Price watch (48)

Price gets a little tricky when collectibles are involved. The Ibanez HR Giger is certainly a collectible namely due to the artist association because that RG there is nothing special. In fact, it features the dreaded Edge III bridge. Pickups in this one had been swapped out but originals are included. $5K for this one - would you?

The different argument

I don't like to argue. Not me. Especially with someone in cyberspace. I don't know you that well to dismiss you for who you are. More so when you are a faceless entity out there... Please, the internet could do better than be a bickering platform. It should bring people closer to be friends, not otherwise.

Enough of that, let's get straight to the point. I was talking about the RG350 (above), which in my opinion is among the most affordable dual action whammy equipped Ibanez RG model out there as it sports a respectable (Edge Zero II) bridge.

But the individual at the other end of the conversation tersely disagreed & cited the RG350 as one of the most forgettable players in its range as it has a lemon bridge in there. But I insisted the RG350 to be otherwise so the debate continued for quite a bit, getting into the mechanics of things- it got a little fanatical until I re-checked the records only to realize that, unlike us lucky dweebs here, some people further away from us are still receiving an RG350 with an Edge III bridge. So that settled it.

And what the heck was I doing fending off criticism for a brand name which has no formal associations with me? AAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH...!!

Ibanez 2012: Falchion

2012's Falchion... still no fixed bridge version, still Edge III in there... *yawn*

Ibanez RGD320: Back in action

Ibanez RGD320- not mine, belongs to my friend, Fabian. I'm helping him with the action settings.

The Edge III bridge was lowered but the tension wasn't compensated so it led to the bridge reclining itself into the cavity.

OK, done. Bridge was re-adjusted & guitar is ready for collection. I only agreed to do this because I had some prior encounters with the Edge III.

Cavity (Ibanez content)

Hi there Ibanez fans, just a reminder that should you intend to replace your Edge III locking whammy bridge...

... with a GOTOH Floyd Rose copy- it would not fit. The current cavity housing the Edge III cannot accommodate the Gotoh, it needs to be a little longer to fit those protruding locking allen bolts.

Ibanez X-series (Brief take 1): Falchion

Ibanez X-series (2011 offerings)- they are finally here & thanks to the good people of Swee Lee, I've managed to try all 3 models. This is the first installment featuring the Falchion. Simply put, it's the most well-balanced model despite looking like a mutant star, in fact, place it upright & it looks like a dancing person with a very long neck... 

Anyway, the message here is, we should not dismiss any instruments just because they don't look appealing to us. The Falchion excels in its balancing act both sitting down & strapped on. Shredders would love the generous upper fret access but a blank fretboard would prove a little challenging for some of us. As for me, I love blank fretboards- it makes you look lethal when you play fast, adding a touch of mystery along the way. Tone wise, the CAP-LZ humbuckers in there might have limited fans by virtue of its singular offering- I hear awesome distortion but once you clean up your tone, it sounds lacking in warmth & character. Not really a dud pair but it's not as dynamic as we'd love them to be. Remind yourselves that there is no tone control to offer some consolation in times of need. But I have to say that the Falchion's non-heavy nature makes it sing more than croak, it's a rather light instrument even with the Edge III bridge in there, it doesn't stray too much from the weight of its other siblings, the Halberd & Glaive. Hope the manufacturer would include a non-whammy Falchion for us, I'd REALLY appreciate that.

Whammy the ARZ

I was itching to see if there are more Ibanez models under (US) exclusive offerings this fall & true enough, the ARZ400T is one of them. OK... so the bridge is the Edge III model...

What the Falch...?

The Ibanez Falchion is one of the newest member of the X-series but the manufacturer decided to have an Edge III bridge in there when the other standard series models now sport an Edge Zero II model. No disrespect to the Edge III unit but to many of us, Ibanez just second-rated their new product by doing so. The Falchion could have just sport the non-whammy bridge like the Halberd & Glaive.

Living on the Edge (III)

How do I re-string instruments with a locking, dual action whammy bridge? The bridge in question here is my Ibanez Edge III unit, which many owners say is a nuisance more than a creative implement but I deem it functional; neither superb nor a dud, it just does its job.

If you remove all string from an Ibanez guitar sporting this bridge, chances are, when you begin to tune (standard tuning, please) the instrument:

1. the tuning won't hold, you keep going & the bridge tail end would hinge up more than it should, revealing the under-bridge cavity or
2. the bridge won't come up to sit parallel to the body surface but the tuning is all done.

I'd recommend you start by wedging a flat implement under the bridge as depicted above. Be sure to align a piece of cloth underneath so there won't be unwanted indentations there...

This is the side view of the same procedure. My standard here would be to ensure the tuning tension bar under the fine tuners align parallel to the body top. I find this to be the best measure because the final product would be equal play when you whammy the bar down & up; in other words, it gives the play equal travel to raise/ lower notes.

Leave this wedging be while you tune all strings, hold/ place the guitar like you do when you are playing it. If the bridge springs tension at the rear of the body were set correctly back at the factory, as soon as your instrument is in tune, the wedge would come undone.

If the wedge stays put despite your guitar being in tune, it means the rear springs tension is greater than that of your strings'. So you simply flip the body over & loosen the tension (of all springs, not just one), proceed to re-tune the guitar. Repeat this step till the wedge comes undone as mentioned before & there you have it, your instrument is in tune while the bridge sits in place as it should be.