2018 Ibanez RG550 Genesis

Details

I’m not as big of a collector of new, modern guitars, but with so many 80s-era reissues coming out lately some would think I might jump on it. The problem is, I can be a bit of a pain about it - missing features, lower quality construction, and other details drive me nuts so I’d usually prefer to just keep buying the vintage gear instead. However, Ibanez really got it right with this guitar. It’s made in the same Fujigen Japan factory that the original RG550’s were made in, with the same Edge bridge, V7/S1/V8 pickups, and Wizard neck with the plate and tilted heel. The only noticeable specification difference is these new necks are 5-pieces, with two thin walnut stripes sandwiched between 3 pieces of maple. This is in contrast to the one-piece, scarf joint maple necks of the past, but I really don’t notice this change when I’m playing. The finish is nicely worn in and glossy on this one, and it’s a really great sounding and playing guitar, with the same feel of quality as the originals, and at the moment they are available for gear prices on the used market. This spurred me to purchase the RG550DX and RG565 Genesis series models as well, and I have some different thoughts on those, but at least as far as this early 2018 model is concerned, I have nothing but good things to say about it.