It couldn't be as much as USD100....Unless that is super duper fast shipping the next morning. Even USPS delivers to me around 34 USD for just a mere of 1.8 pounds of weight. but the content is not anything related with guitars that is...

They can't do much now anyway. the OFR patent has run out a few years ago (2003 i think). and the OFR Pro (low profile) patent is due to run out next year. Ibanez got sued coz they didn't license their new Edge Pro and Edge Pro II thinking that they can get away coz the OFR patent has run out, but in fact the OFR Pro (the low profile version) patent was still in force and the two new bridges Ibanez introduced are in fact of low profile design. The Edge III was promptly introduced coz they needed to cut the patent costs for the Edge Pro II, saying it is based on the OFR design so that they can avoid the licensing.

I think I wrote pretty clearly RM100 there.

That's what I thought too, but who knows? Maybe they can extend the patent or something? Cause I still see a lot of OFR licensed trem around. Somehow, there are still companies paying royalties to Fender for the OFR design.

I don't think they can. A patent always has a limited lifespan and you can't hold it forever. It is meant to protect the inventor so that they can make business out of it for a certain amount of time while others cannot just rip them off without paying patent licensing fees. The time span for the original OFR invention has run out and thus they can't charge licensing fees anymore for an expired patent. If you take a look at the Edge III, you won't see any "licensed by floyd rose patents" anymore (this is actually an irony, coz the saddle design is straight lo-pro, but they just increased the height of the fine tuners to make it look like its an OFR design). Even the Edge Pro didn't have at first, until they got sued, and they just stick a sticker on the sustain block. You will still see new trems based on the OFR Pro design have the "licensed" wording until next year, but probably a lot of trems still being produced still has that coz the die cast mold has already been made with the licensing words imprinted.

I read about this before somewhere. A patent or licensed can be extended nowadays. That's why you see a lot of bands in America not owning the rights to their own works (which is very sad). Their label somehow can still keep milking their catalog long after this band has been disbanded.

Honestly, Ibanez is the only one that doesn't have the 'licensed by FR' on their trem.

All others still have the words but you are right, it could just be the mold.

i've always wondered...
but since ibanez are copying the floyd rose 'expired' patents now.
why dont they just use the floyd trem? i doubt it'll be any more expensive than what ibanez are doing.
my guess is the weight of the floyd rose trems doesnt fit in well with the softer basswood bodies.
thats why the ibanez trems are actually just a metal shell with some filling to make it lighter.

Not sure how heavy an OFR is but the Ibanez Edge, Edge Pro, Lo Pro Edge are anything but light. If i remember correctly, it is in the ballpark of around 1kg++ My RG with the Edge Pro is a heavier than my friend's RG seven string with the Lo Pro.

I thought it was just a heavy basswood body until I took the bridge off one day. The guitar is freaking light. The neck is actually heavier than the body. It was the bridge that made the guitar a lot more heavier than it should be.

Those crappy Ibanez trem arm, they are also heavier than those stainless steel OFR bar.

Which is weird, cause the Ibanez trem and trem arm are not exactly hardened steel (only the baseplate) but they sure are freaking heavy.

Simple reasons as to why Ibanez wants to use their own trems, it must be cheaper since it is by Gotoh.

If they go with the OFR, they still need to factor in shipping and tax.

That said, at the price they are selling OFR nowadays, Ibanez made the right decision to use their own design.

ps-basswood bodies ain't exactly balsawood. My alder strat has more dings, chips, and stripped screw holes than my RG.

Not just that. A lot of people still prefer Ibanez's best trems as opposed to the OFR. Ibanez have made a lot of development to their trems and this is what made their name. this is what distinguished Ibanez from the other floating trem guitar makers.

dings chips etc is how you look after your guitar.
i've played a el cheapo teisco del ray from the 60s in good condition.
i've seen very good condition 80s ibanez guitars.

all i said is basswood is very soft.
and there are ibanez mods that are available to the posts to make it more stable in the softer basswood body right?

true basswood is one of the softest woods used to make guitars. swamp ash is quite soft also but probably not as soft as basswood.

mods? the only mod i've heard of is converting the non-locking studs of the current Edge Pro trems back to the old locking studs of the Edge/Lo-Pro.

locking studs?
why would you need locking studs on a floating trem?

EDIT.
ok, just read.
the locking studs are more to help the posts stabilise in the softer basswood body, so the routed holes for the studs dont elongate/become oval.

so guess that was the mod

This post has been edited by Everdying: Nov 8 2006, 07:46 PM

haha, i was the one who posted about that. yeah, a precaution coz in a period of like 10-20 years of trem abuse the anchors might oval.

and if you didn't know, locking stud's actually make a difference in trem stability, regardless of whatever wood it is in, nothing to do about preventing basswood from ovalling. This is what the Ibanez Edge and Lo-Pro Edge trems are well known for, coz they have the locking studs stock. Ibanez switched back to the non-locking studs coz people were breaking them not knowing that there was a locking set screw in the stud.
Locking studs prevents any movement of the studs in their threads by locking the threads with another set screw inside pressing against the base of the stud anchor. Any slight movement of the trem studs will affect tuning stability, however minute it may be.

well, not according to http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/stud_mod_03.htm

Ironically the loosening of these inserts in older guitars is largely attributed to non locked studs that have wiggled back and forth enough it's caused the insert to oval the wood [although I have had a New Old Stock LNG Jem with maybe an hour of total play time that had significantly oval'd inserts just from sitting in a case for 15 years. Basswood is a soft wood and susceptible].

Yes that was where I read about that, and jemsite.

btw, heres a good alternative.
PING floyd roses.
PING also makes the tuners/hardware that are found on the fender MIM models, and they have the fender logo.
so guess PING are also owned by fender.
and check out all the brass parts, just like the first OFRs.

http://www.axcessories.com/proddetail.asp?...frpingc&cat=132

that site also sells OFR at USD169, but every single one is all out of stock.
the gold, black, chrome, low profile.
i guess everyone is buying the OFRs up at the old price

This post has been edited by Everdying: Nov 15 2006, 03:53 AM

i saw my korean floyd copy....
Floyd Rose(R) XFRT100~~Licensed Tremolo~Chrome~
Floyd Rose(R) XFRT100~~Licensed Tremolo~Chrome~Hardened steel pivot points! Includes: Tremolo arm


hmmm... seem like XFRT200 looked better....

Would my RR3 classify as Low-Pro or just the plain ol' OFR??

JT580 is lo pro.

184.95 USD Before shipping........

Hmmmmm...... If I decide to upgrade to a Floyd Rose Pro next year, anyone want to join the bulk? Or maybe place the same order so just reduce the shipping costs??