The Ibanez S Series (also known as the Ibanez Saber Series) is a guitar series produced by Hoshino Gakki. Introduced in the late 1980s, the S Series is notable for being a streamlined mahogany-bodied guitar with a maple neck that plays comfortably while retaining the resonance of mahogany. Like the RG series, it also has prestige models, as well as derivatives, namely the SZ, SV, and SA series. History The Ibanez Saber (S) series was introduced for the 1987 model year, around the same time as the Ibanez RG. At the time it was introduced, it was known for its sleek, contoured mahogany body as well as its Wizard profile maple neck, the slimmest on the market at the time. These first models used an "HSS" pickup configuration with an IBZ/USA humbucker at the bridge and two IBZ/USA hum-canceling single coils in the neck and middle positions or "HH" with humbuckers at both neck and bridge slots. Originally the pickups were selected via individual mini switches, but at some point in the 1988 model year Ibanez replaced them with a 5-way blade switch. Like many Ibanez guitars of this era, the Sabers were equipped with a double locking Edge tremolo system, licensed under Floyd Rose patents. At the time there were two production lines for the S model: one at the Fujigen plant in Japan and one in the US at Bensalem, Pennsylvania which assembled the guitars from parts made in Japan. In the USA S models, they installed a counter-tension system called the Backstop in the springs cavity, a device that helped keep the guitar in tune after a string-break and helped return the bridge to zero point, although the action of the tremolo was stiffer. The Backstop was halted in 1988 as players preferred a more free and smooth tremolo feeling. Current models S series The S series is the original Saber shape, with carved back and top. Originally, they were equipped with Edge and Lo-TRS series double locking tremolos, depending on the model. The S series uses a Zero-Resistance (ZR) double locking tremolo system from 2003 until 2014. The ZR tremolo system uses ball-bearings as opposed to knife edges for pivot points and a built-in counter-tension system called the Zero Point System. The Zero Point System can be removed to change the tremolo to full-floating operation. The current line (2014) uses mainly Edge Zero ii systems, which