My new RG550 '98, and some questions...

[dh0licious]

Hi all,

I'm pretty much a guitar noob (stopped playing when I was 14 and am now 20 and wanting to learn all over again. well, wanting to shred. bad.).



I picked up a '98 Rg550 which appears to be in perfect condition, body is silky smooth no scuffs or scratches with plastic still on some parts.

couple of questions:

1) I plugged it into the same crap 10w amp i used for my guitar when i stopped playing at 14, to give it a little whirl before i take it to the shop tomorrow to get it setup and restrung. now, it appears that the middle pickup is not working when i nudge the selector to the middle position. all pickups are stock...

2) if the guitar is stock, should i be able to see the wiring (some red wires) around the pickup, and are the bridge and neck pickups supposed to be wound around in some tape which appears to be holding them together (kind of visible in pic below. see bottom of pickups)? could it be that someone has tried to swap over the pickups, screwed it the middle one, and decided to put them stock ones back in and done a sort of dodgy job. or perhaps i'm just being paranoid with my new baby?



3) i want to change the strings over asap because they are currently strung with 12 gauge strings lol. i will do this tomorrow when it gets setup because i want easier playing as well. so i am wondering what gauge would be best suited? i am thinking 9-46 or 9-42.



cheers
sameer

[Tank]

Originally Posted by dh0licious

couple of questions:

1) I plugged it into the same crap 10w amp i used for my guitar when i stopped playing at 14, to give it a little whirl before i take it to the shop tomorrow to get it setup and restrung. now, it appears that the middle pickup is not working when i nudge the selector to the middle position. all pickups are stock...

2) if the guitar is stock, should i be able to see the wiring (some red wires) around the pickup, and are the bridge and neck pickups supposed to be wound around in some tape which appears to be holding them together (kind of visible in pic below. see bottom of pickups)? could it be that someone has tried to swap over the pickups, screwed it the middle one, and decided to put them stock ones back in and done a sort of dodgy job. or perhaps i'm just being paranoid with my new baby?



3) i want to change the strings over asap because they are currently strung with 12 gauge strings lol. i will do this tomorrow when it gets setup because i want easier playing as well. so i am wondering what gauge would be best suited? i am thinking 9-46 or 9-42.



cheers
sameer

1) Also try the following: Put 5-way in middle position, crank tone and volume to maximum setting. Take a screwdriver and gently tip on the magnet of the pickup. If it makes a knocking sound it is alive, if not you have a problem and need to have it looked at.

2) Looks kinda normal to me (seen worse stock) again not that familiar with the 550, maybe Rich can tell this better.

3) Personal preference is here king. I like the D'Addario 120XLs a lot (9-42) and they are very easy to play, especially when setup right. Probably also a good choice for you, as your fingers are not that "hard" yet.

[jemaholic]

Get those 12's off!!!
I prefer EB Super Slinky 9-42 in the bright pink package. If you do lots of dive-bombing these last much longer than the daddario's and to me they sound more 'bell-like'.

Moving from 12's - you will probably need the neck truss rod tweaked a bit too for more relief from the lighter strings.

When you take it into the shop they will check the pickups - I doubt it's a big deal.
Good luck shredding!!!!!!

-jemaholic

[funkdubious]

From what I can tell your pickups seem normal,if I understand what you're saying having a tape around the pups is normal,as long as its not some electrical tape.You wouldnt see any around the middle because of the cover.
What Tank says about the middle seems a good idea.The middle on my old Jem 7vwh was really quiet

[dh0licious]

omg i am so excited. thanks for the help guys.

i feel like ive spoilt myself getting a 550 as my 'first' git (ignoring my yamaha eg-303 from back in the day), but then again, it's my hard earned money and not mommy's! i am hoping a good guitar would keep me as motivated as i am right now for a long time......

yeh i couldnt believe my ears when the guy said he had 12s on... i wanted to play the damn thing straight away!

anyhoo, i will pick up a set of the super slinky's and a pair of the d'addario 9-42's.

im going to eventually teach myself to restring and tune this mofo by myself. lets re-learn to play first....

any other words of wisdom?

[funkdubious]

Look at Rich's Ibanez Rules setup guide,I think it's all there!

[jemaholic]

...and be patient. It takes time - even th relearn.

BTW - I've had many, many guitars and the RG550 model is one of the best guitars made - at any price. Good luck..
-jemaholic

[funkdubious]

Oh and Steve Vai's 10hour workout is a good way to get your fingers moving again aswell

[mike570]

mmmmmmmm! Super-Wizard 1 on a 550 with maple board....
mmmmmmmm!

[Dee]

Can't go wrong with a 550.

Good luck with your playing, and ENJOY!

[brianxtr]

i had the same guitar.that one is very good.!plays great!

[LordGrendel]

...That's awesome, congrats on that to you. That will definitely help you play faster as far as the neck and action goes on the RG550's. Just practice a lot and be consistent...

[DaniJem]

RG550 is a excellent guitar.
i have a '99 RG550BK, just like yours. but time ago, i painted it in orange color.

[thedonutman]

I didn't know they put Bubinga stripes on the late 90s models. Anyway nice guitar. I've got a RG570, the RG5xx series are great guitars. Too bad I can't shred properly either

[dh0licious]

thanks for the comments guy.

i just missed out on a cube30 on 3bay, perfect price aswell. any other recommendations for amps in the $ price range, or should i keep an eye out for the next cube?

and how much am i looking at for a pro setup?