Ibanez Review: RG 550 XX 20th Anniversary Model - Original Jem Design 1987

History: I have been playing guitar for 37 years,West Coast Jump Blues, Fusion, Funk Jazz Rock , and even some Alternative styles. I have owned some axes in my time. In 1987 when the Ibanez Jem first cames out I was in Santa Clara in a Guitar Center jamming away on one with a didtech Lengend, oh ya thosae were the days when a lot of new stuff was hitting the stores. Delay 4 dayz. I loved that guitar and for some reason didnt buy it. It was that new thin flat wizaed bneck, Bubinga Maple, faster then a speeding bullet.

Purchase: I went back and recently bought the last Road Flare Red RG 550 XX exactly note per note identical. It is awsome. You can only find the black one with the Ebony Fingerboard, not the same, On ebay theres a few floarting around that people want big bucks for. The RG 550 is a sweet sweep picking machine.

What I Like About This Ibanez RG 550 XX 20th Anniversary Model - Original Jem Design 1987: The neck, the neck, the neck.

What I Do NOT Like About The Ibanez RG 550 XX 20th Anniversary Model - Original Jem Design 1987: Ok, not much to report negative nut two things. The Edge pro system for some reason is maybe responsible for the guitar not holding the 440 on my Korg 1000. Am I worried not according to my luthier it shpould be fixed with an adjustment. Yhe pick-ups are the rea; problem. Keep them for authenticity in case you need to restore it back, but for my style its a Fred, an Evolution and a Noisless Strat center single. Strings, slinks @ 009 or regs at .010. Frank gambale was right about this guitar.

Ibanez RG 550 XX 20th Anniversary Model - Original Jem Design 1987 Quality Rating: The neck makes other models from companies that are charging 3 times as much look rediculous. I played a PRS the other day that was 4000.00 it was a beautiful piece of furniture but I wasnt clocking the speed I need occasionally in my playing compared to the eaze of The RG fret board. The finisg on the fret board, the guitar weight and feel, is perfect.

Review Summary: I own alot of guitars and by far Ibanez has always been my favorite, for Quality workmanship, Service and playability

Rating of this Ibanez product: 5

This Ibanez RG 550 XX 20th Anniversary Model - Original Jem Design 1987 Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: Jeff Whitacre

Review Date: 2007-08-05