Ibanez RG550

Mine is a 97 made in the Fujigen factory. It has 24 jumbo frets and a maple fingerboard. Black with the 3 ply b/w pickguard. V7,S1,V8 pickups. Japanese tuners and an original Edge bridge. I love this bridge!!!!

It suits me just fine, I like it a lot, especially since I got it for $10. YES 10. The girl that sold it to me said it didnt work and didnt want it. I took it home and after I blew out the electronics and adjusted a couple wires and fiddled with it BLAM. It has some chips and mostly paint damage but the frets and the neck are perfect. As for sound, I like the pups but I'm the kind of guy who cant leave anything alone. I'm considering changing the pups but I cant read enough about them bad to do it. I'll play them for a while since I think that these pups are gonna be scarce some day.

When I got it it had been set up by a blind man or something. It was terrible. But I'm working on it and it will be perfect in a day or two. It's a diamond in the rough. And I'm not selling this one. I sold my last 550 cause I thought I could do better. Moron.

This guitar could already tell stories i'm sure. It will withstand anything, it already has and still looks damn good.

They are always cool.

I'm 44 now and have been playing on and off since I was 16 years old. Cant seem to just stay with it for whatever reason. I'm a quick learner and didnt appreciate that at a younger age. I'm sorry for that now. But live and learn.

I think this one was made in 1989. 24 frets etc. This one is black with a rosewood fingerboard, black scratchplate etc. It had the original Ibanez pickups in it when I bought it so, I changed those for a complete set of Dimarzio Evos. That changed the guitar sonics quite a lot. A vast improvement I think. Bridge is the original Edge bridge. I think these are the best bridges Ibanez have made personally. I bought this one second hand on ebay for ??200. You can pick them up for about this price (maybe bit more) and, trust me, they are worth every single penny. If I'd bought this guitar with the Evos installed, It'd have a 10 rating

With the Evos, this is every bit as good as my 2 Jems and the PGM100 I have. I'm not sure what the neck configuration is but its fast and slim. I prefer the neck on my PGM but, this one is similar to the JEM BRMR I have. That has a prestige neck I think and the RG and the JEM are very similar in this respect.

No comment, bought 2nd hand

This guitar was made 20 years ago and is probably just as good as it wwas when it rolled out of the factory (better actually since it has a set of Evos in it)

Never dealt with them despite owning 5 of their guitars

This is a very solid, professional instrument. I was looking at buying a new RG anniversary thing but, when I saw how much these old ones go for on ebay, I thought I'd get a better guitar than the anniversary if I changed the pickups. All in all, I've spent 400 pounds or thereabouts on this guitar (200 for the guitar and 200 for the pickups) and, I think this guitar is easily as good as the JEM BRMR I have.

It's an Ibanez RG 550ex sd, made in Japan, Fujigen factory in 2002. it has 24 frets, H/S/H pickups (V8,S1,V7), 1 tone and 1 volume knob, 5-way switch, Edge tremolo system, Gotoh tuners, Superwizard neck, basswood body.

Just because the crappy stock pickups (mostly those humbuckers, because single coil is quite good) I can't give it a 10.

I play all kind of music (all kinds of metal, hard'n Heavy, folk, medieval, rock, experimental, etc) and it definitely suits some of those styles (there is no instrument that suits everything!)

I'm using Peavey bandit 112, bunch of pedals (Boss DD-6, Boss DS-1, Boss MT-2, Behringer US600, Danelectro Milkshake Chorus, EHX Metal Muff, Dunlop Crybaby Classic, MXR Dynacomp, MXR EVH 117 Flanger and some more not worth mentioning)

This guitar is great!the guitar itself sounds so rich and nice, that I'm wondering why Ibanez chose these pickups - they're muddy and sound just poor. Even Infinity pickups sound better (try them - Inf4 in neck position shines! and infs1 has got great vintage tone). But that isn't a problem - buy some Dimarzios and put them in - you've got a brilliant guitar! I think that is the reason why Ibanez chose to put those crappy V pickups - because otherwise RG550 is built just like prestige guitars (and they sound just like and even better then the newest models) and would cost at least double as much as now.

Back to the sound - I wasn't expecting so "dark" sound of basswood - it definitely is a metal axe. Comparing with my previous owned basswood guitars this one sounds much better and has got much more variety of sounds. I can achieve brutal distorted tone and get a bluesy, jazzy tone just turning down the pots a bit. And also clean it sounds great and definitely not "thin" as some Ibanez guitars do.

I give it a 10, because it is a great guitar. the stock pickups are crap, but they can be removed any time I want - the most important is how the guitar sounds itself.

This guitar is made like a tank and is finished without blems. Although it has more than 7 years, it still plays and looks like a new.

Fretwork is great - no buzz at all.

everything is the TOP quality.

This guitar is one of my main guitars and that says all. I can always trust on this baby - it has never let me down. the hardware is still in perfect condition.

I couldn't gig without at least 3 guitars no matter how good they are, because if one string breaks (which is not guitars fault), I don't want to loose even 5 minutes of the show, while replacing the broken string. Second thing is that most of the time I gig with at least 2 different tunings so the guitars need to be set up differently.

the finish is great - it has got just few scratches (not like most of my other guitars). It has also 3 small dings made by the previous owner, but you cant blame guitar if you throw the guitar in drumset while on stage or you let it fall of 2 meters high.

I have never dealt with Ibanez customer support - that is definitely a good thing. I haven't had any reason to do that. I can say that I have never seen a bad Ibanez guitar! everything works perfect everytime I get one of them.

If I haven't had any reason to contact them, that definitely is the best customer support!

I've been playing for a while and I own and have owned a LOT of guitars. I sell them and also repair and make my own instruments.

I knew that this guitar is GREAT, so I was very happy to get it and since then it has been one of my favorite guitars. I will never sell it and will try to get some more.

The Edge trem keeps in tune for ages, Superwizard neck plays incredibly great, the tone is wonderful - what more could you wish! just throw there a pair of Dimarzio pickups and you've got the best guitar in the world!

The Ibanez rg550 is a fantastic guitar. I believe mine is a 89, but lets get to it. 24 frets, 5-way selector volume and tone knobs, Passive pickups, basswood body, floyd rose, and a very thin neck. I bought mine off of ebay with ohsc

I currently play through a mesa dual rectifier, with only a phaser, tuner, and the pedal belonging to the mesa. This guitar sounds incredible, i play progressive music, a lot like Dream Theater, and it is perfect for this style of music. For some reason i do get a very quiet ticking nose about every 2 seconds, but it does not affect the sound and can not be heard if you are playing or standing outside of 10 feet of the amp. Although the original pickups are not the best, they are very good, clean, full sound and very versatile. However, i will replace the pickups for the hell of it. Also, this guitar is very versatile, and can be played with many styles and achieve a bunch of sounds.

The guitar was set up very well when i got it, the only problem is that it had a few fairly big dings on it from the last owner. But the finish is still very tough, for me it has worked like a tank. I have bumped it into just about every thing and have not added a ding to the list.

Thsi guitar definitley will withstand live playing, it has for me, ad im sure it will for you. The hardware is very well made and installed, it has lasted almost 20 years without problems so im sure it will go on a lot longer. Another nice feature is it has huge strap buttons that are very nice especially when playing live, no need for strap locks. Even after all this, i dont think i would play it without a backup, but i wont ever play a shw without a backup, any guitar can have something go wrong.

have not had any problems-.

I have been playing for about 9 years, i also play a ibanez pgm, epiphone les paul standard, and a ltd dave mustaine signature, and i probably like and play this guitar the most of all of them. If it were stolen or lost, my guitar collection would have a hole in it. I would definitley buy it again.

1987 RG550, I emailed the serial number to Ibanez a few years back for verification. It's still all original, 24 frets, stock H/S/H, Edge trem, 5-way switch, 1 vol, 1 tone. White finish (now more of a nicotine color) black pickguard with a maple fretboard.

I purchased this guitar in 1988 after eyeballing it on the wall of a local music shop for about 10 months. There were 2 of them, the one I own now and one with blue finish and a black pickguard. I flipped a coin.....turns out a friend of mine bought the blue one a few weeks later.

The stock p/ups have never let me down, I know that there are better choices in the world, but these work fine for multiple styles of music. Everyone says that this is a great shred guitar but it's good for so much more beyond shredding. The bridge p/up screams, the neck p/up is creamy....there are a few sweet strat-like tones in between. Cleans up nicely with the roll of the volume pot.

It's a rather boring standard white finish, but the years have aged it and given it a lot of character. There's some hairline cracks in the clearcoat and of course there's a lot of dings and scratches that I put in it over the years. I was 16 when I purchased this beauty, I was a lot more wreckless then and put this guitar through a shitload of abuse.

The thing that I love the most about this guitar is the neck. The Wizard neck......slim and smooth but a little wider than most necks. My drummer says that switching stings on this guitar is like crossing the street......he's exaggerating of course, but I see his point.

Like I said, I was 16 when I bought this beast so I don't remember how good the factory set-up was.....I'm not sure that I would have know a good set-up from a bad one at that age. I'm lucky enough to live close to what you would call a "guitar guru"....it's been set up by him many times over the years and plays like a dream every time. It holds a set-up well too, this guitar doesn't need to be pampered.....it's a work horse.

It sports the Edge tremolo.....a finely balanced and very stable unit. One of then best locking trems ever as far as I'm concerned. The only problem that I've had with the trem is breaking the arms......I'm on my 3rd and I don't use the tremolo that often!!

Very fast, low action. easy to play

Will this guitar withstand live playing? YES

Does the hardware seem like it will last? YES

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? It seems to wear slowly but age quickly (if that makes sense)

Are the strap buttons solid? Yes....I replaced the originals with strap locks....I have the originals in a zip-lock in the case (the case is also original)

Can you depend on it? Yes.....I've depended on it for 20 years and plan playing it for 20 more.

Would you use it on a gig without a backup? NO.....the edge trem seems to break strings at the saddles.....most locking trems do that. It's easy to fix a broken string but you'd be better off bringing a back-up....fix the string on your set break.

never had to call. I ordered new trem arms from the local music shop.

I've been playing for around 25 years. I'm a Strat man, I own 4 of them, but this RG550 was the first "good" guitar I bought so it holds a place in my heart that NO Strat could ever fill. I saved for a long long time to buy this axe by washing dishes, waiting tables and cooking at Ponderosa. Ahhh....to be 16 again....not that I miss working at Pondo...I miss not having anything to worry about besides saving for my new guitar.

This is my favorite guitar for sentimental reasons.....I'll never sell it. If it's ever stolen I'll be devastated.

I love everything about it except the fact that it LOOKS like an 80's hair-guitar. I out-grew the hair metal many many years ago but I still play this guitar despite the looks because I love the way it feels.

Standard black finish, stock V7/V8 pickups, standard maple fretboard, standard 3 layer b/w/b pickguard, standard edge tremolo, etc etc etc etc. everything does what it's supposed to, and nothing less.

my other main guitar is an eighties fender strat, made in japan. when i first got this ibanez, it felt tinny and weak in comparison, but the more i played it the more i realized that it was more sonically even than anything i had played before - completely transparent, in other words, in regards to the personal style of the guitarist. amazing! my fender makes even the freshest of amateurs sound like they know what they're doing, but it is sort of a one-trick pony. the ibanez's tone is so evenly balanced that nearly any sound imaginable - les paul, tele, strat(obviously!) - can be instantly had with the proper picking technique and pickup combination. of course, it definitely helps to have a good overdrive pedal and amp to plug into.

low action, perfect intonation, everything can be easily and precisely adjusted if you just take the time to do it. frets and such are all flawless, minus the obligatory wear and tear that comes with used instruments. no noisy pots or switches, no buzzing except for the single coil middle pickup. but they all do that. the top of the guitar has a couple of huge wounds where it hit pavement when i forgot to lock up the case. :( always make sure your instruments are secure.

it has not failed me yet, aside from the occasional broken string. my playing style directs a lot of abuse towards the edge tremolo, and it never goes noticably out of tune during a jam session. over time strings will drift out a little bit, but that's what fine tuners are for. on average, i unlock the nut and fully tune it about once a month. all those people out there who complain about how hard floyds are to maintain are full of it!

never dealt with them.

considering the price i paid for this guitar, i would have had to've been completely insane to pass it up. ownership has no downsides whatsoever, except for putting up with my bandmates making fun of me for playing with an eighties shredder machine. but this is a classic guitar of the future, and only a fool wouldn't be able to see its charm.

Got this baby in '92 or so (can't remember exactly) new at a local shop. Slightly embarrassing but, the LOOK of this beauty is what initially attracted me. It is the (rare & now-coveted) 'purple neon' finish with matching headstock & purple mirror pickguard. Its actually a 550DX model officially and came with the high end ibanez pro case (better than my Jem 7DBK)...

Ever had an experience where you see the axe hanging on the wall and you just say 'OH MY GOD'? Where you pick it up for the first time and just KNOW that it's destiny and yours are one? That's what happened with this one (and I've NEVER regretted it for a second - I still feel like I STOLE this beauty @ a little over 500 bucks).

Finish was INCREDIBLE! The purple neon changes colors in different lighting conditions & combined with the mirror purple pickguard, it's truly something to behold IMHO. I also love maple fretboards so that was also a huge plus. This guitar truly means the world to me and has remained my main axe for years.

Feature-wise, nothing to be desired...

I could just go on and on but there's more to type...

I'm still floored by the sound. Typical V7, V8 pickups are the best I've heard in the stock RG lineup. Using it through high-end Mesa's and line-6 vetta help alot as I'm a firm believer that even a crappy guitar can sound great through the proper amplification (doesn't usually work in reverse though, just my opinion). I'm a rock guitarist and this axe has done everything I've asked it to tonally. No gripes about the pickups at all and never had the urge to change them. In fact, the only thing I added was a trem stabilizer (which it didn't need but being an engineer professionally, overkill/overbuild is part of my credo). Sustain for days especially from a bolt on, but again having proper saturation at your amp is key.

Action was set up adequately from the shop. I've made small tweaks here and there over the years but haven't needed to mess with anything for the better part of 10 years. This guitar is a workhorse and is obviously made to be played (although very easy to admire as well). One very small chip, almost unnoticeable inside the trem cavity was the only flaw cosmetically. No flaws in function and the action is still perfect for me after many years of playing it.
The edge lo pro is complicated for the average player, but so are all floyd's...Once you learn it's ways, its quite simple to deal with. It's VERY stable especially with the stabilizer I added. Again, once you learn it's ways it easy to use. If it DOES go out of tune (rare) after the dive-bomb or pull-up, I've found that just manipulating the arm in the opposite direction will usually pull it back closer to pitch. This takes some finesse and feel and after using it for awhile, it's very predictable and repeatable. A solid unit.

Gets a nine only because the finish has faded (fairly gracefully) over the years. The paint has lost some of its shimmer and prismatic quality but still looks quite good. The hardware is great and the typical oxidation on the top trem and neck plate (AANJ) are apparent here. It's not bad considering the usage and age and I can live with it. Can I depend on it? I have and it's served me very well. Strap buttons are solid. But no, I would never use this in a gig without a backup. If you break a string on stage with ANY double locking trem, you're screwed, end of sentence...

Have contacted Ibanez customer support a long time ago with questions (not service related) and they answered them knowledgably and professionally. No experience with service level stuff, never needed it (a testament perhaps to the instruments they build?)

I have been playing for over 20 years now. I've either played or owned everything that I have ever desired. Gibson LP's, PRS (Not a fan overall), Fenders, Carvins (now there's an awesome company!), Kramers, McNaught (if you don't know, then you just don't know...), Hamers, Jacksons, Charvels, Schecters, Parkers (I don't like these either), Guild, VHT, Mesa/Boogie, Peavy, Line 6, Marshall, Bogner, Engl, Fender, Hughs&Kettner, Carvin, Soldano, Randall, Roland, Rivera (I would buy the 'right' Rivera)...

My current lineup that never changes is 2 Fender strats, 2 Ibanez (soon to be three) RG & Jem strats, Carvin Claro Walnut TL60, Guild Acoustic cutaway and a bang-up Ovation acoustic. Amps are Mesa T-verb, Mesa Mark4, Mesa 2X12 & 4X12 recto cabs, Line 6 Vetta (unbelievable!), Carvin AG1000D acoustic/PA, and an original vintage Fender Deluxe Reverb.

My RG is truly one of the best guitars I've ever played, at any price point. The only thing I've played that actually plays better is the Carvin (their neck-throughs are incredible!). The Carvin can't hold a candle to the RG in terms of usage - it's much heavier than the RG and therefore much more fatiguing to play for long periods and the electronics (particularly the knobs) are very stiff comparably. The RG550DX is a pleasure to play, it's ultra fast, ultra light, and sounds great with lots of sustain for a bolt on axe.

For the money, I don't know if there's a better value than the RG line for heavy rockers. If you're a strat kinda dude especially, you should own one of these and it's pretty easy to find one that suits you. I'd rather buy American, but in this case...Go Japs!

If it were lost or stolen, I would weep profusely. Then I would grab one of my Glocks & go find the prick who stole it and end his/her miserable life. For REAL! Bullets are still cheap enough...and I have PLENTY.

make: Japan RG 550-A(?)
neck: 25.5", 24 fret, thin, maple (fret/fingerboard), dot inlays, jumbo frets
body: JEM type, 1pc basswood
finish: red, 3layer black pickguard
pick-up: Ibanez stock, bridge(H, split-type), mid(S), neck(S)...yes, you read it right. its a single coil neck pick-up
hardware: black, gotoh tuners, Edge trem (the arm was missing..*@#^!)
controls: 5way selector, volume, tone (push-pull)

With this guitar I play everything from rock, jazz to metal. The single-coil at the neck and the split-type humbucker allow me a lot of flexibility in terms of style.

Its an old guitar so the neck and body have aged..magnificently. You can get a very warm sound with the correct settings. SWEET. I love the tone of the stock neck single coil.

I got this second hand and very batterd so I had to have it reconditioned and it underwent a major makeover. And I mean MAJOR as there was even a crack at the headstock joint. Thank God for my luthier Jun Castro (roadtone<DOT>tk). He's heaven sent.

Im sure this baby would drop my pants if I saw it brand new. I have no doubts about it.

Simly beautiful.

There were battlescars all over the guitar when I bought it. After the repairs it went through, I cant imagine what else this baby cant withstand.

SOLID. SOLID. SOLID.

Ive used this guitar on so many gigs without back up and never had any problems. But i'd rather bring a reserve tho. Its just me.

Duh?

I love the way the volume and tone controls are located on the body. It gives me easy access to the pick-up selector especially on very fast songs. My picking hand doesnt have to jump over the volume knob which I do with my Jackson DK2. Also I love it that the output jack does not protrude from the body.

I wish I had it brand new.

I wish they carved it a little at the bottom cutway for better access to the higher frets.

I wish this model is still in production. I'd definitely buy it again..this time BRAND NEW. :D

Its An RG550 , bought 1989 and owned by me from then to now , white finish with black pickguard , still totally standard

I play mostly 80,s shred and heavy rock , vai , malmsteen , ozzy , etc , the stock pickups are ok but id love to replace them with something more hi-gain maybe Dimarzio tonezones but at the same time this is almost a classic guitar now and id hate to spoil her

Gotta set it up yerself aint ya , if yer not a dummy lmao

Whole things held togeher well , the finish has suffered over the years but im more carefull now than when i was a young gun and shell not suffer anymore , a few minor chips are all that shows the abuse i gave her in years gone by ..... all that matters is she still plays like new

Theres Support?

Owned several superstrats over the years but nothing compares to an early edition RG550 , if it was stolen id find another one or go and steal someone elses , the stock pickups arent great but thats an easy fix , if youre sick of todays shit music and want to join the ressurection of shred youd be hard pressed to find anything this side of a 1000 dollar jem that would play better

Finish-Gold
Hardware-Black(Gotoh Tuners,Lo-TRS trem)Locking bridge
Body-1 piece Basswood
Style-Superstrat/JEM ><'
Paid AUS$550 inc.case(A BARGAIN I reckon!!!)
Built-Japan( around early 1990s)
Neck Profile-Maple and Rosewood Frets/RGprestige(but its seasoned so it feels even better)
i think the older necks have a smoother feel but its just personal

Pickup:H/S/H
selector:Strat 5 way
Tone and Volume Pots<<<the easiet config & my favourite

i'm a fan of Satriani, Vai, PaulGilbert,Eric Johnson other shredders so u get the picture

very bright and pleasant tone in my view thats the way i like mine
it has a good balance of bass and treble but not chunky enough for chording like LP or YamahaAES series cause of body shape and wood choice but it does satisfy me cause i'm a balance of lead and rhtyhm player but prefer playing shred

after changing the crap V7 and V8 to Dimarzio PAFPro and FREd, the sound is near perfect. the new pickups gave me the sustain and clarity i need (credits to Satch's choice. this combo in my view is the best, it allows the guitar to play almost all types of music inc. blues,jazz(not the best but ok), rock,progressive and shred metal>>this PUP combo is not for heavy metal(try DiMarzio EVOs instead)


Amps used for it Peavey Blazer15w, Marshall JCM2000, Yamaha hybrid100w(solid state and Tube combo)

i got this 2nd hand so u get the picture
it's ok >>just minor dings and paint cracks but the chipped neck was frightening
as soon as i got it i sent it straight to a technician for setup+installation of DiMarzios

i love bending with it>>easy and stays in tune pretty well thanks to Gotoh tuners and the neck is a dream(wax smooth back and seasoned rosewood, what more can i ask for)the whammy bar is the best!!!smooth and 90% pitch perfect after abuse. Ibanez did a great job with Lo-TRS but sadly they not in production anymore

after having MODs in it, it's my dream guitar(till i get a JS1200)
i wish the finish wasn't gold though

Gigged, Jammed, abused and still rocking!!
i played it often in church and my own instrumental band

just don't follow Vai's footsteps or it moight end up like EVO(vai.com)
light abuse is ok>>i really treasure all my guitars

pretty tough considering it survived 3 owners before me and its almost as old as i am!!!! just don't chuck it around like VAI. not worth the irony of a guitar slowly coming to pieces

always have backup guitars u wankerz!! unless u play punk/indie(which sucks anyway)

Ibanez are slow in this area despite their achievements in guitar construction

they really should invest more in this area

Been playing for 3 years but ppl think i've been playing for 6 years LOL
other gear is BossME-50, and Ibanez RG320FA<i retired this after getting the RG550 cause its got Satriani's signature

90% of all i wished for in a guitar is in this baby>>love it to bits><' but i'll still look 4ward to my JS1200

if stolen i think i'll go into depression cause she brought me so much joy in just 5 months owning her>will cherish her unlike her previous 3 owners
compared with RG prestige and found them inferior hahahaahh!!/gg(><)

probably wish i had a whammy bar with it but the owner lost it and thats y i gave Ibanez a 3 or 4 for their customer support

if anyone's got more questions regarding this guitar and my thoughts about it, just e-mail me