it could have a little better sound to it but keep it original man . I think my faviorite feature is its durability

From the neck bolt on metal plate: D850*** Made In Japan. So that'd be an 1985 guitar. 22 frets. Strat style body

I bought this guitar for 50$ from a crackhead in 1992. It was his own, and he needed cash fast. I wanted a purple guitar with no tremolo, and could not find one in any stores. The guitar sounded very bad, and could not stay in tune even with new strings. It was buzzing all over the fingerboard, and was just a plain mess to play.

Push-pull volume, and push-pull tone, 5-way selector. Now the volume push-pull is used for pickup selection, and the tone push-pull is used for the humbucker, series/parallel selection. The 5-way switch is not used, as I do not have a middle pickup anymore. Original pickups were S/S/H, now they are, Single coil De Armond 2000, blank, early '90s Original Gibson Humbucker.

Solid body, three pieces glued together, wood unknown, but heavy. It originally was all white. I wanted a purple guitar, So I sprayed a coat of light blue, and a very thin coat of pink (1992). That made it Purple. Then I was done with purple (2005), so I sanded it down to bare wood. Sure enough, as other reviewers said it, the original finish was much harder to sand than the added coats. Now the body is semi flat black, and the neck is unpainted, except for the front of the headstock, which is black. Much like the Gibson Gothic series. The original hardware was all replaced by black items. The back of the neck was sanded down with 2000 grit paper.

I also smoothed out both body horns by removing the spikes facing the neck. I also smoothed out the neck headstock where you have those spikes thingies. While I was hacking the body in 1992, I removed the tremolo, and made a square hole right thru the body where the tremolo was. I then made a very tight fitting block of maple, and I glued it in there. Gone was the tremolo. I then installed a Schaller fixed bridge, and Schaller tuners. I removed all the locking hardware at the other end of the neck. This guitar now stays in tune.

I played with the neck angle, the rod, and now the action is low, and fast with no buzzing.

I rated it at 7 because originaly this guitar was unplayable, and sounded lame. But it is a good guitar to start with if you are into hacking your stuff.

It came with a standard case.

I play from twangy rockabilly to Jazz comping to speed metal, and this guitar is very good at it. It is a very good guitar to start with.

A big portion of the sound comes from the pickups I'd say, so I tried to get the best I could buy. The original pickups sounded like shit, so they went straight to the garbage can. The De Armond is excellent for a "Gretch" kind of sound twangy sound. The Bridge Gibson is what it is, a Gibson. It plays clean very well, and it also has lots of overdrive if you push it. You hear a the Gibson sound through it.

I played this guitar with '70s Marshall, '60 Fender Twin, and '80s Mesa, and it always sounded great with the replacement pickup.

Lots of friends borrowed it over the years, and they were all surprised at how well it played, and how good it sounded. Lots of people wanted to buy it. But it is my don't care utility guitar, and it plays and sounds really great, so I have no reason to sell it.

I also play a mid '70s fretless wonder Gibson Les Paul. My expectations are usually quite high regarding guitars. This is why I am keeping the Ibanez. I also owned four guitars previous to these, and did not keep any of them.

I rated a 8 because I really like its sound, and so does everybody who played it.

The original action fit and finish are all gone. That guitar looked, played and sounded like your typical "Pawnshop Special". The action, fit and finish are mine now, so the rating does not apply that much. I gave it a 3 because the original finish was very hard.

This guitar plays really well. It stays in tune. The original hardware was crap, but the Schaller replacement parts make for a very nice guitar.

This is basically a very good guitar. I'd say a like diamond in the rough.

Not Applicable. It is out of warranty, and I fix my own stuff.

I have been playing for 20 years, and I also play mostly Gibson guitars. What I like about the Ibanez, is that it plays and sounds close to Gibson's without any fear of damaging it.

This guitar now plays like a gem, and it sounds like a gem too. This is my opinion, and this is what lots of players told me about it.

Early 80's Japaneese strat copy S/S/H off-white with a maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. A freind of mine got it of someone who was trying to learn how to play hipster punk for $150 with an amp. It was badly in need of intonation adjustment and just a little more than a little TLC. Regardless, I fell in love with it and traded him straight up for a Fender Strat I had and wasn't playing.
This is a very comfortable guitar. I can't get real technical as to why but it just feels right so it's been my main guitar for five years or so now.
It isn't perfect though. First of all the original single coil pickups were good sounding but very weak (I replaced them with Kinman Hx's). The humbucker that it came with was non-original so i can't comment on it (if you're curious it came with some ems battery powered job that i swapped out for a Gibson 490T with a coil splitter). The tuners are alright for being 20 years old but are starting to show some play. The fact that the jack comes out of the pickguard kindof irks me too. The worst thing is the bridge though. It's just a real oddball design that makes stringing this thing a little more annoying than usual.

I play blues/rock or whatever the bar owner wants to hear. Right now I'm running it through a 66 Bassman head and it sounds very nice. Bearing in mind that i've swapped the pickups out, it sounds like a strat should. I also modified the the electronics so that there is no tone control but instead there are two volume controls (one for the HB and one for the SC's). The coil splitter on the HB makes it possible to get a better "quack" out of the middle/bridge selection. Yeah, just a great little workhorse guitar.

Well, i got it after 10 years of playing, but it seems to be no worse for the wear and everything was put together right i guess.

I would trust this guitar to guard a city of kittens from evil aliens who need them for fuel. I gig with it and have used it as my only electric for a couple of years now.

I've been playing for 10 years. I used to own a Gibson ES335, an Am Std Strat, and an Epiphone Triumph Archtop but I found that this was the only guitar I ever actually played, so i sold them. The Roadstar II is just a good player's guitar. It's not flashy and it doesn't have any kind of retro pseudo-value attached to it. If it was lost or stolen i would definately try to replace it. As a matter of fact i kindof want another one now.

1983 Made in Japan Roadstar. It has 22 frets Royal Blue, not sure of the wood but this thing is pretty heavy. It has S/S/H. 5 way P/U/ switch with phase switch. Gives you some real incredible sounds.Neck and fretboard are maple. Not sure what kind
of tremelo it has but it doesn't work very well.

The sound of this guitar is amazing! I have had so many people come up to me at gigs and ask what I am playing and what kind of set-up I use etc. When I tell them they just can't believe it. It really pisses off my bandmate who has a $2,000 Les Paul and a $800 Tele. and he rarely gets positive comments on his sound. (He plays too friggin loud to appreciate his sound) I play through a Randall half stack with a boss blues driver. Also have DOD flanger which bring out the clean sounds of this guitar. Plenty of distortion power for my style of playing (Rock/Grunge/Pop). Real versatile guitar.

Bought this Guitar when it was 3yrs old in 1986 so I can't comment on the factory set-up. The action I have set-up now is perfect. I play other guitars and just don't feel comfortable. Finish is a little nicked up now but still looks cool.

This guitar is bullet proof. I was a drummer by trade and I bought this guitar to just fiddle around with. When I first got it I didn't have a case and I used to keep it in the back of my Chevy Blazer. Used to go offroading with it in the back and I remember it flying through the air and smashing around the back for hours on end. Nothing ever broke or came loose inside or out. When I got more serious about playing I brought into a guitar tech to have it set-up and he didn't have to do much but change the strings and adjust the action for me slightly. Dropped this guitar so many times I can't count em all and it never goes out of tune unless the the tuning pegs were knocked out. I have a Mexican Made Strat for a backup just in case but I have only used it 3 times in 5 years all because of broken strings.
This guitar is a War Horse.

Never dealt with em

I've been playing for about 20 years. 15 seriously. I do have Mex. Strat that was a gift but I hardly play it. It is the only guitar I ever want to play. It is like an old shoe. It just fits right. I have heard many strats,Teles, Les Pauls, SG's etc and although they all have there distinctive sounds I would take my $150 Roadstar over them any day. No Lie!
You touch my guitar you DIE!!!!!!!

I didn't know until recently that the guitar i bought in 1996 is an ibanez roadstar II. The original owner is an accomplished lead guitarist who bought it 2nd hand from another person. So that makes me the 4th owner of this guitar. It was painted red (originally blue), all cracking from wear, but decided to paint it black. The frets are really worn out but decided to buy it bec. it sounds great (fat but chimey). Its says made in japan, 21 frets, a really hard maple neck. Tuners are of gotoh type, pickups have no steel post, with really weak magnets. The bridge is standard fender type but is made of brass (fat tone). The nut is made of BONE!!

It sounds weak, but it doesnt really matter bec. it sounds fat and chimey. My roadstar goes into a local made wah, phaser, denio overdrive, arion tube mania and finally into a ROTO custom amp. I never really care so much about it till i found out that a lot of artists are using it and how much they value it. Its great for jazz and blues. Its not twanggy thu.

I never tried adjust its trust rod because the neck, although small is so rigid! I bought it with very low action setting, but raised it a bit to improve my bending. This guitar sounds quite and sustains very well. Kinmans right!!! strong magnets reduces sustain.

This guitar has been my main axe from 1996 to 2002. I decided to mothball is for a while due to worn frets. I am currently using a samick strato copy and an aria pro II fs series strato copy. But they dont come close to the sound of my roadstar. It has been dropped many times during gigs (due to crappy guitar bag) and still it has never been through any major damage. This guitar might even outlived me!!

never dealt with them.

This guitar sounds better than anything ive tried. It is supposed to sound like a fender but it sounds better and sustains better than the original. The yamaha pacifica sound great too but only when combining the bridge(H) and the middle pickup(S). My samick which im currently using sounds above average, really expressive, but again, cannot duplicate the sustain of my roadstar. Im thinking about reviving my roadstar, but the cost of refretting here in the Philippines is around $40, about $2 per fret. If you find one of these used, I mean really used and beat up, but them. These are collectors items!!!!

Ibanez Roadstar II, your basic Strat copy with a couple of sweet variations. Made in 1984 (1st two digits of serial # are 84), probably made in Japan. The body shape is slightly different from a Fender -- just enough to keep from getting sued is my guess -- with, oddly, a pickguard that resembles that of a Precision Bass, complete with perpendicular output jack instead of the angled jack of an actual Strat.

Electronics include three single-coil pickups, single volume and tone controls, five-way pickup selector and a phase switch. The pickguard came foil-shielded, but the routed cavity was not.

The standard six-post tremolo works OK with some setup. To further stabilize tuning and the trem's return to pitch, I replaced the factory Ibanez-stamped tuners (probably Gotohs) with locking Sperzels, the plastic nut with graphite and the metal saddles also with graphite. I also intend to replace the string trees (which tend to bind) with graphite.

The body seems to be made of basswood, although I'm not positive. The neck and fretboard are maple.

Lots of good to excellent features -- some rivaling or even surpassing Fenders of the same era. And for the price ... .

It's a Strat clone. Meaning that it's got the clear tones and flexibility to handle any genre you play -- from jazz to metal -- but it'll always have that twangy punch that single coils and a 25.5-inch scale give you. I happen to like that sound.

Where the Roadstar II stands apart is the phase switch. In the 2 and 4 positions, it throws the middle pickup out of phase with the bridge or neck pickups. The resulting sound ranges from rude and quacky -- rolling down the highs will make it less obnoxious -- to early Mark Knopfler. The out-of-phase sound really comes to life when I turn up the gain on my amp and play with the guitar's volume knob: I can get mid-period Knopfler ("Money for Nothing") or vintage Peter Green.

I'm not wild about the stock pickups. They probably could benefit from rewinding, if not outright replacement. But I'm a spareroom player anyway -- haven't gigged in years.

For that matter, I do much of my playing at night, either through headphones, or just unplugged. It actually has a better acoustic sound than a semihollow Carvin AE-185 I used to own, and a much better sound (acoutic or amped) than an '86 Fender Strat that I bought new and wound up selling. Unplugged, the Ibanez is loud enough for practice in a quiet house, and when strummed hard, the trem springs add a touch of boinginess that could be mistaken for reverb.

Factory specs? The guitar was almost 20 years old when I bought it. It was at least secondhand, and probably thirdhand -- someone along the line had converted it for lefty play, and a subsequent owner converted it back to right. Besides, I bought the guitar not just to play, but to tinker with. And I haven't been disappointed.

The first thing I did was to take it apart and gut the insides. I had considered replacing the wires and pots, but a little contact cleaner and a touchup with the soldering pencil worked wonders. Shielding the inside with aluminum foil eliminated most, but not all, of the hum.

Next, I recrowned and polished the frets, which had string grooves worn into the first five positions. To stabilize the stock tremolo -- I hate those locking Floyd Rose things, which aren't necessary if you know how to set up a standard trem bridge -- I upgraded the tuners and nut and replaced one back cavity spring with a trem stabilizer (I've forgotten the brand name).

New saddles and an intonation tweak later, the guitar plays like a dream. Because I had to do so much work to the guitar, I'm tempted to rate it low in this category. But 1) the guitar ws old and in a state of neglect when I bought it -- not Ibanez's fault; and 2) the parts I replaced are just parts. The electronics were in good shape, the frets can probably take another recrown before they'll need replacement, the pickups are adequate and the woodwork-- body, neck, fit of both -- is excellent. I had a lot to work with to turn this cheapo Strat clone into a great player.

The red body coating is a hard plastic-like stuff, although it's prone to chipping. But, as I've discovered, you can find shades of nail polish that cover those chips and match the finish color pretty closely. My wifehelped here.

The maple neck and fretboard have a beautiful amber finish that I'm pretty sure is aged lacquer.

It seems heavy, even though the body appears to be basswood. It's definitely durable. Between my own clumsiness, and my curious 4-year-old, who can't get enough of Daddy's guitars, we've bumped it, whacked it, jostled it and knocked it over more times than I probably realize. It doesn't even go out of tune.

I haven't gigged in years, and the only time the guitar leaves my house is for my weekly lesson. So I wouldn't know how it would stand up to the abuses of live playing. My guess would be that it could take abuse -- and possibly dish some out, in case a bar fight broke out.

The v-shaped strap buttons, by the way, are terrific. I wish more guitar makers would adopt the idea. Then again, I don't think even Ibanez uses them anymore.

Yeah, sure. Any manufacturer would be happy to provide warranty or other service on a 20-year-old product that the second (or third, or fourth) owner has tinkered with extensively.

Then again, the best customer support is building a quality product in the first place. These Japanese guitars from the '70s and '80s are much better than the shoddy instruments the Big Boys were churning out. I chuckle every time I see someone pay outlandish money on Ebay for Fenders and Gibsons of that era, while these gems from Ibanez, Tokai, Memphis, Vantage, etc. go for half, a third or a fourth what a used Big Name Brand will cost you. P.T. Barnum was right.

I've been playing 25 years now, although I took a 10-year break from serious play after college. Five years ago, I got semi-serious again, mostly as an acoustic player. I've since purchased a Taylor 310, a Gibson Nick Lucas reissue (great guitar!!) and a Carvin AE-185, which I sold to buy the Gibson.

This time around as a guitar nut, I also have taken an interest in maintenance and setup, which is why I bought the Roadstar. I wanted aguitar that I could work on without fear of ruining, yet I didn't want toput much effort into a yard salespecial. I saw this Ibanez in my favorite guitar store.

It was in decent condition for an abused trade-in special, but I realized it had potential for better. What surprised me -- besides the fact that I did a decent job on my very first guitar setup and semi-rehab -- is how well it turned out. It outplays any Squier or Mexican-made Fender I've ever picked up in a store (although I think the Mexicasters are much better deals than snob-appeal guitarists have yet admitted). And except for its 20-year-old pickups, the Roadstar can match up feature-for-feature with any current American-made Strat that didn't come out of Fender's custom shop.

If you're in the market for a Strat-style guitar, ask yourself some basic questions: If you want to impress your buddies, then spend the money and buy a Big F -- although you might want to save your pennies, because I see a Corvette in your sad future. But if you want a guitar that covers the same sonic terrain as well as or better than the Big F, consider one of these old Ibanez Roadstars. You can pick them up for less than $200. And use the hundreds you saved toward a decent tube amp.

Everything else is covered below.

Sounded very dull through the neck p/u but ok through bridge. Possibly just the amp I was playing through when I owned- 100W tranny amp. Bzzzzz. Ok variety but still a little dull.

Excellent. 2nd hand but everything was ship-shape. No-one does a cheaper guitar like Ibanez.

This thing is built like a brick. Everything's v. solid. Only thing I didn't like was the bridge end pin is kind of V shaped. What were they thinking??? (Ibanez or the clown that put it on.)

Customer support and Ibanez don't go together in my experience. I have 2 legendary CT strats (another great budget buy!) and there's nothing available anywhere on either the CTs or the Roadstar.

Own a Fender standard strat, home-made tele and jazzmaster and about a squillion cheap guitars 'cause I love 'em! Mix and match I say! As I said, no-one does a budget guitar like Ibanez does! Guitar then Washburn AD-2 then Boss OS-2 the Korg AX1000 then I double amp to a Vox Cambridge 30R and a Yamaha g-50 210. Usually the strat and the Jazzmaster though I love my cheapies!

Around 1983. 22 frets plus nut. Red gloss finish. Black fittings.
Standard Roadstar 11 chrome strip pickups. Locking nut and Floyd Rose setup. Black gloss kneck and no scratch plate.

Massive varriety of sounds. This could be radically improved by changing the pickup switching setup which is absurdly basic as the original configuration. Only having a three pos switch is this gats big weekness. Each PU should have its own switch could also change the phase. This thing sounds fantastic thru a Zoom Fire 30 amp. If you get the chance try this combination.The most impressive thing about these axes is the tonal range.You can easilly get that magic fender Hank B Marvin purity but the heavy body also has that Gibson Les Paul sustain quality on the kneck PU.

Superb red gloss thick dipped laquer. Perfectly smooth but borring. Very bland appearance with no scratch plate. This is an Ibanez oversight I feel and a silly mistake as it lets the guitar down badly in terms of its appearance. Overall assembly and build quality is excellent but the bridge assembly is corroding under the black powder coat and this suggests crappy muck metal is used instead of brass. I will get it lightly sand blasted and then refinish it.

Of coarse it withstands live playing what a stupid question. No guitar would ever be reviewed that would'nt! The overall strength and build quality is very good except for the bridgewhich would be better used as gape shot!

Not needed unless a truck ran over it. Well seviced prodct, ask George!

I have owned and played this guitar for 16 years or more and I would highly recomend them as a great allrounder that does not cost the earth. The pickups are fine but the bridge is a bit sad due to the crappy metal they use. There is no excuse for this, it really is a joke! The PU switching could be improved and a scratch plate would be nice but generally speaking they make a very nice budget priced instrument.

This one is a 1970 Japan model, with i think 22 frets. Lots of controls 2 humbucker that can switch to single coil. Maple body wit white pickgaurd. Floyd Rose Bridge. Maple neck. mine came with a case
All of the knobs and pickup switching is great

I play Grunge-Rock, Hard-Rock, And Punk-Rock mixed and for the clean verses i use it works great. Put some chorus on it and its even better. This has perfect Clean sound. For that Mid up distortion i switch to humbuckers and it had acually a great mid distortion. I dont recomend for bassy distortion. Works ok for that hollow treble sound.

i bought this used at Adrian Music in Oregon city and i dont know what factory or anything about its past. It has some marks on the back but pretty unoticable. It seems its held up great. The bridge looks alittle old but nothing is wrong with it.

ive played live with it 2ce and practice with my friend alot with it. The strap holds great thanks to the v strap holder it came with. I usually rock out during songs and it works pretty good nothing has happend yet. its good to move with to. it is a little heavy but thats good because when you jump with light guitars they go to high in air.

Never Tryed its been good. has no warranty i bought it used

This is great guitar for rock espacially sounds good with rickenbacker bass and Maple drum sets sound good with it too.Like i said pertfect for grunge with its chorus clean verses and sound plus its even great with hard rock with the humbuckers. A real all around guitar for Rock

I own a Japan-made Ibanez RoadStar II 530 TR, built in 1984.
It is made of Lime (Tilia) and Maple (Acer) wood, finished in a transparent red with black body binding. It is equipped with 2 Ibanez stock humbuckers which can independently be split to single coil PUs. This is done with the volume poties; by pushing them you switch between SC and humbucker. There are two of them, one for each pickup. Also, there's a 3-way-switch that switches between either one of the PUs, or both together, in middle position. There's a third knob for the tone.
The neck has 24 frets, the strings are locked to the headstock, and on the other side to a ProRock'r vibrato bridge (well improved Floyd-Rose) with fine tuners and 4 springs. Most metal parts are lacquered black.
The body has a Strat cut, but it is absolutely flat and far heavier and thicker. The strap holders are the StarTrek-" V "-ones which, once attached, are symbiotic to the strap and never release it again :)

The bridge is a real masterpiece. You don't have to cut of the ball ends like on a standard FloydRose, the strings lie on a little flat roll, you can bend the strings forward and backward, and the fine tuners have a wide tuning range.

The electronics are passive and put all out to a 3,5mm mono jack.
The output level of the pickups is about as much like that of a Standard Gibson SG.

The guitar makes every kind of sound you wish to have. When you've tested
out all variations of pickup settings, tone and volumes of the PUs, together with only a simple overdrive effect setting, you're stone old and know you have a device that behaves like a Pan flute, a trombone, roars like a lion, beeps like a mouse, has the blues or screams painfully. I can't judge a special "richness" of the sound, it depends solely on the knob positions. It's absolutely worth turning down the PUs output for some music. If I wanted to make Heavy Metal I'd just bring them up again. On most occassions I use it to play tunes originally for wind instruments, or classical guitar pieces, or making sound effects, and it fits me needs in any aspect, apart from being a guitar and not a bass, which I lack ;)

As I got the guitar third-hand, I have no idea about the factory setup. I think one of the 4 springs was added later. However, it doesn't really matter as there's nothing that couldn't be readjusted at home. Really. If you're a technical person, you'll love this guitar.
On the other hand, if you're used to opening devices with "Grundig", "Siemens" or "Marantz" labels... never remove the cover of the electronics. They must have been soldered by former locomotive manufacturers. I've never seen such a mess of solder wire blobs.

I never play live except with friends, but the guitar itself can't be harmed much. I have stumbled over the cables, the cats or other persons made it drop forward, sideward, everywhere, and it didn't get an additional scratch on the wood. I got it with a severe lacquer damage on the headstock and one or two chip-outs at the neck that were painted over with red fingernail colour, and I have no idea how they did that. I bumped against rough brick walls with it which produced an issue of polishing,nothing more.
What wears off, however, is the black lacquer of the metal parts. Even the tuners and their nuts are painted black, and you can't use pliers on it without scratching it.
Also, the screws wear out when used with wrong sized tools. For the locking screws at the head I need pliers to operate them, as they're no stadard parts, unlike the string mounting screws at the bridge which I could easily replace.
But if you don't care for black lacquer, get new screws and resolder the electronics once, you can play it as long as you wish, if it doesn't damage your neck first, due to its weight.
BTW, I never had a broken string.

I never dealt with Ibanez.
I just once tried to get replacement screws in a music store which would have to be ordered, would be extremely expensive, and not even sure when they could be delivered. I then gave a string mounting screw to a toolmaker who told me it were stardard parts which I could obtain in a hobby store. I guess you shouldn't rely on any music-oriented supporters with that guitar.

Unlike with my acoustic guitars, I have no idea why I should ever replace this guitar. Though it's old and has a few lacquer damages, it's still absolutely beautiful. I use it with an amp emulator which also converts the signal to be used with studio or home stereo equipment.
Besides I have various acoustic guitars and wind instruments.
The 3way switch and the fine tuners could be better hidden, but you get used to that.

1985 - Japanese, 22 frets, Solid salmon pink laquered Strat-style body (ugly colour but I love it). Only 1 single humbucker at the bridge with 1 volume knob that is a push button to switch between humbucking and single coil. I've never seen another with just one pickup - must have been the cheapest model at the time? Chrome-plated Floyd Rose style bridge - I think it called the 'Edge' bridge. Has a locking nut. Came with original brown Ibanez case in good condition. I found out about the push button pickup switch after I bought it.

I bought it because it was the cheapest guitar I could find at the time and I only wanted a temporary guitar while I was in the US on a trip from Australia. I nearly bought a Squire but it sounded like a cheap, nasty piece of crap. I ended up keeping the Roadstar and shipping it back home with me.

I play rock/blues. This guitar suits my style. I use an old Roland JC60 amp and a Boss GT5 effects processor. It is very quiet in both pickup settings. It has a better single coil Strat sound than my '91 US-made Fender Strat Plus Deluxe which cost 5 times the Roadstar! The humbucker setting isn't as great as the single coil sound so I only use it if I want to get rid of the sharpness of the single coil sound. It sounds excellent with both clean and distorted effects.

I bought it very used and pulled it apart, cleaned it up and put it back together. I didn't take my time to set it up properly but haven't needed to as it is so perfectly set up anyway. The action is very low with no buzz and it has a fatish/rounded neck that suits my hand really well. There is a slight finish crack in the body at the neck joint - classic Strat type crack. The pink/salmon finish looks like the colour of a toy doll and stands out like a sore thumb but is in excellent condition. There is some slight yellowing from previous players' hands.

I play it live all the time - stays in tune, even from week to week if I don't play it. Hardware is rock solid. Finish has lasted since 85 with only slght yellowing so it is good quality. The strap buttons are a 'V' type - a pain to get the strap on and off from but won't let the strap pop off. Very dependable and can use without a backup at a gig. I haven't busted a string in 2 years but I am not a really hard player.

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Been playing for 20 years. Own a 91 US Strat Plus Deluxe, 83 Ibanex Artist (AR300CS), the Roadstar, old Roland JC60 amp, Boss GT5 effects unit. The Roadstar is great and I'd replace it if lost or stolen. I may even look for another with more than one pickup - the only downside to this guitar. Despite this, the single pickup and pink colour make it very unique. I don't think I'd ever find another the same. I don't play the Strat or the Artist much anymore as this thing sounds so great. Overall rating is a 10.

Will buy any color, any fret board Ibanez Roadstar II (strat copy) Tremlo w/locking nut.

Actually it's the three single coil pickups with the silver blade running down the center of the pickup that I'm after, but I'll buy the whole guitar if need be.

Any of you pickers that have removed these blade pickups and replaced them, I'd be stoked to take them off your hands. I would really appreciate it! 505-670-9700. rddeshazo@aol.com

Will buy any color, any fret board Ibanez Roadstar II (strat copy) Tremlo w/locking nut.

Actually it's the three single coil pickups with the silver blade running down the center of the pickup that I'm after, but I'll buy the whole guitar if need be.

Any of you pickers that have removed these blade pickups and replaced them, I'd be stoked to take them off your hands. I would really appreciate it! 505-670-9700. rddeshazo@aol.com

Will buy any color, any fret board Ibanez Roadstar II (strat copy) Tremlo w/locking nut.

Actually it's the three single coil pickups with the silver blade running down the center of the pickup that I'm after, but I'll buy the whole guitar if need be.

Any of you pickers that have removed these blade pickups and replaced them, I'd be stoked to take them off your hands. I would really appreciate it! 505-670-9700. rddeshazo@aol.com

Will buy any color, any fret board Ibanez Roadstar II (strat copy) Tremlo w/locking nut.

Actually it's the three single coil pickups with the silver blade running down the center of the pickup that I'm after, but I'll buy the whole guitar if need be.

Any of you pickers that have removed these blade pickups and replaced them, I'd be stoked to take them off your hands. I would really appreciate it! 505-670-9700. rddeshazo@aol.com

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Will buy any color, any fret board Ibanez Roadstar II (strat copy) Tremlo w/locking nut.

Actually it's the three single coil pickups with the silver blade running down the center of the pickup that I'm after, but I'll buy the whole guitar if need be.

Any of you pickers that have removed these blade pickups and replaced them, I'd be stoked to take them off your hands. I would really appreciate it! 505-670-9700. rddeshazo@aol.com

This is an 1986 roadstar II,22fret unfinished maple neck,2 humbucking pickups, 1 volume and 1 tone control(when pressed, the volume knob splits the neck pickup, and the tone knob splits the bridge..good idea), and an Edge tremolo system. The finish is black with a metallic burgundy ring around the edge. It's a pretty simple setup, but is really all I need. Obviously purchased used. Looks good, but i feel the need to try and buff out a LOT of pick scratches.

I don't really have a specific preference as to what I play...I just kind of noodle around. I play through an AXYS-212, and it sounds very good both distorted and clean. It's a VERY quiet guitar, even in single coil mode. Pickups have a lot of power, and have a great deal of crunch in the bridge position. The neck pickup has a great bluesy tone to it, and when speed picking, you hear a minimum of pick noise. In single coil mode, it sounds very chunky which I like. Add some fuzz and a little reverb, and I can get the most wonderful blues sound I've ever had come out of an amp. The tone control on this thing actually works well enough to notice. All in all, this is a very versatile guitar.

Since this was purchased used, the only thing I'll comment on is that it was built very well. The neck joint is tighter on this guitar than on most others I've seen, and the neck feels fantastic, even though it's 16 years old.

As I mentioned above, I play just to play. From the looks of it, this guitar has seen a lot of playing over the years, and I'm sure it's seen its share of weekend gigs. It's built like a tank, so I should have no problems. I'll give it a 10, because I can't imagine any trouble with it.

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I've been playing for 16 years. I also own a '93 PRS CE-24, and a homemade strat style guitar. If it was stolen, I would for sure try to find another one just like it. I hope to purchase a Zachary guitar in the near future. If you like unique instruments, check 'em out. You won't be disappointed.

St8 outta Japan i believe somewear around 82-83. 22 frets, poissbly rosewood neck. Originally the setup was with 1 master tone and a master vol. But i had to replace all the wiring and pickups due to previous bad care. Now i have 2 vol's, and a master tone with a push/pull that flips from parallel to series, the electronics are passive. Body is Alder, and the nect i believe is maple with a rosewood fingerboard. Finish is black. The bridge was something of which i had really never seen before, a really old-school massive recessed floyd rose system i really wanted to keep that on there to see what it could do but the string ferrels were all rusted out and the screws all striped so i needed to replace it, which was probably the toughest part of the reconstruction of this guitar. The neck was built top the same standards as a Fender Strat, the scale was the same as well, along with the extremely small frets.

Sound? hella heavy. I run it through a new school line 6 flextone head with two 4x12 cabs. The sound is fat and layered. The Duncan JB i put in at the bridge gives the guitar an extremely loud sound. High output duncan screamers (single coil sized humbuckers) are mandatory to match with the loud JB at the bridge. Suits a metal artist perfectly, me being a rock artist... well, it rocks.

The factory definately fucked up on the neck attachment. I re-routed that slightly deeper, but then this could be because of the wacky bridge on the guitar. only other flaw in prduction was the locking tremolo at the top. Something was and is still lose and floating around inside that little compartment, i cant get it out but its not in the way yet, just rattles.

This guitar is rock-solid. Road worthy and good for an artist with no sense of care like the last guy i bought it off. The finish wont chip unless you take a hammer to it, and even then its hard, trust me, ive tried this. (wanted to see what kind of quality this guitar was since there is nothing on it anywhere). strap buttons are gnarly!! i'm diggin the v-bolts, almost better then a locking strap button.

havent ever communicated with Ibanez directly.
Repairs all done by myself.

Ive been playing for 7 years now, and equipment i own include: Godin Artisan (tele styl); Home-produced electric guitar (was recently offer 1000$ for it); the Ibanez; and a battered up PRS Artist 91 model. Amps include: Line 6 Flex 300 watt (99'), Rivera Bonehead 150 Watt (95'). Effex: All built into the flextone= Compression/Sustain, Tremolo, Round Speaker, Flange (3 diff levels of..), Chorus and Super Chorus, Dual Overdrive, Sweep, Delay (8 diff versions of..) and Fuzz. Then, on the same amp, a copy of these old-school tube amps... Fender Boss Tweed, Mesa-Boogie Dual Rectifier, Marshall JCM 900, Fender Reverb pro, Fender Twin, Roland AG1 series, Marshall JCM 800, Engl Loudmouth, and Peavy Audition 300.
other effex (not on the amp) Vox Wah, and Bad Horsie Wah.

This one is an '87 Japanese made Roadstar II International Series model. Tobacco burst finish with a maple neck,rosewood fretboard and basswood body. This guitar has a very nice heavy feel without being a log around your neck when playing. Balance of the guitar is outstanding. The standard 22 frets and Floyd Rose tremlo which I don't use and have locked in place. It has two single coil pickups at the neck and center with a humbucker at the bridge. Five way switch and a push-pull coil splitter that should be a MUST for any guitar of this configuration as it allows an amazing array of sounds to come from this guitar and is standard for this model.

The sounds you can get from this guitar are terrific! Using the coil splitter you can get warm bright jazzy tones all the way to screaming rock and roll punch. Again I can't say enough good things about the 5 way switch that lets you phase between pickups and the coil splitter. Other manufacturers should get a clue here. The big word for this guitar is versatile. I can get sounds close enough to my Les Paul and Telecaster both that I have stopped lugging around a barrage of guitars depending on where I play. I run a Marshall VS100 head through a Marshall 2x12 half stack with a Digitech RP6 MFx pedal. Clean, overdriven or effects driven, this guitar is superb.

The bridge is graphite and set well. The bolt neck fits tightly in the body. The finish is clear and bright even though it is now over 16 years old. I am not one to ask about some of this though as I do guitar set up and take very good care of all my guitars. Amazing what a good going over with the right tools and regular maintenance can do.

Now about the action...when I got this guitar a few years ago I restrung with a set of XL DiAddario strings...my standard choice for a guitar of this type...and it was tooooo fast!! The action is quite amazing!! I have gone up two gauge series and made some slight adjustments to the bridge to get the action just right. It is low, fast and smooth.

The other wonderful part about this guitar is that the frets show virtually no wear on them. Again a nice surprise for an older instrument.

I have said a fair bit in this area already and will try not to repeat. This is a very solid piece of gear. It is already beyond the 15 year mark and looks/plays extremely well.

I think you could use it to hit center fence home runs in the afternoon and head out for a show that evening and may not even have to tune it. Its just solid.

Does not apply. First I have learned to look after my own gear and next this guitar could be close to the same age as the kids that answer phones. I can however give Ibanez a good rating from past experiences working in a guitar shop as a kid. They treated our store very well.

Overall here is a piece of advice....if you are looking for a versatile, quality instrument and don't want to spend heaps to do it....buy one of these. I have been playing for over 20 years and owned most all the top line (supposed to be anyway) guitars as well as now vintage models that people quiver over and this one will stay in the stable...front line. My gigging companions have now stopped asking why I use the Ibazez instead of the others. Its a great guitar.

This guitar was made in Japan in '82. I bought it in new in '83. 21 fret maple neck. 3 single coils with phase switch for center coil. 1 volume, 1 tone control. The bridge is standard strat copy with tremelo. Originally it had an off-white/ivory finish, but I've since refinished it. Headstock has string splitters (don't know if they have a real name) for the 1/2 & 3/4 strings. Came with a real lame oversized cardboard case, but that was probably the dealers fault!

Features are average so my rating is based on the phase switch which I think every single coil Fender Strat should include.

I play hard rock with a heavy blues influence (ie: Mick Taylor, Joe Perry, SRV-i wish!) and this guitar suited me just fine for a number of years. The original pickups were pretty basic, but in '83 so was my playing so I didn't know the difference. I hadn't played this guitar for a few years because I had newer ones I liked better and the pickups buzzed. I recently replaced the originals with Fender Vintage Noisless Strat Pickups. Wow!!! This thing sounds great now. Killer presence & awesome twang. It sounds so good clean I hate to play it dirty. Actually it also sounds good with grittier settings, but I prefer my Gibson SG for the heavy stuff.

Sound rating is based on overhaul with new pickups.

This was a quality guitar right out of the box. Almost 20 years later I've changed the electronics and finish, but it was a solid piece for the money. As mentioned above it came with an off-white body. I stripped that off and applied a birdseye maple veneer. I stained that yellow and airbrushed a candy apple sunburst. Some Gibsons have a similar style, but I've never seen a Strat that looked like this baby!

Rating based on old action with new & improved finish

This guitar has flown coast to coast in the previously mentioned lousy oversized cardboard case, while being tossed about by baggage handlers. Once I found it on the baggage carousel with the neck hanging out of the case. It's a freaking durability monster!

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I've been playing for 27 years. This was my 4th guitar, but my first new one. I chose it because when I went into the music shop a kid from a local band I really liked was buying one. The sales guy was telling him the differences between it and a Fender Strat. I didn't buy it right away. I went to a gig that this guy was playing at and he was using his new Roadstar II. He wailed. I went back & got it the next day. Unfortunatley he's still better than me!

One humbucker (which I replaced with a Seymore Duncan JB) and One single coil which is stock, and sounds good. Single volume and tone knob. Tone knob can make wah sounds in the neck position. No pickguard, black with white binding. Pretty cool looking actually.

With the JB pickup, this guitar is hard to beat. Nice overdriven harmonic content, controlled feedback.

The setup was not good when I got it. However, I sent it out and had it done right. This guitar needs to be set up by someone every year at least. I'm not bitching here.

Heavy and solid. I still use a Rickenbacker 330 as my main guitar, this is my backup.

Always use it for recording. You can hear it here: www.bomb1.com/hifi.htm

Early 80s, I think the guy I got it from said an 83. it's got a maple neck, 21 frets, Ibanez tuners that work just fine. it came originally with 3 single coils, but the bridge pickup was chiseled out and a seymour duncan invader put in with a phase switch. it had a nice tobacco sunburst, but I got it for a friend who tore it apart and sanded off the sunburst. it also has a veneer over the top, which now has spots where the simulated wood grain was rubbed off. after he vandalized this guitar, he gave it to me to fix and disappeared, so I minimized the damage done... the stock single coils remaining sound OK, but nothing special. the invader is a good match. I tore the guitar down again and routed a space for a HB at the neck, and will have to make a pickguard for it. the bridge is solid, but I've never seen another like it. the strings go over the saddles and down into a groove in the bridge over a hole in the body, and locks in that way. the body is 5 pieces laminated together and heavy... planning on putting a JB at the bridge and a Jazz at the neck, considering more routing for active electronics.

with the invader and 2 singles out of phase, it worked for my HR/jazzy strangeness stylings OK, but I think the new duncans will be much better. I've used it through an ampeg, a fender and a mesa mark 4. the ampeg never would clean up, the fender was a typical thin sounding poo fest, and the mesa is just right... never was noisy, but with better electronics the sound will improve, I'm sure. the body wood is pretty heavy and dense, and the maple neck and fretboard make it pretty bright sounding. I sanded off the finish over the fretboard, it sounds a little more organic and rich, and has a better feel IMHFO. you could basically make it sound many different ways by tweaking it, which I obviously love to do. sound as I got it, I'd put it at a 7. that's bound to change though.

I doubt it was the factory set up, but the action was low, intonation perfect, pickups just right, good frets everything in its place and a place for everything. a real easy player.

the finish is destroyed, though not by natural wear. these things are unpretentious slabs 'o' wood, so that hardly matters, though. Yes, live playing is OK, Yes, the strap buttons are solid. they're in a v shape and fork back while fanning out. they're not straplocks, but I don't plan on ever changing them. you could throw this thing in the road for a day and it'd be no worse for the wear. brick shithouse.

no idea, but with all the mods past present and future, they'd have no reason to help...

I've played for 7 or 8 years, I've cleared out my gear and it's down to this guitar and a V, I'm still searching out the perfect amp. if I lost it, I'd get another in a jet flash, maybe a 22 fret model. the only 1 thing I'd ever change is the neck, because I like 22 frets on a baseball bat, and it's fairly slim, but not so skinny it bugs me.
I realize that few come this cheap, but even for $200 this would be a steal. it just feels and plays great. the stock electronics are mediocre, but when you've got custom guts in it, it's a dream.