Ibanez RG560

1988 Ibanez RG 560, serial #F917580, USA. Rosewood fretboard. Transparent red paint body so you can see the wood grain, I've never seen another one like it. Floyd Rose tremolo. Pickup configuration is S/S/H.

I got this guitar in 1989 when I was 13, played it until I got a Gibson Nighthawk in 1994 because the look became outdated, too heavy metally. But now I have a new appreciation for it. Still in great condition, the only flaws are a small paint chip on the inside corner of the top front flare and the metal knobs have calciumated, but I should just CLR those. Still have the original whammy bar, little tremolo locking tool, Ibanez case.

I used to play it through a Fender Pro 185, which are ferking loud amps. It had a nice clean sound and could get really crunchy, perfect for my Metallica / Anthrax days.

No flaws, I've never needed to adjust anything, not the action, not the neck, pickups, etc. Just that some of the hardware erroded, but can be cleaned up.

Like I said, some of the hardware erroded, but can be cleaned up. It was definitely last. The tuning heads are much better than my 1994 Gibson Nighthawk, those things always get jiggly, really ticks me off.

Original Japanese model (well built like all things Japanese)
I won't repeat all the technical specifics as it seems everyone else likes to do that, despite the fact that the person before them filled in all the blanks...I trust by now if I mention it again there will be a lot of hairless people out there very soon!
I bought this guitar about two years ago now, second hand (you think? Duh!!) Has all the obvious and expected signs of maturity, i.e; finish crack in upper horn body to neck area, a few chips in the finish. It is a metallic blue, body and headstock, with all black hardware. Great guitar overall, and totally incomparable to the new rubbish Ibanez is now contracting out to China, I paid NZ$400 bucks for this, and it is easily in the same league as a 2-3000 dollar japanese built Jem.

I never understand people that harp on about how the stock p/ups sound soooo bad, and nothing like the ones their "idols" use and endorse,etc...etc.. so they rip them out, spend wads of cash, and put in these "star" p/ups and lo and behold they are mostly beginners, with hardly two chords to rub together! They learn a 3 string arpeggio and believe they are the next yngwie, and they are suddenly endowed with all the wisdom and experience of a veteran player who CAN tell the difference between p/ups. For these people it is generally not about sound than it is about their "image" they simply just have to have what they deem in their infantile experience to be the best. Let me tell you this....Vai, EVH, Slash, to name a few will always sound like Vai, EVH, and Slash Despite whatever pickups they use...be that $2 ones or $200 ones. A bad tradesman will always blame his tools for a bad job...the same applies to musicians, a bad one will always blame his instrument, when he simply cannot accept that he has bad technique and is too impatient to spend half their life getting there. The Pickups on this guitar sound great when you can play great, just like any pickups on any guitar, and they will sound like crap if your playing is crap (rushed). It is great that this guitar has two single coils as it gives an infinate palette of sound possibilities. Played well through a good amp with NO effects except the dirty channel on amp this guitar is a good as it gets! Sweeeeet!

Again, as above..it galls me to hear people harp on about the superfast neck or action of their guitars! A fast neck??? But the neck does not move..You Do! If you can play fast, you will play fast on a thin, medium, or a thick neck! A thin neck offers better playing comfort for those with spall hands and stubby little fingers, with the hook the thumb over the top of the neck playing style, which incedentally is very poor technique. The Wizard neck on this guitar is nice but I prefer a fatter neck..only because it feels more substantial, it makes no difference whatsoever to my playing. Do you drive your car better when you put a steering wheel cover on the steering wheel which makes it fatter? If you took one off after many years, would your driving be worse? or better? This whole thick/thin fast neck stock vs artist endorsed thing is cliched and just so wrong. Anyway...despite the age of this guitar there is simply nothing wrong with it.....except it is a hell of a job restringing it without a trem block of some type. This is also true for all guitars with floating floyd type bridges anyway, so does not detract from this guitar at all in my opinion. Everything about it is smooth and sweet, well aligned (it takes a bit of effort to drag E-strings off the fingerboard) which can only be a good thing and mean that some thought has gone into this guitars design (something you don't see much of these days...it's details guy's...the little things that matter)

It's lasted this long...Need I say more? God only knows the stories this guitar could tell before it came to me, she has the scars and despite everything feels and sounds as though she just rolled out of the Hoshino production facility yesterday! Oh...I did remove the stock strap buttons (there is nothing worse than those old man style push on pull off vinyl or leather straps) I rewarded this guitar with only the very best... a DiMarzio cliplock.

Why do other people refer to their relationship between themselves and their guitar as "Abuse?" Is that really how they see their playing? as Abuse? or abusing their instrument? That must be where Grunge, Emo, and this teenage angst two chord guitar masturbation music comes from, as the up/down motion of their wrists without any degree of true technique suggests. Hmmmmmmm....

Like apples to oranges... you simply cannot compare the Ibanez of the past to the Ibanez of the present.

Warranty? The warranty is how well you look after it isnt it?

This is the "wow! let me tell you all what I can do and all the cool stuff I have" part is it?

Why put a time limit on your playing? Who really cares how long etc... one has been playing? What difference does it make if you are enjoying yourself and you sound good. Have fun, play for the reason(s) you chose to play and go for it.

My only other guitar is a 80's Kramer (a real one...not music-yo knock-off rubbish)

If someonme stole this 560, I would get another...even if it took years to find one...I would NOT buy a model later than 1998

End conclusion....A very very nice guitar, most guitars could only dream to be this good in every way.

Why pay ridiculous amounts for a Jem? This is a Jem, just without the "Monkey Grip" What the heck do people do with a Monkey Grip anyway??

Japanese made, in 1993 I think.
24 jumbo frets on a Wizard neck.
Black Licenced Floyd Rose tremolo.
Gotoh tuners. V2 Ibanez Humbucker, two S1 Ibanez single coil.
The body (basswood) is red with a red headstock.
The neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard.
I've bought this Ibanez RG560 used at in 1999, I paid 250$ at the time it was an amazing price, since it also came with custom Ibanez road case. I'm not crazy about the color and I always planned to eventually strip the paint to give it a wood finish. But I don't know how's the wood underneat the pain. Maybe one day I'll do it...

I can't say I'm a big fan of the stock pickups, I plan to eventually change them for some EMGs maybe. But the sustain is good, you can feel the guitar underneat all the hardware. This guitar has a lot of potential if the pickups were changed. I'm giving an 8 but I can truely feel how crazy the sound would be with better pickups and would possibly deserve a 10.

This is where the fun begins. The Wizard 1 neck is just amazing. So much better than the Wizard 2 neck they're making in korea nowadays. I'm not exactly sure what's the difference between the two technically, but I feel a major difference and my playing is greatly enhanced with this neck. I play Death Metal mostly and for shredding, this is the neck you need. The action is very low without any fret buzz. Once I played with a Wizard 1 neck, I realized that's the only neck I want to play on. And also, this guitar just doesn't go out of tune. You can play with the trem as much as you want and it just stays in tune. Since 1999, I basicaly tuned this guitar only when I changed the strings. Many times I tuned it stayed in the case for a month got it out and it was still in tune. I even left it the trunk of my car for week, in winter, got it out and it was still in tune... that tells a lot.

This guitar would definitely withstand live playing without a backup. Of course having backup guitar in case you break a string would be a smart thing to have. But otherwise I would trust this guitar completely. Also, every time I broke a string, it always broke just beside the saddle, and since you need to cut the ball on the string to clip it in trem, all I needed to do is unscrew the neck lock, give some slack to the string, cut the broken tip, and stick it back in the saddle. No need to put a new string on.

I've abused the trem so much that now, one of the pin that old the trem in place is starting to pop out of the wood. I would need to have this look at. But otherwise, this is a very strong guitar that can take years of abuse before it finaly needs some fixing.

Never Had to deal with them, I now own six Ibanez, I hope that when the day comes, it will be a good experience...

I've been playing since Metallica's And Justice For All came out. I started with a Ibanez EX360 and became an Ibanez fan since the beginning. I barely play on anything else. I totaly recommend this guitar and if you can upgrade the pickups that should be your main guitar for years to come. Now I mostly play on a Ibanez DT250BK but I wish it had the same trem my RG560 has. Overall, buy this guitar for the neck mostly and because it basicaly never get out of tune.

Trying to add a bit new.....the pickup configuration makes this guitar extremely versatile. I re-loaded PUPs with a Duncan '59 (?) in the bridge, a Texas Special in the middle, and a Duncan JB Jr. HB in the neck. These PUPs with the 5-way selector switch gives me a wide range of sounds. Locking Floyd-style tremelo has settled in nicely and works great. Guitar is light which helps on those 4-hour gigs.

I like to play heavier rock with a touch of shredding. My live rig is pretty simple, plug the 560 into a Mesa DC-5. My cover band gigs quite a bit and this is my #1 axe by far. I have other "nicer" guitars (Clapton Strat and a UV777 to name a couple) but this is the go-to guy. It's great that I can haul it out to the clubs and not worried about it getting tipped or even stolen because they are so inexpensive. I'm thinking about buying another 560 as a back up and just take 2 with me to the gigs. I'd probably set up the new one the same as the original.

I tried to do a setup myself but the Floyd posed too many subtleties so I took it to GC a few years back. The next is lightning fast. The high E may be a bit too close to the edge of the neck because I sometimes pull/push it off but that adds some flavor right? It's a good fit for me as I have fat hands with short fingers. The finish is pretty boring but OK...mine is red metallic of sorts.

Like I said, I play with this guitar live about 8 nights per month. I recorded a CD with this a few years back (prior to PUP switch though) and it was great even with the stock PUPs. It seems like everything is pretty solid. I've banged it around but the paint hasn't chipped off (yet). I put straplocks on it. I absolutely depend on it. I would never play any gig without a backup but you really need a backup if you have a locking tremelo guitar like this because if you break a string, you are so hosed. There is no chance of playing in tune with 5 strings.

N/A

I've been playing for quite a long time; for fun, live shows, studio work, and I also teach. My other guitars would be Fender Clapton Strat, Ibanez UV777, Hamer Vector, some old Washburn double cut electric, Taylor 710CE, PBass, Jazz Bass, and some other stuff laying around. Main amp is Mesa Boogie DC-5 for gigging; small, loud, versatile. I have some other modelers and such as well.

If it were stolen, I'd be crushed because it was an anniversary gift from wifey. I would definitely get another one and may do that anyway as I said. I love the feel, weight, tone, versatility, whammy bar, looks, it's all good. I'd just hate to take something more expensive out to the clubs and risk damage or theft.

Mine has an F7NNNNN serial number which I believe means it was made in Fugijen Japan in 1987. I got it in '95 and I think my wife paid less than $300 new.

Solid white finish on solid basswood body. Ibanez Edge Tremolo, Super strat style body with 5 way switch, volume, tone. SSH pickup configuration. Bridge pickup changed to Seymour Duncan Full Shred.
Hard Case. 1989 Made in Japan, maple neck, rosewood fretboard,
All the features you could want in a rock/metal guitar.

I use this guitar for Hard Rock/Metal styles. It is also very verstaile and shines on fusion and classic rock. It could even do blues if you tighten up the tremolo springs. I keep this guitar tuned to Eb and use it mostly in my studio for songs with heavy tremolo work or lots of harmonics, as the locking tremolo will add some false harmonics if you use it right. I used this guitar exclusively on the song "Jonah" on my first CD. Go to itunes or napster, seach for Sid Mack - Jonah and check it out. This guitar can make some cool sounds. It also does a great job at copping early EVH Tones and nails the RATT sound. I play it into a Marshall 30 watt combo or 50 watt head/cab with a blues driver for overdrive and a Morley Wah and Volume pedal. This guitar is meant for Marshall or similar amps. These guitars have a unique bright but fat sound due to the midrange of the basswood, plenty of lows too. The 80's would have never happened without the Ibanez RG guitars!

I bought it used and it needed a major setup. But once these guitars are setup they tend to be pretty stable. I think the white paint with the black parts is very cool. These Ibanez guitars from Japan are some of the best rock gutars ever made. They play really easy and I can't find any major flaws.

These guitars are built to last, just go watch Steve Vai play. His JEMs are just hot rodded RG560's. The only downside is the Edge tremolo in case your tuning goes out on you. The finish and hardware are top-notch and will last a long time.

N/A

I have been playing 34 years and have several guitars. Strats, Tele, Wolfgang, Les Paul, acoustics. If you only had one guitar and were a rock/metal player this is the one to have. It is also very light and comfortable to play. If I could I would collect these things because they are just so darn cool to play and look at.

Mine is a 1987, bought new in 1989. Made in Japan, the good factory. 24 frets, solid basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. HSS, volume, tone, 5 way switch. Changed the pickups to DiMarzio Breed bridge, Fast Track 1's in neck and middle. Push/push vol pot switches Breed to single coil, push/push switches other two pickups to single coil. Sanded the finish off and brushed on a coat of PolyShades, looks very unprofessionally done, but not too bad. Medium natural finish now! Originally some gunmetal blue. Best whammy unit ever made, original Ibanez Edge with locking studs. Best neck ever made, IMHO. Thin, flat and fast. Wish I was.

I play lots of styles, and this guitar can do them all. Used with Peavey stereo chorus 400 at first, then Fender Blues DeVille 410, now Marshall DSL401. In all humbucking mode, rocks. Breed pup screams, almost too much hand noise amplified. Both pots up and it's a hot Strat. Perfect. Very versatile.

Had the frets levelled once since I got it, and that was 2 months ago, which was 16 years after I bought it, and I play the crap out of it. Neck has not been adjusted, hasn't needed to. Guess I got a good piece of wood. No flaws.

Recorded, live, all original except strap buttons and pups. Finish was replaced because I let some guys use my place on SuperFootBallGame Sunday, and they dinged it on the front, else it'd still be blue. I put StrapLocks on it, made it jackson, Tn by Bandstand, inc. VERY DEPENDABLE, never has failed me.

Never needed them.

Been playing for 30 years. Got a Les Paul Custom, Samcik Tele, various acoustics and a bass, and I always reach for the Ibanez RG560 when I want to play. If I had more money, I'd buy more and sit on them, they are great guitars. Solid, plays great, look at how the necks are selling on auction sites! Sick low action, effortless to play.

I bought mine off Ebay for the ridiculously low price of $170.38! I was told it is a 1992...but it doesn't have a serial number on it...its the real deal though...absolutely perfect shredder! It has the original Gotoh tuners and Edge Trem System which is in great condition and works perfectly...it was tuned when it came in the mail and I haven't tuned it since I got it!!! Not sure which neck is on her...the headstock is black and the Ibanez logo is still on it...rosewood fretboard and basswood body...which feels great! She's slightly heavier than the Ibanez S-Series...from the moment I pulled her out the box I couldn't stop smiling...She is gun metal grey that has green/blue overtones...something that age has produced...I was told...and the pickups are orange...as is the volume knob...and the tone knob is yellow...the trem has no pitting...I've never seen an Ibanez Edge in better condition...the guitar looks gorgeous

Well I was lucky enough to get one with upgraded p-ups...It has a Dimarzio DP151 PAF Pro humbucker in the bridge and two Dimarzio HS-2 DP116 in the middle and neck positions, 5 way switch, tone and volume controls, black chrome hardware and Floyd Rose tremelo...the Sound? Just think SuperStrat...which is what this guitar is...in every regard...the single coils give strat like bell tones without the buzz...and u can drive em nicely too...they're not whimpy pickups at all...and the PAF PRO in the tail mixes very well with these pickups...its got plenty of juice...basically sounds like the nicest vintage PAF with a lot more ummph...not a death metal pickup...but a musicians pickup...overall...with the possible exception of the Tom Anderson Strat...I've never played a strat that played or sounded better or played better than this guitar

The neck is probably the nicest feature of the RG560...I can't emphasize enough how incredible this neck plays...its fast fast fast...and bending strings is a joy...anyone who says these guitars aren't made for country or jazz etc has a closed mind...well...the industry has a closed mind and ur merely buying into it...I've played Bach violin pieces on this guitar and it sounded incredible...I play everything from Hendrix to Eddie on it as well...this is a great all around guitar...the action is PERFECT...who ever did the ad-on work was a real pro...the pickups are set up perfectly

Well...its 2005...the RG560 was discontinued in 1993...I have no idea what this guitar went through...but here it is...and its suddenly my favorite guitar...she does have that little crack behind the neck that all the older RGs get...but this effects NOTHING...don't let anyone tell u any different...I've seen more than a few RGs with that crack and it NEVER had ANY effect on the instrument

Never dealt with them

I've been playing for 20 years...I have GAS -Guitar Acquisition Syndrome- so I've owned or played many many guitars...I have 3 Steinbergers...a Tom Anderson Drop Top...a Yamaha SBG1300TS...a 1977 Ibanez Artist...a 1993 Ibanez S-Series 540FM and a Yamaha AES620...The RG560 is everything a Strat tried to be...it is a SuperStrat...no...it is THE SuperStrat...it does everything a Strat can do...but better...and the Humbucker in the tail makes the guitar as hot as a LesPaul...I love the fact that its got 24 Frets...and the neck is just made for speed...it has to be experienced to be believed...bending strings is easy and there are no dead spots on the instrument...the frets are jumbos and feel great under the fingers...all in all...if you can find an RG560...jump all over it! Buy it before people catch on and the price goes up...For $170.38 I bought a guitar that looks cooler than a Strat...Plays faster than a Strat...is easier to bend strings on than a Strat...and...is WAY more powerful than a Strat

My baby was made in 1991 and still retains the classic 80's setup of H/S/S configaration.Ibanez stopped making this model in 1993 due to the unpopular pickup configaration of two single coils and opted for the RG550 setup instead, shame really.A basswood body, 24 fret wizard neck (bolt on with old ibanez style back plate, Ibanez edge tremelo, 1x volume/1x tone and 5 way selector switch

I first go this guitar from a friend of a friend and it was in a mess when I got it. But a little TLC and it lived again like the phoenix from the ashes. These guitars should still be made today. The original pickups were a little lame but then again so are most stock pickups in guitars unless your paying megabucks. I stuck in a dimarzio fred (bridge)and a SEymour Duncan JB junior in the neck to liven things up a little and boy what a winner they turned ouy to be. I prefer the RG560 to any RG550 of today. They have a more unique character. Some notable differences are the back plate which nowadays is an all access cut out affair on modern rg's improves the tonality a little and the original wizard neck is class and quite rare these days (real quick and super slim)Also the lack of a scratch plate sits the pickups in the wood of the guitar ala EVH style so your pickups arent floating around in a plastic straight jacket. Aagin this helps on the tone front a little too. All in all you can get a wide range of sounds out of these guitars and should not be labelled as a rock guitar only. Brilliant flawless.

The action was a mess when I got it. I set it up the best I could at the time which was ok but I had it resprayed a couple of years ago and the shop re-set everything up nice and low for me. One thing I was mistified by was when I got my body resprayed I found that the front face of the guitar had had a thin layer of plywood glued to it! I guess to harden up the face due to the lack of a scratch plate. I had this removed and the tone of the guitar changed quite a bit. It gained some extra life and sustain. Anyway so pretty good on the action front. I think the flat wizard neck helps there too. I like the floyd rose on these models they seem pretty solid and you can abuse them without too much fear of destruction. My friend once snapped his floyd rose on his aria pro guitar which supposedly was a licenced FR model so go figure. My only moan on that front is that Ibanez original Edge systems aint cheap to replace (about #200) and I think standard Floyds are a lot cheaper.

This baby has survived my last band which is a miracle as they damaged my other two guitars in transit alone so I would say pretty dam hard. I think the people at Ibanez forged these models from the fires of mount doom! Very reliable and can take a beating without any noticable change in playability or sound. I have gigged with this little fella for the last couple of years and it even survived my mother leaving it next to a hot radiator once. I have one problem only with my 560 and that is the selector switch is begining to crackle and bitch at me when I change pick up now. But apart from that. Nails.

I found that trying to find parts like the little plastic bushells on the trem arm and the selector for my guitar a bit of a nightmare. Not so much as getting general bits like selectors but finding proper original Ibanez parts. Maybe because I'm in the UK who knows. The Ibanez site has no offerings for replacement bits which is either a very bold statement or just a bit thick if you ask me.

I think these are a rare treat if you can find one. As good as any RG550 and have the luxury of being rare enough to be a collector guitar as they have been out of production for nearly 12 years!
I am the happiest guy in the world to own one and I fell on it by pure chance, I would say that the neck may be a little unfamiliar to you gibson style players but is very easy to play once your used to it. In fact it can be too easy to the point that any other guitar seems like hard work after some time playing it. I must admit that the floyd rose thing can get annoying when changing strings as they are a pain to tune (floating bridge) but once it's in just try to get it out again, without smashing it over a chair its pretty bloody difficult. I can only say like any guitar its personal taste but as playability and sound go these are a great guitars if you can get your digits on one try one out and see for youself. Remember thet the eighties is back too so don't feel too embarassed with a full shred monster either. Nuff Said

Made in Japan - 1991

Black, Basswood body, 24 jumbo Frets, Goth tuners, no pickguard, humbucker at the bridge and 2 single coils (s/s/h). 1 volume, 1 tone knob, 5 way selector switch, Floyd rose licensed tremelo, very thin bolt on neck, rosewood (looking) fret board, standard dot inlays.

I have been playing a Taylor 410 for a while, I decided I missed playing electric. I did not want to spend a lot of money, I found this at a local shop for $240. At first I didn't think to much about it, then I saw the word Japan on it and knew it was a solidly built, I headed into the amp room and pluged it in, about 15 minutes later I said, I'll take it! The previous own took very good care of this guitar, besides some fret wear and a few small scratchs it was as good as new. I love the neck of this guitar, I have small hands so this is a dream come true. This guitar is 13 years old and the neck is as straight as an arrow! I tuned it a week ago when I brought it home and it's still in tune, how great is that! I used to tune my MIM Strat every 1/2 hour! As far as I know the pick ups are stock, the sound is descent, the bridge Humbucker sounds nice with some distortion on it and the singles sound good together clean with some reverb. What more do you need for practicing anyways?

I bought it used - set up was good from the shop I bought it from. I can really comment on how it came from the factory. Finish has some minor wear, everything else looks and works great

solid as they come - 13 years old and still kickin

never used

If your looking for a low budget axe, have a look at one of these. It's a steal for the $200-250 range. I have a lot of new respect for Ibanez.

I bought this guitar used in 1991 for CDN$150 from a Long'n'McQuade fall clearance sale, and it already was *ahem* well used and abused. I suspect it was made in 1988 or 1987. It really is one of the first generation RG series guitars.

Ultra thin 24 fret wizard neck with jumbo frets, H/S/S passive IBZdesign pickups with 5way selector, volume and tone control. Floyd Rose licensed trem (original ibanez edge style, not lo-pro) square-ish heel joint, gotoh tuners, locking nut, and RG style basswood body.

When I got this guitar, it was mostly stock parts, the sound was punchy, but a bit on the thin side. I suspect it was the floyd combined with the stock pickups. The single coils are a bit noisy and not as thin sounding as modern ibanez powersound style single coil pickups. The humbucker was lame-oh.

I yanked out the pickups, plopped in a set of hot rails in the neck, a fender lace blue in the mid, and a duncan distortion in the bridge. I also put a wooden block in the back cavity to stop the floyd from being raised and cranked the springs tight.

This improved frequency response 100 fold. It is no longer thin sounding, but is not a les paul or one of the fixed bridge Ibanez S series guitar with mahogany body. I think the basswood body and thinness of the neck does limit the lows and lower mids a bit. The main culprit was the floating trem system.

Now the guitar is nice and crunchy with overdriven amp using the bridge pickup. I wired the humbuckers to be out of phase in switch positions 2 and 4 for classic strat type tones. The neck pickup is almost a bit too hot, so I lowered the rails a bit.

It's definitely a shredder guitar, and is the only guitar I can use to get an authentic king edward tone on the eruption patch on my podXT.

The duncan distortion pickup has lots of mids, so this guitar has plenty of midrange punch, but if you are into playing bone crunching baritone riffs, move along.

I also like the strat type sounds I can get. It's not a dead ringer for a real strat, but then again, that was never my desire anyways. I like it cause it's got a tight funk tone when using switch positions 2 and 4.

I like the guitar a lot. Can't give it a 10 'cause it's just not a perfect guitar. But it is my beater axe I use mostly for playing live.

When I bought this geet, I already had another Ibanez, a lowly EX360, not bad, but not great. At the time, I loved floyd trems and lusted after the ultra thin, ultra comfortable neck of the RG line.

This guitar was bought very used, hence the price. It was all intact, but the previous owner took a bandsaw to extend the lower cutout and drilled a hole in the headstock to fit his cigarette. It was originally white.

The neck was fine, although needed to be set up and a bit of fret wear. The neck was sanded tone and oiled and well broken in. This is why I bought the guitar, for parts and was eyeing the neck to be used on a new body. It needed a lot of work, but it was $150 dollars for an instrument that I saw had some potential but needed a bit of coaxing.

I took it home and looked at it, and on a whim decided to clean and set it up. I played it and it had a monster feel to the neck with the extended cutout. I blocked off the trem, plopped in some new pickups and took it to practice. Everyone loved the sound. It had a real wild look about it, like van halen's own franken-geets, then I painted it royal blue and started drawing all over it with a white marker. Boy it was ugly. It actually let me feel not so concerned about the finish so I would do crazy stunts with it on stage.

I've dropped it on ice after a gig in its shoulder bag (the locking strap buckle was smashed, which still worked!), dropped it on stage, spilled beer on it, and has been through crazy tempurature and humidity changes. It not only has taken all that abuse, but I think has added flavour to it. ;) It certainly looks the part of a working musician's instrument.

I still play that guitar to this day, although the trem bar doesn't get the use it once did. Speaking of which, it is the one guitar I can dive bomb the trem with abandon and have it return to pitch perfectly. Just have to make sure the strings are stretched properly.

Since then I have refinished my prize with a new bird eye maple top, and matching headstock. I plugged the ciggy hole in the headstock and tone control hole in the body, and also filled in the lower cutaway a bit and smoothed it over. I stained the body and headstock with a nice burgundy wine colour and finally gave it a gorgeous satin finish.

Sanding off that aweful looking ibanez logo one the headstock was one of the best looking enhancements done for this guitar.

I took apart the trem system and cleaned all the dust and crap away, rewired all the electronics with a new fender switcher and fresh volume pot.

People who didn't know I refinished it, thought I had bought a new custom RG. It's like a new guitar, the only thing that gives it away is the well worn neck, which is my old friend. State dependant learning theory says I play this guitar best when slightly tipsy.

Never had to deal with ibanez. ever.

I bought this guitar in 1991, and at the time was playing for about 4-5 years. It was an excellent guitar for me to grow on, and has never let me down once! I can count the times I've broken a string live on my hands in over 10 years of gigging with this axe! I've always gigged without a backup, since I lug my own equipment to shows and events (sometimes on the bus) so bringing doubles of anything is just cumbersome and offers theives a tasty target. Plus I'm a lazy bugger, even with my car nowadays.

I never had to worry about it going missing, because it was meanest, nastiest looking instrument, and looked like it had no value to a pawn shop owner.

If it did go missing, I would buy another ibanez, but probably an Ibanez sca220 (the type with the mahogany sabre type body and hard tail) and sand it down to a natural wood and give it a satin finish.
I have nothing but respect for ibanez guitars. They are good value, and extremely robust. What normal schmoe guitarist is going to take their pride'n'joy $2-3G PRS McCarty to a drunken road house jam night?! Ibanez make good sounding and extremely well playing instruments for realworld guitarists who want to have fun playing music for people.

10 - for fantastic value.