Rg 550 questions

[Not That Good]

Sorry no pic. Want to know if mine is an 87 or not what its worth etc. It's black on black and the only id is on the inside of the neck joint where it is stamped rg550. The pups look to be the stock ones prior to the V1 V2 + V7 V8. Has a rosewood fretboard. No serial #. Has the angled neck joint/brace. Got it 4 $150 frets have some wear but its pretty good cond. i am planning to put a Duncan Invader in the bridge and a 1 meg pot.

[Dee]

No serial number on the back of the headstock? If not, it suggests that it's a 1987 model because these had paper stickers for the serial number. Occasionally they were taken off or somehow got lost. Otherwise there's a possibility it's a later model which has had it's neck stripped of the clearcoat and therefore had it's serial sanded off.

If you can post a pic it might be possible to guess the approximate year of production due to the volume knob placement. On earlier models, the vol knob was closer to the bridge pickup. Later, it moved slightly closer to the tone knob.

[Not That Good]

hasn't been stripped and it sure seems to be (87 model)due to the fact that the volume knob I am always bumping into. Yeah its Japan made on the neck plate but i looked at the catalog and most of the older 550s have maple only fretboards.

[Dee]

The 1987 550 line-up came in Road Flare, Desert Yellow, White, and Black. Black was the only one which came with a rosewood board. All RG5xx guitars were made in Japan.

I would guess you have a 1987, I'm almost certain on this, and the serial sticker has been removed or destroyed somehow.

If the vol knob is getting in your way fitting a new pickguard is easy. Any custom pickguard should have the newer control layout with the repositioned vol knob, I'd imagine.