Thoughts on the AH-10 Holdsworth Ibanez?

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Author Message   Guitarworkz (Guitarworkz) Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 2:33 pm:    I have a chance to snag a AH-10 Alan Holdsworth guitar, I believe this is a Roadstar II. Can anyone confirm this? What is one worth in good shape? A friend of mine gave me a call, he lives in another state but saw this guitar in a shop by his house and he knows I've been wanting a Roadstar guitar. Any info you have is appreciated.   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 3:39 pm:    I've seen the AH models in a few years' of catalogs. I think it started as a Roadstar II - based guitar but not actually carrying that label. Later models changed a bit each year but without my catalogs in front of me, I can't give you specific differences, either from year to year or between the AH and other Roadstar IIs. It would make sense to me that they would have evolved in very similar ways to the Roadstar II line. I would imagine the AH would be a good guitar. Valuable? Collectable? Not sure. Personally, I'd place one of these in the "play it" category rather than the "display it" category.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 4:48 pm:    Craig is correct. The AH models are indeed modified Roadstars. The AH-10 and AH-20 differ only in the pickups and controls. The 10 has a single humbucker, 1 volume and one tone, while the 20 got another pickup (neck) and a 3-way switch. The 10 was available in '85 & '86, while the 20 was an '86 only model. AH models share all the specs and dimensions of a Roadstar, with the following exceptions: * Powerocker bridge with aluminum block * "Tone Chamber" (bathtub rout) under pickguard * Ebony fretboard (only a couple Roadstar models had this) * Dunlop 6100 fretwire (hard) * AH special pickup(s) Only 2 colors were offered, FG (Forest Green) and BY (Burgundy). Currently they have about the same market value as comparable Roadstars ($200-300). They are good players, but I doubt if they'll ever have much "collector" value. Cheers Steve   Guitarworkz (Guitarworkz) Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 4:58 pm:    Steve you are a walking Roadstar dictionary. ;) Yeah they want $250 so I guess that's a fair price. Hey can you tell me the difference between the RS505 & RS405? Ever seen a RS505 with a black sunburst finish? Do you have a Roadstar collection? Know where I can find a decent Roadster ?   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 5:23 pm:    LOL !! It's a personality flaw. I'm an information junkie The 405 is very Strat like with a pickguard and a rounded body made of Alder and Birch (according to the literature). The 505 has a flat, bound, birdseye Maple top on an Alder body and no pickguard. They both have the same pickups (Super 6), identical maple/rosewood necks, and HardRocker trems. They also share the same controls and hardware. The 405 was available in solid colors only (Pearl White, Metallic Black, and Fire Red). The RS505 was available in Cherry Sunburst and Brown Sunburst. Both were produced for the 1983 model year only. Maybe I should start charging a fee for this? *grins* Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 5:42 pm:    Oh yeah, I currently have 6 Roadstars and another on the way. 1983 RS1500BS (Brown Sunburst) 1983 RS1400SS (Silver Smoke) 1986 RG600WP (Wine Pearl) 1986 RG440PL (Pearl White) 1986 RG420BK (Black, duh...) 1986 RG420CI (Cherry Ice) 1986 RG200BK (in transit) In addition to those listed above, I've has 6 or 7 others pass through my hands. Best source for shopping: eBay !!! This kinda got off-topic, sorry... Cheers Steve   Guitarworkz (Guitarworkz) Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 7:18 am:    Dang man! Yeah I'm in love with the 505, trying to talk my wife into letting me buy Munch's. Hey do you know where I can score a Roadster? I think they were made in 78' or 79', but you know that already. ;) Hey I talked to a friend that owned a RS530, he said it was a total piece of junk and warned me about roadstars. According to him the neck was very unstable, you could tune up sitting down, stand up...and the guitar would go out of tune. Maybe this was just a fluke, but he said he's tried numerous Roadstars with the same results. He is a Fender freak so maybe he's exaggerating a bit. BTW, I've been watching ebay like you guys do, lots of junk on there. I was gonna jump on that lukather model a few weeks back, but I've decided on a strat style Roadstar(or Roadster) since I have too many H-H guitars already. Right now I'm currently Ibanez-less. I sold my Musician, well actually I traded it for 2 excellent Korean superstrats. Do you know anything about the Ghostriders? I've been looking for the P90 equipped model in good condition, the mudders are rare!   Johns (Johns) Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 9:24 am:    Steve: Looking over your list of Roadstars, Silver Smoke, Wine Pearl and Cherry Ice sound like exotic finishes. I agree that there is a definite PRO side to e-bay: it makes finding guitars very easy (too easy ). And when you get a deal or are pleasantly surprised when you receive a package, it makes the experience even sweeter. I just picked up a near mint '81 M340TV. Even without the thorough cleaning I gave it, the condition was stunning. The seller was less than an hour away, so I went and picked it up, saving time and money on shipping. And I got it for 40% less than my '83 NW40, to boot!   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 12:07 pm:    Guitarworkz, Yup, Roadsters were produced for '78-79 only. As I've said before, they're really not my bag. Despite the name similarity, they don't have much in common with the Roadstar series. Sounds like your friend is ignorant in the ways of floating trems. I've never seen any guitar go out of tune by just standing up. I've not owned a Ghostrider, but other owners seem to love 'em. Do a keyword search for "Ghostrider". There's a lot already posted on this board. John, Silver Smoke is a metallic pearl silverish gold kinda thing. Mine is now very gold lookng from the clearcoat yellowing. Wine Pearl is a strange combination of a burgandy transparent top and headstock that "bursts" into the pearl white on the rest of the guitar. Cherry Ice is that pearl pink I've talked about before. Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 12:28 pm:    G'workz, Ever consider a Blazer? I had a BL500 (hardtail) that was a nice player. Here's a BL550 (trem version) on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=927848837 Cheers Steve   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 9:10 pm:    Sorry to get off your original topic, G'workz, but I was wondering if Steve had any comments to share about his RS1500. The idea of a neck-through-the-body Roadstar ... well ... kinda sounds like the ultimate Strat (do we say that word here?) er...3 single coil instrument. I wonder if the '83 RS1500 is the ultimate Roadstar made. Steve?   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 1:44 am:    If you use the model number as a means for determining the "ultimate", than yes it is. I'd personally put the RS1500 & RS1400 in the same catagory. They both have the neck-through construction but radically different pickup/bridge/control setups. The next "tier" would include the RS1300, RS101SL, and the RS1000. The best of the rest if you will. Strat/Fender isn't a bad word around here. However Gibson tends to be less than loved. Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 1:21 pm:    BINGO !! RS505BS... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=929312256 Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 2:55 pm:    Purty gitfiddle!   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 8:16 am:    Regarding the AH10, I read me 1985 catalog and it describes a few differences between this and other Roadstar series guitars. They are: custom AH humbucker, 17 inch radius neck (wide & flat), "extra large" Dunlop #6100 frets, basswood body with sound chamber, a PowerRocker tremolo instead of the higher line ProRock'r, and...get this... "Probably the most unique feature of the AH10 is its 25-1/2 inch scale neck with a custom 53mm string pitch at the bridge. This is a much narrower spacing than an ordinary guitar, allowing for excellent string balance and perfect alignment for the maximum for speed and feel." ...whateve that means. I think they mean that the strings are closer to the body than a normal Roadstar.   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 11:38 am:    I bid on the Brown Sunburst RS505. I fell in love with it. I lost the auction in the last 10 seconds and watched my browser blow up when I clicked "Bid" to try one last effort. I'm heartbroken. I don't even care about Christmas now.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 12:29 pm:    Good lord! It went for over $400? I am pleasantly surprized. Sorry you missed it, Craig. Merry Christmas anyway Damned 'puters! Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 1:11 pm:    Craig, I dunno what to make of this, but it LOOKS like an RS505MS (Marine Sunburst). C83**** is a valid build date for an RS505. You might wanna check it out: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=930996334 Is this another example of inaccuracy/omission in the original literature? Cheers Steve   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 1:13 pm:      Munch (Munch) Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 6:52 pm:    Craig, If you're interested you can shoot me an email regarding my RS505. I am open to realistic offers. Regards, Mark   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Wednesday, December 25, 2002 - 9:33 pm:    Geez, this unusual colored marineburst RS505 went for only $239 ?! What am I doing wrong? I shoulda bid on it, but it wasn't what I REALLY wanted. What you think guys? Bargain hunt or hold off for something that makes you lose sleep thinking about it?   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Thursday, December 26, 2002 - 2:53 pm:    I suspect a refin on that RS505. The color is too light, and doesn't fade into black like a factory Marine Sunburst. Not that this is a big deal either way. $239 vs $413 for the same model, with the only apparent difference being the finish? Methinks too much value is placed on visuals... Craig, It's been my experience that I don't keep a guitar that's not exactly what I want. Even my beloved Roadstar collection had been trimmed down recently by eliminating the ones that don't get played regularly. Although, I must admit that my neck-throughs (RS1400 & 1500) don't get much play time, it's because they both need maintenance in the fret department. Not because I don't like them. I'm considering a refret on both as the wear is pretty bad. If I was a true "collector", I suppose I'd leave 'em alone. But hey, that's not why I bought 'em in the first place! Bottom line? If you know what you want, don't settle for less just to satisfy your GAS. It's a tough lesson. I still haven't mastered it... Cheers Steve   Craigjc (Craigjc) Posted on Friday, December 27, 2002 - 1:55 pm:    Thanks for the wisdom, Steve. I know that being a guitar-addict is a problem for many of us. If it weren't guitars, maybe it would be classic cars, antiques, who knows...? But, for me it is the guitar. I must learn to be thankful for what I got instead of kicking myself for the ones that passed by me. Still, if I'd have bought that '57 strat I played in a music store in 1979...I could have bought lots of Ibanezes with what that guitar is worth today !! But, like you, I'm here to play them, and play them I will. CraigJC.   Ibanhad (Ibanhad) Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 3:14 pm:    I own a red AH20 and I got it for just under $200 a couple of years back, its outfitted for the Roland GR 1 synth and GK 2 pickup. I really dig the strapholders and thier placement, you really get the guitar up there under the chin with thier positioning. I was under the impression that the AH 10's and 20's came in red, forest green, and white as well....as a matter of fact I am looking for a green one now.....Overall I like the guitar alot, I had to do some minor neck adjustments to it and the hollow chamber caused a problem here and there but nothing I could not fix. I have used it at a few shows and a few recordings and like having it in the collection, but I guess they really do not retain any kind of collectors value.   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 4:33 pm:    A white one popped up on eBay recently. I think it was in the UK. I haven't found any literature showing white as an available finish. But hey, you know Ibanez... Cheers Steve

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