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USCG 
Angels Depart
NAME: Angels Depart YEAR: 1991 OWNER: Jason Vaughn

Details & History

1991 Ibanez USA CUSTOM GRAPHIC UCGR14 Angel Depart
 

In 1991, this guitar listed for $1449.95 USD. It was available only for that model year and was custom airbrushed by artist Dan Lawrence for Ibanez. The number of UCGR14 guitars made is unknown but considering they were handcrafted and individually airbrushed, the number must be quite small. The guitar came with a premium Ibanez Professional Deluxe hardshell case (UM150C) that retailed for $129.95 USD.

My Angels Depart features include RG-style basswood body, 1-piece maple bolt-on Wizard neck, rosewood fretboard with sharktooth inlays, 24 jumbo frets, Gotoh tuners, cosmo black hardware, All Access Neck joint, Original Ibanez Edge tremolo, Jem-style black plastic volume and tone knobs (have been replaced with cosmo black metal knobs) , 5-way pickup selector, black back and sides, deep panel output jack, and DiMarzio Fred at bridge, DiMarzio PAF PRO at Neck, and Ibanez C3 in the mid. (The Fred and PAF PRO have been replaced with DiMarzio Breeds).

I took this picture soon after I bought her and had just finished cleaning her up. Don’t worry, I have a piece of foam behind the tremolo to keep it in place. Now re-strung with Elixirs, she sounds and plays great—just like all of the USA Customs I’ve been exposed to.

All of the USA Custom Graphic series guitars had unfinished basswood bodies routed only for a bridge humbucker that were imported from Ibanez Japan. The rest of the parts were supplied by Hoshino USA and then finished, assembled, painted, airbrushed, etc. by skilled luthiers and artists at the Ibanez USA Custom Shop in California. However, the serial numbers of all the guitars in this series begins with the "F" designation, meaning Made in Japan.

---Jason Vaughn

 

 

NAME: Angels Depart YEAR: 1991? OWNER: Kevin Rigney

Details & History

Very rare Ibanez USA Custom Graphic Angels Depart. Built in 1991: American Basswood body, maple neck with a bound rosewood fretboard, shark tooth inlay and reversed headstock. Original Edge locking tremolo. DiMarzio PAF pro (neck), IBZ USA C3(middle) and DiMarzio Fred (bridge). All Stock! Great condition, a few chips in the paint on the back edges (see pic). Neck, frets, body, tremolo are in great shape.

 

NAME: Angels Depart YEAR: 1992 OWNER: 

Details & History

Based on the 700 series, the USA Custom series was designed to be an affordable 'custom' range. More customized then custom, you were able to select from a number of finishes, necks, inlays, headstocks, and pick up's to create a guitar for yourself. So whilst not strictly a Luthier's one off, the USA Custom's still are very sort after and collectable. Numbers are very vague and (with the exception of the early very rare pre-production runs thought to number no more then 250 pieces), extremely hard to tie down. (its up to you lot out there that have them to give us details. Please Ed!). Points to notice are the Ibanez Edge trem system, (like the early Jem's) on the Graphic series, with the option for a hard tail on the Exotic woods, and a cutaway neck joint, again like the Jem's and again the exotic woods got the AANJ as a bonus. (Why just them? Ed!). And the rather 'handily' placed volume knob right under the bridge pick up.

The 'Angels Depart' design is found in the 1992 catalogue and is believed to have been available only in this year. If you can help with further information on the guitar, please get in touch.

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