The 540R is a Radius series solid body electric guitar model introduced by Ibanez for 1987. It was made in Japan by FujiGen.
The 540R was part of the Roadstar Pro series together with the 540P Power and 540S Saber models. It was initially referred to as the PRO540R. Each of the three 540 models in the Roadstar Pro line featured distinct body shapes. The "Radius" body of the 540R resembles a traditional double cutaway Fender Stratocaster shape, but with significantly more sculpted, flowing lines. The side profile has a sort of airfoil shape which is thinner at the top than the bottom.
The 540R features a basswood body bolted to a maple neck with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot position markers. Components include DiMarzio-made IBZ/USA pickups with an F1 humbucker mounted in a pickup ring at the bridge and a pair of C1 noiseless, stacked single-coils in the neck and middle positions, a double locking tremolo bridge and Gotoh tuning machines.
The style of fingerboard inlays were changed two times during the 540R's run. The initial models have smaller pearl dots. This changed somewhere around 1989 to the more standard sized pearl dots seen throughout the Ibanez line. On 1990-1992 models these dots were combined with a "Custom Made" placard inlaid at the 21st fret. Despite the implication of that term, these guitars were never available in any personalized of made-to-order form, they were standard production models. These placards could also be found on other models including the 540S and 540R-LTD.
The Edge tremolo was replaced by the Lo-Pro Edge when that new bridge was released in 1991.
The 540RS is a similar model with a shorter, 24" scale neck.
The 540R was discontinued after 1992 in all markets except Japan; it lived on in Japan through 1994. Nevertheless the Radius body style was adopted by Joe Satrianin and it lives on with his signature models.
Initial 540R models made in 1987 had individual on/off switches for each of the three pickups along with a push/pull switch on the tone pot for splitting the coils of the bridge humbucker. From 1988 this setup was replaced with a traditional 5-way pickup selector.
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Ibanez 540R - Bright Blue Burst "1987" ( Master volume, master tone, individual mini-toggles for each pickup & Small pearl dots inlays )
Ibanez 540R Bright Blue Burst (1990-1992) 'Custom Made' on 21st fret / Pearl dots
Ibanez 540R Bright Red Burst "1987" ( Master volume, master tone, individual mini-toggles for each pickup & Small pearl dots inlays)
Ibanez 540R Bright Red Burst (1990-1992) 'Custom Made' on 21st fret and Pearl dots inlays
1990 Ibanez 540R Jewel Blue ( 'Custom Made' on 21st fret and Pearl dots inlays )
1988 Ibanez 540R-SK Shoking Pink ( Small pearl dots fingerboard inlays )
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