Ibanez’s iconic RG550 looks set to return in original finishes
Made-in-Japan model on the way
Shredders, point your headstocks this way, for Ibanez looks set to revive the RG550 - in original Road Flare Red, Desert Yellow, Neon Purple and White finishes, no less.
First launched in 1987, the RG550 was famed for its super-speedy neck, and this 2018 version looks set to continue that tradition, with a Super Wizard five-piece maple/walnut neck, and maple fretboard, complete with jumbo frets and Prestige fret-edge treatment.
The basswood body comes loaded with an Ibanez Edge double-locking vibrato, naturally, while Ibanez V7 and V8 humbuckers plus a S1 single-coil fill the pickup cavities.
There’s no word on official prices yet, but some Japanese sellers on eBay are listing the model for around $1,500 (approx £1,100), ready to land in early December. Sign us up for four, please.
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Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.
