The Ibanez 7 Club!

[SlipknotKoRnfan]

Given the amount of recent NGD's involving the beloved piezo-equipped Ibanez Prestiges which were short lived and now rare, I thought I'd start a thread for owners to share pics of their guitars and maybe share their acquisition stories!

For all owners of Ibanez models: RG2027X, RG2127X, RG7-CST, RG6-CST, RG2020X, RG2120X, RG1620X, RG1820X, RG1520G, RG1520GK, S2020X, S2120X, and SA420X, as well as any J-Custom with a Double-Edge equipped bridge.

Feel free to post pics and stories!

I'll start off with the first post. I'm an owner of an RG2027X, and I'll share a little background first and then pics!

Like many others, since I saw that Wes Borland demo with his piezo equipped 7 string, I immediately lusted for one. Thing is however, I originally thought he was playing an RG2027X, and thus that became one of my dream guitars. I later found out it's actually an RG7-CST, which I couldn't even dream of given how rare and expensive they are. I like the Vintage Violin finish better on the 2027 anyway.

So fast forward to last year...I spotted a beat up one on eBay for 800 and placed a bid on it thinking that that's the cheapest I'll ever hope to find one, and they only come up rarely so I thought buy it. Turns out the seller reposted it and sold it to someone else. I was really let down...

Until a month later, after I had posted a WTB for a 2027X, I got a PM from a member here about one in decent condition. And for 900! I was literally in heaven! 3 weeks later I was finally a proud owner!

Condition was 7.8/10. It looks much better now that I've polished it with a compound to remove scratches and swirl marks and now I'd call it an 8/10. Some chips around the edges but nothing crazy. I'm happy with it!

Only mods are a Duncan Distortion in the bridge form previous owner, and I performed the KJG mod (swapped the 2 way mini switch for a 3 way) to allow the blending of piezo and mags.

Here are the pics from when I got her last February:

















With the new 3 way switch:







I now have GAS for a 6 string with a piezo

 

[mag8]

I got one recently. The 2020x has always been on my list (i'm not a 7 stringer), but never shows up. This 2027x showed up and I was quick to get it: RG2027x | Ibanez Guitars, Mods and Stuff

For my 6 strings needs i have the S2020x S 2020 X AV | Ibanez Guitars, Mods and Stuff

 

[slapnutz]

Lolz, I swear sometimes I really think SS.org wants me to smash my monitor in jealously.

I was barely able to get past the x2 2027x threads, not sure I can last in this one... some sell me a 2127x!!!

 

[SlipknotKoRnfan]

Lolz, I swear sometimes I really think SS.org wants me to smash my monitor in jealously.

I was barely able to get past the x2 2027x threads, not sure I can last in this one... some sell me a 2127x!!!

There was a 2127X on eBay last week! I think it's gone now...

 

[slapnutz]

There was a 2127X on eBay last week! I think it's gone now...

Dude I know... I know.... spent the last +1year searching and poof... it came and went in a few days.

 

[TMatt142]

Hi guys! Went on my quest to find a CST a few years back. Luckily through MG.org, one of the forum members on there had one just sitting. I totally lucked out as my search lasted all of 2 weeks. I had bought a CT thinking I'd never find a CST and as the cards played out, this one popped up!. It's in pristine condition! Not a nick or scratch on it. The only thing I did was re-route the ground for the piezo as it is pretty short Makes taking the trem out for maintenance a PIA. Now I can take it out and get it out of the way to some degree.

 

[odibrom]

Hi. Thanks to Slipknotkornfan for opening this thread. I am a happy owner of an RG2027XVV since Jan2002. Bought it 1st hand when it came out but it took 1 month to get to my hands.

Since then, she (yes, she's a she) has suffered a few dings in my hands, most out of accidents and some really gave me a heartbreak, but that's life and one has to move on with it. I do care for my guitars, however, this one seams to be prone to suffer:

• 2 major dings, one in the headstock and one in the body, near the jack, both of them due to accidents.
• The tremolo's base plate had to be replaced by a new one in 2009 (?) because the original one broke near the high string's knife, leaving it without much support. had to remove all saddles from original bridge and replace them on the new base plate. The tremolo's block has to be the original one, since there is a small PCB board that gathers the saddles' wires from the piezos, that is bolted to that block, so no block upgrade is available for this LoPro Edge.
• The piezos' pre-amp phase switch have been wrecked by my hands on the first pickup swap (my first pickup swap back in 2003 more or less), but since it worked, I was fine with it. Last year I replaced the whole pre-amp for a new one, it's an LR Baggs Control-X pre-amp for those who may need. It comes already packed with the KJG mod! heheeh, though I had it before this swap.
• One or two weeks ago, I broke the original tremolo arm inside its pocket. Luckily, since I had to buy an entire LoPro edge tremolo, I have some spare parts, and the arm was one of them. I had to dismantle the tremolo in order to punch out the broken piece, so I took the opportunity to clean it up a little and reorder the saddles. An old tooth brush works wonders here...
• Original volume pot was swap 'cause it was adding noise
• Mix output / Mags jack needs a replacement also.

Now for the mods:

• The KJG mod was done and it worked fine before the pre-amp swap, so does that count as a mod?
• As mentioned before on other threads, mine already had a DA set and an AirNorton+Evo set. Currently it is with the first set I gave her, the Blaze Neck+Custom set.

And for wirings, besides the original one + the KJG mod, I have already experimented

1. Neck Serial
2. Neck Parallel (old), Neck Split (actual)
3. Neck Serial + Bridge Serial (parallel mix)
4. Bridge Parallel (old), Bridge Split (actual)
5. Bridge Serial

I think I prefer the Coil split for its bigger contrast in tone (when compared to the parallel wiring) and therefore a wider range of applications... A few more ideas are to be explored in the future, like adding push-pull pots for whatever I may come up to.

So, sorry for this long testament, I thought I'd share my guitar's story, here are her picks:
from 2005

Today

And some details of her injuries:

The major ding near the jack. I had the guitar inside its gigbag and it slipped out of my shoulder. When I opened the gigbag, bang, my heart fell to the ground...

Here we can see the tremolo's arm piece broken inside its pocket... it is already fixed and the guitar restringed...

 

[SlipknotKoRnfan]

The tremolo's block has to be the original one, since there is a small PCB board that gathers the saddles' wires from the piezos, that is bolted to that block, so no block upgrade is available for this LoPro Edge.

Your 2027x is lovely Odibrom, got a real sweet grain to it.

Interestingly enough, my 2027x came with an upgraded trem block. It has a big brass block that was put in by a previous owner. I guess somehow they separated the PCB board from the original trem block and secured it with an electrical tape harness on the new block. I'll show you what it looks like. It works pretty well!





and TMatt142: You're one lucky SOB!

 

[odibrom]

Yeah, the block thing can be dealt with that way. Mines PCB board is also covered with electrical tape.

Your's grain is also pretty nice, but these are hard to shoot, they are very light quality dependent. My photos came from my phone...

Oh, and in these last 12 years I had the opportunity to buy 2 more, one in 2nd hand and one new old stock. At those times I thought I didn't needed those since I already had one. Next time the opportunity shows, I'll grab it.

 

[daveyisgreat]

Hi everyone! I just recently got a new to me 1997 Ibanez Universe, the silver dot version. It's awesome!

So I thought it would be the equally awesome to have a thread for everyone post a picture of their Ibanez Universe! Let's do it! Post your Ibanez UVs!

Better pictures will be coming! But for now, this not as good picture will have to do:

 

[slapnutz]

Can I clarify with the mods why the Double Edge trem thread was merged with RG7?

I know that technically SOME of these guitars are 7 String RG models but surely we can afford a little server pace for us poor Piezo geeks to geekout and get jelly in sharing and discussing Double-Edge guitars? (which i'm sure most fans will agree isnt simply just another RG7).

I was hoping to have a central update pool in checking out more Piezo specific RG7 AND S guitars, rather than scanning to non-relevant posts. (nothing against non-piezo models)

 

[SlipknotKoRnfan]

Can I clarify with the mods why the Double Edge trem thread was merged with RG7?

I know that technically SOME of these guitars are 7 String RG models but surely we can afford a little server pace for us poor Piezo geeks to geekout and get jelly in sharing and discussing Double-Edge guitars? (which i'm sure most fans will agree isnt simply just another RG7).

I was hoping to have a central update pool in checking out more Piezo specific RG7 AND S guitars, rather than scanning to non-relevant posts. (nothing against non-piezo models)

As creator of that thread I second this.

The purpose for the Double-Edge thread was for all piezo equipped Ibanez guitars, which in technicality includes more 6 string models than 7 string anyways...

It was a nice thread to see all the rare piezo models which were available over 10 years ago.

 

[FILTHnFEAR]

Can I clarify with the mods why the Double Edge trem thread was merged with RG7?

I know that technically SOME of these guitars are 7 String RG models but surely we can afford a little server pace for us poor Piezo geeks to geekout and get jelly in sharing and discussing Double-Edge guitars? (which i'm sure most fans will agree isnt simply just another RG7).

I was hoping to have a central update pool in checking out more Piezo specific RG7 AND S guitars, rather than scanning to non-relevant posts. (nothing against non-piezo models)

As creator of that thread I second this.

The purpose for the Double-Edge thread was for all piezo equipped Ibanez guitars, which in technicality includes more 6 string models than 7 string anyways...

It was a nice thread to see all the rare piezo models which were available over 10 years ago.

 

[odibrom]

As creator of that thread I second this.

The purpose for the Double-Edge thread was for all piezo equipped Ibanez guitars, which in technicality includes more 6 string models than 7 string anyways...

It was a nice thread to see all the rare piezo models which were available over 10 years ago.

THIS!...

 

[vkw619]

Not produced by Ibanez but people into the RGD shape might appreciate it.

RGD8 I built last year:

Whats the wood on this?
Possibly full specs?

 

[SlipknotKoRnfan]

And on top of the whole 6 string/7 string deal, my thread was dealing with both RG and S models... not just RG7's

 

[technomancer]

Pretty sure this has been covered repeatedly, we're not having a thread for each model from a manufacturer, Ibanez or anyone else. This thread is for Ibanez 7 string guitars.

 

[SlipknotKoRnfan]

Pretty sure this has been covered repeatedly, we're not having a thread for each model from a manufacturer, Ibanez or anyone else. This thread is for Ibanez 7 string guitars.

No worries, my apologies

 

[technomancer]

No worries, my apologies

No problem, would have chimed in sooner but just saw the posts asking about it

 

[daveyisgreat]

Here's my new-to-me Universe Silver Dot! It's awesome!