USED Ibanez Roadstar II RS240 Black 1985 MIJ Electric Guitar w/OHSC

Here's a very clean 1985 Ibanez Roadstar II RS240 in gloss black, complete with its original case and owner's manual. By the mid-1980s, Japan had become the place to find serious guitars at sensible prices, and Ibanez was leading the charge. Introduced in 1983, the Roadstar II series was Ibanez's take on the Strat-inspired superstrat, and the series laid the groundwork for the Saber and RG lines that followed. The RS240 was a one-year model, offered only in 1985 in black, red and white, and the serial number on this example dates it to May of that year. Built in Japan to high factory standards, it has fit and finish that rival far costlier instruments and a design aimed squarely at working players. It still holds up remarkably well today, with playability and tone that many modern guitars in its price range can't match.

With its blade-style neck and middle pickups, you might assume the RS240 is some kind of fire-breathing metal guitar, but looks can be deceiving. The V7 single-coils in the neck and middle positions skew vintage, with mild output, excellent clarity and nice touch sensitivity. Unless your goal is tight metal crunch and chug, a lower-output pickup is more nuanced and, if anything, lets your amp work a little harder, which is never a bad thing. Likewise, the Super 70 bridge humbucker measures 7.2K DC resistance and favors clarity over brute force. With the nearly limitless gain available from today's amps, pedals and modelers, a pickup that pummels your amp is no longer required.

With just a 3-way toggle, the RS240 has a clever control arrangement that covers just about every combination except the middle pickup by itself. The middle pickup is essentially always on and is controlled by its own dedicated volume knob, while the first volume knob serves as a master volume. Don't want any middle pickup? Just roll it all the way off. The pickup switch works like this:

• Top - Neck and Middle
• Middle - Neck, Middle and Bridge
• Bottom - Middle and Bridge

This provides every position normally associated with a 5-way switch except middle only, plus a variable blend of the middle pickup with the other pickups (fans of Brent Mason will recognize this arrangement).

For a classic rock and blues machine with great tone, solid playability and its own unique vibe, the Roadstar II RS240 is short money for a vintage Japanese Ibanez that plays like instruments costing four times the price.

Excellent condition for its age, with the normal signs of handling that any gloss black guitar acquires over time and negligible fret wear. No dents, dings or chips. Wiring is neatly done and all original, and the tremolo bar is included. Upgraded with high-end Gotoh locking tuners (originals included). Comes with an original "machine gun" hard case, plus our professional setup and inspection checklist.

About this Ibanez Roadstar II RS240:

• Body Type: Solid
• Body Material: Basswood, 7.4 pounds
• Neck Profile: Roadstar STD
• Neck Material: 1-piece Maple
• Scale Length: 648mm / 25-1/2"
• Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
• Fretboard Radius: 12"
• Nut Width: 1-5/8"
• Fingerboard Inlays: Pearloid Dot
• Frets: 22
• Nut: Graphite
• Pickup Configuration: HSS
• Bridge Pickup: Ibanez Super 70 (H)
• Middle Pickup: Ibanez V7T (S)
• Neck Pickup: Ibanez V7T (S)
• Controls: Master Volume, Middle Volume control, Master Tone control
• 3-way toggle pickup selector
• Bridge: Ibanez Powerocker synchronized tremolo (arm included)
• Finish: Gloss Black
• Made in Japan (MIJ), 1985
• Upgraded Gotoh locking tuners
• Includes Ibanez hardshell case
• SN: E851775