Ibanez UCEWFMTB

Here's another guitar purchase that was not planned: It's a 1992 Ibanez USA Custom Exotic Wood Flame Maple Transparent Blue UCEWFMTB.

I got the guitar in March 2001. The color is somehow mistitled; it's more likely transparent turquoise or transparent green...not remotely blue. We are not sure if this green is a specialty color, a custom order, a paint prototype or if the blue just faded into green. The facts that (a) the flame maple grain is there but hard to see, and (b) the headstock color is "really" blue speaks in favor of the fading theory, but the fact that the finish under the trem cover - where no sunlight exposure could have occurred - is the same greenish blue speaks against it. This is quite confusing.

Serial Numer: 92524. [Check out catalog scans here.]

It makes me really proud that (reportedly) there are only 25 of the 1992 USA Customs here in Germany, and I have two of them. This guitar is so to speak the sister to my other 1992 USA Custom with the purple quilt top. It's the same year, the same construction, the same woods, the same parts builder (Hosono guitars), the same hardware, yadda yadda. It could be the perfect backup guitar for the Quiltie, but it sounds brighter, probably because of a little maple dominance over the mahogany. Note there are two tiny differences from which you can tell there was a lof of hand work involved: first, the green guitar has a slight neck angle and a less recessed bridge; and second, the green's neck joint is shaped a slightly different way.

The first thing to do after a full disassemble, an extensive cleaning session, reassembling, a complete setup and fine-tuning, was the replacement of the bridge pickup; which I also did with the UCEWQMTP. I chose a DiMarzio FRED to have some more aggressive tone than with the stock PAF Pro. A nice side effect is the perfect combination sound of the split-coil bridge pickup and the middle pickup - ideal for pearly clean sounds.

Update March 2007: Pictures, pictures, pictures. This maple top has quite a shy flame - it only shows up when the light hits it under a special angle or there's flash photography forcing it. There must have been too much sunlight exposure (which caused the stain pigments to fade) during the long time the guitar was hanging at the shop. But although the looks are less spectacular than its purple sister's, the sound is like a wolf in sheep's clothing. :)

The guitar came with the original hang tag with detached [and disappeared] warranty card. To my critical ears the text on the hang tag sounds like pure advertising. Some of the statements, mostly the section about variety of options and available choices, were already out of date in 1992. Keep in mind that all Customs in 1992 were built to the very same specs and the lone choice left to the customer was the color selection on the two available models, FM and QM. Here is what the tag says:

"Congratulations on your purchase of this Ibanez U.S.A. Custom guitar.

For nearly two decades Ibanez has been at the forefront of making the finest quality production instruments using both traditional ideas and our own innovations. Instruments inspired by the spirit of American musicians and American music.

Much of the reason for the success of Ibanez has been the invaluable experience and input we've received in building custom instruments and prototypes for artists such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, George Benson and many, many others. The ideas from these custom instruments are often successfully utilized in our production instruments.

With the wealth of knowledge gained by this work, we felt it was time to take on a new challenge. Our goal was to make guitars; each one tailored to individual order and uniquely different, that would meet or exceed the needs of the most discriminating player. These instruments would augment the Ibanez tradition of peerless quality and uncompromising craftmanship with no gimmicks of unnecessary frills. They would be made only of the most select woods and fitted with the finest hardware and electronics available. And they would be handbuilt in America.

Even the location was carefully considered: our facility in N. Hollywood puts us in the center of an area that has spawned so many other classic instruments and gives us access to the ideas, creativity and trends generated by the huge number of working musicians and artists in the Southern California area.

Here a small cadre of dedicated luthiers and guitar craftspeople proudly work to make each U.S.A. Custom a uniquely individual work of art. Our designers strive unceasingly to offer an ever wider variety of options and the amount of available choices now veers on the staggering. Those electing to U.S.A. Custom ownership may choose from a huge assortment of American-made pickups - both of our own design and those of the most famous U.S. pickup makers. To accommodate many different hand sizes and playing styles, there are necks and fretboards in all shapes and materials. For different preferences in sound and weight, we offer bodies in basswood or mahogany. And to satisfy an artist's need for an instrument that matches its excellence of sound with excellence in looks, Ibanez accepts only the most select pieces from exotic woods such as flame maple, quilted maple and lace wood. Our list of choices may seem almost endless but it's the only way to meet the extraordinarily diverse and demanding needs of the very serious guitarist and bassist.

Thank you for choosing Ibanez U.S.A. Custom. We believe this instrument will give you as much pride and satisfaction in owning and playing it as we had in building it for you."

More info see Ibanez USA Custom Shop - The History on Jemsite.com.