The Ibanez EdgeTremolo is a double locking tremolo system for the electric guitar, very similar in design to the original Floyd Rose. It first appeared in the Ibanez product line as of the 1986 model year; however, they have appeared on guitars with 1985 serial numbers. The Edge offers a number of improvements from the Original Floyd Rose, namely locking studs (for improved tuning stability, added in 1987–8), a spring retainer on the tremolo block (again, added in 1987–8) and a pop-in arm.
A non-locking version, Edge II, appeared on the Vinnie Moore signature guitar in 1989. The guitar employed a low-friction nut and locking tuners.
The Edge enjoyed massive success in the late 1980s and is still the tremolo of choice for players such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Tom Morello has also been known to install these tremolos in his non-Ibanez guitars.
In 2003, the patent for the Original Floyd Rose tremolo expired. This coincided with the release of a newly designed pair of Tremolos from Ibanez, the Edge Pro and the Edge Pro II. Ibanez mistakenly figured that all the Floyd Rose patents were available for use after the expiry of the Original Floyd Rose tremolo patent; however, the patent on the Low Profile design was still in effect. This prompted the Edge Pro II's replacement with Edge III which fits into the parameters of the original patent and is therefore not subject to a license fee. The Edge Pro and Edge Pro II differ from the original Edge, as they are able to accept strings with the ball-ends still attached, and have no locking studs. Due to the lack of locking studs, the tremolo is in some ways inferior to the models it replaces; however, the lower profile design and ergonomic improvements mean this distinction is not clear cut. The Original and Lo-Pro Edge are still produced and are available through Ibanez Parts dealers. Positioned as top-of-the-line locking tremolo systems, the Original and Lo-Pro Edge are among the most expensive pieces of guitar hardware in mass production, with a unit cost higher than the Floyd Rose Original and the Schaller Floyd Rose, and indeed more expensive than even a number of Ibanez guitars (including ones with lower-tier locking tremolos). The Original Edge is still being used by Ibanez for certain RG series reissues, and all 2010 Ibanez JEM and JS series guitars.
Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass-produce seven-string and eight-string guitars. Ibanez manufactures effects, accessories, amps, and instruments in Japan, China, Indonesia, and the United States. As of 2017 they marketed nearly 165 models of bass guitar, 130 acoustic guitars, and more than 300 electric guitars. After Gibson and Fender, Ibanez is considered the third biggest guitar brand.
The Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo, or simply Floyd Rose, is a type of locking vibrato arm for a guitar. Floyd D. Rose invented the locking vibrato in 1976, the first of its kind, and it is now manufactured by a company of the same name. The Floyd Rose gained popularity in the 1980s through guitarists like Eddie Van Halen, Neal Schon, Brad Gillis, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Alex Lifeson, who used its ability to stay in tune even with extreme changes in pitch. Its tuning stability comes through the double-locking design that has been widely regarded as revolutionary; the design has been listed on Guitar World's "10 Most Earth Shaking Guitar Innovations" and Guitar Player's "101 Greatest Moments in Guitar History 1979–1983."
The Fender Showmaster is a discontinued model of electric guitar made by Fender, and is characteristic of a superstrat.
Superstrat is a name for an electric guitar design that resembles a Fender Stratocaster but with differences that clearly distinguish it from a standard Stratocaster, usually to cater to a different playing style. Differences typically include more pointed, aggressive-looking body and neck shapes with increased cutaways to facilitate access to the higher frets, an increased number of frets on the fingerboard, a contoured heel at the neck joint facilitating easier higher fret access, the usage of humbucking pickups, and locking vibrato systems, most commonly the Floyd Rose.
A vibrato system on a guitar is a mechanical device used to temporarily change the pitch of the strings. It adds vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece of an electric guitar using a controlling lever, which is alternately referred to as a whammy bar, vibrato bar, or tremolo arm. The lever enables the player to quickly and temporarily vary the tension and sometimes length of the strings, changing the pitch to create a vibrato, portamento, or pitch bend effect. Instruments without a vibrato have other bridge and tailpiece systems.
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar model by Gibson guitars, released in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed in 1957 but not released until 1982. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design that, years later, Gibson marketed under the name Futura.
The King V is an electric guitar model made by Jackson Guitars.
The Jackson Soloist is an electric guitar model introduced by Jackson Guitars in 1984, although prototypes were available before then. The design is a typical "superstrat"; it varies from a typical Stratocaster because of its neck-thru design; tremolo: Floyd Rose or similar, Kahler; or a fixed Tune-O-Matic; premium woods; a deeper cutaway at the lower horn for better access to the higher frets, and a sharper body with squared-off edges.
The Kahler Tremolo System is an electric guitar bridge with a cam operated vibrato arm system. The original flat mount and stud mount models were invented and patented by Dave Storey and licensed to Gary Kahler. Gary Kahler shifted his business model to making Golf clubs in the 1990s, but went back to bridge manufacturing as of April 2005. Dave Storey went on to invent, patent, and manufacture his line of Dava guitar picks.
The Ibanez MTM series was a series of signature guitars created by Slipknot's Mick Thomson, and produced by Ibanez. Some of the MTMs had the Ibanez RG shape and some had the Ibanez Glaive shape. They have two humbucking pickups, and the fixed Edge FX bridge, which is based on Ibanez Edge tremolo but fixed, providing more tuning stability than a standard hard-tail. Contrary to popular belief, the MTM series guitars do not have a tremolo bar or system. They came factory tuned to Drop B, a very low tuning that Slipknot used frequently. The MTM series was discontinued in 2016, when Mick Thomson switched to Jackson Guitars.
Kramer Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric guitars and basses. Kramer produced aluminum-necked electric guitars and basses in the 1970s and wooden-necked guitars catering to hard rock and heavy metal musicians in the 1980s; Kramer is currently a division of Gibson Guitar Corporation.
The Frankenstrat, also known as "Frankie", is a guitar created by Eddie Van Halen. Its name is a portmanteau of Frankenstein, the fictional doctor who created a monster by combining body parts of the recently deceased, and the Stratocaster, a model of electric guitar made by Fender.
The Ibanez RG is a series of electric guitars produced by Hoshino Gakki. The first model in the series, the RG550, was originally released in 1987 and advertised as part of the Roadstar series. That series was renamed "RG" in 1992 and all models since are simply known as RGs.
The Jackson Rhoads is a model of electric guitar, originally commissioned by guitarist Randy Rhoads and produced by Jackson Guitars.
The Ibanez JEM is an electric guitar manufactured by Ibanez and first produced in 1987. The guitar's most notable user is its co-designer, Steve Vai. As of 2010, there have been five sub-models of the JEM: the JEM7, JEM77, JEM777, JEM555, JEM333, and JEM70V. Although the Ibanez JEM series is a signature series guitar, Ibanez mass-produces several of the guitar's sub-models.
The Ibanez Iceman is a guitar produced by Hoshino Gakki under the Ibanez brand.
The Ibanez S Series is a guitar series produced by Hoshino Gakki. Introduced in the late 1980s, the S Series is notable for being a streamlined mahogany-bodied guitar with a maple neck that plays comfortably while retaining the resonance of mahogany. Like the RG series, it also has prestige models, as well as derivatives, namely the SZ, SV, and SA series.
The Ibanez GIO Series is an affordable guitar series produced by Hoshino Gakki (Ibanez), replacing the Cimar line. The GIO line is intended as beginner models, similar to Fender's Squier guitars, and Gibson's Epiphone line. This series of guitars are produced in either China or Indonesia, depending on model.
The Ibanez ZR Tremolo is a double locking tremolo system developed by Ibanez. The ball-bearing and global tuner features of the ZR tremolos are manufactured under license to American Inventor and recording artist, Geoffrey Lee McCabe—see U.S. Patent Nos. 6,175,066 5,965,831, 6,891,094, 5,986,191, 6,563,034 and 7,470,841.
The Yamaha Corporation is a multinational corporation and conglomerate based in Japan with a wide range of products and services, predominantly musical instruments, motorcycles, power sports equipment and electronics.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
