Dear all,

I hope you can help me. I am torn between the two guitars in the title, does anyone have a picture of a RFR next to an orange guitar (I know, long shot...) that can explain the difference in the two colors?

I am fixated with orange...

I JUST got a RFR. I can confirm that the color is impossible to photograph.

Though, you know that very particular shade of neon color you see at construction sites, where you can't quite tell if it's red, orange, or pink, but it's super intense? That's pretty much it, to a T, though a lot of stuff you do see that color has faded in the sun quite a bit.

My dad is also fixated with orange, and I can't wait to show him this thing.

I had an orange '88 540p and currently own a couple RFR RG550's (one '87 and one 20th anniversary). Unfortunately i don't have the 540p anymore so i can't do a side-by-side for you, but i can post some pictures of both guitars.

Below are some photos of the two RFR rg550's side by side. As you will see from the pictures the rg550Mxx RFR is less on the pink side and more on the orangy/red side compared to the original. One other thing that may be helpful, i know you are familiar with Five Alarm red which is a bit more orange compared to RFR. Check out the color strip from Dayglo below, it is damn close (and may even be) the colors ibanez used on the neons back then. If you compare "rocket red" on the color strip to the next one down "fire orange" that should give you a good feel for what RFR looks like. Essentially I believe what you'd be comparing by looking at these two samples side by side is RFR (the closer to the color on the rg550Mxx) and FA Red next to each other

RG 20th anniversay and on the right is an original '87 RFR RG550...




'88 540p painted House of Color Vermillion which is kind of similar to FA Red


Dayglo color strip, compare Rocket Red to Fire Orange to get a sense of RFR looks like next to FA Red


I hope this helps. Let me know if there are more pictures that may help

That's cool! I myself am obsessed with orange as well; I think my custom build may just end up being a solid hugger orange with a maple fretboard.

I see the 3250M in person, it's very orange I can tell.

The 3250 FOR is the ONE ibanez I REALLY want. I've seen it in person before, soooo beautiful.

Same here, but the trem on that makes me want to wonder if that's the best choice. Not sure, so that's why i am comparing it with the 550 reissue, which uses the much more familiar (to me) Edge

There's nothing wrong with the EZ trem. It works fine and does the job. The ZPS is nice for some extra tension as well. My only gripe is the fine tuners but other than that, it's a great trem.

Looking at the location of course your fixated with Orange!

Just about my favourite colour for guitars! Always wanted the RG3550 ROM which I tried tracking down but was unable to obtain sadly (had to do a custom job).

I cant see the trem being an issue really with the RG3250 personally, but its all down to what you like.

If you like & are comfortable with the edge then why change? Don't fix what's not broken as they say.

I did notice recently an orange RG3250 going quite cheap (at the time) located in Germany, must admit I was quite tempted but I am considering downsizing so opted out.

Good luck though.

RGBARGIE

I played a RG3250 at Guitar Center, thought it was pretty cool. Went back a couple times and wanted to play it again, but both times someone else was playing it. Third time I went back it was gone. gl ^ ^

i do. as soon as i can figure out how to to post em on this old site

how's this?

Attached Images

File Type: jpg

10502521_379039665580320_9069233387117977368_n.jpg (91.2 KB, 8 views)

some say the orange 87 rg550 doesn't exist, i bought both brand new. the orange one was first then the rfr one months later as a backup. been tryin to figure out the 'real' name of the orange....

The orange back then was called carotene orange. Hard to tell from the pics but that /could/ be it. If so it would be a pretty rare bird as I don't think it was ever officially offered in CO. I've personally never seen a carotene orange RG550, but would love to. I have a CO RG560 and I love the color. Having a 550 to match it would be stellar.

Yeah, I spent some time looking for a CO 550 myself, only to find most of the "orange" 550s I'd seen were actually RFRs that had faded a little and/or blown out the flash. I don't think they exist, and certainly the 560s look WAY more "orange" than even the blown out 550s.

It's possible it was a one-off/proto batch or something, but I don't think it was ever a production run - RG550COs never made the 87 catalog.