Ibanez RG550

P
layers of a certain age will
remember the double-
page adverts in mags like
TG, crammed full of tiny
images of the guitars that
made up our imaginary wish lists.
For many, Ibanez was the
aspirational brand of choice.
Fender and Gibson were very
grown-up, a bit too much like
what your dad would play. Ibanez,
on the other hand, projected a
vision of futuristic precision and
technicality that pressed all the
right adolescent buttons.
Consequently, the Ibanez RG550
became the default aspirational
guitar of choice for an entire
generation of player. Expensive
enough to make it lust-worthy,
but not so expensive that we’d
never get to own one, the RG550
hit that rare sweet spot of quality
and other-worldly attraction.
Introduced in 1987 and
discontinued in 1994, the Ibanez
RG550 remains the childhood
sweetheart of many players.
Designed as a mass-appeal
version of Steve Vai’s famous
JEM777 model, it had character in
abundance. We loved its pointy
horns and headstock. We
marvelled at the thought of the
ultra-thin Wizard necks and their
promises of unrivalled speed. And
we were unreserved in our love for
the garish, frankly bonkers colour
options. But tastes change as we
grow up – or do they? Apparently
not, if you’re Ibanez. Which
explains why, after so many years,
it’s brought the old stallion out of
retirement. Wise decision? You
bet. Ibanez has skillfully managed
to extract the very essence of what
was so popular about the original
RG550 and piece it back together in
a way that enhances its legacy.
The Japanese-made 2018
vintage is, essentially, a
masterclass in everything that is
good about shred and metal
guitars. The neck feels lithe – your
hand glides, rather than simply
moving – while the Edge vibrato is
rock solid and the overall
craftsmanship is exemplary. It’s
actually better than our 15-year-
old selves could have expected
when we stared at those adverts.
Tonally, the RG550 covers a lot
of bases. It always did, despite its
pointy appearance, meaning you
could comfortably stray into all
kinds of genres without too much
fuss. The US-designed V7 bridge
humbucker delivers the razor-
sharp riff platform you’d hope it
would, while the V8 neck ’pup
off ers a hint of compression at
higher gain settings, which levels
lead lines nicely. It is, in the best
way possible, everything you
remembered from the original.
Competition is strong –
Schecter, ESP and Jackson all
produce superb-quality shredders.
But the RG’s pedigree is powerful.
The entire SuperStrat niche of
guitars owes the RG550 a huge
debt of gratitude. With this
reissue, Ibanez is casually
reminding everyone who’s boss.
Chris Corfi eld
IT’S A MASTERCLASS IN ALL
THAT IS GOOD ABOUT SHRED...
IBANEZ RG550
The godfather of shred guitars
wants its crown back
1
2
3
£899
BODY: Basswood
NECK: Super Wizard
5pc maple/walnut
neck
SCALE: 647.7mm
(25.5")
FINGERBOARD: Maple
FRETS: 24 jumbo
PICKUPS: V7/S1/V8
(H/S/H)
CONT ROLS: Tone,
volume, five-way
selector
HARDWARE: Edge
tremolo
LEFT-HANDED: No
FINISH: Desert Sun
Yellow (pictured), Road
Flare Red,
Purple Neon
CONTACT: Headstock
Distribution
0121 508 6666
www.ibanez.co.jp
AT A GLANCE
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SuMMarY
1
HEADSTOCK
Colour-matching
the headstock to the
body is a nice nod to
the original RG550 and
contrasts perfectly
with the black
hardware
2
NECK
Five pieces of
maple and walnut
combine to make up
the Super Wizard neck,
which is reinforced
with two titanium bars
for extra rigidity
3
PICKUPS
Two humbuckers
and a single coil
(American designed)
offer plenty of tonal
variation. This is no
mere metal guitar
Photography: Neil God win
BEST BUY
AWARD
APRIL 2018 ToTal GuiTar
REVIEW
95
TGR304.gear_ibanez.indd 95 2/27/18 4:20 PM