Ibanez Edge

The Ibanez Edge Tremolo is a double locking tremolo system for the electric guitar very similar in design to that of 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 Vinny Moore signature guitar in 1989. The guitar employed a low-friction nut and locking tuners.

The Edge enjoyed massive success in the late Eighties 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, 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 not subject to a licence fee. The Edge Pro and Edgo Pro II differ from the original Edge, as they are able to accept strings with the ball-ends still attached, and has no locking studs. Many players view it as inferior to the original Edge vibrato. The Original and Lo-Pro Edge are still being produced and are available through Ibanez Parts dealers. The Original Edge is still being used by Ibanez for certain RG series reissues.

Ibanez Fixed Edge

While it still locks at the nut and bridge like the floating Edge models, it is mounted on top of the body, and is used not as a tremolo system, but to provide enhanced tuning stability than that of a common hardtail bridge.

Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge

First available in 1990, the Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge is a trem system that was designed as an improvement over the original Edge design. It is a lower-profile trem, with the fine-tuners out of the hand's way. No design sacrifices were made in the Lo-Pro, and both trems are very popular even today.

Ibanez Double Edge

The Ibanez Double Edge is a locking tremolo bridge fitted with a built-in piezo pickup system made by acoustic pickup manufacturer L. R. Baggs. It was introduced in 1999 and used on several Ibanez RG and S models since 2001.

Ibanez Edge Zero

The Ibanez Edge Zero, first installed in the 2008 RG Prestige line and Ibanez E-Gen, has a removable stop-bar/secondary spring, known as Zero Point System (carried over from the Ibanez ZR tremolo), that provides additional spring tension and thus extreme tuning stability; at the cost of a stiffer feel and being unable to 'flutter' or 'gargle' like other fully floating systems. in all marketing material, Ibanez have claimed that due to the ZPS, unlike other locking tremolos, even with a string break, the other strings can still stay in tune at an acceptable level. In actuality, anyone who has owned a ZR tremolo can attest this is not the case.

The difference between Edge Zero and ZR Trems is that ZR trems use ball-bearings for pivots, while the Edge uses the traditional knife edge. Over the course of playing, a knife edge may dull, resulting in declining tuning stability (although it takes a few years for knife edges to dull enough to cause a problem, and they can be sharpened fairly easily).

ee also

*Ibanez
*Ibanez RG
*Ibanez ZR, the other line of locking tremolo Ibanez produces.
*Floyd Rose

External links

* [http://www.jemsite.com/jem/photos/jem777/777lng_d.jpgThe Ibanez Edge with handrest installed]