JSV Guitars - RG540S Silver Saber

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Ibanez - RG540S - Saber '88

Not original factory paintjob or hardware.

1. The bridge here is a little different. It's the original "Edge" with an unusual finish. It was part of a trade to a friend (Steev) that included a set of locking tuners if he'd trade a black finished EDGE for [this one], a "brushed-nickel". I think it actaully came from a model which was released before the 500-series were issued. I wish Ibanez still made the trem' in this finish.
(I have the matching tuners installed here as well.)

2. The switching was slightly modified after the paintjob. Volume & Tone pots not necessary! My standard on/off switch is not here due to the individual pickup selectors. There's no 5-way selector on this model (stock). Ibanez issued quite a few different switching/combo's on these 540-models. I've only added a Bridge position series/parallel switch, and arranged the on/off switches to the order I use them most.

3. The rosewood fingerboard is scalloped from the 12th fret-up (as all my rosewood necks are). This fretboard had a little 'lifting' problem some years ago, and has been fully repaired at my place. No prob's since. GREAT playing/sounding guitar. These older 'Saber' necks(and bodies) were thinner than the later models. I'm not sure of what year they changed the design?

4. This paintjob is what's so original. The original was called 'carribean blue'. I loved the color, but this guitar had been around the block & quite beat-up. I wanted to to give some life back to it, and the same guy who painted the pink top on my "Barbie" Charvel did this one as well. The expectation was an aluminum or stainless-steel look. As the job was being done, we were talking about any options & I asked to include a little 'stardust' accent, which turned out to be a great idea.
There's no way pictures can translate the effect of depth this gives. (It looks almost gray in the pic's) With the brushed-nickel hardware, this one's silver all-around!

5. Check out the "rails" on the FastTrack-1™ (neck position). I started using these pickups when a DiMarzio® rep' first showed them to me (it was before they were even in the catalog). The early models didn't have black-anodized rails, they looked like nickel. It gave me an idea. I tried 'crowning' it, as if I where filing a fret. It's not necessary since they're fairly smooth already. I set the pickup height & placement so the first rail intonates as a 24th fret. I actually BEND and PLAY on these.
If you listen to the clip of "Sleep Walk", you'll hear the highest note of the "theme" riff' done on the pickup rail. I used this saber to record that song. I used the trem' to mock the 'slide' style of that song, so I hardly ever let go of the arm the whole time, which also made it a tough song to double-track, since every trem' movement had to be perfectly duplicated.

Take a Closer Look

(Roll your mouse over pic' for details)

With individual pickup switches, there's no need for the custom switch I use in tandemwith a 5-way to get all the positions. A Bridge-position series/parallel has been added instead of coil-tapping; this produces a very similar result in tonal characteristics with no hum.

Again, you see the same trem'-arm modification on all my Ibanez Edge bridges.

This one has a "backstop", which was something Ibanez
used to issue standard with the 540 models.

You can't really see the mounting base too well because it's hidden by the
middle spring. The two 'reverse action' springs are supported by threaded posts
mounted in a die-cast mold. The nylon stops(against the block) are knurled on
both ends so they can be adjusted by turning either direction to control the
amount of tension (depending on your string guage).

The Backstop was primarily designed for string bending prob's with floating bridges.
If you bend a string, and have other strings ringing out, the Backstop was meant to
keep the others in tune. There are a couple of benefactors too: Since the trem' is being forced against a piece of hardware mounted to the inner body, the sustain is increased;
When changing strings (with the floating bridge), you get up to standard pitch a lot faster;
The tuning stability is better, IF you have this thing adjusted just right.

The standard 'claw' has been replaced with a Schaller Sure Claw. It's not the best
for trem'trix-n-fLiK-n-fLuTTeR, but with the Backstop it makes for better sustain.
All three spring adjust simultaneously on a worm gear by turning the center hex nut.

This pickup combination is the usual for me; all DiMarzio® pickups: Bridge-X2N®,
Middle-(this is an option in some guitars) usually a DiMarzio® HS-2™ stack single-coil, Neck-DiMarzio® Fast Track-1™ (it fits in a single-coil mount, but it's a mini-humbucker designed to have the tonal characteristics of a single-coil) It's nice-n-loud.

When this guitar gets the pickups replaced with 'red' ones, We'll post more pic's.

Here's a better look at the bridge.

Even though this unusual finish is so cool, this one's had the plating worn off a bit
from all the abuse it's taken. It was in very good shape when first installed.

You can tell this is an older version of this style neck.
The position markers are very small, and if you play it, you'll realize
how much of a thinner profile these used to be man ufactured with.

The back has had my custom tung-oil finish, and the frets have been
crowned a few times, but never re-fretted.

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