Ibanez RG550

My RG550 in black finish with black pickguard, maple neck, an amazing edge bridge, H S H pickup configuration, Ibanez stock pick up.

The sounds is great, no buzz, the factory setting is just perfect to my personal taste, the pickup is quite surprise to me, its sounds close to the Dimarzio PAF Pro. Sweet tone from the neck pick up and cutting teeth tones.

Thx Ibanez for making the Super wizard neck, its extremely fast and not too thin. the body is light weight. the floyd is extremely keep in tune and born to play Vai and Satch's stuff.

I will bring this guitar as my main weapons from my arsenal of axe. I dont feel tired even I play this guitar for 6 hrs non stop playing. This Guitar is born to shredd.

Never deal with Ibanez

This is a serious guitar for shredder, and acceptable price, Closest things to Vai's JEM (550 is the original of JEM, right?) If I lost this guitar I will get another one, in Desert Yellow Finish (I love this color, I am old skool) I own about 20 guitars include Gibson, MusicMan, Jackson, Yamaha, Fender, etc. I enjoy my EB John Petrucci before I meet this RG550, This guitar provide more sound that i could choose than the Petrucci. honestly, I love this guitar.

Double locking blocked LO pro edge Floyd Rose, stock IBZUSA pickups (H,S,H) manufactured by Dimarzio. The humuckers are equivalent to a souped up PAF Pro, and teh Single coil is the same as the HS-2. Excellent neck. Very low action. Unbelievable.

It can be used to play anything. Mostly metal and instrumental solos, but is pretty versatile. With my cheap Johnson acoustic amp, it even sounds great. These pickups are awesome. Now that I blocked the tremolo the sustain is much better and it stays in tune for the rest of your life.

Action is low and awesome. Pick ups are awesome. Excellent look. CLosest thing to the JEM, if not the same thing just without the monkey grip.

Reliable and durable for anything, anywhere, anytime. Hardware is high quality, finish is long lasting.

Never dealt with them

Its really a JEM without the monkey grip. In Fact, Steve Vai built his JEM based on the RG550 platform. I have two rg550's, one with stock action, and the other with slightly lower action and a blocked tremolo(awesome). Both really are shred masters!! If any one of them were stolen, there will be a big war between me and the thief. To put something into consideration, www.warmoth.com with make any custom guitar. I will have them build me a JEM7VWH.

This is an ibanez RG550 jap guitar. It has 24 jumbo frets that leave room for options (fretless...). strat figure bit a little sharper with a pick shield.
It has a volume and tone knobs, a 5 way switch.
H/S/H.
It has locking on the edge of the riff and double locking with a floyd rose tremolo on the bridge.
It has a super wizard thin neck maple made.

I like all kinds of music, from rock, blues, jazz to eastern off scales music.
The guitar gives great sound on all configurations, clean or not.
i'm using a crate 60W amp, it is really bright, i like it. and a korg ax100g multieffect.
If you turn the gain up to full and use the single coil s1 pickup it might sound a little buzzy but noone really uses that pickup like that.
It has amazing sound with soft dreamy effects like chorus and reverb.
It has amazing feedbacks and screming posibilities.

If you like soloing and different types of melodies she is for you.
You can easly get the joe satriani sound out of it and more.

The super wizard neck came perfectly fit to my needs low profile action with no buzzing. It's fast free and easy to play it with those jumbo and flat frets.
The floyd rose tremolo with the double locking keeps the guitar always in tune. you can bend 2 tones and raise an octave do a dive and it's perfectly in tune!!!!!!!!!1 unnormal!!!

The guitar is just diamond solid! i would use it on any ocation.
It has great finish to last for years. I got myn used from a second jand guitar shop and it was in perfect shape no complais.

never used ibanez.

iv'e been playing for 5 years. i started with a old samick classic guitar and moved to a start fake by discovery electric guitar that had 21 frets on humbucker and two singles. roundy frets and noise g string. so i think moving up to this RG 550 made my life easier. it gives you space to improve. i would go up the rg ladder to a prestige model after all you have to advance.

I have 2 Ibanez 550DY Desert Yellow - black pickguard.
1984??? I think and 1994 I think?
Both have FREDS in the Bridge pickup.
double locking EDGE Trem keeps these in tune for ever!
Old I bought used. And the New one I bout off Ebay.

They both sound great!
The FREDS make them scream on solos. and they have a very heavy thick and bright. The newer 550 does sound a bit thicker.
I use 10's on the new 550 and 9's on the old one.

I play so much on the old 550 I have acquired a nice buzz when I play the second fret. But It's almost 20 years old!

Action - Low as can possibly be.
Extreamly Fast.
I adjust everything my self since I put my own pickups in.
there was no flaws on the New 550. They look great as long as you like yellow! :)

Live Playing - hell yeah!
Well it's almost been 20 years on the old 550 and It's been throuhg one fret Job and needs another and the phone jack is starting to loose connection. Few Nicks and dents. Paint cracked at Neck Joint after someone droped it but the paint is still looking fairly new. I have never tighted a strap button.
the new 550 is still mint. 0 flaws.
I use both live. The phone jack on the old 550 is driving me crazy but that can be easily fixed!

never!

I have been playing about 20 years.
I wish I had asked if I would have been addicted to yellow after I bought this. ha!
I love the sound the speed and percision I can play at. I hate that after 20 years I have to retire it and the fact that they seem to only come in Black now.

Hello Ibanez I want another new one but I don't want it black. I like yellow! Actually I wish they would build this guitar. basicaly a 550 with the shark tooth inlays. Or can I buy the EDGE trem and put it on a guitar with the shark tooth inlays? I could Care less about the pickups because I am going to put a FRED on it!



I love playing this damn thing.

I think anyone who is serious enough about guitars knows what features this one has :)

From metal to jazz, anything is possible with this guitar

I only got mine about three days ago, new for only $375 and it's very well set up, very low action and it sounds great.

Hopefully this guitar will last ages. I use to have an ibanez jpm1 model and it was a dream. After selling it back in 2000 I've pretty much been without a guitar since. The reason I bought this one was mainly becuase it sounds and feels very similar to my old jpm. A few things I like about his guitar in particular, compared to some older and more expensive ibanez models, such as the old jems and jpm models would be the newer neck joint for easier access, and also on the newer ibanez range, most of them have the babinga reinforced neck which is very reasuring. This is certainly a rock solid guitar for the serious player; now if only I was good enough to fall under that phrase "serious player" hehehe

Not sure, never had to contact them. Only if I'm putting in an order; I work for a large music store back home in England www.vibesmusic.co.uk

OK I dont know if I've got the right model here, but it is an RG. Bought it second hand. Don't know where it was made. It is a dark purple colour (almost black). I haven't changed the pickups H,S,H. 22 threts. Floid Rose trem, locked tuning, 5 way switch, 1 tone, 1 volume, pasive pickups. I like the metal nobs on this, as they seem alot sterdier than those plastic Fender ones.

This is definately a rock/metal guitar. As that is what I play most of the time through a Marshall Valvestate, it is the business. The sound isn't particularly bright, not like say a Les Paul. However, it is powerful especially the neck pick up which has a warm bassy sound and the whole set up is very responsive. On clean tones the Humbuckers are very fat and flat sounding.. You need to fiddle around with the EQ to get a nice clean tone. That may be different on other amps. Marshall are known more for the overdrive.

The action is realy low and the neck is fast. This is a confortable guitar to play quickly. I like the weight and general shape. It's pretty light and and pointy. One problem though is the Floid Rose. The bar wobbles in the nut. Also the tuning does slip especially the G. However, it was second hand so I wouldn't blame Ibanez for that.

Considering this is second hand and I've played it pretty much every day for the last 7 years, it's stood up realy well. However, I do take care of my guitars and don't chuck them around or drop them. I can feel confident in playing this live.

I've never delt with Ibanez. The only work done on this is the occasional service. I change strings every few weaks. I had to get one of the locking nuts replaced as when I first had it I put the lock thing on round the wrong way and chipped off some of the metal. Dummy!

If some one stole this, I'd beat them to death with my old strat copy. If I lost it I'd cut of a hand. I haven't tried the newer Ibanez RGs but if there still the same quality I'd definately get another.Although I admit I'd be torn between replacing it or saving up my pennies to get a PRS, )lots of pennies that is)

Mine is a 1989 made in Japan 24 fret standard rg 550. Standard H-S-H pickup config. Super thin and fast Wizard neck. the color is a very bright orange. Still has original pickups.

I play everything from blues to progressive rock to jazz and my 550 does all of them superbly. I play through an array of effects too numerous to mention but the highlights are an analogman comprosser, original 808 tubescreamer, vox wah (modded to true bypass), voodoo labs sparkle drive. I've been meaning to replace the pickups with some newer dimarzios but just haven't gotten around to it but the stock pickups aren't bad considering that they're stock.

I bought this guitar used a few months ago and had to have it set up since the person who had it before me played extremely light strings. Once the guitar was set up for heavier strings it plays wonderfully. the neck is very flat and thin. The edge tremolo stays in tune extremely well and has a very fluid range of motion. The body shape is also very comfortable to play and allows for excellent access to the upper frets. It does have several dings and scratches, as most 13 year old used guitars do. but other than that it looks great.

This guitar is extremely well built. the hardware does show some signs of wear but like I said its 13 years old. This guitar is a workhorse that was designed for night after night gigging. I would definitely depend on it but I would never play a gig without a back up.

Can't really say much about this Ive never tried to contact Ibanez. General opinion seems to be that they are pretty useless. no such thing as a warranty on a used 13 year old guitar.

I have been playing for over 15 years. I own several other guitars and too much gear to list. If it dissapeared I would be dissappointed but not destroyed. I love this guitar but finding another on ebay doesn't appear to be to difficult. I would most definitely replace it. I wish that it came with better pickups but for the price it's hard to find another guitar that plays that smooth and is this comfortable in my hands.

Bought mine new in 1989. Atlantic Blue color; never seen another in this color. I bought it because it was one of the first mass produced guitars with H-S-H pickup configuration, 24 frets and a recessed Floyd.

Original V1 and V2 humbuckers are OK, but I shoulda replaced 'em years ago with something better. Good guitar for metal, though.

No complaints here

Replaced the p'up switch a few years ago. Everything else has held up pretty well, EXCEPT(here we go) the neck. Early RGs had deeper holes drilled for the Floyd Rose nut, making for a very unreliable headstock. Mine has cracked 3 times. The first two it was repaired easily, but the last time rendered it unrepirable.

HORRIBLE!!! I've tried to get a replacement neck through Ibanez directly and through 2 dealers, all with no success. Yes, I offered to pay for it, not turn it in on the warranty. Now I have a guitar that is totally useless until I can find a used one to rip the neck off of!

I've been playing for 20 years, and also own an SRV Strat.I liked playing my 550 and miss gigging with it,but next time I'm guitar shopping, I'll make sure I buy from a company that actually CARES about their customers. Anytime you can't decide between an Ibanez and some other guitar, pick the other one!!!

'92 Japan, in the Fujigen Factory! 24 frets, solid top, standard H-S-H. I bought it off some guy on ebay and he'd replaced the pickups with a Dimarzio Air Norton in the neck and a DiMarzio Evolution in the bridge. Mine also came with a Lo Pro Edge, although I'm aware most of the 550's come with the Edge. Don;t know if the orignal owner did the mod himself.

I'll give it an 8 without my mods, a 10 with them.

I won't give an opinion of the sound since I've nvere heard the stock pickups. I still have the S7 single coil and it sounds like $hit, though I'm not sure how the humbuckers would sound.

Do yourself a favor and swap in a couple of DiMarzios. I'd give it a 10 with those upgrades.

Simply incredible. If you have not had the chance to play an early 90's RG 550, you're missing out. No problems at all with fret buzzing or misalignment commonly assoicated with Korean guitars (my JS-100 and SA-160QM can attest to that).

It just feels incredibly solid. The neck on this guitar is better than most Fender Strat USA necks. Very smooth and the high quality maple. Even the newer Japanese necks don't look this good. I've seen a few JEM 7VWH with necks that don't look as good as this. My guess is that Ibanez eventually scaled down on these guitars to save costs. My two Korean Ibanezes don't even come close, and my Korean JS cost twice as much!

Veteran collectors will tell you, most early 90's Japanese guitars are superior to USA made guitars(e.g, Ibanezes and Fenders) I can't vouch for the validity of that, but I will tell you this guitar plays and feels better than any US Strat I've ever played.

The Ibanez Lo Pro Edge is the most amazing Floyd Rose i've ever had so far. A far cry from my Lo TRS II equippeed JS-100. I have yet to go out of tune with this thing, and I set this up myself, not professionally!

Pickup adjustment is as easy an on any guitar. I've busted this open on a few occasions to swap pickguards.

I did this really funky thing where I put an Evangelion Japanese Anime graphic image onto a custom black design-a-guard pickguard from Jeannie pickguards. It just looks incredible. Since the guard is clear, it really looks like a custom paint job I had done, unless one inspects it closely and discovers the paper cutout ^_^

The owner also had straplocks installed so this thing is a marvel of modification ^_^ The hardware has some oxidation and wear after 10 years in existence, but that's to be expected I suppose.

Never Gig without a backup, that's a golden rule! That said though, I probably wouldn't need a backup, but I keep my JS for that purpose nonetheless. Its funny that a signature guitar plays second fiddle to a mid-priced guitar, but that's how it is.

Dunno. Heard it was pretty bad though.

I've been playing for 10 years. I do stuff from Vai to Metallica, and Stevie Ray vaughan. The RG is really a Rock guitar. It sounds incredible for that type of music.

Some people claim this guitar has absolutely no tone when played clean. Unfortunateley I must agree. If you're looking for a bluesy Strat tone, you won't find it here, nto even with the pickups replaced.

If it were lost, the heavens would weep(or at least I would) ^_^; i would probably buy another one or a 570. Probably the nicest Ibanez guitar you can get short of getting a Prestige or JEM, or Universe(jeez who has the money for these?). The fact that it resembles those guitar shapewise doesn't hurt either.

2000 model made in japan,24 frets,black with black pic guard (scratches very easy )volume tone 5 way selector switch h/s/h pickup conf,basswood body,maple neck,locking floyd rose bridge,wizard 2 neck.

sounds great played through my marshall avt 20 very rich full sound when using the neck p/u (v7). I like classic rock above all and this guitar gives me all the tone I need for this.personaly I dont have a problem with the p/u sounds v7 s1 v8

this guitar was set up great with low action and no fret buzz.as with many reviewers here my strap buttons were loose also I bought a Daddario strap that is supposed to fit all guitars, it has plastic locking ends that ratchet in place (cool idea)but this is not made for the RG 550.AFTER MUCH STRUGGLE TO GET THE STRAP ON I CHIPPED THE PAINT ON THE GUITAR.all leather is the only way to go for this guitar.that aside, everything about this guitar feels good and i realy love the neck.

i dont play live so i cant comment on that. the hardware seems very solid and i wipe everything down after playing,i also use some lemon oil on the neck to keep things like new.i think this guitar will last a very long time if looked after.the strap buttons came loose on me again and i think i will try adding some wood glue to the threads

never delt with them.

I havent been playing this guitar for very long but i love it.if it were stolen i would indeed buy another,or atleast an rg 570.then i would hunt down the person who took it and shove a cattle prod up his but and drain the batteries on it.I will soon buy an effects processorto finish off my gear.

Great Liscensed Floyd Rose, Beautiful thin profile, flat 24 fret maple fretboard/maple neck. Locking nut, H-S-H pickup layout with 5-way strat switch. Position 1 & 5 is your humbuckers, 3 is the single coil and 2 & 4 give you that awsome in between Strat sound. This guitar is a nice ballance of Van Halen shred machine and Fender Strat.

Don't let people tell you that the trems on these won't stay in tune, these are just people that have no idea how to set up a floating trem. I set this up following the instructions in "Guitar Player Repair Guide" (great book BTW) and I've stayed in tune for 4 weeks and counting now with moderate trem use (a dive bomb here and there too :-)

The humbuckers are pretty raunchy, but you can get a nice clean sound with the 5-way in positions 2,3,4. This guitar is a hard rocker/heavy metal, but you can squeeze some nice strat sounds out of it too.

Nice low action, beautiful finish, excellent apointments. Great purple finish :-)

This sucker is a tank! It's a 1992 model and It was used by the kind of guy who put stickers all over it and didn't take great care of it. A couple of hours of cleaning and setup and she was ready to rock for another 10 years.

Ibanez doesn't seem to reply to their emails and the one Ibanez dealer I tried to get parts from were useless knobs :-( So, who cares, learn to fix 'em yourself and scour eBay for parts like I do
;-)

I've gone through around 30 guitars in my near 30 years of playing and this sucker is the most fun versitaille guitar I've EVER picked up! This is hands down the best bang for the buck I've ever gotten on a used guitar!!! If I ever lost this guitar I wouldn't hessitate to run out and buy another one (or 2).

2001 Made in Japan
Black basswood body with black pickguard and maple neck.
Ibanez V7,S1,V8 HSH Pickup configuration
Edge Double locking tremelo
Hardshell case

As someone already stated, this guitar has a very defined purpose...playing hard rock/metal. Technical playing and shredding. It does that well. The pickups are not very clean, the neck pickup is very muddy. The bridge pickup doesn't have as much bite as I would like. I am definately going to trade out the pickups, but keep a HSH configuration. The pickups seem to hold this guitar back.

The wizard neck is no surprise, thin and fast. The action is very low, fretwork is great. The neck in general gets a 10 plus. The Edge bridge is the only "non-original" Floyd Rose that I've tried and the only one that I've wanted to try. It stays in tune well, but I have to make fine tune adjustments more regularly than I did on an original Floyd Rose. The fit and finish of everything was flawless, top-notch. Setup was done professionally at a guitar store, and a good one at that.

I bought this guitar used. Only 6 months old and obviously not used very much. But, not a scratch, ding or paint chip anywhere. It seems very solid, although very, very light.

From what I've seen and heard, Ibanez doesn't have customer support. Their website even falls short in product information. With one exception, the online help pages offer some useful information. Just don't need anything not covered.

I bought this guitar because I wanted a strat-style guitar and got a great deal. 6 months old, hardly used, no scratches or marks, new condition with hardshell case for $400. I wouldn't have paid more, guitar stores are asking $550 plus 60 for the hardshell case. If stolen I wouldn't buy it again unless I found as good of a deal on a used one. Even at $400 in new condition I kind of wish I hadn't bought it. Not because it is a piece of crap, it isn't. It is a nice guitar with some excellent strengths, especially the neck and the Edge bridge. Just too limited for my taste and the pickups are near worthless to me. Once I get a good combination of pickups in it, it may be my favorite guitar.

Its a stock (and one of the original) RG series.... great basic guitar... bang for buck they are the ducks nutz! They stay in tune... they sound great and are a piece of piss to play! What else do you need? Maybe a JEM77FP or JS1 :-) They're finish is excellent!

Sounds like a gibson les paul and a Mark Knoffler strat on steroids.... no FX required... just straight into my JCM800 50 half stack... or for small gigs a Trace Elliot Supertramp 2x12 amp! There is a pommy guy in one of the reviews saying they have no natural sound... yet he was putting it through processors, power amp and then into a quad.... if he didn't have all that shit in the way of the guitar's signal he'd be able to hear the fuckin guitar! Excellent single coil rhythm sounds and shit hot bridge pickup for rock solos :-) I use it for blues, rock and bloody hard rock!

Action is low and smooth... feel like I haven't played after four hours of gigging! They are excellent! I always tickle the guitar to just how I want it regardless of factory settings... plus I bought this second hand... so that questions pointless! No flaws... excellent finish! No wrinkled paint like on Les Pauls next to the neck on the body.... no knobs hitting screws that stick up like on US strats.... no necks built like logs on PRS's..... AS I said before... bang for buck... these are extremely excellent value!

I picked mine up secondhand about 1990... and have gigged all around the central australian desert.... Adelaide.... Sydney and the south coast of NSW.... recorded on a soundtrack for a film (To the End of the Earth... crap movie :-) and this guitar has survive one theft attempt! Can it take it... yes it bloody can! Everything is still orginal.... it goes on and on and on and on etc. You get the idea!

I vist their site every blue moon just to perve on some the of new gear.... asked a couple of questions which they answered... got some bridge saddles for my JEM77FP!

Been playing since Pink Floyd put out Dark Side of the Moon... or just before... play RG550 (workhorse), JEM77FP when I get socially excited... and a JS1 when I want to get a groupie :-) MArshall JCM800 50w halfstack, JCM900 50w 2x12 combo and Trace Elliot Supertramp 100w 2x12 combo.
They are simple and sweet... no bullshit... just keeps on working! They will be a collector in the future! Like the 750's etc!

You can see how popular they are by the number of reviews here!

My RG550 was made in 2000 and was built in Japan.
It has 24 xj frets with a Maple neck and fretboard.
It has 1 volume and 1 tone with a 5 way selector.
The pickups on my RG550 are Ibanez,s own pickups. H/S/H
Super Strat shape with a solid black finish.
The tremalo is a Edge and uses Non Locking tuners.

The sound of this guitar is near perfect for the style of music I play (Rock,Metal,Blues).The pickups don,t do the Blues sound very well but with the gain cranked up these pickups come to life.I will be changing the pickups soon as these pickups can sound muddy.If you want a Steve Vai sound with out the price then the RG550 is just right.Im using a Laney Tube amp with a Boss MT2 Metal Zone and Ibanez Delay/Echo pedal.
The is capable of so much but due to my taste and the fact im a tone freak I feel that a pickup change would boost my sound and make the guitar that much more versatile.
Other then my personal tastes, this guitars sound is perfect for shred and other types of Rock and Metal.

When the guitar was taken out of the case the action was spot on and the spring tension for the trem was just right.
I play with 10 gauge strings so after I took the 9 gauge striges of it onley took a matter of minutes to change strings and set up.
The pickup height was also perfect for me.
The finish was in black and felt it was perfect and found know problems with it but I still feel that the finish is to weak as iv already put a few chips and marks in it.But this could just be my bad luck and not the guitar.

This guitar can definatley do the job both live and in studio or in your bedroom.The feel of the guitar is amazing and playing this guitar in a live situation could,nt be easyer. The hardware is very strong and strap buttons feel strong but the screw keeps coming loose on myne but shows no risk of falling out.
I can depend on this guitar and can see my self useing this same guitar in 10 years from now.

Iv had know troubles and Im very good with building and rebuilding guitars with out having to call Ibanez.

Iv been playing guitar now for 11 years and Im a true lover of guitars and feel that this guitar is perfect for my styles of playing.
If the guitar was stolen I would buy it again.
I will be putting new pickups on soon,although theres nothing really wrong with the pickups, Im just finding my tone and sound.
If your in to fast necks and jumbo frets with Floyd Rose Type trems and a tone that could scare your parents then this guitar is for you.

THIS IS A JAPANESE MODEL PROBABLY MADE AROUND '96 OR SO. IT HAS A MAPLE NECK/FINGERBOARD WITH 24 FRETS. IT HAS A 5-WAY SWITCH, H-S-H CONFIGURATION. I BOUGHT IT WITH DIMARZIOS IN IT. IT ALSO HAD A COUPLE OF SWITCHES THAT WERE PHASERS OR COIL SPLITTERS THAT I HAD DISCONNECTED. THE HARDWARE IS A DARK CROME, COSMO BLACK I THINK THEY CALL IT. THE BODY IS BASSWOOD WHICH SOUNDS VERY GOOD, BUT DAMAGES EASY, SO DON'T PULL ANY CURT COBAIN ANTICS WITH IT. THE FRETS LOOK LIKE JUMBOS AND THE FINISH IS A PURPLE NEON 2-TOME COLOR WITH A PURPLE MIRROR PICKGUARD-PRETTY COOL. THE TREMOLO IS A LO PRO EDGE WHICH IS A VERY GOOD AND SENSITIVE TREMOLO.

THE BASSWOOD BODY NOT ONLY MAKES IT LIGHTWEIGHT BUT RESONANT, AND VERY GOOD WITH "WHAMMY BAR" SOUNDS. IF YOU LIKE HARD ROCK OR METAL THEN THIS IS A GREAT GUITAR. IF IT HAS IBANEZ STOCK PICKUPS THOUGH, YOU MAY WANT TO REPLACE THEM.

THE FINISH IS VERY UNIQUE AND PUT ON VERY WELL. BASSWOOD DINGS EASILY THOUGH SO BE CAREFUL. THE SET-UP(FROM WHOEVER HAD IT BEFORE) WAS SO GOOD I'VE MADE VERY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS SINCE BUYING IT. THE FINISH ON THE HARDWARE DOESN'T REALLY RUST BUT WILL SPOT UP PRETTY NASTY IF YOU DON'T CLEAN IT OFF REGULARLY. THE ONLY OTHER GRIPE WOULD BE THAT THE GREENISH COLORED GLUE UNDER THE FRETS COULD BEE SEEN.

I USE IT LIVE ALL THE TIME, THE HARDWARE LASTS, THE FINISH WILL LAST BUT DING EASILY AND IT IS VERY DEPENDABLE. THE STRAP BUTTONS ARE LARGE AND SOLID. HOWEVER I ALSO BRING ALONG MY RG570 BECAUSE EVEN WITH NEW STRINGS, AGRESSIVE PLAYING ON THE TREMOLO CAN BREAK A STRING BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

NEVER DEALT WITH THEM.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING ABOUT 9 YEARS AND HAVE AN RG570. I HAVEN'T BEEN DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS GUITAR AT ALL. I WOULD BUY IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT IF I HAD TO. I LOVE THE EASE OF PLAYING, THE ACTION, THE TREMOLO, THE COLOR, BUT I PREFER THE ONES THAT ARE FLUSH TO THE BODY. MOST PEOPLE LIKE THEM TO PULL UP ALSO. I WISH IBANEZ MADE A SUSTAINER MODEL THOUGH.

Made in Japan. around 95'. 24 frets maple neck/fingerboard (not very pretty looking maple, looks like reject maple. the grain patterns are ugly) H-s-H. V2 bridge pickup, V1 neck pickup, S1 middle single coil pickup. Basswood body. Aqua blue/green finish (a shity color).Black pickguuard. Floyd rose bridge. I love Ibanez floyd rose bridges. They do bar flutters really well. The neck is the thinnest i've ever played. I wish it were a bit thinker. I think its a wizard II neck. really fast

I bought this particular guitar for stuff like Steve Vai (u can get real close to the Whitesnake slip of the tongue with this guitar), Paul Gilbert, Dream Theater, (any other artist who uses an ibanez for that matter) and all other metal stuff. It really does those kinds of sounds well. The bridge pickup was hot enuf for Steve Vai, Dream theater. it cuts on the highs. The middle pickup is sounds like a strat. high output single coil that produces solid tone. you could play SRV, Hendrix, CLapton and still sound decent with this guitar. The neck pickup is round and creamy without any muddiness. Great for Vai leads. Just listen to Whitesnake's Slip of the Tongue album and this guitar sounds exactly like it. This guitar sounds solid and fat like any other ibanez. This guitar gets a 10 for both Rhythm, lead and clean tones.

The overall playability and tone of the guitar is splendid. My only complaints are with thwe finish and cosmetics. The maple chosen for the neck is ugly. it would actually pass for reject wood. but it still sounds great. its just the looks. I consdier the sound as more important

I think guitars dont really encouonter problems like amps. Basically all guitars would last through a gig except when strings snap.

I've been playing for 8 years. I also own a Fender strat plus with lace sensors for Clapton, Hendrix, SRV, Yngwie, and Deep Purple. I also have a Washburn Nuno Bettencort model which i use for anything(its my most versatile guitar I own). I got the RG550 for playing technical/shred music which this guitar was built for. This guitar is really versatile but it really aint for blues. It would sound alright i guess but the feel of the neck (really fast), Jumbo frets, the floyd rose bride just counts it out. If it were stolen I would b\buy another because it the best u can get at its price range. I wish the neck were a bit thicker. other than that, its perfect

dont know what year it was made. made in Japan. maple neck/fingerboard. H-S-H. Metallic blue with black pickguard. Stock pickups. Floyd rose locking trem.

For this guitar, I play metal, shred, NOT BLUES. This guitar was built for shred and technical music. The pickups are great. real hot. The neck is smooth and creamy. great for steve Vai leads. The middle pickup is hotter than the regular single coil. u can play Van Halen and Vai stuff well though

I've never played Ibanez guitars before and it felt really 'edgy'. I've used strats exclusively for 8 years. These guitars really feel like metal/shred guitars. This guitar is for ala Paul Gilbert, Gambale, Vai, Jason Becker type of stuff. I think u need big hands to play this guitar well. I dont't.

I dont really like the feel of RG's in general. Too edgy.

I own 5 rg 550's ranging in years from early to late 90's with the original heel joint and the all access joint, two black, one yellow (signed by steve vai), one natural finish, and one that I personally painted like EVH frakenstien. All guitars with maple necks (if it's not a maple neck/fretboard then it is not an rg 550). Edge tremolo (the best).

Sounds great for my musical taste (vai, halen, satch). V1, V2 and V7, V8 pickups are all alike, drop a screamn' demon in the bad boy and watch out! I collect guitars and recently purchased the stevie ray vaughn fender strat. Guys, dont buy it. Fender sucks with their cheap trash, the sound blows also, I wouldnt let that guitar wipe the ass crack sweat off my rg 550.

Action action action. I love the action super low and you can obtain it with this guitar. Easily adjusted. Super thin necks, jumbo pickups, nice set up. I would recomend a different color than black however (this guitar has been discontinued by Ibanez)

Super reliable. I throw the thing around, pound on it, drop it, they all take abuse well. HOWEVER, the early EVH frankenstien painted one was purchased with a cracked neck at the head, and hasnt broken off with over 5 years of constant playing, divebombs and misuse. Just be weary of that head/neck joint.

Never had to deal with them. Ive been playing for 17 years, and all warranties are scams anyway.

I just happened across the first guitar by chance. I owned a couple of les paul standards, but didnt like the quality. I mean if I pay 2,ooo for a guitar it better have a vagina. Go out and get this guitar, it has all the features you are looking for, low action, maple fretboard, all access neck joint, jumbo frets, the edge tremolo with the trem arm that stays in via friction and not the bull sh/t screw in type (all other guitars) so it never strips out! This guitar out performs the wolfgang (no floating trem, fat neck), the JEM (same guitar with a monkey grip, scalloped frets, marginally improved tremolo, and vine of life inlay).

Not sure what year my guitar was made. It's Japanese, 24 extra-jumbo frets, Floyd Rose bridge, Gotoh tuners. Bolt-on neck. Volume and tone knob controls. It came with stock passive pickups: bridge and neck humbuckers and a single coil in the middle position. Came with five-way pickup selector. Neck is rosewood, body is basswood. Guitar is laminated, black, with a black pickguard. Strat-style body, pointy Ibanez headstock.

Anyone who has ever played an Ibanez can tell you how thin and fast the necks are: this guitar is no exception. Probably one of the thinnest necks I've played, yet incredibly strong. Stock pickups, however, were horrible - a perfect recipe for tonal mud. The first year I had the guitar, it frustrated me because I could hear a better tone struggling to make its way through shitty pickups. So I eventually tore out all the stock pickups and replaced them with an EMG 85 in the bridge and an EMG 81 in the neck. I left the single coil out and still have a gaping hole where it should be - Page Hamilton style, kind of. To install the EMGs, I had to shield and completely rewire the body cavity. I also installed a new toggle switch and input jack, since the stock ones are pretty sub-par. In effect, there are no original electronics left in my guitar. But I do that will all my guitars anyway.

So, I would give the guitar a 5 on its original features and a 9 when I made all the changes.

I play through a Marshall JCM 800 2205 and a 4x12 cab. I like to play with many different tones, so besides going straight to the head, I use: a Boss Blues Driver, Boss Metal Zone, Big Muff, Proco Rat and Turbo Rat, a Vox Wah, a Crybaby Wah, a Boss Octave, an Ibanex FL9 flanger, a Boss DD5 delay, a Digitech chorus/delay/flange, a Digitech Space Station and a Boss Noise Supressor.

I've had my RG for about nine years now. It has carried me through many different styles of playing. When I first bought it, all I played was metal. Since then, I've used it to play jazz, blues and now experimental free jazz/noise.

The RG550 is an incredibly versatile guitar. With EMGs, it produces one of the best "heavy tones" I've ever heard. It's naturally a very bassy guitar, which I augment by tuning it down a full step. For about two years I played with 13-guage strings, and the tone was tremendous - alomst a baritone. Only problem was, the clarity of low chords would get lost, so I went back to 11s.

I think of the RG550 really as two instruments in one. Clean, it produces a very unique, full and booming tone when using the bridge pickup. My only complaint here is that things can get a bit too bright-sounding. I prefer to use the neck pickup when playing clean. With heavier strings, you can get an almost piano-like tone, which I love.

Distorted, the RG550 is a beauty. It may be one of the most well-designed rhythm guitars, bar none. Chords roar and yet are clear and defined; single notes are just as powerful. And of course, this guitar was designed for shredders. Play fast and this guitar can handle it - things don't turn to sonic mush (you do need an amp that can handle this, however). The guitar has amazing sustain, especially on the high notes - sometimes it's almost like using an EBow.

Complaints? Not many in the sound department. This guitar is not the right choice if you're looking to play jangly-chord, clean kind of stuff. It has a dark overtone that really works well for the kinds of sounds I like. If I could improve upon the sound, I would want a bit more "thickness," like with a Les Paul. But overall, I can't ask for much more than I've gotten out of this guitar. It is definitely not a one-trick pony, and its many realms of tonal grey have been a joy to explore.

Bear in mind that my 9 rating is based on my current setup. With stock pickups and electronics, the RG550 sounds medicore at best. Muddy lows, piercing highs and not much in-between. I'm a dedicated EMG user, and one of the reasons why is based on how my guitar sounded before and I after I put EMGs in it.

My guitar was set up like shit when I bought it, but I think a lot of guitars are set up that way on purpose. Many music stores set guitars up with very low action. Nine times out of 10, they don't intonate them properly when they do this. The logic behind this is as follows: kid picks up the guitar in a store and starts to play. Most people, I find, that own RG550s play heavier, faster style of music. So when they pick it up and zoom all around the fretboard, they're immediately impressed at the guitar's ease of playability. They don't notice that the low E is buzzing and that the higher strings also buzz on the higher frets.

I'm fanatical about properly intonating my guitar and having the action and pickup heights just right. I take it to a professional at least three times a year to have my guitar set up and maintained. When I bought it, it was a mess. The action was too low, intonation was fucked up, and the pickups were sunk too deep in the body. I changed all that. I like my action was low as possible - but WITHOUT buzzing. And yes, this is possible to achieve.

The guitar's finish is great, as is the nut, saddles and hardware. As I mentioned, the pickup selector and input jack sucked and I quickly replaced them.

All in all? Original guitar I give a 3. After the work I had doen to it, an 8.

I have sweat, bled and had beer sprayed on this guitar for nine years. I have put it through hell by play prepared guitar pieces with it - playing it with screwdrivers, throwing stuff at the strings, ripping the strings out mid-song, etc. It's never let me down. Every once in a while I'll break a string - and that's where having a Floyd Rose sucks, mid-song - but when I do it's usually because I was doing something stupid.

Several reviewers have discussed the fragility of this guitar, but I disagree. I've played whole songs where I do nothing but beat on the bridge springs and I've never had a problem.

I personally don't give a shit about finishes or looks. My finish is cracked here and there, but that's because I knocked the guitar into something. Otherwise it still looks fine.

As far as strap buttons go, I installed Strap Locks. Wouldn't go on stage without them.

Can I depend on it? Without a doubt, yes. I can pound on the thing and it won't go out of tune. I've never needed a back-up. In fact, this was my only guitar for eight years.

Now, bear in mind: Ibanez necks are thin. Someone accidentally knocked my guitar off its stand when I first had it years back, and the impact cracked the neck, causing some deep hairline fractures. Replacing it was a bitch, but I learned the hard way: always keep your guitar in a case and out of harm's way. My roommate once dropped his $6,000 Gibson hollowbody - and it was in a case! - and broke the neck. He came home crying. Point? The RG550 is not a Kramer. You have to take care of it. Live, you can bash the hell out out of it, but within reason - it does have a thin neck. It is strong - two steel truss rods - but it does have its limits. Invest in an SKB case and you won't have to worry about much.

Do these people even exist? When I cracked my neck, I frantically tried to contact Ibanez to see what my repair options were. Eventually I got some schmuck who told me it take like a month to get a new neck, and that it would cost me around $400 for one. I paid $500 for the guitar! Asshole.

Apparently other people have had this problem. Ibanez should wise up.

I've had to get the guitar repaired - one of my band's noise experiments went awry and I fucked up the bridge - and I didn't even think of bringing it to the manufacturer after the neck incident. I brought it to a professional who I know and trust.

So was it ever under warranty? Who knows? Even if it was, would I trust those people with the guitar? Nope.

I've been playing for 11 years now (I'm 24). I also own an Epiphone Special - cheap little Les Paul knock-off that I like to seriously abuse.

If someone stole my guitar, or if I lost it, I'd be a wreck. My guitar playing, over the years, has been shaped by my RG. I could never replace it, after all the work I've done to it. I would want to, of course. But it's like when Sonic Youth had their gear stolen - after your hands have played a guitar so much that you've stained the wood, you just can't go out and buy a new one.

I love the guitar for its unique voice and its ability to respond to many levels of dynamics, subtle or blunt. I've hated it for some of its limitations. But you can't expect everything to sound like a PRS.

This guitar is poorly designed in that the neck is too thin and develops cracks from just holding the tension from the strings. For a replacement neck these hucksters wanted 350 clams...now why dont I just save another few bucks and get a new guitar--and I mean ANYTHING BUT an Ibeenhad. This is not an isolated problem, just go on the net and you'll see just how many ppl have been had.

sounded ok, very generic, nothing special

major flaw in the neck, that's all

do i have to tell you more?

unsympathetic money grubbing company...350? yeah right

1989 model RG550.. Body is pinkish with white pickguard, Wizard maple neck w/ maple fretboard.. Pickups came stock V7, S1, V8. Only visible flaws were a few shallow chips on fretboard that did not affect playability. standard "Edge" tremelo (better than a real Floyd in my opinion)..

You can see the modifications I've made to mine in a few pics at www.dreamwater.org/rockguitar (first 2 pics)

I mostly play rock influenced / instrumental music, ala Jason Becker, Greg Howe, George Lynch, Paul Gilbert, etc. In my opinion the RG550 is the STANDARD for technical rock guitar music - the stock pickups are OK until you hear what others can do - I replaced the neck pickup with a Dimarzio Air Norton (AWESOME for really clear sweep-picking) and replaced the bridge pickup with a Dimarzio Super 3 (ala Greg Howe - gives smooth mids similar to a Screamin' Demon, but with a little extra upper end 'bite')

guitar was used by action was nice and LOW, just the way I like it... This guitar was VERY little trouble to setup to my taste.

well it's already over 10 years old, and I think it's the best guitar made. Edge trem works like it was new (the only thing I reccommend for them is adding a little teflon tape to the little plastic washers every few years to make the bar fit 'tight').. Finish is still great

I've had to deal with Ibanez once... I bought an RG450 new from an Ibanez dealer - I was convinced the fret buzzing was a defect - Ibanez happily replaced the neck within a few weeks at no charge... However, I've heard that are hard to get in touch with, and not timely in most cases.

I've been playing for nearly 14 years, the same style of music.. I have yet to see a guitar with this high of quality features, especially at the price you can find one on eBay.

Usa made. 24 frets. 1 volume 1 tone.You know guys, it's the same guitar you all have!!!!

I play metal, rock, pop, blues, nu metal, grunge.... whatever comes to my mind. The guitar sounds great for metal sounds, but for clean is definitely not good at all. Bad tone. Still a great choice.

It came prefectly well.

Great for live gigs. I recorded an album with my band with this guitar and definitely the sound was killer.

I have not tried it.

It's a great guitar, very easy to use and very comfortable. Great metal soundssssss

My latest axe-quisition (HA!) is a 1989 Ibanez RG550. Made in Japan out of basswood with a 24 extra-jumbo fret maple neck (w/maple fretboard) attached by 4 bolts. Pickup configuration is H-S-H (Ibanez stock passive V7,S1,& V8) controlled by a single volume and single tone controls. Mine is a green (with matching green headstock) model with a black Ibanez Edge whammy bar. The original green mirror pickguard was replaced by the original owner with a proper Ibanez style white pearloid job. Body style is strat with some improvements. Tuners are Ibanez grover-style (non locking). The "Wizard" neck is extrememly thin.

I play hard rock guitar-based music in the style of Vai, Satch, Gambale, Van Halen, etc... and this guitar works just fine for my tastes. Good Ibanez guitars have a sound all of their own...they're a different animal altogether from the Strats/Les Pauls that everyone and their brother are buying these days. I had originally planned to replace the stock pickups with some PAF-Pros like my Ibanez Jem had, but the V-series pickups don't sound that much different. The Ibanez sound isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I sure enjoy it.

This was purchased used and while it was in excellent playing condition, the finish had some damage that I really don't give a shit about. It's a player's guitar. I can't comment on the factory setup and finish, though.

This guitar is a veteran of many live performances. I don't play live so that's not really a concern. Everything is professional grade and of high quality. No worries.

Bought used. Ibanez doesn't give a shit about it and probably shouldn't.

I've been playing 20 years. My other guitars are an '84 Japanese Squier Stratocaster (a victim of another review on this website), a Danelectro reissue 6-12 doubleneck, a Tacoma DM-9 acoustic and a Jay Turser 5 string bass. I had owned a Jem previously that had collectors value and because of that, I was scared to death to play it for fear of damaging it. This guitar is almost as nice as the Jem and I don't have to worry about dinging it because it's "Pre-dinged". HA! If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another one. These guitars are a super bargain on the used market right now...they aren't the flavor of the week guitar at the moment, so it's easy to find a good deal. I would avoid the Korean made Ibanez guitars and stick to the Made in Japan models.

2000, Japan, 24 Frets Maple fingerboard, Solid Bass wood Black, H/S/H,
Edge Trem, added birdseye maple pickguard, and replaced stock bridge pu with Bill Laurence XL 500, wizard all access neck

This thing sounds GREAT... very versital. I mostly play Very Hard Rock,with the XL 500 I can get all kinds of pick harmonics, controled feedback, and a GREAT CRUNCH.....it really has a distinct voice all its own.....love the maple fingerboard. The maple board gives it a little more bite and is able to cut through the mix VERY WELL. Roll back the volume and or tone and and I can blues it up, and clean up well too.

Well I was the first to open it out of the box straight from the factory. It was pretty much in tue! The high E was a little flat...but it was set very nice. I have since tweeked it more for my needs ie set up with 10s and set the action just a little higher. When I took this thing apart...all the routing was percise...the wireing was clean, and the finish was flawless. Frets, fingerboard and neck are all well done.

So far so good.. so what... Yea I can't see why this wont last a very long time. I would not want to drop it though...the very thin neck and glued on head stock might snap????

na

Ok this is the second one of these that I have had. The first was an ealry 90's and a lot of people say those were beter. I would have to disagree! I loved the old one ...and missed it until I was able to get the new one...well it blows the old one away. First off this has an all access neck that is satin finished. The old one was very hard to get up past the 15th fret and it was finished in a poly that was thick like my old Fender. The trem is more heavy duty and is a dull mated gray color VERY COOL! I have been playing for 21years now. WOW. I have had all sorts of gear..but have settled to keep what I have now..the above mentioned 550, an 88 Les Paul Standard(now collecting dust) PRS CE 22 and a guild D4. my amp is a Mesa Boogie Tremo Verb with a matching 4x12 cab. various pedals and recording gear...these days I pretty much my 550 or PRS straight into the Boogie...and of course a WHA. Yea if were lost or stolen I would want to replace it ..I really do love everything about it...my friend made me a custom birds eye pickguard to replace the stock plastic one..(I hated the b/w/b stripe it had) I feel the wood pickguard and xl 500 pu are the perfect match. I can't think of anything I don't like about it. Looks cool, sounds great, and STAYS in tune. I would very much like to add a good strat to my little collection...but they don't stay in tune for me....maybe I will splurge someday and get a Melancon!!!!!!! Can not beat the Ibanez RG 550 for a Metal/Thrash guitar in this price range!!!!!!

1998 Black basswood Japanese SuperStrat, 24 Jumbo frets, 'WIZARD' Maple neck and fingerboard with Bubinga strip, HB-S-HB and 'EDGE' Floyd-Rose licensed tremelo.

After I changed the HB's for Breed's then it totally changed the sound of the guitar. It really is such an all round great sounding guitar.

Super low action straight from the factory, no finish flaws. A sexy looking guitar.

In all the time I have had this guitar I have done nothing but change the strings, clean it and a few small minor adjustments. It has never caused me any problems. I depend on the guitar as I dont have a backup and it has never let me down.

S H O C K I N G ! ! ! Don't even bother trying too get in touch with them, you will probably be dead and buried before they bother to get back to you.

I could not live without this guitar. I dont think there is a guitar availabe today that offers better value for money than an RG550. Th RG is a quality guitar and offers such great versitility. My playing has improved beyind all recognition since I bought it.

Bought it in a pawn shop, standard RG550, red, black hardware, maple neck. Dont know the age but I've had it for 6 years so its quite old.

With the HB/S/HB combination I find that I can get any soun I want. I play a bit of everything and find the RG very versitile.

The thing was a dog when I bought it but after a couple of hours of major surgery it was set up the way I like it. That was 6 years ago and I havent done anything apart from change the strings and clean it since then.

I dont know how many people have owned this guitar before me but it is great, stays in tune no matter what I do. This has got to be one of the most rugged guitars around.

bought it S/H so I dont get any

I used to change my guitars all the time but since I got the RG 6 years ago I have not bought another guitar and have no intention too.

1990 Jap Shocking Yellow Metal machine..........Basically a standard RG550

The best Metal guitar available for under $500

Ibanez have got outstanding quality control. My RG was setup amazingly well at the factory and I played it straight out of the box

11 years old and still going strong. My No.1 guitar

Never had to contact them

I will never part with this guitar. I have bought many a guitar since I got the RG but I always go back to the RG. I think it is one of the greatest guitars ever made. The wizard neck is just so slick. You have not lived until you've tried an RG550

24 fret, fire alarm red, floyd rose, sharp cut away 1991 rg 550.

I bought it NOS -- im not sure the rg550 is manufactured anymore.

Really hot brige pickup. Very low noise, nice pick up set up -- 2 h/b's and a single coil. Great unfinished maple neck. Managed to get a great low-action setting with no fretbuzz. Very fast neck - too thin and narrow a neck for my tastes, but I have huge hands.

Great light weight, very dependable floyd rose tremolo. Dive bombing done fearlessly. Locking nuts are all the same to me, and this one did the job. Great technical versatility in performance.

Again, very hot rear humbucker. Looked at upgrading (just cause I had the cash and I could), and my guy at musicplex said Id have to spend a pretty penny to get anything hotter. Left em stock. Used it with my marshall mosfet half stack (one of the best non-tube amps ive heard), and would like a little more warmth and bottom end, but thats usually lacking from Ibanez guitars, and solid state amps alike.

Ibanez's tend to be sharp 'shreddy' guitars with not a lot of thickness. You have get some kind of over-the-top boogie rectifier to get ballsy low end out of these guitars. I pick up this guitar to screw around with overkill modal soloing, but when i want to do something with a little soul, its over to my strat or my Gibson LP. Twang, pop, crispiness or sizzle on the strat, Balls, thickness or cool smoothness on the Lespaul. These two have sound versatility. For my clear, hot, fastfingeredfretboard, pinch harmonic, squealing solos, nothing beats the performance of my Ibanez. But sound versatility? Absolutely not. Anyone who thinks Ibanez is versatile is usually doing Creed style stuff -- cranked up, then clean. Thats not sound versatility -- thats just distortion all on or all off. Versatile is giving you voices on settings inbetween. And i never turn to the Ibanez for that.

The fastest, low-action guitar ive ever played. Awesome. Cant think of a thing id do to improve the handling except maybe binding the fretboard. An unfinished neck is a little slower than laquered i find, but I hate the feel of rubbing my fingers against laquer. I wanna feel wood.

Technically brilliant guitar for the price

Never a problem. I kept taking it to the shop for a professional set up, cause I hate setting up floyd rose tremolos. But otherwise a trouble free guitar.

Never contacted them

If you want a metal guitar for technical noodling, few guitars offer the performance and value of Ibanez products. PRS is offering guitars of the same wieght, better sound, and better playability, but for double the price. This is a great low/intermediate priced metal guitar.

But dont delude yourself into thinking it can do anything... NOT a versatile guitar like most kids leaving their 2 cents here. You gotta pay into the thousands for versatility and performance level. Only PRS and such will do many sounds well. Ibanez does one/two sounds well.

1998 model made in Japan.Black Basswood body, Maple board, H-S-H, Edge trem, 24 Jumbo frets

Immediately stuck in a couple of EVO's and it sounds MEGA, play it through a Legacy amp and use a variety of BOSS pedals

I set it up to perfection when I got it. Mega low action and Buzz free

The thing seems as if it will last for ever its as good as new

Do Ibanez have any ? ? ? ? ?

OUTSTANDING GUITAR. I COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT IT. I'D GET RID OF THE WIFE BEFORE I'D GET RID OF MY RG!

Go to Ibanez.com and click on RG 550 and they can describe it better than I ever could

The RG sounds immense and it is so versitile. I though it was a pure METAL machine but I can get anything from a great clean sound right through to deathly mega distortion

I dunno who set it up but it was perfecto!
Ive never played a guitar with action this low and buzz free before

Its been bounced about and hammered senseless and still looks great. I totally depend on it as Im too lazy to cary a backup to gigs and It has never let me down

I dunno never contacted them although I have heard that they are pretty invisible if you need to get in touch with them

For some reason I always used to HATE Ibanez guitars even although I had never played one. It probably had something to do with tossers like Vai, Gilbert, Petrucci and Satriani using them. But then I won the RG and my opinion totally changed ( I still think Vai, Gilbert, Petrucci and Satriani are tossers) This guitar is so good to play and sounds totally immense. I would DIE without it

1998 Jap SuperStrat
Basswood body
Maple board, superfast wide unbelievably skinny WIZARD neck
24 Jumbo Frets
Ibanez Edge Trem
H-S-H Bridge:V8, Middle:S1, Neck:V7 (Stock Ibanez PickUps)
Gotoh machineHeads

I got this Guitar with an Ibanez GigBag,Lead,Tool Set and Ibanez Strap

I play Metal and this guitar suits me and my style perfectly. I play it through Zoom effects and a Soldano amp. MEGA Sound, it blows me away when I listen back to live recordings.

I have to comend Ibanez on there factory setups. This guitar was perfectly setup when I took it out of the box.

I have owned this guitar for a couple of years and it looks like new. The only signs of wear are the black finish has worn off the pickup screws and there are very slight pick marks on the scratchplate nothing considering I have played it constantly since I got it. Basically there are no signs of worrying wear and tear at all.
I gig it at least twice a week and have never requires a backup. This guitar is rock solid and has never once let me down.

This is an absolute stunning guitar. I have not been able to put it down since I bought it. Compare this to any other guitar of a similar price and it will blow them all away.
I have played every guitar out there and barring a JEM7VWH this is the best guitar I have played.

1989, Maple fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, black body w/ black pickguard. It has the H-S-H pickup config. It had the original pickups when I got it. I think the body is basswood but I'm not real sure. It has the ever popular edge trem that most Ibanez guitars have. Typical double locking setup.

I played it in the store on a shitty amp but when I brought it home it sounded much better. Still, I hate the original pickups that were in it. I forget what they are at the moment, but I did not like them. Since then I've completely rewired the guitar. I put a Dimarzio Tone Zone in the bridge, which sounds really good. It makes this guitar very versitile musically. I kept the original neck pickup but that will be going also... I hate the sound of it. I rewired it with a stereo output jack. I took out the tone pot and put in a push/pull pot that I use for the neck p/u vol and the push/pull part I use to route the neck pickup to either the pickup selector switch or directly out the stereo output. I replaced the 5 wayt selector with a 3 way and disconnected the middle pickup since it always gets in the way and I never use it anyways. I also installed a kill switch. In stereo mode running through 2 different effects units you can get some really awesome tones out of this thing. I've even gotten a tone real close to Eric Johnson. This guitar definitely has a good natural tone to it. I am giving it a 9 now because I don't like the neck pickup. If I were rating it stock I'd say 6.5.

Well it was really screwed up. The bridge was all out of wack and I had to install a 4th spring in there. I then redid the action and still have yet to do intonation but since all of the strings are somewhat sharp and I have yet to do any real recording with it I never bothered with it yet. The fretboard was excelent. The neck was perfectly straight. I believe that it had a fret level and polish shortly before I bought it. I took off the 9's that were on it and put on 10's and they definitely make it VERY playable now.

I think so. Its built like a tank and now that I've gone through it with a fine tooth comb I feel comfortable with its construction. Still, its no US made Jackson King V.

never had to deal with them... the guitar was to old to bother and I wanted to customize it anyways.

I've been playing 2.5 years now and I definitely have realized that I absolutely hate most Ibanez guitars. I've played tons of different types, brands, and styles of guitars now and out of all of them I mostly prefer Jacksons. Even with that said, the RG550 definitely stands out of the pack. I think it has to do with the maple fretboard since every guitar I've played with a rosewood fretboard feels reall "cheap" to me. The natural tone of the guitar is pretty good and with my modifications it definitely sounds really good and is extremely versitile. Considering that I mostly play thrash/speed metal in a band called Last Will, I don't really NEED the versitility, but I wanted a guitar that I could hack apart and not care about. Overall I prefer my US Jackson KV over this guitar but if it were stolen I would be one ticked off mofo. I've grown used to it and I really enjoy playing it. I would definitely say get one of these if you can. They're a really good bang for your buck.

Made 1992 Japan, 24 Jumbo frets, Cherry red w/ black hardware
5 way selector with HSH pickups (factory INF1, INFS1, INF2)
Maple/Mahogany neck w/ swamp Ash body (so sez skuzzbucket at store)
Ibanez lo-pro trem floaty bridge
SOOOPER thin neck. I'm suprised 11's don't break it.
I have to truss it 3-4 times a year, but I'm in a Canadian basement...

My buddies say I'm a wanker, but I play alot of stuff that's not VAI
Very versiatile sounds from squealing distorted harms on the bridge
to FAT FAT THICK tones on the neck. Not all that noisy. My volume dial came out of the factory kinda messed up. Later I went at 'er with the electronics skills and cut the POTS in 1/2 (a la STEVE VAI) and added a resistor somewhere to make the VOL dial like a noise gate type of thingy. Putting vol to 0 is like an "off" switch otherwise it's very subtle. I reccomend all people who play VOL at 10 all the time to do this. Use the dial for SOMETHING.

...Like I said, the Volume dial was funny, but the finish and set up was great. I was very impressed.

My outlet has gone on me 3 times. It pisses me off. I'm tired of fixing it and one day when I got 80$$ to blow I'm gonna get one of those dimarizo power source active outlet thingys with the batteries, but for now it's ony caused frustration and time (and about 4$ worth of silver solder) I've dropped it and my nephew peed on it, and it seems very durable.

N/A

Overall I would like to say this guitar rocks and contrary to popular beleif the stock pickups DO NOT suck and it was not made SOLEY for wankers, although they seem to like it. Fruity "Hootie and the Blowfish" type people and old, smelly "Eric Clapton is GAWD" people and sullen intellectual "Jazz is happenin'" people and unwashed, trailer-dwelling "Krokus and Winger will tour again" people will enjoy it. It is truly a guitar for all seasons (...ROSEBUD...)

2000 Japanese Ibanez RG 550. Black solid Basswood body, black scratchplate and hardware, maple wizard neck with maple fingerboard and 24 jumbo frets, Licenced Floyd Rose trem (Ibanez Edge), 2 Ibanez Humbuckers (V8 & V7) and 1 Ibanez single coil (S1), Gotoh tuners.
Gig bag, lead, set of allen keys and full instruction manual included.
What more can you ask for?

With the HB/S/HB arrangement and the Ibanez split-5 switching system I can get any sound I want out of this guitar. I play it through a Marshall 100w combo and I use Digitech effects. I play mainly heavy rock music and this guitar is perfect for this genre of music.
The Ibanez pickups sound great and are not excessively noisy. They really suit this guitar. One of my friends has an RG as well and he has tried Di-marzios and Seymour Duncans in the guitar but he has gone back to the original picups as they sound much better and give the guitar more variety.

I played the guitar in the store and it felt great. The factory set up was fantastic (as every Ibanez I have ever played has been). Super low action with no rattles or buzzes. The pickups were properly adjusted, the tuners were smooth and tight, the Edge trem was set up well, locking nut cut and seated well and the frets were perfect in fact I'd go as far to say that the fret job was the one of best I'd ever seen. Ibanez must have very good quality control.
The finish on the guitar was Ok and still is although it could have done wih another couple of coats. The hardware has not rusted or oxidized yet and shows no signs of doing so.
The wizard neck has got to be one of the best guitar necks around today. It is so fast and easy to play.

I have had no problems at all with this guitar. I have played this guitar constantly since I got it and it shows no signs of wear and tear. I have giged it since I got it and it has never ever let me down. I dont own another electrice guitar and with this guitar I dont need too. I gig it all the time without a back up.

Never needed to get in touch with them.

I have played guitar for 5 years and have owned a Charvel, a strat and a B.C. Rich but I have played most popular guitars out there and the RG 550 blows them away.
If it were lost or stolen I would definitely get another one but I would try hard to get this one back. If I were going to buy another guitar I would DEFINITELY buy another Ibanez. They are very well made, great looking and sounding guitars. I dont think there are many other guitars out there that are as good value for money as an RG 550. Ever since I got this guitar I have played a lot more than I used too and my playing has got so much better, It is a pleasure to play.

Typical RG550, exactly the same as all the other RG550's reviewed here
As far as features go an electric guitar can't really have anymore than this guitar

MUSIC STYLE: Metal
AMPS USED: Anything and Everything
SOUND: The widest range of sounds on any guitar I've ever played

ACTION: Low
FIT: Perfect (For me anyway)
FINISH: General wear & tear but nothing out of the ordinary

INDESTRUCTIBLE!

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I got my first guitar in 1971 and have owned enough guitars to fill a large shop since then. You name it I've owned and thi guitar tops them all. Anyone out there looking for the most versitle and playable guitar out there then get an RG550.

1989 Japanese built RG550, vomit yellow/green in colour with maple neck and fingerboard, 24 Jumbo frets (25.5in scale length). Solid Basswood body, Ibanez Edge locking Tremelo, 1 volume, 1 tone, Gotoh machine heads and split-5 way switch.The pickup configuration is H-S-H, Di-Marzio PAF Pro in the bridge and neck and standard Ibanez S1 in the middle. The neck is the ultra slim wizard style which joins the body with an all access neck joint system.
How can this guitar or any guitar have any more features?

K I L L E R S O U N D ! ! ! I play minly Heavy Rock/Metal. I have played nearly every popular make of guitar and this guitar would blow them all away. The Di-Marzio pickups sound fantastic, I don't really use the single coil very often. With the Di-Marzio's this guitar is so versatile. I cant really comment what it was like with the original Ibanez pickups but as it is just now it can be used for anything from a nice mellow clean sound right to the ultimate metal distortion.

The first thing I did when I got it was respray it. I could not handle the vomit coloured paintjop. I rubbed it down and sprayed it metallic purple and if I say so myself it looks rather good. I spent a long time cleaning the hardware when it was removed for the body painting so it looks nearly new. The person who had it before me obviously either never use it or really looked after it.
Once I put the guitar together I set the action, the pickups and the trem so it suits me down to the ground. There are no rattles or buzzes and the action is as low as it possibly could be.

I have owned this guitar for over 2 years and I have never had a problem with it. I have gigged since I got it and there have been no problems so far. I totally depend on it! I don't have a backup guitar and have never needed one so far. I just stick the Ibanez in its gig-bag and off I go. I painted it two years ago and the finish is still in great condition. The thing stays in tune no matter how much abuse I give it.

I bought the guitar second-hand so I don't now and probably will never find out.

I have been playing the guitar for nearly 10 years. I have owned so many guitars I can hardly remember half of them but they include ESP, Charvel, Kramer, Gibson, Fender, Hamer, B.C. Rich and Westone. I currently use a Boogie combo and use a variety of BOSS pedals and a Jim Dunlop Crybaby Wah-Wah.
If anything happened to this guitar I would be well pissed off! I have been looking around for about 6 months to get another one the same as back-up just in case anything does happen and I haven't managed to find one yet but I'm going to keep looking. At present I can not see myself moving away from the RG550, it is perfectly suited to me and to my playing style, the neck is lightening fast and so slim. A lot of people probably won't agree with me but this is the best guitar I have ever owned and I don't think I would ever sell it. It's most definitely the best #200 I have ever spent.

I'm not sure when it was made but I bought it new so it can't be that old. Basically the same shape as Steve Vai's Jem series minus the carry handle. The guitar was manufactured in Japan.
Solid Basswood body, wizard skinny neck with a maple fingerboard and 24 jumbo frets.
Ibanez edge floyd rose licensed locking tremelo.
Pickup configuration: H-S-H. Ibanez pickups: V8(bridge)-S1-V7(neck)
Passive electronics with one master volume, one tone and a 5-way selector switch.
Black body, Black scratchplate, Black hardware and Black headstock

I play anything and everything - Classical, Blues, Rock, metal whatever sounds interesting and catches my attention.
I play the guitar through a Marshall JMP-1 Pre-amp and I sometimes use my BOSS GT-3 multi-effects box thingy but not very often.
The guitar sound great! I am really happy with the overall sound and the variety of sounds I can get.
The guy in the shop said that it would be difficult to get a decent clean sound from the guitar but I have had no problems so far.
The pickups are not noisy and initially I was tempted to stick in some Di-Marzio's, I'm not going to bother now.

The guitar seems to have been set up quite well from the factory.
The action was VERY LOW which is the way I like it and there are no annoying buzzes.
Factory fitted with 9-42 guage strings.
The Edge tremelo and the pickups were also well adjusted.
The neck is absolutely unbelievable, it is so fast. I'm not sure what finish if any is on the neck but it is very well manufactured.
The frets are well seated and filed very evenly.
IF ONLY Ibanez would spend as much time painting the guitars. Every Ibanez guitar I looked at in the shop had a dodgy paint job! Mine could have done with another couple of coats of paint at least. There also seem to be some marks underneath the paint work as if the body was not finished properly prior to painting and there is one spot right on the bottom horn where the paint has reacted very slightly.

This guitar is indestructible. The guitar will withstand nearly anything.
I carry it about everywhere in a gigbag and have never had any trouble at all, its been on planes, boats and cars and still stays in tune.
I have gigged it since I got and I depend on TOTALLY, I don't have a backup guitar at the moment and it has never let me down. I have not even snapped a string.
The paint job is still in pretty good nick and has not deteriorated at all.
The hardware is still black! and working perfectly

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing seriously for 16 years and presently own a couple of YAMAHA APX acoustic guitars, one nylon string and one steel string.
I have managed to work my way through just about every type of electric guitar and the IBANEZ RG550 in my opinion is head and shoulders above the rest.
I didn't even intend to buy it. I went to buy an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and for some unknown reason had a shot of the Ibanez and it was love at first play.
I probably would not have bought black if there had been a choice but seemingly that is the only colour they produce that model in and I really liked the maple fingerboard.
I played nearly every guitar in the shop and none really matched up to the RG for overall playability and sound (In that price range anyway). I played Epiphone Les Pauls, Jacksons, other Ibanez'z, Fender Strat's, ESP LTD's and a YAMAHA Pacifica.
The colour has grown on me now and If it were stolen I would definitely get another BLACK RG550.
My favourite feature has got to be the neck. It is the fastest and skinniest neck I've ever played.
The Ibanez RG550 is outstanding value for money and if I were going to buy a backup giotar I would buy another one.

Re-issue of the classic late 80's super strat. Ibanez 'Edge' licensed Floyde Rose locking tremelo system, HB-S-HB (with 5-way switch)the pick-ups are standard Ibanez V8 in the bridge, S1 and V7 in the neck.One volume control and one tone. The neck is a ultra slinky wizard neck with maple fingerboard (it has a bubinga skunk stripe ont the back which is meant to strengthen the neck) and 24 jumbo frets. The body is solid basswood and has a glossy black finish and a black three-ply scratchplate. The hardware is all black as well.

I play mainly rock/metal, anything from Slayer and Sepultura to Stuck Mojo. Basically anything I like the sound off. Prior to buying the guitar I had read a lot of reviews stating that the stock Ibanez pickups were crap but I really like the sound I get from them. I use a BOSS ME-8 through a Marshall JCM900 (fitted with Boogie tubes) and I love the sound I get. My other guitar I regularky use is a Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro fitted with Seymour Duncans and I rather the variety of sounds I can get from the Ibanez.
With the HB-S-HB arrangement it is very easy to get a wide range of sounds. I would say this is a very, very versitile guitar.
I have had no problems to date with pick-up noise or from the 5-way selector switch.

The guitar was set up perfectly from the factory (or by the Shop). Normally I fiddle about with a guitar when I get it home but with the Ibanez I didn't have too.
The action was super low and there was no buzzing at all. The neck was straight and the frets were well seated and expertly finished. The tuners were fine, the selector switch worked perfectly, the nut was cut and seated well and the Edge tremolo was perfect.
The only gripe I had was the finish (I am a perfectionist) They could really have done with spending a wee bit more time sand the body prior to painting it as there are a few marks I can see under the paint. But only if I look closely. Although saying that no one else can even see the blemishes.

I have gigged this guita regulaly since I got it and I have had no problems whatsoever. I have not gigged my Patrick Eggle since I got the Ibanez (It has turned into an expensive ornament!). I have never snapped a string on this guitar and it stays in tune no matter how much abuse I give it.
The hardware is still in good condition. The hardware is all still black and there is no sign of rust or the black finish wearing off. The Edge tremelo system is the best Floyd Rose type system I have used.
The finish is still in excellent condition. I really try to look after my guitars and try to keep them out of harms way! The strap buttons are still solid.
I have got really lazy lately and have not taken a backup guitar to my gigs and the Ibanez has never let me down.
This guitar is so reliable and durable. I have played this guitar solid since I got it and there are no signs of fret wear at all or for that matter any wear anywhere.

Ibanez have a pretty band name when it comes to customer support but I have never had to contact them so I wouldn't know. What I have been told is that the British distributors of Ibanez are HEADSTOCK and they seem very helpful indeed. But since I have had a need to contact either myself then I can not comment.

I have been playing for nearly twenty years and have owned a lot of guitars in that time . I have owned strats, les pauls, an ESP M-1 (one of the very first ones) etc.etc. and I currently also have a Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro which has been put to the side a lot lately in favour of the Ibanez.
The Ibanez RG550BK is a stunning guitar, the neck is a dream and it sounds great. I can honestly say that this is probably my favourite guitar of all time (at the moment anyway!!!). It has the best neck I have ever played, it is so fast. If it was ever stolen I would be GUTTED. I would head straight down to the nearest guitar store and buy another one.
This guitar is a classic and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Guitarist magazine (in the UK) voted it No. 8 in the 10 greatest guitars of all time feature thst they did recently!!!

Japanese-made. 24 Fret. Single tone control. 5-way selector. H/S/H Pickup combination. 1-peice maple neck - TRULY GORGEOUS! Fairly broad, but about as shallow as it gets. Jumbo frets to make up for the lack of natural sustain beautifully. White w/ black Scratch & Hardware. Genuine USA Floyd Rose Double Locking trem (not Edge or Lo-Pro as most 550s have).

Believe it or not (and you probably won't), this guitar is simply stunning for my hybrid of Aerosmith/G'n'R/Bon Jovi style rock (proving that not all RG players simply plug into the biggest distortion pedal possible and go chugachuggachuggaRAAAAAAA!!! I WANT TO BE PLAYING A BASS!!! RAAAAAAchuggachugga etc in the way that only those most anal of metal bands can do.). On the bridge pickup and put through a 100-watt Fender Stage and a Marshall Guv'nor Plus with the gain on max and the deep and midrange conrols down I get a warm, roaring distortion without sounding thrashy and nonsensical, or horribly under-driven. With the right compressor it can be good for clean, funky rhythm too (I work with a lot of other musicians, so I have to be sonically versatile).

I bought the guitar second-hand and can't really comment on the factory settings, but the shop I got it from had tweaked it to perfection. Against my usual on-stage attire of flowing black leather trenchcoat, black t-shirt and black combats, the white body stands out beautifully. It's a nice chance from the black w/ white scratch scheme that Clapton has made so cliched. The guitar's action is pretty flawless. alowing for both flawless bends and high-speed legato playing. The neck hasn't aged very well from an asthetic point of view, and much heavy playing has worn off all the varnish and left a dirty look (although this means that it is even more wonderful to play!!). Not at all impressed with the plastic tone and volume pots. Even my old Blazer (yes, it's official, I'm an Ibanez endorsee) had better ones than that (gold plated).

Apart from the plastic tone and volume post, this guitar seems to be built like a tank! I've been happilly bombing around the floyd for ages now, content in the knowledge that it can go all the way to the scratchplate and suddenly up again without the tuning going even slightly out. The original DiMarzio cliplock strap has been excellent, but was a butt-ugly shade of green so that's gone (now black), but I have no doubt that it would have lasted if I was into the whole 'bogeyman' look. I have no problem in using this guitar without a backup - in fact I occasionally do spur-of-the-moment guest numbers with bands I know around the pub & club circuit, and simply whip the RG out, plug it in and go. It's flawless every time (even if I'm not after a few too many).

Ibanez customer support is simply terrible from all I've heard, so I wouldn'y even bother trying. HOWEVER, the shop I frequent (Imaginatevly named 'The Guitar Shop' offers absoloutely wonderful, freindly service. That's not credit to Ibanez though - DOWN YOU GO!!!

I would have no hesitation in buying this guitar again, but next on my hit list is a JEM of some kind (those monkey grips are simply essential - ok, so what if I'm an egomainac! lol). The only real other feature I would could ask for in this guitar would be METAL POTS!! I mean, it's a killer guitar, would it really do Ibanez THAT MUCH HARM to just put on some decent pots? I doubt it. Thrash metal sucks. Vai is an anal, nonsensical asshole. Paul Gilbert is the new god, after Stevie Ray (may his memory live forever in the fingers of those he inspired). Richie Sambora rules, Jon Bonm Jovi is a pompous dickhead.

1987 model, 24 frets v7/s1/? pickups in H/S/H configuration, Edge tremolo, Gotoh tuners, maple 1-piece maple wizard neck, basswood body. Desert yellow finish (I've never seen a desert like that colour)

I bought this second hand and the guy had taken the v8 bridge pickup out and put something else in (even worse than the v8). I popped this piece of crap out and dropped an Evolution in, and it sounds great. I have used various effects with it and it always sounds sweet, except with the neck pickup (v7) which is much too noisy. Single coil is a waste of time.

The action has been spot on from day one even though the previous owner abused it. All the flaws were caused by the guy's cigarettes and the odd drop. I'll have to give it a nine just because of the quality of the neck. Amazing!

I have had this guitar for 7 years and it's the best #250 I've ever spent. I hate the colour and I wish the guy had treated it better, but then I'd have had to pay #350 for it. This is my first guitar. I probably wouldn't own two at once, but I think I'll always own a 550.

Never needed it.

I've been playing about 13 years and this guitar has served me well for the past 7. When it finally dies I'll definitely buy another, but in a better colour. The neck is fantastic, but the stock pickups are pretty ordinary. Some day I'll swap the neck pickup for a PAF Pro.

I'm not sure of the year, I'd guess early 1990's. 24 huge frets, Wizard neck, hum-sing-hum configuration, V7(neck), V8(bridge),S2(??middle), maple neck/fingerboard, purple-ish/pink metallic finish with purple mirror pickguard, Edge Lo Pro tremolo. I got a gig bag with it but I carry it to gigs in an SKB case I have.

I have an Ibanez Universe and I've always wanted one of the RG style 6 strings. I play pop rock. I use a 50 watt Marshall JMP head and Marshall 1960A 4X12. Rat distortion. The V8 bridge pick-up is somewhat noisy which has been my experience with alnico magnets but it's managable. The guitar itself, acoustically is very bright and thin. That doesn't translate through the amp, though. It actually has a bit more low end than I like because I get a sort of low "whoooo" feedback sometimes. I can get all the sounds I need like leads : bridge or neck; jangly rhythm : bridge and middle; cleaner sounds : middle. I guess I'm not in love with the bridge pick-up (V8) but it's not as bad as I've heard. I was expecting to immediately go out and buy a DiMarzio but now I'm putting that off until I play with it some more. The middle and neck pick-ups are fine.

I bought this used and it was in sorry shape. Missing 2 clamps at the nut, no knobs, trem jacked way up, bent switch, bridge saddles all forward. It looked worse than it was, so I bought it and within a day of fiddling it rocked. The startling difference between it and all other guitars I own is the thin neck. My Strat feels like a baseball bat when I pick it up after playing this. It has a lot of chips and dings in the finish but from a distance you can't tell. I wanted this as a stage guitar I can beat on. It's visually striking with the purple mirror pickguard and the finish which seems to change color depending on the lighting. It at various times looks purple, hot pink, or maroon. I love the way it plays.

Like I said, I bought it to be my main live guitar. I always have a back-up guitar just in case I break a string.

I've been playing about 21 years. I've got a Universe, Warmoth "Strat", Fender Stratocaster, Ripley custom, Gibson Flying V, and couple of Marshalls. I think I got a killer deal on this guitar, I'm glad I bought it. I'm looking for more of them, (used) or JEM's. What I like the best is the neck. That's the only thing I prefer about it compared to my other guiatrs. 24 frets are fine but if I'm up near the top my fingers get so cramped together I can't really play cleanly.

usual ibanez design
mettalic blue
maple fretboard

i use boss gx700 marshall 9000 poweramp with jcm 4x4 cab
powerful trem pickup - good sustain
bridge is waste of time
great if you want to 'SHRED' dude- with lots of distortion to hide the tone
clean - on trem is loud , scratchy and hard
on bridge is shit sounds dead and ugly
it was my first fairly pricey guitar
and i was happy with it for a few years
dont really like it now
gonna give it to my brother for a few bob
got a patrick eggle berlin pro now
which pisses on it for tone
lets be honest these type of guitars have had their day ay they
no one in england really wants to be steve vai anymore

action was very good
minimum freat buzz
volume and tone knobs are plastic crap

good for live playing
gave it a good kicking
played a gig in the park and dropped it on the concrete in the bandstand which kind of messed it up
dont break many strings which is more than i can say
for my little eggle

never found out really

if your buying a first guitar
dont bother just get a strat
they shit on these
and you look a kok playing one
ok if your in korn or limp bisket or summut like that

This RG550 is pretty rare in that it is a YellowGreen (more green than yellow) Color with a gold undercoat and has snakes painted in the Maple neck. It has a gold pickguard. I yanked out the Ibanez Pickup and Stuck EMG 81's in the bridge and neck. I left the single coil in the middle but I disabled it. It has the LoPro Bridge. I use only a volume control and a 3 way switch. The wizard neck on this is awesome.

I have modified the guitar to suit my needs which range from thrash to ambient jazzy stuff. I sounds killer. I can get the clean tones and the death grind easily. The chords ring out with great definition. You can hear all the notes in a chord even at high gain levels. The maple neck adds to the brightness of the tone.

Most of the guitar stores have that one guy who thinks they know how to set up a trem system like the LoPro, but they always get it wrong. I set mine up so that is the bottom of the trem is just parallel to the body so if you turn the guitar on it's side you can see that it is flat and even from the front of the trem to the back in relationship to the body of the guitar. Over all when I bought the guitar it was New. I was looking for one and happened to come by this one. My only gripe is that either the paint cracks at the heel joint of the guitar or the wood. Not sure unless I strip the paint. It seems consistent with most Ibanez Guitars. The overall construction is great. Which is why it plays so well.

Live this guitar rules. I have even loaned it to a few shredders for thier gigs. Onstage I have never had a problem with it. It never breaks strings and as hard as I play it holds up well. I have used this guitar without a back up for years. I now have 2 7 strings so this one stays in the studio. Extremely Dependable guitar

never needed em.

I have been playing for 16 years. I have owned a few guitars (Kramer Baretta II's, Fender HM Strat, Gretch (24 fret weirdo)) other than Ibanez Brand but have ended up with having almost all Ibanez guitars two 7 strings, an RG550 and the acoustic GX-90. I really dig this guitar. The best thing is that I don't know anyone that has one and everyone that has tried it wants it. Imagine a fretless wonder Les Paul (has frets feels fretless) that seems like a strat but rages like a beast. I would like to hear from people who have this particular model with the snakes painted in the neck (just to see if more were made). If they made a new one like this (not korean) I would buy it over and over again.

I bought this new in 86, 24 frets made in Japan H/S/S Original edge trem ect ect. Used to be neon orange, I refinished it blue to avoid the headaches the neon caused me. Built very well, this was my main guitar for many moons

I used to me a pure metal guy so this guitar was perfect for me. I put in a Tone Zone and an Air Norton a few years back and liked the way those pickups sounded. It's got a bit of edge in its tone due to the maple neck/fingerboard and bolt on neck. Thanks to the 5 way switch (I replaced the Ibanez switch with a switchcraft one) it can do stratish tones and heavy humbucking tones. The Strat tones are not terribly convinving however....thenagain this is not a "clean" guitar. The Edge is a great vibraato arm, stays in tune incredible well.

it was ugly orange new now its beat to death and blue. no probs with action ect however I have had this thing apart so many times I've lost count.

this guitar has been around the block and cone out shining. I no longer use it, I've replaced it with Brian Moore C-series guitars (A C-90 and a C-55) It was good sounding tough stayed in tune and reliable. Ibanez make good guitars.

never had t contact them, I used to work at a store that dealt with Ibanez and their customer service was TERRIBLE. If you want good service go with boutique guitars

Was good for me when it was my main guitar, now I find it's tones one dimensional and feel....well it just doesn't feel proper anymore. The Brian Moores have changed me. Still I willnever say anything bad about Ibanez, they are VERY good and are (for the most part) affordable. Just for the record if you are looking high end Ibanez don't bother....get Music Man, Brian Moore Custom (not an iMoore) or PRS....you will be happier in the long run no matter what Steve vai says

It was japan made.And with 24 frets.The body is basswood and fingerboard is a great maple one.The finish is desert yellow.

I thing this one is for exactly ROCK,HARD-ROCK.Single coil is too much noisy.I thing bridge hb.is not very good too,but the neck hb is perfect for me

This guitars last forever!!

I've been playing this one for 5 years.I like the neck!!WONDERFUL!I have a music shop in Turkey for 2 years,I played lots of guitars here but RG550 have the best neck!I cannot imagine a neck better than this!It is impossible!Another thing y love is the lo-pro edge.This is the best tremolo ever made I thing!!I play blues and jazz,you may thing that this guitar is not avaible for this kinds of music,maybe you are right,but becouse of WONDERFUL neck and bridge I still use it.

This was made probably in the late '80's(it has old-style Edge trem,not lo-pro which convinces me of the age)and of course it's japanese.24 frets,solid-top,basswood body(thumbs down to that),pickups were some kinda trash,who cares about them,they're gone now haha,thin-ass neck and those glorious sexy JUMBO frets(Ibanez 550's have the BEST necks out of anything including high-end Jackson's),nice weathered-down maple neck/fretboard(rosewood bites),THE very best trem available on ANY guitar(I notice that Floyd Rose does not sell a Lo-Pro trem that is worth a shit even though they are "made in USA dude" so forget that)blah,blah,yak yak.

First off,this guitar kills but Basswood really bites weenie man! Choppy and percussive but no sustain.Oh well,who wants to sound like some old blues dork with a "58 Les Pual Goldtop I can't even let leave the house".The trem and neck on this is way way sexy.I traded this plus some cash with a Jackson Dinky Reverse and this guitar of course killed that one.I tuned it to B using GHS Low-Tunes and it's great for that.I can do those sick-ass whammy dives and pull-up's like Peter Tagtren(Hypocrisy)on Obsculum Obscenum.My style is progressive death metal(Pestilence,Nile,Death,Cynic,Cephalic Carnage) and NOT KORN?SLIPKOCK/LIMPDIK/TRASH PASSED OF AS METAL but real shit,this guitar plays way better than any other under a grand.With EMG's it's too brigh so I'm gonna stick in a Dimarzio X2N(Chuck Chuldiner of Death's pickup)and PAF-PRO setup and it will be much warmer.I can play jazz chords on this guitar(and do)and it sounds great for that also.You can get that Police-Andy-Summers-Tele sound perfect with these.Very versatile.I also painted this guitar in textured grey-stone color(looks craazy)becuase original paint was boring.Great guitar,just wish the body was either alder or swamp-ash.

I got this at Squid's music in Tustin(great store)and it was setup tuned to E but he set it up real nice.When I set it up for B it took a while,but now it plays great,I'm gonna pick up 2 more of these(pawn shops have them for under $300 usually)and have one for backup,one tuned standard.These are industry standard but no one admits that(I've seen a lot of death metal guys using these).Great action,fit,all dat s#$t.

VERY reliable,becuase it's easy to replace! The trem never ever goes out of tune(not even tuned to B)and the neck is thin and easy on the hand.Finish I did myself so no rating there.Would use without backup if I was into embarrasment when my high-e breaks(always screwed with a trem)so any trem-equipped guitars should have backup.very roadworthy I'm sure.I've dropped it before.Still works.Neck is good.Everything alright man.

Don't have a clue about this.I can fix most things myself,so no rating(I hope I'm not "buttering my toast" here).

I have been playing for like 6 years and went through:Ibanez S-series mahogany-body-standard-trem guitar,Kramer Focus 2000,3000,Westone Strat-style w/Kahler trem,maple neck(also great guitar),Fender Strat w/Schaller-Floyd(sucky),Jackson Dinky Reverse(echh),Takamine electric and all kinds of other junk and this guitar is good enough.Ibanez has the best contours/thin-ass wizard necks and overall bang-for-buck of any other brand.If yer into metal/rock,these kill,if yer into blues;well,c'mon man you gonna keep singin' the same song by Albert King and have a REALLY bored bass-player or get some imagination? To each there own,but I play heavy junk and I need only what works(names like "Gibson" and "Marshall" don't mean shit to me),and this works.Wish body was made of better wood.Other than that,great guitar.

Ibanez, RG550, (USED) made in Japan, 24 1/2 frets, yellow body, made in 97. It came with dimarzio evolution bridge and dimarzio evolution neck. Body in basswood. Great pickups and guitar for the price i gave !!:)

basically playing metal, and progressive rock, but also blues and shit like that. these pickup configuration make this guitar suitable for almost any kind of sound. The bridge is bright and the neck is very warm and bassy :) very very very cool.

Perfect, for a used guitar it is perfect :)

well, like all other ibanez guitar, there's no more things to say :) I even didn't need to tune the harmonics, and the guitar wasn't in action from a year...

what ? i don't need that f*cking shit.

if you are a fast type guitar player, and plays roccccck this guitar is for u :)

h/s/h 24 frets maple fingerboard with BIG fretwire.of course the floyd-clone whammy.White with black pickguard.This guitar has the BEST neck ever!! just the best combination of width,thickness and fretwire size. The stock pickup (bridge) was a litte too tame for me so I replaced it with a Dimarzio megadrive.after that the guitar killed! Great high and low with no annoying mids.I kept the stock neck pickup it is quite smooth and is good for soloing.I do not use the single coil as ait is too noisy.I bought this guitar new in 1988 and have NOT purchased a new one untill this year (Ibanez rg7620)Through my ADA mp1 this guitar has super sustain and sounds wonderfull clean.The guitar is not super gizmofied but simple and effective.The edge whammy stays in tune no matter how hard I bash it.THIS GUITAR IS BULLETPROOF

Fantastic highs and lows either with distortion or clean.Has sustain to die for.The megadrive is a little too hot for clean playing but the stock neck pickup is nice and deep add a little delay and chorus and it sounds fantastic.The neck out of phase(#4position)IS super smooth with lower volume than straight neck pickup.The #2 position is awefull and i never use it it is very thin and too treblely volume is too low as well(was not nearly as bad with stock pickup in bridge sound I get with megadrive more than makes up for this)

After allmost 13 years of hard playing the white paint is turning a nice vintage cream color!!The black hardware is prone to discoloration I replaced all the pickgaurd screws 2 times and my bar on the edge is somewhat pitted.the neckplate has no finish left on it at all.THE paint job was ok alot of bubbles in the edge cavity(not that you can plainly see it)the paint is quite thin as well(I probably will have it repainted soon)NO GUITAR I HAVE EVER OWNED PLAYED ANYWHERE NEAR AS NICE AS THIS ONE!!it was set up nice and low in the store but after taking it home and fine adjusting it it playes PERFECTLY.All of my guitar students want to buy my guitar but I will NEVER sell it. One note of caution...The bar on the edge tremelo in hollow and if you get to crazy you can snap it in half!I did this several years ago and a replacement was 12$(unsure how much it would be now)

This guitar is a rock! I have giged and recorded with it for years and it plays and sounds as good as the day I first bought it. I did replace the strap buttons with a Dimarzio locking strap.Only problems I have ever had are dirty pots and 5 way switch easily fixed with contact cleaner

never have dealt with them however they need to update thier webpage

As I said this was the ONLY guitar for me until I played the RG7620 They both now are fighting for my attention!!If you play metal/hard rock/industrail hell anything but country of blues do youself a favour and pick this guitar up you will not be sorry!!

This is an add-on i guess to my earlier review. The worst case scenario happened. My RG-550 (along with several other guitars) did get stolen. It got stolen along with a custom made Les Paul (not a les paul custom...one that was actually made for me) and an early 80's american strat (62 re-issue). While the other guitars may have been worth far more, I miss the ibanez the most. Of course i have replaced it, with two similar late 80's 550 model guitars. I think these guitars are some of the best guitars ever made! I had a white one, and now i have an orange one and a yellow one. Both new guitars are totally stock, except i had to replace the trem on both of them. I found them at a pawn shop for $75 each, and both were missing large amounts of hardware. But, with a little TLC, they are both rocking again!! I think one of the new ones (the yellow one) plays even better then my first one, and scroll down to read the rave reviews I gave to it!!!

Made in 1990 at the Fugin factory in Japan, Desert Sun Yellow, with 24 frets, H/S/H (Ibanez V1, S1, and V2) pickups with 5 way pickup selector with the original Edge tremolo (not the newer Lo-Pro). I'd give it a perfect 10 except for the fact that the V2 pickup on the bridge SUCKS.

The V1 and S1 pickups are GREAT, but the V2 bridge pickup was really crappy, so I quickly replaced it with a Dimarzio X2N - problem SOLVED. This guitar will give you ANY sound you can possibly imagine. I've always been a heavier player, primarily using the bridge pickup for thrash, but I can get amazing single coil tones by splitting the bridge humbucker and the middle single coil (which the 5 way pickup selecter will allow you to do). And the bluesy tone of the neck pickup is stunning!
The hard maple fretboard gives a great twang, making it ideal for rock, metal, and jazz. The untreated fingerboard has a great feel to it, but it stains easily. After 10 years of playing my fretboard is pretty mucked up, but hey, some people like that "vintage" look :)
This thing has been played through every amp and effect combination under the sun and ALWAYS sounds great! I can give it a 10 with the bridge pickup replaced, otherwise I'd have to rate it a 7. The natural tone is beautiful, it's just spoiled with those junky V2's. Put a quality pickup in the bridge and this guitar kicks ass!!!

I had only been playing for about 3 years when I got this guitar, and it was my first locking trem. I really had no idea of how a guitar should be set up, but within minutes of taking it out of the case and playing it for the first time I knew that it was the best playing instrument I'd ever had the pleasure to touch.
The action was lower than I had ever played, with NO buzzing anywhere on the neck! The tremolo was the original Edge, which NEVER goes out of tune, even when you put the bar to the body and let the strings flap around in the breeze. Or you can pull the bar up until the tail of the trem system touches the body and it STILL holds it's tune - PERFECTLY, and it NEVER breaks a string!
The Desert Sun Yellow finish was AMAZING, not a single flaw. This thing will STILL stand out on a stage! And the MATCHING yellow headstock was just the icing on the cake. To this day I can't stand the sight of an ibanez without a matching headstock - this was SO COOL, why did they quit doing it??? A custom shop will match a headstock for 40$, so it wouldn't add that much to the list price. Sigh...
I played on it for about 2 years before I finally had the need to take it in to get set up, so I would have to rate this as a 10, as the guitar arrived in absolutely PERFECT condition.

Over 10 years of heavy gigging, studio sessions, and endless rehearsals I have literally beat the snot out of this poor thing. It's been dropped, kicked, beaten, BURNED, and even stabbed. The only maintainence has been trivial; tightening the input jacks and volume pots, etc. I've never had a single problem with it. I played this as my primary guitar for 6 years and I even toured with it. And I never had a backup, and never needed one. The only time the strings ever break is when they're more than 4 weeks old. Seriously. This thing was built to last!

Never had to deal with Ibanez, although I hear it can be pretty hairy. They don't even list a contact number on their web page.

I've been playing guitar for 14 years (since I was 12). I own several Ibanez guitars (2 RG-7620s, an RG-270, an RG-550, a UV7MC, and a UV777BK). I bought this guitar brand new when I was 16. I bagged groceries at the local Food Lion for 8 months until I had enough money to buy the guitar, and then quit. It's been my soulmate and a huge source of inspiration to me for 10 years now.
I've since become a solid 7-stringer and this guitar has been retired from the stage, but I still use it in the studio for solos and I just can't look at it without having to play it (which is a lot since the desert sun yellow catches your eye the second you enter the room).
This is a tried and true music machine, built to withstand the test of time. I hear that the newer 550's aren't as good, which is a damn shame :(