Ibanez RG550

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very fast, low action. easy to play

Will this guitar withstand live playing? YES

Does the hardware seem like it will last? YES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

never dealt with them.

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

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

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

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

Feature-wise, nothing to be desired...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Simly beautiful.

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

SOLID. SOLID. SOLID.

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

Duh?

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

I wish I had it brand new.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Theres Support?

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

they really should invest more in this area

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

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

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

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

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

I bought this used off of Ebay and I'm not sure exactly what year this model was made. It is definitely an older one, at least 10 years old.

-24 Fret Maple Neck
-Floyd Rose/Edge Tremolo
-H-S-H configuration
-5 way p/up selector
-One volume, one tone knob

I bought this so it could be my "beater guitar", but I got a little bit more than I thought I would for $300. The pickups are not Duncans or DiMarzios, there's no real sustain to speak of but for me they will do fine for now until I replace them. There doesn't seem to be a huge difference in sound between the bridge and neck pickups, they both sound pretty bright, maybe even harsh. Not bad though. I'm currently playing in a metal cover band, so this includes Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica, Guns 'n' Roses, Ozzy, etc...this guitar gets the job done! I like the split position with the neck/single coil for my clean tones, very sparkly and full.

I have a Duncan TB-4 neck p/up and a DiMarzio Evo single coil that I would like to install at some point, I will update my review when I do so. Once I get the good pickups in there this will be an awesome axe!

It was used but the setup was good for me - low, not buzzing, with the bridge floating just a bit so I can raise notes with the whammy bar as well as dive. The intonation is excellent all over the neck, and it stays in tune very well.

I am not a fan of the "pop in" whammy bar, however. I would like to replace that with one comparable to a Jackson Soloist for a more sensitive tremolo.

I liked the look of this guitar, even though it was beat up, which is why I bought it. The body is a light blue and it has a blue-ish mirror pickguard. I plan on replacing that and also the volume/tone knobs to get a little wild color-coordinating thing going on here. :) I'm thinking neon yellow or green...

I've only had it a couple months but it's seen several 2 hour nights at gigs and held up far better than I thought it would!

I am really surprised at the overall quality and playability of this guitar. It's no secret that the pickups aren't top of the line DiMarzios or something to that effect, but they aren't noisy and they have a pretty decent bite to them. Like I said, this was to be my beater guitar, but it's replaced my USA Jackson Soloist (SL2H!) as my MAIN guitar! Yeah!

I can't wait to customize it with the pickguard (maybe a nice swirl will do!), volume/tone knobs, good pickups and improve the tremolo system...it's going to be a killer axe! :)

01' Japanese RG550 by Ibanez
24 fret Maple Neck and Maple Finger Board.
Solid Basswood body
H-S-H Pickup config. (Five way Switch)
Black Finish with a three ply Black Pickgaurd.
Ibanez Edge Tremolo (The best around)

This is the best cheap guitar I have ever played, It very much rivals my expensive ESP.
I put a DiMarzio Evolution in the Bridge position. This guitar have so much attack that when you are playing fast every thing stays very clear and concise.

When do guitars ever come setup good from a factory?! Ha!

I had to do some tweeking, but there were no flaws.

I expect this guitar will last until I get bored with it in approx. 3 years.(I go through guitars like people go through shoes)

Ibanez has always been good to me, their support staff is very friendly.

I have been playing for 13 years. I prefer playing through Carvin Legacy Amps and JCM800's. I have a few other guitars: Fender Strat, ESP Mirage, Gibson Les Paul, Schecter Blackjack (that's getting returned today!).
The thing I hate most about this guitar is that Ibanez doesnt make it anymore. I want another one.
My favorite thing about the RG550 is the bridge. The Ibanez Edge Tremolo is hands down the best tremolo out today. I think its much stabler and more comfortable then the Floyd Rose.

1990 Sangria Japanese model with the usual specs. I wont get all technical on my review because everyone has already said what needs to be said in regards to specs .Ok here comes my story lol, I was a professional muscian for about 10 years have had so many guitars and equipment and done so many gigs I got burnt out. Sold all my stuff didnt even keep 1 guitar. Fast foward 6 years later I walk into a pawn shop see a guitar behind a bunch of shitty guitars
wasnt even looking to buy a guitar, but the RG550 caught my eye didnt like the color at the time asked the sales guy to let me see it and then BAM instantly with out even playing I felt the electricity run threw my fingers LMAO Believe or not this RG550 ressurected the guitarist in me and guess what, got it for $190.00 lol

I dont know what people are talking about when they say its only for heavy metal and rock, I was a teenager in the early 80`s when the Heavy Metal Guitar Godz ruled the music scene and those of us who were influenced from that era know how to shred, but this guitar is versatile my tastes in music have chnaged so much from those days and Ive done every kind of gig imaginable I only wish I would of had this guitar back when I played professionaly.

My Action is a little high for an RG and need to get it set up Ive had for about 3 years now but I have no complaints I got is used but I can still shred on it.

The Paint is chipped and cracked in some places, I think whoever owned it before me didnt really take care of it but to me it has character I was thinking about having it repainted but the color is so unique Im gonna leave it as is.

wouldnt know

I would give this guitar 9 1/2 I will admit it doesnt have signature sound like a Fender strat,Les Paul or a PRS but yet its a bit of a chameleon and can be used for alot of different situations. I know own a couple of other Guitars such as a Fender Strat Deluxe and a Fender American strat but the RG550 is the one dearest to my heart and if it got stolen or it got lost I would be devistated. Im definetly gonna get my hands another one I usually play on necks with rosewood fretboards and my rg550 has a maple neck thats the only thing I wish I could change other then that this Guitar is going to the grave with me :)

I've got an Ibanez RG550 which I bought new in 1989. I'm pretty sure its an '89.

I have heavily modified it over time - it still is basswood, is jet black, Indian Rosewood fretboard/maple neck, Floyd Rose which I have blocked with some Brazilian Mahogany so it only goes down (and doesnt $%^& itself when you break a string), I have installed a DiMarzio FRED in the neck pos and a Seymour Duncan SH11 Custom Custom in the bridge which along with the standard single coil I have mounted directly into the basswood body. I have sanded the satin finish off the neck and oil it with lemon oil (like my woflgang).

Im about to create binding on it after seeing this dudes axe at projectguitar.com, by sanding down to the wood.

It came with a custom hardcase which has seen unbeleivable amounts of stuations as it has been giged thousands of times in Melbourne and in London. Its had beer spilt on it, its survived the baggage handlers amazingly (ive had a guitar destroyed by those arseholes), its been knocked over by a drummer, Ive hit cymballs with it, the floyd has been worked so much I broke the whammy bar, the list goes on. The case now understandably is now held together with gaffer tape. I really need to replace it, but as I am now 9-5, married with kids it doesnt really matter.

It suited me for well over 10yrs, now its is enjoying the good life and being rested, hanging in my guitar room.

I use a Marshall JPM1, ART DXR Elite delay, and a Laney Linebacker 100w. The delay is in the effects loop of the jpm which runs directly to the effects return on the laney. This setup rocks. I can dial in almost any era marshall, and the ibanez delivers the goods. The SH11 is great.

I can do a good earthquake on this, look, on this axe you can make any sound you like. It doesnt have a good single coil sound unless you really tweak your amp, so it falls down there, but I really dont care!

Sound is like a slightly suped up vintage distortion and has incredible character.

Perfect now, but requires constant adjustment if floating trem is not blocked

Neck is too thin! It increases fatigue. The board is flat, which is fine but a compound radius 12-18 would have been perfect.

Trem is superb, stays in tune even when abused. No flaws, Ibanez are proud and do it right.

Say no more.

10/10, as I got my replacement whammy in 14days.

Unfortunately for the ibanez its competition is my Peavey Wolfgang EVH Standard, flame maple top, birdseye maple neck, stop tail (i love that bridge). The EVH is one of the best sounding guitars that I have ever heard, bar none. The ibanez holds its own, but the neck irritates me. Its too skinny, I have big hands and it actually tires me out. The evh neck is SUPERB and I will be replacing the neck soon. I am also raidiusing the board (which will be put on the new neck), so really its almost not an ibanez its a simonez :)