Quote:
A thought-provoking post.
In general, quality is timeless. Whatever made a guitar "good" is the same thing that makes a guitar desireable today.
To talk more specifically- because I own one-- the 550 reissue is an excellent rock 'n roll electric guitar in 2008, as the original 550s were in the late 80s.
* Fujigen made, quality throughout
* 5-piece neck with titanium reinforcement
* fine hardware (Gotoh tuners, locking nut. Smooth, highly functional, reliable Edge trem)
* clear, responsive V1/S1/V2 pickups that offer a wide and versatile range of tones from chimey cleans to bluesy, classic rock to metal to hillbilly vampire punk, you name it this guitar can do it . . .
Ibanez caled it an anniversary edition re-issue, but they didn't have to. They could have just put it in their '07 catalog as a regular production model. In fact, I'm not the only one who thinks they should. For $900, it's a great option whether it's NOW or NOSTALGIA.
Writing this has made me want to get mine and play it, see y'all later.
Peace
Mike
My intentions were not to provoke anyone.
I agree, quality is timeless, a good “thing” is a good “thing”. But it don’t seem to be a very well spread opinion among guitar players in general. The general opinion seem to be more in the line of “everything was better before”, just look at any brand forum in the world (or guitar forum), the vintage market, the reissue this, reissue that, that comes out form everyone these days.
Just look at peoples love for writing the year the guitar was made even before they write what model it is.
I know the guitars, I own the 550 reissue too, and 4 or 5 of the original ones (two from the same first year they came out), all great guitars, but the old ones are better :-) (JOKE!).
Anyway, I would be fine with the just making a RG770 or whatever and it were just there in the catalogue. No problem in taking a good thing back.
But I think this reissue thing have gone ridiculous in the guitar world right now (especially brands like Fender and Gibson). First they make a reissue, then the make a new that is even closer to the original, then they make yet a new one where they moved the neck dots too, then yet another reissue where they use some of the same machines as they did way back when, then yet another one where the same person did wind the pickups, and it goes on and on.
Ibanez have been staying away from this reissue hysteria very well so far and I feel that it is a bit sad if they start falling into it too. I like things moving forward.
I’m not saying that I will be laying sleepless at nights crying my eyes out, I will still play Ibanez, but it is a bit sad anyway.
Mainly because I have to remove all my “Ibanez, new ideas for today’s musicians” flag down from my wall :-) (JOKE!)
/magnus