Ibanez Roadstar II

[alhbass]

Just acquired this.

Saw it in a music shop in town early last year, with a silly (high-silly) price tag on it. Kept going back to see whether it had sold - it hadn't - and after months of occasional visits, asked the shopkeeper whether he'd consider a more reasonable price. He said the seller wouldn't budge, and that he was confident of a sale at or near the asking in due course. I wasn't convinced, but had to take that at face value.

Weeks later, on Boxing day last year, York was hit by floods, and the music shop in question went 5' under. Lost almost all their stock, and only managed to re-open a couple of weeks ago. Passing by last weekend I thought I'd call in to say hello and have a look. No purple Roadstar hanging among the basses, so I assumed it had been lost to the flood (I was pretty sure it hadn't gone anywhere else), and I might have left it at that - but then got in to conversation with the staff and mentioned it. Two minutes later it was in front of me, having been retrieved from the stock room. It was one of only a handful of instruments they'd managed to grab as the waters rose on the fateful night (the flood really did hit very quickly, having been caused by the failure of flood defences). They were now open to sensible offers, so I made one. And here it is.

I think it's kinda funky - and I haven't seen anything else much like it in two years of casual Googling - it was billed as a "1984 Roadstar II Deluxe". Don't know where the "Deluxe" comes from - but maybe it's to do with the pups, which, unlike any other Roadstar I've found online, are both humbuckers, with independent switching to make them single or double coil. And it's got a DI socket right there, next to the tone controls. I'm guessing this is a historic modification, but perhaps I'm wrong...

Looks like birdseye maple under that burgundy/purple finish. The neck is pretty much Jazz slim, and the instrument is mid-range in weight terms - haven't got round to weighing it yet, but could do if anyone's interested.

Looking forward to trying it out in anger in due course. And hoping I don't wake up one day, look at it and think "what the f**k was I thinking?" I'm suspecting it might be a bit of a Marmite instrument on the aesthetic front....

Interested to hear from anyone who can fill in some of the details about precisely what it is I've bought. And whether the sticker on the neck plate (pictured) means anything worth knowing...?

[ZilchWoolham]

That's an RS950! The non-humbucker versions you've seen are slightly earlier models. The Roadstar series went through a few different incarnations, with some differences between the export and domestic models, as well. The XLR is indeed a modification. I was looking for a Roadstar II (quite intensely) a few months back, but then ended up with a newer Soundgear. I have to say, looking at this thread I can just almost feel the GAS coming back. Here's a scan of an old brochure with a bit of info: [url="http://www.ibanez.com/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=102&now=2"]http://www.ibanez.co...at_id=102&now=2[/url]

So anyway, congrats on your lovely new Ibanez! Might I ask what you paid for it, and what the original asking price was?

Edited November 17, 2016 by ZilchWoolham

[alhbass]

Thanks very much for the brochure and background info. I've pmd you. Cheers.

[Winny Pooh]

Thats cool, love the horn design.

[madshadows]

Fantastic looking bass, congrats

John

[alhbass]

Thanks guys. I like the horn design too - very slightly reminiscent of a Rick I think.

[Marc S]

I had a Roadstar II, from back in my first spell of playing (I had a 20+ year break in playing, family, mortgage, house renovation etc)
It stayed in its case all through my absence from playing, and was the only bit of bass kit I'd hung on to.

I had no intention of playing again really, as although I had missed playing, I was just way too busy with the "other stuff" of life, and on the very rare occasion I decided to have a quick dabble on bass - I 'd completely forgotten how to play anything, or what little I could actually remember, I found I couldn't stretch to reach notes, or I'd miss the correct string, and my timing was ragged - so back in the case it went....

Anyhow, I took up playing again quite some years back now, as my ex wife had bought our son a bass, completely out of the blue. So I started playing again, playing along with my son, and it was great! My enthusiasm now rekindled, I went out & bought several more basses and all new amp gear. I still liked the Ibanez, but found it wasn't suiting any of the bands or duos I was in...

My lad loved it though - so I gave it to him (he now has too many basses too! lol). Not sure which model my old one is, but it looks very similar, but doesn't have the 2 humbuckers. You don't see many of them around these days, but they are a great design, I think. Very playable, nice fast neck (if a tad slim for my taste now). In fact, I'm sure mine was the first active bass I'd seen or played. I'm pretty sure mine came from around 1982....

I don't think you will regret buying that bass. It's a cool colour, and I'm sure it sounds & plays great.
I'm glad mine is now with my son, as if I'd sold it, I wouldn't have got much for it - plus I may have looked at the empty space it occupied and thought "what have I done?" Hope you continue to enjoy it.

PS. Sorry about the rambling life story of my / my son's Ibanez

Edited November 17, 2016 by Marc S

[desmondpot]

I had one identical to this (bar the aftermarket socket) that I bought for £70 when I was a student in 1989. It sounded and played brilliantly and I wish I'd never parted with it.

Good find!

[TheGreek]

Dave Swift and Martin Kemp both used Ibanez Musicians which are aesthetically very similar - mainly the headstock. DS still swears by his and he owns several...I've been keeping my eye open for a bargain without any luck..

[ZilchWoolham]

Sting is another famous user of the Musicians. In 1985 the Musician MC924 was indeed quite similar to the RS960. Both had the same pickups and a similar body, although the Musician had a more dramatic arch and was made out of ash, while the Roadstar was made out of basswood. The main difference throughout their lifespans was of course that the Musician was neck-through, and the Roadstar bolt-on.

[Grahambythesea]

I had the basic Ibanez Roadster with the 4 on a side headstock with a P type single pickup. It had a fretless maple board. I loved these when they came out but never found one. I think the deluxe branding is right and refers to the bound edged body. The others were the same shape but with rounded edged like most basses. This definitely not marmite!

[ZilchWoolham]

The Roadsters belong to an earlier line of instruments and were not sold alongside this particular model. At this point they were all called "Deluxe", so it doesn't really refer to anything in particular. There's also the interesting question of why the Roadster series' successor was called Roadstar II. There is no Roadstar I, nor is there a Roadster II. That's Japanese brands for you!

[howdenspur]

I saw this last December in the shop and was intrigued. Is it a bit more purplier than the photo suggests? Lovely bass, glad it survived the floods!
Wonder if the Shergold that was hanging up next to it did too?

[dyerseve]

love the look even though it doesnt look particularly ergonomic. look forward to your thoughts on the sound. As a fellow vintage Ibanez Roadster owner, I doubt you will be dissapointed!

[alhbass]

[quote name='howdenspur' timestamp='1479404021' post='3176318']
I saw this last December in the shop and was intrigued. Is it a bit more purplier than the photo suggests? Lovely bass, glad it survived the floods!
Wonder if the Shergold that was hanging up next to it did too?
[/quote]

It is indeed purplier in real life.

[megallica]

Nice rb950 that finish is called wine burst.
I love Roadstar basses and this rb950 was the top of the range back in 1984.
I think it was 85 or 86 they started to put active electronics in the more expensive roadstars like the 760 850 and 960 basses.

[bjelkeman]

Lovely! Really like that colour. I have a black 960 and haven't actually seen a wine burst before.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='ZilchWoolham' timestamp='1479404012' post='3176317']
There's also the interesting question of why the Roadster series' successor was called Roadstar II. There is no Roadstar I, nor is there a Roadster II. That's Japanese brands for you!
[/quote]

Anecdotally, it was a simple typo - the Roadstar range was meant to be called "Roadster II".

Would make sense if it was true, and odd Japlish mistranslations are not without precedent - if not for a similar spelling error, Nintendo's platform-jumping simian videogame mascot Donkey Kong would have been boring old Monkey Kong. Which realistically would have been a bit less confusing.

[ZilchWoolham]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1479583084' post='3177678']
Anecdotally, it was a simple typo - the Roadstar range was meant to be called "Roadster II".

Would make sense if it was true, and odd Japlish mistranslations are not without precedent - if not for a similar spelling error, Nintendo's platform-jumping simian videogame mascot Donkey Kong would have been boring old Monkey Kong. Which realistically would have been a bit less confusing.
[/quote]

I've heard the typo explanation as well, but as you stated, close sources seem to be, well, elusive. If it was a typo, I'd argue it wasn't that bad; Roadstar does have an air of confidence to it.

That Donkey Kong story is a bit of a myth though, it seems. Apparently Miyamoto-san was actually looking for a word that meant something along the lines of "silly" or "foolish". So, in reality, it was probably closer to being called Ass Kong than it ever was to being called Monkey Kong!

[Guest MoJo]

I had an RB950 in exactly the same colour as the one in the brochure. Here it is



I sold it, later regretted it and set about finding it. I tracked it down and managed to get it back. After a brief reunion, I sold it on again. Big mistake. It was seriously heavy but had a great range of tones. Should have held onto it.

Edited November 19, 2016 by MoJo

[alhbass]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1479597722' post='3177815']
I had an RB950 in exactly the same colour as the one in the brochure. Here it is



I sold it, later regretted it and set about finding it. I tracked it down and managed to get it back. After a brief reunion, I sold it on again. Big mistake. It was seriously heavy but had a great range of tones. Should have held onto it.
[/quote]

Yes, I've seen a few of these in Marine Blue - fantastic looking instrument. Interested that you thought yours heavy though - I still haven't got around to weighing mine, but it feels very comfortable, average weight to me, .

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='alhbass' timestamp='1479632712' post='3177896']


Yes, I've seen a few of these in Marine Blue - fantastic looking instrument. Interested that you thought yours heavy though - I still haven't got around to weighing mine, but it feels very comfortable, average weight to me, .
[/quote]

I think my BB414 (9lbs) and BB1024 (9.5lbs) are heavy. The RB950 was a similar weight IIRC. I'd been used to playing a 7lb Bass Collection SB301 prior to the RB950 and more recently a 7lb Squier Jazz before the latest BB's, so the Ibanez is quite possibly 'average weight'

Edited November 20, 2016 by MoJo

[alhbass]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1479638831' post='3177959']
I think my BB414 (9lbs) and BB1024 (9.5lbs) are heavy. The RB950 was a similar weight IIRC. I'd been used to playing a 7lb Bass Collection SB301 prior to the RB950 and more recently a 7lb Squier Jazz before the latest BB's, so the Ibanez is quite possibly 'average weight'
[/quote]

Yes, that makes sense to me. My main instrument was a BB1024x, and previously I had various P basses, so 9lbs is my normal. And I had a T40 at one point, but they're in a whole different league weight-wise!

[alhbass]

Weighs almost exactly 9lbs.