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IBANEZ
ZR "ZERO RESISTANCE" Double Locking
Tremolo Reviewer: James Manson Distributor: Australis Music |
It is hard to believe that over twenty years have passed since Floyd Rose tremolos became commercially available for guitar players. Floyd Rose based his tremolo on the simple theory of locking the strings at the nut and bridge so the guitar will stay in tune. Floyd Rose tremolos were the first real advance in guitar tremolos since they first appeared, they worked....still do! They were also copied (sometimes incredibly badly) and guitar players such as Vai, Van Halen and Brad Gillis (who had one of the first prototype Floyd Roses) exploited the bar to take guitar playing to places it had never been before. I have used numerous Floyd Roses over the years (still the only tremolo units that can withstand years of abuse) but just like fried chicken, locking trems are extremely desirable but have some fatal drawbacks.
The drawbacks of locking trems, as any user would know are fairly major. First of all, if you break a string you’re stuffed, the whole guitar goes out of tune so depending on what guitar playing environment you are in, it can feel a little bit like playing Russian roulette. I played in the house band for two years on a live television show and indeed on two occasions broke strings using a locking trem. Producers and other band members don't care about the pluses of a locking trem, they just know that in the last music interlude to the ad break there was no guitar. The riff to ‘Back in Black’ just didn't sound the same with the bass and keyboards trying to belt out the intro.
Another locking trem nightmare has always been trying to play "double stops". Basically a complete waste of time. Again the guitar would not stay intonated because the tremolo unit would move as pressure was exerted on the strings during this technique, which is favoured by country and western players.
Well it is with great excitement that I am able to announce that the above locking trem negatives are about to become a thing of the past. Andrew Peacock from Australis Music (Ibanez) contacted us with great enthusiasm about a top secret technological breakthrough for guitar players so it was with speed that I took possession of a brand new Ibanez S470QM (priced at $1495) The new Ibanez S series are super sleek allowing complete playing comfort, but still retain the big heavy tone so many players desire. The finishes are impeccable, especially for the price. They feature S arched backs and tops and are equipped with the thin, lightning fast and flat Wizard and Wizard II necks.
What made this guitar special was its tremolo unit, the only one at time of writing, in Australia. Ibanez has always been at the forefront of tremolo advancement and have hit the jackpot with their ZR Zero Resistance tremolo. The ZR "Zero Resistance" at first glance looks like any other double locking tremolo, but on closer inspection the construction and quality were truly outstanding, and the rear spring section seemed to have a different design. This is the Zero point system. The ZR tremolo uses roller bearings to eliminate the inherent friction of knife edge tremolo design. The ZR has the smoothness of a standard tremolo, but the roller bearings provide a much smoother feel and a more accurate return to pitch. The ZR bridge is die-cast for durability and features the Zero Point system which always allows perfect return to pitch. The great thing about this tremolo is that if you break a string the guitar stays in tune, even if you break a G, B or E so you can keep playing without a problem.
The tremolo does not move during "double stopping", which for me is a luxury that until now has been impossible. The magical element to this trem is the reverse tension bar that adjusts intonation. The reverse tension bar can be pulled out so the Zero Point System can be used as a full floating system. A single spring tension adjustment can be set to a pre-determined tension without unscrewing the cavity plate. GREAT IDEA!
The ZR tremolo has a new arm design that is height adjustable as well as being able to adjust the tension without wrenches. The arm screws into the arm holder while the tension of the arm is adjusted by tightening or loosening a thumbscrew. The ZR bridge also includes a special tool for quick intonation adjustments.
Overall, the tremolo is a killer. Besides the Trans Trem this really is the first major tremolo technological advancement since the original Floyd Rose. All S series guitars are supplied with the ZR tremolo including models S1620FB, S470DXQM, S470DX and S470 (all colours). The road test guitar by the way was a beauty, Ibanez would have to be one of the more consistent manufacturers around and they make a neck that is slippery quick and plays like butter. It was hard to give this guitar back. 3 cheers for Ibanez!
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