The Top 10 Guitars of all time!!! - As published by Guitaris

[Coolstu]

TOP 10 GUITARS OF ALL TIME: NO. 8!

The actual item is at: http://www.guitarist.co.uk/features/...ge.asp?ID=2784

This is what it said:

It's gonna get a whole load more spikey as those widdle-lovin' shepherds pull out this classic!

Ibanez RG550 Introduced in 1987

It's impossible to talk about the development of the modern electric guitar without featuring Ibanez. Even more than Yamaha, Ibanez changed the 'USA is best' favouritism that pervades our industry.
The choice of the 'ordinary' RG550 may also surprise a few when it was Steve Vai's JEM that instigated this stripped-down, less flamboyant archetypal rock-axe. The way that Ibanez' American artist team - headed by Rich Lasner - courted Vai in 1986 is the stuff of legend. But the perfectly-timed liaison, at the absolute height of widdle-rock, ensured massive sales of the brand and made the RG550 (and its numerous versions) the choice of many Nu-metal and rock players worldwide.

Effectively, the JEM/RG550 is a high-performance Stratocaster. Aggressive, angular styling (but no silly pointy headstock, thank you), back-routed Floyd Rose licensed Edge vibrato, ultra-slim bolt-on neck mated to a basswood body are the ingredients and let's not forget those 24 huge frets. DiMarzio's Steve Blucher designed the switching system for Vai in 1986, but the auto-splitting hum/single/ hum set-up has since become an industry standard.

Of course, the guitar wouldn't have been possible without the DIY efforts of Eddie Van Halen, vibrato-designer Floyd Rose, plus Kramer and Jackson, but don't forget in the mid-eighties neither Jackson nor Kramer were properly distributed over here. So timing was everything? Yes, but the RG550 - a real people's guitar - is so evocative of a general style that when you see a player with one of these strapped on, you know precisely where they're coming from.

The players
Are you sure? The numerous RG ranges up and down the price scale mean that any serious guitar player in the past 25 years will have played one - and that probably includes you! From old-widdlers like Vai and Paul Gilbert to modern shredders like the seven-string Korn, Limp Bizkit and Fear Factory brigade, an RG-style axe is essential.

The Top 10 was as follows:

* * 10 Rickenbacker 360/12
* * 9 * Gretsch Chet Atkins
* * 8 * :biggrin: Ibanez RG550 :biggrin:
* * 7 * PRS McCarthy
* * 6 * Gibson Flying V
* * 5 * Gibson SG
* * 4 * Fender Telecaster
* * 3 * Gibson ES335
* * 2 * Gibson Les Paul
* * 1 * Fender Stratocaster

[RG550]

I checked out the link and that is the exact same one as my RG550, same color and everything

I knew it was a great guitar but now its even better. :biggrin:

[jemsite]

Interesting and well written article IMHO. Interesting how they don't consider ibanez to be a "pointy headstock" which i personally never considered ibanez to begin with, given their "lawsuit guitar" heritage. I have to read the full top-10 breakdown. Credit to the authors for recognizing Ibanez' contribution... glen

[kirk]

I think it's great! *It's nice to see that the RG is a highly regarded guitar, right up there with the classics.

[Noodles]

No more than a two months ago I bought an * *'87 RG550dy. It almost makes me feel like I own a peice of history.

[Coolstu]

You never know all the RG's out there might be worth a fortune now! :biggrin:

[jem7vwh]

I don't see why not. *I mean the JEM is certainly the king of the RG body style genre, but the RG style itself is now a classic. *Kind of like the Les Paul. *You can get one of the custom shop carved tops, but even the base production model is considered a classic now.

[Coolstu]

I have to agree. If I did have the choice of a Les Paul it would be a standard every time. BUT if the choice was between a nice RG and a JEM 7VWH I would definitely take the JEM!
Seriously though that poll shows that Ibanez guitars are considered in the same league as classics like the Les Paul.
Ibanez have managed too mould a niche all of there own in a very tough market. Companies like Jackson, Musicman, Peavey, Washburn never even made it into the top 10.

[Jimi D]

Meanwhile, over on another discussion group that shall remain nameless, a bunch of strat-weilding Stevie Ray Wannabees are pattin' themselves on the back for NOT playing Ibanez guitars because - after all - everyone knows Ibanez guitars have no "mojo"....

Denying the significance of the superstrat in general - and Ibanez RGs in particular - in the recent history of the electric guitar is impossible. But they still don't get no respect from the majority of the guitar weilding community... You know, I'm country and western raised and blues bred and I can play either on a Jem, but if I pull my floral out at a blues jam everyone's gonna look at me like I've got four eyes. And then if I play more than two notes per measure during my solo they'll whisper that I've got no soul to my playing and I don't feel the music... after which some guy will pull out his strat which is identical to the other guy's strat and he'll go and bend a couple licks that are more or less the same as everything we've heard since Stevie died... *and of course, if I play the exact same solo on my strat or tele I'm cool... go figure *

...or maybe I'm just bitter 'cause I'm not out playing tonight (half the band's in Florida on vacation)

[wulpul]

RG's are a classic with the fastest neck around :biggrin:
Where would the JEM be without the RG ?

[Noodles]

Quote: from wulpul on 12:13 am on Feb. 17, 2001

Where would the JEM be without the RG ?

Though I'm more of an RG fan myself It's really were would the RG be without the Jem.

Also I would like to touch on the strat and RG issue. The way I look a it is that the RG is not a superstrat, I think of it as the strat is a limp rg. Look at it, it's like it's made for a 3 year old(no sharp edges).:biggrin:

[megawzrd]

You can't dog the most important piece in electric guitar history like that. The Strat is the grandaddy of it all pretty much. No Fender = No Strat = No Strat Clones = Ibanezes that look like gibsons = No RG or JEM. Boo Hoo.

[littlegreenman]

It's not official, but for anyone who cares, here's my top 10 list

1. *JEM7VWH
2. *UV7BK
3. JEM77FP
4. UV777BK
5. Parker Fly Deluxe
6. 540S Sabre
7. Alvarez WY1 Koa
8. Peavey Wolfgang deluxe model
9. George Washburn signature series 29 fret neck thru body
10. JEM777DY

you can easily see I'm partial to the Ibanez line, specifically the JEM's. *These are all guitars I've either owned or have played. *I would have the DNA or other MC's on there but I've never played one before so I can't fairly say they are my fav's.
Every time I go to buy a new guitar, I play everything I can find. *But 9 times out of 10 I still buy Ibanez. *I currently own 8 of the above guitars and have played and owned all of them in the past except the Parker but I've played lots of them.
What's your top 10 look like?
Jeremy

[lgascoig]

They shouldn't be playa hatin' on the pointy headstock when they put the flying V on the list. *Talk about pointy...

Their list is kind of historically skewed towards what the guitarists in popular music have used. *For me:

1. *Ibanez RG, JPM, JEM
2. *Ibanez S and JS
3. *ESP Mark II + derivatives
... *Jackson dinky and soloist
... *Ernie Ball guitars - EVH
... *Fender Stratocaster
... *Les Paul (wouldn't buy one)
4. *Jackson Rhoads (never would buy one, but I like some players that have used them)

Those are the guitars that I have drooled over from the late 80's till now.

[mecca777]

Hmm. My top ten electric guitars, for no real reason...

1) Ibanez JEM/RG (and if I had to be speffik, I'd say RG-Art )

2) Gibson ES335
3) Gibson Les Paul
4) Fender Stratocaster
5) Gibson Explorer
6) Jackson Randy Rhoads
7) Parker Fly
Fender Telecaster
9) Gibson SG
10) Ibanez JS/Radius

Although to be perfectly honest, without the holy triumvirate of Tele/LP/Strat, we'd all be playing hollowbody jazz boxes right now.