Ibanez RG550

White body, black pickguard,floyd rose licenced trem & the best maple neck I've ever played... ever! Bought it in 89 used from a guy at the music store who wanted a JEM, I played the JEM after he got it and if you close your eyes you can't tell the differece (unless you are playing over the scalloped frets on the JEM777, better pickups on the JEM also. oh well, for $1,500 more it better!)The olny reason I gave this an 8 is because of the pickups. (see sound category)

I changed the lead pickup to a Duncan Custom-Custom and I can't remember what is sounded like without it so I'm giving it a 9, it's a 10 with the Duncan! The rythem sounds great the middle seems a little useless unless combined with one lead or rythem. Overall, awsome sound.

Action is absolutely awsome, the best, I have an American Strat that can't hold a candle to the action on this Ibanez (but you can't make this sound like SRV henceforth the Strat) I haven't played a new one (mine is late 80's) but if you get a chance to try a late 80's maple neck one, you'll want to buy it.

It's 15 yrs. old and holding up well, I'ts needed a couple of tune ups, but with the use it gets it is holding up like a trooper!

Never dealt with Ibanez, who knows?

Playing for 20 yrs. 9 guitars: 2 Ibanez, 1 Yamaha, 1 Gibson, 1 Fender, 2 Gretch, 1 Samick, 1 Washburn and If I had to pick I'd say this is my favorite. Some people would call me nuts, but it is just a great playing, feeling, sounding, looking guitar. I may get the frets re-done and have the upper frets scalloped.... maybe. I may change the neck and middle pickups also..... again..... maybe!

New 2002 model. 24 jumbo frets, HSH PU's, Edge locking trem, Basswood body, Maple/Maple Wizard neck. 5 way PU selector. Included tools and manual, warranty card.

I reviewed previously in this category(RG550) for a 1991 model. I bought this new because I wanted one with an AANJ. I was disapointed however. One of the frets in the upper register was dead on the high E string. I returned it because of that. It wasn't set-up for low action. The Edge trem bothered me. My '91 has a LoPro. 2 very interesting points. #1. I compared the neck thickness to my 1991 and the 2002 model was 1/16th of an inch thicker. #2. Comparison of the frets showed the 2002 frets were smaller. I didn't measure the height but the width was smaller. I've been told by a luthier the '91 frets are equivelent to Dunlop 6100's so the 2002 frets must be somewhere in between a 6105 and a 6100. I was disapointed with these findings. The AANJ surpringly didn't wow me. It was alright. I did like that the neck felt unfinished. It definitely wasn't stained like my '91, the maple was very white in comparison.

Playing 25 years. I returned this guitar. I'm still somewhat in the market. I'm looking at possibly the new, revamped 550 for 2003, the Prestige RG1550. The trem is low profile, a big plus. And with the neck being Prestige perhaps it will be to spec. I mean, the dimensions of the Wizard neck have been the same, 17mm 1st fret, 20mm 12th fret forever. And the 2002 catalog SAYS it's a Wizard. So they both, my 1991 and the 2002, can't be right.

The Guitar was made in Japan at 1998, it cinsists of 24 jumbo frets.
Solid Top, has 1 volume knob, 1 tone knob and a 5 way selector.
Pickups are H/S/H all Ibanez V7 S1 V8
Basswood body and maple neck.
Black cosmo powder finish.
Shaped like a sharpened strat.
Original Floyd rose for great sounds with great stability.
Double locking system with Fine tuners on tremolo side.
Slim, Easy, lightning fast neck for fast and precise playing.

The guitar suits all kind of music styles, at has a fat warm sound on all 5 positions, but if it's the fender jumpyness your looking for just add some compressor with high gain and some treble and you have the fender sound and feel.

I use it with a Marshall Valvestate amp 40W with a Korg ax100G floor effect processor. sounds great, endless possibilities.

The guitar is quite on all states.
I Like everything about it.

I bought t used so it must have been reset so i can't really say how it came from the factory, but again the possibilities are endless.

Greatly built.
Will survive anything!!! from my own expiriance.
I would defently depend on it, just throw a 0.10 string gauge pack and they will never snap or loose the tune no matter what you do!

Not for me.

The best thing there is for satriani's style!

Go get!

IBANEZ 550 EX. Made in Japan, 24 frets, white metalized colour, looks, a little bit purple in the dark and white in the light. 1 volume, 1 tone, and 5 way selector. Two Humbuckers and one single coil. Pickups are Ibanez. The body is not too heavy. Floyd Rose bridge (Very cool) The guitar come with the tremolo arm, some allen keys, etc. I also bought mine with the Ibanez case. Beautiful exterior.

U can play almost any style with this pickup configuration. Mi equipments is: Ibanez 550 > Behringer V-Amp 2 (COOL machine) > custom amplifier made by a friend (450 w UUUOOO!!!!). Well, the pickups are not Dimarzios or Seymour Duncan, but they do the job. If you are interested in a better sound you can replace, for example with two Dimarzio evolutions and a HS-2 (Ibanez JEM sound style) Maybe in the future I'll do this pickup change, but no for the moment. maybe it can sound better, but I like the sound right now.

The guitar set-up from the factory was OK. One thing I EXTREMELY like is the action... VERY LOW ACTION!! If you are into shred (like me) you can apreciate this fact. Thin neck, trustme, you can fly in this neck. My previous guitar have a high action... what a shit! But with this guitar you can do whatever you want. What I mean is: if you can't do something on this guitar is not the guitar fault, the problem is you!

I heard that Ibanez guitars are delicated machines. I have the guitar since a couple of months, and NO problems... delicated? It seems to be solid and well constructed, maybe is delicate but for sure ANY guitar is. This is because I have bought a solid case. For sure I will use this guitar live.

I don't know :)

Playing for about 2 years. My favorite players are Vai, Satriani, Petrucci, Paul gilbert, Vinnie Moore... They all play Ibanez... I love the low action, Ibanez guitars are great, if were lost or stolen I would buy another like this one. I hope this guitar will stay with me the rest of my life (ouh, can I marry the guitar? HEHE) THIS GUITAR IS GREAT, trust me.
P.S: I'm from Malaga, Spain, sorry for my bad english :)

This is a left-handed RG550 with H/S/H configuration. I replaced the bridge pick-up with a George Lynch "Screaming Demon". This also has a maple neck and a "like" Floyd Rose tremelo.

I play through a Mesa Boogie Mark IV. I use TC Electronics Chorus-Flanger/Boss Super Phaser/Guyatone Delay and a Cry Baby Wah pedal. For the money this thing rocks! The Japanese make great guitars for less money. The sound is great in all pick-up selections and I doubt if it has anything to do with my amp...yeah right! The sound is excellent.

Set-up is a ten too. The action is perfect. I use 9's. The guitar is flawless.

I've had this thing for 10 years now and had no problems whatsoever with it.

Never had to call them. N/A

I have been playing for 25 years now. I have a Les Paul, Telecaster, Strat and two Dreadnaughts. This rates on par with any of them.

24 frets, made in japan, maple neck in a lovely two-tone magenta finish. I bought it secondhand and it needed a bit of a
clean-up. Ibanez Edge tremelo (the best) and a H-S-H configuration.

Superb low-action....plays like an absolute dream.

I play all types of things on this. From Hard Rock to Blues to Heavy Metal. This thing can do it all.

The H-S-H setup is very versatile. The sound is warm and the output is pretty high. Because it is thick and warm sounding, it does not have brilliance or presence of more traditional strat/single coil sound. Anybody interested in getting this guitar should know what this guitar is good for.

Got her setup professionally by my guitar tutor.

She plays like an absolute dream - say no more!

Built like a tank on steroids. Reliable for live settings.

This thing will never break!

Have not dealt with them.

I have never played a guitar like it. Go get one now.

If it got half-inched i would kill the person who did it!

Easter 1990 was when i bought this baby!
24 frets, made in japan, maple neck in a lovely bright orange finish(the shop had no canary yellow in stock). Ibanez Edge trem and 2hbs and 1 sc. I added an EMG 81 in the bridge in 1996 and it is AWESOME.
A wide thin neck which now feels great since the laquer has come off the back of the neck over the years. Nice low action, it plays like a dream.

I play Rock/Hard Rock and this axe is perfect for this type of music.
For less rocky stuff i use a US Standard Strat(Kent Armstrong Hot Rails bridge p/up) and my old 1989 Squier strat tuned to open G(Yes, we do play Stones tunes). The 550 sounds great it is primarily a ROCK MACHINE. The only thing is the EMG 81 is not suited for clean sounds which is why i use the strat.

Set Up ok but i have lowered the action over the years. When purchased it had no flaws but now it has since it has been dropped god knows how many times. After a couple of years i got a crackly p/up selector but a quick squirt of WD40 soon did the trick.

Very reliable and durable. I would recommend either replacing the strap buttons with strap lock or clip locks.
I would stake my Goolies on this guitars reliability. It's a solid workhorse of a guitar that has never let me down onstage or off.

Never needed to contact 'em.

I have been playing on and off for 15 years. If it was stolen i would be gutted and would do my best to get my hands on the bugger that nicked it!. I am still on the lookout for any late 80's early 90's 550's because i don't think these guitars can be beaten.
It's a dream to play it's like a part of my body, it was my first "Proper" guitar and i want another one please!!!!!

It's a 2002 japan model. Black- 24 fret, V and S stock pickups H/S/H - like most 550's right? Great neck, only the best I've touched. The Edge bridge is and has always been unbeatable. This is a very modern guitar as far as playability and feel goes, but for those old schoolers like me, dot inlays and that face plate keeps it honest. The best of both worlds.

As with most H/S/H configured guitars, a variety of sounds can be accomplished.You cannot get much better than the stock pickups. I play everything from country to rock and all points in between and this guitar, seriously, is all that I need. The 550 can put you to sleep with it's clean and bright tone or it can scare you. Okay I guess I was a little too verbose here but ya it sounds great.

I never really played a guitar in a music store that was set up as perfect as this one. First impressions are important to me and it just goes to show you that they care a little bit more than the competition, well at least the guitars I've tried out. There are NO flaws here. I love the two-tone hardwear and the finish looks great but, come on Ibanez, there are still 550 freaks out here that would like more color options...I can't complain, black is cool.

This is a very well made guitar. I've owned several Ibanez's and they've all been quite faithful to me. It's a tough guitar and definitely can handle live gigs and as far as a backup, I always have one only for the simple issue of possible string breakage during songs.

Honestly I've never had to get an Ibanez repaired...so I have no clue.

I've been playing for 15 years and owned many types and brands of guitars- Jackson, Charvel, ESP, Fender and throw in about five RG's in the mix and overall- Nothing compares with the RG550's. It is set apart from most newer Ibanez models with the face plate, which gives it a little bit of a classic look. With amazing playability and somewhat modern features, makes for the perfect electric guitar. As long as they make them, I will buy them.

I have the Japan Model
24 Frets
floyd rose is a bitch to tune but once its locked it never goes out
You know the rest

Metal!
excallant for rock or jazz though, although i dont play those as often
sounds great clean as well, not muddy at all

The action is so easy to adjust and sounds great when set real low like most shredders want it

I give it a 5 for finish(if this category were only for finish). It is horrible. Scratches extremely easily, but it doesnt matter how it looks as long as you can play right?

Once again the action is great, and nothing is faster than a wizard neck, not even a jackson soloist.

It is annoying how the pickups are right near where you are picking and your pick will hit them if you dont get used to it or adjust. I suggest going to a guitar shop if you have this problem. I can still play faster on this then any other guitar in existance. Definately for the shredder!

Seems like it will last pretty well, although i have only had it for four months. The straps got loose on mine but that could be because i was using a bad strap.

Dont know bought it through ebay

If you want to play fast and shred this is your guitar. It may feel awkward when you first get it but after a week or two of play your old guitars will feel slow. While you may think its the player not the guitar that makes someone fast, this guitar might change your opinion. If it were to get lost, i would go buy a jackson soloist but if i didnt have the money i would buy another one of these. Best guitar for the money. Look on ebay by the way, lots of good ones there.

Purchased this bad-boy in Jan. 1988. I am the original owner and let me tell ya, it's been worth every penny. Made in Japan,it's solid black body w/rosewood fretboard, black pick-guard and pick ups. It's the DarthVader of my collection. 24 fret with a volume & tone with a 5-way selector switch. It came standard with the dimargio's pick ups. The bridge and neck were humbuckers and the center was single coil. I changed the bridge pick up to a EMG85 active pick up. Had alot more highs. The body is basswood, very light. The neck is maple with a satin finish. A strat style body yet more sharper and defined. It has the floyd-Rose tremalo that can dive several octaves and never fall out of tune. The best I have ever seen. The wizard neck is slim and very easy on the hand. I love this neck! Purchased the deluxe case with this guitar.

No matter the syle of music I play, this guitar always fits. I use it at practices & gigs about 50 percent of the time. I play mostly 50's thru 90's Rock-n-Roll, Rythm-n-blues. I also play a Fender Jimmie Vaughn strat as well. This Ibanez has been played thru a Peavey chorus 400, Carvin X-60 tube, and now a Fender Princeton Chorus. Sounds great thru anything. I use a flange-blues overdrive & EQ pedals. It has a bright sound with the EMG pick up. The single-coil does well. I don't use the neck pick up all that much. With the action set so fine on the neck, this guitar sustains notes and chords like no ones business. There's not much I don't like about this instrument.

This thing was perfect from the factory. Purchased from a local music store. At the time I was looking at guitars, it came down to three models. This RG550, a Kramer "Sricker", and a Charvel. The RG550 was the best choice. Stock set up was better than the other two models. No flaws in the unit.

I have played this guitar for 14 years. It has held up to anything I thrown at it. The only problem I had was the neck developed a crack in it about 4 months after I bought it. The music store ordered a new neck and replaced it under warranty. Took about 3 weeks to get the neck. Since then, never had a problem. Everything else is original other than the EMG pick up. I have gigged with it without a back up several times and it never failed me. It is truely dependable.

Never dealt with Ibanez directly, but the music store has always been there for me. It has been repaired under warranty as stated above. From what I have read in this review, seems like Ibanez customer service is worthless.

I been playing since 1987. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite, Fender Jimmie Vaughn Strat, and Takamine acoustic. If this guitar was stolen, I would definetly replace it to as close of this model as I could. It is my favorite guitar of all!