550?

This Ibanez is listed in the after-market as an RG550R ($950). I have issues with it being a 550.

The guitar sports a Made-in-Japan serial number & at best, it's only validating the neck being a genuine article. The issue here lies with the body. Firstly, it sports a Lo-TRS bridge. The RG550 folks, since Day 1, is not equipped with a lower series bridge. Yes, there are indeed Japanese models sporting a lower series bridge but it's never the RG550. The other detail here is the bridge cavity. Let us assume that the original owner had swapped out the Edge / Lo-Pro Edge bridge for the Lo-TRS for some good money but take a closer look at the cavity outline (left pic). It is actually conforming to the Lo-TRS outline (that slanted flap edge). The original RG550 Edge is not designed as such (right pic). Implication - this is highly likely not an RG550 body.

If you know where this is listed, please do not confront the seller by any means. Flag him out if you have to (alert the host) but my take on this - the seller got this guitar as it is, used & the original owner did not fully disclose what actually happened to the guitar. I wouldn't pay $950 for this, a definite no.

Unlock first

Just a friendly reminder - if you own an Ibanez RG with the Edge / Lo-Pro Edge bridge, there is a need to unlock the height / action adjustment stud before lowering / raising it. This came after an acquaintance heard a nasty crack when tinkering with Prestige model. In the set of accessories that came with the guitar, it includes a very thin allen wrench which serves this purpose. Simply fit it into the stud as shown above & unlock the mechanism inside before proceeding. Lock it when everything's done. Ibanez spares are not easy to come by here so prevention is better than a very long wait for replacement parts.

Bridge of sighs. Not.

I've been working on this Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge bridge for weeks. It's taking longer than expected  because I thought some of the dead parts you see here were replaceable. Apparently not. Fitting American parts into a Japanese product shouldn't be the plan to start with. There are plenty of replacement parts out there but the issue remains - imperial vs metric.

After many disappointing encounters later, I resorted to just dismantling the parts & giving it a good wipe down & polish. The bridge was covered with dirt & grime mostly. The corroded parts were sanded down & polished. If you are the impatient type, don't even try. There were many small corroded parts that had to be dealt with. Holding them in place while sanding them down was a real challenge.

Contrary to popular belief, these two buddies were the unsung hero in the restoration process. No expensive concoctions were used. Dr. Duck's Axwax is oil-based & did well to dissolve the muck. The Kyser is spirit-based, its job was to remove the oily sensation after cleaning. So there you have it, a clean-up adventure that ended on a good note (no pun intended). 

Out there

This RGCTM1 was manufactured by the Ibanez Guitar Development Center, an establishment I didn't know existed. So they made this as a limited run with quite the specs to entice serious considerations; Ash body, Lo-Pro Edge bridge, Bare Knuckle pickups, among others. I personally dislike this kinda deal- limited availability, exclusive distribution... mere eye candy to many of us. What's the point? 

Ibanez 2014: Welcome back, Edge...

This is the real surprise by Ibanez this year- return of the Edge/ Lo-Pro Edge. Not a real shocker for me because the Edge was back in the Genesis series late 2013 & there was a sign that it was not gonna be a one-off appearance. There's no more 'licensed' stamp on the hardware so at the business end of things (also from a legal perspective) it's more legitimate & not a financial burden to have it back. Above: S5570 featuring the Lo-Pro Edge. The upper end Ibanez models are beginning to look like their glorious incarnations of the '80s. Next, that 'Prestige Ibanez' decal must go... seriously.

Universe revisited

Ibanez Universe (swirl finish), reissued this year...

What's the big deal? The much lauded Lo-Pro Edge bridge, reincarnated...