RG550 vs RG470

[lasman]

I have a 1993 japanese RG 470, and it has an edge trem and a wizard neck, Not a trs or wizard 2.

[JM5150]

550s kick ass, simply put. I'd stick with it.

[Roadstar]

Originally Posted by wardner

Hi. I've been playing an RG550 for years. I think it's a 1990 (headstock same colour as body and V2, S1 and V1 pickups.)

I've been offered an RG470 but I'm having difficulty finding the spec. I'm pretty sure the headstock would be black even though the body's Reactor Blue. I can't find any mention of these prior to 1993 but I don't think the colour of the headstock ever followed the body even though back then the RG550s did. Correct me if I'm wrong.

As you can probably tell I think having the headstock the same colour as the body looks far better. Only my opinion.

What I do know about this RG470 is that the pickups are a V7, an S1, and a V8 and my main question is this. I haven't found any problem with the pickups in my RG550 when cranked for live (meaning they don't give unwanted feedback) and was wondering how the pickups in this RG470 would compare.

If there's anything else you think I should know please let me have it but I think apart from headstock colour and pickups, there's not too much difference between the 470 and 550. Fingerboard made from rosewood as apposed to maple and obvious omission of pickguard are two other noticeable differences I think.

I know from browsing around this forum if you guys (and gals) can't answer no one can.

Anyway, enough for now, sorry to ramble on so

Thanks

Justin

dude the 550 is way better than the 470
I just sold a 470 for $150 in mint shape
i bought 2 550's and both are incredible

[Flobanez]

Originally Posted by frankfalbo

Everyone says the TRS "sucks" but you're forgetting something. If it has V7/V8 pickups, then it's probably a Japanese 470. That means it's a Japanese TRS, which is completely different than the Korean TRS and Lo-TRS that everyone complains about. The Japanese TRS style bridges are basically a good OFR copy, and the ones I've seen have been on par with the Gotoh and the OFR. I know it's a different trem, and I'd rather have the Gotoh, OFR, or any Edge variation, but it's still a completely usable trem. Locking studs would be a nice improvement, but not necessary.

Good point. I have 4 7-strings. 2 RG7620s, a UV7PWH and an S 7420. I love the Lo Pro Edge bridge on all of them but the TRS on my S 7420 isn't all that bad I guess. I've grown to like it. I do like the stock pickups.

[ericbaquiran]

quick question:

will a wizard II-equipped guitar (like a RG470 or lower) have problems with an edge/lopro bridge? The radius of the wizard II is 400mm vs the wizard 430mm.

[DirtyBird31]

I have an Edge on my RG470. The radius doesn't quite match but it's not too bad. It'd be a far worse mismatch to use an OFR with a 470. As far as I know, all OFR's are the same radius... And I think it's 14 inches... but I'm not really sure.

Either way, I also would like to say my RG470 is Japanese, it was made in 2002, and that year they had the Reactor Blue color. It will very, very likely have a TRS tremolo on it.

If you noticed, I said I put an Edge tremolo in mine. That's because the TRS was JUNK. It's the Made in Japan TRS too. The Korean one is the Lo TRS II, while hte Japanese one is the Lo TRS. I had the better Lo TRS... damn thing lasted 2 months. I could never get it to work right and had problems with tuning, overly worn knife edges, and worst of all I had strings constantly popping out of hte saddles. FRUSTRATING. I've got Edges in both my RG's at this point and I have no problems with either of them.

I have a hard time imagining all Lo TRS'es are that bad, but that was a new guitar, I should have just returned it. That trem just disintegrated. Ridiculous...

[m0p]

The 550 just simply pwnz any 470 out there. I recently bought one, and it's so perfect, except from the trem arm holder which is so damn loose even though I've attempted fixing it (probably need a new one, it's previous owner liked to overuse the trem). The 550 is a very cheap guitar nowadays, and beats most new RG's (Edge Pro is so terrible, Edge/Lo-Pro forever!).

[Shep]

the 470's trem is poor and the neck in thicker and fatter..so 550 is better...lol

[albee1952]

All the above is pretty accurate except for one year of RG470 production that came with the Edge bridge from the factory and the early Japanese 470's mostly came with RG550 necks(probably until the Korean factory came up to speed on building necks. A newer one(2003?) might have the Edge Pro II or Edge III (2005?) which are not bad bridges. The Edge Pro II can be swapped for an Edge Pro with no mods. Neither will have the locking studs but that's not a deal breaker IMHO.

[LonePhantom]

Jeez, what's with the thread resurrections?