Ive decided i REALLY want an Ibanez Roadster

[Drop1]

I dont know why. Classic looking but also "different" looking and every sample of one I've heard sounded great.

Ibanez needs to being these back. I think they'd do pretty well in today's market if the price were kept "fair".

If nit, license it out to another company. No reason for these cool basses to stay gone forever.

 

[Lava]

Ok

 

[superheavyfunk]

Which version? There were many… some looked like kind of like modern lakelands, some looked like a cross between a stingray and a Gibson grabber, some were more like a modern Ibanez with the extended upper arm

 

[Drop1]

Which version? There were many… some looked like kind of like modern lakelands, some looked like a cross between a stingray and a Gibson grabber, some were more like a modern Ibanez with the extended upper arm

This variation. View attachment 1000011207.webp

 

[Snert]

I dont know why. Classic looking but also "different" looking and every sample of one I've heard sounded great.

This variation. View attachment 1000011207.webp

Have you played one? I owned one, and they're very different feeling from a modern SR or BTB. It's an excellent bass, but...

Ibanez needs to being these back. I think they'd do pretty well in today's market if the price were kept "fair".

... I'm not sure they would as they're not traditional enough in todays market. They used to be excellent value, but I think they're a bit overpriced today.

 

[Abner]

Which version? There were many… some looked like kind of like modern lakelands, some looked like a cross between a stingray and a Gibson grabber, some were more like a modern Ibanez with the extended upper arm

He said Roadster, not Roadstar. I think there was only two different styles, one very early version with single-coil pickups and 4-inline headstock, but were quickly replaced with the 2-by-2 headstock and PJ pickups.

And I agree, they are awesome.

 

[Drop1]

He said Roadster, not Roadstar. I think there was only two different styles, one very early version with single-coil pickups and 4-inline headstock, but were quickly replaced with the 2-by-2 headstock and PJ pickups.

View attachment 6999524

And I agree, they are awesome.

Yes! I just really like that design.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

so like, you know, go and buy one

 

[Killing Floor]

Have you considered getting one?
That’s a streamlined solution when you want something.
Reverb, GC, easy.

 

[J Wilson]

Funny how time changes everything.

I was working in music stores when the Peavey T40 and the various Ibanez Roadstars came along, and in both cases, customers considered them 'sloppy seconds' if you couldn't afford a Fender. Look at the money they bring today. Amazing. They were solid axes, but then as now, it's hard to talk a lot of guys 'off the reservation' to consider something else.

 

[Sam Dingle]

I dont know why. Classic looking but also "different" looking and every sample of one I've heard sounded great.

Ibanez needs to being these back. I think they'd do pretty well in today's market if the price were kept "fair".

If nit, license it out to another company. No reason for these cool basses to stay gone forever.

thats so werid, I was just looking at one from 87 that popped up on my facebook market place a few hours ago for $750. Maybe this is a sign i should check it out.

 

[john_g]

I dont know why. Classic looking but also "different" looking and every sample of one I've heard sounded great.

Ibanez needs to being these back. I think they'd do pretty well in today's market if the price were kept "fair".

If nit, license it out to another company. No reason for these cool basses to stay gone forever.

I really like these old Ibanezezez, I almost bought one several years ago. I think if they thought it would do well in the market they would bring it back. And if they did, they wouldnt keep the price fair imo. They stopped making these for a reason: they didnt sell enough to keep going.

 

[ravelax]

Nice basses indeed, and it would be great to see an economical reissue. They need not be totally vintage correct with regards to hardware and such - in fact modern lightweight tuners would be a sensible update - but I think the style has the potential to do well in today's market, obsessed with "vintage" style. These have enough of an old school look to appeal to that consumer base. Throw in a medium scale option too, and replace the ugly TMB line with these! And bring back the Musician line too as a premium alternative, like back in the day!

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Roadster>>>>> Blazer>>>>>Roadstar II is the timeline I think. Initial Roadster had inline headstock, which became 2x2 as Abner mentioned. Blazer's returned to inline headstock. Thence the Roadstar II which had some models with inline and 2x2 during it's run. Anyhow, Roadstar II are great

 

[Low Main]

I have two fretted Roadsters, one passive, one active. They are fabulous.
The active one is almost as much of a tone beast as my early 80's G&L L2000E basses.
The ash bodied ones are heavy, no surprise. The painted passive ones have a plywood body but it's two thick outer slabs around a thin veneer core.
Well fabricated and stable. And the wood selection is OK - it's some sort of ramin variant - pale, porous, maybe Philippine.
I'm stripping one now because the grain filler / sealer layer is some sort of thick black tarry material under the poly color and clear coats.
Planning to refin with a thin tinted nitro after filling those coarse wooly pores with a more friendly material.
The active fretless Roadster shown above is sublime. I didn't know what to think about maple fretless boards until I saw one of those. They're great.
I was lucky to get my Roadsters over 20 years ago. I couldn't spend today's prices on them. They were bargains for a long time, then boom.
There are always people jonesing for the neck-through Musician models (with P and J pickups in quasi soapbar enclosures, not the twin bakelite pickup models), but the active Roadster is a great bolt-on substitute. And to me, it's easier to play sitting down than a Musician.

 

[Lo-E]

He said Roadster, not Roadstar. I think there was only two different styles, one very early version with single-coil pickups and 4-inline headstock, but were quickly replaced with the 2-by-2 headstock and PJ pickups.

View attachment 6999524

And I agree, they are awesome.

I'm a long-time fan (and owner) of Ibanez basses from that era and this particular Roadster (but in black) has been on my short list for a very long time. Eventually one will turn up and I'll grab it. In the meantime I'll just enjoy looking at yours!

There's a company that makes repro knobs just like the originals for that preamp, FYI, just in case you're interested.

Funny how time changes everything.

I was working in music stores when the Peavey T40 and the various Ibanez Roadstars came along, and in both cases, customers considered them 'sloppy seconds' if you couldn't afford a Fender. Look at the money they bring today. Amazing. They were solid axes, but then as now, it's hard to talk a lot of guys 'off the reservation' to consider something else.

Absolutely true. The Roadster and Roadstar series were excellent instruments (as were Peaveys) and they exhibited much higher quality control than Fender could at that time but people really buy into the status of having the "right" name on the headstock. I have nothing against Fender at all but the facts are the facts.

 

[definenredefine]

I really like these old Ibanezezez, I almost bought one several years ago. I think if they thought it would do well in the market they would bring it back. And if they did, they wouldnt keep the price fair imo. They stopped making these for a reason: they didnt sell enough to keep going.

I fear you're right. The Black Eagle reissues are apparently pretty expensive...

 

[ToddB1963]

I dont know why. Classic looking but also "different" looking and every sample of one I've heard sounded great.

Ibanez needs to being these back. I think they'd do pretty well in today's market if the price were kept "fair".

If nit, license it out to another company. No reason for these cool basses to stay gone forever.

Is this what you had in mind?

This is my '81 RS 824 Roadster

Passive VT VT with 3-way switch.

Excellent sounding bass.

 

[PhR75]

He said Roadster, not Roadstar. I think there was only two different styles, one very early version with single-coil pickups and 4-inline headstock, but were quickly replaced with the 2-by-2 headstock and PJ pickups.

Both versions existed at the same time. The RS924 and RS824 (passive) had the P/J config and a 2+2 headstock, RS900 and RS800 (passive) had a Musician style Super 4 pickup in a Stingray position and a 4-in-line headstock. RS900 was used by Phil Lynott in '79-'81, John Wetton played an RS800 with UK.
There was also a RS920 and RS820 (again passive) with two Super 4 pickups in Jazz Bass positions and a 4-in-line headstock.

RS920

The confuse the issue more, RS940 was a fretless version of RS924...

 

[Abner]

There's a company that makes repro knobs just like the originals for that preamp, FYI, just in case you're interested.

Yes, I know, I have a couple. But they have terrible sink marks, and no brass insert like the originals. (I really wanted to like them, he does some good work — I have a very nice reproduction truss rod cover on my MC 980.)

And that is now a very old picture, currently have the original knobs back on , and Ernie Ball stainless steel flats rather than the black tapewounds shown.