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Ibanez Shrg7!


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Herman Ri will have whatever Ibanez' newest marketing tool trem system is, in his "signature" guitar. Shame that the guitar returns to pitch and his playing doesn't.

Judging Mr Ri, not you ;-)

I prefer Edge trems also, yet I don't use mine - it's blocked off. That said it's svelte, comfortable, well-intonated, very easy (for me) to adjust plus I have the advantage of having fine tuners.

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Herman Ri will have whatever Ibanez' newest marketing tool trem system is, in his "signature" guitar. Shame that the guitar returns to pitch and his playing doesn't.

Judging Mr Ri, not you ;-)

I prefer Edge trems also, yet I don't use mine - it's blocked off. That said it's svelte, comfortable, well-intonated, very easy (for me) to adjust plus I have the advantage of having fine tuners.

Hahahaha! :D C'mon, be nice! Its true, but to be fair, the Edge Zero gives you the best of both worlds. The Edge + Zero Point. They are just so new that they cost a fortune and are extremely hard to come by used or new.

To each his own...

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The ZR trem is nice,but it is based on the same concept as the kahler flatmount,except with a much more complex rout.

I have tried out the ZR,and it feels almost exactly like a Kahler,except a bit more stiff(which I liked)

But the reason I bring it up is that Kahler has high quality import versions(the 7300)in 7 and 8 string models for much,much less than the ZR trem...add a neck angle to your guitar design and it will be just right...you only need to leave a flat surface in your carved top for it to sit.much smaller rout,.

And there are reports of the ZR screws popping loose...never happens on the kahler.

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I've had a few ZR trems come in because the part that holds the barrings in near the trem arm had cracked. Upon further research, it turned out that was the most common problem with the trems. However, that was a few years ago, and quality control has probably improved since then.

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I've had a few ZR trems come in because the part that holds the barrings in near the trem arm had cracked. Upon further research, it turned out that was the most common problem with the trems. However, that was a few years ago, and quality control has probably improved since then.

is there a way to tell when a bridge was manufactured? Im really planning on buying used and I dont want the thing to break on me down the road if it turns out it was made when the QC was bad.

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I was gonna guess that you stopped seeing problems when Ibanez replaced the ZR with the ZR2, but I see that they are only using the ZR2 on the prestige models. The standard ones still get the ZR...

Edited by MuffinPunch
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The main problem on the ZR1 was the tremolo arm assemble, which you can replace with a Schaller arm assembly and avoid it breaking on you.

I installed a ZR on my RG550 and it works well and its super stable.

Thats good to know. Thanks.

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I had a few minutes this evening to throw together a couple of sketches of some new headstock designs. Im not sure I like any of them very much, but I may be heading in the right direction with 1 or 2 of them. Ill get some more done tomorrow. I wanna get this design nailed down. Only a couple more weeks to go!

gigerHS1.jpg

For reference, heres the guitar these will fit to:

blk6.jpg

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Headstocks #1 and #3: those bits coming out to the side might get in the way of your string winder, which can be verrry frustrating when trying to restring an instrument... it goes "knock knock knock" on the headstock every time you give it a turn.

You might be right, but Id much rather wind those strings in slow motion using the tuning machines than sacrifice a good looking headstock. Not that either of those are the best looking HS you've ever seen...

I took you advice Prostheta and reversed the first one. I also decided to see what it might look like if I tried a six in-line.

gigerHS2.jpg

Im trying to keep in mind that this HS design will also carry over to the Crimson King Bass design ive been working on as it shares the same basic silhouette.

Edited by MuffinPunch
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It's nice to see you developing a good idea for design, especially throwing options in. I think that a guitar is a balance of concepts, and adding something to the body generally ends up reflecting on the headstock. Then again - many companies thrive on having a "signature" headstock with cretinous bodies. I say go for gold, and make something totally left of centre. Remember Klon Flar (i think) guitars on here? Crazy stuff.

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  • 5 weeks later...

We are officially GO for building!!! I ran it past one of my instructors that I was planning to do this build and he got all excited about it and wants to work with me. Its likely the design will change quite a bit and end up more on the 'extreme' side, cuz he will push me really hard to go above and beyond what my current expectations are for myself. A few things are already changing, bridge design not being the least of them.

If I recall correctly, the ZR system came out in 2006 or 7. My last review of a broken one was in late 2007. I haven't seen one come in since!

Ive been dong so much research in preparation for this build my head is spinning! I found out the ZR trem was actually introduced back in '03, but was probably not made as comercially available in the states until later on. But if they were having quality control issues until late '07, it will be pure luck to find a used one without potential issues. Even at a fraction of the original cost, thats not really a gamble I want to take, especially with so many other "experimental" aspects being incorporated here, and with a grade on the line.

All that being said, Im now leaning toward a tun-o-matic style fixed bridge string-thru. At least that is how I will spec the acrylic model. Ive come to terms with the fact that this will further alienate my build from the original SHRGR1 idea. I will also be reverting back to doing a 7 string with the first HS design I proposed. With some luck I might be able route the proper recesses into the blank for a ZR7 later on if I get my hands one.

Edited by MuffinPunch
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Ok... Wow! Lot of changes already taking shape in this build. I just had this wild idea that I consider to be an epiphany to be honest. Im guessing the rest of you will think im nuts, but fortunately for me, this isnt your project! :D

So I have all but decided that the acrylic will be for decoration only. I know its retarded, but hear me out! The wooden blank will be the player and will receive its deserved attention after I finish the "art piece" for school (keep in mind this IS an art and design school). Essentially the two will be made simultaneously anyway, but I have to focus my efforts on the acrylic one for now since I have exactly 13 weeks to complete it and it will be a LOT more work than I had originally planned on.

I will need a lot of advice here so I am hoping you can all attempt to take me seriously when I say that I will now be designing and building all of my own hardware, bridge and tuners included in addition to the pickups. Wait, it gets crazier... I will be making them out of cast clear resin as well. It will likely end up being strung with different gages of fishing line to top it all off. essentially what I will end p is a ridiculously heavy, non-functional, plastic guitar that (IMO) looks awesome! All of the cavities will be to the same spec as the wooden blank I will be building from, so I can very easily sub out the acrylic pieces for metal ones and real pickups later, so dont get too carried away. Oh, and the neck will be acrylic too down to the frets and the nut. Acoustically it will still work to some degree in theory.

Im still debating on whether the material I cast it all out of will actually be acrylic, I will get tons of browny points if I can make it out of some other bio-friendly, 'sustainable' resin.

Heres where it gets tricky, I dont know anything about bridge construction or design. I know what looks cool, and I know which bridges I like, but I dont really understand the mechanics of how it all goes together. I could theoretically build a bridge that looks identical to a ZR bridge for example, but I dont really know whats actually going on beneath the surface without reverse engineering one. I very well may end up doing just that if it comes down to it, but more likely with an Edge 7 or Floyd 7 if not a tune-o-matic. It would be infinitely cooler, not to mention more educational, if I could figure out how to design and build a double locking bridge myself from the ground up tho. I will be developing all of this in CAD obviously, so if I were to actually come up with a sound design (based off existing technology of course, Im not about to re-invent the wheel) I could machine the parts out of aluminum and/or steel for the player guitar later on! So if anyone can refer me to a resource in which I can learn the ins and outs of guitar bridges and/or trems I would be eternally grateful!

Im super excited about all of this and Im sure im in waaaay over my head with all of this, but if time doesnt permit, I can always resort to using standard hardware for the presentation and finish up later. Let me know what you guys think. I will be posting the entire process here for you to follow if you choose, so it might be something interesting to watch if nothing else

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Great project, that would keep me busy for 20 years, I am no metal worker but if you are I reckon you should be fine making the Floyd if you buy the saddle assemblies, that would be the trickiest part.

Truthfully, im no metal worker either. Ive got a tiny bit of welding and lathe experience, but nothing to give me the confidence that I could actually do this myself. I suffer from wanting to learn EVERYTHING and not have the time to learn anything... Im attempting to change that tho. Ideally the CAD data I come up with could be taken to a machine shop and the labor could be done by a professional (or a machine) if I do it right.

I will be making the plastic parts myself tho. I will SLA (stereo lithograph) the components individually using the digital data, make moulds of each piece, and cast the pieces in resin by hand. I will then have to trim away the "flash" to clean them up, and assemble them as if they were metal. I will use metal screws and bolts wherever necessary. The whole idea is scaring the crap out of me but its really exciting. I really would like to find a resource where I can learn everything there is to know about guitar bridges, so please let me know if you know of one! Thanks in advance!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, well since this is an ever evolving idea and nothing physical has happened yet, I dont feel too bad throwing another wrench into the mix. The wild idea i had about making a purely "artistic" non-player version of this guitar is being scrapped. The guitar has become more conceptual in nature.

Basically, the idea is now to have a guitar "core" which contains all major elements (headstock, tuners, nut,neck/fretboard, pickups, bridge, etc.) which bolts into an interchangable body variant made out of different materials which contains the other essential components (volume/tone controls, pickup selectors, output jack, etc.) The electronics would be connected via quick-connect sockets a la EMG prior to connecting the neck. This would afford the player different body shape, color, chambering, and tone material options for a single instrument, as opposed to gigging with or owning several complete instruments. Ideal for the garage band player w/o tons of money to spend on lots of gear or someone who has limited space for storage. The same concept could be applied to a bass guitar. Ideally, the manufacturer (me) could offer 3-4 core options (material/wood variations, headstock shape, pickup type/placement, and bridge type, number of strings, etc.) that are equally compatible with all 5-10 body designs, providing a model line of 30-40 different guitars.

I made these project boards for school:

guitarbodiesconcept.jpg

guitarbodiesconcept2.jpg

Because the core will be a different finish than the body when used in most combinations, the truss rod cover would be made to match the finish on the body. I intend on building the black and gold variant and the clear one from before as my "deliverables" for school. I might make other bodies for it in the future... I will be making the cores by hand and machining the body blank as was intended originally. I dont know if theres actually a market for something like this but it will be interesting to see the public reaction.

The next step is actually making this thing, but there are a few vital points that need to be worked out before I start cutting:

What is the minimum body thickness I would need to leave in the cavity for the core to be bolted thru in order to maintain complete rigidity? I wouldn't think it would need to be all that thick given the fact that all the pressure bearing leads would be taken by the core itself. The idea is to bolt the core in from the back of the body using threaded inserts. Let me know if you have any ideas or advice for me. Thanks!

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