Ibanez Roadstar II RB690: Preserve or Hot Rod?

[CID Vicious]

So yeah...the gear gods have been smiling upon this here schmuck of late...

My friend Kenny, in addition to the Peavey XXX cab and ounce of homegrown, bestowed this here lil jem upon me before I left. '86 Ibanez Roadstar II RB690.

Now, a week earlier I snagged the last SX SJB-75 with old headstock for $130 on planet Earth...so the J-J setup I got covered in spades.

I did mucho searching, and little on these other than they *might* be J50 Ibanez pickups. I'm not assuming greatness, but then the SX pickups are decently regarded. And there's a spot you're expecting junk.

Anyone have experience with this model? Here's a pic of John Paul Jones playing like THE model down to color.

[Corey Y]

There's nothing special or particularly cool about them, I think. I'd say go ahead and hot rod the hell out of it. You could probably get a similar one for dirt cheap from Music Go Round or Craigslist any day of the week.

Here, I somehow deciphered your garbed pic link:

[CID Vicious]

Some weenis pulled the original photo, because it's not on the Talkbass thread I originally saw it on either.   

Too bad for them...right clicky 

[VOLVO)))]

Good basses. Nothing special, but good.

[CID Vicious]

Yeah. Plays phenomenal, 9v harness us messed up so I haven't heard the electronics.

Figure I could rip the pickups out and sell them to someone who cares.

The J routes are both of the "short" variety, so if I want to source two neck/s varients I could "modern J" this with Model Js or EMGs. No routing, reversible...

...but for like $70 and routing, I could make this thing into a unique but usable monster.

Twin GFS MM Ceramic humbuckers. Main mode: Series. Alternate modes: Parallel and "Jazz".

I'll say, nothing special...in the sense that a Camaro will never bring the kind of cache a Porsche will - but can be tuned up to match it's performance, or at least within reason. (See: Z/28s past and present.)

Similarly even many cork sniffers admit these were equal or better in quality and playability to contemporary Fenders - as were USA Peaveys.

I *thought* my friend was giving me a Peavey actually. Aside from MIA vs MIJ very similar. The Peavey Super Ferrites though were apparently "hotter than model js" so I was definitely interested in tthe Dyna Bass I thought was showing up.

These pickups seem pretty much unknown. And...chances are the SX 75 J Bass may yet get Model Js anyway.

The Ibby is basswood, but so's a Bongo, EVH guitars etc. Electrics aside, one of the better basses I've ever played. Solid tuners high mass bridge genius "V" strap pegs...ideal foundation.

[CID Vicious]

After a research-a-thon it looks like this sucker is ge tting a pair of shorty Model Js.

It's another whole ten bucks for a pair of short Js vs routes for MM style pickups that probably won't be as versatile. DP123s are pretty amazing in their flexibility and overall tone stock. A pair in series-series probably kills.

As for the SX Jazz, that's getting the Reggie Hamilton treatment sans preamp: