1983 Ibanez Roadstar II RS1000CS Cherry Sunburst MIJ Super 58s

Mark Wein

Mark Wein

Grand Poobah
Staff member
  • Listed 3 days ago by Too Many Guitars
  • Condition: Excellent
  • 37 Views
  • 3 Watchers
http://reverb.com/item/27541-1983-ibanez-roadstar-ii-rs1000cs-cherry-sunburst-mij-super-58s


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Yes, I'm selling my OTHER ONE...sad to see her go, but I have some new gear incoming, and I need to trim the heard.

Vintage tones and style ooze from this 1983 Ibanez Roadstar II RS1000 CS. She isMade in Japan during the end of the Golden Age of Ibanez, and dates to July 1983. I bought this one as a backup, but she never left the house...and rarely left the case...so all the better for you.

This was the top-of-the-line Roadstar model of the early 1980s, played by the likes of Gary Moore, and combined the best parts of a Strat and a Les Paul. She feels more like a Strat, sounds more like a vintage Les Paul. These were only made in 1983 and 1984.

This Roadstar is 100% original, no modifications or repairs, and has the original MIJ Maxon Super 58 humbucking pickups. If you know anything about these pickups, they provide some of the sweetest PAF-style tones around, and are considered by some to be among the best sounding pickups of their kind ever made. I've played and owned some newer Ibanezes with new-style Super 58s and Custom 58s, and they cannot hold a candle to these. These pickups alone have gone for $400+ per set on auction sites...and for good reason. You'll be hard-pressed to match the sweet, round sound when these pups get down...

Specs:

  • Body: Basswood
  • Top: Carved Bird's Eye Figured Maple, Multi-Ply Black & Creme Binding
  • Neck: Maple, light figuring
  • Fretboard: 21 Frets, Rosewood Board, white dot markers
  • Bridge Pickup: Maxon Super 58 PAF-style humbucker
  • Neck Pickup: Maxon Super 58 PAF-style humbucker
  • Electronics: 3-Way Toggle, 1 Volume, 1 Tone (original sure-grip knobs with black rings)
  • Bridge: Ibanez Hard Rocker Pro, Floating Tremolo with locks, gold, OE black trem arm included (not pictured)
  • Tuners: Ibanez Smooth Tuner II, gold

Condition-wise, she is very impressive for a 30-year-old instrument. The curly maple top is absolutely gorgeous on this one. The rosewood fingerboard also has some really beautiful figuring, as does the neck. The gold plating has worn off on the sides of the pickup covers as shown. The creme-colored pickup rings and the binding have yellowed a bit, age appropriate. There are no binding issues. Nothing affects the tone or playability - all is 100% functional. There is one ding on the bottom side of the lower horn, clearly pictured.
 
Nice. Those old Roadster II series guitars are fantastic. They came out of the fujigen gakki factory where Ibanez made their high end instruments (like the signature and craft models). I have an 85 roadster II, and it is every bit as good as my much more expensive jem series guitar. Mine is the model with the first year of the original ibanez edge floyd rose copy. Pickups in mine were a bit weak, but the quality of the guitar is great. This one seems to have highly regarded super58 pickups, so that is less of a concern.

Although these are great guitars, the asking price seems a bit high to me. I remember lots of roadster II models going for a couple of hundred bucks just a few years ago. I'm kicking myself for not picking up a few of these.
 
I like it.

I don't think the price is too unreasonable if the guitar plays nicely. idn_smilie
 
That is in really good condition for it's age - and some of the Roadstars were really nice guitar.
 
BEAUTIFUL! Not too many of these still exist in this kind of shape.

Too bad the pics suck :ack:

Tiltsta said:
Nice. Those old Roadster II series guitars are fantastic. They came out of the fujigen gakki factory where Ibanez made their high end instruments (like the signature and craft models). I have an 85 roadster II, and it is every bit as good as my much more expensive jem series guitar. Mine is the model with the first year of the original ibanez edge floyd rose copy. Pickups in mine were a bit weak, but the quality of the guitar is great. This one seems to have highly regarded super58 pickups, so that is less of a concern.

Although these are great guitars, the asking price seems a bit high to me. I remember lots of roadster II models going for a couple of hundred bucks just a few years ago. I'm kicking myself for not picking up a few of these.
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I don't know, for these days, that seems to be a pretty good asking price for one of the higher-end models.

About 20 years ago give-or-take, there was a shop in the Western 'burbs that had an "Ibanez Corner". In it, they had late-'70s to early '80s Ibanez(es?) like Musicians, CNs, and early Roadstars and the like, your choice, for $250. Of course, I never bit on one :(.
 
I remember these being somewhat tough to play. Maybe I just had a poor example in my hand.
 
I regret not buying one of these in the 80's and holding onto it. I used to have the Roadstar bass that looked like this. It was a RS924CS that I bought new and held onto for years. I sold it about 6 years ago. I often regret that decision.
 
That was ALMOST the GPOTD today. I really hate the finish, but those are supposed to be great guitars and that seems to be a fair price.
 
Guitar Heel said:
anyone know what the necks are like on these?
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Not sure of this particular model, but the neck on my roadster II looks the same and it isn't the late 80's super thin ibanez profile. It is actually fatter than my american standard start neck, but not as big as a 50's LP profile. I guess I would call it a medium profile C shape. Radius feels pretty flat, maybe a 10-12" or so. Frets are medium sized, smaller than current fender medium jumbo wire, but not as small as vintage fender wire.
 
My friend when I was growing up had one of those (different finish, though).

I got to play around on it a bit. I don't remember it as being anything special, and I remember he got rid of it shortly afterwards......
 
So, out of curiosity, I pulled the trigger on this one:

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I'll give an update when it arrives next week. :thu:
 
Yeah, I'm with you there. Though, it never really bugs me on my SG, just because I guess we're all so used to that.
 
Everything but the burst is awesome! Love that body shape. Schecter borrowed a similar design.
 
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