Just Not An Ibanez Fan.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
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Whats your favorite 550 Color? Desert Sun Yellow , Road Flare Red, or Purple Neon?
Hey Robert, just want you to know that of all the guitarists here on TH-cam, I find your compositions some of the very best. You're a great player but more importantly and fantastic writer. Thanks for the vids, man.
Kinda partial to the Purple Neon
If they ever made a green one, like the jem, it would be perfect.
I'd be happy with any of these but that road flare red is a bit special.
Road Flare Red is the most aesthetically pleasing. Yellow is more iconic.
Playability on these guitars is unbelievable
Ibanez is definitely an acquired taste. The neck profile (Wizard II in particular) is a learning curve but once you get over the thinness, they’re some of the best, fastest necks out there.
Actually the wizard 2 feels like a baseball bat. The neck on the prestige Rg652 is the thinnest flattest neck they make. (Super wizard hp prestige) 17mm-19mm and it’s incredibly flat on the back of the neck. Try some other Ibanez guitars they get even thinner than the wizard 2!
@@TheLeadG I own a RG120 with the Wizard II, I’ve grown to love it. Thinner than all my Kramers, but I usually dig chunkier necks. Both have their perks.
Ibanez RGs’ are the thinnest flattest necks. An acquired GOOD taste ! 🎉🎉🎉🎉😊
@@Tone2town usually! Some of the new ones with the wizard 3 are baseball bats it just depends. Rg just means roadster guitar and the type of neck is determined by the model. I’ve got like 15 Ibanez guitars and like 12 rgs 😅 so I have to agree it’s an acquired GOOD taste lol
@@TylerJohnstonGuitar Nice! I’ve got one too, it was routed for a floating bridge and is pretty tricked out! I like them! I’m more into even thinner necks tho lol. And absolutely by comparison to the other brands you play it is incredibly thin. And yes! Neck thickness makes certain things harder or easier. Chunky round necks are great for complex chording, flat and thin are great for shredding!
The Satch model is the one. All the edges are rounded and the neck is torqued for ease of playability. You can't see it straight on but when you look down the neck at the joint Joe's innovation becomes immediately apparent. Truly amazing engineering and it plays totally different from the other models.
It's any early 70's strat profile that has been heavily worn. You could buy a new Fender Vintage II '73 and sand the finish off by hand and have the same thing.
@@chadwickhurlburt6529 Agreed, the neck and frets, yes, Strat origins. And the body contours are totally rounded, thinner, smoother, and lighter. But what I'm specifically referring to is the tilt-joint - a feature from the discontinued Ibanez Radius - which alters the angle of accessibility to the neck. I believe it's the only guitar which currently has this feature. You can see it by sighting down the back of the neck to the joint. A handle-grip is a fun, gimmick feature - but the tilt-joint actually benefits playability...a very Joe thing to include...
I just checked what you mean with the tilt neck joint of the Satriani model. It is good but the more modern all acces neck joint looks better to me.
@@chadwickhurlburt6529 Cool
@@chocolatecookie8571 I will have to check that out! 👍
Ibanez are easily my favourite brand in the guitar industry. No others are as deseriable to me. Everything is just spot on with the RG, even the most minor things. Sometimes I'll look at Jackson, or ESP but they never make the cut for me. Even less so Charvel, Gibson and other brands versions of super strats. I love my Gibson LP and Fender Strat, and previous guitars like Schecters but the Ibanez stay
Try the Jackson DK3 Pro. HSS with some Seymour Duncan's. real Floyd Rose. The guitar is outstanding for the price. I have the Ibanez RG550 and love it as well. But My Jackson DK3 you can see on my latest video of Queensryche Jet City Woman cover. The neck is very similar to the Ibanez wizards. Great feel!
Japan ESP is great. The LTD stuff, not so much.
I play a Jackson monarkh pro. But I love how unique everyone is in their guitar selections! I still love Ibanez but the electrics just don’t do it for me anymore, but I love that people love that brand so much! Ibanez is my childhood!!!
Try a neck-thru super strat. The RGs are some of the chunkiest things around these days.
To each their own my friend. If you like pointy and Floyd rose guitars, rock your heart out. Personally I prefer a little of everything for versatility sake. I have a ernie ball strat, an epiphone lp7 string and a schecter 8 string. Looking for a good dual p90 at a good price than that's probably it for me. Cheers 🍻 rock on
Ibanez has always made my favorite guitars. I started with an Ibanez, and while I own several of the big brands these days, I always gravitate to my Ibanez guitars. They feel like home.
Same thing here! I have & have had a Strandberg, Mayones and japanese ESP's but I always go back to Ibanez :)
Same. Not sure if it's because I've started with one, but they've mostly stuck with me. Almost all my electrics besides one at Ibanez. 😁 Besides the ltd ec-1000 I have, the other....5 are different Ibanez RGs. Just what I'm used too
Damn, after watching this I decided to rescue my old 80s Ibanez and when I tweaked the floyd post height it snapped off. Many tears. It looks like the classic floyd will fit right in there. I hadn't touched that guitar in 20 years and suddenly I'm buying parts for it.
Keep in mind that the original Edge tremolo posts have an internal 1.5mm locking screw, that you must loosen before making any height adjustments on the post itself...sounds like you might have forced the post anchor out of the body by not unlocking it.
OFR has different specs and wont drop in as the studs are different sizes just get a new stud and post set and replace the old ones much cheaper don't forget about the inner locking screw needs to be loosened before you can adjust the height as that likely caused the post to snap as it was locked in.
Looks like you forgot to unlock the locking studs inside the studs. Tha's what makes the Ibanez a very stable Tremolo.
That used to happen to me, until I realised it's better to release the string tension before you make adjustments, or else the bridge will cut into the vee in the post and eventually cut right through.
I'm a HUGE fan of the Ibanez RG models. I own three of them. I love mine. The RG model that was re-issued a couple years ago as a limited run was the RG 565 which is one that I own from 1992. Awesome guitar!
What I love about Ibanez, is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money for a quality guitar. Their Indonesian made RG’s are great for the price! I still have my 06 RG4EX1, and just splurged on an Axion 7 multi scale.
Helped someone get a guitar, saw a Kort and Ibanez at the same price but the Ibanez quality was totally crap whereas the Kort/Cort was pretty good. He insisted with the Ibanez because of the brand otherwise the quality is crap. If you want a good one you’d need to spend
@@nasscmw Cort makes all indonesian Ibanez (PRS etc) guitars. But you generally get more bang for the buck when you buy the Cort branded guitars. The G300 is crazy good, but the neck is a bit of an acquired taste.
When I first got into guitar in the early 2000s, I was on a family holiday and took the Ibanez brochure with me. I spent days combing through it and fell in love with the RG1550 which (if memory serves) was Ibanez saying “We hear you, you want the 550 back!” I never owned that guitar sadly but did get an RG. Years later, I got a new guitar teacher who turned up with an original purple 550 with floral scratch plate. I was in heaven. That thing was stunning and played like butter. Long live Ibanez!
About 12 years ago I traded a Gibson LP Studio for a black '87 RG550 with rosewood fingerboard and a purple '89 RG 570 with the same. The 570 had the common crack in the back of the neck where the nut bolts are so I ended up selling that one. The 550 was pristine and the thinnest neck I've ever played so I kept it and had an new pickguard made moving the volume knob down closer to the tone knob. I also swapped the bridge and neck pickups for DiMarzio Crunch Lab and Liquifire. Plays and sounds amazing. The Edge "tremolos" are legendary. Still to this day the knife edges have no wear at all. I'll never get rid of this one.
My 2nd guitar was a Ibanez, still using it and is my fav guitar hahaha. They're great
I had one but my fingers. Are flat tip from playing bass for yrs. Past 12 fret. Is just to hard. Necks are skinny. And frets to close for me. But. They sound. Awesome !! Mine was a sss version
@@blackwolf8044 the frets being "too close" for you has nothing to do whether its an ibanez or not
@@neonblack211 right. Was just say the one I had was
Same, I got the RG1570 before it was discontinued, great guitar, very versatile, but I do have one complaint, this is an Ibanez Prestige model made in Japan and it arrived like dogshit, took me a month to the intonation right and the action where i wanted it
The Sabre series is the most versatile guitar I've ever played. Thin neck but you can cover anything.
I love the Sabre series. Never owned one sadly, but you can pick them up at a decent price second hand. If you can find anyone stupid enough to sell one.
Hell yea; I still have my 93 S540 LTD with Wizard neck. Killer axe.
Ibanez is a great brand, outside the RG range they have some real hidden gems. Few years ago (around 2015 I think) I was in a slump with guitar playing, that was until I saw this Ibanez at my local music store. It was an Ibanez Roadcore model (premium model, RC720), and it's made me fall in love with the guitar again. Not the typical wizard neck but very comfortable to play. I have since also acquired a Gibson Les Paul but I always find myself using the Ibanez RC more. I've since changed the pickups to Bareknuckle Silo pickups, the tones available are insane! Anything from crystal cleans to crushing metal. If I had to keep only 1 guitar, my Ibanez RC would be the 1 for sure.
Funny you don’t like them. You sure sound great playing one.
Honestly that intro was some of the best tone I’ve heard from you!
Their AZ series is much more traditional feeling in the hand, and are truly excellent.
the AZ actually feels like if Fender didnt have to listen to all the purists and made a truly modern strat lineup. Great guitars.
I grew up with Satriani and Vai, more so Satch because Surfing with the Alien was the song that got me into playing in the first place. Last year I took a risk on a Reverb purchase from Romania on an 1991 Ibanez 540R HH. It was the model Satriani played before he had a signature model, and apart from a JS1 it's been my grail guitar since childhood. Six weeks to Australia, and I have to say it was everything I wanted and more. I also have an AZ, but when I pick up the 540R I'm 15 again and listening to Flying in a Blue Dream.
A guitar is so much like the Japanese view swords: it contains a soul of its own. Whether that's from your guitar hero as a kid, or the effort you put in discovering your own musicality, these inanimate objects defy their anonymity because they become extensions of the people who play them - us.
I've felt the same for years now, the Guitar/Samurai Sword analogy. Thank you for sharing and for articulating it so eloquently 😊
Very well put! For me, being in my teens in the early 2000's I remember looking on jemsite at all the old crazy colored JEMs and RGs and just obsessing over them. For those who don't recall, the 00's for Ibanez were 6 shades of black, navy and gray. I did eventually get my RG550 in roadflare red and it was everything I'd obsessed over for years.
I’m Aussie and had a Ibanez JS 1000 candy red and it’s a fantastic guitar. But those cheap guitars you get now days are really catching up!
I was a punk kid in the 90s but my dad bought me a neon green and black Jem. It was the best sounding guitar I ever owned.
I hope you still have that. That’s a pricey guitar
@@diabeticmonkey I sold it for pocket change while in college...
Oh man that has to be one of the most unpunk guitars ever. However, you would get a ton of punk cred for pulling it off.
@@diegocorral7468 Damn. Well, hopefully luck will bring you something equally as cool someday
My RG 550 is from 1990 and after 33 years it works like the first day. Floyd is amazing and keeps the tune perfectly. The only thing I modded were the magnets (I installed new dimarzios).
All in all, a fantastic guitar.
which di marzio models do you use?
Have frets worn off?
@@mylogify No, they are still the original Ibanez frets. I once took only the guitar to the service to have the frets leveled.
I’m primarily a bass player, first bass I ever bought was an Ibanez SR700 (from Sweetwater) about 15 years ago.Still have it, still play it all the time. Mine was made in Korea. Great bass one I’d never sell.
I bought my first SR when I was in high school in '87. There were 3 colors in one flavor 😂. I got lipstick red cause chicks dig it (as I would've said then). Still playing SRs of course
i have a J-Custom and i can honestly say it’s the best guitar i’ve ever played not only is it gorgeous with the inlays and red with black finish but the playability is like no other the hsh configuration is pretty versatile and the neck is extremely thin they way i like
I also have a j custom..it is by far my best playing guitar..I got it used. It's an early 2000 model prestige..it's way nice...
I also have a J-custom :) Probably the best guitar I've ever had or got a chance to play!
Ibanez are Great guitars! Super fast necks, quality construction and electronics. Set up great from the factory, and extremely FUN shred machines to play!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love my Ibanez RG's!!! Sold my Les Paul's in the late 80's . Been playing Ibanez ever since.
I’m a LP guy, 43 years old. About 3 years ago I bought a first year yellow RG 550. The neck is amazing, pre wizard. I’m still a LP guy but my RG is amazing and it does NOT go out of tune.
The Intro licks were Beautiful and the ending was just pure 80’s loved it 🙏🏽
My first good quality guitar was a 1997 S. I still have that guitar. I have since added a 550RG. Love my Ibanez guitars. Having short fat fingers the Wizard profile necks are awesome.
I played Ibanez a ton in the 90s. Serious workhorse guitars, but today they feel a bit chunky to me, and I'm done with floyds so... not a lot of choices left in the Ibanez range. But def a solid guitar. A while back I bought a lower end S series Ibanez, set it up and put some better pickups in it, and I love it. It's my "travel guitar". Super light at around 5 pounds, super thin, sounds and plays great, and I'm only into it for about $500. It's the guitar I take camping or on trips where I want a guitar with me but don't want a high end les paul or whatever banging around in the back seat of the car or in the travel trailer. Pair it with a Katana Air and you have a great and affordable travel rig. Does it compare to my high end guitars through the Axe FX III in my sudio? Yes! It obviously doesn't have all the nice stuff my other axes do, but I would not hesitate to record or gig with it.
The RG feels played out to death... 30 year old news. The RG really is just the "budget Jem" after all. I wish Ibanez would be a bit bolder and more modern with their lineup. Especially wish they had more S-Series models.
I started off with Ibanez, had a couple of Roadstars in the 80s. Got my 550 (DSY like yours) in '92, what a killer, incredibly versatile axe! After better than 30 years it's still my go to. Awesome tone and playing as usual, Robert!
From Leo: I am not a shredder, but Ibanez makes a pretty full line of other guitars including acoustics. I still have one and have had a few more. They were all pretty good. I really like the fixed bridge versions. The model numbers are really confusing.
I love their acoustic guitars
geez hearing that intro playing took me back to the band Ratt...was the guitarist for Ratt an Ibanez player? (I'm a drummer so go easy on me) And yes, bass is pronounced like the largemouth bass that so many people love to catch.
I'll have to check out the 550. I have a Jem 7VWH and JS1200CA along with an Artcore AFS75T (semi-hollowbody) and they're great.
Bought one in laser blue when they came out. Knew I was going to swap the bridge and neck pickups so when I was looking at the 550 vs the green Jem that was the deciding factor. In hindsight, I should’ve bought the lock Ness green jem, left it as is and made it my number one.
I have two Ibanez (a semi hollow and a bass.) I love them so much. So much value for the money, and the quality is so consistent. Admittedly I’m not huge on shreddy/metal guitars though haha
Desert yellow is one of my favorite colors
I love Ibanez, fell in love with the AZ neck. I have a Charvel too & love their compound necks but I have some fretting issues due to injury and find Fenders and chunkier, rounder necks fatigue me so much, no such problem playing an Ibanez.
I have a new found appreciation for them after checking out the electronics chart. That's pretty versatile with all useful settings.
Their basses are outstanding. My old Roadstar 2 is one of my favorites, but I could never get into their guitars. It's mostly aesthetics. Very 80s metal and pointy.
I bet my 1981 Destroyer DT155 would change your mind!
I grew up in the 80s when getting your hands on a Kramer, Jackson, Charvel, or even Hamer was the be all and end all. After finally playing a late 80s RG-550 after the fact, I was embarrassed to realize that I completely missed the boat on Ibanez.
The strings and the guitar setup is the real key to great sound
Pickups too
Blasphemy!! My guitar teacher praised Ibanez endlessly, I play an RG350DXZ-WH now, its my first (and only) guitar in this price range and I love it! Definitely wanna try the other high end brands too, I'm just not going back to a fat neck I don't think lol
I have the same Axe, liked it so much I got another Ibanez with a hard tail to play drop d
@@gavin-yx2oz right on! its my baby ... I do question the floating bridge at times tho hahaha
I have always loved Ibanez and always will. I come from a small town and there weren’t any around here, finding mostly only Fender and Gibson products in the local music store. And they had a piss poor selection of used items to boot.. I’ve always loved the sound of Stratocasters and Telecasters but those necks! Damn, it felt like I was holding a baseball bat by the barrel. I could play them, but I didn’t enjoy it. I’ll try time and time again walking into a music store and just kept walking out. Nothing ever compared to the feeling of Ibanez I believe the closest ever being a Jackson. Now Fender came out with the American ultra series and I will tell you that those are some really sweet instruments. Thin necks, cutaways for upper fret access, really well-made instruments! I bought a Strat and two telecaster! I love them and the telecasters are great for alternative tunings. You don’t have to mess with springs every time you tune it up or down! But I will never ever ever ever give up playing Ibanez! I don’t own Gibson, I’ve never liked Gibson. I don’t like the way Gibson feel at all, especially the SG… I do not see any reason for paying that much money even though I could, guitar that I don’t even like to play.
I think the first Ibby I bought was a used RG750 with the sharktooth inlays in the early 90's.
Super fun to play. I had the 20th anniversary RG550 (2007) in desert yellow but just couldn't bond with that super thin neck and sold it. I eventually gave the 550 another shot with the Genesis line, and grabbed the RFR version. The neck was definitely a little thicker on that one, and it instantly became a favorite. No doubt a keeper. I do love those Edge trems.
I have an Ibanez Rocket Roll II (Flying V style) with a Kahler Tremolo, and that guitar has one of the slickest necks I have ever played. I have messed around with other Ibanez guitars with different profiles and I haven't come across one that I didn't like yet, even though there are some differences. Their neck finishes are some of the best in the business in my opinion. I usually prefer more simple guitars, the less knobs and dials the better, lol. I am wanting to pick up one of their S series guitars, they look great, and are super-versatile.
I have an S470 and I absolutely love it. The pickups that came with it have the best sound out of any of my guitar. It shreds, it pulls off the van halen overdriven sound, it has enough chunky fat tone to pull of SRV and when ran clean with reverb on the neck pickup it's so fat, so bassy, it's a versatile do everything guitar for me. The floyd rose is both an amazing feature and a pain point. I love it slightly more than I hate it :D
I'm with you! I think the S series is awesome. Some time back I found an S570MQM on Reverb at a great price and I have nothing but PRAISE for it!
I have an Ibanez AZ2204 prestige, and it is one of the nicest guitars I've ever played, outperforming countless others I've tried (even those with larger price tags). If you've never tried one, you're missing out!
They're essentially, the platform that tim Henson's newest signature was based off.
If they had only spray lacquered the headstock, I would have been into it. The AZ are all going to have very dinged up headstocks in a couple years. Look at the used ones on reverb. All the truss rod nut slots are chipped.
The guitar I'm holding in my pic is an RG560 and yes its SSH but it also doesn't have a pick guard where as I'm sure you know the RG550 comes with a pick guard and the RG750 an HSH with no pick guard
Great thing about guys like you Pete Thorn, Tim Pierce is, well first, presenter/youtuber, but mainly player/producer. Yall have the equiptment and know how to use it. Oh, I bought a white 550 used, and used it up the rest of the way. worn saddle on whammy bar, or where the pivot point on the post wore some weird notches so its, needs new post bolts i guess lol
I just purchased an Ibanez Prestige RG5120M. Made in Japan, unbelievable quality, hardware is all top shelf, this thing is amazing., pure shred machine 🤘🏻🔥
I just bought one also with the frozen ocean finish and yes I have not only the best sounding axe in nor cal .....ive got the best looking one too....2k is alot for me to throw down on a guitar.....it is worth every cent ...which finish did you get?
_I love how they play. I like the feel of Ibanez guitars. 🎸🎶 I’m just not a real fan of the pickups unless I buy something that costs a ridiculous price._
Me personally almost any guitar in the lower price range I change out the pickups to the ones I like anyway. I’m really picky Tbf
@@TheLeadG Same here. But for $1600, there are Jackson guitars or Charvel guitars that come pretty nicely spec’s out for the money.
I have 4 RGs, all of the pickups have been replaced. I don't see changing pickups to be a big deal.
Oh MAN!!!! That things screams 80'S!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!
Picked up a 1987 RG-140 this week and it's getting restored... excited 😊
Rad tones and playing my dude!!
Huge fan of the AR series. Such an underrated line of amazing guitars
I own two Ibanez guitars, both bought used and heavily modified by myself. They are both built on the RG body style plan; one of them is an actual RG220B, while the other is an EX370, which predates the 220B by about ten years. They both could be considered "vintage," but I don't think either one would have had any real resale value. The EX has a giant gouge in the top of the body, and the 220 has that bad crack in the neck that I've talked about for years. I've swapped out most of the stuff I don't like on the EX, and the RG is finished with no more work needed.
I have small(ish) hands, so the legendary Wizard neck thinness is an asset to me rather than a hindrance. Indeed, my much newer Jackson has a neck that is even thinner, and I love it. I also like the neck on my Hamer XT, which is much thicker. When I hear a guitarist complaining about the Ibanez neck, I just laugh. Really don't like your Wizard necks? Give the guitars to ME!🤪
Truly a unique and versatile switching system. Oddly enough if you check out the Ed King rig PRS models they have the same switching system as what you showed with the tone knob down.
I've never been an Ibanez fan, either, BUT... they are responsible for a lot of my favorite music.
They look so cool, too!
I got my Road Flare Red RG 550 new back in 87 and still love it and play it often. What I have chosen as my main guitar has moved on to a Wolfgang and now a Suhr Modern but I don't neglect any of them. My 80's Kramers still get lots of love too.
..... I have about 5 of these & I built all of them from parts I bought off ebay. The great thing about the RG-270-770s is that all the parts are pretty much interchangeable. They'll fit each other with minimal difficulty. The square heel RG's (like the one Rober has in this video) I think are the best ones. Those are kinda limited as there were only about 6 years of total production of those & all the rest are AANJ's after 1992-93? Lots of parts available if you're building an AANJ RG. I'm not a big fan of the Ibo-standard issue pups either. All of mine have either EMG, Seymore Duncan or something else. But the RG & the Saber are 2 guitars that Ibanez makes that are pretty decent.
Gshock, judo, Honda and ibanez are all well made japanese things that are tough as nails and widely available.
I got an Ibanez Pia last year and play it constantly, it's absolutely incredible.. The Pia and my G2 from Phish's luthier Paul Languedoc are the only 2 guitars I'd ever need for pretty much anything without nylon strings. I could sell off all of the other guitars I've acquired over my 30 yrs of playing, including my steel string acoustics, and just use these 2 for the rest of my life and I would be perfectly happy.
Gotta love the RG series. Didn't the Jem start from a 550?
The Jem spawned the RG line. It was to make the Jem more affordable and available to the masses
Back in ‘98 I bought a brand new RG550 in black w/black pick guard. I swapped pickups with Dimarzio Evolution set. I loved that guitar but sold it to fund another purchase.
I kinda regret doing it as it was such a good guitar. I loved the way it played, sounded heavenly.
So I’ve been researching vids on it cause this was all before the days of YT.
In the last few months, I bought the RG550 Genesis in purple neon and the Universe UV70P. LOVE THEM as they offer a different playing experience along side of my PRS Customs and Les Pauls.
I have an Ibanez Artcore semi-hollowbody 2019 I bought kind of on a lark, fully intending to just try out and either sell or donate later.
But the thing was so cleanly built, solid and useful pots, and just so fun to play, I’ve never been able to let it go. I have a Collings semi-hollowbody and like it too, but my mind and my hands eventually get the jones for that ibanez. The thing just wants to be played.
I had a lot of Ibanez guitars over the years and still have a RG550 but much prefer my Charvels. I never liked locking trems because they never sounded good to me. Once I tried a Charvel with a Floyd I realizied it was the Ibanez guitars I didn't like. I tried changing the pickups on the Ibanez guitars with no luck, all my charvels have the stock pickups and they sound great.
I love what the tone pot does to the pups.
I bought my RG550 second hand back 1991. It's a late 1980's one. I knocked it over at a gig, and it cracked the back of the neck. I managed to find a new neck, so it was replaced, but the new neck had a rosewood fingerboard, as the old one way maple. It's had new Dimarzio pickups, new wiring, new pots, new switch, new knobs and switch tip that are bright green, and a new trem. I hated the Ibanez trems, I just never got on with it, so now it has a Schaller lockmiester trem in gold. It's much better!
Had a 91 RG570 Jewel Blue and just loved it. Also had a JS1000 and didn't keep it long. But just bought a replacement yesterday! Missed it.
I love Ibanez! I have a J-Custom, a 7-string RGD and a PGM301 and they play so easy and fast. I have a Mayones Duvell Elite 6 and a japanese ESP Edwards Laiho model but nothing comes close to Ibanez's quality.
I bought an Ibanez 550 desert sun yellow in 1989 brand new sold it in 1992 and bought an Ibanez EX series that I still own.
Wish I kept the 550.
That's what sold me on ibanez wayyy back in my infancy days of playing Guitar lol 22-23 yrs ago. Was a hands down, die-hard Jackson player/user too! But their switching system was phenomenal! And on top of that, my first Ibanez was also my first 7-string. Still remember it, it was the rare 90s Japanese made 7421 (Fixed Bridge) Vampire Kiss(two-tone Redish Purple). Was just insannneeee. Sure do miss that thing lol even though I've got two 7-Strings, two 6-Strings, and a 8-String 🤣 if people didn't have delusions of grandeur on pricing I'd go and buy another used one....Great vid, and ya gained a new sub. Will be nice to listen to something new while wrenching on guitars and filming it
Robert the Silver Ibanez RG550 I have is HSH with the Wizard neck. Not the super wizard, but the guitar is made in Japan. My model came out in 2000. Which is weird since my neck on the headstock says RG Series. Where yours doesn't. Also its not the maple fretboard. Very rare! But I matched up all the serial numbers on the body and neck taking my neck off and finding the date made in the cavity neck pocket and on the heel of the neck as well. I did change my pickups from the Ibanez ones they had in it to a Dimarzio Super Distortion 1 and Dimarzio Super Distortion 2 in the neck. I love this guitar man. I love my Jackson DK3 Pro HSS as well and wanted to even try to get a new plate made for my Ibanez to change it to an HSS instead of HSH. Other plates I have found are NOT interchangeable even though the body would allow for the change, the plate will not. But I agree, the only Ibanez I really like is Phil's Destroyer I think it is of Def Leppard and the RG 550's. They bleed rock n roll.
I still have and use my 1990 550... It's been through hell and back, the paint is stripped in so many spots... but it sounds super cool and does something that no subsequent guitar I got ( and that's many guitars ) does. The semi hollows are another range that Ibanez gets right, you should check their AS93 series, awesome guitars.
Another thing about Ibanez is that I noticed that their cheaper models have frets that are extremely smooth on the side.
Other brands tend to have sharper frets.
I sold off 2 RG1XXV's and a RG920 3 yrs ago as I got top Dollar for them and now theres 2 Charvel DK24 HH FR's and a E-II M-II in their place. I did like them however they got played the least of my rigs and the yellow one I had , which does have a 5 piece neck, the RG1XXV is the 25 anniversary ones from 2012, the neck was twisted sideways,. Drove me crazy so it had to go. and i got 1K each for the other 2 which was WAY more than I paid. I plan on getting another Ibanez and it'll be a Prestige or possibly the Genesis. I See the Genesis becoming like the 2008-2011 CHARVEL USA San Dimas and So-Cals, you could of bought a mint one used in the early 2010's for $550 and now theyre $1600-$1800. I still have fret sprout on mine however lol, its just a thing with Charvels from 2008 till now, easy fix and it is what it is. I didnt have the emotional attachment to Ibbys as I was fortunate enough to buy a 1985 USA Charvel new back then so I had the OG for that time (Kahler and all, which was it demise eventually for me) . Along with that E-II I also own a ESP Custom shop KH2 and once you own an ESP its really easy to let go of guitars that arent as good, I dont know if its just the Real Floyd Roses or ESP's overall quality, hell, it might just be the EMG's but they are on another level tonally and playability wise, they noth sound better and keep in tune over an Evertune LTD I have too.
1977 I opened up Kiss Alive 2 and saw Paul Stanley holding the most awesome looking guitar I had ever seen. In 1982 I finally saved my money and found a used 1978 PS10 Paul Stanley Iceman!! My first guitar. Well built, sounds great and now highly sought after.
I had an RG 565 back in the day. H. S. Configuration. I put a Dimarzio Fred pickup in it when I saw the Satriani ad in a magazine.
That guitar survived a Molotov cocktail firebomb that was hurled at my hotel room. First thing I did was grab that guitar before I kicked the door in and ran away, guitar in hand.
I have a yellow 550. It is my only guitar. It is a left hand issue. Had to get it over seas because they did not release the in the states. Wanted a red re-issue but Ibanez said no Lefty's will be made, though they said they were at start of year(2023) COOL thanks.
I've got one of the original '91 RG770DX's (made in Japan). I love that thing. One-piece original wizard neck, perfectly solid, stays in tune as well as any other guitar I've played. The thing I want to stress is what low tolerances this thing is constructed with. The bolt-on neck fits so perfectly in the pocket it barely needs bolting in. The neck is like, unfinished or something, so fast. The truss rod can literally be felt through the wood the neck is so thin. Guitar is heaven.
I collect Ibanez guitars but only love the hardtail ones. The struggle of finding non trems is real.
1991 Ibanez ex 160 made in Korea, my first guitar. Still have it and it plays beautifully. Still all stock hardware except the pickups that I changed to Seymour Duncans, Billy Gibbons Pearly Gates bridge, a vintage strat middle, and their first hot rails humbucker at the neck.
I own an Ibanez and i can say they are a players guitar for sure and what i like the most about the Ibanez is the trem systems the guitar never goes out of tune.The only thing i feel lacking is in the tone and the pickups that come with the guitar especially for metal.Iv always been use to thicker necks than the Wizard necks tbh.
Thank you so much for the switching diagrams. I have a RG570 and I messed around swapping the neck and bridge magnets. Now I want to get it back to original. Your diagram shows the magnet polarities. I may have missed that in my manuals. I’m just happy I have something that can guide me back to OEM specs. That was my take away from this video. It’s a little detail but it’s really helpful for me.
I thought about purchasing that particular model, but I ended up with Carvin's Jason Becker signature model. I am impressed with Carvin.
They really innovated and perfected the superstrat 8n the late 80s/early 99s. Lo-pro edge trem is still the best whammy bridge around, rounded heel joints, HSH switching, angled jack sockets, etc
I have an Ibanez Gio GRX 20 and I personally really love it, for what it is. Am very keen to get a couple more higher range Ibanez guitars for sure.
There are a few other electrics from other brands that I want, but I think that is more to do with the guitar bug and a desire for a variety of sound and tonal choices, as opposed to an issue with the Ibanez.
I bought my 2nd guitar in 1990: a Jewel Blue RG570. My first guitar was a Squire II Stratocaster. I've owned many guitars, Gibson LP Classic which I just got last year, Jackson Dinky reverse, even built a couple. That rosewood neck, HSH pickup configuration and Edge trem are what make the RG570 amazing though. I've changed the p'ups out and have a Norton Air in the neck with a Dimarzio Super Distort with push pull coil split. So versatile!
I've seen the yellow and red in person. Both are vibrant, but I think the yellow glows a bit more. That's the one I've bought. It's been an excellent guitar after sorting some minor issues out.
I took my red one to an outdoor gig. In the sun it frickin glows.
If your love for Ibanez just can't get there with an RG550, you need to go Jem. Preferably '90s Jem.
The numbering is like this….
560 = no pickguard with an HSS configuration.
550 = pickguard with an HSH configuration. This is patterned after the Jem.
570 = no pickguard with an HSH configuration.
I still have my jewel blue RG760 I bought in 89. Back then music stores were packed with them. Paul Gilbert, satriani, via, and a host of other players played them.
Tried to trade it once for a les Paul custom around 99, but t the shop keeper wouldn’t do the trade since the style had changed at the time. Really glad I didn’t do the trade (even though the led Paul played like a dream).
Have always loved the RG, my first guitar, which I still have, was an RG450AH, made in Japan. Starting on the wizard neck was interesting in hindsight, because I much prefer chunky necks, but I always loved that RG
I’ve just purchased a Desert Sun Yellow 550 Genesis. A local music store was closing down and got it half price £499 🤟🏻
I had an RG7420 7 string in Magenta Crush finish.
Loved it. It played great, actin was fantastic... until the bridge peg holes in the body wore out and wouldn't hold the bridge in place any longer.
Sadly, that guitar was ceremoniously burned in a fire pit, and I swore off guitars with that style bridge.
If i thought I could trust it, I would have another. Haven't have anything that feels quite the same, it was a beast unlike any other I've had.
I love my peerless 80’s rg140 …they are more fender feel…but slightly smaller but not as thin as a wizard neck.
lazer blue!!! my 1992 550 was refinished but the headstock is still the beautiful blue!!!
I play an Archie550. I got the road flare red one he wants. It’s a wonderful and very versatile guitar. It will do jazz, country and just about anything you throw at it besides the face melting metal stuff. My only complaint is that it is not the instrument you want if you want to switch to alternate tunings on the fly. You cannot tune it quickly even to something as simple as drop D and then return it back to standard tuning. Just impossible. Takes forever.
I have several Ibanez guitar s-series, RGs, and acoustics. They are my favourite brand as you get so much diversity and value for your money and I love the feel and sound.
I’m an Ibanez endorser (AZ models) and back in the day a DSY 550 was my “gateway Ib”. I still have it. Mine has a black headstock though and throughout the years I Seymourised the pickups once or twice. The 550 has been in the trenches for sure, but it’s still smokin’.
I went to a music store and they didn’t have a left handed guitar??? Picked up a Ibanez left handed SA series at a pawnshop and I love it. It’s perfect.