Ibanez RG550 Genesis Road Flare Red Unsponsored Review and Full Metal Mix Demo
73This is a review of the Ibanez RG550 Genesis Road Flare Red guitar. The least expensive Japanese-made Ibanez has a lot to offer at a relatively small pricetag, but does it live up to the hype?
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RG5320 Review: https://youtu.be/atYbceBBlE4
RGA 622XH Review: https://youtu.be/_XDJ2RSu6Zc
PIA 3761 Review: https://youtu.be/8la2tR4G3tg
J Custom Review: https://youtu.be/xps4BsCw7Cw
00:00 Intro and not sponsored
First Impressions
01:06 Motivation for buying
01:25 Watch out for QA issues, e string close to edge of neck
01:36 Guitar showed up in tune and was stable
02:17 New guitar setup process
02:42 Good deal for a “Prestige”, no all access neck joint to keep other prestiges competitive
03:16 More notes on the color and look
03:47 First impressions summary
Specs
04:04 Typical Ibanez RG specs with V7, S1, and V8 pickups
04:38 Specs combine to make balanced and playable shredder
05:01 My personal preferences and more modern features
06:00 Merits of nickel silver frets
Playing Feel
06:23 Classic RG feel of specs and flat top body
06:50 Neck feel and profile
08:13 Square heel joint cons and playability
09:24 Is the top 24th fret playable?
09:48 Raw wood neck finish? Vs. other prestige, solar
11:35 These cons are nit picks because this guitar is great, good to note in this expensive era
11:59 Nickel silver frets feel good
12:10 Body shape and bridge height feel vs arched, carved top, tune o matic
Playability
12:48 Setup and stability in different venues, climates
15:22 Workarounds for shifting neck setup
15:55 Seasons change even at home, setup required
16:29 Truss rod is janky but works well enough
Sound
16:54 Stock pickups are better than the ones 20-ish years ago but not flattering
17:45 Considering replacing the pickups, Tone Zone/Air Norton or Fusion Edge is better
18:27 Being in tune is important for tone
18:56 Better to keep at home for display?
Overall
20:09 Better value than prestige or other brands?
21:16 More expensive guitars are more robust
21:37 Why buy this
22:42 Why not to buy this
23:02 Japanese made but to a price point
23:16 Neck joint is period correct but objectively worse
23:37 Alternatives, price, compromise, and country of origin
25:09 You will need to try many guitars to find what you need
25:38 Will this guitar meet your needs?
26:19 It’s good but top tier prestige is better for “just one” guitar
27:23 This still feels quality
27:42 Budget for guitar and everything else
28:51 Any guitar can have issues no matter the country of origin, pick the best tool for you
30:20 Would I buy again?
31:11 Why I’m keeping it
31:48 Was this helpful?
Full Mix Demo
32:08 Overdriven middle single and neck cleans
32:14 Distortion bridge riffing
32:22 Distortion bridge leads and rhythm
33:07 Neck cleans and overdriven middle single coil
33:27 Chorus distortion bridge
33:33 Bridge guitar solo
33:39 Final reprise
33:48 Ending a song with distortion bridge and clean neck
Cat 33:58